Geo-Strategic Trend - 180. page

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

Global Times recently reported that, during a TV interview, the Philippine President Aquino III publicly “laughed at” the Chinese South China Sea policies. Aquino commented that China proposed a “joint development” plan for the South China Sea resources while claiming sovereignty to all strategic regions. He called this “they are mine but we’ll share with you” plan “a joke.” In the interview, Aquino also refused one-on-one negotiations. He indicated that all other parties with sovereignty claims, such as Vietnam, should be present at the negotiations. In the meantime, Aquino highly praised the new national security bill Japan passed recently and reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines. Chinese analysts thought that China invited all parties to the joint-development plan with an open heart. However, the Philippines has been trying to further complicate the situation by refusing one-on-one negotiations. 

Source: Global Times, September 24, 2015

http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2015-09/7558068.html

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the New Zealand government officially announced that it vetoed a proposal that a Shanghai-based Chinese company acquire a farm in New Zealand. The Chinese company told the media that they were very much surprised by the announcement and were disappointed too. The company does not plan to give up immediately and is working with a consulting firm on the next step. The New Zealand government stated that the denial was based on the public’s concern about foreign capital owning land. The same Chinese company was stopped when it attempted to buy farms in New Zealand in 2012. There was a court ruling then. There have been reports saying that the opposition party, the New Zealand Conservatives, insisted that the Chinese deal was not in the best interest of New Zealand. 

Source: Sina, September 18, 2015

http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/news/int/int/chinesedaily/20150918/07156921360.html

The well-known new Chinese news site The Paper recently reported that the Philippine Election Committee announced that the voting machines to be used in the national election next May will be the ones made in Taiwan. The current voting machines were made in China. The Committee explained that the decision was based on the concern that the Chinese government may attempt to disrupt the coming election. The Election Committee Chairman, Christian Robert Lim, called China “the biggest threat” to the election, hence the switch in the supplier of voting machines. Lim claimed in a congressional hearing that intelligence revealed that “someone is planning to destroy the election.” Voting machines used to be manufactured in the City of Suzhou, China. The spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines called this whole thing, “groundless nonsense.” He promised that China will stick to its policy of not interfering with other countries’ internal affairs. 

Source: The Paper, September 17, 2015

http://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1376098