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Geo-Strategic Trend - 204. page

China News: Never Allow External Forces in the South China Sea Talks

China News recently reported that Wang Yi, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced at a press conference that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to begin discussions on the South China Sea Code of Conduct. In addition to emphasizing the point of eliminating “external interference,” Wang expressed the belief that four principles are required: (1) All parties must establish a reasonable expectation of how soon an agreement can be reached; (2) All parties should work hard on the widest common ground for an agreement that will fall within most countries’ comfort zones; (3) The process of the talks should eliminate interference; (4) The talks should take a step-by-step approach for continuous improvements under the framework established in the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea.
Source: China News, August 5, 2013
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2013/08-05/5125577.shtml
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BBC Chinese: Beijing Built US$500 Million Large Container Terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka

BBC Chinese reported that China invested US$500 million in a large container terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the first large cargo ship harbor in Sri Lanka. The official start date for the terminal to be in operation was Monday August 5. According to the report, in addition to this investment, Beijing signed an agreement in January to take over management of the Gwadar seaport. China also invested US$14 million to construct a dry port in Larcha in Nepal and in June 2012, provided financial and technology assistance to build a deep water harbor in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka. By cutting through Sri Lanka, the route in the Indian Ocean is supposed to shorten the water time by four days. Also, historically, Sri Lanka has been considered an important stop in the maritime silk route.

Source: BBC Chinese, August 4, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/business/2013/08/130804_china_srilanka_port.shtml

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Global Times: Japan Opposes China’s Oil Development in East China Sea

Global Times recently reported that Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga issued strong statements at a press conference on July 18. Yoshihide stated that Japan “absolutely opposes” the China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) attempt to develop seven new oil and natural gas fields in the East China Sea. The seven new sites are located near the so-called “middle line.” The Japanese government has not yet received any “clear reply” from China on its official inquiry about this new development plan. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented that China never accepted the so-called “middle line,” which was solely an invention of the Japanese government. Chinese legal expert Xin Guangmei suggested that there has never been a legal sea-based borderline between China and Japan. China has its own opinion on how to draw the border which is different from the Japanese “middle line.” The Japanese “media show” of finger-pointing at China on the new oil development plan is just another attempt to destroy the foundation of a healthy border negotiation. 
Source: Global Times, July 18, 2013
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2013-07/4146196.html
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China to Build Railway Connecting Xinjiang and Pakistan for Strategic Energy Channel

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that, in addition to highways, China and Pakistan have decided to build a railroad connecting Xinjiang Kashgar and Gwadar Port located on the Arabian Sea and at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. CRN stated, “Following the China-Myanmar Oil Pipeline, this project carries a strategic significance. It indicates that China has another channel it can use to have direct access to an energy source in the Arabian Sea which connects to the Indian Ocean region.” China has signed a series of collaboration agreements with Pakistan to build an economic corridor between the two countries. From 2002 to 2006, China invested US$200 million to turn Gwadar Port into a deep water harbor. In February 2013, China Overseas Holdings Ltd. officially gained operating rights to the Gwadar Port.

Source: China Review News, July 21, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1025/7/3/7/102573708.html?coluid=136&kindid=4730&docid=102573708&mdate=0721003247

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People’s Daily: Philippines Plays Tough toward China and Is Flattering the United States

The People’s Daily Overseas Edition published a commentary article in which it called the Philippines “the fox borrowing the tiger’s fierceness.” Its purpose is to mess around and cause trouble [in the South China Sea issue]. The article pointed to the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Hernandez’s statement on July 15, 2013, that, "It is impossible for the Philippines to continue bilateral negotiations with China on the South China Sea dispute." 

The commentary said that "after a series of interactions with the United States, the Philippines considered itself more emboldened and its spine was harder.” “The Philippine’ Presidential Palace stated that U.S. President Barack Obama had warned China not to use force or threatening means with neighboring countries in its maritime disputes. The Philippines believes that Obama’s statement fortified the Philippines’ position in maritime disputes.” Therefore, for the Philippines to play tough with China is not unexpected. 
The article said that “towards its U.S. ‘big brother,” the Philippines is greeting with all smiles on its face.” “Now it seems that the Philippines is willing to be the ‘little brother’ and is determined to realize its maximum benefits along with the U.S.’s ‘Asia-Pacific rebalancing.’” 

The article said that the “government of the Philippines seems to have lost the right direction.” 

Source: People’s Daily, July 18, 2013 
http://military.china.com/important/11132797/20130718/17951825_2.html

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IHT: Sino-Russian Joint Military Exercise Has Obvious Intention to Contend with U.S. and Japan

Hu Siyuan, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, published an opinion piece in Xinhua’s International Herald Tribune commenting on the implications of the 2013 Sino-Russian joint military exercise. 

In the article Hu said, “The exercise is an actual action to implement the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia that the leaders in the military field in China and Russia had proposed.” 
“There are two main foundations for the joint military exercise. First, in recent years, the United States deployed a strategic missile defense system in areas that included Eastern European countries, thus seriously squeezing Russia’s strategic space. Second, the U.S. shifted its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific, winning over Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and other Asia-Pacific countries, in a joint attempt to contain China. In China’s territorial disputes with neighboring countries, whether it is the East China Sea issue, or the South China Sea issue, one can see the shadow of the United States in the background.” 
The article concluded that both Russia and China have realized that the two countries need to form an alliance in order to reduce the pressure from United States.

“In this context of history and reality, this exercise has historic and forward-looking strategic significance. Such joint military exercises create a psychological deterrence to the U.S. And Japan.” 
”Both China and Russia, if not united together, might be defeated individually. Once China and Russia join together, it will cause some psychological deterrence to the U.S. and Japan, making, the U.S. and Japan hesitant to provoke territorial disputes and other issues in Northeast Asia.” 

Source: International Herald Tribune (Xinhua), July 15, 2013                                                         http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0715/239296.shtml

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Xinhua: Japanese Defense Whitepaper Aimed at China

Xinhua recently reported that the newly released Japanese Defense Whitepaper is full of false statements against China. The Japanese Cabinet approved the latest Whitepaper on July 9. It suggested that the Japanese government is pushing hard to counter the “Chinese military threat.” The language in the Whitepaper suggested that China’s military activities at sea are a threat to the safety not only of Japan but to the entire region as well. The report however expressed the belief that this is just a game the Abe administration is playing in order to justify its attempts to modify the Japanese constitution and to break the traditional military limitations Japan has had in place since the end of the Second World War. The Whitepaper claimed that China has taken a lot of “dangerous steps” to change the existing international order and that, in the past ten years, China’s defense budget has tripled while Japan’s showed a five percent decline. The Chinese government issued an official rebuttal immediately, saying that the Japanese allegations are simply lies and Japan is just looking for excuses to increase its defense spending.
 
Source: Xinhua, July 11, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mrdx/2013-07/10/c_132527928.htm

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Wanda Group CEO: Build Channels to Export Chinese Culture Overseas

Huanqiu recently interviewed Wang Jianling, CEO of Wanda, who told Huanqiu that China’s ability to export its culture overseas would be very difficult without acquiring and having control of the proper channels. Wang acknowledged that acquiring AMC has enabled Wanda to take a first step into the world’s culture industry. Wanda’s goal is to reach a 20 percent market share worldwide by 2020. Wang continued, “We plan to show three to five Chinese movies in the U.S. this year. I don’t care which movies will be shown but AMC must do so. Otherwise, we will fire the management. If we have worldwide channels like this, why should we be concerned about not exporting Chinese movies to the world?” Wang also claimed that Wanda might consider investing in some influential television stations overseas or participating in the distribution of English films worldwide. “Only through this, can we make culture infiltration possible and allow our culture to go out the door,” Wang said. Wanda Group recently announced a US$1.08 billion investment in building a Wanda Hotel in London and a US$483 million purchase of UK yacht builder Sunseeker. It was back in May 2012, that Wanda announced its acquisition of AMC, a U.S. Cinema chain, for US$260 million. The purchase made Wanda the largest owner of movie theaters in the world.

Source: Xinhua, July 11, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2013-07/11/c_132525691.htm

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