Geo-Strategic Trend - 171. page
CRN: Tsai Ing-wen Asked for U.S. Support to Join TPP Negotiations
Oriental Daily: Former Taiwan Affairs Office Official Stated Not Much Time Left to Reunify Taiwan
Oriental Daily reported that, in an internal forum, Wang Zaixi, former Deputy Director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the following points regarding the Taiwan issue:
The comprehensive powers of the two sides of the Taiwan strait have changed dramatically. Mainland China should have strategic confidence. There are four strategies that it can adopt to handle Taiwan independence: a political split, military deterrence, economic integration, and a diplomatic arrangement.
Wang stated that the Taiwan issue has existed for 67 years. The international convention takes 100 years as a key milestone in determining the authority of an island. "After 100 years, the international tribunal’s decision is not based on who owned the island historically but rather who has effectively controlled the island in the past 100 years." Thus there is not much time left to solve the Taiwan issue. There is no time table for the reunification, but the government should have a sense of urgency.
Source: Oriental Daily, May 22, 2016
http://tw.on.cc/cn/bkn/cnt/news/20160522/bkncn-20160522150423796-0522_05011_001_cn.html
Xinhua: China Hopes the U.S. Will Not Take Sides
Xinhua republished a Global Times’ article on China’s media campaign on the global stage on the issue of the South China Sea.
"As the South Chinese Sea Arbitration decision date is approaching, China’s media campaign to rebut those statements from the Philippines and the U.S. that have muddied the truth has reached its peak."
"Foreign Minister Wan Yi said, ‘On the South China Sea issue, any actions that ignore the basic facts, take the side of their own allies, or that deliberately create political issues will not get support from the people. Rather, they will ruin their own reputations and it will come to a fruitless end.’"
"On the same day, Rashid Alimov, the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, stated, ‘We strongly oppose interference on this issue from any countries outside the region; we also oppose the internationalization of the issue.’"
"Recently, several of China’s Ambassadors started media campaigns overseas. The Ambassador to Great Britain, Liu Xiaoming, published an article in Financial Times and also gave a speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. China’s Ambassador to Maldives, Wang Fukang, published an article in its mainstream media Sun Online. The Ambassador to Romania, Xu Feihong, published an article in a major local newspaper. China’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Chang Hua, published an article in Gulf Times."
Source: Xinhua, May 25, 2016
http://tw.on.cc/cn/bkn/cnt/news/20160522/bkncn-20160522150423796-0522_05011_001_cn.html
Global Times: Zhang Dejiang Met with HK Opposition Members
Xinhua: The European Parliament Voted against China’s Market Economy Status
The Paper: The U.S. May Lift the Vietnam Arms Export Ban
Further Criticism of the War Mentality
After Wu Jianmin, China’s former Ambassador to France, criticized the idea of having a war against some countries, Yuan Nansheng, the Party Secretary and Vice President of the Foreign Affairs College [a Beijing university for diplomats] and former Consul General of China’s Consulate in Los Angles, published an article to further support the criticism of China’s "angry youth" (referring to people who are ignorant but impulsive) who can jeopardize China’s diplomacy.
Yuan’s article was published in the magazine Sharing the Same Boat. Phoenix republished the article. In his article, Yuan listed several examples throughout China’s history that showed how certain people, who were ignorant of their country’s real situation, out of narrow or extreme nationalism, promoted war with other nations. In the end, they ruined the possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution and brought disaster to their country.
"On the one hand, [we] should realize that this ‘angry youth’ phenomenon represents a certain public opinion that can be used as a diplomatic card; on the other hand, [we] should prevent it from restricting the space of our diplomatic options and blocking us from reaching a reasonable and necessary [diplomatic] compromise."
Source: Phoenix, April 13, 2016
http://news.ifeng.com/a/20160413/48447703_0.shtml