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Victor Gao

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Victor Gao
高志凯
Gao in 2019
Born
Gao Zhikai

1962 (age 61–62)
Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Education
Occupations
  • Lawyer
  • legal scholar
  • academic
Organization
Political partyRevolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang

Victor Zhikai Gao (Chinese: 高志凯; pinyin: Gāo Zhìkǎi; born 1962) is a Chinese lawyer, businessman,[1] and academic who is the vice president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization (CCG).

Gao is an expert on international relations at Soochow University,[2] where he is a Chair Professor. Gao is also a member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang.[3] He was formerly a translator for Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.[4][5][6]

Early life and education

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Gao was raised in rural China during the 1970s.[7] He attended high school in Southern China. When Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping reopened universities during the Chinese economic reform, Gao convinced local authorities to allow him to take the Gaokao for college admission in 1977 before he had graduated high school.[8]

Gao received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English language and literature from Soochow University in 1981,[9] then earned a Master of Arts (MA) in English language and literature from Beijing University of Foreign Studies in 1983. He pursued graduate studies in the United States at Yale University, where he graduated with a master's degree in political science in 1990 and then a Juris Doctor (JD) from Yale Law School in 1993.[10] He was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in 1994.[11]

Career

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From 1983 to 1988, Gao was a translator for Deng Xiaoping.[7] He was also a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1989 at the United Nations Secretariat in New York, and then was a policy adviser for the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission in 1999–2000.[12]

Gao has been an investment banker for Morgan Stanley.[13] He is a Director of the China National Association of International Studies[14] and an Executive Director of Beijing Private Equity Association.[15] Gao is the vice president of the Center for China and Globalization.[16]

According to Foreign Policy, "Gao was once treated as a reputable interlocutor in U.S.-China relations."[17]

Views

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Hong Kong

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In 2014 Gao condemned pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong as illegal and provocative.[18] He supports the National Security Law and the continued integration of Hong Kong into China.[19]

AUKUS

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In September 2021 Gao referred to the AUKUS pact as a "gross violation of international law," claimed that "Armed with nuclear submarines, Australia itself will be a target for possible nuclear attacks in the future," and referred to Australians as "brainless."[20] He also warned that Australia's moves towards nuclear-powered submarines would lead to the country "being targeted with nuclear weapons," in a future nuclear war.[21] Gao repeated his warning to Australia during an interview on 60 Minutes Australia television programme in November 2021: "I would say the AUKUS deal in itself by enabling Australia to build nuclear submarines will have one big consequence for Australia, that is, Australia will no longer enjoy the benefit and the very rare privilege of not being targeted with nuclear weapons going forward."[22]

The interviewer challenged Gao by reminding him that Australia was planning to buy nuclear powered submarines and not nuclear armed submarines, and asked: "Why should Australia then be a target of nuclear weapons?" Dismissing the distinction, Gao insisted: "Listen to me: the tubes in the submarine can be armed with both nuclear warheads and conventional warheads. Now, in the heat of a battle or in the heat of a war, do you think Australia will allow inspections as to what kind of warhead you put into that big tube? I can bet you, in the heat of battle no one will pause – and the safe approach is to target Australia as a nuclear-armed country.[22]

Taiwan

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Gao supports "any means possible" to achieve Chinese unification.[17]

In October 2021 Gao claimed that Taiwanese of Japanese descent supported Taiwanese independence, and that after a PRC take over they should either demonstrate support for reunification in writing or emigrate.[23] Foreign Policy magazine considered this to be a call for ethnic cleansing.[17]

In August 2022 Gao argued that the "Chinese military's mission is to liberate Taiwan."[24]

COVID-19

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Further information: COVID-19 misinformation by China

Gao believes that any search for the origins of the COVID-19 virus in China are part of "a conspiracy" because it "existed earlier than the outbreak of Wuhan in other parts of the world, including, most logically, in the United States, centering on Fort Detrick."[25]

Peng Shuai

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In February 2022, Gao claimed on the Australian 60 Minutes Australia program that the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai could not have been raped by a CCP official because of her physical athleticism as a professional athlete and said that "she can defend herself in front of whatever man or person in China".[26]

Other

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Gao opposes Scottish Independence and criticized the UK for allowing the 2014 Scottish independence referendum to happen at all.[27]

In June 2021 Gao said that "The G7 and NATO have been distorted into anti-China platforms."[28]

Gao believes that the enlargement of NATO and potential missile defense system emplacements were the cause of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the South China Morning Post "He said the same scenario could occur between England and Scotland, if a country like Russia wanted to deploy nuclear weapons on Scottish territory."[29] He has claimed that Ukraine joining NATO would "trigger armageddon."[30] In February 2023, Time magazine reported that Gao had believed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would likely end in an armistice, with Ukraine not being able to win back all of its territories, and that both sides would be "shelving the disputes for future generations to resolve".[31]

References

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  1. ^ Perlez, Jane (July 18, 2013). "In China and U.S., Mutual Distrust Grows, Study Finds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Mauldin, Walter (June 19, 2023). "Xi Jinping Meets Antony Blinken as U.S., China Resume High-Level Engagement". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "中国国民党革命委员会北京市第十五届委员会委员名单" [List of members of the 15th Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee]. 民革北京市委. July 2, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  4. ^ "Thought-leader on China & expert on international relations". China global speakers. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  5. ^ "Victor Zhikai Gao. China's Heart Of Gold". BPEA. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  6. ^ Barboza, David (September 3, 2009). "New U.S. Ambassador to China Predicts Broad Engagement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Westcott, Ben; Lee, Lily (December 17, 2018). "China sparked an economic miracle – now there's a fight over its legacy". CNN. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Feng, Emily; Cheng, Amy (September 29, 2019). "China's Communist Party Celebrates 70 Years In Power". NPR. KPBS. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "Alumni Clubs: Entitled Twenty Years After the Cold War, Where is the China-US Relationship Heading?". University of Chicago Center in Beijing. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Congying, Bao, ed. (November 9, 2009). "Victor Gao profile". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  11. ^ Victor Zhikao Gao at Justia.
  12. ^ "Gao Zhikai". World Economic Forum. 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Carew, Rick (July 21, 2008). "China's Scene Lures Big Names". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  14. ^ "China's Rise Series: China's Africa Strategy". asiasociety.org/. May 5, 2008. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  15. ^ Li, Yongjing (January 12, 2009). "Victor Z. Gao". crienglish.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  16. ^ Pinghui, Zhuang (August 19, 2020). "US-China relations: nations failing as global leaders, academics say". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c Palmer, James. "Why China Won't Back Off Taiwan". foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  18. ^ "Former translator for Deng Xiaoping says Hong Kong protesters are in violation of the law". www.cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  19. ^ "National Security Law Is Necessary: Centre for China and Globalization". bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Graham, Ben (September 21, 2021). "'Brainless' Australia a target for 'nuclear war', warns top China expert". News.com.au. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  21. ^ Henderson, Gerard (September 25, 2021). "Subs pact makes us a target for nuke attack? Gao figure". The Australian. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Prepare for Armageddon: China's Warning to the World 60 Minutes Australia, November 2021. (video)
  23. ^ Lemaître, Frédéric (October 11, 2021). "La Chine et Taïwan, plus éloignés que jamais". Le Monde.fr. Le Monde. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Guru-Murthy, Krishnan (August 3, 2022). "'Chinese military's mission is to liberate Taiwan,' says Chinese lawyer". channel4.com. Channel 4. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  25. ^ "As U.S. intel report looms, Beijing keeps pushing theory that COVID came from outside China". cbsnews.com. CBS News. August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  26. ^ Why the world is so worried about Peng Shuai, the Chinese tennis champion who went missing for three weeks; 60 Minutes Interview; 9now.nine.com.au; February 2022
  27. ^ Patience, Martin (September 9, 2014). "Why China's wary of Scottish independence". BBC News. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  28. ^ Mitchell, Tom; Hille, Kathrin. "Western powers reignite Beijing's anger after G7 and Nato warnings". ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  29. ^ "As China and India stand by Russia over Ukraine war, why are their media not speaking in one voice?". finance.yahoo.com. Yahoo Finance. April 19, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  30. ^ Frei, Matt (February 23, 2022). "Ukraine joining Nato would 'trigger Armageddon', says Chinese think tank". channel4.com. Channel 4. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  31. ^ "Why China Wants to Broker Peace in the Russia-Ukraine War". Time. February 22, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.

Further reading

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Biographies
  • Crossman, Jennifer (2011). "Gao, Zhikai (高志凯 b. 1962)". In Zhang, Wenxian; Wang, Huiyao; Alon, Ilan (eds.). Entrepreneurial and Business Elites of China: The Chinese Returnees Who Have Shaped Modern China. Emerald Group Publishing. pp. 40–42. ISBN 978-0-85724-089-7.
Opinion pieces on/by Gao
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