KOK BAYRAQ: Biden Logic: I’m Tough Because I Didn’t Apologize To China

 When Joe Biden referenced China in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, he tried to indicate that he was standing up to China: “Before I came to office, the story was about how the People’s Republic of China was increasing its power and America was falling in the world. Not anymore,” he said. 

However, this effort was only clear in his intonation; the content and logic of his speech reflected the reverse.

“I will make no apologies to China,” he proudly stated. Is he or the U.S. obligated to apologize to China?

For context, he explained, “We are investing to make America strong. Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, and that China’s government is intent on dominating. Investing in our alliances and working with our allies to protect our advanced technologies so they’re not used against us.” 

This is all common sense stuff. Why would any of this require an apology? 

Thinking and talking about an apology without reason represents the soul rising outward. It seems Joe Biden thinks it natural for China to buy Europe and use it against the U.S., and it would not be right for the US to stop it. Joe Biden may not be saying this explicitly, but we can understand this feeling from a psychological point of view.

If one apologizes because of a mistake, it is from a sense of justice. If it is without reason, it is a sign of cowardice — submission to the power of the other party.

The US has historically contributed to China’s development in many ways, including bringing China into the UN and the World Trade Organization (WTO). American criticism of human rights violations and the defense of Taiwan can never be cause for an apology.

Saying, “I’m brave, I’m not apologizing to China or asking for forgiveness,” is absurd logic and that Joe Biden has brought to the literature of American heroism.

“I made clear in my personal conversations, which have been many, with President Xi, that we seek competition, not conflict,” Biden stated. 

Here, Biden admits that he has always offered goodwill to China and asked them not to escalate tensions. Unfortunately, Chinese leaders have never feared that the U.S. would start a war with them. Nor do they have any interest in cooperation or goodwill.

China is highlighting that America’s time as world hegemon is over. Xi Jinping’s slogan of transforming a unipolar world into a multipolar one and his attempt to present a new development model to the world is another version of that claim. America is an obstacle.

Why does Biden continue to state that the US has no intention of conflict with China when the Chinese see it otherwise? The problem is that Biden does not believe in American power. Does he see China’s power as something to fear?

Maybe because of these fears, he has called  Xi Jinping a “smart, smart guy” during his press conference in 2021, characterized his meeting with Xi in 2022 as “open and candid” and praised him as “straightforward.” 

In the rhetoric of competition, not conflict, which Biden often repeats, there is no stance of courage or valor. On the contrary, it exhibits begging and flattery.

Nothing short of fear explains why Biden was aware of China’s spy balloon but did not bring it up on his agenda until the public knew about it. It can be assumed that Biden would not have ordered the balloon shot down had it not been for the strong reaction of a group of House Republicans. Perhaps he hoped the balloon would quietly leave after it had crossed the U.S. Unsurprising, because Joe Biden has made it his mission to avoid any sort of confrontation with China.

The spy balloon entering US territory is itself an achievement for China. It managed to exhibit the power Xi wanted to show the world, especially his allies: that he could violate American sovereignty with no consequences. And he did it without any human or moral harm.

“But make no mistake about it. As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we did,” said Biden. However, if a country invades Kenya in Africa, Palau in the Pacific, or Chile in Latin America, those countries will not remain silent. It’s a rule as simple as Tuesday comes after Monday, or that 1 + 99 = 100. It is not an act of heroism or toughness — it’s stating the obvious.

There was really only one bold statement made against China in Biden’s speech: “And those who bet against America learn how wrong they are. It’s never ever been a good bet to bet against America.” Unfortunately, Joe Biden made this statement without mentioning China, which is like a cowardly soldier shooting into the air.

I am not saying that Biden should “show courage” against China in his speech because, as an Uyghur-American who has witnessed China’s brutal regime, I know that simply talking to China won’t work. I’m just saying that Biden shouldn’t dictate his own cowardly mentality to us as heroic — it comes off as empty threats.

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