In these multicultural times, a critical eye is necessary regarding the activities of ethnic organizations, no matter how reputable each may appear on the surface. Those that aren't flagrant fifth columnists like La Raza still may not value American sovereignty as passionately as those of us with no spare country. Even ostensibly well-intentioned efforts, particularly those designed to increase trade, can and do work against interests of the American people.
One such group is the Committee of 100, an A-list organization founded in 1990 by "a group of concerned Chinese-Americans", including architect I.M. Pei and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. (See the group's 4-minute statement of principles on YouTube.)
The membership (which is actually 149) represents a variety of professions. But business leaders predominate rather than scientists or artists. In reality, the Committee of 100 appears to be just another ethnic Chamber of Commerce, only with more attitude.
On December 10, the Committee used the National Press Club as the forum to present the findings of its recent bi-national survey titled "Hope and Fear: American and Chinese Attitudes Toward Each Other". The organization engaged the Zogby polling company to do a mirrored survey of the attitudes of citizens of the United States and Red China about each other, as well as more general questions like what they want out of life.
The press releases (one for the general media and another designed for the business press) tried to balance chipper "building bridges" sentiment with actual mention of the economic and military threat. However, the emphasis was clearly on the positive:
" 'Through a better understanding of how each public feels, the leaders of both countries can work more cooperatively on common issues and tip the balance further in favor of hope, and less on fear,' said General John L. Fugh, Chairman of the Committee of 100."
The poll is not without interesting points. (Full report in PDF here.) For example, 88 percent of Chinese believe their country is on the right track, compared to just 34 percent of Americans. Many answers are broken down according to the varying responses of the general public, opinion elites and business leaders.
Still, you have to wonder when a reported 52 percent of average Americans say they have a favorable impression of China, even after months of media coverage of millions of poison products being dumped upon local store shelves. (The poll was conducted from August 18 to September 19, 2007, in both countries.)
Are Americans really so foolishly trusting, or are they merely being polite and delivering the kumbaya responses required in any diversity-oriented questionnaire? A 2006 Zogby poll showed Americans to be similarly positive in a shockingly wrong-headed way about Mexicans, while Mexicans despised Americans. Speak no evil to pollsters, perhaps?)
However, at no point did the Committee see fit to mention that despite the improved lifestyles of many Chinese in the cities, China remains a Communist state, with no semblance of representative government.
At its heart, the place is still Red China, just with no unsightly Mao jackets.
Of course, no one wants a military confrontation with the People's Republic. So some will argue that it is a good thing to increase cultural outreach by having American citizens of Chinese heritage doing their little surveys, gala banquets and conferences dedicated to the "Greater China".
However, the real problems are far more serious than a mere social misunderstanding. They cannot be solved by happy-face bridge building.
The PRC wants to be the next super-power and will do whatever it takes to get there. Red China's behavior is not that of a friendly trading partner but of a future enemy that is building its offensive strike power. As security analyst Bill Gertz has written (The China Threat and How to Resolve It, ABC News, May 14, 2007), "China ... is building niche weapons with one goal: arming to defeat the United States in a future conflict".
The above list is not comprehensive—it's merely to remind VDARE.COM readers about the continuing full-court press by Beijing against the United States.
Yet the Committee of 100 tells us: don't worry—be happy—buy Chinese! It's a brave new Chinese world from where they stand.
Committee members figure they are in the catbird seat:
Wilson Chu, a partner with the Dallas law firm of Haynes & Boone, LLP, thinks Chinese Americans make perfect additions to the boardroom. "They are bicultural. They grew up here, but do business in China and have friends and relatives there," he says. "They are global Chinese." [Emphasis added] Committee of 100 Newsletter, Spring 2006
But do these "global Chinese" have America's best interests at heart? Not necessarily.
What Chu describes is the Asian flavor of what Samuel Huntington called the Davos Man—a creature who views "national boundaries as obstacles that thankfully are vanishing".
But since the Chinese tribe is so strongly loyal to itself, becoming a citizen of the planet isn't quite the model—not when being a global Chinese is perfectly acceptable among the post-national.
Indeed, increasing numbers of Chinese are returning to the homeland after having availed themselves of valuable resume-building in the United States. The San Diego Union Tribune recently observed as much:
"Frustrated by stagnating federal funding for research and clampdowns on visas, Asian scientists are increasingly returning to their homelands. One-quarter of the 700,000 students who left China between 1978 and 2003 have gone back, China's Ministry of Education has reported.
"Most of those left the United States recently, with more than 20,000 a year returning to China in the past five years, according to the ministry." [Finding greener pastures at home, Asian scientists leaving America, December 16, 2007, by Terri Somers]
One reverse migrant, a successful Silicon Valley executive, remarked,
"'I've been living here and speak the language,' said Philip Hu, 60. 'But inside I'm very Chinese.... it's very natural for me in China, to be surrounded by my own people.'" [Émigrés Feel China's Pull, by Vanessa Hua, San Francisco Chronicle, August 24, 2006]
Keep in mind that the large majority of Chinese in America—over 70 percent—are immigrants, according to the 2000 Census. Somewhere over a quarter (29.1 percent) were born here. Most have little reason to be loyal to America's national community.
Plus, their other country is going gang-busters! Beijing's non-democratic government is not such a big problem when there are piles of yuan to be made. To get rich is glorious, as they say.
Cheap consumer goods, particularly the ones that don't cause illness or death, are supposed to make us forget Red China's real intent—global dominance and the defeat of America.
Of course, it's too bad Washington cooperates by stupidly spending like the proverbial drunken sailor on China's high-interest credit card, with its serious penalties in the fine print.
Indeed, the PRC may not need all that weaponry if the White House and Congress continue to put America's wealth in the hands of our enemy.
Meanwhile, the smug "global Chinese" involved in the Committee of 100 pitch questionable friendship and trade with Red China to their own benefit—and detriment of America.
Brenda Walker (email her) lives in Northern California and publishes two websites, LimitsToGrowth.org and ImmigrationsHumanCost.org. She has known some drunken sailors and believes they are a lot more responsible than Washington politicians.
