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Geo-Strategic Trend - 209. page

Chinese-funded Enterprises Made Headway in Europe

On March 15, People’s Daily published an article that gave a detailed account about the expansion of Chinese enterprises in Europe. It mentioned such companies as Haier (in Italy), Shanxi Yuncheng Saueressig Plate-making Co., Ltd (in Spain), Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (in the UK), Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd. (in the Netherlands), Huawei, and ZTE Corporation.

According to the article, as of the end of 2012, the number of Chinese-funded enterprises in Spain reached a total of 34, with the main businesses being in communications, financial services, steel, fishing, air transport, and maritime transport. As of the end of November 2012, cumulative investment from China in Spain amounted to $410 million, including $24.21 million from January to November 2012. In 2011 and 2012, China’s new investment projects in the Netherlands numbered 30 and 31 respectively, expanding to the sectors of energy, construction, finance, and advanced technologies. The total number of Chinese-funded enterprises in the Netherlands is more than 300, with a cumulative total investment of about $30 billion, hiring 7,000 local employees.

Source: People’s Daily, reprinted on Xinhua, March 15
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-03/15/c_124460827.htm

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Xinhua: How Could a Cold Shoulder and a Big Stick Break the North Korea Nuclear Deadlock?

In a Xinhua headline report regarding the North Korea nuclear issue, the editor added the following note:

“On the 5th of this month, North Korea issued a statement declaring three things: first, that the Korean Armistice Agreement would be ‘invalid’ from the time that the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises began on the 11th; second, that the the non-aggression agreement between the two Koreas was totally abolished; and third, that the hot-line between the two Koreas was cut off. At the same time, Korea and the U.S. held a ‘vulture’ and ‘key decision’ joint military exercise and said they would increase their monitoring of the DPRK. 
“After North Korea carried out a third nuclear test and the United Nations announced a new resolution on North Korea, the tension between the DPRK and the ROK-US heightened further. However, the ball is now in the United States’ court. A cold shoulder plus a big stick are not going to resolve the current impasse.”
“How the … can the Peninsula get out of this vicious cycle?" 
“Only by improving relations with the DPRK and making North Korea feel secure, can [the U.S.] help settle the DPRK nuclear issue. It is better than doing the opposite, asking the DPRK to abandon its nuclear program as a precondition to improving U.S.-DPRK relations. This up-side-down policy logic can only lead the relationship to a dead end. Whether it should put down its ‘cold shoulder’ and break the deadlock, or continue the same way, is up to the United States.”
Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-03/12/c_124444019.htm
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Chinese Scholar: China Should Launch Media, Economic, and Military Warfare against Japan

On February 23, 2013, China Gate published a Chinese scholar’s article titled, “Give up the Fantasy about ‘Friendship’: Fight Japan on Three Fronts.” The article asserted that the Diaoyu Islands (also called the Senkaku Islands in Japan) crisis indicates that Japan has renounced its friendship with China. In order to defend China’s sovereignty and maintain regional peace, China should launch media warfare, economic warfare, and military warfare against Japan.

According to the article, Japan is a pawn of the United States. The U.S. just wants to cause the Sino-Japanese relationship to deteriorate. “What the U.S. wants most is to stop the Chinese and Japanese currency exchange so as to consolidate the U.S. dollar’s hegemony.”

Source: China Gate, February 23, 2012
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2013/02/23/2247383.html

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Saudi Prince Invested in Beijing Real Estate

Guangming Daily, a national newspaper based in Beijing City, recently reported that Kingdom Holding Company invested $700 million in a Beijing real estate development project called the Jingdong Shopping Center. Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal owns 95 percent of Kingdom Holding Company. The announcement triggered widespread discussions in China. The Prince himself suggested that the investment “strengthened the strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and China.” Chinese public opinion seems to agree that this average real estate project has now become much more political. The Prince has a very big investment portfolio, which includes Twitter, Amazon, Apple, Citibank, Coca-Cola, eBay, Ford, McDonalds, P&G, and Disney. 
Source: Guangming Daily, February 18, 2013
http://economy.gmw.cn/biz/2013-02/18/content_6719690.htm
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South Korean Media: Signs of New North Korea Nuclear Test in Planning Stage

Xinhua recently reported that, based on information provided by South Korean media, South Korean authorities obtained intelligence indicating that North Korea is preparing for another nuclear test. Transportation activities at the same nuclear test site have been discovered and they match the pattern of the preparation work done before previous tests. Sources from the South Korean military suggested that they believe a new nuclear test is ready, pending only a political decision. The Xinhua report also mentioned an Agence France-Presse news piece suggesting that, according to a U.S. think tank, North Korea is preparing a long-range missile launch. 
Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-02/17/c_124351493.htm
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Xinhua: Russia Plans to Strengthen Relationship with China

Xinhua recently reported that Russian President Putin approved a new foreign policies framework. Traditionally a newly elected Russian president always develops a foreign policies framework as a guide for his term of service. According to an official document released on the Presidential website, developing friendly relationships with China and India is the most important direction Russia is taking. The document expressed the belief that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is having a bigger and bigger constructive impact on the Asia-Pacific region. Russia is planning to strengthen the “comprehensive strategic partnership” relationship with China. This indicates the active development of cooperation in all areas. The new policies also stated that Russia intends to cooperate with the United States in some areas, with the condition that the U.S. will not interfere with other nation’s internal affairs.
Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-02/17/c_124351244.htm
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China’s Leftist Website Congratulates North Korea for Its 3rd Nuclear Test

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

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Huanqiu Editorial: No Blockage of North Korea Even If More Nuclear Tests

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

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