Geo-Strategic Trend - 214. page

The upcoming Asia-Pacific region preliminaries for the 5th "NTD’s 2012 International Classical Chinese Dance Competition," usually held in New York, will be held in Hong Kong on August 18, 2012, in order to accommodate potential participants from mainland China. The Chinese Communist regime has repeatedly threatened dancers not to participate in the competition. Recently, China’s public security bureau has denied visas to mainland Chinese dancers who want to go to Hong Kong.

(Editor: Some involved with the NTD Chinese Dance competition are Falun Gong practitioners.)

Source: Epoch Times, August 8, 2012
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/12/8/8/n3654016.htm

Huanqiu published a commentary on the recent protests in Hong Kong against the plans (for the mainland) to introduce a “National and Moral Education” course into the Hong Kong public school curriculum. The commentary stated that Hong Kong residents were claiming that it amounts to “brainwashing” young people with pro-mainland propaganda. It observed, “These protesters act more like they have been brainwashed by the British colonial and Western ideology, since they are so paranoid and resistant about the course. Their views of mainland China are totally Western views. … The core of the ‘National and Moral Education’ course is to provide national and civic education to students, with answers to such questions as ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is Hong Kong?’ and ‘What is China?’ It is not to instill allegiance to the central government into the people of Hong Kong. The patriotism in this course is beyond the political realities. … But we believe that the Hong Kong SAR Government will not concede to its opponents on whether to provide national education, which is a matter of principle.”

The commentary concluded, “The final outcome of the controversy on national education in Hong Kong will be nothing but a ‘victory for China.’ Perhaps it is not realistic for the protesters to pursue their own victory.”

(Editor: According to an opinion piece in the New York Times about the course, "It decries multiparty democracy as unfavorable to the lives of ordinary people …" and contains only praise, with no mention of faults.)

Sources: Huanqiu, August 1, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2012-08/2974531.html
New York Times, August 1, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/opinion/chinese-indoctrination-in-hong-kong.html?_r=2

Huanqiu, whose English name is Global Times, is a publication under Xinhua News. A  Huanqiu reporter, Li Daming, reported from South Korea that Kim Young-Hwan, a South Korean “human rights activist for North Korea,” claimed that he was “severely tortured” while he was detained in China and that he was studying ways to sue the Chinese government through the International Criminal Court. The report stated that China arrested Kim because he was conducting subversive activities against North Korea in China and that Kim claimed this nonsense recently after he was released and returned to South Korea.

Source: Huanqiu, July 30, 2012
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2012-07/2964333.html

Huanqiu, a publication under Xinhua, published a commentary on the Philippines and Vietnam’s protests following the inaugural ceremony for Sansha City, Hainan Province. The commentary observed that Chinese media essentially ignored the two countries’ protests. The Chinese mentality, in general, is "I will enjoy going my own way no matter what you do or feel.”

The commentary stated, “[China as] a big country should act as such. There is no need to practice verbal sparring with the Philippines and Vietnam. Action is our real language. What China’s position on the South China Sea means and how the Philippines and Vietnam should deal with China in the South China Sea should all be understood from our actions, in addition to what we tell them.”

“The Philippines and Vietnam’s responses are not worthy of our real-time tracking. If they have a general knowledge of what’s going on, that is sufficient. Sansha City should seek its own development, becoming a real prefectural city, not a flower trellis that is on show for the Philippines and Vietnam."

“Regarding the friction and conflict in East Asia as well as in the world, China should also gradually change from asking others what to do to actively taking the initiative on our own. That way, we would not have much of a burden and would be much more relaxed.”

Source: Huanqiu, July 25, 2012.
http://world.huanqiu.com/observation/2012-07/2947155.html

On July 24, 2012, an inaugural ceremony was held for the opening of Sansha City. The ceremony took place on the Island of Yongxing, one of the Xisha Islands (called the Paracel Islands in Vietnam), Hainan Province. Sansha officially became China’s 285th prefectural level city, the southernmost tip prefectural city with the least population, the least land area, and the largest total area under its jurisdiction.

Hainan Provincial Party Secretary Luo Baoming spoke at the ceremony, saying that the CPC Central Committee and State Council’s decision to establish Shansha City was to carry out the administration, development, and protection of the Xisha Islands, the Dongsha Islands (also called the Pratas Islands in Taiwan), and the Nansha Islands (also called the Spratly Islands); and strive to make Sansha City an important base for maintaining South China Sea sovereignty and resource development services.

Source: People’s Daily, July 25, 2012
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/n/2012/0725/c1001-18590367.html

Huanqiu published a commentary titled "Russia Should Not Have Fired at Chinese Fishing Ships. "On July 16, 2012, an incident occurred in which the Russian coast guard seized a Chinese fishing vessel and detained 17 fishermen after it found they were allegedly fishing illegally in Russian-controlled waters in the Sea of Japan. During the pursuit, the Chinese sailors resisted being boarded, so the Russian coast guard fired directly at the ship. “The reckless behavior of the Russians at the grass-roots level not only harms Chinese confidence in fostering a long-term friendship with Russia, but also provides excuses for forces seeking to undermine Sino-Russia ties."

Source: Huanqiu, July 18, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2012-07/2923188.html

On July 19, 2012, in Beijing, Chinese president Hu Jintao attended the opening ceremony of the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Hu said that, in the next three years, the Chinese government will promote the new China-Africa strategic partnership and will take measures to support African peace and development in five key areas.

First, expand cooperation in investment and financing. China will provide a US$20 billion line of credit, with a focus on supporting African infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing and development of SMEs. Second, continue to expand aid to Africa, including building more agricultural technology centers, training 30,000 professionals for Africa, providing 18,000 government scholarships, and setting up cultural and vocational and technical training facilities; China will provide a 1500-person medical team. Third, build a cooperative partnership with Africa in cross-border inter-regional infrastructure construction; encourage able Chinese companies and financial institutions to be involved in African cross-border inter-regional infrastructure construction; help African countries improve customs and commodity inspection; and promote regional trade. Fourth, support and promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation of non-governmental organizations, women, and youth; set up a "China-Africa News Exchange Center” in China, to support the news agencies with both sides exchanging reporters; continue to implement the" China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program” to fund academic institutions and scholars on both sides to carry out 100 academic research, exchange, and cooperation projects. Fifth, China will launch a "Sino-Africa Peace and Security Partnership Initiative," to deepen its cooperation with the African Union and African countries in the field of peace and security, provide financial support to the AU peacekeeping operation, build a standing army, and increase trainings for peace and security officials and the number of peacekeepers for the AU.

Source: Xinhua, July 19, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-07/19/c_112477365.htm