At the 20th Party Congress in November 2022, if we compare Xi Jinping’s verbal statements and the written documents regarding Taiwan, there are notable differences. When reading his speech, Xi did not reference the more moderate concepts such as “peaceful reunification, one country, two systems, and the 1992 Consensus.” Instead, he emphasized “steadfastly advancing the cause of national reunification” and “never committing to renounce the use of force.” (Image: Central News Agency)
I first visited San Francisco in 2006 and immediately fell in love with the city’s architectural style, the many kind and chatty people, the unique culture, and the surrounding scenery. It wasn’t as hot as Los Angeles nor as cold as the cities further north. My father particularly enjoyed the Alcatraz tour and loved listening to its related horror stories. In my memory, San Francisco was a city full of interesting stories.
Later, due to work, I regularly traveled to San Francisco on business trips. I practically witnessed the city’s decline from prosperity firsthand. The most striking memory was in 2019 when, near the hotel where I was staying, gunshots could be heard at night. The hotel manager advised, “It’s best not to go out at night around here. If you’re hungry, you can order delivery. We have a partnered delivery service, but it’s the only company willing to deliver at night; others are too afraid.”
San Francisco street scene. (Image: Pexels)
Xi Jinping’s Visit Cleans Up San Francisco
In September 2023, San Francisco was a dangerous place. Stores had to chain and lock their shelves and refrigerators to prevent theft because local laws state that theft of goods valued under $900 incurs no legal consequences. This regulation led to police avoiding enforcement in many areas, including downtown, where homeless and drug-addicted individuals set up tents and lived on the streets, surrounded by feces, garbage, and discarded syringes.
If you’ve seen “The Walking Dead,” this scene might look familiar. It played out in real life in San Francisco, transforming a once-prosperous city into a real-life version of the show.
However, just about two months later, in early November, San Francisco seemed to have “instantly” returned to its prosperous state from 20 years ago. The drug addicts disappeared from the streets, and the roads became orderly and clean again. Businesses seemed safe to operate once more. How did this ravaged city “instantly” recover? Because Xi Jinping arrived!
California Governor Gavin Newsom openly admitted, “Do you think we cleaned up the city because those foreign leaders are coming? That’s true!” No U.S. federal officials had been interested in cleaning up San Francisco until Xi’s visit. Suddenly, there was zero tolerance for drug use and crime, and the city “instantly” reverted to its state from two decades ago. Before the APEC meeting, Newsom even traveled to China to meet Xi Jinping to discuss climate change, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
Gang Attacks on Chinese Protesters Leave San Francisco Police Paralyzed
After Newsom returned from China and as San Francisco prepared for Xi Jinping’s visit, local gangs attacked protesters who were demonstrating against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Xi Jinping. These democracy advocates, who faced the iron fist of dictatorship in China, encountered the same persecution and threats in the U.S., a country known for freedom and democracy. San Francisco police could not respond and deal with the situation promptly. Instead, under Newsom’s influence after his visit to China, San Francisco transformed completely.
During his visit to San Francisco, Xi met with President Biden to discuss topics including the large-scale export of fentanyl from China to the U.S., the resumption of military dialogues, artificial intelligence, the Hamas-Israel war, and existing sanctions against China. Of course, the Taiwan issue was also discussed. Xi Jinping, with his usual high-handedness, demanded that Biden not arm Taiwan, not hinder China’s technological development, and ensure the reunification of the motherland.
On November 15, the second meeting between Biden and Xi coincided with the APEC leaders’ summit in San Francisco. (Image: X@POTUS)
When Biden called Xi Jinping a dictator, Secretary of State Blinken frowned.
Biden could only ask China not to interfere in Taiwan’s elections. The CCP has long meddled in Taiwan’s elections through pro-Beijing media, Chinese social platforms, Line groups, and Taiwan’s pro-Beijing KOLs. The U.S. could only “warn” Xi Jinping not to interfere with democratic processes.
Learning from Ukraine: Do You Believe Xi Jinping Has No Plans to Attack Taiwan?
During the second meeting between Biden and Xi, Xi unusually stated that he had no plans to forcibly reunify Taiwan by 2027 or 2035. Some media began suggesting that “Taiwan need not worry; China hopes for peaceful development and should resume peaceful dialogue with China.” This is typical “wishful thinking,” taking what you hope to hear as reality. Readers might recall that in 2001, Putin also claimed he had no plans to invade Ukraine.
Putin emphatically stated that the military exercises near Ukraine’s border were merely for training purposes. Even when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was underway, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov insisted, “We are not attacking Ukraine.”
If you trust dictators, you lose. This is the second time the U.S. administration has made this mistake. In 2014, now Climate Envoy John Kerry, then Secretary of State, negotiated extensively with Lavrov, hoping to reach a consensus on Ukraine and Syria. Nonetheless, Russia still occupied Crimea, deploying “little green men” (unmarked Russian soldiers) in Donetsk and Luhansk, and established its first military base in Syria.
On March 9, 2014, “little green men” at a military base in Perevalne, 25 kilometers south of Simferopol, Crimea. (Image: Anton Holoborodko/Wiki/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Russia has consistently exploited American goodwill, expanding its influence and disregarding agreements, treating past treaties as historical agreements, essentially worthless. Can China’s leader Xi Jinping be any different?
Has China honored its “50 years unchanged” promise to Hong Kong? Has China fulfilled its peace agreement with Tibet? Has the CCP kept any of its international commitments? Readers likely know the answers.
Recently, international news has seldom covered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with both sides’ positions remaining relatively static on the battlefield. This situation benefits Russia, amplifying appeasement voices.
This meeting between Biden and Xi gives me the impression that the U.S. is still unwilling to wake up, still believing that the era of globalization and peaceful profiteering will continue. However, if the U.S. doesn’t wake up now, there may be no chance later.