American government: 'Shutdown' vs 'shut up'

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Europe

Editor's note: Liu Zhiqin is a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The partial federal government shutdown has broken a world record by lasting for over 35 days. This is unique in world history and will be remembered for years to come. Of course, it will not be a glorious story but a shame for the U.S. government and its so-called democratic system.

The word "shutdown" has become the most popular one in recent weeks and its negative influence will shadow the American society and social confidence.

This has really started a new era in the U.S. as the time of "shutdown". The government shutdown will become "normal" in the future and will definitely be a common tool for solving disputed issues between the Democrats and Republicans in the United States.

Demonstrators protest against building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico in El Paso, Texas, January 26, 2019. /VCG Photo

The people's willingness and ideas will be ignored or replaced with the conflicts between the two parties. If the government shutdown continues after three weeks of temporary opening, it will become a bomb that will destroy the fundamental bases of the society, and that will possibly expand from a political to an economic shutdown, leading to the end of the American era and last station to its prosperous future.

Even if the U.S. has so much chaos at home, it seems their problems won't "shut up" some U.S. officials from accusing China, triggering confusion in understanding the real stories behind the "framing up campaign" initiated by a few American politicians.

First, they have to "shut up" on saying that China's modernization is being achieved by "stealing" from the U.S. and other developed economies.

China has made great progress in all fields, including scientific research and IT, owing to diligent and long-term efforts by the Chinese people.

Objectively speaking, it is quite normal for the Chinese people to grasp technologies through the accumulated experience gathered during practice.

U.S. federal government contractor, Yvette Hicks, cries in frustration over not being paid during the shutdown, Washington, January 25, 2019. /VCG Photo

Technically, we must know that when people have mastered all necessary basic knowledge, it will be easier to cross over "a border" from theory to practice, just as philosophy says from "realm of freedom" to "realm of necessity". This is a natural process for technological progress. So it is really not fair to blame China for allegedly stealing Western technology. This is an absolutely groundless "framing up" of China and must be corrected.

Secondly, some American economists should also "shut up" on accusing China of violating cybersecurity in the United States.

There is no need for China to take any advantage of the cyber world to get more information, as China's major attention is focused on domestic development, especially poverty alleviation. China has no time and enthusiasm to make wrong use of cyber information. On the other hand, China is still quite weak in cyber technologies compared with that of the United States.

Considering the "prism program" that the U.S. government used to monitor telephones of European leaders, China is really far behind. So few people would believe China would be able to overtake the U.S. as a superpower in the cyber world.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) following announcement of a temporary end to the partial government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, January 25, 2019. /VCG Photo

Thirdly, American politicians should "shut up" on branding a Chinese company's 5G technologies as a "threat" to them. The claim only shows that some U.S. officials need to catch up on their missing knowledge in specific fields.

In China, we have an old saying that goes "a thief looks at others as thieves." That illustrates the way of thinking of some American "experts". Nevertheless, the U.S. should pay full attention to solving its "shutdown" chaos and "shut up" on abusing China.

Now, the world is looking very closely at who is a real "threat" to global stability: China or the U.S.? The answer is totally clear to the entire world.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)