Geo-Strategic Trend - 224. page

On November 8, 2011, the first Confucius Institute opened in Geneva, Switzerland, through the collaborative efforts of Renmin University and the University of Geneva. The City of Geneva authorized the Institute to locate its facility in a villa on the shores of Lake Geneva. Wu Ken, China’s ambassador to Switzerland; Jin Yeran, President of the Confucius Institute; Ji Bachen, the President of Renmin University; university officials from Geneva University; and Geneva state officials attended the opening ceremony.

Source: Xinhua, November 9, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-11/09/c_122252926.htm

Huanqiu (Global Times) published a commentary on China’s difficult situation in deciding on its diplomatic stance on Iran’s nuclear issues because China is in the awkward position of being unable to support or oppose any international resolution to punish Iran. The article depicts such a situation as China’s diplomatic “embarrassment,” which happens whenever there is a serious international conflict.

The article explained that China is a country with two identities. First, China is a “developing country” and must give the priority to its actual interests. Second, China is a country with a different political system and ideology from Western countries, but is, at the same time, also a part of the global economic community and must highly cooperate with Western countries. Because Western countries overall are still much stronger [than china], China cannot fight against them [yet].

The article asks the Chinese public to understand the difficult situation and shoulder together as a nation some inevitable loss. The article also declared that “China’s rise will not be a smooth march all the way, … but the diplomatic ‘embarrassment’ will not stay with China forever. It is just a special situation during this period of time. China must ‘endure’ to get beyond it.”

Source: Huanqiu, November 10, 2011
http://finance.huanqiu.com/data/2011-11/2160281.html

China’s Premier, Wen Jiabao, when meeting with heads of delegations attending the 10th prime ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in St. Petersburg, Russia, renewed China’s proposal to establish a regional development bank. During last year’s meeting at Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, Wen suggested founding an SCO development bank in a bid to promote the development of a regional financing system. In St. Petersburg, Wen hoped the member countries would attach importance to China’s proposal. He recommended that an expert panel be put together to study the proposal and formulate plans for the establishment of the development bank. Wen also made a series of proposals for regular meetings of the finance ministers and central bank presidents, expansion of cooperation within the SCO regarding trade and settlement, and building a multi-level and multi-channel financing cooperation system.

Source: China National Radio, November 8, 2011
http://www.cnr.cn/china/yaowen/201111/t20111108_508744550.shtml

Wang Chen, the head of the State Council Information Office, stated at a recent conference, “With the ever intensified competition between countries in the area of national cultural soft power, the role of external communication has increased in importance. It helps China to develop into a powerful nation with socialist culture."

Wang, one of the top officials in charge of Beijing’s domestic and international propaganda, said that, as the world’s second largest economy, China needs to improve its cultural soft power. “Being capable in international communication is an integral part of [developing] cultural soft power and an important means to safeguard the nation’s image.” “Increasing our efforts in external communication is to implement the requirements of the Party’s sixth plenary session of the 17th Congress.”

Wang emphasized that today’s world hopes to hear more from China, as the U.S. and Europe are plagued by debt problems. He asked for China’s discourse system in the international community to be built up and for the channels for cultural exchanges to expand constantly.

Source: Xinhua, October 28, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-10/28/c_111131045.htm

The “Xin Jing Shan Chinese School” in Melbourne Australia and the “Jia Hua School” in Montreal Canada are the two Chinese schools in foreign countries that have been named as “Shanghai Oversea’s Cultural Promotion Centers,” the first in China. According to Cui Minghua, director of the Oversea’s Chinese Affairs Office in Shanghai, the Oversea’s Cultural Promotion Center will increase China’s cultural influence in the world and provide assistance to schools and agencies with programs such as exchange students, teachers, cooperation between schools, and sharing teaching resources. The Center will work with the existing 39 Chinese education sites in Shanghai to promote education and cultural exchanges between Shanghai and overseas Chinese education centers.

The “Xin Jing Shan Chinese School” in Melbourne was formed in 1992 and has 9 school districts with 4,000 students and 200 teachers. It is the largest Chinese schools in Australia. “Jia Hua School,” the top Chinese school in Montreal, was formed in 1994. It has 2,000 students and the most comprehensive Chinese teaching curriculum in the Eastern Canadian region.

Source: Xinhua, October 27, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-10/27/c_111129078.htm

The International Herald Leader, which is under Xinhua News Agency, recently published an article commenting on Japan’s new political position against China. The article referred to the Japanese prime minister’s recent “shocking” comments that suggest that China’s activities in nearby seas were a threat to Japan’s national security. It listed some initiatives that Japan has taken that were unfriendly to China, such as increasing Japanese air force patrols of the East China Sea, joining the push to establish a multi-national framework in the South China Sea, and uniting neighboring countries with “the same value system.” The article alluded to Japan’s long history of invading other countries with no intention of offering sincere apologies. The author stated that China values peace but is not afraid of war. He called for establishing a grand and strong Chinese navy and remembering the fact that China must increase its readiness for war.

Source: Xinhua, October 21, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-10/21/c_131202354.htm

Recently, the China Center for International Economic Exchanges held its 28th Monthly Economic Talk. At the event, Xie Yajing, the Chinese Commercial Counselor for Western Asian and African Affairs, summarized the achievements in China-Africa economic cooperation in the following areas:

1) The trade between China and Africa showed an annual growth of 30 percent. In 2011, it reached US$126.9 billion, which is ten times the amount it was in 2000. In the first half of 2011, total trade reached US$79 billion. The figure for the full year is expected to reach a new record high. China is Africa’s largest economic partner. Meanwhile, Africa’s trade with China accounts for 10 percent of its total foreign trade.

2) By the end of 2010, China’s direct investment in Africa surpassed US$10 billion. In 2010 alone, China’s non-financial investment was US$1 billion, 5 times the size it was in the year 2000. There are 2,000 Chinese companies investing in Africa covering areas such as agriculture, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, and food services.

3) Over the past 50 years, China has constantly provided aid to Africa. The total of over 800 projects includes railway construction – 2,000 kilometers; road construction – 3,000 kilometers, training – 3,000 people; and medical aid – 17,000 visits to medical personnel.

4) Cooperation in building infrastructure is the key trading component between China and Africa. China has provided non-interest bearing loans, loans on favorable terms, commercial loans, and so on. Chinese companies have invested in projects in Africa from electricity, telecommunications, and transportation, to energy. Its total investment in Infrastructure accounts for 2/3 of the total infrastructure spending in Africa.

Source: China Internet Information Center, October 21, 2011
http://www.china.com.cn/economic/txt/2011-10/21/content_23688099.htm

On October 20, 2011, Liu Yunshan, a Politburo member and Chief of the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department, met with a group of officials who are in charge of press affairs in developing countries. The group included 23 senior news and press officials and staff members from 12 developing countries. The Party offered a training session in which all of them participated. Wang Chen, the Minister of the State Council Information Office, also attended the meeting.

Liu said, “China and the developing countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship. To strengthen China’s friendly cooperation with developing countries is not only an important cornerstone of China’s foreign policy, but also our long-term and firm strategic choice. In recent years, on the basis of traditional friendship, the relationships between developing countries have achieved new progress. Cooperation and exchanges in the field of news media have been strengthened and mutual understanding and affection have improved.”

Source: Xinhua, October 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-10/20/c_111111264.htm