Before we label the South African government lackeys of China, let's consider for a moment the complexities of the balancing act required by the men and women in service of the country in various embassies and consulates around the world.
'In political activity, then, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea; there is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting point nor appointed destination. The enterprise is to keep afloat on an even keel; the sea is both friend and enemy; and the seamanship consists in using the resources of a traditional manner of behaviour in order to make a friend of every hostile occasion.' - Michael Oakeshott
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