Quote:
Originally Posted by Phanuthier
This is a opinion of a ADVISOR TO CHINESE POLITICIANS... who said much of this.
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I don't care who said it. Nations are not persons and do not have emotions. Your uncle can legitimately claim the politicians he worked with might react with anger and embarrassment to criticism of the Chinese government, but inferring that therefore such criticism will definitely move the nation to shut down outside influence is a very dubious extrapolation from that knowledge.
Questioning the elite is always going to make them angry, and they are always going to overreact to any criticism. When indulging that anger goes against their self-interest, though, the sound and fury usually really does mean nothing. In this case, the Chinese have the very relevant and close example of North Korea to show them what happens to a society that tries to go it alone and shut out all foreign influence, and I wouldn't bet any but the most rabid military men in China want to emulate that.