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Ghana Detains over a Hundred Chinese Citizens for Illegal Gold Mining Operation

Recently, the Government of Ghana carried out a large-scale action against illegal gold mining. As of June 5, Ghana had arrested 124 Chinese citizens suspected of illegal gold mining. Officials from Shanglin County of the Guangxi Autonomous Region said that the vast majority of the 124 people detained in Ghana are from Shanglin. 

The people of  Shanglin have a history of mining gold. Since 2006, many people from Shanglin have steadily gone to Ghana to engage in gold mining activities. According to incomplete official statistics, so far, the number of people who have gone to Ghana for gold mining is estimated at 12,000. [1] 
Why did the Police in Ghana implement such a large scale arrest? Guangxi Shanglin County Propaganda Department chief Li Daoyong said that some clashes among the gold miners in Ghana could have been the trigger. In particular, since April of this year, there have been incidents in which Guangxi gold miners in Ghana killed fellow miners and shot and killed locals, causing discontent among the masses and problems with local security issues.[2] 
Sources: China Security Times and People’s Daily, June 6, 2013 
[1] http://kuaixun.stcn.com/2013/0606/10526531.shtml 
[2] http://world.people.com.cn/n/2013/0606/c157278-21754499.html
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China’s New Ambassador to the United States Comments on China-U.S. Relations

Recently, Cui Tiankai, China’s new ambassador to the United States, gave an exclusive interview to Foreign Affairs magazine on the subject of China-U.S. relations. The U.S. Foreign Affairs magazine published the article on May 15, 2013. Then on May 20, 2003, China.com published an article about the interview. The title was “Cui Tiankai Ambassador: China Welcomes a Third Party to Mediate the Sino-Japanese Territorial Dispute.”

Cui Tiankai suggested that the United States not shift its military presence to the Asia Pacific area, warning the United States not to intervene in the Diaoyu Islands issue. According to Cui, China would welcome a third party to resolve the dispute between China and Japan under certain conditions. He stated that China has no intention of changing the existing international order but supports necessary reform of the international system. As for cyber security, Cui suggested that both the U.S. and China sit down and engage in constructive dialogues so as to avoid a recurrence of similar cyber attacks.

Source: China.com, May 20, 2013
http://news.china.com/zh_cn/dydzd/gdxw/11127676/20130520/17842566.html  
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/world/asia/china-suggests-us-is-stirring-tensions-in-asia.html?_r=0
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/discussions/interviews/beijings-brand-ambassador

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Global Times: China Builds BDStar Ground Stations in Pakistan

Global Times recently reported that the Beijing BDStar Navigation Technology Company is building ground stations in Pakistan to better support the BDStar (also known as Beidou) Satellite Navigation System. BDStar is the Chinese satellite global positioning system, intended as a competitor to the U.S. GPS system. The BDStar system has been adopted by Thailand, Laos, Brunei, and Myanmar. Pakistan will be the fifth country in Asia to adopt it. Pakistani military experts expressed the belief that the Chinese system will play a significant role in improving military navigation capabilities and missile accuracy. Nuclear deterrent capability enhancements and the new submarine positioning service are also in the plan. The BDStar is also expected to be implemented in civilian functions such as agriculture, aviation, transportation, and mapping, as well as disaster prevention and mitigation. Agreements for the wide deployment of the BDStar system are expected to be signed when China’s Premier visits Pakistan on May 22 and 23.
Source: Global Times, May 20, 2013
http://mil.huanqiu.com/paper/2013-05/3948748.html
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Li Keqiang: China and India Are Creating the World’s New Economic Engine

China News recently reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stated at a press conference in New Delhi that the rapid development of China and India is creating the new growth engine of the world. Li made the comment after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 20. This is the first time Li has visited a foreign country as the Chinese Premier; India was his first stop. The two leaders issued a joint statement confirming a wide range of areas of cooperation as well as a strategic consensus and mutual trust. The two parties recognized that mutual economic growth is a major opportunity and that a peaceful China-India relationship will be a “new bright spot” in Asia. The two nations also signed cooperation agreements during Li’s visit. The main areas covered included trade, agriculture, environmental protection, and local cultural exchanges. 
Source: China News, May 20, 2013
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2013/05-20/4837472.shtml
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BBC Chinese: China Cautiously Mediating Peace in Middle East

BBC Chinese recently reported that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both visited Beijing in the same week. However, neither of the two sides nor the new Chinese President Xi Jinping seemed to be ready to start a negotiation with China being the mediator. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping did offer a four-point peace proposal. Although Xi’s proposal does not have anything new or creative, the report expressed the belief that he was somewhat playing a mediator’s role, with caution. When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Netanyahu, he suggested that the sole solution to the Middle East peace and stability issue is conducting dialogues and peace talks. Li also mentioned that China is willing to work with the two sides on the peace-making effort, since China is a common friend of both. China has a US$10 billion annual trade volume with Israel and half of China’s annual oil imports are from the Middle East region. 
Source: BBC Chinese, May 9, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/press_review/2013/05/130509_press_review_china_middleeast.shtml
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Chinese Scholar on the China-Burma Relations amid the Political Reform in Burma

Iin a recent article, Du Jifeng, a scholar at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, discussed China-Burma relations amid Burma’s political reform. Du expressed the belief that, although Burma is re-balancing the three-way relationship between China, the U.S., and Burma, China’s strategic importance to Burma in geopolitics, energy supply, and border security has not changed substantially. 

In the article Du said, “Since March 2011, Burma’s new government has completed the power transfer and has been working on political reform. At the same time, the government of Burma began to adjust its foreign policy. The bilateral relations between Burma and the U.S.-led Western countries has been warming up; high-level leaders have repeatedly visited each other. Western countries have canceled or loosened the 20 years of economic sanctions on Burma. Burma has also changed its once one-sided foreign policy toward China and rebalanced the triangular relationship with China and the United States.” 
“While Burma gradually becomes closer to the US-led Western countries, the bilateral relations between China and Burma have gone up and down on some specific matters. … Burma’s worry about the rapid rise of China is an important consideration in Burma’s adjustment of its diplomatic focus. Actually, in the history of their relations, Burma has always remained guarded toward China. The growth of China’s economic strength only resulted in Myanmar having more worries.” 
Regarding China-Burma relations under Burma’s new diplomatic policy, Du said, “The main purpose for Burma’s adjustment of its diplomatic focus is to implement a diverse diplomacy and avoid over-reliance on the Chinese economy. However, the strategic importance of China to Myanmar in geopolitics, border, and energy security has not changed substantively. At the same time, China has significant economic interests in Burma and therefore will not easily give Burma up.” 

Source: Sohu, April 2, 2013 
http://news.sohu.com/20130402/n371469340.shtml

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Xinhua: North Korea Asks Mongolia for Food

Xinhua recently published a report on aid to North Korea based on a number of different international media sources. On April 22, the North Korean Ambassador to Mongolia told the Mongolian President that North Korea “may soon face a very serious food shortage.” He asked if Mongolia would consider the possibility of providing assistance in the form of food. Korea shares a common cultural heritage with Mongolia, such as their ancient language. On the same day, the United States suggested that it would consider resuming food aid as long as North Korea would allow personnel from the U.S. to monitor the distribution and allocation of the food provided by the U.S. The United States recently refused the acknowledgement of North Korea’s status as a nuclear country.
Source: Xinhua, April 24, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-04/24/c_124622524.htm
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Global Times: Japan Claims Highest Numerber of Interceptions of Chinese Airplanes

Global Times recently reported, based on Japanese media reports, that, in the year 2012, the Japanese Air Force intercepted Chinese aircraft the highest number of times since the Cold War. The total emergency missions was 800 in one year.  The Chinese military aircraft that were intercepted included fighter jets and Intelligence reconnaissance aircraft. The Japanese Air Force not only deployed fighter jets, but, for the first time, deployed Airborne Monitoring & Control Aircraft and Early Warning Aircraft as well. According to Japanese media reports, in 2012, the number of times Chinese military aircraft approached Japanese territory increased by 60 percent over the year 2011. Also, the Japanese media widely reported the recent signing of a friendly fisheries agreement between Japan and Taiwan.
Source: Global Times, April 13, 2013
http://mil.huanqiu.com/paper/2013-04/3827899.html
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