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BBC Chinese: Indonesia Warns of the Potential of Taking China to Court

BBC Chinese recently reported that Indonesian Security Minister Lu Huth Pandjaitan announced at a press conference that Indonesia may take China to the international court if the territorial sovereignty issue of the South China Sea between China and Indonesia cannot be resolved through dialogue. Indonesia disagrees with China’s position on the sovereignty of a portion of the Natuna Islands. Panjaitan said his government has been trying to get in touch with China. He did not want to see power fights in the region and hoped the conflicts could be resolved peacefully by engaging in dialogue. In the meantime, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi commented that the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling on the South China Sea, which was in favor of the Philippines, was the cause of tension between China and the Philippines. 
Source: BBC Chinese, November 11, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/11/151111_indonesia_china_dispute
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VOA: At Xi-Ma Meeting, China Central TV Cut Off Live Broadcast before Ma Ying-jeou Gave his Speech

Voice of America (VOA) reported on China Central Television’s (CCTV) coverage of the historic summit that Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou held on November 7, 2015, in Singapore. The two leader’s handshake lasted for over one minute. This was the first time that the Chinese Communist Party Chairman and the nationalist President of Taiwan met since Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Before going into a closed-door meeting, Xi and Ma each gave a brief opening speech, one after the other. In a slightly delayed live broadcast, CCTV transmitted Xi Jinping’s full speech in Mainland China, but abruptly cut off its live broadcast when it was Ma Ying-jeou’s turn to give his speech. Two hours later, CCTV broadcasted a moment of Ma giving a speech without Ma’s voice.

Having witnessed the so-called “live broadcast,” China’s Internet users all condemned CCTV. Some comments were: “Who made such a stupid decision?! (I am) really speechless.” “CCTV’s so-called ‘live coverage’ will create controversy among public opinion. In a disgraceful way, it is recorded into the history of China’s TV news." “I turned off CCTV! A human being cannot be so shameless.” “I began to worry about the freedom of our Taiwanese compatriots."

One Chinese viewer commented that the state TV’s failure to broadcast Ma’s speech live "shows that the [Beijing] government lacks confidence." Some believed Ma’s speech was skipped because propaganda agencies needed time to review the text.

Taiwan-based Liberty Times Net reported that, before the November 7 meeting, CCTV blurred out the suit lapel of President Ma Ying-jeou during a news report because Ma was wearing a suit lapel pin in the form of a Taiwanese flag. Liberty News also noted that CCTV did not blur out the word "President" on the plaque when it reported on the press conference that Ma Ying-jeou held after his closed-door session with Xi Jinping.


Sources: Voice of America, November 8, 2015

http://www.voachinese.com/content/cctv-xi-ma-20151107/3048659.html
Liberty Times Net, November 7, 2015 
http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/1501167

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Li Keqiang: China-Korea Maritime Delimitation Negotiation Should Start Early

Beijing Youth Daily recently reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Seoul on October 31. Li then met with Korean President Park Geun-hye and discussed the issues of deepening the strategic partnership with Korea, connecting the economic development strategies between the two nations, helping the young generation enter the marketplace, pushing the China-Korea-Japan Free Trade Agreement, and cultural exchanges. Li especially mentioned that the two nations should get an early start on the negotiation of the maritime delimitation, which is crucial to security, law enforcement, and disaster relief efforts at sea. The two leaders also discussed the issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons. President Park supports the speeding-up of approving the China-Korea Free Trade Agreement.
Source: Beijing Youth Daily, November 1, 2015
http://epaper.ynet.com/html/2015-11/01/content_162339.htm?div=-1
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China: Hague PCA Rulings on South China Sea Were Invalid

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made an official statement that The Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) rulings on the South China Sea were not valid and were not binding. The Philippines government submitted the issue of the South China Sea conflict to the PCA for international arbitration in 2013. However, China held that China cannot accept unilaterally submitted cases and that the Philippines abused the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to UNCLOS, China has the freedom to choose its own dispute settlement procedure. Both the Philippines and the PCA ignored the mutual agreement between China and the Philippines to resolve conflicts via peaceful political negotiations, which the Philippines confirmed multiple times. China called for the Philippines to keep its promise and come back to the negotiating table.
Source: Sina, October 31, 2015
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2015-10-31/doc-ifxkhchn5747717.shtml
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BBC Chinese: China Started a Nuclear Controversy with Japan at the UN

BBC Chinese recently reported that, at the United Nations General Assembly Summit on Nuclear Disarmament, China accused Japan of possessing weapon grade nuclear materials and having plans for Japan to become a nuclear power. Japan strongly denied the accusation. The Chinese representative pointed out that all it would take for Japan to become a nuclear power in a very short period of time would be a political decision, because Japan has enough stored nuclear material. However, the Japanese representative argued that the entire inventory of Japan’s nuclear materials is under the surveillance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the IAEA has confirmed that it is for peaceful use only. China has been paying attention to Japan’s nuclear capabilities for a long time now. However, it’s highly unusual for China to engage Japan publicly at the United Nations over this matter. Japan is trying to determine what China’s motivation is for making this move.
Source: BBC Chinese, October 21, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/10/151021_japan_un_china
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BBC Chinese: China Supports the Opposition Forces in Myanmar Election

BBC Chinese recently reported that, on November 8, Myanmar will have its first democratic election in 25 years. It seems China is currently leaning towards supporting the opposition party rooted in the Rakhine State where most of the minority Buddhists live. The Opposition party is gaining wider support among voters and it is against the Muslins. China recently invited the party’s leader to visit China and promised to supply him with whatever he needs. Most of the Chinese investments in Myanmar are in the Rakhine region. That is where China’s newly planned oil pipeline will lead to a port that helps bypass the Strait of Malacca, over which the United States Navy has substantial control. Apparently China’s siding with the opposition party in Myanmar is to protect its investments, and that’s understandable. However, it seems to be a deviation from China’s long standing argument against interference in other nations’ internal affairs. 
Source: BBC Chinese, October 15, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/10/151015_china_myanmar_election
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Xinhua: Obama Breached His Commitment to Withdraw from Afghanistan

Xinhua recently reported that U.S. President Barak Obama has decided to keep 5,500 troops in Afghanistan when he leaves the White House in 2017, thereby breaking his promise to withdraw all U.S. troops from that country except for the ones that are at the U.S. Embassy. In the past several months, the U.S. military leadership has insisted on keeping enough troops there so as to prevent the Taliban from coming back to power. Thus the United States would not risk the fruits of all of its efforts over the past 14 years. In the meantime, President Obama went ahead and declared an end to the military operations in Afghanistan anyway, despite the fact the U.S. troops will remain. Russian media also widely reported the story that the U.S. President did not keep his promise.
Source: Xinhua, October 16, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-10/16/c_128325756.htm
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People’s Daily: The World Should Stay Alert to Japan’s Nuclear Capabilities

People’s Daily recently reported on the newly released “Research Report on Japan’s Nuclear Materials.” The China Arms Control & Disarmament Association, along with the China Nuclear Science and Technology Information and Economic Research Institute jointly authored the report. The report warned that Japan possesses 47.8 tons of separated plutonium. Around 10.8 tons are stored in Japan. This is good enough to build 1,350 nuclear weapons. Japan also owns 1.2 tons of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU). In the meantime, Japan is building six more factories to produce separated plutonium, which will give the country the capability of making 1,000 nuclear weapons annually starting in 2019. The report noted that the international community has been wondering for years why Japan keeps producing more “military class” nuclear materials – way above the demand level for all of its nuclear power stations combined. 
Source: People’s Daily, October 10, 2015
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/1010/c1011-27681823.html
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