I have to tell you something from a Chinese perspective, a sensation that a lot of Chinese people in the mainland are sharing at this moment, and I leave this message in June 2024, in case our worry comes true.

The sensation is that « we’re going to invade Taiwan soon » .

There are two things underneath this phrase: 1. the percentage is high, I mean, the chance of invading Taiwan is big now in our eyes 2. The time is very short, in the past, we’d talking about it like « some day » « one day », you got the feeling? A bit chill, like talking sth not related to the stake. Now we’re nervous, and we’re wondering the exact moment for planning our daily life.

This is no exaggeration. It’s the inner voice of many quote middle-class Chinese. Most middle class have shut up right now on Chinese social media. If you’ve listened my episode on Chinese Cultural revolution, you’ll understand why. And they are watching the extreme-nationalists taking the lead, and societal conflicts accelerating day by day with abhorrent news pop out in WeChat shortly and then deleted.

Have you heard of a book called « The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II » written by Iris Zhang. The book recorded the accurate atrocity committed by Japanese army during Nanjing Massacre. I don’t recommend any weak-willpower to read. It’s traumatising. And the author took herself after the book. But what left me a great impression is the documentation and analysis of Japan’s propaganda education before invading China. A whole generation since elementary school had been quote « educated » that Chinese people were not human, every Japanese people serve their life for the rejuvenation of Japanese empire. I think German people are bit familiar with this storytelling. That’s how Nazi treat Jews.

Every time I talked about propaganda in China, my western friends always responded that yeah, they have the same issue as well, propaganda is everywhere, there’s no real freedom of speech in their countries neither. Both a British and a French, a master and a phd, majored in social science and science. I was a little disappointed to see, even them, they don’t understand. China is another level. It’s not comparable. There is no equivalent in your world now. Every time they said it, I wish they could exchange life with a Chinese one day. Like I would never say that to a North Korean, I would never say I understand their life. It somehow gives me a feeling of irrespect or indifference.