Opinion | Xi Jinping can take lessons from Kublai Khan in reaching out to the West
- In the 13th century, Kublai Khan reached out to the West. Can Xi Jinping do better?
The legendary Italian merchant Marco Polo built his name on extensive travel in the East and particularly China. However, history has not given enough credit to his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo who took the Silk Road to China in 1266 when Marco was only 12 years old. Only on a trip to China in 1271, did the brothers bring the then 17-year-old with them.
When the Polo brothers met Chinese emperor Kublai Khan, the grandson of founding emperor Genghis Khan, the ruler of the middle kingdom liked the exotic foreigners. He asked them to deliver a letter to Pope Clement IV in 1267 requesting the Pope send 100 priests to teach Chinese people Christianity and Western science, among others. The letter also contained a gold tablet which stated that the brothers represented the Khan himself and it guaranteed their safety and all the necessary help throughout the lands controlled by the emperor.
According to the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, a Chinese diplomat told its reporter covering Xi’s visit: “You have to stop saying bad things about China.” Refusing to shake her hand, the diplomat added: “I know very well who you are.”
The incident aroused as much ire as suspicion in Europe and the ripples are still spreading. Is the belt and road plan mainly an economic initiative or part of China’s efforts to subject the world to authoritarian rule? Can the West save its troubled economy with help from Beijing without sacrificing principles like free speech?
However, Chinese diplomats should not let arrogance and rudeness get the better of them. Fighting diplomacy should give way to respect and professionalism, no matter how big the business deal is. If Chinese apparatchiks do not understand the complexities of modern international politics, just remember that the international media is not CCTV.
