MEDIAWATCH: Q+A China exclusive

For the Chinese Ambassador to agree to a long form uncut interview with Q+A is testament to the journalistic standing of Jack Tame.

He’s one of the best in the game because he’s intelligent and plays with a devastatingly straight bat.

If you are getting nailed by Jack, that’s on you, not Jack.

Gaining a one on one interview with Wang Xiaolong is a journalistic coup.

It is essential that we keep communication channels open with China, especially in the wake of the American Military Industrial complex visiting us and trying to sucker us into a nuke deal with them.

Our economy is tied to China and while I for one argue an immediate decoupling is important geopolitically, environmentally and sustainability wise, we don’t want to needlessly start economic carnage before we are ready to severe those ties.

Xiaolong is well spoken, educated and could articulate the Chinese position in very clear terms. He is an enormous asset to Beijing and it’s important we hear their values specifically.

I fear us getting dragged into a war between America and China, and while I argue we urgently need to boost military spending, I do so from the perspective of genuine independent foreign policy.

We don’t want to be China’s puppet any more than we want to be America’s puppet!

Xiaolong was at pains to state China’s recent aggression is driven by America’s attempt at encroachment.

While I am no defender of Chinese foreign policy, domestic policy or their human rights abuses – their  Wolf Diplomacy isn’t driven by a thirst for empire or expansion, it’s a reactive defensiveness.

Xiaolong is trying to tell us that China isn’t a direct military threat to us or its neighbours.

Such assurances mean little however if you are the mouse and they are the giant.

The dragon is much bigger than the Taniwha and could crush us by accident.

This is an important interview, we need to hear directly from China more so that American propaganda doesn’t trick us into an avoidable conflict.

Jack asked some very direct questions about the ongoing abuses to the Uyghurs. He is very clear that China’s Embassy has no direct role in intimidating whistleblowers in NZ, which is likely (there are plenty of Party members who would do that as a hobby in their spare time).

He pushes back on the abuses allegations against the Uyghurs. His comments suggest the issue is a power play between Islam and the People’s Communist Party. Within that lens, nothing is allowed to challenge the power of the Party.

He dances on coals trying to defend the human rights abuses, which aren’t all that convincing. The Party has ruthlessly crushed dissent and the abuses against the Uyghurs do amount to a cultural genocide, Xiaolong is good but he can’t white wash China’s Great Wall of Human Rights Abuses.

China’s message is clear, if we are prepared to turn a blind eye to their vast abuse of domestic human rights, they aren’t a threat to us internationally and we can trade economically with them.

It’s like America’s offer minus the wars and CIA wet team paramilitary death squads.

This is public broadcasting at its best, well done TVNZ for having the courage to run a long form interview like this.

Next on are the far right Qanon antivaxx lunatics and their political aspirations to use conspiracy theories to get elected.

These political circus freaks gaining democratic representation would be like putting a book burner in charge of a library or making a flat earther the Professor of Geography.

The fact so many of these fringe Alt Right conspiracy theorists are hiding their allegiance to run in local politics is an indictment that they know their madness is utterly rejected by the majority.

The Alt Right are fishing in huge electoral pools made deeper by Labour’s inability to make any real progress on transformational change.

The chance these political ferals will enter politics and cross 5% can not be ruled out this election, the polarisation is so extreme and the unique universal experience of Covid has made everyone remember they are a citizen and not a consumer.

We can expect this rupturing of the political spectrum with these lunatics crossing 5%, NZ First crossing 5%, TOP winning Ilam and bringing in party vote plus the Māori Party gaining a much larger party vote on top of possible Independents like Dr Sharma winning electorates.

In this scenario, ACT cannibalise Nationals vote, the Greens limp home and Labour hit mid 30s.

2023 is going to be the most polarised in NZs history.

 

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