Geo-Strategic Trend - 209. page

On February 13, 2013, China’s leftist website, Utopia, published an editorial titled, “Utopia Warmly Congratulates North Korea for the Success of Its Third Nuclear Test.” The article praised North Korea for “withstanding the pressure from the reactionary forces led by the United States and condemned “the evil international order maintained by the U.S. imperialists and their minions.”  The article further criticized the U.S. and the Western hostile capitalists for “trying to stifle the socialist causes in China and North Korea” and “forcing the traitor forces inside the Chinese Communist Party leadership to betray the Party and the people, a mistake similar to that made by the former Soviet Union.” According to the article, the nuclear tests in both China and North Korea were “great achievements in breaking through the imperialist’s policies of nuclear blackmail and containment.” The article said that the relationship between China and North Korea is interdependent, just like lips and teeth, and that China will continue to support North Korea no matter what happens.

However, many Chinese people, especially those in the three northeastern provinces next to North Korea, were worried about the nuclear pollution that North Korea’s nuclear test caused. They were very disappointed that the Chinese regime did not do anything to protect the Chinese residents except to issue an oral protest afterwards. In comparison, prior to the test, the Russian government evacuated those of their residents who were close to North Korea.

Source: Utopia, February 13, 2013
http://www.wyzxsd.com/article.php?id=3524
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/sy1-02142013144811.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/02/130214_leftist_support_korea.shtml

On February 17, 2013, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an editorial on the Chinese regime’s attitude toward North Korea in terms of its potential 4th and 5th nuclear tests to occur within this coming year. The article said that China should reduce aid to North Korea as a reaction to its third nuclear test. “Beijing should also tell Pyongyang that we will reduce our aid to them even further if they continue to fire rockets and conduct new nuclear tests.”

However, it continued, “China will still be North Korea’s friend. This is not a hypocritical statement. It means that China will not join forces with the United States, Japan, and South Korea to enforce a sea and land blockade of North Korea. China will oppose the UN Security Council if it tries to pass any resolution with a radical approach that might threaten the North Korean regime. China is against North Korea having nuclear weapons; but China will not make a 180 degree turn in its attitude towards North Korea.”

Source: Huanqiu, February 17, 2013
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-02/3645628.html

An annual multinational military exercise, with the code name Cobra Gold 2013, opened in Thailand on February 11. Regarding the objectives of the exercise, Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo, Director of the Navy Information Expert Committee, believes that the United States is hoping to cooperatively combat terrorism and to further its control of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by conducting military exercises with Thailand. Yin said, "The more important purpose of the exercise for the United States is to use Thailand to control the ASEAN countries. … (The U.S.) has maintained friendly military cooperation with Thailand. At the same time, it has ensured a strategic military foothold in the ASEAN region. Once an emergent event occurs in the region, it can proceed from Thailand and carry out a large-scale intervention in the entire ASEAN region.” 

On February 8, 2013, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an editorial on the possibility of a war between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands dispute (known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan). According to the article, neither China nor Japan is willing to get involved in a major war, yet both countries want to display their strength and determination, hoping the other will retreat at a critical moment.

“It is almost certain that a full-scale war will not break out between China and Japan. However, no one can estimate to what level it may advance and what damage it may cause once the two countries start to fire at each other. The dispute over the Diaoyu Islands between China and Japan has actually become a contest of wills.”

Source: Huanqiu, February 8, 2013
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-02/3630648.html

On February 9, 2013, China Review News republished an article originally from the World Journal (www.worldjournal.com) titled “The PLA Lays Sea Mines Three-dimensionally in Four Approaches; Locking Japan in Is as Easy as Turning over the Palm.” According to the article, with the possible escalation of the confrontation over the Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku Islands in Japan) and Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal in the Philippines), the Chinese navy may start sea mine warfare in the East China Sea or the South China Sea.

At the end of January, China Navy (http://navy.81.cn/), a PLA official website, revealed that a submarine detachment from the South China Sea fleet held a drill on placing sea mines to block water passages. Once a war breaks out, the Chinese Navy can lay sea mines quickly and secretly using submarines. The powerful “Sea Mines Field” would be able to surround American and Japanese warships within a certain area. The Chinese Navy will then severely attack American and Japanese warships with multiple anti-ship missiles from a shore base and an air base.

Source: China Review News, February 9, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1024/3/4/9/102434990.html?coluid=4&kindid=16&docid=102434990&mdate=0209010718