Poll: Does China need Hawks ?
In recent years, China’s rise, as one of the most oft-sung topics, has been aired by both popular press and academic publications. And with it arises a complaint among the so-called “angry youth” (fenqing), that China lacks Hawks. Some foreign media also echo this and further point China is facing a want of both Hawks and Doves.
In their analysis, the reason China lacks Hawks is because they would invite attacks from intellectuals and the Chinese public. They could easily be blamed for being irresponsible, for tarnishing the image of China’s peaceful rise, and for stirring up undue Chinese nationalism.
Some hardened cynics go so far as to attribute the reason why China lacks Hawks to the assumption that the Chinese have to speak in one voice. “Every low-level official, expert or scholar is expected to speak like a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” as they put it.
But there exists a misunderstanding whether being outspoken or speaking with a loose tongue would characterize Hawks.
As far as I can see, a real Hawk might be overbearing, but never descends to violence. He might have a free tongue, but by no means a loose or untamed one. He might be passionate, but definitely not “fenqing-like”. A real Hawk must have a mature and rational thinking and a free but responsible tongue.
----By Hotdog, a Chinese netizen
