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Geo-Strategic Trend - 201. page

Xinhua: Chinese Foreign Aid Program Performs Outstandingly û Ahead of the U.S.

Xinhua recently reported that, in the recent disaster, China did not provide swift aid to the Philippines, while the U.S. military delivered immediate help in a very short period of time and on a large scale. However, the report suggested that this was an isolated case since the Chinese military does not yet have the capacity to provide such a level of aid and the Philippines might not welcome the Chinese military on their land anyway. The United States was just taking the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to an ally that is important to the U.S. Asian strategy. China’s global aid program does not focus on natural disasters. Instead, the Chinese foreign aid program provides assistance to other nations’ development plans. China has been doing much better than the U.S. in areas such as offering low-interest or no-interest loans and building basic infrastructure in developing countries.
Source: Xinhua, November 14, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-11/14/c_125699206.htm
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China’s State Media Comments on U.S. and Japan’s Aid to Philippines

China’s state media Huanqiu (Global Times) published an article commenting on the U.S. and Japan’s aid to the Philippines as a result of typhoon Haiyan. 

The article said, “The nation that had brought great military suffering to the Asian countries sent its Self Defense Forces (SDF) to the Philippines, which could be called ‘the largest overseas deployment of troops after World War II.’" The article, citing other international media reports, stated that the political implications of the disaster relief assistance to the Philippines are becoming increasingly clear. That the U.S. and Japan employ large-scale military forces for the disaster relief to the Philippines shows obvious political motivation. 
The article quoted the Russian Lenta News Network, which said that the United States acting, on such a large scale and with such fanfare [for the assistance], demonstrates the special relationship between the United States and the Philippines. The United States takes Japan as the "unsinkable" aircraft carrier. Now the Philippines has become a major ally of the United States. The two countries take advantage of each other to counterbalance China. Being very active in the rescue efforts, the U.S. is all for its own geopolitical interests. 
The article also implied, by quoting Japanese foreign critic Timberland Naoto’s comment, that, on the surface, Abe’s sending the SDF is to contribute to world peace and development, but the real purpose is to contain China. [Even in] the typhoon disaster, the emergency aid also reflected the reality of international politics. 
Academy of Social Sciences researcher Zhou Qi told the Global Times that Japan’s high-profile involvement with a helicopter carrier is surprising.　　 

Source: Huanqiu, November 15, 2013 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2013/1115/c1002-23552524.html 
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2013-11/4566316.html

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OPEC: The Chinese Automobile Market will Support an Increase in the Demand for Oil

Global Times recently reported that OPEC just adjusted its earlier long-term oil market forecast on market demand to show an increase. This is the first time in six years that OPEC has projected an optimistic forecast. The organization also re-estimated China’s automobile market size. OPEC expressed the belief that the world demand for oil will be 108.5 million barrels per day by the year 2035. The organization also estimated that China’s “vehicle parc” will increase by 380 million over the next 22 years. That will be the equivalent of every 1000 people owning 320 vehicles. This rate of increase is based on the same pace that Japan had in the 1990s. The OPEC report also expected that the Indian automobile market would show rapid growth. However the U.S. shale oil and the Canadian oil sands have been rapidly changing the landscape of the oil market, making today’s reality very much different from OPEC’s forecast made two years ago. 
Source: Global Times, November 8, 2013
http://finance.huanqiu.com/world/2013-11/4545717.html
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Xinhua: Japan Unable to Understand China’s Protest on Exercise Interference

Xinhua recently reported that Yang Yujun, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, announced at a press conference that the Japanese Navy has performed intensive following, monitoring, and intelligence gathering whenever the Chinese Navy was in the middle of a military exercise mission in the Western Pacific high seas. China officially protested against the Japanese Navy’s behavior. However the Japanese Defense Minister stated on November 1 that he was “completely unable to understand” China’s reaction as international law permits Japan’s activities, so they are therefore fully lawful. The Japanese government expressed the intent to continue to pay attention to China’s military activities. Yang Yujun also warned that Japan’s recent activities have frequently “produced a war-time atmosphere.”
Source: Xinhua, November 1, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-11/01/c_125636532.htm
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China Won’t Use War to Destroy Japan but Will Use a Protracted Fight to Make it Suffer Chronic Pain

Huanqiu [under People’s Daily] published a commentary claiming that, in case the conflict between them escalates into war, China will let Japan suffer long-term chronic pain instead of a one-time hit. Below are some selected excerpts from the article.

"Japan announced that it would consider "shooting down" China’s drone if it flew over the Diaoyu Islands. China’s Defense Ministry spokesman responded by saying that, if the Japan were to do so, it would be an ‘act of war.’ The Chinese side would certainly and decisively ‘fight back.’" 
"Today, the official exchange of words between China and Japan no longer avoids such words as ‘shooting down,’ ‘war,’ and so on. Japanese media keep shouting about ‘besieging’ China. The possibility of the Sino-Japanese friction escalating into military conflict is becoming more and more real."  
"We believe that China must be clear about what we really want to fight for in the conflict over the Diaoyu Islands and what we should insist on in the escalating fight with Japan." 
"War is probably a hurdle that China needs to step over. We need to cross it mentally." 
"We should not have illusions that, once the war starts, that we can ‘destroy Japan.’ We need to do serious damage to Japan and let its losses be ‘slightly bigger’ than China’s. We should fight a protracted war with Japan and make it suffer long-term chronic pain. China will not use the war to ‘destroy Japan.’ China will ultimately crush Japan with the increase in its strength. In fact, what Japan fears most is China’s calmness and lasting determination."

Source: People’s Daily, October 28, 2013 
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/1028/c1011-23346411.html

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Study Times: “No Political and Security Conditions for North Korea to Give up Their Nuclear Weapons”

Study Times, the newspaper that the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party runs, published an article about restarting the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear weapons program. The article criticized the “passive attitude” of the United States, Japan, and South Korea toward China’s effort to resume the meetings. According to the article, there are currently no political or security conditions for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. “Even if North Korea abandoned its nuclear weapons program, the United States would not stand down from the pace at which it is returning to East Asia. Instead, it (a North Korea without nuclear weapons) would cause the U.S. to speed up its strategic advance."

The prerequisite for solving the North Korean nuclear weapons problem, the article asserted, is for there to be an official end to the Korean War and to let the DPRK and the U.S. sign a friendly peace treaty. Under the protection of International law, North Korea would have a stronger ability to resist U.S. hegemonism. The article further listed four conditions that the United States and other relevant countries must provide before there can be a denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Source: Study Times, October 28, 2013
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2013/10/28/02/02_39.htm

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Defense Ministry: Shooting Down a Chinese Unmanned Aircraft Considered Act of War

People’s Daily recently reported that Geng Yansheng, the spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, made an announcement about the Japanese position that it would shoot down Chinese unmanned aircraft. Geng stated that China will consider that to be an act of war. He also said China will respond with “decisive” counter-attacks, and no one should under-estimate the “firm will” of the Chinese military. Earlier, the Japanese Defense Ministry had announced that Japan “may consider” shooting down Chinese unmanned aircraft if they “invade Japanese airspace.” Geng claimed that China has never invaded any foreign airspace and that Chinese military training activities in the East China Sea are “lawful normal operations.” Geng also mentioned the fact that, very recently, the Chinese Navy helped save a Japanese fishing vessel.
Source: People’s Daily, October 26, 2013
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/1026/c1011-23336424.html
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CRN: Japan Arranged a Maritime Countries Conference

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that Japan organized a conference officially called, “Supporting Emerging Maritime Countries in Building Capacity.” The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged and headed the conference. Thirteen countries attended, including key Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. CRN also published a commentary suggesting that Japan is apparently establishing a strategy against China to encircle it. Ever since Abe became the Japanese Prime Minister, Japan has been actively developing this strategy. First Japan wholeheartedly supported the U.S. strategy of its “Return to Asia.” Then the Japanese special envoy visited South Korea to repair their relationship. After that, Japan implemented a number of pro-Taiwan policies to further divide the Mainland and Taiwan. A number of strategic moves have also been implemented recently to engage ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) as well as Australia and India. Significant new military spending has been added to Japan’s 2014 budget. The commentary calls Japan a “trouble-maker.”
Source: China Review News, October 20, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1027/7/3/9/102773950.html?coluid=1&kindid=0&docid=102773950&mdate=1020000050
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