My take-aways from 2020 Munich Security Conference

3, The China factor was one of MSC's focuses, which saw a combination of suspicion, misunderstanding and expectation

Representing the Chinese government, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech at the conference, which drew a lot of attention and a positive response. Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang's remarks at the townhall meeting on COVID-19 was also well-received. I got an opportunity to raise a question when Pelosi rabbled about 5G at the panel on the state of western democracy. She claimed that compromising to China would hurt the democratic system, human rights, economic independence, and national security. I questioned her claim, asking her if the democratic system was so fragile that Huawei could threaten it. Pelosi was evidently more accustomed to attacking China when there were no Chinese present, so she didn't anticipate being questioned there and then, and also she didn't seem to be sufficiently familiar with 5G technology, so she was just parroting the prepared script, appearing to have trouble answering my question. Judging from on-the-spot reactions, many appreciated my challenge. But there were also people who defended the US position on Huawei, asserting that China has also shut out members of Western media.

Apart from the main sessions, China was also the focus of the side events. Eleven of the sub-panels set their agendas on China, including such topics as "Taming the Dragon: How the West Must Confront and Engage the China Challenge","Partner, Competitor, or Rival? Transatlantic Relations and the China Conundrum","How should Europe deal with rising China","What if... China and Russia Became Allies", and "The Future of China's Participation in Arms Control Regimes". There were also as such specialized panels as on the South China Sea issue, COVID-19 Outbreak, and China's Internet policies.

I found that wherever there were Chinese present, people would give some thought to their views and how they feel, and what they would say and the questions they raised also attracted attention and often endorsement. After listening to my lunch-time speech, a German scholar said, he felt it is possible to establish trust after hearing me present China's case. Yet on many occasions and issues, it's very difficult to hear the Chinese side's opinions and convincing explanations of significant matters.

Indeed, international relations are similar to inter-personal relations, we need some level of trust as the basis for building relations of cooperation and coordination. Trust-building is an important subject China must face while it gets increasingly closer to the center of the world stage.