China increases anti-American rhetoric with old war films and travel alerts

On the same day, the country's foreign ministry – along with the Chinese embbady and consulates in the United States – issued a security alert for Chinese citizens, citing "repeated harbadment" of nationals Chinese in the United States by local law enforcement.

Both opinions advise Chinese citizens to "raise awareness of security issues" in the United States. They intervened shortly after an alert from the Ministry of Education that warned Chinese students and academics about the dangers of studying in the United States because of growing visa problems.

"Enemy of the world"

The new travel advice did not come in isolation.

The ruling Communist Party in China has launched a commercial war propaganda campaign, with recent efforts – relayed by the state media – focusing on "commercial intimidation" and "l '". hegemony "in the United States. In a noteworthy article published Tuesday in the People's Daily, the United States was labeled "enemy of the world".

Scathing anti-American editorials and commentaries quote everyone from French President Emmanuel Macron to the 18th-century philosopher Adam Smith, but the media began to refer to a very specific and bloody battle between US and Chinese forces during the Korean War 1950-1953.

Little known in the West, the Battle of Triangle Hill from 1952 – or Shangganling in Chinese – was glorified in China for decades as a turning point in the war when the stamina and sacrifice of Chinese soldiers led to the "defeat " Americans. invaders.

Although the death toll remains in dispute, the Chinese army and US-led UN forces have suffered thousands of deaths after more than 40 days of fierce fighting. In Chinese articles, textbooks and movies, however, over-exploited Chinese soldiers have emerged as the undisputed winners.

"The US military has paid a hefty price (…) that Triangle Hill has become their" Heartbreak Hill, "said a comment released Monday on Chinese social media by an account placed under the name" The Heartland Hill ". authority of the cyberspace of the country. "It was a decisive moment when the world recognized (the strength) of China and its military."

Claiming that the Chinese film of the battle, decades old, was enjoying increasing popularity, the online article contained a video interview with a combat veteran, "calling" the spine. of new China ".

The state broadcaster CCTV also aired an old documentary series called "The Great War to Resist the United States and with the help of North Korea", accompanied by historical footage and a patriotic narrative.

In a lengthy comment published Wednesday in the party's journal Study Times, the author reviewed the US-China negotiations during the Korean War and left little doubt about the intent of the article .

"More than two years of negotiations have shown the world: what the US government failed to get to the negotiating table, it still has not managed to get the use of 39, warplanes and guns, "he said.

Stay calm and rational

Some Chinese observers are skeptical that Beijing's tough media strategy will yield positive results.

"Does the Chinese side think it can use increasingly vitriolized propaganda for domestic purposes without angering the Trump administration and further reducing the prospects for a return to short-term negotiations?" Bill Bishop, who publishes the popular Chinese online newsletter Sinocism, wrote to his readers Wednesday.

Even before Beijing issued new travel alerts, US government statistics showed that Chinese visitors to the United States had dropped more than 5%, falling to 2.99 million euros in 2018, when the commercial war that lasted all the year began 15 years.

And of all the international students studying at US universities who contributed $ 39 billion to the US economy during the 2017-2018 academic year, more than a third came from China, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, based in New York.

With the latest warnings from the Ministry of Education, some badysts are already predicting a drop in the number of Chinese students attending US universities, while others say that anxiety and the panic are exacerbated.

"I can not speculate on what each government thinks or can do, but I do not see any (US visa issue) among hundreds of our students," said Tomer Rothschild, co-founder of Elite Schools of China. a Beijing-based educational consulting company that helps around 150 Chinese students enroll in the best American universities each year.

"I tell parents to stay rational and stay calm," he said.