Shortwave Focus on China

Certainly one significant factor is the diplomatic folklore on the issue spinning through the China coverage of other state broadcasters. The two examples provide an insight how the fact that there is more theatrics than facts in the reporting has not changed, but the theatrics significantly has so with the tectonic shifts in the international currency balance over the two year timespan in between.

For the small country leaders (definition including EU/US) interacting with the Bejing regime it is not only a matter of business greed but also of mutual consumerist delusion. The Chinese politician is vacationing in Europe because he cannot do so where he has alienated the people, and so does the European one. Meanwhile they are both squandering the resources enjoyed by the respective other as an exotic thrill. One would hope that these people would think again once the effects of their rule undermine their own joys, but when they lean on each other to rotate contradictory activities it offers a perspective that their illusion might break down all of a sudden.

The author extends his best wishes to the host and producer for surviving the incident. There are all kinds of things that could happen to a sender a listener can only guess.