Hang On, What Exactly Did Wang Yi (王毅）Say to Penny (Heroic and Virtuous) Wong 黄英贤 ?

Seems it was worse in the original Chinese than it seemed when translated into English.

13 July 2022

On the sidelines of the recent G20 meeting in Bali, Australian Foreign Minister Wong met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang where he issued four points, variously reported as “demands” or  for the nuance-meisters - “suggestions”. There has been some debate over whether these were demands or something more polite. I read them as four requests, a polite euphemism for  requirements.

The exact phrase in Chinese media was 四点要求。四点 is easy, four (四）points （点）.  要求in my mind was “request” but looking it up in the dictionary yields “demand” so if some journalists described it as demands, they have the official Chinese dictionary on their side.

Seems kinda compulsory any way you look at it....

for a Chinese report on the meeting click the link below.

Chinese reporting of the Wang Yi / Penny Wong meeting

No matter. We’re used to Chinese arrogance and “third world mentality”. It long ago lost it’s shock value. In the English language media I got the impression some of the points were reasonable and perhaps something to work with.

Unfortunately once you start with the Chinese version and work through the points slowly, you see they are stuck in the same mindset as always, and we are really getting nowhere.

Apple and Google translate performed these translations with only minor intervention from myself.

四点要求

The four requirements (of improved relations)

Here goes:

1 一要坚持视中国为伙伴而不是对手。

First, we should insist on regarding China as a partner rather than an opponent.

Comment: You can insist all you like but China should behave as a partner instead of as an opponent. If you act as an opponent you will be regarded as one.

2 二要坚持求同存异的相处之道。

Second, we must adhere to the way of getting along with seeking common ground while reserving differences.

Comment: Bugger off, you caused problems that should be fixed before we can move on. Don’t try to pull the old “求同存异, qiu tong cun yi” with me, mate. We need Cheng Lei  and Yang Heng Jun back, we need trade attacks ceased, then we can talk, but given what you did, don’t expect things to be pleasant.

3 三要坚持不针对也不受制于第三方。

Third, we must insist on neither targeting nor being controlled by third parties.

Comment:  third parties? Oh, AUKUS, Quad, any others we can drum up ? Who are you kidding! If Sun Tsu was in charge of Australian 兵法 / military and other strategy, he’d get big mates along to back him up, not stand as a lone kangaroo egg against a dragon with scales of rock*. The bedrock of Australian foreign policy is interdependence with allies.

4 四要坚持构建积极务实社会民意基础。

Fourth, we should adhere to building an active and pragmatic foundation of social and public opinion.

Comment: FFS that old chestnut again, abolish free media and control people’s thoughts ！Has no one told you (Wang Yi) that that would cause a revolution in Australia ?

Honestly, what is the point of attempting to go through the motions of engaging with a CCP controlled China ? Foreign Minister Wong (Penny) is not only living up to her Chinese name as heroic (英）and virtuous （贤）, but friggin’ patient and with an admirable ability to control her temper. I’d just lose it then and there.

*Scientific correction:  this is a hyperbolic analogy- Dragons don’t actually have scales of rock.