(Encrypted line. Early morning in Beijing. Late evening in Washington.)
川 : Big night. Biggest speech. Everyone loved it.
習 （國師在旁）: 總統先生說的是國情咨文吧。
川: You watched? Ratings were tremendous. Even better than my first one. Standing ovations — globally, I would say. No one got tired of clapping.
習: 我注意到，你多次影射中國。 “競爭”，“公平”，“重建美國工業”…… 措辭強烈。
川: Strong is good. I said we're bringing supply chains home. Chips, steel, rare earths — we're not depending on anybody anymore. Especially not you.
習: 相互依存， 並非依附。
川: Interdependence? That's what globalists call it. I call it leverage. And I don't like other people having leverage over America.
習: 槓桿是相對的。 你限制芯片出口， 中國也在加快自主研發。 封鎖，往往催生突破。
川: You're talking about innovation. I like innovation. America will dominate AI, quantum, biotech — all of it. We're putting billions in. How exciting! By the way, the brain drain must be keeping you up at night.
習: 科技競爭， 不應演變為科技圍堵。
川: Nobody is “containing” you. We're protecting national security. Big difference. You build military-civil fusion; we respond. Simple.
習: 安全概念若無限擴大， 貿易空間將無限縮小。
川: Trade space? I gave you a great deal once — remember? Phase One. Beautiful deal. Farmers were happy. Then came the pandemic. Not my fault.
習: 歷史自有評價。 但當前問題更緊迫。 你昨夜提出新的關稅審查機制。 是否意味着全面升級？
川: It means reciprocity. If you charge us, we charge you. If you subsidize, we counter. Level playing field. I said it clearly — the era of America being taken advantage of is over.
習: 公平，應由規則定義， 而非單邊宣布。
川: Rules? The WTO rules were written when you were still “developing.” You're the second-largest economy now. You don't get developing-country treatment forever.
習: 中國仍有十四億人口， 發展不平衡。 但我同意， 責任隨實力增長。
川: 1.4 billion people! You guys are creative statisticians. Listen, Indo-Pacific alliances are stronger than ever. Japan is now a huge fan of mine. And China?
習: 聯盟政治， 容易製造陣營對立。
川: Or stability. That's how I look at it. If nobody pushes boundaries, nobody gets pushed back.
習: 邊界問題， 在台海尤為敏感。
川: I didn't even mention Taiwan that much. Very disciplined of me.
習: 未提及， 不等於不在暗示。
川: Look, I support the status quo. America doesn't want conflict. But we'll defend our interests. That's not new.
習: 中美若誤判， 代價巨大。
川: Agreed. That's why we're talking. See? Responsible leaders.
習: 昨夜你還提到“價值觀競爭”。 這種表述， 易將經貿問題意識形態化。
川: Values matter. My voters care about jobs, borders, freedom. They don't want surveillance balloons floating over Montana.
習: 個案不應定義整體關係。
川: Tell that to Congress.
(Brief pause. Papers shuffle. )
習: 總統先生， 有中情局招募廣告， 在中國互聯網上流傳， 直接影響閣下四月訪華之行。
川： Ohhh. “A disillusioned official seeks new opportunity”? I saw that. Very dramatic. Like a spy movie trailer.
習: 它直接呼籲中國體制內人員 “為更高理想服務”。 你在國情咨文強調競爭。 這是競爭的新形式？
川: Look, I like good marketing. Yes, it's CIA doing marketing, beating Madison Avenue. Relax. "Recruitment Videos" don't topple civilizations.
習: 這關乎滲透與動搖啊！
川: Come on. You've got your own messaging. You think TikTok dance videos are just dance videos?
習： 平台算法 不等於情報機構。
川: Tell that to Congress.
(A faint exhale from Beijing.)
習: 還有一事。 盧比奧……魯比奧提出什麼“自由”工程， 意在突破中國防火牆。 他公然以技術手段 協助中國網民“翻牆”。
川: Marco. He's always proposing something. Freedom something, security something. Yes, he's my guy. What's your problem, exactly?
習: 此類項目， 已被中國網絡安全部門關注。 你如何看待？
川: Well, first of all, I love the word “freedom.” Hard to be against it. Second — I didn't build your Great Firewall. You guys are Great Wall builders, by all way.
習: “防火長城” 是中國的主權邊界。
川: Quite a lot of bricks. Digital bricks. Very expensive, I imagine.
習: 黨國維穩 不計成本。
川: Everything has a cost. Ask my budget people.
習: 若美國政府支持 干犯中國網絡主權， 中方將絕對不會坐視的。
川: Interference? You're accusing me of interference? I'm flattered. If your firewall is so strong, why worry about a few laptops?
習: 技術競賽 沒有“幾台電腦”之說。
川: True. Cyber is the new battlefield. I said that last night — didn't use the word "battlefield," but everyone knew. AI, cyber, space. The whole shebang.
習: 競爭若無底線， 會侵蝕互信。
川: Trust? In espionage? That's adorable.
(Silence. Then Xi resumes, tone steady.)
習: 美國公開鼓勵中國公民 繞過法律限制。 這與“負責任大國” 是否一致？
川: Absolutely.
習: 國安至上，國安至上，國安至上！
川: Security and freedom are not, I repeat, not mutually exclusive. Frankly, freedom gives us more leverage than you guys think. If your people want access to the free world, that's not exactly my fault.
習: 美國不比中國自由。 中國人民絕對有自由團結 在黨中央的周圍， 絕對有自由依法 專用黨的信息空間。
川: Quite a mouthful.
習: 維穩至上，維穩至上，維穩至上！
川: Whatever. About the CIA ads — I don't personally storyboard those. But I won't apologize for my intelligence agencies doing intelligence. You've got yours. We've got ours. Meet when we can. Do otherwise when we have to. Fair?
習: 制度不容顛覆，制度不容顛覆, 制度不容顛覆!
川: Whose system you are talking about?
(Unexplained silence on the Beijing side.)
習: 不穩不行……不行，不行！
川: Let's say this: America competes. We compete economically, technologically, ideologically. But overthrowing governments? That's messy. Very messy. Bad for markets.
習： 魯比奧那個“自由‘’工程呢？
川: Marco likes headlines. I like headlines even more — I just prefer the ones with my name in larger font. Meanwhile, Congress likes tough talk on China. You have your domestic audiences; I have mine. Reality, my friend.
習： 總統先生， 中美關係已進入 高度敏感階段。 網絡空間 可能成為誤判的源頭。
川: "Cyber miscalculation" — yes. A hack here, a leak there, suddenly everyone is pointing fingers. Nobody wants that.
習: 若美國政府 縱容突破防火牆， 中國或將採取 技術反制。
川: Retaliation spiral. I get it. Didn't I mention I like competition?
習: 好。
（The line disconnects.）
作者：紉秋蘭 |
