I know, I know, I should find a more elegant, a politer term, but really, that’s what it is. Dreary, dull sludge occasionally leavened by hysteria. And it’s spreading among Hong Kong apparatchiks.
I studied this stuff In Beijing, way back in 1976, at the fag-end of the Cultural Revolution. Our reading lists included — the original Chinese — essays by Mao Tse-tung and the People’s Daily editorials. It’s like today’s Google predictive text. You know as soon as it starts, how the rest is going to go. Mao launches with “Comrades! We face daunting challenges…” and you know he’ll go on to demonise “hostile forces” — often “foreign” — against whom we must “fight with heart and mind”, while looking out for “an extremely tiny anti-revolutionary group” who are trying “thwart the will of the people”, and so on, and so drearily on.
The article is by Robin Hibberd: “Poor communication over Taiwan, press freedom and 2019 protests costing Hong Kong government public trust”
My comment there:
I've been a student of "commie-speak" since my student days in Peking (as it was then) in 1976. Apart from being woolly and predictable, it is oh so dreary and booooring! Very sad to hear It taking hold here. Gloom.
I ought to paste in some “commie-speak” I’ve been collecting:
“Solemn representations” Beijing Foreign Ministry office in HK (Re Taiwan)
“Strong disapproval and firm opposition” Ibid
“In disregard of China’s …advance warning, your office [consulate] repeated the wrong deeds of last year”. Ibid
The acts “grossly trample on the principle of international law and … non-interference in others’ internal affairs.” Ibid
“The government must wholeheartedly devote itself to creating conditions for state leaders to come” Carrie Lam, 8 June 2022
“If others … use the city to smear our nation, Hong Kong officials must be bold in struggling against them.” Carrie Lam, 12 June 2022
Zhao Lijian, 20/7/22 SCMP Re Taiwan “If the US stubbornly sticks to this, [Pelosi visit] China will definitely take resolute and forceful measures….The US must be fully responsible for all the consequences…”. Beijing: “it’s an evil scheme”.
“Abyss of disaster” CGTN Tweet 3/8/22
“Playing with fire”. Repeatedly, re Pelosi trip to Taiwan. 3/8/22
“Heinous” and “confounding morality” and “Chinese people are very dissatisfied”: China Mission to EU re G7 statement that “no justification in aggressive military activity” in wake Pelosi Taiwan visit. 5/8/22
