The Long Game

          The number of Chinese people in town has been increasing noticeably and here is why: the University’s Chinese student business has been growing at a rate of 30% year-on-year since 2012-13. Many of the students attend mandatory English courses prior to admission, so they are here during the summer as well. My barber is delighted to be benefitting from the extra business (his shop is surrounded by university buildings). He also told me that one of his clients, a teacher on their English course, has a theory that all those polite, uncomplaining Chinese students are long-term sleeper agents. Their mission is not to absorb western culture but to undermine it and hasten the eventual dominion of China.

          I am inclined to give some credence to this. The teacher’s evidence is anecdotal, but it is backed up elsewhere: Chinese expansionism is evident in the Belt and Road initiative, the acquisition of foreign assets world-wide and the protectionist slant of China’s monetary and economic policies. Furthermore, President Xi Jinping has hinted that because of its 5,000-year-old culture, China deserves to have more influence in world affairs. I don’t mean to sound alarmist, but the signs are ominous. I have lived in ‘China Town’ long enough to realise that it should really have been called ‘Hong Kong Town’: the difference has recently come home to roost as news reports show us the westernised Hong Kongers resisting the repressive control of Beijing. How long will it be before we see that same culture-clash outside the Kwok Man restaurant on St. James Street?

          But it is not just China’s ambitions I worry about. The other contender for world domination, the USA, is just as dangerous. It may have a familiar, western face but its record of wreaking international havoc to further its own economic and military interests is far from friendly and is unrivalled since the British Empire’s own. Surely, its ambitions have become more transparent since its avuncular, public-facing mask has been discarded to reveal the amoral, brash reality of its populist nationalism.

          Which brings me to my fears for “the Mother of Democracy”, aka Britain/UK/England, currently under attack, not from abroad, but from within. Our Prime Minister holds office by default because of a constitution that turns out not to be as democratic as was supposed. The complex arguments over whether sovereignty lies with the people or with parliament rage, while actual power has been seized by a cadre that is hell-bent on a course of action that has not been endorsed by a majority in the electorate. We seem surprised to realise that smug complacency is no defence against the onslaughts of would-be tyrants.

          These events have brought into focus the weaknesses of our constitution and, combined with the need to modernise a party-political system that has not kept pace with changes brought about by de-industrialisation and demographic shifts over the years, demand action if we are to ensure the survival of consensual democracy. One suggestion is to extend the use of citizens’ assemblies to deliberate on issues that politicians are reluctant to tackle for fear of alienating their constituents. If this were to happen, it might become apparent to everyone that the nation’s long-term interests are not best served by a parliament whose focus is inevitably short-term i.e. from one election campaign to the next. It might even become obvious that leaving the European Union, far from strengthening our hand in international trade, will render Britain as small fry waiting to be gobbled up by the incumbent bullies, America and China, both of whom have deep pockets and are playing the long game.

          P.S. Having finished writing this piece, I sat down for lunch, looked out of the window and saw that a bi-lingual street sign has been fixed to the wall of the building opposite. It wasn’t there at breakfast. For all I know, it says “Property of the People’s Republic of China”.