Geo-Strategic Trend - 177. page

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

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

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

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

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

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

People’s Daily recently reported that a conflict between farmers and the police caused three deaths and seventeen injured in Peru, where farmers living in Cusco and Apurimac opposed the copper mining operations to be developed by a Chinese owned copper company. The China Minmetals Group bought Las Bambas Copper Mine this August for US$7.4 billion. According to Peruvian President Humala, this copper mine will become the largest of its type in the nation. Local farmers were very much worried that the mine would pollute the local water sources that they depend on. They asked the Chinese company to adjust its environmental protection plan. In addition to that, they also demanded that the company hire more locals for mining jobs. The government defended the police by explaining that the police had to use lethal force for self-defense. 

Source: People’s Daily, September 30, 2015

http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/0930/c1002-27651887.html

People’s Daily recently reported that Hong Lie, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented in a press conference on Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party’s chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen’s planned visit to Japan. Hong communicated that the Chinese government is seriously concerned and strongly opposes Tsai’s visit. He also called for Japan to stick to the “One China” principle. Hong asked the Japanese government to keep its promise of not providing anybody, using any excuse, room to spread the idea of an independent Taiwan. Tsai Ing-wen is currently running for President of the Republic of China in Taiwan. She was appointed Vice Premier under Premier Su Tseng-chang, who served until 2007.

Source: People’s Daily, September 25, 2015

http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/0925/c1002-27636137.html