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Briefings - 1063. page

Global Times: Nuclear Super Powers Will Not Lead China by the Nose

China’s official Global Times published an exclusive military report on April 16, “Nuclear super powers will not lead China by the nose,” countering some media critics on China’s nuclear capacity. 

“As the U.S. and Russia currently possess more than 90% of the world’s nuclear heads, they still have their absolute advantage in nuclear power. Even if they cut their nuclear heads by half, it’s just a natural thing in terms of world peace. Moreover, the U.S. and Russia only signed a treaty and have taken no real action yet. At the same time, hawks in the U.S. are crying for an even stronger nuclear capacity. Through these arguments, we find it very difficult not to develop the worry that some people in the U.S. may only be playing an old card, weakening others’ strength in exchange for its own advantage, and maintaining its own nuclear superiority by pressing other countries for nuclear disarmament.” 
Source: Global Times, April 16, 2010 
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Exclusive/2010-04/779903.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Scholar: U.S. Is Exporting Inflation to Contain China

In an April 13 article published on China’s official newspaper Global Times, a China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) scholar, Zhang Jiye, considered the U.S. government’s inflationary economic policy to be a measure to contain the rise of China. 

“Firstly, the U.S. can use the export of ‘inflation’ and depreciation of the dollar to massively devalue China’s foreign exchange reserve, empty China’s strategic assets, and delay China’s rise. Secondly, the U.S.’s low interest and low exchange rate policy will amplify the expectation of the yuan’s appreciation, further attracting international hot money into China and exacerbating China’s stock market and housing bubbles. Thirdly, the dollar depreciation could push up commodity prices, deepen China’s inflation introduced by importation, and cause social instability.” Zhang suggested that the government unpeg the yuan from the dollar and diversify China’s foreign asset structure. 
Source: Global Times, April 13, 2010 
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-04/775740.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Should Take Lead in US-China Relations

The International Herald Leader under Xinhua published an article recommending that China should follow the example of Russia and take the lead in China-US relations. “Although China now has greater room to maneuver and is taking more initiative, it is still in the mode of defensive diplomacy. At best, it has changed from ‘passive defense’ to ‘active defense.’” China cannot force the United States to work on a topic that is of concern to China in situations and through means that China is familiar with. The article concludes that China should learn from Putin and proactively create some “new topics” so that the United States will feel the need to seek us out and talk.

Source: Xinhua, April 12, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-04/12/content_13340595.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Minister of Culture: Western Soft Power Stronger than China’s

Cai Wu, the Minister of Culture, admitted that Western soft power continues to remain stronger than that of China. He saw no fundamental change, and believed that the status quo is not comparable to China’s rising international status. He expressed that China should “expand the international influence of Chinese culture, and, at the same time, truly protect the safety of domestic culture.” To increase China’s soft power is to, among other things, “promote understanding and respect for China’s core interests.”

Source: Xinhua, April 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2010-04/09/content_13323486.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s Real Estate Bubble to Burst in 2011?

Xinhua reported that a timetable predicting China’s real estate collapse in 2011 has been published on the Internet. The timetable compares the Japanese real estate market trend between 1985 and 1991 to that of China between 2005 and 2008 and found China, with its serious real estate bubble, excessive dependency on exports, and pressure on RMB appreciation, is similar to Japan right before the Japanese economic bubble burst in the 1980s. The timetable author concluded that the Chinese economy is facing significant risks and its real estate market will collapse in 2011.

Source: Xinhua, April 6, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-04/06/content_13307384.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Nigeria Recovered Its Broken Wings with Chinese Fighter Planes

Global Times quoted an article from the Nigeria Daily Sun newspaper on April 8, “Air Force Has Recovered Its ‘Broken Wings’ – Inaugurates Chinese Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.” It claimed that Nigeria has recovered its air force power after spending US$250 million to purchase fifteen F-7 fighter planes and armaments from China. The deal included twelve F-7NI single-seat fighters, three F-7NI double seat trainers, twenty live PL-9C air-to-air missiles, ten training PL-9 rounds, unguided rockets, and 250/500 kg bombs. Nigeria’s government approved the deal in 2005. China started training Nigerian pilots in 2008 and delivered the aircraft in 2009. China’s F-7 is a Chinese copy of the Russian Mig-21.

Sources:
1. Global Times, April 9, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2010-04/771941.html
2. Daily Sun, Nigeria, April 8, 2010
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/apr/08/national-08-04-2010-025.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China to Invest 400 Billion Yuan in 3G Network

China is going to beef up its investment in promoting 3G mobile networks over the next two years. On April 8, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and seven more ministries jointly issued a “Notice on Promoting the Development of 3G Mobile Communication Network,” outlining the goal and implementation strategy for 3G-network development. The notice calls for 3G-network coverage in all cities at or above the prefecture level and the majority of counties, towns, major highways and tourist areas, by 2011. 400 billion Yuan will be invested in 3G-network construction and over four hundred thousand 3G base stations will be built to support one hundred fifty million 3G users.

According to MIIT, China had only 16 million 3G users as of February 2010.

Source: Shanghai Stock Information Service, April 9, 2010
http://paper.cnstock.com/html/2010-04/09/content_10460.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Antibiotics Abuse in Animal Farming

Outlook Magazine published an article, disclosing that many farmers in China have over-used antibiotics in raising animals, causing meat, eggs, and milk to contain antibiotic residues. Some farmers sell animal products after feeding antibiotics to sick animals. Some farmers routinely feed animals with low doses of antibiotics, though the animals are not sick. These practices produce more resistant bacteria among animals and also threaten human health.

The average Chinese consumes 138 gram of antibiotics per year, the highest in the world and ten times the amount used in the U.S. on an average basis. Among the antibiotics users, only 20% truly need them and 80% are abusers.

Source: Outlook Magazine, April 12, 2010
http://news.sohu.com/20100412/n271440936.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources