川习谈国情咨文、CIA招募广告、翻墙

(Encrypted line. Early morning in Beijing. Late evening in Washington.)

川 :

Big night. Biggest speech. Everyone loved it.

习 （国师在旁）:

总统先生说的是国情咨文吧。

川:

You watched? Ratings were tremendous. Even better than my first one. Standing ovations — globally, I would say. No one got tired of clapping. 

习:

我注意到，你多次影射中国。

“竞争”，“公平”，“重建美国工业”……

措辞强烈。

川:

Strong is good. I said we're bringing supply chains home. Chips, steel, rare earths — we're not depending on anybody anymore. Especially not you.

习:

相互依存，

并非依附。

川:

Interdependence? That's what globalists call it. I call it leverage. And I don't like other people having leverage over America.

习:

杠杆是相对的。

你限制芯片出口，

中国也在加快自主研发。

封锁，往往催生突破。

川:

You're talking about innovation. I like innovation. America will dominate AI, quantum, biotech — all of it. We're putting billions in. How exciting! 

By the way, the brain drain must be keeping you up at night.

习:

科技竞争，

不应演变为科技围堵。

川:

Nobody is “containing” you. We're protecting national security. Big difference. You build military-civil fusion; we respond. Simple.

习:

安全概念若无限扩大，

贸易空间将无限缩小。

川:

Trade space? I gave you a great deal once — remember? Phase One. Beautiful deal. Farmers were happy. Then came the pandemic. Not my fault.

习:

历史自有评价。

但当前问题更紧迫。

你昨夜提出新的关税审查机制。

是否意味着全面升级？

川:

It means reciprocity. If you charge us, we charge you. If you subsidize, we counter. Level playing field. I said it clearly — the era of America being taken advantage of is over.

习:

公平，应由规则定义，

而非单边宣布。

川:

Rules? The WTO rules were written when you were still “developing.” You're the second-largest economy now. You don't get developing-country treatment forever.

习:

中国仍有十四亿人口，

发展不平衡。

但我同意，

责任随实力增长。

川:

1.4 billion people!

You guys are creative statisticians.

Listen, Indo-Pacific alliances are stronger than ever. 

Japan is now a huge fan of mine.

And China?

习:

联盟政治，

容易制造阵营对立。

川:

Or stability. That's how I look at it. If nobody pushes boundaries, nobody gets pushed back.

习:

边界问题，

在台海尤为敏感。

川:

I didn't even mention Taiwan that much. Very disciplined of me.

习:

未提及，

不等于不在暗示。

川:

Look, I support the status quo.  America doesn't want conflict. But we'll defend our interests. That's not new.

习:

中美若误判，

代价巨大。

川:

Agreed. That's why we're talking. See? Responsible leaders.

习:

昨夜你还提到“价值观竞争”。

这种表述，

易将经贸问题意识形态化。

川:

Values matter. My voters care about jobs, borders, freedom. They don't want surveillance balloons floating over Montana.

习:

个案不应定义整体关系。

川:

Tell that to Congress.

(Brief pause. Papers shuffle. )

习:

总统先生，

有中情局招募广告，

在中国互联网上流传，

直接影响阁下四月访华之行。

川：

Ohhh. “A disillusioned official seeks new opportunity”? I saw that. Very dramatic. Like a spy movie trailer.

习:

它直接呼吁中国体制内人员

“为更高理想服务”。

你在国情咨文强调竞争。

这是竞争的新形式？

川:

Look, I like good marketing. Yes, it's CIA doing marketing, beating Madison Avenue. 

Relax. 

"Recruitment Videos" don't topple civilizations.

习:

这关乎渗透与动摇啊！

川:

Come on. You've got your own messaging. You think TikTok dance videos are just dance videos?

习：

平台算法

不等于情报机构。

川:

Tell that to Congress.

(A faint exhale from Beijing.)

习:

还有一事。

卢比奧……鲁比奥提出什么“自由”工程，

意在突破中国防火墙。

他公然以技术手段

协助中国网民“翻墙”。

川:

Marco. He's always proposing something. Freedom something, security something. 

Yes, he's my guy.

What's your problem, exactly?

习:

此类项目，

已被中国网络安全部门关注。

你如何看待？

川:

Well, first of all, I love the word “freedom.” Hard to be against it. Second — I didn't build your Great Firewall. You guys are Great Wall builders, by all way.

习:

“防火长城”

是中国的主权边界。

川:

Quite a lot of bricks. Digital bricks. Very expensive, I imagine.

习:

党国维稳

不计成本。

川:

Everything has a cost. Ask my budget people.

习:

若美国政府支持

干犯中国网络主权，

中方将绝对不会坐视的。

川:

Interference? You're accusing me of interference? I'm flattered.

If your firewall is so strong, why worry about a few laptops?

习:

技术竞赛

没有“几台电脑”之说。

川:

True. Cyber is the new battlefield. I said that last night — didn't use the word "battlefield," but everyone knew. AI, cyber, space. The whole shebang.

习:

竞争若无底线，

会侵蚀互信。

川:

Trust? In espionage? That's adorable.

(Silence. Then Xi resumes, tone steady.)

习:

美国公开鼓励中国公民

绕过法律限制。

这与“负责任大国”

是否一致？

川:

Absolutely. 

习:

国安至上，国安至上，国安至上！

川:

Security and freedom are not,

I repeat, not mutually exclusive.  Frankly, freedom gives us more leverage than you guys think. 

If your people want access to the free world, that's not exactly my fault.

习:

美国不比中国自由。

中国人民绝对有自由团结

在党中央的周围，

绝对有自由依法

专用党的信息空间。

川:

Quite a mouthful. 

习:

维稳至上，维稳至上，维稳至上！

川:

Whatever. 

About the CIA ads — I don't personally storyboard those. But I won't apologize for my intelligence agencies doing intelligence. You've got yours. We've got ours.

Meet when we can. 

Do otherwise when we have to.

Fair?

习:

制度不容颠覆，制度不容颠覆,

制度不容颠覆!

川:

Whose system 

you are talking about?

(Unexplained silence on the Beijing

side.)

习:

不稳不行……不行，不行！

川:

Let's say this: America competes. We compete economically, technologically, ideologically. But overthrowing governments? That's messy. Very messy. Bad for markets.

习：

鲁比奥那个“自由‘’工程呢？

川:

Marco likes headlines. I like headlines even more — I just prefer the ones with my name in larger font. Meanwhile, Congress likes tough talk on China. You have your domestic audiences; I have mine.

Reality, my friend. 

习：

总统先生，

中美关系已进入

高度敏感阶段。

网络空间

可能成为误判的源头。

川:

"Cyber miscalculation" — yes. A hack here, a leak there, suddenly everyone is pointing fingers. Nobody wants that.

习:

若美国政府

纵容突破防火墙，

中国或将采取

技术反制。

川:

Retaliation spiral. I get it. 

Didn't I mention I like competition?

习:

好。

（The line disconnects.）

作者：纫秋兰