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Geo-Strategic Trend - 166. page

RFI Chinese: China-Africa Honeymoon Seems to be Ending

Radio France International (RFI) Chinese recently reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping visited South Africa last week to attend the Sixth China-Africa Cooperation Forum. Xi had just finished his visit to Zimbabwe. China’s investments in Africa have increased rapidly in recent years. However, in the first half of this year, Chinese investments dropped sharply by 40 percent. This brought the key topic to the Sixth China-Africa Cooperation Forum: what will the future be like in terms of the Chinese investments in the continent? China has been the largest buyer of resources exported out of Africa and one third of China’s overseas infrastructure construction contracts are from Africa. Using natural resources in exchange of construction investments has been a typical model between China and African countries. With the slowing of the Chinese economy, Chinese Foreign Affairs Official Zhang Ming suggested that China-Africa cooperation may need some adjustments.
Source: RFI Chinese, December 2, 2015
http://rfi.my/1Qi1OPg
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Xi Jinping: China-Africa Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership

On December 4, 2015, at the opening of the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Johannesburg, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to elevate “the new type of the China-Africa strategic partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.”  The comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership will be based on five principles: political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation, culture exchanges and mutual learning, mutual assistance on security, and cooperation and solidarity in international affairs. 


Xi indicated that in the next three years, China will implement cooperation programs with Africa in the following ten areas: industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade and investment, poverty reduction, public health, culture, and peace and security. 

Source: Xinhua, December 4, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-12/04/c_1117362945.htm
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BBC Chinese: South China Morning Post Acknowledged Acquisition Talks under Way

BBC Chinese recently reported that the board of the South China Morning Post released a statement which acknowledged the fact the newspaper may be acquired by a third party. Not long ago Bloomberg and China Daily both reported that Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma was attempting to acquire the Hong Kong based newspaper. South China Morning Post is the top English language newspaper in Hong Kong with a circulation of 104,000. It was founded by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham in 1903 (during the Qing Dynasty). The first edition of the Post was published on November 6, 1903. The largest shareholder of the South China Morning Post is Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok Hock Nien, who is often labeled as pro-Beijing. He clarified in a media interview that, if his shares were to be sold to a third party, it would be a pure business decision – nothing political. 
Source: BBC Chinese, November 26, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business/2015/11/151126_scmp_statement
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Should China Participate in Military Combat against ISIS?

Following the terrorist attacks in Paris, the Islamic State also killed a kidnapped Chinese hostage. The voices in support of military participation in anti-terrorism are gradually increasing. Proposals have been made that [China] join forces with Russia and Europe to combat terrorists. China Review News published a commentary article stating that such an action can only occupy a position of "moral righteousness." However, it is not only unconducive to the effective governance of global terrorism, but also may cause damage to national security and the national interests of China. 

The article argues that China’s focus on terrorism should not be in the Middle East. For China, the anti-terrorism issue most closely related to the Xinjiang region is always the terrorism in Central Asia and South Asia. With involvement in the fight against terrorism in the Middle East quagmire, the most likely outcome would be getting trapped and unable to disengage from it. Therefore, the most sensible thing for China on anti-terrorism in the Middle East is to support verbally, encourage morally, and maintain calm in action. 
What is more, the nature of China’s anti-terrorism and the West’s counter-terrorism, although sharing the same name, are completely different. China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, does not seek regional hegemony, does not export values, and does not want to export revolution. China’s anti-terrorism is mainly to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the security of people and goods. Therefore, China needs to maintain some distance from the anti-terrorism of the West whose [intention] is to maintain its economic system and export its values. 
Source: China Review News, November 21, 2015 http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1040/1/3/2/104013218.html?coluid=202&kindid=11690&docid=104013218&mdate=1121105932
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BBC Chinese: Leaders of Japan and the Philippines Agreed on Defense Supplies

BBC Chinese recently reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines reached an agreement on the technical transfer of defense equipment. The agreement will clear the way for Japan to supply the Japanese Army’s second-hand equipment, such as airplanes, to the Philippines. The two countries decided to accelerate their cooperation due to China’s speedy progress of expansion in the South China Sea. Japan also agreed to “actively study” the request from the Philippines who asked for the supply of large patrol boats. Japan is in the process of providing the Philippines with TC-90 training aircraft, which can be equipped with air-to-air and air-to-ground surveillance radar. In the future, Japan may also provide U.S.-made second-hand P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The Philippines is on the path to allowing Japanese airplanes and vessels to use the Philippines’ military bases. In the meantime, Japan is currently manufacturing 10 patrol boats for the Philippine Coast Guard.
Source: BBC Chinese, November 19, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/11/151119_japan_philippines_defence
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Russia Received Timely Chinese Oil Payment

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that China just sent Russia a large amount of pre-payment, as had been agreed upon, in its oil supply contract with China. According to information that U.S. media has provided, this pre-payment in the third quarter totaled around 97.26 billion yuan (around US$15.2 billion). China made multiple much-needed payments to Russia earlier and this latest one is the largest overseas payment Russia has received since the West sanctioned Russia. Based on the China-Russia oil supply contract signed in 2013, Russia promised to supply China with 360 million tons of oil over 25 years. The total cost of the contract is US$270 billion. Russian President Vladimir Putin once revealed that China would pay US$70 billion worth of pre-payments. According to Russian media reports, the Russian oil companies are severely suffering because of the sanctions. The latest Chinese payment is crucial to sustaining Russian suppliers.
Source: Sina, November 17, 2015
http://news.sina.com.cn/w/zx/2015-11-17/doc-ifxksqiu1646710.shtml
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People’s Daily: China Took over Pakistan’s Gwadar Port

People’s Daily recently reported that a Chinese company officially took over Gwadar Port in Pakistan. The agreement between the two countries was based on a 43-year lease for China to operate and develop the port. Gwadar directly faces the Indian Ocean and looks out onto the Arabian Sea. It is only 400 kilometers away from the Strait of Hormuz and is very close to the India-Pakistan border. Indian media expressed their concern after the agreement was made known to the public. The Port of Gwadar has significant value to China in terms of oil supply because it provides an alternate route to bypass the Strait of Malacca and shortens the distance by 85 percent for China to transport Middle-East-sourced oil to Western China. At the same time, all parties are currently downplaying the strategic military value of Gwadar but are instead focusing on its economic impact.
Source: People’s Daily, November 13, 2015
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2015-11/13/content_1632547.htm
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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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