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Geo-Strategic Trend - 213. page

Xinhua: North Korea Reported Result of the U.S. Election for the First Time

Xinhua recently reported that the official newspaper of the North Korean Communist Party delivered the news that U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected. Although the news appeared on the last page of the newspaper and it had only a few lines, this was the first time in history that North Korean media officially reported the U.S. election result. At the same time, the North Korean Citizens Union in Japan published a commentary calling on President Obama for a change in the U.S. attitude toward North Korea. The commentary also suggested that Mr. Obama should “review the entire history of U.S.-North Korea dialog.” Xinhua commented on the news by expressing the belief that North Korea will intensify its lobbying effort for the Obama administration to reach a peace agreement to replace the current truce agreement.
Source: Xinhua, November 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-11/12/c_123940582.htm
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China Radio International Launches Cairo Studio

On November 7, 2012, China Radio International (CRI), the PRC’s external propaganda broadcaster, held an inauguration ceremony for its Cairo studio in the Egyptian capital. The studio was set up in early October of 2012. It produces 16.5 hours of programming each week, broadcast by FM stations in Mauritania for the Arab countries. Its ten programs in the Arabic language consist mostly of interviews and discussions about cultural topics.

According to the director of CRI’s Middle East branch, all of the staff members at the studio are recruited locally. “By using the language style and means of communication that the audience in Arab countries can easily accept, they are introducing China’s history, culture, achievements, and ideologies to the Arab audience.”

As part of the task of producing programs tailored to local tastes, CRI has thus far commissioned the establishment of nearly 20 overseas program studios in major cities overseas.

Source: Xinhua, November 7, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-11/07/c_123927002.htm

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Xinhua: Canada Extended Review Schedule for CNOOC Acquisition of Nexen

Xinhua recently reported that Paradis, the Canadian Minister of Industry, announced on October 10, 2012, that the federal schedule for review of China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s (CNOOC’s) acquisition of the Canadian energy company Nexen will be extended for 30 more days. Under the Investment Canada Act, the transaction is subject to the approval of the Federal Government of Canada. The Act was designed to regulate transactions over CAN$330 million to ensure that Canada will enjoy a “net profit.” If the US$15.1 billion acquisition is successful, it will become China’s largest acquisition of an overseas company. Paradis’ announcement suggested that the case is under “complete, careful, and strict” review. Nexen is a global independent energy company listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. The company focuses on the development of Western Canada’s oil sands and shale gas, as well as conventional oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, offshore West Africa, and the deep-water Gulf of Mexico.
Source: Xinhua, October 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2012-10/12/c_123812747.htm
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Do You Want another Nuclear Bomb to Drop on Your Country?

On October 12, 2012, China Gate (www.wenxuecity.com) reprinted an article originally published in China News Week titled, “Do Not Be Provocative, Japan. Do You Want another Nuclear Bomb Dropped Down?” On the dispute on the Diaoyu Islands (the Senkaku Islands), the article criticizes both Japan and the U.S. According to the article, the U.S. cannot be a true friend to China because China’s system is different from that in the West. The Chinese government has to continue its support North Korea so as to counteract the United States.

The article ends with a warning to the Japanese government and its people: “Do you want another nuclear bomb to drop on your country?”

Source: China Gate, October 12, 2012
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2012/10/12/2030522.html

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China to Up Overseas Investment Despite Huawei and ZTE Probe

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced 16 overseas investment projects, as two of its largest telecommunications companies – Huawei and ZTE – are blocked by U.S. lawmakers as national security threat.

According to Xinhua, the sheer number of the announced projects hit a new high this year, including seven energy related projects as well as others spanning the areas of finance, communications, and infrastructure. A Ministry of Commerce official said that the government is willing to support enterprises’ overseas direct investment to divert the excess capacity and alleviate the Europe and the U.S.’s anti-dumping pressure.

The official statistics show that China’s net overseas direct investment in 2011 was $74.65 billion, a year-on-year growth of 8.5%, ranking No. 6 around the world. As of the end of 2011, a total of 13,500 investors established 18,000 enterprises in 177 countries (regions). It’s estimated that the investment will exceed $500 billion during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period (2012 – 2017).

Source: Xinhua, October 11, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-10/11/c_113343280.htm

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People’s Daily: Noda’s Government Can No Longer Resolve the Diaoyu Islands Crisis

People’s Daily published an article on its website analyzing the Japanese media’s reaction to China’s handling of the latest Diaoyu Islands dispute. The article observed that China’s four state-owned commercial banks refused to attend the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank held in Tokyo, Japan on October 9, 2012. This has made the Japanese media extremely worried.
 

On October 9, Chinese fishing boats and ocean surveillance ships appeared again in the Diaoyu Islands’ waters. The Japanese media seemed to have nothing else to talk about except for the "Chinese government ships cruising the Diaoyu Islands" for nine consecutive days. 
Chinese scholars believe that, after the Democratic Party of Japan came to power, they crossed the “not-to-touch” bottom line that both sides, Japan and China, had set on the Diaoyu Islands issue and have made it so the "mutual trust" no longer exists. In the "Diaoyu Islands collision incident in September 2010, the Japanese side arrested Chinese captain Zhan Qixiong and handled the incident using Japanese domestic law; then again last month, Japan nationalized the Diaoyu Islands according to Japanese law. "Today, China no longer trusts Noda’s government; we expect that the next Japanese government will be able to deal more flexibly with the Diaoyu Islands issue." 
Source: People’s Daily, October 10, 2012 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2012/1010/c1002-19221920.html
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Global Times: Large Japanese Insurance Companies Stopped Offering Strike Policies in China

Global Times recently reported that all large Japanese insurance companies have temporarily stopped offering strike policies to Japanese investors in China. It is widely believed that Japanese investments in China will face much higher risks if the lack of strike insurance continues. Ongoing tension in recent Japan-China relations has resulted in a large number of strikes against Japanese owned companies in China. The Japanese insurers are carefully monitoring the situation and will make decisions about business offerings based on the future developments of the anti-Japan movement in China. Most of the Japanese owned companies in China have an SRCC (Strike, Riot or Civil Commotion) clause in their insurance policies in regards to strike coverage.
Source: Global Times, October 7, 2012
http://finance.huanqiu.com/view/2012-10/3167489.html
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People’s Daily: Overseas Chinese Media Need to Report More about China

On September 15, 2012, Wang Chen, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department, met with the overseas media partners of People’s Daily overseas edition. Wang urged the oversea’s China media partners to carry more news reports about China so that they could help promote understanding between China and the countries where the media are located. Wang commended the Chinese media, especially the overseas edition of People’s Daily, for gaining an increased power of discourse on the world stage through establishing working relationships with the overseas Chinese media in different countries. According to Wang, People’s Daily has reached complete coverage around the world and formed a unique advantage in broadcasting China’s voice overseas.

Source: People’s Daily, September 16, 2012
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2012/0916/c1026-19018967.html

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