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Huanqiu Editorial: Chinese Media Should Make a Greater Effort to Support Russia and Putin

Huanqiu, a state-run media under People’s Daily, published an editorial commenting on China’s position regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Below are some quotes from the article:

 
“While the Chinese Government is playing the necessary balance of diplomacy in the Ukrainian situation, the Chinese media have been freely discussing the development. Most stand on the Russian side. Their opinions regarded Russia’s move as a reaction to how the West has, over the long-term, been squeezing Russia.” 

“We tend to agree with the public opinion that supports Russia. The reason is that the Russian resistance to the Western forces moving Eastward in Ukraine is not only related to the fate of Russia itself, but also directly related to China’s major strategic interests. We often regard North Korea as a buffer force against the U.S. and Japan. The effect is actually very limited because North Korea is too small. Today, Russia and China will constitute a genuine mutual strategic buffer to enable China’s ascent. If the West were to crush Putin’s Russia, it would be an extremely heavy blow to China’s geopolitical interests.” “Looking at the world today, Russia is our most worthy partner in developing comprehensive strategic cooperation. At least in the coming decades, no one will be able to replace Russia in its strategic importance to China.”

“Putin taught the color revolution a lesson. Russia’s resistance to the West, which Putin has led, has global significance. China does not have to worry that being on Russia’s side will damage our relations with Ukraine. In fact, that concern is unnecessary. Supporting Russia is consolidating China’s grand strategy. As long as the grand strategy is stable, many other bilateral relations will not be a problem.”　 

Source: Huanqiu (Global Times), March 5, 2013 
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2014-03/4878080.html http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0306/c1002-24543884.html　　

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People’s Daily on Ukraine: Be on Guard against the Trap of Democracy

On February 28, 2014, People’s Daily published a commentary on the recent political events in Ukraine, titled “Be on Guard against the Trap of Democracy and Loss of Control.” 

“Acclimating to something alluring could not possibly be the life-saving magic that would bring a country onto a path of smooth development. A country would have no way out if it gave up exploring its own development path.” 
The article commented that, although the bloodshed in Ukraine has ceased, the country is in a total chaos without any control from its government. Ukraine is not alone. “Street riots, social chaos, economic depression and government paralysis have occurred repeatedly in countries in Southeast Asia, West Asia and North Africa. Different and diverse as the unrest is in each of these countries, the underlying reason is the same: a reckless choice of a development path has pushed the country into the trap of democracy. 
Source: People’s Daily reprinted by Huanqiu February 28, 2014. 
http://china.huanqiu.com/politics/2014-02/4866551.html
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People’s Daily: Unusual PM2.5 Levels in South Korea and Japan

People’s Daily recently published a report summarizing the media coverage in Japan and South Korea on the topic of PM2.5 pollution “possibly caused by the nearby Chinese haze.” On February 25, many regions in Japan started seeing a PM2.5 level that was over 85. The Japanese standard has a base safety level of 70. Residents in the polluted regions were warned to control outdoor activities. South Korea media reported that, since February 21, PM2.5 levels have been between 81 and 120. These readings were two to three times higher than normal readings. Some areas actually reached 200. In the past week, around 15 percent of China, including Beijing and over ten other major cities suffered haze pollution with a PM2.5 level that remained continuously over 400 and sometimes even reached 600. PM2.5 particles are air pollutants with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, making them small enough to invade even the smallest airways. These particles generally come from activities that burn fossil fuels, such as traffic, smelting, and metal processing.
Source: People’s Daily, February 26, 2014
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0226/c157278-24474527.html
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Xinhua: The West’s Strong Intervention Caused the Chaos in Ukraine

Xinhua recently reported on the fall of Ukraine’s Yanukovych government, which had been closer to Russia. The report expressed the strong belief that the heavy intervention that the West imposed significantly encouraged the opposition to “raise the price” against the Yanukovych government. Ever since the beginning of the crisis, the European Union and the United States have stood strongly behind the opposition. High ranking EU and U.S. government officials frequently visited Ukraine during the crisis. Some appeared in person right at the center of the demonstrations and even delivered speeches. The report downplayed the role Russia had in the process by saying Russia engaged in the negotiations too late and could do little to change the direction. The report concluded that uncertainty is still the key word to describe the situation currently in Ukraine. 
Source: Xinhua, February 23, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-02/23/c_126176278.htm
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China to Fund Zimbabwe’s “Comprehensive Financial Package”

The government of Zimbabwe is looking to China to help fund its $27 billion plan to rebuild its economy. The Africa Report wrote on Wednesday that this fund would be more than twice the size of the economy of the impoverished southern African nation. The five-year plan will seek to improve basic services and revitalize the slowing economy.

On February 11, Zimbabwe’s Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa and the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Lin Lin had signed the deal in Harare. As reported in People’s Daily, it included the loan amount of $23 million earmarked for the construction of clinics, primary and secondary schools in resettled areas acquired under the land reform program, as well as boreholes drilling and acquiring meteorological equipment.

Not revealing details, Chinamasa, who visited Beijing last month, said, "The government of the People’s Republic of China and the government of Zimbabwe are working towards a comprehensive financial package. (We) have committed ourselves to finalizing the matter within three months."

Zimbabwe had not been able to obtain funds from western governments and funding institutions such as the World Bank, as it had previously failed to repay billions of dollars in debt. Since 2005, the nation has adopted a “Look East” policy as a result, relying increasingly on emerging Asian economies to offset sanctions from traditional Western partners, People’s Daily reported.

China, on the other hand, is interested in the rich mineral resources in Zimbabwe, including the world’s second largest reserves of platinum, huge deposits of gold, alluvial diamonds, coal, and chrome. China had previously loaned nearly $700 million to Zimbabwe, in March 2011, the biggest package to date. In addition, last November, China’s Export Import Bank agreed to lend Zimbabwe $320 million to expand its Kariba hydro-power plant.

Source: BBC Chinese, February 11, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/02/140211_zimbabwe_china.shtml

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The Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield

The following is from a recent Xinhua report about the Confucius Institute at The University of Sheffield, UK.

"In 2004, the first Confucius Institute was set up. Along with the development of China, within just ten years, Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms have emerged all over the world. Data shows that, as of now, 120 countries and regions on five continents have established 440 Confucius Institutes and 646 Confucius Classrooms, with 850,000 registered students."

"The management and operations of the Sheffield Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield, UK is a cooperation of the University of Sheffield, the Beijing Language and Culture University, and Nanjing University. For nearly seven years, it has been an important center for the Chinese and English languages and cultural exchanges in the central and northern UK."

Zhao Xia, the Director of the Sheffield Confucius Institute and a Lecturer at the School of East Asian Studies of the University, stated, "We have partnered with the Sheffield City Council to organize three ‘out of the bookshelf’ Literary Festivals. We have also collaborated with the Sheffield City Department of Children and Family Services to hold Chinese traditional festivals and cultural activities at 26 libraries. Meanwhile, a number of activities and projects have been initiated, such as the Chinese New Year Painting Competition, the Chinese style photo contest, and library activities." In 2013, the Sheffield Confucius Institute held 149 cultural activities, reaching 18,000 people."

Wang Zhimin, Deputy Director of the Institute and a Professor from the Beijing Language and Culture University, added, "The Confucius Institute offers an opportunity for many Western students to understand Chinese culture and get in touch with Chinese music, movies, and other art forms." "China’s development supports and needs the global promotion of Chinese culture. We should be mindful of the current situation and fulfill our historic mission."

Source: Xinhua, February 10, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2014-02/10/c_119264730.htm

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Netease: EU Parliament Asked for Drastic Measures against Chinese Dumping

The well-known Chinese online news site Netease recently reported that the European Parliament officially urged EU trade officials to apply “drastically tough measures” against the low-price dumping strategy used by many of the Chinese exporters. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht is seeking amendments to the tools that are currently available to fight unfair trade. These tools were designed before China became a large exporter. The EU Parliament expected the new tools would be able to arm the small-sized EU companies to fight unfair trade behavior such as pricing goods below cost. Although the newly proposed regulations did not mention China, yet most of the trade conflicts that the European Union is suffering from are between the EU and China. The current daily China-EU trade volume is more than one billion euros. The potential retaliation from trade partners is still a big concern on the EU side. Karel De Gucht is calling for serious consideration of fairness and balance. 
Source: Netease, February 6, 2014
http://money.163.com/14/0206/15/9KDKJOH600252C1E.html
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China Daily: ICBC to Take over the International Branch of Standard Bank

China Daily recently reported that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), which is the largest commercial bank in China, will acquire 60 percent of the International Market Division of the Standard Bank of South Africa for US$765 million. The International Market Division is headquartered in London. If approved, ICBC’s control will make it the first large Chinese state-owned bank to have large-scale operations in London. The British authorities used to refuse Chinese banks wanting to establish branches in London. Standard Bank of South Africa is the largest commercial bank in Africa. In 2008, it sold 20 percent of its stock to ICBC. In recent years, the Standard Bank has been shifting its focus to high growth regions in Africa. The latest deal will also give ICBC a five-year right to acquire an additional 20 percent of the International Market Division from Standard Bank.
Source: China Daily, January 31, 2014
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqgj/jryw/2014-01-31/content_11143594.html
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