Perpetuation of the‘China Threat’Theory.docVIP

Perpetuation of the‘China Threat’Theory 　　British newspaper The Times recently published an article disclosing that the Japanese embassy in the UK last year engaged a think tank， the Henry Jackson Society （HJS）， to voice opposition to Chinese foreign policy. 　　At the invitation of HJS， former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind participated in the public relations exercise， according to the report， published on January 29 this year. 　　The report said the Japanese embassy， in a provisional proposal written in early 2016， intended to pay the think tank ￡10，000（$12，506） per month to deliver a “communications strategy” specifically aimed at engaging UK journalists and high-level politicians to focus on “the threat to Western strategic interests posed by Chinese expansionism.” The proposal added that “as part of delivering the ‘threat’ message， we will have to counter the growing belief， particularly in the UK Treasury， that Chinese inward investment can provide the answer to the UK’s infrastructure problems.” 　　 Undesirable effect 　　Strange as it may seem that a think tank as prominent as HJS would be willing to take on an assignment for such a small monthly stipend， what led a former British foreign secretary to join the campaign is even harder to comprehend. The embassy’s motivation， on the other hand， is of course obvious： it is the Japanese authorities’ inherent hostility toward the rise of China. 　　In October 2015， China General Nuclear Power Corp. partnered with électricité de France， the French utility company， in an agreement to construct the UK’s Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station. Never before had one of China’s state-owned enterprises participated in such a project in Europe， and sections of the UK media stirred up security concerns on the basis of China’s perceived lack of credibility. 　　Rifkind confirmed HJS had asked whether he would be willing to put his name to a newspaper article expressing concern about China’s involvement in the ne