San Francisco Consulate Fire Exacerbates U.S.-China Tension

An arson attack on the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco has exacerbated tensions between China and the United States. The attack occurred the night of Jan. 1, when someone  poured gasoline onto the front door of the consulate and set it ablaze. While the building sustained significant fire and smoke damage, there were no injuries, and the consulate quickly resumed normal operations. The FBI and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security are investigating.

Chinese state-run media were quick to jump on the incident as a “U.S. security failure” and evidence of anti-China attitudes in the United States. The nationalistic Global Times demanded “severe punishment on the offenders,” and accused the United States in advance of a  “snubbing and arrogant” attitude toward China in the event that “it skimps on the job,” despite all indications that U.S. authorities are pursuing the case as a matter of the highest priority. Beijing is clearly using the incident for domestic political gain and as an opportunity to be seen flexing its muscles internationally in China’s defense.

Details and pictures of the blaze and its aftermath were widely circulated on Chinese websites, drawing angry comments from Chinese netizens. These predictably included wild accusations against the U.S. government, all manner of conspiracy theories, and calls for a “powerful China” to stand up against its enemies. There is, of course, no evidence of any organized conspiracy connected with the incident, and its amateurish execution suggests the work of a single disturbed individual. As with any such incident, however, these reactions demonstrate the effects of Chinese government propaganda and educational indoctrination in cultivating a readiness among a significant portion of the Chinese population to immediately and massively overreact to any perceived offense against China.

“When American devils are so despicable, we must be on our guard!” said one commenter. Said another, “America is in fact the biggest scoundrel of a country in the world, as well as the biggest terrorists training base. Protest!” Still another demanded Chinese-style justice for the guilty party: “Who set the fire? Catch him and execute him by shooting.”

The results of the investigation “could help set the tone for U.S.-China relations in 2014,” observes The Diplomat: “There are bound to be questions and outrage within China over how such an attack could be allowed to occur. A swift investigation that successfully identifies and arrests suspects would go a long way towards ameliorating the justifiable anger Chinese might feel. On the other hand, should the investigation drag on without results, it could contribute to the perception that the U.S. has no real interest in a cooperative relationship with China. Some in China already feel that the U.S. is only out to contain China’s rise – should the investigation hit a dead end, it will almost certainly be viewed as evidence of this theory.”

The identity of the person or persons involved in the attack, when and if discovered, may also have implications for U.S.-China relations. If it turns out to be a “lone wolf” attack by a disturbed or disgruntled individual, this could be seen in China as evidence of anti-Chinese attitudes among ordinary Americans resulting from negative coverage in U.S. media or hostile statements by U.S. politicians. If it turns out to be the work of exiled Tibetan, Uighur, or Falun Gong activist groups, which seems unlikely as The Diplomat further observes, the implications could be worse: “The U.S. would be blamed for allowing such groups to operate on American soil, which might again contribute to perceptions that the U.S. government is part of a conspiracy to undermine China domestically and internationally.”

In any case, the Chinese government can be expected to milk the incident for maximum propaganda value at home.