Bannon’s case offers a peek into ‘dirty US politics’: expert

Why are some Americans so obsessed with damaging China-US relations? It is now obvious such persons are in the “antiChina business.”

While the world is focusing on whether the arrest of Steve Bannon, the man who opened the White House door for Donald Trump, will spark a 21st century Watergate scandal, the Chinese public and experts believe the incident further exposed the true nature of the Trump administration – a gang of businessmen who treat politics like a business – and will serve as a “lesson” to those not familiar with how dirty and corrupt US politics is.

The arrest of the former White House chief strategist, who was also Trump’s election campaign advisor, has drawn attention around the world, as observers believe it could have an impact as huge as the Watergate scandal to US politics and the 2020 presidential election, while Chinese analysts pay attention to the potential impact on China-US relations.

For ordinary people in China, where Bannon is widely known as an “ardent China hawk,” the case opened another crack for them to take a peek at the dirty and corrupt US political arena, and that under the poisonous atmosphere, anything can be manipulated like a business – as playing hard on China can also be profitable.

Bannon pleaded not guilty on Thursday (local time) after he was charged with defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors through his “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign.

He was released later on Thursday on a $5 million bond secured by $1.7 million in cash and/or property with co-signors.

Asked about the matter on Thursday, Trump said he felt very bad about the incident, but said of Bannon, “I haven’t been dealing with him for a very long period of time.”

Bannon’s arrest sparked heated discussions in China, and some criticized him for “using the ‘anti-China’ rhetoric as a scam to make money.”

By simple deduction, Americans should be asking why Trump surrounded himself with such shady people, and what kind of person their president really is, Chinese observers said.

Under the current political atmosphere in the US, politicians tend to treat politics as business, and this was amplified by Trump, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

Shen Yi, an associate professor of international politics at Fudan University in Shanghai, pointed out that Bannon made his fortune through the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign that targeted Trump’s base, while his constant bashing of China has also gained him infamy and wealth.

“Now we know that Trump’s team is full of ‘principles’ in terms of face, but they’re all running after profit, like a business,” Shen said.

The arrest of Bannon occurred 75 days before the presidential election. Observers said it could have been the work of the Democratic Party, or the result of manipulation of Trump’s opponents inside the Republican Party, Li said.

To what extent Trump was involved in the case, and if the fund Bannon raised was used to serve Trump’s political agenda or to fund his campaign this year, has yet to be determined. And if proven, the impact of the case would be similar to the Watergate scandal, Li noted.

In China, Bannon is no and is called “the living fossil of paranoid madness” because his attitude toward China can no longer be described as hostility.

Jin Canrong, associate dean of Renmin University of China’s School of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday that Bannon’s arrest could infuriate white conservative populists who strongly supported him, and might think that pro-establishment forces set Bannon up.

“The populists would be angered and react radically. This could lead to a significant impact on the presidential election and make the election more unpredictable,” Jin noted.

On August 13, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai delivered a keynote speech at a webinar at the invitation of President John R. Allen of the Brookings Institution. Cui said that amidst major tasks and severe challenges, China and the US should make the right choice and “build a more forward-looking, stronger and more stable relationship between our two great countries.”

Cui pointed out that some people in the US are obsessed with great-power competition and strategic rivalry, adding that some Americans believe that “driving up” confrontation could slow down and contain China’s development, and maybe even bring about a “regime change.” It’s obvious that he was referring to the initiators of the so-called new cold war. In his speech, Cui warned those individuals who are obviously keen on launching the “new cold war” in unprecedented ways, saying they “must weigh the costs they pay and the consequences for the world. For whom the bell tolls, there will be a day of reckoning.”

Perhaps it is a pure coincidence that his saying has turned into reality. Shortly after Cui made his comments, Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to US President Donald Trump, who was once dubbed the “shadow president,” was arrested on Thursday for financial fraud. Bannon was charged with defrauding donors in an online fundraising scheme called “We Build the Wall,” which was intended to bolster the US President’s initiative along the Mexican border. The fundraising campaign collected more than $25 million, and the money – mainly donated by Trump supporters – was only a sham to deceive people. They actually built a “border fence,” but it has already showed signs of erosion just several months after its completion.

The ironic news reveals that people like Bannon are committed to fraud and seeking benefits by inciting panic, tension and friction between China and the US to garner US public support and attention. It answers a question that has perplexed people for a long time – Why are some Americans so obsessed with damaging China-US relations? It is now obvious such persons are in the “anti-China business.”

Bannon’s arrest has further verified Cui’s claim that China-US relations are going in the wrong direction due to manipulation by some Americans with ulterior motives. If this continues, not only China and the US, but also other countries around the world expecting the world’s two biggest power to jointly fight the pandemic and recover world economy, will be harmed. The only group that will benefit is a slim number of swindlers and madmen.

The Chinese side has recently sent a series of clear signals on China-US relations. In a signed article, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, expounded his views on China-US relations from a historical perspective. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also reiterated China’s firm commitment to promote the healthy development of China-US relations in multiple speeches and interviews.

As such, the ball is obviously in the US’ court. The US should actively and constructively respond to China’s propositions. Promoting positive China-US relations is the right choice.