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Geo-Strategic Trend - 171. page

China Became Australia’s Largest Foreign Investor

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, last year, China surpassed the United States to become Australia’s largest foreign investor. The investments, however, were concentrated mainly in real estate. As the Chinese anti-corruption movement deepened, Chinese investments in Australia also sped up. According to the latest report that the Australian Foreign Investment Review Bureau (FIRB) released, half of the approved Chinese investments last year (around US$22.1 billion) were for real estate. Chinese investments took a 17 percent share of all foreign investments in Australia. Australian real estate market experts expressed the belief that the demand of the investors from China and other Asian countries is still on the rise. If the Australian dollar depreciates more, Australian real estate will become even more attractive to Chinese buyers.

Source: Sina, April 30, 2015
http://finance.sina.com.cn/money/forex/whqqscgd/20150430/184922086629.shtml

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China Daily: Australia Put a Hold on Significant Investor Visas

China Daily recently reported that the Australian government announced on April 24 that it had put the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) program on hold. It will review the program and adjust it in the next two months. The SIV program is to grant permanent residency to significant investors who meet certain government established financial criteria. According to the numbers that the Australian Bureau of Immigration published, among the SIV immigrants who applied and have already been approved, 89.1 percent are from China. The SIV program started in 2012. So far, 1,600 applications have been filed and 751 visas have been granted. Australian media reported that the revised program will be shifting the investment focus to venture capital and start-up companies. Some reports also indicated that the government may be trying to cool down the real estate market, since the housing market is now considered a high risk field associated with money laundering. Based on the recent 100-person red international warrant that the Chinese authorities recently issued, North America and Australia have become the top destination countries for the Chinese who have amassed a large amount of money through corruption.
Source: China Daily, April 24, 2015
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/interface/toutiao/1138561/2015-4-24/cd_20532311.html
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China News: China’s Response to India’s UN Plan

China News recently reported that Hong Lei, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented at a press conference that China supports the reform of the UN Security Council and the idea of an ncreased representation of developing countries. Not long ago, Indian Prime Minister Modi stated that India has the right to be a Security Council permanent member due to the significant contributions India has made to the UN’s world peace mission. He mentioned that China did not demonstrate its support for this claim. Hong commented that China recognizes India’s importance and understands India’s willingness to make more contributions; however, the UN Security Council reform must consider many factors. These may touch on the key interests of a large number of member countries. China called for a wide and democratic discussion to seek global agreements. Hong also expressed the belief that the UN has many other reforms on its agenda, in addition to the reform of the Security Council.
Source: China News, April 13, 2015
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2015/04-13/7204416.shtml
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Huanqiu: The U.S. and Japan Are Wrong

Huanqiu published an editorial on U.S. Defense Secretary Carter’s trip to Asia. The editorial stated that,  considering China’s economic approach in establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the U.S. and Japan are wrong in their strategy of engaging in military development. 

The editorial stated, “It is certain that the deployment of the U.S. high-altitude defense ‘Sade system’ in Korea will deal a heavy blow to the good will that the Chinese public opinion has built over the years toward Korea and will weaken the foundation of the bilateral relationship. Seoul should not take any chances.” 
The editorial expressed that the communications between Carter and Japan about the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea assume, directly or indirectly, that China is their adversary. 
The editorial stated that the U.S. is bucking the trend as it is strengthening and expanding its military alliance in the Western Pacific. “China has embarked on a win-win cooperation path in Asia and the world. We have established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, rendering traditional geopolitics useless and without direction. It is time for the U.S. and Japan to do some serious reflection.” 
Source: Huanqiu, April 10, 2015 
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2015-04/6145333.html
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CCTV: China Worked with a Yemen Governor on Its Evacuation Operation

After China’s Linyi Warship evacuated 225 peoples from the Aden port in Yemen on April 2, 2015, CCTV did an interview with Jiang Guoping, the commander of the operation.

All the people who were rescued were foreigners. They were from 10 different countries, including Germany, Pakistan, and Singapore. In his interview, Jiang mentioned how they obtained local support, “To make this operation work, China’s Consul General in Aden City used his personal connections to get to the Governor of the Aden Governorate. That governor asked a favor of him, namely, that the Linyi ship take one of his relatives out. Thus, [China’s Consul General] did a favor for that governor and the governor did a favor for him. Then they gathered all of the people [to take out].” Jiang didn’t mention how those people were selected.

Source: People’s Daily Online, April 6, 2015
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0406/c1011-26801887.html

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Indonesian President: The Chinese Lines in South China Sea Have No Legal Basis

BBC Chinese recently reported on the comments that Indonesian President Joko Widodo of Indonesia made when the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed him before his visit to Japan. During the interview, Widodo discussed the South China Sea "Kau Line." He thought that most of what the Chinese asked for in the South China Sea lacked any basis in international law. This was the first time, since he was elected last October, that President Widodo explained his position on the issue of the South China Sea. The South China Sea enjoys an annual commercial traffic valued at around US$5 trillion. Based on the “Kau Line," China claims sovereignty over 90 percent of the South China Sea. The government of the Republic of China had originally drawn that line before the Communists took power. However a number of countries in the region, such as Vietnam and the Philippines disagree. President Widodo expressed his willingness to be an “honest bridge builder” to mediate the resolution of this long-lasting regional conflict. China maintains that the core issue of the conflict is that “some countries are occupying islands illegally.”
Source: BBC Chinese, March 23, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/03/150323_indonesian_china
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Qiushi: The U.S. Is Using Ukraine as a Pawn against Russia

Qiushi reported that Ukraine is nothing but a pawn in the chess game the U.S. is playing against Russia. Recently both the United States and Britain announced plans to send troops to train the Ukraine military. 

“In the Ukraine crisis, it is deceitful for the United States to act as a ‘messenger of justice.’ The truth is that it wants to weaken its target, which is Russia.”
“Although it appears that the United States is increasing its aid to Ukraine, at the critical moment, out of national interest and other factors, the United States will ‘abandon’ its pawn to protect ‘its king.’”
“Thus, even with the ’direct intervention,’ of the U.S., the Ukrainian crisis will not be alleviated or resolved quickly. On the contrary, the so-called Western ‘aid’ will more likely change the crisis into the continuous process of a vicious circle. Ukraine will not escape its destiny which is to be a pawn that the United States uses against Russia.” 
Source: Qiushi, March 24, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/international/2015-03/24/c_1114745021.htm
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China Will Loan US$10 Billion to Venezuela

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that Petroleum of Venezuela (PDVSA) announced that China will provide Venezuela with a new loan of around US$10 billion. Half of the loan will be under the China- Venezuela Joint Fund, which will fund various investment plans in multiple fields. This portion of the loan will have a repayment period that will extend from three years to five years. The other half of the loan, with a 10-year repayment period, will be used to hire Chinese companies to help improve oil field development. After the announcement, Venezuela saw a jump in its national bond prices. So far China has provided Venezuela a total of US$45 billion in loans in exchange for low-price oil and other fuels. Most of these loans have been deposited into Venezuela’s infrastructure and economic development funds.
Source: Sina, March 20, 201
http://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/usstock/c/20150320/105821767845.shtml
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