Editor's Note:

Despite worldwide oppositions and criticism, the Japanese government went ahead with its nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping plan on August 24, opening a Pandora's Box of unfathomable consequences. Rather than responding to global concerns, the Japanese government attempts to obfuscate public spotlight by transforming itself into a victim. 

Japan had reportedly dumped more than 4,000 tons of nuclear-contaminated wastewater as of Tuesday. It detected radioactive tritium in seawater off the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time on August 31, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said the following day.

The Japanese government's reckless wastewater dumping, which may last as long as 30 years, is likely to bring far-reaching consequences to the global marine ecosystem and cause unpredictable damage. Worse still, in order to whitewash its evil deeds, the Kishida administration and TEPCO have resorted to deception and smear campaigns to mislead the public.

Why is the nuclear-contaminated wastewater being dumped by Japan actually not in accordance with discharge standards as the country claims? What tricks have been used by the country to attempt to cover up the truth and gain the international community's support? The Global Times recently talked to some experts in marine ecology and nuclear radiation and insiders who are familiar with Japan's dumping plan, so as to expose the lies of the Japanese government and the reason why Japan is so keen to act as a "victim."

Nuclear wastewater VS radioactive wastewater 

One of TEPCO and the Japanese government's main efforts to whitewash its nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping plan is to confuse the concept with normal nuclear wastewater by insisting that the water are and plan to continue dumping into the ocean has been treated. 

But the two concepts are entirely different.

Nuclear wastewater is generated during the normal operation of nuclear reactors and the application of radioisotopes in nuclear power plants, such as reactor coolants. Such wastewater does not directly come in contact with nuclear fuel and reactants, and is released safely. 

However, radioactive wastewater or nuclear-contaminated wastewater is generated after coolant directly comes in contact with radioactive materials when released after a nuclear reactor shield is broken accidentally. Such wastewater is highly radioactive and contains dozens of radioactive materials that are seriously harmful to human being and the environment. Some radioactive materials in this water have very long half-lives. Iodine-129, for instance, has a half-life of 15.7 million years and Carbon-14's half-life is 5,730 years. 

Moreover, at a normal power plant, nuclear materials are enclosed within the reactor. But when the reactor is destroyed, the nuclear materials might continue to leak out and dissolve in the water, making the water contaminated and leading to long-term damage. 

Taking these facts into account, the wastewater dumped from the Fukushima nuclear power plant is typical nuclear-contaminated wastewater. Confusing such water with normal nuclear wastewater reflects a guilty conscience and the knowledge that dumping the water into the ocean is wrong, experts pointed out. 

They asked that if Japan equates the nuclear wastewater produced by a normal reactor to nuclear-contaminated wastewater, and really believes that the water it is dumping is clean and safe, why doesn't the country reuse it as industrial water?

Meet discharge standards?

Japan reportedly uses a very simple and self-deceptive way to make the wastewater it plans to continue dumping superficially "safe": It diluted the nuclear-contaminated wastewater at a ratio of 1:100 with seawater before release.

That doesn't change the total amount of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater Japan plans to dump, nor does it reduce any possible damage to the marine environment. The trick, as the Associated Press reported on August 22, does bring the current released water below international safety limits, "but its radioactivity won't be zero."

Through the years, Japan has babbled on and on about its self-made nuclear-contaminated wastewater treating system, bragging that its facilities are able to meet release standard compliance. The Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), one of the key facilities TEPCO designed to deal with the wastewater to be discharged, started trial operations as early as March 2013.

Since then, Japan began to refer to the nuclear-contaminated wastewater treated at the ALPS as "treated water," to create an illusion that the water to be dumped is safe after "treatment."

This deceptive term doesn't change the fact that the ALPS-treated water is far from meeting international release standards, as data provided by TEPCO showed that as of September 30, 2021, some 70 percent of the then 1.243 million cubic meters of ALPS-treated nuclear-contaminated wastewater still failed to meet the criteria, 18 percent of which even exceeded the standard 10 to 20,000 times over.

Additionally, the ALPS facility has experienced frequent malfunctions. In August 2021, for instance, TEPCO found that there were at least 10 breakages on the filters used to absorb nuclides. A month later, TEPCO announced that five more filters in the ALPS were found to have been damaged, and radioactive contamination had been detected near some of the filters.

The lack of supervision in Japan's water treatment has also causes widespread concern. During a recent foreign media tour to the discharge site, when a French journalist suggested that a third party such as an environmental group or expert should participate in the measurement or monitoring of radiation in order to increase credibility, TEPCO's Kenichi Takahara, who was responsible for the on-site coverage, "immediately reacted negatively," Yonhap News Agency reported on September 3.

TEPCO and the Japanese government should guarantee comprehensive, timely, and complete publishing of data regarding the process of the dumping and accept supervision by the international community, Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times at the weekend.

IAEA, authoritatively backed?

Japan claims the water release has been backed by the IAEA and authoritative scientists. To get IAEA to endorse its dumping plan, the Japanese government provided the IAEA with at least 1 million euros as a sort of political donation, two South Korean media sources said in June.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry later issued a denial. Nonetheless, in an article published on July 8, Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun quoted "a ministry official" as saying that the whole Japanese government "invested a lot of money in the IAEA and sent a lot of personnel there, to ensure its (Japan's) presence" in the IAEA's decision making.

It's worth noting that, no matter how much money Japan has offered to the IAEA, the latter has never openly vouched for Japan's wastewater discharge plan as being rational or reliable.

Although a recent assessment report presented by the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to the Japanese government concluded that the discharge plan "is in conformity with the agreed international standards," it stressed at the beginning that it does not necessarily reflect the views of IAEA member states and is not a recommendation or an endorsement of Japan's ocean dumping plan. 

Liu Senlin, an expert with the China Institute of Atomic Energy, who participated in the IAEA's technical working group for the assessment, told the Global Times previously that the report was released hastily and lacked sufficient consultation with experts. China's permanent representative to the IAEA, Li Song, also pointed out that the conclusions of the agency's report were one-sided and lacked credibility.

Globally, organizations such as Greenpeace and the US National Association of Marine Laboratories have openly opposed Japan's wastewater dumping plan. "[The discharge] ignores human rights and international maritime law," Greenpeace criticized in a press release on August 22.

Huge 'PR budget' works?

The Japanese Foreign Ministry had increased its 2024 budget specially designed to respond to "disinformation" about the nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping plan to approximated 70 billion yen ($478 million), the NHK reported on August 24, when Japan started the release process.

The 70-billion-yen "PR budget" is allegedly almost 20 times the budget for the nuclear-contaminated water dumping, and twice the budge for an alternative steam discharge. "It can be seen that the Japanese government is more inclined to spend money on public relations in dealing with the issue of Fukushima nuclear sewage than to adopt a safer treatment plan," said Min News on Monday.

Compared with putting forward a safer plan, Japan seems to have spent much more money and energy in justifying its unscrupulous wastewater dumping plan, hiring professional PR companies to confuse the public by frequently spreading false information including "effects of the Fukushima accident have been eliminated" and "the water to be discharged is safe," observers found.

Some of its PR methods have been laughably ridiculous. In 2021, the Japanese government contracted advertising giant Dentsu to come up with a promotional campaign for the dumping plan. Ironically, what Dentsu did to whitewash the dumping plan, was to invent a cute cartoon character for the radioactive particle tritium. 

The campaign unsurprisingly backfired, and the tritium "mascot" was scrubbed from the internet after just two days, Kyodo News reported in April 2021.

Japan's various whitewash campaigns and playacting can't change the fact that the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater and fish therein are likely to be harmful. Many people around the globe are well aware of that, as the Fukushima seafood was declined by many countries' athletes during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The South Korea team openly said it brought in own food instead to avoid possibly contaminated Fukushima ingredients.

Japan is a victim?

In addition to ridiculous PR stunts, the Japanese government has also been actively conducting high-level communications to attract more supporters while setting China as a common target to shift focus. 

Despite the US President Joe Biden's claim that the US-Japan-South Korea summit at the US presidential retreat Camp David held on August 18 "is not about China," afterward the leaders of the three countries explicitly picked on China under the pretext of "joint efforts to maintain peace and stability" in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, which once again laid bare rife anti-China hypocrisy, Chinese observers criticized.

After the meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in May, the South Korean government's position has undergone an obvious shift. 

After Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi's visits to several Pacific island countries in March such as Tuvalu and Sao Tome and Principe, these countries' positions also became ambiguous. The main economic drivers of Pacific island countries are tourism and the fisheries. As Japan is a leader in global fisheries technology, experts deemed that Japan may have made some commitments to support the development of fisheries in these island countries in exchange for the latter's silence on the dumping plan.

The Japanese government is also concocting false propaganda to divert attention. Recently, the Japanese Embassy in China held a briefing for foreign media in Beijing, but did not invite Chinese media outlets, aiming to provide targeted publicity for foreign media and indirectly influence public opinion in China. 

Chinese observers pointed out that what the Japanese government's expectation is, as long as the Geiger counter doesn't explode within seconds after contact with the wastewater, or a Godzilla monster-like would not suddenly emerge from the sea, the dumping can be acceptable. As for questions like whether there will be man-tall crabs or Cthulhu-esque octopuses in 30 to 40 years is not part of its consideration. Moreover, the potential problems that may occur 30 years later will no longer be the current government's concern. This is the Japanese government's logic.

China, by contrast, is motivated by providing an effective public good by taking a stand against Japan's wastewater dumping. If China, through its own efforts, makes Japan change its decision, or deal with the wastewater in a safer way, that will ultimately benefit the entire Pacific Ocean and all the people involved, and that is a real public good, an expert familiar with Japan's dumping plan said.

Sadly, when China stands up such a foolhardy plan, certain countries resort to using environmental protection as a business and slogan, or a label to seek personal political influence. 

A public good can only be provided by responsible powers. Since Japan commenced dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea, the Chinese government has not hesitated to shoulder its responsibility and clearly point out that the dumping will harm the entire ocean. 

"Some US media outlets even claimed that China would be the last to be affected from the perspective of ocean circulation. So why is China stepping up?" an anonymous expert told the Global Times. "Because what China has been doing is for the sake of being responsible to humanity and the country really cares about environmental protection."

After performing an emergency C-Section on a pregnant patient and hearing a cry from the delivered baby, Chinese doctor Zhang Qian breathes a sigh of relief. Despite risks posed by performing such a delicate surgery amid earthquake aftershocks, Zhang and her colleague Liu Yan went ahead, undaunted, determined to save the life of a patient with symptoms of abruptio placentae and her unborn child, just two hours after Morocco was rocked by an earthquake.

"The only thing I was afraid of at that time was an unexpected complication with the expectant mother and her baby," Liu told the Global Times.

Zhang and Liu are members of the Chinese medical team stationed in Morocco. China has been dispatching medical teams to Morocco since 1975 as sourced from the Chinese city of Shanghai. To date, a total of 1,944 medical staffers in 195 batches have offered medical services in public hospitals across the North African country, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The Chinese medical team in Morocco has made significant contributions to post-earthquake rescue efforts. Among its nine detachments, those stationed closer to the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, have been treating the injured, donating blood, and dispatching medical equipment to where needed, while those farther away have actively donated supplies, the Global Times learned.

The medical detachment located in Taza, some 400 kilometers away from the most-affected city of Marrakesh, quickly donated 20 kilograms of rice that they brought from China and 180 1.5-liter bottles of drinking water after the earthquake. Drinking water is one of the most essential supplies, said medical staffer Yu Yuejin, director of the detachment.

"We have been here for more than nine months, and have deep feelings for this place," Yu told the Global Times. "We are eager to offer our help."

'My responsibly'

Yu is an otolaryngologist from the Shanghai Seventh People's Hospital. In December 2022, as a member of the 195th batch of the Chinese medical team stationed in Morocco, Yu left Shanghai for Taza, a remote, dry, hot, and comparatively less developed mountainous city in northern Morocco.

In contrast to well-known Moroccan tourist cities such as Casablanca, Taza remains relatively obscure to the outside world. Yu said that it has poor medical infrastructure which is "similar to that of China in the 1980s and '90s."

"In ENT (ear-nose-throat) departments in China, now we perform thyroid surgeries with endoscopic surgical techniques and treat adenoidal hypertrophy with a nasal endoscopic system," she exampled. "But here in Taza, neck surgeries are usually done using traditional electric blades, electrocoagulation [electrotome], and surgical sutures and needles."

Therefore, to better help improve local medical conditions, China has regularly donated medical equipment to Morocco throughout the years apart from dispatching personnel here. Each year, the Chinese medical detachments in Morocco draw up a list of the medical supplies that local hospitals need most, and submit them to the Chinese health authority, according to Yu.

Yu recalled a surgical procedure she performed on a five-year-old Moroccan girl who had swallowed a coin with esophagoscopic equipment just received from China. Prior to that, similar patients with foreign bodies in their esophagi had to be transferred to a higher-level hospital 100 kilometers away for help, and the whole process would last as long as a week, causing patients a large amount of pain.

"Now with the esophagoscope, I can quickly perform a procedure after the patient has fasted for six hours," Yu told the Global Times.

Morocco's shortage of medical equipment has been largely improved thanks to the continuous donations from China. However, in earlier times, it was not unusual for the Chinese medical staffers to make up for the lack of manpower and equipment with their own ingenuity and dedication.

Sun Meifang is an obstetrician and gynecologist from the Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital. She was stationed in Morocco between 2001 and 2003, serving as the only obstetrician and gynecologist at Figuig Province's central hospital in that period of time.

Sun recalled that, on several occasions, she had to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to revive severely asphyxiated newborns, as the hospital lacked a complete set of neonatal resuscitation equipment.

In those moments, Sun said she would ignore the blood and other bodily fluids coating the infants' faces. "It was my responsibly [to save them,]" she told the Global Times. "I couldn't just stand there and let them lose their lives."
Professional spirits, caring hearts

Over the last 48 years, the Chinese medical team in Morocco has served 5.78 million patients and performed nearly 530,000 medical procedures, said Xinhua.

Through the decades, Chinese medical staffers in Morocco have impressed local patients and their medical peers not only with their exquisite skills, but also their professionalism and high standards of care.

During her work in Morocco, Sun placed the lives of her patients above her own. She once encountered a patient pregnant with twins who had suffered a possible uterine rupture, and the two fetuses were interlocked at the head. An urgent C-section became urgently necessary, but at that time Sun herself suddenly suffered atrial fibrillation.

To rescue the Moroccan woman and her two unborn babies, Sun performed the C-section after taking a large dose of cardiovascular drugs, risking her own life to save three. Throughout her two years in Morocco, Sun performed a total of 394 surgeries and rescued 1,149 patients. She was one of the 10 Chinese individuals and organizations to win the China-Africa Friendship Award in 2006.

The idea of trying their best to help patients is deeply rooted in the hearts of the Chinese medical team in Morocco.

In June, otolaryngologist Yu met a woman whose neck had developed a large pustule. The woman had received unsuccessful treatment for two months.

Yu smoothly excised the pustule, and helped change the patient's wound dressing each day after the surgery, a task that usually falls to the nurses.

The woman slowly recovered under Yu's great care. On the day of her discharge, she sent Yu a text message to express her gratitude.

"Allah sent you to [help] me," read one of the sentences in the message.
A 'golden name card'

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Morocco diplomatic relations. For decades, the Chinese medical team has been China's "golden name card" in Morocco, Yu told the Global Times.

She added that in Morocco, many Chinese medical staffers become friends with locals. They learn languages from each other, and share interesting things with each other.

In Taza, Yu, and her Chinese colleagues received a fresh gigot from Moroccan neighbors in this year's Eid al-Adha festival in June. The neighbors also shared figs with them during the ripening season.

There are few foreigners in Taza. Yu said that in the street, local people usually greet the Chinese people they encounter warmly, and call them "docteur (doctor)" no matter whether they are in white coats or not.

"And more often, they call us 'ami,'" Yu said with a smile. "This is the French word for 'friend.'"

The just concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi, marked by significant disagreements and low expectations, ultimately reached a joint declaration, reflecting the international community's shared desire for unity and cooperation in overcoming challenges, as well as setting aside some significant differences. However, US President Joe Biden's subsequent itinerary after leaving New Delhi has brought people back to the more complex and rough reality of international politics.

On Sunday, Biden arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, beginning a short visit there, which has been buzzing news for some time and has attracted much attention. Since the normalization of US-Vietnam relations in 1995, every US president in office has visited Vietnam, which can be seen as a form of Washington's attention to Vietnam. However, never before has Washington's exploitation of Vietnam and lack of respect for Vietnam been so thoroughly exposed. Paying attention cannot be equated with paying respect. Attaching significance with ulterior motives is instrumentalizing the targeted country, which fundamentally disrespects the principle of equal and mutually beneficial relations. It is the Western media itself that pierced through this thin veil.

From the moment the news was released that Biden would be visiting Vietnam, numerous Western media outlets have been making noises for over half a month. However, all the reports and commentaries are "all the same." Some media outlets have explicitly stated in their headlines that "Biden heads to Vietnam in latest push to counter China." This is an unusual phenomenon in the clamorous Western public opinion arena, but it reveals the less glamorous truth about Biden's visit to Vietnam. This message brought about by Western public opinion unintentionally serves as a strong and lasting reminder to Vietnam.

First, Biden did not go to Vietnam for the sake of Vietnam. As Radio France Internationale put it, his diplomatic activities in Asia all revolve around one central theme - confronting the world's second-largest economy. Ultimately, it is still a matter of geopolitical maneuvering, treating Vietnam as a battleground for major powers. Washington's positioning of Vietnam is clear, as stated by Kurt Campbell, White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, that Vietnam is a "swing state." In other words, in their view, Vietnam has more "instrumental value" for the US in countering China.

Second, what Biden wants to peddle to Vietnam is neither what Vietnam wants nor is it in line with Vietnam's national interests. As a scholar in the US said, "Washington was more keen to risk upsetting Beijing than Hanoi was." In other words, the US and Western media have been discussing it for so long, but no one has said anything about the actual benefits that Biden's visit will bring to Vietnam. To some extent, it is like a clever housewife who can't cook without rice. 

American and Western public opinion and Washington do not care about Vietnam's national interests. What they really care about is how to get Vietnam to "fall into the arms of the US." The title of an article in the Diplomat magazine is "Vietnam's Time to Choose." Even though American public opinion and Washington clearly know that Vietnam, like other Southeast Asian countries, is unwilling and has been trying its best to avoid choosing sides between China and the US, they still continue to push, pressure, induce and even coerce in this direction. This is the diplomatic practice of the US to coerce other independent and sovereign countries.

One of the biggest points of concerns of Biden's visit is whether the US-Vietnam relationship will be upgraded to a "comprehensive strategic partnership." According to the US media, this will give Washington an equal place with Beijing and Moscow in Hanoi's diplomatic relations. American public opinion generally believes that this will arouse China's vigilance. If the US doesn't have ulterior motives, why should it worry about China being unhappy or angry when the US develops bilateral relations with Vietnam? China doesn't interfere in other countries' diplomacy, and is happy to see other countries live in harmony and engage in mutually beneficial cooperation. However, if it conducts activities against China, it's impossible for China to sit still.

Not long ago, when General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong met with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Trong said Vietnam views its relationship with China as a matter of top priority. It is understandable that Vietnam hopes to maintain a balance in its relations with China and the US, the two major powers. But what the US is doing now is tantamount to pulling the balance pole away from Vietnam, or blowing headwinds that will make Vietnam unable to maintain its balance. This indeed requires Vietnam to be particularly mindful.

We also notice that, according to local media reports, Vietnam asked the US to refrain from the use or threats of force and actions that go against international law which further complicate the situation, resolve disputes peacefully. This indicates that Hanoi is not willing to pull chestnut out of fire for Washington. It also shows that regional countries are well aware of the dangers posed by Washington and are vigilant.

South Korea is very keen on joining the Quad grouping, said the South Korean Envoy in India Chang Jae-bok on Wednesday, according to The Hindu. However, just recently, at the G20 summit, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol publicly expressed his hope to promote the stable and healthy development of the South Korea-China relationship. 

Currently, the South Korean government's foreign policy is heavily leaning toward the US, and the eagerness to join the Quad is an extension of this diplomatic policy. The Yoon administration's foreign policy is deeply entrenched in the mind-set of a "new cold war" and cannot extricate itself. 

The South Korean government seems to believe that the world has entered a new cold war and agrees with the US in dividing the world into "liberal" and "authoritarian" camps. In other words, South Korea may acknowledge the need to view non-Western countries as enemies, and cooperation has limitations. South Korea also understands that strengthening relations with the Western camp will lead to friction in the relations between China and South Korea and even on the Korean Peninsula, but it considers this a necessary cost.

The important thing is that South Korea believes that by doing so, it reflects its identity as a "global pivotal state" and assumes global responsibilities. Zhan Debin, director and professor of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times that South Korea, which claims to be the vanguard of safeguarding the order of freedom and democracy, has become an important ally in promoting the US Indo-Pacific strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, which can enhance South Korea's international status. However, this confidence and enthusiasm may only be wishful thinking on the part of South Korea.

Since the Yoon administration came to power, it has shown great confidence in joining the Quad. Due to the influence of the Japan-South Korea relationship at that time, Japan did not want to see South Korea's participation, let alone South Korea decreasing its influence within this small circle. Compared to Japan, India is even less willing to see the Quad become an anti-China and anti-Russia group, as this would diminish India's value. As the leader of the Quad, the US has also not provided much support to South Korea.

Despite the active pressure from the Donald Trump administration for the South Korean government to join the Quad, President Joe Biden has not made a proactive statement on this matter. The Yoon administration believed that as long as South Korea proposed it, the US would immediately agree. However, from the perspective of the US, South Korea's capabilities and contributions, especially in terms of security outside the Korean Peninsula, are limited and cannot be of much help to the US.

If South Korea joins the Quad, the US naturally needs to consider how much contribution South Korea can make within the Quad mechanism. Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times that in current Quad mechanism, the US is using India, Japan and Australia to contain China from the Indian Ocean, the West Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. What can South Korea do? It can at most cooperate with the US and Japan in economic and trade measures to suppress China. In other words, South Korea has not yet proved its capabilities among the Quad countries.

For South Korea, the security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia should be the most concerning issue. Without cooperation with China, South Korea cannot maintain a stable and peaceful situation in the region. However, the inexperienced administration of Yoon clearly does not realize it. On one hand, it claims to maintain China-South Korea relations, but on the other hand, it continuously tests China's bottom line, which is detrimental to regional peace and stability and does not align with South Korea's own interests. If the Yoon administration wants to manage China-South Korea relations well, it needs to show sincerity. If the trilateral summit between China, Japan, and South Korea is only for showcasing South Korea's leadership and international status, the public's dissatisfaction with the government will only continue to rise.

Editor's Note:
Europeans and British people need to be better educated about China, Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London, told Global Times reporters Sun Wei and Gu Di in an exclusive interview. "I hope British and Europeans can… at least having more respect for Chinese values, Chinese culture and Chinese identity," Brown said, adding that "we can have a discussion. But it's not about trying to engage with someone else to change them."

GT: How has China Through European Eyes: 800 Years of Cultural and Intellectual Encounter shaped perceptions in the UK and the West? In what ways has it enhanced the Western audience's understanding of Chinese culture?

Brown: It's essential to recognize the extensive historical connections between America, Europe, Britain and China. This book, alongside my upcoming work, delves into the lessons of the past for our present and future.

And we do have a lot of mutual knowledge. I hope this helps people understand our history better, so that we can have a bit more information about where we are today and where are we going to go in the future.

GT: Over the past three decades, you've extensively travelled across China and spearheaded numerous rural studies. With the upcoming release of China Incorporated: The Politics of a World Where China is Number One, you've noted a pervasive apprehension about China's rising prowess. What compelled you to cultivate a dialogue that's "less anxious and more constructive"?

Brown: I've been in and out of China a lot. In the last 30 years, I lived in China for six years, and I've visited China probably 100 times, and I've been to every province and every single autonomous region.

I last went to China at the end of 2019 and had a memorable and very good visit. I learned a great deal and look forward to going back, delving deeper into Chinese issues.
I think that Europeans and British people need to be better educated about China, and its important place with a significant history. I hope these books help people understand why China is important, why it matters and gain a better understanding about our shared history. We have a big shared history.

Especially now, China's economy and its political importance are prominent. There should be greater awareness of what China is and why it's crucial in our cultural and political lives. That's why I have done this. And I think it's really about public information, public education, but for the British people, obviously not for Chinese people. I get the impression that Chinese people are very knowledgeable about their history with Britain and Europe. On the whole, it's quite surprising how little Europeans might know about our shared history. I think one of the reasons for that is it's not very easy to access. This history is spread across many different books in many different places. I've really tried to put it all in one place to make it more accessible and easier to engage with.

GT: In the first chapter of China Incorporated, you assert that China is powerful, has evolved into a maritime force and its values diverge from Western perceptions. Why do you consider these three facets pivotal in today's conversations about China?

Brown: Obviously, China has a different view of the world, and it's not just the Chinese government. Many Chinese people also hold this perspective. They feel culturally distinct. Actually, I think they want to be better understood. Even if we are agreeing or disagreeing, I believe Chinese people want to be better understood, and that makes sense for sure. When you're having a dialogue, you do want to feel that the people are trying to understand you, even if they don't agree.

I got the sense that there wasn't so much said about what China and Europe, and China and Britain, were talking about. The tone of their dialogue and the way they were speaking to each other was not quite right. I sensed there was some sort of issue, and it wasn't just about what they were talking about; it was how they were talking.

I hope British and Europeans can do more about this by at least having more respect for Chinese values, Chinese culture and Chinese identity, even if we don't agree. This is not about agreeing. It's about at least trying to understand and acknowledge that others are different. We have to acknowledge that we can't change that. Then we can have a discussion.

But it's not about trying to engage with someone else to change them, to change who they are. It's really about engaging with someone else about ideas while accepting who they are.

GT: You highlight the undeniable unique intellectual and cultural history of the territories now forming the People's Republic of China. Why do you stress the impracticality of superimposing Western values onto China's distinct cultural backdrop?

Brown: I think China has accepted ideas from the outside world. Marxism, for instance, was originally from Europe, and many ideas of Chinese thinkers have engaged with thinkers from Europe and elsewhere. Economically, Americans and Chinese have accepted many of the ideas of capitalism. But, for Chinese people, there's a unique Chinese view of the world, and I think that always means there's a slight kind of transformation or change. The ideas will enter China, but they'll always be slightly adapted and changed according to national characteristics. That happens everywhere; Britain engages with ideas from America but changes them for the environment here.

So, I think we have to accept that with all of these ideas, there's always going to be adaptation and change. That's just a natural part of making them fit into particular environments where they are used.

In Britain, some people probably have a good understanding, while others don't. To me, it's important for British people to acknowledge when they don't understand. There's a rule that says people with the least knowledge have the strongest opinions. That's because you have to have a lot of knowledge to know you don't know. British people may often feel that they have a substantial amount of knowledge about China. 

GT: As we mark a decade of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), you've addressed some Western misconceptions in your latest book. In your estimation, what's the initiative's paramount contribution either to global economics or to nations along its path?

Brown: I believe it has raised awareness about the importance of engaging with China and how to approach such engagements thoughtfully. Especially for regions like Central Asia, the Middle East and Asia, there may be compelling reasons for economic engagement with China, whether in terms of investment or access to technology through initiatives like the BRI.

This provides a sort of platform or avenue. However, for Europeans, the connection might seem more distant. It's really about discerning the types of investments and modes of cooperation with China that promote harmony, rather than focusing on areas where there are clear disagreements. The BRI has been a significant learning process. I think it's still evolving, but it has afforded us a decade of getting to know each other better, understanding our respective strengths and weaknesses.

In Britain, for sure, there has been a noticeable shift. There have been more debates, particularly due to issues like those surrounding Hong Kong. The pandemic has, of course, introduced many challenges. The relationship between the US and China has also deteriorated, so there have been several negative factors. However, we are still working toward establishing a practical relationship with China. The government's stance is that it's a pragmatic relationship that requires ongoing collaboration, dialogue and mutual learning.

It's just that there are currently many dissenting voices in Britain, which may be receiving more attention than they warrant. As I often find, those who express the strongest opinions often possess the least understanding. They might continue to echo the same sentiments, only louder. In my view, they're not particularly relevant. 

GT: With two recent prime ministerial transitions in the UK and changing stances on China, are you disheartened by the evident shifts in bilateral ties?

Brown: I believe Britain needs to contemplate more deeply its objectives and what it can realistically achieve with China. While there are clear differences, there are also many common areas, and it's crucial that we acknowledge the need for realism. In Britain, there are often very critical voices regarding China, but our approach is generally pragmatic, but perhaps not as ideologically driven as in, say, Australia. 

Describing the UK's stance as more pragmatic is, I believe, an accurate characterization. As I mentioned, it should be a narrative of equality. The relationship should be one of respect, with a critical eye, but also conducted with courtesy. It should be guided by facts, a constant evaluation of what we have learned about each other in the past, and what we could come to understand in the future. In this way, I envision a dynamic relationship. 

GT: Prominent UK voices, including University College London(UCL)'s Michael Spence, emphasize the valuable contributions of Chinese students in the UK. With the recent cooling of UK-China scientific collaborations, what are your thoughts on these pragmatic perspectives within the cultural and academic spheres? Do you have specific recommendations to fortify UK-China cultural and academic exchanges, particularly given current economic dynamics?

Brown: Michael Spence is right in pointing out that there is a great number of Chinese students in Britain. We need to acknowledge that fact, along with the significant amount of economic and academic collaboration between the two countries. It's wrong to instill fear in people about engaging with China. Some individuals in Britain have made attempts to discourage British academics and others from dealing with China, portraying it as a major problem. However, for many areas, it's not a problem at all.

I think it's something we need to do, as there aren't significant security issues in most areas. There are, of course, some strong opinions in Britain from individuals who, as I often say, have the biggest opinions but know the least. They are trying to portray China as a major security threat.

In my view, security threats exist everywhere. While there are certainly areas where China poses challenges for Britain, and vice versa, we are well aware of those areas. However, there are also numerous areas where we need to collaborate and work together. Therefore, I believe a balanced relationship is better than a paranoid one.

GT: As an academic against the "decoupling" from China, how do you interpret the EU's recent designation of China as a "partner, competitor, and systemic rival," and the ensuing dialogues on "de-risking"?

Brown: I think it's a complex description. It's a rather intricate portrayal. I view it as a partnership. It is indeed a partnership. There will be areas where partnerships come more easily and other areas where it's tougher. However, I believe creating such a nuanced perspective is sometimes not very helpful. Britain, China, Europe and China have numerous trade, investment, technology, climate, environmental and other political relationships. They form a partnership, but it's a complex one.

Whether or not you need to categorize it into these three distinct aspects is more of an internal consideration for Europe. It's not necessarily the way you should frame your policy, so I wouldn't necessarily use that division. However, I understand that in implementing policy, you probably need to differentiate between areas that are more straightforward and those that are more challenging, and take note of that as you implement your policy.

Certainly, Europe's relations with China do influence the British relationship with China. Currently, because Britain is not part of the European Union, it has to take a different approach. I think this can sometimes be challenging. Dealing with China outside the European Union hasn't been easy for Britain because it's a much smaller entity. If we were still part of the European Union, I believe our policy toward China would probably be somewhat easier.

GT: With the UK's recent induction into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and considering past UK policies aligned with China's ascent, where do you foresee UK-China relations heading in the immediate future?

Brown: I don't think it'll ever be an easy relationship, but I think in the end, it will be about trade, investment and whether we are able to do more in those areas. Britain's trading relationship with China is big, but it could be much bigger. 

GT: During in meeting between Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi and Veteran US diplomat Henry Kissinger in Beijing in July, Wang said the US policies toward China require Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom and Nixon-style political courage. Do you believe the UK requires a diplomatic personality to further bolster UK-China relations? 

Brown: No, I think the world only has space for one Henry Kissinger, and that's quite enough. We have a different relationship with China, and we don't want to mimic the Americans. We can cooperate with both America and China, but we can't replicate them.

I believe that Britons have a lot of knowledge about China, but we need to acquire even more. I hope my books are attempting to provide some insight. For Britain, we already have a narrative about China; we should strive to comprehend that narrative and learn from it.

GT: Despite China's consistent emphasis on its non-adversarial stance toward the US, why do you think there's a persistence of misperception in the West? How can we prevent the West from misconstruing China based on historical precedents of their own powers?

Brown: It won't be easy. It's going to be a tough process, but the reality is that America and China can't afford to have a direct confrontation. If they did, it would be a disaster for everyone.

However, I don't foresee them ever having an easy relationship. The challenge in the next few years will be how to manage it. How can Americans and Chinese work toward a relationship where disaster is avoided? Moreover, what role does the outside world play in this? It's all going to come down to management. I believe, and hope, that we will find a way to navigate it, but it won't be easy. This is going to be a tough period and the next 10 years are going to be a challenging transition.

GT: China's trajectory of development and resurgence is underpinned by its singular historical context. How do you interpret this "Chinese modernization," and what do you identify as its defining characteristics?

Brown: The challenges that China faced in modernizing were enormous. It has been successful in some areas, while in others, it has had to struggle. Chinese modernization has led to where we are today - a China with significant economic, military and political influence in the world. However, it is likely to face difficulties in defining its proper role. What is China? What kind of global role does it truly have? This is not very clear.

At present, some of this ambiguity may be due to the outside world's reluctance to assign China a certain role. Additionally, some of it may stem from China itself being hesitant to take on a more prominent global role.

I believe this is the most significant issue we will need to address. After all, China, in its current state, cannot simply be overlooked or marginalized. It demands recognition. The question then becomes, what kind of recognition and acknowledgment does it seek? This is a substantial matter that requires our attention.

Multiple Chinese sportswear brands including Li-Ning, 361° and Peak were seen during the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games opening ceremony, which was held on Saturday via sponsorship for foreign athletes' delegations, a step forward of the globalization of Chinese products and brands.

During the opening ceremony, the Global Times observed that the outfit of the Indonesian group was Li-Ning, and athletes from Lebanon chose Peak, while 361° sponsored the outfits of Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

According to China Sports Daily, the 19th Asian Games signed sponsorship contracts with 176 enterprises, and the revenue from various markets will exceed 4.6 billion yuan ($629.9 million). Large-scale international sports events now have become important stages for brands to promote themselves.

During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, athletes from Slovenia wore outfits from Peak as they stepped on the podium, according to media reports. In addition, teams from Brazil, Belgium, Romania and Iceland also wore the brand.

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has called on the US to respect the law of market economy and the principle of fair competition in a recent statement over Washington’s investment curbs targeting China, saying the move will jeopardize the normal business exchanges between the two countries and the security and stability of the global industrial supply chain.

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on August 9, banning new US investment covering key technology sectors in China such as semiconductors and other microelectronics, quantum computers and certain artificial intelligence applications. Later in mid-August, the US Treasury Department provided an explanation of the specific legislative plans for the executive order and initiated a 45-day period for public comment, with the deadline for submitting comments arriving on September 28.

The China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) has officially submitted comments on behalf of the Chinese business community to the US government, hoping that the US government will genuinely listen to rational voices and carefully consider the relevant rules, according to a CCPIT spokesperson through an official statement.

The US investment ban categorizes China as the only "country of concern" under this ban, designating the related industries as "specifically sensitive technological areas with significant national security implications." The regulations pertaining to restricted investment entities, restricted investment targets, and restricted transaction types are vague and overly broad, the spokesperson said.

The investment oversight applies “indiscriminately” to both civilian and military purposes, employing a one-size-fits-all approach, the spokesperson claimed, noting that this approach not only increases transaction risks and compliance costs but also introduces significant uncertainty. Furthermore, it will disrupt the industry chains that heavily rely on global division of labor and cooperation.

China is an indispensable part of the global industry chains in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum information technology. The restrictions will harm US companies in international competition, hinder technological progress, and ultimately undermine US interests, the spokesperson said.

The Chinese business community believes that open and free market access and equal and benign competition are the cornerstones of economic development. A free, fair international economic order and stable global division of labor and cooperation are in the common interest of the global business community，the trade body noted.

Win-win cooperation is the shared vision of the Chinese and American industrial sectors. The Chinese community is willing to strengthen exchanges and collaborate on development with industries from various countries, including the US, the spokesperson said.

In early August, the Chinese Foreign Ministry blasted the US' investment restrictions as "economic coercion" and "tech bullying," urging Washington to immediately withdraw its wrong decision while vowing to firmly safeguard the country's rights and interests.

China deplores and firmly rejects the US' investment restrictions targeting a number of high-tech industries in China and has lodged stern representations with the US side, the ministry said.

China's eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays wrapped up on Friday, with the number of domestic trips and tourism revenue seeing robust growth and exceeding that of 2019, underscoring the robust recovery of the world's second-largest economy.

The bustling scenes seen across the country during the Golden Week holidays offered the latest sign of strong vitality in China's consumption, a major economic growth driver, and the vast potential of China's steady economic recovery, in stark contrast to the dire predictions made by Western media and politicians, analysts said.

While downward pressure remains, China's economy will continue to rebound in the rest of the year and could make a full recovery at the end of 2023, thanks to robust recovery in consumption and other areas and a range of policy measures taken to boost growth, analysts noted.

Bustling tourism

A total of 826 million domestic passenger trips were made in China during the eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, a year-on-year increase of 71.3 percent and up 4.1 percent from 2019. Holiday tourism generated 753.43 billion yuan ($104.68 billion), up 129.5 percent year-on-year and 1.5 percent increase from 2019, official data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed on Friday.

Some 59.89 million trips were expected to be made on Friday during the return peak, a year-on-year increase of 58.4 percent, data from the Ministry of Transport showed on Friday. Among them, a total of 18.8 million passengers will travel via the railway with 12,571 trains to be operated, according to China Railway.

Domestic consumption experienced a strong pickup during the holidays, showing the best performance since 2019. For instance, the average daily consumption scale of service retail jumped by 153 percent compared with the same period of 2019, while the consumption scale for dine-in surged by 254 percent, according to data from China's e-commerce platform Meituan.

Multiple provincial-level regions rolled out their tourism reports for the holidays on Friday and Thursday, which returned to or even exceeded the 2019 level.

Shanghai welcomed a total of 21.30 million tourists for the holidays with transactions related to tourism recording a year-on-year increase of 29.7 percent to 29.24 billion yuan, official data showed on Friday.

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region received a total of 14.53 million domestic tourists in the first five days of the holidays, a yearly increase of 5.38 times and 1.29 times more than the same period in 2019, thepaper.cn reported on Thursday. The region generated a total of 9.93 billion yuan in tourism revenue, a year-on-year increase of 6.31 times and 1.12 times increase compared with 2019.

Chinese tourists were able to experience the holidays in diverse forms, from touring domestic and international scenic spots and enjoying leisure time in third- and fourth-tier cities to becoming involved in emerging experiences such as cultural and tourism integration projects, night markets, and musicals, according to reports from Chinese travel agencies.

Flight bookings for top domestic destinations during the holidays surged by nearly five times compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, with bookings for flights departing on September 29 - the first day of the holidays - hitting a record high on Chinese online travel agency platform Qunar, the company told the Global Times on Friday. Bookings for domestic hotels in popular destinations doubled compared with the pre-COVID period. The top destinations included Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shanghai and other cities.

In addition to visiting well-known cities and metropolises, some Chinese travelers also opted to enjoy the nation's rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural scenery.

A female traveler surnamed Zhao from Southwest China's Chongqing visited the Bingling Temple Grottoes in Northwest China's Gansu Province -a world cultural heritage with a history stretching back more than 1,600 years. Zhao told the Global Times on Friday that she also encountered some foreign visitors during her visit.

Meanwhile, the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, sparked a consumption craze in sports and related fields throughout the holidays. The order volume for service consumption within the province exceeded 195 percent this year compared with 2019, while the dine-in order volume in Hangzhou increased by 443 percent and orders related to sports and fitness increased by 762 percent, per media reports.

At the same time, outbound tourism witnessed a strong rebound for the recently passed holidays. Orders for overseas travel on Chinese online tourism platform Ctrip.com increased by more than eight times year-on-year, according to a report sent to the Global Times on Friday. Meanwhile, bookings for international flights for the holidays on Fliggy reached a peak within the year.

The boom in tourism also spurred a consumption craze. In the first seven days of the holidays, sales of key monitored retail and dining enterprises increased by 9 percent year-on-year, while the major passenger flow in key commercial areas in 36 cities increased by 164 percent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed on Friday. The domestic box office also topped 2.5 billion yuan, a yearly increase of 70 percent.

Experts attributed the rebound in consumption to China's steady economic recovery and effective macroeconomic stimulus policies, showing the nation's strong resilience and huge potential in consumption, which will also play a vital role in bolstering economic growth in the fourth quarter.

Boosting GDP growth

China's economic performance outperformed 2019 in some aspects after nearly one year of post-epidemic growth, shown by the consumption rebound for the holidays and gradual recovery in trade along with other indicators, Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Friday, expecting a full recovery by the end of 2023 or at the latest by February next year.

China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index for September came in at 50.2, its first time in positive territory since April and after a consecutive increase over the last four months, the National Bureau of Statistics announced on September 30.

The consumption boom reflected the strong resilience and driving force of the spending power of Chinese residents, Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Friday.

Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, echoed Zhang's view and added that the targeted policy measures had further noticeable effects during the Golden Week, stressing the importance of continuing to implement the policies moving froward.

Cong told the Global Times on Friday that the consumption rebound during the holidays reflected China's huge consumption potential while also serving as a significant factor to further shore up market confidence and bolster domestic demand.

This confidence will play a vital role in promoting continuous economic growth while also elevating supply, Cong noted.

Zhang expected the consumption momentum to become an indispensable engine for advancing the economy, as the fourth quarter is also a peak season for domestic consumption, with major consumption events like the Double 11 online shopping festival.

In response to the bearish outlook on the Chinese economy painted by some Western media outlets and politicians, experts said China's consumer market is showing strong recovery and growth signs despite downward pressure with its strong market potential, resilience and confidence.

Cong noted that China maintains its market confidence as the world's second-largest consumption market, especially amid the process of rapid structural upgrading. He also stressed the importance of stepping up efforts in sectors such as infrastructure investment and support for the private economy to ignite market dynamics.

China's economic development should be the least worrying one during the global economic recovery process, Cong said.

Tianjin University's neuroscience team has made a groundbreaking achievement by launching a high-speed brain-computer interface (BCI) with 216 targets during the 7th World Intelligence Congress 2023.

This cutting-edge device enables users to type at impressive speeds using their thoughts while wearing a compact BCI device and interacting with a virtual keyboard featuring 216 keys. The system also incorporates commonly used syllables in both Chinese and English spelling, offering seamless one-click switching between Chinese and English input methods, Global Times learned from the team.

BCI establishes a "dialogue" between the brain's electrical activity and an external device. It is categorized into invasive and noninvasive types, with the noninvasive variant, based on electroencephalography (EEG) signals, being safer, more convenient, efficient, and holding tremendous potential for commercial and industrial applications, according to the team.

The number of targets and commands is a key indicator of how well BCIs can decode the brain's intentions, Xu Minpeng, a professor from the neuroscience team at Tianjin University, told the Global Times.

Tianjin University's team has gained global prominence by developing the first high-speed BCI with over 200 targets.

At present, the team has built a domestic full-chain noninvasive BCI technology including chip, electrode, algorithm and system. Three core indicators, the EEG recognition accuracy, the number of targets and information transmission rate have reached the highest international level, according to the team.

Some towns in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province, were hit by a tornado on Sunday afternoon. The tornado took two lives and injured 15 people, according to the local authorities. 

The tornado hit Yancheng at around 4:15 pm Sunday, in some towns in Dafeng district, Yancheng, under the influence of strong convective weather. The tornado was identified by experts as EF2 level (medium intensity), China Central Television (CCTV) reported Sunday.

The wind speed of a EF2-level tornado is estimated at 178 to 217 km per hour and usually causes a considerable damage. Under a EF2-level tornado, whole roofs ripped off frame houses, interiors of frame homes damaged, and small, medium, and large trees uprooted. Weak structures such as barns, mobile homes, sheds, and outhouses have been completely destroyed. Cars were lifted off the ground.

According to local authorities, two deaths and 15 injuries were reported from the disaster. All of the injured have been sent to hospital for treatment and none of the injuries are life-threatening. 

According to preliminary verification, 283 agricultural houses and 32 vegetable greenhouses have been damaged. The damage is being further verified, CCTV reported.

All the affected people have now been properly relocated, while post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work is being carried out in an orderly manner, according to CCTV.