At the video call meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to take stock of the situation between Russia and Ukraine, the two leaders said a lot of things. With the help of the interpreters in the interview, it becomes clear that the faithful translation can often take on a slightly different meaning than the original meaning of certain words and words spoken in the native language. This is the case with a saying Chinese spoken by Xi during his interview with a very important hidden meaning.
The hidden meanings of the proverb
If it’s true that Xi Jinping’s repertoire of rhetorical language is familiar to most, there is a Chinese expression that transcends the mere literal meaning. “jie líng hái xu xì líng rén”, we only report it for the record and to ask some Chinese citizens if it’s spelled correctly. In this case, however, we are interested in the translation: “Whoever tied the rattle to the tiger’s neck must remove it”. Literally translated, it looks more like a tongue twister. In fact, the true meaning of the saying expresses the Chinese line on the Ukraine crisis. “Tiger” clearly means Putin, “rattle” concerns NATO’s eastward expansion that would have endangered Russian security, while the author, who “tied the rattle around his neck,” challenged the wild beast, it are the United States. Now that if they want to “disarm” the angry tiger by the continued ringing of the bell tied around its neck, they should only approach the cat and carefully remove it.
What is the parable of the tiger
In short, the Chinese believe the greatest responsibility lies with the Americans, but NATO is made up of several countries, including Italy, which has already received direct threats from Putin over its work on Russian sanctions. Regardless of whether it should be the US alone or the US and Europe that should try to “take the bell off the tiger,” what is China doing? It is for Clock or would you like to participate in this historical Chinese proverb? What has been demonstrated so far is China’s real intention to play the role of “responsible power,” a term often repeated in official speeches by Chinese leaders and also in communiques. In short, it appears that Xi threw the rock but did not uncover (not withdraw) his hand: a joke that means many things.
Xi’s “Trouble”
As Corriere recalls, the now-famous quote comes from the ancient Song Dynasty poet Huì Hóng. The “parable of the tiger and the rattle” is one of the favorites of the communist general secretary, who often uses it in public when an unwelcome question annoys him. In 2014, he went up against a New York Times reporter who challenged it restrictions from Beijing to the international press. “The government of the People’s Republic of China protects people’s freedom of expression according to the law, as well as the legitimate rights of the press,” he said. “However, the international press here should also respect the laws of China.” This gave rise to the example of a car that breaks down and you have to get out to check what the problem is. “When you call something a problem, it means there are reasons,” he adds, citing the Chinese proverb that “whoever puts it on removes the bell”. At this point, it’s clear that China is on board half at the ford: do you want to appease international souls or do you want to be the tiger you can ring the bell for?