On September 25, 2012, while the tension between China and Japan over the sovereignty dispute on the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands continues to escalate, Beijing’s State Council Information Office issued three White Books. They include:
Geo-Strategic Trend - 198. page
China’s Influence in Africa Continues
To date, China has launched 31 Confucius Institutes and five Confucius Classrooms in 26 African countries. Some have incorporated the Chinese language into a system in which students receive an academic degree or college credits.
In the past two years, China has provided 5,710 government scholarships to African countries. It plans to implement the “African Talent Project.” Over the next three years, China will train 30,000 professionals in different fields and provide 18,000 government scholarships, as well as offer job training and support.
In recent years, China has been advancing into Africa by means of the economy and culture and continues to increase its influence in the continent. Through 2011, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for the third consecutive year. The trade volume between the two countries has reached a record $166.3 billion. As many as 2000 Chinese companies have made direct investments in Africa, totaling $14.7 billion.
Source: BBC Chinese, September 26, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/09/120926_china_africa.shtml
Guangming Daily: Overseas Chinese Held Forum to Defend Diaoyu Island
The website of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party carried an article that Guangming Daily had originally published. According to the article, on September 23, 2012, the “Cross Strait Forum on Current Affairs” (大华府两岸时事论坛) held a forum in Washington DC on “Defending the Diaoyu Islands.” Those at the forum protested strongly against the Japanese government for taking over China’s Diaoyu Islands illegally. A number of political columnists, professors, and artists spoke at the forum, calling for solidarity among the overseas Chinese to safeguard China’s sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.
Source: The United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party, September 25, 2012 http://www.zytzb.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/tzb2010/S2012/201209/731837.html
Xinhua: The Third China-Arab States Forum Was Very Successful
Guangming Daily: China Has Established 42 Confucius Institutes in the Middle East and Africa
The website of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party carried an article which was originally published by Guangming Daily. According to the article, China has set up 380 Confucius Institutes in 108 countries around the world. Among those, there are 31 Institutes and five Confucius classes in Africa, while 11 Institutes were established in the Middle East.
Xu Ling, chief executive of the Confucius Institute, disclosed the above data during her meeting with the Principal of Tel Aviv University in Israel, which was about collaborating with the University to establish a Confucius Institute there. The agreement suggested that Tel Aviv University will provide the building, facility, personnel, and related expenses, while China will come up with US$150,000 in funding each year. They also discussed a plan to set up a Confucius Institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Source: The United Front Work Department of Chinese Communist Party, September 19, 2012
http://www.zytzb.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/tzb2010/S2012/201209/731637.html
2012 Internet Roundtable for Emerging Countries
China Increases Patrol Ships to Sixteen in Diaoyu Islands
As of September 19, 2012, China has increased the number of its ocean surveillance, fishery, and other official boats patrolling the Diaoyu Islands waters to 16.
People’s Daily: 260 Chinese Performers Publish Statement Joining Diaoyu Islands Protest
On September 18, 2012, People’s Daily reported that the China’s Actor Committee published a statement opposing Japan’s Purchase of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands. Tang Guoqiang is the chair of the Actor’s Committee, which is under the Association of Broadcasters and has 259 actor members. Many well-known actors and actresses signed their names to the statement.
The statement said, “Chinese actors resolutely uphold and support any of the Chinese government’s necessary and righteous actions to safeguard China’s territorial integrity.”
Source: People’s Daily, September 18, 2012
http://hn.people.com.cn/n/2012/0918/c338398-17493695.html