Meeting with Xiao (Hsiao) Mei Lan, A great Tea Sommelier and Philosopher living in Antwerp, Belgium
Let’s speak about China and Taiwan relations, Hong Kong protests and USA-China topic
About China-Taiwan relations
LHCH: as tea expert you know both China and Taiwan from cultural inside stories. What is your opinion about their difficult cultural relations now ?
Xiao Mei Lan: I was born in Taiwan but my parents came from China. My father was a Kuo Min Tang general and moved to the island in 1949. So I’m a « Taiwanese Chinese ». About tea now, it is only because early migrants moved from mainland to Taiwan in the 17th century, bringing tea trees plants from Fujian, that there is a authentic Tea Culture in Taiwan. Oolong teas from Dong Ding in Taiwan came from Anxi ! In Ping Lin you have also the Baozhong tea. Moreover Taiwanese learned the Gong Fu Cha Ceremony from Hong Kong people during the Cultural Revolution. ? So everything is intertwined. No Taiwan without China.
LHCH: and politically ?
Xiao Mei Lan: in Taiwan, during my education, I have been brainwatched : America is great, it’s pure democracy, freedom, human rights, Angels of Justice … against communism !
But why if KMT was so great and pure they lost the war against communism ? There was corruption inside the KMT because of the Chinese billionaires and the Japanese pressure. USA finally let them alone. Yes, « Chinese don’t kill Chinese » against the Japanese invasion in 1937 but what happened afterwards ?
Before overthrowing Qing dynasty Sun Yat-sen created the Chine Tong Meng Hui (1905-1912) in Tokyo, it was the predecessor of the Kuomingtan. In Taiwan, the Japanese funded this association to fight against Qing dynasty ! Our book don’t speak about this shame. Japanese are considered as saviors ! Our youngsters sometimes don’t even wish to go to discover China. Even if they think Chinese mainlanders are opponents they have to understand they need to know them. In their weakness and also in their strength. It is precisely the mistake Taiwanese are making. As the big Sun Zi said 2500 years ago, the greatest art of the War is to know the strategy of your enemy, knowing enough to win without making the war ! And the best way is to find a Win-Win solution, without fighting.
But now can you imagine Taiwan, Republic of China, president Tsai Ing-wen said there is a real DNA of pure taiwanese people ? A part of Japan, Fujian and Aboriginal Taiwanese ? Our grand parents have to be very busy to mix all ! The DNA of 4 people ?
Apparently she just wants to keep Taiwan isolated. Like the Trump’s wall against Mexico… Is it really to protect Americans ? Like Trump, Tsai Ing-wen uses the fear and the hate to build a wall in the Taiwanese heart. She organizes a brainwashing of the youngsters to deny history ! in the school in Taiwan, the history books only start from occupation of the Japanese. Where were the Chinese of the Qing dynasty, for example ? Where is this hard working generation gone ? All Old Chinese history is taken away from these books !
About Hong Kong
LHCH: what do you think about HK revolution ? Is it really good for people in Hong Kong ?
Xiao Mei Lan: it is more peaceful now. Finally ! After more than a year… Before I went to HK every year for the Fair, the atmosphere was very intense and dynamic ; now HK is getting old, depressive, losing energy. The stress level is increasing in the streets. Last time I didn’t dare to go outside the hotel.
Hopefully they will restore common peace because Shenzhen is building a free zone bigger than HK one, it’s a threat ! Competition is coming on the other hand Macao is also improving…
HK people just want to have a peaceful live a life without fear. I remember last year I spoke with a taxi drive about HK situation : he was complaining. I asked him : « are you going to tell our conversation outside your taxi ? ». No ! He was afraid of being bullied with his children on internet or in the school.
But let’s compare HK protests with ones in America ( Black Lives Matter). How many people died in one year in HK ? And in USA in one month ? Is it the democracy ? Trump sent troops, secret police with pro-active arrest policy ! Just because I think you are going to do something bad you will be arrested, without being tried : it’s fascism !
About China-USA relations
LHCH: just to introduce this hot topic, let’s speak about the differences between American and Chinese mentality.
Xiao Mei Lan: there is distrust since long time. Conspiracy theories playing against each other. It is like yin and yang : if you force me you have to deal with retaliation. Like this story with the consulates on both sides. They closed in USA because of so-called « commercial secret »… But in american laws you are only guilty if there is evidence. So where are they ? Suspicious is only about conspiracy theories… If you convince people with conspiracy theory there is no democracy anymore ! They forced the door like american cowboys ! If you give 72 hours to organize the leave you have to stay civilized. 3 days later China in Chengdu also gave 72 hours to close the consulate but we didn’t argue about espionnage in Tibet and Xinjiang, even they have been spying for years ! But China closed this house without any itch. In the same time this operation will stop the illegal activities of information in this province so near from the problems areas.
Both sides may avoid these kind of problems ! But USA are behaving like wild kids. They don’t do anything for a win-win solution. President Trump doesn’t think about people, he just want to be reelected by rich people. For that he needs conflicts and wars, which create money. Peace is money down… …
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