This morning I made a video expressing my satisfaction that Maduro was captured by the United States. I believe Maduro is a dictator and his arrest is not a bad thing at all. Of course, I also clearly criticized the United States for abusing its great power strength, violating the United Nations Charter, and trampling on the international order. In the video, I also said that the United States has set a bad precedent and China should imitate it to safeguard national interests. This caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Some of my loyal viewers criticized my attitude toward Venezuela, and some were angry that China does not protect Venezuela. To be honest, I do not quite understand the thinking of these people.
For example, one loyal viewer of my channel said that if I am glad to see the United States arrest Kim Jong-un and overthrow North Korea, then US troops would station on the Chinese border, right? His meaning is that China would lose border security and face constant crises. I want to clearly express my disagreement with such views. Not to mention that China is not afraid of US troops stationing on its border, even if US forces really threatened Chinese security because of occupying North Korea, we Chinese people still cannot let North Koreans be ruled by the Kim family dynasty just for our own so-called security concerns. Kim Jong-un had his brother poisoned and his uncle executed by anti-aircraft guns. In the whole country, only Kim Jong-un is fat while ordinary people cannot get enough to eat. The population is generally sallow, thin, and short in stature. North Korea and South Korea have the same land area. At the end of World War II, industry in the North was more developed than in the South. Yet today, North Korea’s population is less than half of South Korea’s, and South Korea is at least a developed country. Even if South Korean living standards do not match those of Europe or the United States, people there will not starve to death. How many of you have been to North Korea, or even just looked across from the China-North Korea border? What Chinese security need is more important than the lifelong happiness of tens of millions of North Koreans?
Do you know how Chinese netizens view Kim Jong-un? He is the political star with the highest traffic on Bilibili. Jokes mocking him are countless, and he even has his own dedicated background music. Wherever he goes, North Koreans applaud enthusiastically because those who do not applaud warmly get sent to dig coal. Applause is not enough; they must also cry and shed tears. Those who do not cry intensely enough also face punishment. Some say North Korean hunger is caused by the US blockade. Well, Russia does not blockade North Korea, does it? Russia has plenty of grain, right? Why does it not help North Korea? In the late period of Kim Jong-il’s rule, China provided long-term grain aid to North Korea that could ensure people there had enough to eat. But because the Chinese government hoped Kim Jong-un would abandon family dictatorship and follow the reform and opening up of China and Vietnam, Kim Jong-un cut off contacts with China, humiliated China in every way, and even sent low-level officials to receive the Chinese ambassador when paying respects to the volunteer army martyrs. You know, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army soldiers paid the price of hundreds of thousands of casualties to defend North Korea. May I ask, why should China protect such a country?
Yes, in 1950, China had just been founded, lacked diplomatic experience, and sent troops to protect North Korea because of Stalin’s nonsense and Kim Il-sung’s pleading. But what price did the North Korean people pay for this? If the heroic volunteer army martyrs saw North Korea today, would they think their sacrifice was worth it? Were they sacrificing to protect the dictator’s Maybachs and luxury train carriages?
I have said many times in my videos that I believe in universal values, freedom, and democracy. This does not contradict my support for China in China-US competition. The former is personal values, the latter is patriotism. If the United States and the West abandon universal values, I will not think universal values are wrong. I will still hold to my beliefs. I do not believe in them because the West promotes universal values; I believe because I think they are the correct values. I judge things by right and wrong, not by emotion.
If one day China must go to war with the United States, no matter how old I am, I am willing to fight for my motherland without retreating. But if my government asked me to defend a dictator like Kim Jong-un and go to war with the United States, I would say: get lost. We Chinese do not need North Koreans to defend our border. As long as the North Korean people can live happy lives, we are willing to face US troops directly. Our genes have no fear of the United States. We do not view the United States like Japanese, South Koreans, or Europeans do, as if seeing their master. In 1950 we were not afraid to fight the United States, and the same is true today.
Not only am I glad Maduro was captured, if Khamenei and his theocratic ruling class were wiped out, I would be glad too. I hope to see Iranian girls remove their veils and return to life under the sun as before. I think this is universal values and basic human rights. No political force can override basic human rights. Anyone who shapes himself into a god and tries to enslave others should be overthrown. I do not mind whether the people’s fists overthrow these dictators or a robber does it. Even if in your eyes the United States is a robber, if it overthrows Khamenei I will still cheer for it. Even if the United States controlled Iran and Chinese oil prices became a bit more expensive, I think it is worth it. We Chinese do not need to let Iranian people be oppressed by theocrats just to buy cheaper oil. We can develop thorium-based molten salt reactors and use technology to change China’s energy structure.
As for those asking why China does not defend Venezuela, my answer is: why should China defend it? If Maduro falls, Venezuela will not perish, and the Venezuelan people may welcome a new life. Just like when Saddam fell, Iraqi people’s lives seem to have improved. I do not know if North Korea and Iran would become better if Kim Jong-un and Khamenei fell, but they certainly would not become worse because things are already at their worst extreme.
Why did China send troops to North Korea and protect Vietnam? Because the Chinese government at that time believed those two places were very important to China’s national security. That is the reason China defends a country. Also, why has China consistently supported Pakistan? The reason is simple. Pakistanis have honored their friendship with China through actions, never betrayed China at any time, and actively contributed for China. If Maduro and Khamenei had done that, even if they were dictators, I would support the Chinese government protecting them. The problem is, what have they done for China?
I hope my viewers understand one thing. You can hate the United States because the United States under Trump is indeed a villain. But what obligation do you have to defend scum like Maduro and Kim Jong-un? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs? Look at the emaciated appearance of North Korean children. If your children lived like North Koreans, possibly punished at any time for not applauding the great leader enthusiastically enough and even ruining their future, would you still say words about defending North Korea? I really admire a quote from Lincoln: When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. Most of the time I cannot claim to be a good person. I am a caustic person full of sarcasm. But occasional kindness calms my heart, and committing wrongs makes me feel guilty. Criticizing theocrats like Modi online makes me happy. Seeing the misfortune of people oppressed by dictators makes me heavy-hearted. I make videos to truly express my feelings, not to please anyone, and certainly not for some grand international political pattern. I am not the kind of person who holds a globe every day studying great power competition. If you like discussing those topics, you may have come to the wrong place.