Geo-Strategic Trend - 224. page

The State Information Center published an article in Outlook Weekly recommending that China join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact, an Asia-Pacific regional trade agreement. The United States, eight other partners, and Japan have announced plans to participate and are currently negotiating. “Once the TPP is implemented, it will most likely change the current pattern of economic development and trade, have a profound influence on global, economic, and trade relations and regional economic cooperation and impact other forms of the multilateral trading system in the region.” With TPP, the U.S. intends to lead the future in economic cooperation in the region and formulate the new economic order with the U.S. as the center. “TPP may be viewed as the core strategy of the U.S. ‘New Pacific Century.’” The article recommends that China participate as early as possible so that it can set the standards and position itself well strategically.

Source: Outlook Weekly, November 14, 2011
http://www.lwgcw.com/NewsShow.aspx?newsId=24415

On November 14, 2011, China and Pakistan started a two-week joint anti-terrorism military exercise in Pakistan. The drill, which will end on November 27, 2011, is called “Friendship 2011.” China has sent 260 soldiers including special forces and army aviation helicopters to the drill site, while Pakistan has sent 230 Pakistani soldiers including special forces, helicopters, and fighter jets to participate in the drill.

“This joint drill is being conducted in six steps, namely ‘intelligence and information exchange, long range maneuvers, the establishment of a joint command system, adaptability training, comprehensive training, and theoretical discussions.’"

“This is the 4th anti-terrorism joint training drill that the Chinese and Pakistani armies have held with the aim of improving the two militaries’ capability to deal jointly with non-traditional security threats.”

Source: Xinhua, November 14, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-11/14/c_111165724.htm 

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