Confrontation with China will increase

 

Wolfgang Hansson 

 

Xi is strengthening his grip on power and China's grip on the world 

 

Published: Less than 20 min ago 

 

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's. 

 

COLUMNISTS 

 

That China runs illegal police stations in a number of countries, including Sweden, is another sign of China's increased self-confidence and self-righteousness. 

 

At home, President Xi Jinping has just tightened his grip and transformed himself into an all-powerful emperor. 

 

It is a violation of international law to conduct police activities abroad without that country's consent. So when the organization Safeguard Defenders reveals in a report that China operates over 50 "police service offices" in roughly 30 countries, it is no small matter. 

 

The purpose of the police stations is, among other things, to pressure Chinese living abroad who act against the regime or are suspected of crimes to return home. Threats such as imprisoning family members or barring them from good education are means used, according to Safeguard Defenders. 

 

Just a decade ago, China would probably never have dared to more or less openly conduct police activities on the territory of foreign states. At least not outside their embassies. 

 

But as the country has developed into an economic power and is on the way to becoming a military one as well, the cock's comb and the nationalist moods are growing. 

 

President Xi Jinping's need for control also comes into play here. He wants to silence Chinese dissident voices abroad and clearly does not favor methods that could lead to diplomatic row. Chinese police reportedly run an unofficial "police station" in Stockholm, according to the organization Safeguard Defenders.

 

 

Chinese police reportedly run an unofficial "police station" in Stockholm, according to the organization Safeguard Defenders. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT 

Don't want to be contradicted 

 

We are talking about a man who is no longer used to being contradicted at all. 

 

At the just concluded party congress, he was re-elected for a third term, which is a clear violation of modern tradition. After Mao Zedong's long rule, Deng Xioaping introduced a more collective leadership where no one could serve more than ten years. 

 

The 44-year tradition was broken when Xi allowed himself to be elected for a third term and is likely aiming to serve for life just like Mao. 

 

Xi has over a long period of time built up a personality cult around himself. His portrait hangs everywhere in China. His thoughts and words of wisdom are taught in schools and have been written into the Chinese constitution. 

 

His takeover of power after the party congress is almost total. All seven who are part of the ultimate leadership and the 25 who are part of the Communist Party's Politburo are considered to be loyal to Xi. Other phalanxes within the party have been purged from ultimate power. The management consists only of men. 

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping was recently re-elected for a third term. Photo: Andy Wong/AP 

 

Key factor 

 

While Deng Xiaoping in the 70s opened up Chinese society, Xi Jinping stands for the opposite. No opposition whatsoever is accepted. A total alignment of Chinese society is underway where social control of every single citizen is a key factor. A development that was further driven by the corona pandemic. 

 

Xi is sticking to the country's zero tolerance for covid despite the fact that it hit the economy hard and led to widespread dissatisfaction among the population. But rather than take the loss of prestige of importing effective vaccines from the West, Xi closes the affected parts of the country. 

 

Xi has shown his hard fists in the former British colony of Hong Kong where, with a new security law, he effectively abolished democratic freedoms and an independent judiciary. This despite the fact that China has signed an international agreement that guarantees these rights until at least 2047. 

 

During the Party Congress, Xi once again emphasized that Taiwan should be "reunified" with the mainland. By force if there is no other way. 

 

Xi is making the same mistakes as many authoritarian leaders before him. He surrounds himself with yes-sayers, which in the long run will weaken China. Maybe the world should be grateful.

 

"As the country has developed into an economic power and is on the way to becoming a military one as well, the cock's comb and the nationalist moods are growing," writes Wolfgang Hansson. Photo: Hendrik Schmidt / AP 

 

Buy German port 

 

But in the short term, more confrontation awaits between China and the West. China wants to replace the liberal and rules-based world order with one where Beijing can set the rules instead. 

 

Therefore, it is both a little surprising and worrying that the Chancellor of Germany is making an official visit to China so soon after Xi made himself an autocrat. 

 

France's Emmanuel Macron wanted to visit China together with Olaf Scholz to mark the unity of Europe but Scholz declined. 

 

Scholz is not only criticized for his trip to China, but also for approving the state-owned Chinese company Cosco to buy 25 percent of one of the terminals in the giant container port in Hamburg. 

 

The chancellor's yes appears to be extra strange considering that several of his own ministries sharply refused. Many see it as Germany becoming dependent on China for vital infrastructure at a time when it is just trying to get out of dependence on Russian gas. 

 

But Scholz seems to have learned nothing from that mistake. He thinks it is more important that Germany stays on good terms with one of its major trading partners. 

 

This despite the fact that the EU's leaders at their last summit discussed how to reduce their dependence on China.