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CASS scholar: US is On Guard against the Emergence of China’s Soft Power

“The US is uneasy about the emergence of China’s soft power and will take measures to make up its own losses.” Fan Jishe told Global Times (Huan Qiu Shi Bao) referring to a report published by Congressional Research Studies (CRS) titled “Comparing Global Influence: China’s and U.S. Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Trade, and Investment in the Developing World.” Fan said: “The US is concerned that China may compete with the US in its appeal to other countries.”

In referring to an earlier report, written by CRS under the request of Congressman Biden titled “China’s Foreign Policy and ‘Soft Power’ in South America, Asia, and Africa”, Fan said that the first report was focused on the definition of China’s soft power and its impact to the US-China relationship. The second one was to compare the soft power between China and US and U.S. foreign policy options in light of China’s emergence.

Fan is a researcher from Department of American Diplomacy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Source:
Global Times, September 8, 2008
http://world.huanqiu.com/roll/2008-09/219518.html
Comparing Global Influence: China’s and U.S. Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Trade, and Investment in the Developing World, August 15, 2008
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34620.pdf
China’s Foreign Policy and ‘Soft Power’ in South America, Asia, and Africa
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2008_rpt/crs-china.pdf

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: A Powerful China Will Bring Good Sino-Japanese Relations

Peoples.com.cn under the People’s Daily quoted an article on the recent resignation of Fukuda as Japanese Prime Minister by Wen Wei Po, a pro-China regime newspaper in Hong Kong.  The Wen Wei Po article dismisses the concerns of a more conservative Taro Aso as successor and holds that the stronger China becomes, the better the bilateral relations, and the easier the issues such as East China Sea will be resolved.  The Chinese website quoted Wen Wei Po as saying the two problems in Japan are the aging of its population and the persistent weakening of its economy which contrasts with a post-Olympic Chinese economy.

Source: People’s Daily, September 5, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14549/7807416.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: If He Wins, Obama Could Bring Criminal Charges against Bush

Peoples.com.cn under People’s Daily cited the U.K. newspaper The Guardian saying that if Obama wins, he could bring criminal charges against Bush.  The official website stated, “Democratic Vice-President nominee Joe Biden said that if his party wins the presidential election, criminal charges could be brought against the Bush administration, hence the strongest stance demanding investigation of crimes during the Bush Administration.”

Source: People’s Daily, September 5, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/7807622.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Petroleum Plans Massive Layoff

State-own China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is estimated to be cutting up to 10,000 employees in the Beijing area alone by the end of October, reported Xinhua.   This year is considered the most difficult year for both CNPC and Sinopec.  CNPC’s August 28 interim report shows a 39% decline in pre-tax income from the previous reporting period.  On July 25, CNPC indicated that company-wide layoffs would reach 80,000 in the next three years.  The move was viewed as one to control cost and loosen financial pressure.  The company’s Tianjin and Hebei subsidiaries have already started layoffs, with Beijing to follow in October and Shanghai next year.  Northeastern China will be the last since it is CNPC’s major base.  To prevent employee complaints, a group of senior officials close to retirement has been tasked with implementing the downsizing.

Source: Xinhua, September 4, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2008-09/04/content_976933.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Study Times Calls for Innovative Thinking in the Military

The publication of the Party School of the Communist Party, Study Times, published an article on September 1 entitled “Take Ideology into the Military Transformation.” The article states, “The key to carrying out and promoting military transformation is innovation. Ideology leads action.  People are the main body of the innovation.”  The article cited U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry, Admiral William Owens and Admiral Arthur K Cebrowski as examples of such innovation.

Source:  Study Times, September 1, 2008
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=2096&nid=7517&bid=7&page=1

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China’s Military General: No Country is Ready to Fight Against China

An article circulating on the Internet, has quoted claims made by Peng Guangqian, Military General of the Chinese Academy of Military Science: there are few countries that are able to fight a war against China; no country is ready to do that. Peng said that China’s military defense power has made major progress in the past decades. “Even if there are few countries that are able to fight against us, little is assured that those countries will survive even when they defeat China.”

Peng also pointed out that China’s military strategy is gradually shifting its focus from protecting the nation’s interest to surviving during a war. He said the adjustment is moving towards protecting the interest in the development of the country.

Source: Qiang Guo Forum, People’s Daily, September, 3, 2008
http://www.chnqiang.com/article/2008/0903/article_36580.shtml

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Li Peng, the Former Prime Minister, is Seriously Ill

Li Peng, the former prime minister, was not present at the funeral service held for Hua Guofeng two days ago. Unverified sources disclosed that Li has been seriously ill after he suffered a stroke earlier this year. It was said that the Propaganda Department has started to draft Li’s death annoucement and was carefully picking out the words for fear of heightened response with the 20th anniversary of the June 4th student movement in 2009.

Source: Boxun, September 1,2008
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2008/09/200809011525.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Death Toll from Sichuan Earthquake Reaches 38

As of September 2, 2008, the death toll from a 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Penzhihua, Sichuan Province on August 30 rose to 38, with 589 injured. The official Xinhua news agency reported that 941,000 of the population were affected, 181,2000 were evacuated and 392,000 homes were destroyed. A 7.9- magnitude earthquake hit the southwestern province on May 12, killing 69,226 people and leaving 15 million homeless.

Source: Xinhua, September 2, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-08/31/content_9743676.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources