Briefings - 1081. page

On February 1, 2010, www.huanqiu.com (Global Times) published an article on the interview of Song Xiaojun, a CCTV contracted military commentator, regarding the recent U.S. arms sale to Taiwan.

Song said that the United States sold the arms to Taiwan based on a domestic law, namely the “Taiwan Relations Act” and for its own domestic political interests, which continuously hurt China’s core interests. As for the characteristics of the weapons, Song explained that they were just the same as what the Bush administration had arranged.

“Mr. Song Xiaojun particularly pointed out that the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan should remind us that China must strengthen its power to maintain its dignity and the determination to use the power. We should further enhance our capabilities so as to protect our core interests.”

Source: www.huanqiu.com, February 1, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Taiwan/2010-01/705245.html

Jin Chanrong, Vice Dean of the School of International Relations of the People’s University of China, told Global Times, “An unusually tough attitude from China will send the U.S. a clear message of the bottom line. The powers of China and the U.S. are close to a balance. Different from the past, it’s no longer viable for the United States to use the old ways to deal with China.” Jin added, “It’s possible that China may reduce cooperation on certain international issues as a protest.”

“The West blames the current gridlock in the Sino-U.S. relationship on China’s over-confidence. However, it’s impossible for China to give in on the Taiwan arms sale and the U.S. President’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, issues that matter for its sovereignty, and core interests. If our leaders were to meet with a U.S. separatist and sell arms to a U.S. state that claims independence, the U.S. would have an even stronger reaction.”

Source: Global Times, February 4, 2010
http://world.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-02/709404.html

Xinhua recently published a series of discussions by China scholars, the armed forces, and think tanks on international issues. Qiao Liang, an Admiral, a professor at the Air Force Command College, and Vice Secretary General of the government think tank National Security Policy Reseach Commission, reportedly talked about the U.S. containment of China.

“As the U.S. is declining and its power is weakening, power vacuums have emgerged in the international arena. The U.S. wants us to fill some of the vacuums, but not all. In places where the Americans do not want us to fill the power vacuum, they will create some powers to fill it. I call it ‘containment by agent’. … In issues like the South China Sea and the Sino-Indian border, the Americans roped in India and the Southeast Asian countries to produce a possibility of ‘containment by agent.’ As Americans have engaged in proxy wars in the past, I expect that the U.S. will use agents to contain China.

Source: Xinhua, February 2, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-02/02/content_12920311.htm

A survey shows that 96% of Chinese Internet users (among 12,661 survey participants) support punitive sanctions against the U.S. in response to the Obama administration’s Taiwan arms sale decision, according to the official newspaper Global Times.

One netizen commented that an effective use of sanctions is necessary as “protests and condemnation” are not enough to deter the U.S. Another said, “If (the Chinese government) doesn’t take real sanctions, the U.S. will not have its economic interests hurt and its inveterate disease cured.” Quite a few suggested to punish U.S. companies that have a large China market, such as Boeing and Otis.

Lu Minghua, a Nanjing University scholar, said in an interview that China should learn from the U.S., which quite often “waves the stick of sanctions” in Sino-U.S. trade.

Source: Global Times, February 5, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Taiwan/2010-02/710235.html

Xinhua reports that a Chinese military commentator predicts the continuing trend of China’s rise and gain in international influence in 2010. Peng Guangqian also predicts that the national security environment for China will continue to improve. He states, if the security situation in 2009 was “difficult,” the security situation in 2010 will be “complex,” notably, “diversified, varied, complex and uncertain.”

Source: Xinhua, January 29, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-01/29/content_12898656.htm