In the early 1980s, there was a story circulating around the business world about the rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola and their race to be the first to enter the newly opened market in China. Coke had won the race in 1979, and they thought they had an exclusive sewn up in their joint venture agreement. But they hadn’t counted on the provision in the agreement that, in any dispute between the parties, the Chinese-language version of the agreement would prevail. No big deal . . . until Coke’s translator fell asleep at the wheel.

Because at some point, Pepsi learned of an overlooked little glitch in that Chinese-language document, wherein the word “exclusive” was, upon further close examination, definitely missing. Absent. Not there at all.

“Holy shit!” said the people at Coca-Cola. “Yippee!” said the folks at Pepsi. And in 1981 the people of China, for the first time ever, had their choice of Western cola beverages.

To this day, I can’t swear that that story is completely accurate, but it was told to me back in the ‘80s by someone in a position to know. And it became part of the folk lore of Chinese-American trade relations.

True or not, it remains a lesson for the present day: the Chinese people are very smart; they plan far into the future; and in the world of politics, they are not above playing dirty . . . as evidenced by their present relationship with Russia. Which is what I’ve been leading up to all along . . . in case you hadn’t guessed.

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You see, back in the ‘80s, China and the Soviet Union were not the best of friends. But, as happens frequently throughout the course of history, relationships ebb and flow; and today, the two despots at the helms of their respective countries appear to have kissed and made up. To paraphrase the ever-so-quotable Will Shakespeare, political necessity certainly does “acquaint a man with strange bedfellows.”

In fact, at a summit meeting in Beijing just six months ago, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping declared each other “old and dear friends.” And this week, on April 9th, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was also hosted by President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. And you know that these were not social calls.

No, indeed they were not. Because this “friendship” is all about business. China’s sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics, and other technology have vastly increased of late — items that, while not weaponry in and of themselves — are being used to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and the like, for use in Russia’s war against Ukraine. In addition to the provision of tools and technology, “Chinese and Russian entities have also been working to jointly produce unmanned aerial vehicles inside Russia, and Chinese companies are likely providing Russia with nitrocellulose used in the manufacture of ammunition . . . China-based companies . . . are providing optical components for use in Russian tanks and armored vehicles.” Further, “Beijing is also working with Russia to improve its satellite and other space-based capabilities for use in Ukraine, a development the officials say could in the longer term increase the threat Russia poses across Europe.” [Aamer Madhani, Associated Press, April 12, 2024, citing unnamed Biden administration sources.]

Then there’s the matter of China’s ignoring the international sanctions against trade with Russia — not to mention the arrest warrant issued, and still outstanding, against Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court, for the illegal deportation of minors from Ukraine.

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And here is where we run into that sticky verbiage issue. Because China continues to insist that it is not providing Russia with arms or military assistance. Well, maybe not directly . . . but . . . well, uh . . . I don’t know . . . what do you think?

Semantics? Or, perhaps, out-and-out bullshit. Why don’t we ask Coke and Pepsi.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/16/24