Too Simple, Sometimes Naive (possibly paywalled) sees an easing in China’s Wolf Warrior diplomacy…
Wolf Warriorism’ became the accepted term for [a] nationalistic, aggressive form of discourse. No more demure Asian state. China had summoned a new-found arrogance, belligerence.
In 2021, I summed up the general tone as: “I’m China, f— you.”
But the movement failed spectacularly. And today, the state is in full-on damage-reparation mode (more on this at the end).
…In many ways, Wolf Warriorism was no more than Trumpism with Chinese Characteristics.
“Make America Great Again” became “New Era”.
…Despite idolising strongmen and absolute power, they had surprisingly brittle temperaments. “Traditional values” were under attack, a litany of transgressors including Dulce & Gabana, H&M, and Canada Goose all “hurt national feelings”.
From this milieu, Chinese media began picking up the fringes of western politics. Politicians like MP George Galloway, or MEP Clare Daley. Alternative voices, like Code Pink or Ben Norton. When businessmen stopped answering the phone, bookers grabbed Youtubers, happy for the exposure.
Internally, patriotism was the new currency. Rather than talent.
Chinese staff willing to say what others baulked at were promoted and pushed. One high-profile CGTN host admitted to me they felt pressured into ‘spicing up’ their content, in worry of being left behind by the new ethos, and overtaken by other colleagues.
It was a collective bubble of manufactured hate. An echo of the Cultural Revolution.
And it was an unmitigated disaster.
…Ambassadors have calmed their words. Sometime, around a year ago, there was an internal recognition that something wasn’t working.
Hong Kong. Xinjiang. Covid. Taiwan. Ukraine. South China Sea. Wave, after wave of negative stories has hit China this past decade, putting it on the wrong side of public opinion with much of the world. There’s only so much fighting the tide one can do, before you start drowning.
International public opinion of China is at now at historic lows, and falling. Not just with the western world but also with one-time friendly nations, like Philippines, Turkey and Hungary — or protests in nations the CPC have pumped full of Belt & Road cash.
…China’s economic squeeze, its over-reliance on exports, and its slow rebound in international visitors following the pandemic has only exacerbated the internal panic.
There’s now an active effort to soften China’s international image; cage the wolf.
…One of the earliest signs came at the very top in January 2023, when MoFA spokesman Zhao Lijian — probably the most bombastic of the CPC’s spokespeople — was reshuffled to an obscure department, at the division of borders and maritime affairs.
Most assert the ‘promotion’ was more to do with Lijian’s wife, and her problematic weibo posts — however it’s noticeable just how much his colleagues have toned down their statements since.
Will Hong Kong’s ‘despicable’ outraged official press releases calm down? I would miss them.
A Taipei Times feature on how Taiwanese businessmen are reducing the risks of doing business in China, and what everyone else can learn from them…
Though it appears that some processes and intellectual property rights are still maintained by Tesla in-house, they have handed over quite a bit of know-how to domestic suppliers, which combined with subsidies and support from the government has contributed to a booming Chinese electric vehicle industry. The CCP and the Shanghai municipal government knew what they were doing when they bent over backward to get Elon Musk to invest in a factory there.
Musk made a big mistake and there are already signs that the CCP and local officials are starting to make life difficult for Tesla. For example, there is an ever-widening list of places where Teslas are banned due to “security concerns,” starting logically with key government buildings and military bases, but expanding to highway operators, local authority agencies, convention centers and cultural centers.
Any attempt at making the meddling little South African troll’s miserable existence more complicated ought to be applauded, regardless of who it is.
HK media doing its bit. Every time a road accident involves a Tesla the brand is identified in the headline while the dozens of other accidents on our streets every day rarely mention the model unless it is a top dollar wheels.
The impression is that Tesla is more accident prone.
Mainland EV car/parts manufacturers managing to up their game thanks to Tesla’s presence there is MAGAnificent. Elon’s reported at least US$277M in donations to Trump appears to have neutralised that.
“The impression is that Tesla is more accident prone.”
Apparently, they are. On a distance-vehicle basis, Tesla is the brand-of-choice for maximum occupant fatalities in accidents in USA – twice the average rate of all vehicles from recent model years over a five year period:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62919131/tesla-has-highest-fatal-accident-rate-of-all-auto-brands-study/
Here, given how so many times it is reported that the “vehicle went out of control”, I’d imagine all brands are about the same.
Mary, as a headline scribe I call out any performance car brand by name in a crash report headline (as speed/power is usually relevant even if it isn’t). And I’d def include Tesla as a “performance” car: 0-100kph in under three seconds for many, six seconds for the most mundane models– that’s 1990s Ferrari acceleration for a basic family car!
Politics and climate aside, it’s insane to me that a car with that power can be legal and unlimited, especially while e-bikes and stuff remain deadlocked.
Also interesting that Tesla remains HK’s top-selling car brand of all fuel types, since about 2020… they’re selling around 800 a month. Toyota at #2 only sells 600 a month as per Webb’s excellent and useful database. So there are more new drivers with Tesla’s, I’d surmise, and more muppets with more power = more crashes.
Oh and BTW I would often be accused of hating Tesla for putting them in the headlines when the truth is quite the opposite, I’m a big fan, I’d have one if there was anywhere to park it/drive it in HK!
I wonder how much money Tesla really has in China. Did China basically subsidize building of the factory, etc.? Is Tesla’s cost close to zero? Then Musk has little incentive to keep it open. And if they did rip him off in regards to Intellectual Property, etc., then I presume that has left Musk with a bad taste in his mouth? If all of the above is true (no real clue – spitballing here), then I can see Musk and others becoming gung-ho in raising massive tariffs on China – especially in the auto area. Most western companies have belatedly figured out that “saving money” at the expense of having all its IP stolen is a very bad trade.
Elon Musk is obviously (like all Trump’s buddies) a nasty jerk, but his cars are actually pretty good. However, I bought mine when the HK government was waiving much of the first registration tax for electric cars – I’m not sure how they’d compare in value now.
As for drivers “losing control of their vehicle”, this phenomenon seems to be more common around 3 am after they’ve had a few drinks.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/piedmont-cybertruck-crash-nhtsa-19950363.php
My truck is bigger (and faster) than your truck.
EVs pull like a train – the danger is the torque. Unlike electric traction, an internal combustion engine does not provide the same amount of torque regardless of how fast it’s spinning. This will be even more of a concern with only two wheels.
Coupla nights ago in my neighbourhood – well before midnight – somebody in their late Y-rego (read: fairly new) BMW 5-series took a somewhat challenging corner at a speed in excess of what was safe for conditions (raining, tight corner with less-than-optimal camber) & collided head-on with an oncoming Rosa (Mitsubishi minibus) thanks to what could only be due to a complete lack of appreciation of the potential of oversteer.
Folks here simply do not know how to drive. It starts with how they’re taught to drive. And “the vehicle went out of control” just confirms the suspicion that the mentality is that the driver has nothing to do with it. Or at least that is what it seems like after 40 years observation as a pedestrian, bicyclist, bus passenger & on & off two/four-wheeled motorist.
Electric Vehicles have maximum torque at zero revs as opposed to fossil fuels which need to get the engine speed higher for more power. As such RESPONSIBLE eV manufacturers impose acceleration rate management which limits the rate at which speed can rise in order to overcome the “Asian” binary throttle control technique.
As for accidents, the heavier vehicle has a higher chance of coming off best. Think of it as a fly on the windscreen.
With regards to mainland vehicle factories, effectively the local government funds it all and as such does not impact the bottom line of the manufacturers accounts. I know as I recently worked for one that was building a new factory with local government money even though the existing plant was operating at a fraction of it’s capacity.