Geo-Strategic Trend - 212. page

The website of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party carried an article which was originally published by Guangming Daily. According to the article, China has set up 380 Confucius Institutes in 108 countries around the world. Among those, there are 31 Institutes and five Confucius classes in Africa, while 11 Institutes were established in the Middle East.

Xu Ling, chief executive of the Confucius Institute, disclosed the above data during her meeting with the Principal of Tel Aviv University in Israel, which was about collaborating with the University to establish a Confucius Institute there. The agreement suggested that Tel Aviv University will provide the building, facility, personnel, and related expenses, while China will come up with US$150,000 in funding each year. They also discussed a plan to set up a Confucius Institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Source: The United Front Work Department of Chinese Communist Party, September 19, 2012
http://www.zytzb.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/tzb2010/S2012/201209/731637.html

As of September 19, 2012, China has increased the number of its ocean surveillance, fishery, and other official boats patrolling the Diaoyu Islands waters to 16. 

On September 18, 2012, People’s Daily reported that the China’s Actor Committee published a statement opposing Japan’s Purchase of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands. Tang Guoqiang is the chair of the Actor’s Committee, which is under the Association of Broadcasters and has 259 actor members. Many well-known actors and actresses signed their names to the statement.

The statement said, “Chinese actors resolutely uphold and support any of the Chinese government’s necessary and righteous actions to safeguard China’s territorial integrity.”

Source: People’s Daily, September 18, 2012
http://hn.people.com.cn/n/2012/0918/c338398-17493695.html

On September 17, 2012, People’s Daily overseas edition published an article expressing China’s attitude toward the Japanese government’s purchase of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands titled “(If) China Pulls the Trigger on Japan’s Economy, Japan Will Fall Back 20 Years.” The article asserted that Japan’s economy is not immune from the economic means that China might use. Once China is forced to pull the trigger on Japan’s economy, China will target Japan’s weakest points, such as Japan’s manufacturing sector, financial sector, certain products that are exported to-China, and investment enterprises.

“When fighting an economic war, both China and Japan will get hurt. However, China has the determination and endurance to ‘kill 1000 enemies even at the price of 800 (Chinese) people’s deaths.’”  

Source: People’s Daily, September 17, 2012
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2012-09/17/content_1113598.htm

People’s Daily (overseas edition) published an article titled, "China Must Use a Firm Hand in Dealing with Japan." The article was a commentary on Japan’s purchase of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands in order to nationalize the islands. It said that by doing so, Japan made two fatal mistakes: The first was misjudging the determination and resolve of China to safeguard its sovereignty and territory. “(China will not maintain peace) at the cost of losing its sovereignty and territory. On this issue, we will not give in even an inch.” The second was assuming that the United States will sacrifice its own interests just to benefit Japan. “Japan believes that it is an important foothold for the U.S. to return to Asia and has the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan in its hand as an imperial sword. It is attempting to kidnap the United States on the issue of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands.”

The commentary concluded, “The dispute about sovereignty over the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands is a long-term contest of national will, and cannot be resolved overnight. However, if we cannot smash Japan now, the East Asian region will suffer very serious consequences.”

Source: People’s Daily (overseas edition) reprinted by Xinhua, September 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/comments/2012-09/12/c_113045028.htm

Following the Japanese government’s sealing a deal to purchase the Diaoyu (called Senkaku in Japan) Islands from their private Japanese owners, the Chinese government took a series of counteractions to fight for sovereignty over the islands.