It helps to know about the resurgence in Tianxia[1] ideology in China. It's vaguely analogous to the old American concept of Manifest Destiny, but with, of course, a much longer history and far greater scope. What it basically comes down to is that in the pre-Westphalian era the Chinese world view was that China had sovereignty over everything under heaven. The Great Game dealt that world view a pretty harsh blow, but the Chinese people persevered and through industry and shrewdness have restored themselves to something like their historical standing. I don't expect them to stop here. Influence is almost as much of a drug as power, and testing it is self-reinforcing. Look at how China is making the NBA their whipping boy for another example.<p>[1]<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianxia" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianxia</a>
It feels like Hong Kong has spurred a political crisis in Beijing. Publicly denouncing the NBA? Publicly going after a European capital?<p>It would be one thing to do this behind closed doors. But the hamhandedness of it all resembles flailing more than a coherent strategy.<p>Is there a domestic nationalistic PR strategy this is playing into?
Prague had its own version of the Tiananmen square protests in 1968, when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to suppress the reforms. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Spring" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Spring</a>
> China’s embassy reacted angrily, saying on Facebook that Prague’s leadership should change its attitude as soon as possible or “it will be their own interests that will be hurt.”<p>That’s pretty pathetic. Honestly this sounds like a desperate Chinese government worker who is trying to save face
I was in Prague a week or so ago and was surprised by how much graffiti there was regarding the politics Hong Kong/Taiwan/One China/etc. About a 60/40 mix of English and Chinese. Given the massive number of Chinese tourists I suppose it's a decent way to reach an audience in the touristy areas
Since Beijing [was] a sister city of Prague, this got me interested and discovered that Dallas is a sister city of Taipei, Taiwan. Hmm<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas#Sister_cities" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas#Sister_cities</a>
I'm surprised that business is so keen on China. Obviously they are a massive market, but they are also so fickle and nationalistic. Its so easy for a non-Chinese business to make an innocent mistake or just different view and have the government or citizens actively boycott you. I'd be hesitant to put any business reliance or investment in China these days.
Beijing is slow to realize that trying to strong-arm the West's views on Tibet, Hong Kong, etc will not work, and in fact, makes their international position weaker.
oh no, what are we gonna do, we will miss all those nice Chinese tourists completely ignoring they are in different country and they will cut financing to some football club? horror, dunno what will my children eat after they will do that...
Why does China care about municipal politics of a foreign city?<p>On the other hand, I can't sympathise with the Tibet supporters either. The issue is not as straightforward as many Westerners believe[1].<p>[1] <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/feb/10/tibet-china-feudalism" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/feb/10/tibet-...</a>