Editor’s note for July 18, 2023

Dear reader:

China’s Foreign Ministry spokespeople are amongst the most experienced government officials in the world at deflecting annoying questions from journalists, often by giving stridently-voiced stock answers.

So it’s noteworthy when a spokesperson responds to a query with an awkward silence.

The last time I can recall that it happened was on November 29, 2022, when a Reuters journalist asked then spokesperson Zhào Lìjiān 赵立坚: “Given the widespread display of anger and frustration at the zero-COVID policies in recent days across China, is China thinking about ending it and if so, when?”

Zhao looked down at his podium and shuffled papers for half a minute before asking the journalist to repeat the question. He listened to the question again and then stared at the podium for another half minute before saying that the question did not “reflect what actually happened,” and then waffling a little more without giving details. You can watch the entire uncomfortable exchange on YouTube here.

(Zhao is no longer a Foreign Ministry spokesperson — it probably wasn’t this incident that led to him being sidelined, but rather his aggressive Wolf Warrior manner which was starting to make Beijing look bad.)

At today’s Foreign Ministry press briefing, spokesperson Máo Níng 毛宁 was asked about rumors that China’s Foreign Minister, Qín Gāng 秦刚, has been absent from the public eye for more than three weeks because of a extramarital affair — that led to the birth of a child — with state-backed Phoenix News TV journalist Fù Xiǎotián 傅晓田.

Looking visibly flustered, Mao said, “I am not familiar with the situation you’re talking about” (video here).

This is one of the weaknesses of China’s extreme controls on information and the scripted nature of its official communications: When something happens for which there is no script, nobody knows what to say, and the Party is left looking faintly ridiculous.

Somebody who does know what to say in Beijing is the 100-year-old Party-whisperer Henry Kissinger, who is in China today. Kissinger has often served as an unofficial go between between the U.S. and Chinese governments, even though he has not been in government since

1977. It’s not clear who sent him to Beijing — or who invited him — but it’s another sign that the U.S. and Chinese governments are really trying to find ways to talk.

Our Word of the Day is: I am not familiar with the situation you’re talking about (我不了解你所说的情况 wǒ bù liǎojiě nǐ suǒ shuō de qíngkuàng).