Radio France International carried an article that the South China Morning Post had originally published. The analytical article stated that the reason that the Chinese think tanks gave an incorrect assessment of the trade war was that all these think tanks have to mouth the “party’s voice.” Beijing’s tightened control of ideology on all levels, especially at the college campuses, requires that they must closely follow the party line. Any discussion of government policy without permission could be regarded as “acting wantonly and issuing groundless criticism of the party’s decisions and policies.” It could result in punishment. According to the article, since the top priority of Beijing’s policy is to maintain the party’s power, some policy advisers have avoided in-depth discussions with U.S. think tank researchers and have thus missed the opportunity to understand Washington’s latest thinking and ideas. The article also cited other incorrect approaches that China has taken, including the fact that Beijing hoped to use Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson and Former Secretary of State Kissinger as a “back-door” channel to understand U.S. policy. However, Trump doesn’t even talk to these people. Beijing has seriously underestimated the anti-China sentiment among the upper class in the U.S.
Source: Radio France Internationale, July 27, 2018
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