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Study Times Article on Sino-African Relations

Study Times, a weekly newspaper under the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article discussing China’s policies in Africa. The following excerpts contain a few recommendations mentioned in the article.
“What also needs to be incorporated into China’s Africa policies is the enhancement of the voices and the representation of the African countries in international organizations so they can play their roles in the international community. For example, China should make its position clear in supporting African countries to join the permanent members of the United Nations and to be represented in the IMF and the World Bank. This is not only a crucial means of balancing the global power structure, but an important manifestation of China’s responsibility to Africa.”
“China has a clear roadmap for Sino-Africa relations. The development of the relationships needs not only a long-term and systematic overall planning and strategic design, but also specific policy measures. The new government has laid out detailed initiatives in this regard. China will continue to expand its investment and financing cooperation with Africa, fulfilling the promise of providing a US$20 billion line of credit to Africa within three years (now increased to US$30 billion), and implementing the ‘partnership with Africa on transnational and trans-regional infrastructure development.’ China will actively implement the ‘African Talent Program’ to train 30,000 professionals from African countries within three years and offer 18,000 government scholarships for African students in China. Through investment, financing, and cooperation, China will encourage Chinese enterprises and financial institutions to be involved in cross-border and trans-regional infrastructure construction and operation management in Africa. China has promised zero tariffs for ninety-seven percent of imports from Least Developed Countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. These measures will be in place by 2015. These concrete initiatives have provided notably favorable conditions for Africa’s infrastructure construction, personnel training, capital accumulation, and trade with China, contributing to closer Sino-Africa relations.”
Source: Study Times, May 26, 2014
http://www.studytimes.cn/shtml/xxsb/20140526/5072.shtml
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

U.S. Cyber Crime Charges Enrage Beijing

In an angry response to the U.S. cyber-spying charges against members of a secretive Chinese military unit, China’s official media hurled back extensive counter-charges.
Cui Tiankai, China’s Ambassador to the United States, responded, "China is the victim of cyber-attacks. There have been massive U.S. originated cyber invasions and surveillance into Chinese government agencies, businesses, universities, and even individuals." "China has decided to suspend its activities with the China-U.S. Internet working group. The U.S. should immediately correct its mistake and withdraw from this so-called prosecution." [1]
One opinion article said, "In fact the U.S. is the most ‘qualified’ defendant. This also reminds the world’s countries that the Internet can no longer be dominated by American hegemony." "The U.S. is one of the few that control the main root server and secondary root servers of the Internet. It also exerts actual control over the allocation of domain names. Holding the global Internet infrastructure resources and core technologies, the U.S. was the first to build a cyber-warfare unit and to include ‘network-centric warfare’ as part of the nation’s ‘core capabilities.’ The U.S. set off an arms race in cyberspace and has its ears and eyes on cyber surveillance reaching almost every insignificant corner around the world. It has always been the hegemon in cyberspace. They are the thieves moving everywhere; they are the most brazen robbers." [2]
Another commentary criticized the U.S. government, "The U.S. government uses two excuses: the so-called separation of powers and that ‘the government cannot interfere with legislative and journalistic independence,’ in order to connive with Congress, the media, and business’s so it can constantly hype up the ‘Chinese hacker threat.’" [3]
One University scholar wrote an article on People’s Daily. "This outrageous act of the U.S. only proves its imperialist logic of ‘might is right’." "Today, the U.S. is not the only country that has advanced monitoring technologies. Countries that are able to detect attacks against their own network are everywhere. With the U.S. pressing charges against other country’s military officers without credible evidence, other countries will have a more reasonable basis to prosecute the chief of the U.S. National Security Agency and its superiors. As long as the U.S. does not stop breaching other countries’ cyber boundaries, it is not qualified to require other countries not to implement network defense or even counterattacks." [4]
Source: [1] Guangming Daily, May 22, 2014
http://news.gmw.cn/2014-05/22/content_11385205.htm
[2] People’s Daily, May 22, 2014
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2014/0522/c1003-25048271.html
[3] China.com, May 21, 2014
http://opinion.china.com.cn/opinion_96_99396.html
[4] People’s Daily, May 22, 2014
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2014/0522/c1003-25050385.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Confucius Institute Inaugurated Its Latin American Center in Chile

The Confucius Institute, the government-backed Chinese language teaching program, hit another milestone in its overseas expansion. On May 12, it held an opening ceremony in Santiago, Chile, for the Regional Center of the Confucius Institutes for Latin America. Xu Lin, the Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters and the Director-General of Hanban, the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, inaugurated the center together with former Chilean President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle.
Xu Lin said that the establishment of the Regional Center in Latin America marks the regular cooperation and exchange mechanism and a new service platform for all Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in the region. It will contribute greatly to promoting the development of the Confucius Institutes in Latin America. Xu Lin also said that, over the years, China and Latin American countries have always maintained s good cooperative relationship in the fields of politics, the economy, culture, and education. Currently, 14 countries in Latin America have a total of 31 Confucius Institutes and 10 Confucius Classrooms. The Latin American Center, the second regional center overseas after the U.S. Center, aims to coordinate the work of the entire Latin American region and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between all Confucius Institutes in the area.
Former Chilean President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle pointed out in his speech that the inauguration of the Latin American Center is the result of good bilateral political, economic, and cultural relations. The two governments should further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of culture and strive to see that language is no longer a barrier of communication between the two peoples.
Source: Xinhua, May 13, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2014-05/13/c_1110665413.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Academician Ni Guangnan: There Will Be No National Security without Network Security

People’s Daily interviewed Ni Guangnan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and professor at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, about network security issues. Ni pointed out that without network security there would be no national security. This is the Chinese government’s point of view today. Ni stated that network security is by no means a purely technical issue and China must raise it to the national strategic level.

Ni said, "Apple, Google, and Microsoft have monopolized the operating system running on intelligent terminals including desktop PCs, notebooks, and smart phones. If China does not have the core technology of the smart terminal operating system, it is impossible to safeguard network security."

Ni also said, "All of the Internet’s root servers are in the hands of the United States and several of its allies. The United States has the actual control. Over the years, a number of countries, including China, have repeatedly asked for ‘international co-administration’ of the Internet, but the United States does not agree. … Therefore, to truly safeguard China’s network security, we cannot have any illusions. We should earnestly take action through the development of future networks; ultimately we must solve the problem that the Chinese public network is dependent on other [countries]."  

Source: People’s Daily, April 29, 2014
http://it.people.com.cn/n/2014/0429/c1009-24953592.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China to Modify Radio Regulations; Maximum Penalty up to 500,000 Yuan

On May 6, China’s State Council Legislative Affairs Office started to solicit public opinion on the "People’s Republic of China Radio Regulations (Revised Draft)." The draft made it clear that unapproved use of radio frequencies and satellite orbit resources that cause serious consequences will be subject to a fine up to 500,000 yuan (US$80,300).
The draft stated that the use of radio frequencies shall not exceed 10 years. The operator should promptly deregister the frequencies if it plans to terminate the use of the radio frequencies before the expiration date. The allocation of radio frequencies should fully consider the needs of national security, economic, social and scientific and technological development, and the efficient use of resources.
The draft also demanded that radio regulatory agencies conduct regular inspections and testing on radio (stations), and investigate unlawful interferences in a timely manner in order to ensure the public safety of persons and property.
Source: Xinhua, May 6, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2014-05/06/c_1110560161.htm
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Czech Adheres to the one China policy and Refuses “Tibet Independence”

According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a regular press conference on April 29, spokesman Qin Gang announced that China and the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a joint communique. The communique stated that the Czech side reiterated its adherence to the one China policy, respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, insists that Tibet is an inalienable part of China, and refused to support any form of "Tibetan independence." "This is another important political document between the two countries following the 1999 joint government communique and the 2005 joint statement. It will play an important role in the healthy and stable development of relations between China and the Czech Republic."
Source: People’s Daily Online, April 30, 2014
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0430/c1002-24963293.html
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xi and Zuma Exchange Letters on Reciprocal China-South Africa National Theme Years

On April 27, 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma sent letters to each other celebrating the launch of reciprocal China-South Africa national theme years.

In his congratulatory letter, Xi said that, in 2014 and 2015, China and South Africa will each launch the national theme year of the other nation. "This is a major event for the humanities for both countries and an important event in their friendly bilateral relationship. It will promote understanding and friendship between the two peoples and enrich the substance of the comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership. The Chinese side is willing to use the national theme year as an opportunity to work together with South Africa, elevating the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level."

Zuma’s letter stated that, in recent years, the relationship between South Africa and China has advanced by leaps and bounds and that exchanges between the two peoples should be raised to a higher level.

Source: Xinhua, April 27, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-04/27/c_1110428929.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Completed and Handed Over $30 Million Road Project as a Gift to Sierra Leone

On April 26, in Regent, a suburb of Sierra Leone’s capital city Freetown, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Zhao Yanbo officially handed over the newly constructed Regent-Grafton Road to the Sierra Leone government.

China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG), a subsidiary of the construction conglomerate the China Railway Group, undertook the construction of the 11.26km road, including several bridges and 34 pipe culverts. The project started in April of 2012 and was completed on April 25, 2014. It connects Regent and Kossor Town and helped ease the burden of traffic in Freetown.

The Chinese government provided the funds for the construction, costing US$30 million, through their bilateral development funds. Other major projects of CRSG in this West African country include the 35 km Makeni-Matotoka highway, the 65 km Bo-Kenema Highway, the 62 km Port Loko-Lungi axis, and major urban thoroughfares, including the Wilkinson Road and the Spur Road.

At the ceremony, Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma praised the Chinese government and the Chinese companies for their active participation in these infrastructure projects.

Source: Xinhua, April 27, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2014-04/27/c_1110430819.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend