Francesco Specchia April 11, 2022
Seeing him like this, with a white beard, an unlit cigar in his mouth, a baseball cap and a bouncy wit, Pio of Emilia it looks like one of those old essays from the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movies. Instead he is a valuable colleague, one of the best correspondents (for SkyTg24 but has written for newspapers around the world) on the front lines of the hottest wars on the planet. Pio, in the entourage of Tiziano Terzani, is a kind of news samurai but also a Yamatologist (a lover of everything he knows about Japan, having lived there for thirty years). His opinion of the war from the east slips on the verge of a wholly political katana.
Dear Pio, how do you tell the war in these surreal conditions of censorship and fake news that have to be dismantled every day?
“Look, I’m one of the few Western journalists who have a Russian war zone visa, which I obtained through my good offices in Tokyo. Except that the editors apart from Rai, who doesn’t let their people get out of Moscow consider it risky to send longhaired reporters there. However, then we endanger freelance children who travel on their own with no experience or cover. I say that after 30 years of freelance work. Among other things, you could be embedded, there’s nothing wrong with doing it with the bad guys, just explain it first ».
In short, it’s complicated when you go with the Red Army and you can’t pronounce the word “war” or “invasion” or when you can only send the pictures they examined …
“Well, uttering the word ‘war’ or ‘invasion’ when it comes to the internal Russian media is often evaded by Al Jazeera; and from a practical point of view I find it very difficult to check all the connections of the various correspondents at the front. And anyway, look, this oneway street isn’t good either. Orsini is not good, but neither is Edward Luttwak, who says that the war is beautiful on Tuesday and advises the EU to prepare for it ».
Could the war in Ukraine have been prevented?
“In my opinion, yes. Nowadays it seems to me a form of philosophical and moral hypocrisy to seek Zelensky by leaving the guns in Poland, by making them take them from the Ukrainians. There is no need to weaken the situation militarily. And first the agreement had to be reached, which you will see will be reached soon: Donbass to Russia with two separate republics, recognition of Crimea and Ukraine from NATO; and then there was a need to do everything, ‘this mess? Now, of course, I don’t know what to say about Putin: he’s unpredictable, but I don’t yet know if he’s sick, crazy, or using a very clear strategy ».
A recent vulgate wants China to remain on hold, ready to side militarily with Russia and a new multipolar front of antiWestern countries like India, Pakistan or Brazil. Another tends to view China as angry at a war that is destabilizing its economic interests. how do you see it
“It is to be hoped that Putin will end his cycle as soon as possible. Russia is still backed by China, but I don’t rule out that in the twoway talks between the Tsar and Xi Jinping (Xi speaks Russian, another one he dealt with directly, Merkel), Xi may tell him in the dark about her little Room: “Vlad, what the hell have you done?” ».
A refined political analysis, yours. Although it’s actually true that the Chinese don’t usually invade nations, they buy them…
“But it is so. The Chinese have no intention of going to war. Today the word “assertiveness” is en vogue, a par de ciufoli: China sees Ukraine very far away, formally supports Russia, but is deliberately hesitating until the next party congress in four months. There they have a kind of politburo, a higher council consisting of seven people, at least two of whom voted against the majority, and that it is an unprecedented fact for Xi that there is no longer a 100% consensus.
So are you telling me that Xi is reeling because, like every Italian politician, he too has narrow electoral horizons?
“I’m telling you that China is quietly waiting for others to ask it to step into the game to learn that it is humanity’s last hope. Among other things, he knows very well that placements are not announced, but made. In my opinion, knowing the Chinese, they are already doing mediation under the radar, but they don’t accept that America is warning them: “If you don’t mediate with Russia, they are dicks”. On the other hand, their exchange with Europe is 1,600 billion, while that between China and Russia is 150 million, only 10%. Do you think all this mess will please Xi? ‘
Meanwhile, however, the Chinese are upgrading their nuclear warheads as they attempt to divert the Russian gas flow to their side. Are you worried?
“But no. The Chinese are on the long road as Mao said with the states in the fast lane to become the first power in the world. And for that they need stability. And also for this reason they will never invade Taiwan, they already consider it their property, there is no need. Just like North Korea will never point missiles at Seoul. On the other hand, a people who built the Great Wall tend not to go to war, if at all, they tend to do so Repeating miracles, having lifted 800 million people out of poverty into the middle class. China, to tell you, has high speed everywhere, not just in Beijing or Shanghai, but in their Teramo. And if you study geography, look at it the planisphere and observe not five continents but four Eurasias, which includes India, Siberia, Arabia and Europe, a province of the Empire ».
And that worries me. And I disagree about China’s pacifism. The Vietnamese who were attacked, for example, do not believe this.
“It’s true. My speech is valid if you remove Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Tibet, which they already considered their territories.
Like the Russians with Ukraine …
“Listen, without controversy. I have lived in the East for 40 years and have now metabolized their point of view. The world has changed, the balance of power has changed too, China is now a power like America, but only America pretends not to have understood. I don’t see China as an enemy of the institutions, at least for us, who grew up in the European myths of Adenauer, Brandt and Kohl, it seems strange. Today it is known in China that Xi is in command of Jinping (at least until the next party congress), that Putin is in Russia and that Biden is not in America. But in reality, a trio of Erinni, Avril Haines, Fiona Hill and Victoria Nuland, super officials who actually determine White House policy. And of course that favors China ».
Do you also consider Beijing to be an enlightened superpower when it comes to civil rights?
“They are gentle with civil rights. It is obvious that we Westerners raise our hands at the violation of individual freedom. But it is also true that Chinese citizens, like Muslim countries, do not see all this tragedy as being deprived of their rights, they see it as a price to pay for their wellbeing. The Chinese against dissidents have three steps: first they isolate you, if you don’t regret it they throw you in jail, and then who knows. Check out Alibaba’s Jack Ma; he returned his steps and conformed to the party ».
From your privileged observatory: How do you see Italian politics, our international decisions on the other side of the world?
“Italy has the same influence on the international scene as Japan: zero. The last time we had a valued foreign policy worthy of the name was with Andreotti and Craxi …. ».