For many years, western media has speculated that China is scheming to invade Russia, and these “news reports” speculating about it only intensified after fighting in Ukraine flared up last year. But here’s the thing, it’s not reporting, or even simple speculation. It’s a provocation and neo-nazi propaganda. Here’s why.
Spreading the meme of the Chinese plotting to betray the Russians is effective for psyops purposes. I have unfortunately heard this meme repeated to me by Russian liberals. So, unfortunately, this NATO propaganda has achieved its goal of making some gullible Russian people afraid of the Chinese. If enough people believe an idea, however foolish, that can poison relations between those two countries. I don’t think such a stupid conspiracy theory has much chance of coming anywhere close to the “critical mass” necessary to affect Russian policy toward China, but that’s clearly the intended goal of the NATO trolls spreading it.
Anti-Chinese propaganda is useful for ideological reasons, and relies on very deep, old stereotypes pushed by nazi race theory. First, it must be understood that no normal, self-respecting person would inexplicably stab his own allies in the back. It’s one thing to violate a peace treaty or a ceasefire against someone you hate, but it’s quite another thing to betray your friend. The idea that someone, even a bad person, would do such a thing is unbelievable. Even the nazis didn’t do that. Trust is extremely important, and no society or army can function without it.
Carl Hamilton wrote a great piece recently about the Propaganda Master Frame Method, and the “Would China betray Russia” meme fits perfectly.
No serious person would ever believe that modern France is plotting an unprovoked invasion of Germany, and even suggesting it is stupid. There is no possible way for the French government to see value in betraying Germany, let alone justifying the betrayal to their voters. But rephrase the question “Is China plotting an unprovoked invasion of Russia” then many western people will believe that, because the idea is already framed by centuries of negative stereotypes of Chinese and Russian people. The Chinese “yellow menace” stereotype portrays them as a horde race that is also scheming and can never be trusted. This also plays well on Russian stereotypes, and the loudly repeated claim that Russia is weaker than China. Claiming that a white man is subordinate to a yellow man is the worst insult a nazi can think of. It’s even worse than claiming he’s subordinate to a black man, because at least the black stereotype is portrayed as strong, if nothing else.
That’s why Hollywood and western European film studies tirelessly push the stereotype of “bad” nations like Russia, China, North Korea, etc., doing sneaky and awful things to each other. Like a general shooting one of his own men to prove a point, or a squad leader grabbing one of his own men to use as a human shield against the good guy’s bullets. NATO nazi propaganda all hinges on the idea that their enemies are subhuman savages literally incapable of basic decency. The untrustworthy and bad tyrant who casually kills his own people for no reason also nicely fits into the “slave race” nazi stereotype. Of course no normal person would tolerate being abused for no reason, so it is important to portray “bad” nations as pathetic slave races who are simply too weak and cowardly to stand up to their dictators. These stereotypes all fit together like a puzzle showing a bad dictator like Sauron casually oppressing his weak and pathetic orc minions. Western audiences believe these stereotypes, causing them to hate the dictator, and have contempt for his people.
Ian Kummer
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I often hear that China is overcrowded and the Russian Far East is almost empty, so it’s supposed to be common sense (as they claim) for the Chinese to simply attack and annex the Eastern part of Russia, and Russia wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. This is a “not even wrong” argument. Just for sobering these people I always point out that China is so overcrowded that half of its territory is almost uninhabited including Inner Mongolia in the North, and even Manchuria is kinda thinly populated. But this is even beside the point. You’re right, allies don’t attack each other, and my guess is that China and Russia have learnt the lesson how not to be divided and conquered.
I debated whether or not to include these facts in the post, but decided against it. But you are right. Someone who has done even five seconds of research on Google can see that the “overcrowded China” meme is false, and they are actually condensing over time, not spreading out. Chinese urbanites aren’t living up for the opportunity to be loggers in Siberia, they’re not even interested in doing that in their own territory.
Asiatic hordes! The yellow peril!
Russians are Asiatic hordes too, all the reports are about their human wave technique to overwhelm steadfast Ukrainian warriors, who can only be overwhelmed by a foe without any consideration for human life, throwing millions of non-individual orcs to bury them with mountains of human corpses.
Back in the day it was counted as wisdom to remark on the fact that for the Vietnamese gooks, life did not have the same value as for us, so losing their children or neighbours didn’t really affect them. Life was cheap to them, all those billions.
Siberia is sparsely populated, just as is northern Canada. In Canada being a dentist, lawyer, or doctor up north gets you bonuses and government financing for your practice and equipment. Still, most return after their 5-year agreement is up. Siberian/Arctic jobs also command extra pay or subsidized cost of living adjustments, etc. Most of northern Canada (where you used to be able to get a plot of land for 99 years for $1) is not arable; it is hard to survive, and towns tend to be mining or resource industry based. Northern Sweden or Eastern Siberia … same story. Lot of rocks, swamps, mountains. Bitterly cold. No grain grows. Chinese also send people for work in remote freezing regions on a temporary basis. The population of China is moving southwards, as has been happening in the USA. There are no hordes waiting to settle the rocks and swamps of the sub-Arctic north.
I know the location of your next holidays. Harbin ! And it will confirm your opinion on asian/russian relations. Anyway, the fear from eastern hordes changes with time. the russian are ot not assimilated with the mongolian “orks”. Fucking european racists.
Well, Ian, precisely this week this sentence sounds a bit…strange?
“it must be understood that no normal, self-respecting person would inexplicably stab his own allies in the back”
NordStream sabotage, anyone?
Oh well that’s the catch. Germany is hardly a friend. Our elites hate them almost as much as they hate Russia, if you pay close attention to their rhetoric
Oh yeah, keep the USA in Europe, keep Russia out and keep Germany down. Wasn’t that what the first Secretary General of NATO said?
Great post as usual. Great comments as usual.