Yesterday marked the 34th anniversary of the bloody suppression of the student protests in Beijing on 4 June 1989. While any commemoration is rigorously prevented in Mainland China as usual, police in Hong Kong are now also cracking down demonstratively, with many arrests. The vigils of the past: impossible. Only in Taiwan are the victims allowed to be commemorated. William Lai, Taiwan’s Vice President, sums up what the different ways of handling remembrance also show. Namely, “that democracy and authoritarianism are the biggest differences between Taiwan and China.” Find out more in our News section.
“Taiwan is China’s Taiwan.” It is up to the Chinese to decide what to do with Taiwan. This is what Li Shangfu, China’s Minister of Defence, said, addressing the US at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. “If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second.” The atmosphere between the two superpowers was irreconcilable, with the Chinese side refusing a direct exchange. This is dangerous, Michael Radunski analyzes, because it increases the risk of an unintentional escalation.
China’s military is preparing – with German help. Apparently, former officers of the German armed forces are training Chinese fighter pilots in return for high financial compensation. The Chinese side wants to know “how the West trains, what the mood is among the troops, and which techniques and combat tactics are being practiced for the worst-case,” explains political scientist Eberhard Sandschneider in our analysis. Such measures also suggest that China is no longer hiding its intentions to strike Taiwan.
Boris Pistorius is visibly upset as he steps in front of the cameras over the weekend. Shortly before, Germany’s Minister of Defence had met with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu in Singapore. What was supposed to be a friendly exchange on the sidelines of the Shangri-La dialogue ended in a clear message to China. “I have made it clear that I expect this policy to be stopped immediately,” Pistorius said after the meeting. Moreover, he had made it clear to the Chinese general that “he certainly wouldn’t be amused if I tried this myself.”
What Pistorius is referring to is a serious matter – and another setback in the already strained relations between China and Germany. Recent investigations by the German media ZDF and Spiegel reveal how China has purposefully recruited former Bundeswehr soldiers to train Chinese fighter pilots in the People’s Republic. What is said to have started ten years ago has apparently developed into a sophisticated system over time. The alarming part: This is by no means a new strategy by China. And: Before Germany, at least the USA and the UK were also affected.
In the present cases involving these former Bundeswehr pilots, however, it is not said to be a matter of ideological defection. Instead, the lavish payments seem to have played a decisive role: Bundeswehr fighter pilots typically end their career in the cockpit at the age of 41. This has biological reasons, such as declining reflexes or weakening eyesight. Those who retire at this age usually receive about 50 percent of their last salary as a pension. From the perspective of many ex-pilots, this is obviously not enough. Therefore, many take on part-time jobs after leaving military service.
This is where a luxurious offer from China is very welcome. The available reports mention several hundred thousand euros. By comparison, former British Royal Air Force pilots were reportedly offered the equivalent of 275,000 euros by the Chinese side to share their expert knowledge with the Chinese air force.
One thing is certain: The former Bundeswehr soldiers have by no means given their Chinese colleagues basic flight training. “We are talking about sensitive, security-relevant information,” Eberhard Sandschneider told Table.Media. “The Chinese side wants to know how the West trains, what the mood is like among the troops, and what techniques and combat tactics are being tested for the worst case,” explains the political scientist.
However, such knowledge also decays very quickly. After one or two years, both technology and tactics would change again. “China will therefore continue to try to get as close as possible to active individuals.”
But Sandschneider does not see the problem in the recruitment itself; Rather, he describes it as an “understandable procedure to eliminate an existing technology and training gap.” The partner of the consulting institute Berlin Global Advisors sees the problem more on the German side. “Clear rules must be found here on how to protect sensitive knowledge,” says Sandschneider.
Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy expert of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is alarmed. “It is completely unacceptable for German soldiers to sell their knowledge to non-NATO partners. Pistorius urgently needs to get the military service courts and the military counterintelligence service to investigate both offenses under military law and criminal law, from treason to international criminal law, which is also anchored in the Criminal Code,” the CDU chairman in the Committee on Foreign Affairs told Table.Media.
Agnieszka Brugger warns: “These are more than alarming initial findings. Especially in the current situation, maximum vigilance is needed against states like China and their aggressive information gathering,” the Green Party security politician told Table.Media.
This is because the present cases reflect quite common practices. For years, foreign services have been courting former decision-makers. The advances range from simple flattery to travel invitations or lucrative consulting contracts. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder hardly received a lucrative post at the Russian energy company Gazprom for his business expertise.
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution explicitly warns about Russia, Iran and China. Regarding the People’s Republic, it says: “In Germany, the targets of politics and administration, economy, science and technology, as well as the military are the focus of the Chinese services.”
What some may harmlessly call a “grey beards strategy” has a clear goal: siphoning off available know-how. For a long time, bodies like the Committee on Foreign Affairs were considered an attractive target because sensitive geostrategic issues are discussed here.
But China has expanded its range of targets: In the past, recruitment was mainly focused on politics and business, but now Germany’s academia and military have also been included.
The former Bundeswehr soldiers are believed to have been paid through shell companies in the Seychelles. At least three of them worked for the Beijing company Lode Technology Ltd, officially as “Aviation Consultant Contractor.” The shareholder of Lode Technology is none other than Su Bin, a Chinese spy who was exposed years ago.
For years, Su spied on US military secrets, including the C-17 Globemaster four-engine military transport aircraft and the F-35 and F-22 stealth fighters. In an intercepted email, Su bragged about receiving F-35 test plans and blueprints that would allow China to catch up with the US quickly. In 2014, Su was arrested, and two years later, he pleaded guilty in a US federal court in California and was deported to China.
Roderich Kiesewetter is not particularly surprised by the reports about the German pilots. “They should not surprise us. China is deliberately and strategically buying knowledge and skills from Western countries in order to strengthen its military capabilities,” the CDU foreign policy expert and retired Bundeswehr colonel told Table.Media, saying Germany has been very naive about China so far.
The Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Panel warns: “We must be aware that China is using the know-how of ex-pilots from Britain, Germany and other NATO countries to specifically acquire NATO air attack and defense techniques, and China is no longer disguising its intentions to attack Taiwan with such measures.”
Incidentally, after his conversation with China’s Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius said that Li Shangfu had not denied the matter in the first place. The Chinese Minister of Defense is said to have merely tried to downplay the importance of the German pilots. This is little more than an effort at damage control at a time when China actually wants to get Europe on its side. Michael Radunksi; Collaboration: Stefan Braun
When Li Shangfu and Lloyd Austin briefly shook hands in Singapore, hope immediately sprang up. Was this a signal of détente between China and the USA? Would there perhaps be direct talks between the two defense ministers after all? The stage was certainly ready over the weekend when the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s security conference, met in Singapore from Friday to Sunday.
But the hopes were disappointed. More than that, the opposite became clear in Singapore. Even when representatives of China and the USA are in the same room, they are worlds apart. Be it Taiwan or the South China Sea – the two superpowers are currently completely irreconcilable.
For instance, China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu warned in a speech on Sunday: “It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the US will be an unbearable disaster for the world.”
At the same time, however, he warned against growing US involvement in the Indo-Pacific: “Some countries intervene in the internal and regional affairs of other countries, frequently impose unilateral sanctions, threaten to use force, launch color revolutions and proxy wars everywhere,” Li said. “They then leave after bringing chaos to a region, leaving behind a mess. We must not allow this to be replicated in the Asia-Pacific.”
Concerning Taiwan, Li explicitly warned: “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan.” It would be up to the Chinese to decide what would happen to Taiwan. “If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second.” China’s Defense Minister criticized arms supplies and other activities around the island off China’s east coast, saying foreign warships and fighter jets currently patrolling the Taiwan Strait were there not for peaceful passage but for “provocation.”
The day before, US Secretary of Defense Austin also warned against a military conflict over Taiwan. “Make no mistake: conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating,” Austin said in his speech on Saturday. At the same time, however, he stressed the “deep commitment” of the US to maintain the status quo in line with the One China policy. “We will continue to categorically oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.” Austin alluded to China’s strong threats to take over the island by force if necessary.
But, according to Austin, a conflict over Taiwan is neither imminent nor inevitable. It is, therefore, the task of the USA and its allies to maintain and even strengthen deterrence. The entire world has an interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. “The security of commercial shipping lanes and global supply chains depends on it.”
The sharp remarks by Li and Austin clearly show how important a direct exchange between China and the US would be at this time. But while he met bilaterally with his counterparts from Australia, Germany, the UK, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea, Li refused to meet with Austin – apart from the handshake mentioned above at the beginning of the conference.
The protagonists seem well aware of how dangerous such a path is. “A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive engagement,” Austin said. The more dialogue there is, the better misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crises and conflicts can be avoided. And so the US Secretary of Defense assured that “for responsible defense leaders, the right time to talk is anytime.”
The Chinese side currently sees things differently – and already rejected a corresponding request from the Americans without further ado in the run-up to the security conference. China’s Defense Minister reiterated this in Singapore and called for “mutual respect” as a prerequisite for talks. “If we do not even have mutual respect, then our communication will not be productive,” Li said.
Li’s negative stance has a personal background: The Chinese general has been on American sanctions lists since 2018 for his alleged involvement in arms deals with Russia. In his former function as head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (中央军委装备发展部), he allegedly purchased Russian fighter jets and air defense systems.
Security experts believe that the Chinese are deliberately refusing to engage in military dialogue: This would allow Beijing to create insecurity. The USA should not be sure how far China would go and what measures the People’s Republic has at its disposal should the worst happen.
But this “strategic uncertainty” is a dangerous undertaking. Unexpected incidents between Chinese and American units happen repeatedly – even this weekend. According to reports, a Chinese combat ship came within less than 140 meters of the bow of the USS Chung-Hoon. A similarly dangerous incident occurred last week between a US fighter jet and a Chinese combat aircraft. Without fixed channels of communication at the military level, there is a high risk that such incidents will unexpectedly escalate and spiral out of control.
Such concerns also dominated the security conference in Singapore over the weekend. On Sunday, the host publicly appealed to China and the US.
Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen warned that Southeast Asian leaders “are acutely concerned that worsening relationships between these two powers (…) will inevitably force difficult choices upon our individual states.” Communication channels between the two countries must be reactivated immediately, Ng urged and made it clear: In the event of a crisis, it will be too late.
Germany’s Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, also attended the Shangri-La Dialogue. He announced the deployment of two warships by the German Navy to the Indo-Pacific next year. A frigate and a supply ship will depart for the region in 2024. The German Navy’s deployments are not directed against any particular country, Pistorius said, according to the speech transcript. “They are dedicated to the protection of the rules-based international order that we all signed up to and which we all should benefit from – be it in the Mediterranean, in the Bay of Bengal or in the South China Sea.”
An entire life in one book, more than 80 years. A girl whose feet were bound – feet that still hurt even as an adult woman, a forced marriage, dispossession and humiliation at the hands of the state. Shi Mei has written down this life, in her debut novel in German, “Tamarisk in der Wueste,” which will be published this fall. And if Shi had been asked many years ago whether she would one day write a book, even one closely interwoven with her own family history, she would probably have decidedly shaken her head.
Shi was born in the desert, in Taklamakan, in northwest China. As a child, she moved with her parents near the county seat of Yongdeng and grew up there in the endless expanse of the Gobi Desert. At 16, she took an apprenticeship as a welder and later studied English in Shanghai. “The time as a welder at the hydroelectric power plant on the Yellow River was particularly formative,” Shi says. Here, she says, she changed – from a content country girl to a young woman with a thirst for discovering the world.
From Shanghai, Shi wanted to go to America to study, but love interfered with her plans, she says. In China, she met her German husband and followed him on the Trans-Siberian Railway to his home country – that was in 1990. Here, she refocused herself and completed her training as a computer specialist. For many years she has been working as an authorized signatory in a company specializing in machine construction, translating and interpreting in the technical area. And now a novel in a language she had to learn first: “The fact that I also write in German began with my grandmother’s funeral.”
When Shi’s Chinese grandmother died, more than 300 people from the village came to her funeral, burned funeral money and said their goodbyes. “That left a deep impression on me, and I started researching details of her life and writing down her story.”
Shi says her grandmother is like a reflection of so many women of her time. Her novel aims to tell German readers about 20th-century Chinese customs, life in a large family and the constraints of prevailing beauty standards. “My grandmother, who my main character is based on, not only survived the hardships, but also thrived.”
In the fall, Shi will embark on her first reading tour. But she still has a lot to do before then: “I’m currently writing my second novel, which should be finished in the summer,” she says. It will also feature elements of her own biography. “There is a girl who was born in the Taklamakan Desert and migrates to Germany” – this much she is willing to reveal. Svenja Napp
Deep-fried dough strips (油条 yóutiáo), freshly fried spring rolls (春卷 chūnjuǎn), red braised pork rind (红烧肉 hóngshāoròu) and crispy baked Peking duck (北京烤鸭 Běijīng kǎoyā) – Chinese cuisine loves to get greasy, hefty, oily. But did you know that this can also apply to people?
China’s women have recently begun to rant about “greasy” and “oily” men. Those who now think of nasty things such as greasy hair, flabby cell phone cases, or waxy ears are sadly only scratching the semantic surface. Because the attribute 油腻 yóunì (literally “greasy, oily”) goes even further in the new, figurative sense. In China, yóunì is the name given to greasy middle-aged guys who are simply embarrassing and, despite their not really advanced age, terribly old-fashioned, not very elegant, if not a bit carelessly scruffy, and whose overall appearance and choice of words are anything but smooth.
Although such male specimens are right in the middle of life, they act precocious and worldly for no reason, constantly spouting schmaltzy to slimy sayings or mansplaining constantly. Despite their exuberant self-confidence, however, these gentlemen are a clear failure in the eyes of the female sex. These days, social media is full of videos of women imitating these greasy guys.
The popular term 油腻 yóunì is made up of the word components 油 yóu “oil, oily” and 腻 nì “greasy, difficult to stomach.” The latter character can also figuratively mean “to be fed up with something.”
Originally, of course, the word was used in a culinary context. In the meantime, however, it has become a popular slang for all things greasy or corny in Chinese vernacular. And not to pour oil unnecessarily into the gender dispute, it should be mentioned that, of course, the ladies can sometimes be made fun of as being greasy, either for their oily choice of words or for their sleazy behavior. Prototypically, however, male wannabe-machos usually receive the linguistic grease treatment.
If your Chinese language studies are going smoothly like butter, your Chinese conversation partners will, by the way, teach you the odd “oily” vocabulary word over the years. For example, the previously mentioned deep-fried dough stick called 油条 yóutiáo, can be a bit of a pitfall for those new to Chinese. Because “oil dough stick,” or more precisely “old oil dough stick” (老油条 lǎoyóutiáo), refers to slick guys or ladies who have been in the business for a long time, know how things work, and know how to get out of sticky situations.
It is not uncommon for such specimens to cleverly use their so-called “oil mouth” (油嘴 yóuzuǐ) to smooth talk their way to their goals. Instead of buttering others up, as you would say in English, people in China prefer to oil their lips. The term 油嘴 yóuzuǐ (also in the long version 油嘴滑舌 yóuzuǐ-huáshé “oily mouth and slippery tongue”) is used in the Middle Kingdom to describe silver-tongued devils or bootlickers. Another useful phrase for everyday use is 他嘴很油 Tā zuǐ hěn yóu – “He is a suck-up” (literally: his mouth is very greasy/oily).
If cheerfully enthusiastic Chinese friends cheer you on at the company soccer match and urge you to “add fuel” (加油！ jiāyóu!), please don’t get the wrong idea either. You are not encouraged to pour oil on the fire but all your energy into the game. Nothing new for Mandarin speakers: 加油 jiāyóu is a typical Chinese cheer that literally means “step on it” (a short form of 加大油门 jiādà yóumén “step on it more”). It is not only used in sports, but appears almost inflationary in all kinds of situations in which Chinese want to encourage you or encourage you. Depending on the context, there are a lot of potential translations in English, ranging from “Let’s go!” to “Give it your all!” to “You can do it!”
You will get buttery knees, when you learn what the following greasy vocabulary is all about. The “sewer oil,” in Chinese 地沟油 dìgōuyóu (from 地沟 dìgōu – sewer/sewer tunnel). The word actually has its own dictionary entry. Unfortunately, for once, it means exactly what it sounds like. It is about oil in the sewer, or rather from the same. In the past, crooked restaurant crooks in China’s cities made a killing by siphoning off cooking oil from the wastewater of restaurants and recycling it in an unsavory manner. In processed form, the old frying and deep-frying fat then ended up again in the wok pan and thus in the stomach.
The background: As is well known, Chinese cuisine involves frying and sizzling as much as possible. The cuisine is notorious for its high cooking oil requirement during preparation, which also represents a high cost factor. In this context, it is hardly surprising that our “kitchen apron” in Chinese is simply called “oil skirt” (油裙 yóuqún) in addition to 围裙 (wéiqún) “wraparound dress” or “wraparound skirt.” But back to the “nasty oil”: Fortunately, China’s authorities took the problem very seriously and dealt with it, successfully drying up the oil mafia swamp, so that you can now enjoy your dripping dough sticks everywhere without concern.
Completely harmless, on the other hand, are oil stars (油星子 yóuxīngzi or油星 yóuxīng) and fat flowers (油花 yóuhuā). Both poetically describe drops of fat floating in soups.
Of course, these many greasy idioms are linguistically hard to swallow all at once. But perhaps some of this oily vocabulary helped grease your linguistic gears allowing you to shine during your next conversation.
Verena Menzel runs the online language school New Chinese in Beijing.
Yesterday marked the 34th anniversary of the bloody suppression of the student protests in Beijing on 4 June 1989. While any commemoration is rigorously prevented in Mainland China as usual, police in Hong Kong are now also cracking down demonstratively, with many arrests. The vigils of the past: impossible. Only in Taiwan are the victims allowed to be commemorated. William Lai, Taiwan’s Vice President, sums up what the different ways of handling remembrance also show. Namely, “that democracy and authoritarianism are the biggest differences between Taiwan and China.” Find out more in our News section.
“Taiwan is China’s Taiwan.” It is up to the Chinese to decide what to do with Taiwan. This is what Li Shangfu, China’s Minister of Defence, said, addressing the US at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. “If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second.” The atmosphere between the two superpowers was irreconcilable, with the Chinese side refusing a direct exchange. This is dangerous, Michael Radunski analyzes, because it increases the risk of an unintentional escalation.
China’s military is preparing – with German help. Apparently, former officers of the German armed forces are training Chinese fighter pilots in return for high financial compensation. The Chinese side wants to know “how the West trains, what the mood is among the troops, and which techniques and combat tactics are being practiced for the worst-case,” explains political scientist Eberhard Sandschneider in our analysis. Such measures also suggest that China is no longer hiding its intentions to strike Taiwan.
Boris Pistorius is visibly upset as he steps in front of the cameras over the weekend. Shortly before, Germany’s Minister of Defence had met with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu in Singapore. What was supposed to be a friendly exchange on the sidelines of the Shangri-La dialogue ended in a clear message to China. “I have made it clear that I expect this policy to be stopped immediately,” Pistorius said after the meeting. Moreover, he had made it clear to the Chinese general that “he certainly wouldn’t be amused if I tried this myself.”
What Pistorius is referring to is a serious matter – and another setback in the already strained relations between China and Germany. Recent investigations by the German media ZDF and Spiegel reveal how China has purposefully recruited former Bundeswehr soldiers to train Chinese fighter pilots in the People’s Republic. What is said to have started ten years ago has apparently developed into a sophisticated system over time. The alarming part: This is by no means a new strategy by China. And: Before Germany, at least the USA and the UK were also affected.
In the present cases involving these former Bundeswehr pilots, however, it is not said to be a matter of ideological defection. Instead, the lavish payments seem to have played a decisive role: Bundeswehr fighter pilots typically end their career in the cockpit at the age of 41. This has biological reasons, such as declining reflexes or weakening eyesight. Those who retire at this age usually receive about 50 percent of their last salary as a pension. From the perspective of many ex-pilots, this is obviously not enough. Therefore, many take on part-time jobs after leaving military service.
This is where a luxurious offer from China is very welcome. The available reports mention several hundred thousand euros. By comparison, former British Royal Air Force pilots were reportedly offered the equivalent of 275,000 euros by the Chinese side to share their expert knowledge with the Chinese air force.
One thing is certain: The former Bundeswehr soldiers have by no means given their Chinese colleagues basic flight training. “We are talking about sensitive, security-relevant information,” Eberhard Sandschneider told Table.Media. “The Chinese side wants to know how the West trains, what the mood is like among the troops, and what techniques and combat tactics are being tested for the worst case,” explains the political scientist.
However, such knowledge also decays very quickly. After one or two years, both technology and tactics would change again. “China will therefore continue to try to get as close as possible to active individuals.”
But Sandschneider does not see the problem in the recruitment itself; Rather, he describes it as an “understandable procedure to eliminate an existing technology and training gap.” The partner of the consulting institute Berlin Global Advisors sees the problem more on the German side. “Clear rules must be found here on how to protect sensitive knowledge,” says Sandschneider.
Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy expert of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is alarmed. “It is completely unacceptable for German soldiers to sell their knowledge to non-NATO partners. Pistorius urgently needs to get the military service courts and the military counterintelligence service to investigate both offenses under military law and criminal law, from treason to international criminal law, which is also anchored in the Criminal Code,” the CDU chairman in the Committee on Foreign Affairs told Table.Media.
Agnieszka Brugger warns: “These are more than alarming initial findings. Especially in the current situation, maximum vigilance is needed against states like China and their aggressive information gathering,” the Green Party security politician told Table.Media.
This is because the present cases reflect quite common practices. For years, foreign services have been courting former decision-makers. The advances range from simple flattery to travel invitations or lucrative consulting contracts. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder hardly received a lucrative post at the Russian energy company Gazprom for his business expertise.
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution explicitly warns about Russia, Iran and China. Regarding the People’s Republic, it says: “In Germany, the targets of politics and administration, economy, science and technology, as well as the military are the focus of the Chinese services.”
What some may harmlessly call a “grey beards strategy” has a clear goal: siphoning off available know-how. For a long time, bodies like the Committee on Foreign Affairs were considered an attractive target because sensitive geostrategic issues are discussed here.
But China has expanded its range of targets: In the past, recruitment was mainly focused on politics and business, but now Germany’s academia and military have also been included.
The former Bundeswehr soldiers are believed to have been paid through shell companies in the Seychelles. At least three of them worked for the Beijing company Lode Technology Ltd, officially as “Aviation Consultant Contractor.” The shareholder of Lode Technology is none other than Su Bin, a Chinese spy who was exposed years ago.
For years, Su spied on US military secrets, including the C-17 Globemaster four-engine military transport aircraft and the F-35 and F-22 stealth fighters. In an intercepted email, Su bragged about receiving F-35 test plans and blueprints that would allow China to catch up with the US quickly. In 2014, Su was arrested, and two years later, he pleaded guilty in a US federal court in California and was deported to China.
Roderich Kiesewetter is not particularly surprised by the reports about the German pilots. “They should not surprise us. China is deliberately and strategically buying knowledge and skills from Western countries in order to strengthen its military capabilities,” the CDU foreign policy expert and retired Bundeswehr colonel told Table.Media, saying Germany has been very naive about China so far.
The Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Panel warns: “We must be aware that China is using the know-how of ex-pilots from Britain, Germany and other NATO countries to specifically acquire NATO air attack and defense techniques, and China is no longer disguising its intentions to attack Taiwan with such measures.”
Incidentally, after his conversation with China’s Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius said that Li Shangfu had not denied the matter in the first place. The Chinese Minister of Defense is said to have merely tried to downplay the importance of the German pilots. This is little more than an effort at damage control at a time when China actually wants to get Europe on its side. Michael Radunksi; Collaboration: Stefan Braun
When Li Shangfu and Lloyd Austin briefly shook hands in Singapore, hope immediately sprang up. Was this a signal of détente between China and the USA? Would there perhaps be direct talks between the two defense ministers after all? The stage was certainly ready over the weekend when the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s security conference, met in Singapore from Friday to Sunday.
But the hopes were disappointed. More than that, the opposite became clear in Singapore. Even when representatives of China and the USA are in the same room, they are worlds apart. Be it Taiwan or the South China Sea – the two superpowers are currently completely irreconcilable.
For instance, China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu warned in a speech on Sunday: “It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the US will be an unbearable disaster for the world.”
At the same time, however, he warned against growing US involvement in the Indo-Pacific: “Some countries intervene in the internal and regional affairs of other countries, frequently impose unilateral sanctions, threaten to use force, launch color revolutions and proxy wars everywhere,” Li said. “They then leave after bringing chaos to a region, leaving behind a mess. We must not allow this to be replicated in the Asia-Pacific.”
Concerning Taiwan, Li explicitly warned: “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan.” It would be up to the Chinese to decide what would happen to Taiwan. “If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second.” China’s Defense Minister criticized arms supplies and other activities around the island off China’s east coast, saying foreign warships and fighter jets currently patrolling the Taiwan Strait were there not for peaceful passage but for “provocation.”
The day before, US Secretary of Defense Austin also warned against a military conflict over Taiwan. “Make no mistake: conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating,” Austin said in his speech on Saturday. At the same time, however, he stressed the “deep commitment” of the US to maintain the status quo in line with the One China policy. “We will continue to categorically oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.” Austin alluded to China’s strong threats to take over the island by force if necessary.
But, according to Austin, a conflict over Taiwan is neither imminent nor inevitable. It is, therefore, the task of the USA and its allies to maintain and even strengthen deterrence. The entire world has an interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. “The security of commercial shipping lanes and global supply chains depends on it.”
The sharp remarks by Li and Austin clearly show how important a direct exchange between China and the US would be at this time. But while he met bilaterally with his counterparts from Australia, Germany, the UK, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea, Li refused to meet with Austin – apart from the handshake mentioned above at the beginning of the conference.
The protagonists seem well aware of how dangerous such a path is. “A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive engagement,” Austin said. The more dialogue there is, the better misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crises and conflicts can be avoided. And so the US Secretary of Defense assured that “for responsible defense leaders, the right time to talk is anytime.”
The Chinese side currently sees things differently – and already rejected a corresponding request from the Americans without further ado in the run-up to the security conference. China’s Defense Minister reiterated this in Singapore and called for “mutual respect” as a prerequisite for talks. “If we do not even have mutual respect, then our communication will not be productive,” Li said.
Li’s negative stance has a personal background: The Chinese general has been on American sanctions lists since 2018 for his alleged involvement in arms deals with Russia. In his former function as head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (中央军委装备发展部), he allegedly purchased Russian fighter jets and air defense systems.
Security experts believe that the Chinese are deliberately refusing to engage in military dialogue: This would allow Beijing to create insecurity. The USA should not be sure how far China would go and what measures the People’s Republic has at its disposal should the worst happen.
But this “strategic uncertainty” is a dangerous undertaking. Unexpected incidents between Chinese and American units happen repeatedly – even this weekend. According to reports, a Chinese combat ship came within less than 140 meters of the bow of the USS Chung-Hoon. A similarly dangerous incident occurred last week between a US fighter jet and a Chinese combat aircraft. Without fixed channels of communication at the military level, there is a high risk that such incidents will unexpectedly escalate and spiral out of control.
Such concerns also dominated the security conference in Singapore over the weekend. On Sunday, the host publicly appealed to China and the US.
Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen warned that Southeast Asian leaders “are acutely concerned that worsening relationships between these two powers (…) will inevitably force difficult choices upon our individual states.” Communication channels between the two countries must be reactivated immediately, Ng urged and made it clear: In the event of a crisis, it will be too late.
Germany’s Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, also attended the Shangri-La Dialogue. He announced the deployment of two warships by the German Navy to the Indo-Pacific next year. A frigate and a supply ship will depart for the region in 2024. The German Navy’s deployments are not directed against any particular country, Pistorius said, according to the speech transcript. “They are dedicated to the protection of the rules-based international order that we all signed up to and which we all should benefit from – be it in the Mediterranean, in the Bay of Bengal or in the South China Sea.”
An entire life in one book, more than 80 years. A girl whose feet were bound – feet that still hurt even as an adult woman, a forced marriage, dispossession and humiliation at the hands of the state. Shi Mei has written down this life, in her debut novel in German, “Tamarisk in der Wueste,” which will be published this fall. And if Shi had been asked many years ago whether she would one day write a book, even one closely interwoven with her own family history, she would probably have decidedly shaken her head.
Shi was born in the desert, in Taklamakan, in northwest China. As a child, she moved with her parents near the county seat of Yongdeng and grew up there in the endless expanse of the Gobi Desert. At 16, she took an apprenticeship as a welder and later studied English in Shanghai. “The time as a welder at the hydroelectric power plant on the Yellow River was particularly formative,” Shi says. Here, she says, she changed – from a content country girl to a young woman with a thirst for discovering the world.
From Shanghai, Shi wanted to go to America to study, but love interfered with her plans, she says. In China, she met her German husband and followed him on the Trans-Siberian Railway to his home country – that was in 1990. Here, she refocused herself and completed her training as a computer specialist. For many years she has been working as an authorized signatory in a company specializing in machine construction, translating and interpreting in the technical area. And now a novel in a language she had to learn first: “The fact that I also write in German began with my grandmother’s funeral.”
When Shi’s Chinese grandmother died, more than 300 people from the village came to her funeral, burned funeral money and said their goodbyes. “That left a deep impression on me, and I started researching details of her life and writing down her story.”
Shi says her grandmother is like a reflection of so many women of her time. Her novel aims to tell German readers about 20th-century Chinese customs, life in a large family and the constraints of prevailing beauty standards. “My grandmother, who my main character is based on, not only survived the hardships, but also thrived.”
In the fall, Shi will embark on her first reading tour. But she still has a lot to do before then: “I’m currently writing my second novel, which should be finished in the summer,” she says. It will also feature elements of her own biography. “There is a girl who was born in the Taklamakan Desert and migrates to Germany” – this much she is willing to reveal. Svenja Napp
Deep-fried dough strips (油条 yóutiáo), freshly fried spring rolls (春卷 chūnjuǎn), red braised pork rind (红烧肉 hóngshāoròu) and crispy baked Peking duck (北京烤鸭 Běijīng kǎoyā) – Chinese cuisine loves to get greasy, hefty, oily. But did you know that this can also apply to people?
China’s women have recently begun to rant about “greasy” and “oily” men. Those who now think of nasty things such as greasy hair, flabby cell phone cases, or waxy ears are sadly only scratching the semantic surface. Because the attribute 油腻 yóunì (literally “greasy, oily”) goes even further in the new, figurative sense. In China, yóunì is the name given to greasy middle-aged guys who are simply embarrassing and, despite their not really advanced age, terribly old-fashioned, not very elegant, if not a bit carelessly scruffy, and whose overall appearance and choice of words are anything but smooth.
Although such male specimens are right in the middle of life, they act precocious and worldly for no reason, constantly spouting schmaltzy to slimy sayings or mansplaining constantly. Despite their exuberant self-confidence, however, these gentlemen are a clear failure in the eyes of the female sex. These days, social media is full of videos of women imitating these greasy guys.
The popular term 油腻 yóunì is made up of the word components 油 yóu “oil, oily” and 腻 nì “greasy, difficult to stomach.” The latter character can also figuratively mean “to be fed up with something.”
Originally, of course, the word was used in a culinary context. In the meantime, however, it has become a popular slang for all things greasy or corny in Chinese vernacular. And not to pour oil unnecessarily into the gender dispute, it should be mentioned that, of course, the ladies can sometimes be made fun of as being greasy, either for their oily choice of words or for their sleazy behavior. Prototypically, however, male wannabe-machos usually receive the linguistic grease treatment.
If your Chinese language studies are going smoothly like butter, your Chinese conversation partners will, by the way, teach you the odd “oily” vocabulary word over the years. For example, the previously mentioned deep-fried dough stick called 油条 yóutiáo, can be a bit of a pitfall for those new to Chinese. Because “oil dough stick,” or more precisely “old oil dough stick” (老油条 lǎoyóutiáo), refers to slick guys or ladies who have been in the business for a long time, know how things work, and know how to get out of sticky situations.
It is not uncommon for such specimens to cleverly use their so-called “oil mouth” (油嘴 yóuzuǐ) to smooth talk their way to their goals. Instead of buttering others up, as you would say in English, people in China prefer to oil their lips. The term 油嘴 yóuzuǐ (also in the long version 油嘴滑舌 yóuzuǐ-huáshé “oily mouth and slippery tongue”) is used in the Middle Kingdom to describe silver-tongued devils or bootlickers. Another useful phrase for everyday use is 他嘴很油 Tā zuǐ hěn yóu – “He is a suck-up” (literally: his mouth is very greasy/oily).
If cheerfully enthusiastic Chinese friends cheer you on at the company soccer match and urge you to “add fuel” (加油！ jiāyóu!), please don’t get the wrong idea either. You are not encouraged to pour oil on the fire but all your energy into the game. Nothing new for Mandarin speakers: 加油 jiāyóu is a typical Chinese cheer that literally means “step on it” (a short form of 加大油门 jiādà yóumén “step on it more”). It is not only used in sports, but appears almost inflationary in all kinds of situations in which Chinese want to encourage you or encourage you. Depending on the context, there are a lot of potential translations in English, ranging from “Let’s go!” to “Give it your all!” to “You can do it!”
You will get buttery knees, when you learn what the following greasy vocabulary is all about. The “sewer oil,” in Chinese 地沟油 dìgōuyóu (from 地沟 dìgōu – sewer/sewer tunnel). The word actually has its own dictionary entry. Unfortunately, for once, it means exactly what it sounds like. It is about oil in the sewer, or rather from the same. In the past, crooked restaurant crooks in China’s cities made a killing by siphoning off cooking oil from the wastewater of restaurants and recycling it in an unsavory manner. In processed form, the old frying and deep-frying fat then ended up again in the wok pan and thus in the stomach.
The background: As is well known, Chinese cuisine involves frying and sizzling as much as possible. The cuisine is notorious for its high cooking oil requirement during preparation, which also represents a high cost factor. In this context, it is hardly surprising that our “kitchen apron” in Chinese is simply called “oil skirt” (油裙 yóuqún) in addition to 围裙 (wéiqún) “wraparound dress” or “wraparound skirt.” But back to the “nasty oil”: Fortunately, China’s authorities took the problem very seriously and dealt with it, successfully drying up the oil mafia swamp, so that you can now enjoy your dripping dough sticks everywhere without concern.
Completely harmless, on the other hand, are oil stars (油星子 yóuxīngzi or油星 yóuxīng) and fat flowers (油花 yóuhuā). Both poetically describe drops of fat floating in soups.
Of course, these many greasy idioms are linguistically hard to swallow all at once. But perhaps some of this oily vocabulary helped grease your linguistic gears allowing you to shine during your next conversation.
Verena Menzel runs the online language school New Chinese in Beijing.
