Geo-Strategic Trend - 230. page

VOA published an article on concerns over China’s overseas investments. The article said that as demand for raw materials increases in China, many Chinese companies have gone overseas and signed contracts with local companies. However, China’s foreign expansion has raised concerns over the direct impact on the world’s economic development, environmental issues, and compensation to workers in those countries.
 
In VOA’s interview with J. Peter Pham, Director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, Pham said that since China’s loans are paid in the form of investment in the infrastructure or soft loans, the cash that those foreign countries were to receive would have been a lot less than expected. David Sean, a former official with the Department of State, told VOA that the trade relationship between China and African countries often lacks transparency and involves environmental concerns. Moreover, local hired workers often complain about their treatment and compensation. However Chinese government officials denied all of the above allegations and explained that, unlike other foreign investors, Chinese investors don’t get involved in local politics.

Source: VOA, July 1, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110701-china-global-investment20110701-china-global-investment-124886109.html

A two-day joint conference of the Confucius Institutes concluded in Buenos Aires on June 23, 2011. Wang Yongli, the deputy director of Hanban, the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, told Xinhua that the Confucius Institute is a non-profit educational institution, and that the Chinese government has actively supported the launch and development of Confucius Institutes around the world. In the course of operation, Hanban has seen enormous intangible benefits. 

Taiwan announced that, effective June 22, 2011, it will issue tourist visas for individual Mainland tourists to visit Taiwan. According to the immigration office, it will only require two working days to finish processing the visa application. The visa will allow tourists to stay in Taiwan for 15 days. The Taiwanese government is placing high hopes on the economic benefits. Since opening the door to Mainland’s group tours in July 2008, it has reaped $US3.8 billion in income in foreign exchange. At the same time, the concern for national security remains. Some of the sites such as military bases, national laboratories, and bio-technology research sites will remain off limits to individual tourists.

Source: BBC, June 22, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2011/06/110622_free_visiting_tw_james.shtml

According to a Chongqing Daily report republished by Xinhua, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, while attending a forum in Chongqing, expressed a strong interest in the activities of “sing-read-speak-spread,” a musical campaign to mark this year’s 90th anniversary of the Communist Party’s birth. Schröder told the reporter that he would very much like to listen to Chongqing’s “red” song [Note: the revolutionary song of the Chinese Communist Party] if he gets a chance next time. The report said, “Schröder believes that ‘sing-read-speak-spread’ is a very creative idea. It allows people to understand history and tradition more clearly. … Schröder expressed that there are many civilian chorus and art groups in Germany’s many cities. [He said] ‘I hope the German art groups will communicate with Chongqing’s Red Song Group to promote cultural prosperity together.”

Source: Xinhua, June 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-06/20/c_121555597_2.htm

An official Chinese media article commented on the statement of Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the U.S. military will hunt down and kill the new Al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al Zawahiri. “Although bin Laden is dead, the terrorist organizations remain. Information shows that bin Laden’s death has provoked terrorists’ retaliatory emotions. Some of the retaliatory verbiage and actions leave the U.S. no respite. It has no alternative but to deal with the anti-terrorism situation in the ‘post-Laden era.’” “After decades of development, the al-Qaeda organization has a solid foundation and a rich network. The U.S. counter-terrorism operations may intensify terrorists’ retaliations. The recent terrorist attacks demonstrate that the U.S. is already involved in a stalemate with al-Qaeda in cycles of ‘anti-terrorism – retaliation – more anti-terrorism – more retaliation.’”

Source: Science and Technology Daily, June 21, 2011
http://digitalpaper.stdaily.com:81/kjrb/html/2011-06/21/content_108367.htm?div=-1

Voice of America (VOA) recently reported that leaders who attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan denounced the U.S. National Missile Defense (NMD) system. They pointed out that a single-sided missile defense system will damage global strategic stability and security. The U.S. had suggested that a European missile defense system can safeguard the region against Iranian missiles. However Russia is concerned about the vulnerability of its own nuclear deterrence capabilities if such a European system is built. The President of Iran recently suggested that Central Asian countries should “create a new world order.” However, after the Summit, both the Chinese and Russian presidents called for a “more constructive Iranian attitude.”

Source: Voice of America, June 15, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/international/20110615-SCO-SUMMIT-123960309.html

China Economic Weekly carried a commentary questioning why Europeans has always controlled the IMF and whether it is a “world organization” or a “European organization.” It suggested that having members from developing countries on the management team of the IMF would be consistent with its legitimacy. The article refers to a statement made by IMF Executive Directors representing BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in May demanding “adequate representation of emerging market and developing members in the Fund’s management.”

As to the successor to the head of the IMF, the article points to the U.S., who is the biggest stockholder of the IMF, and said that the US has been controlling IMF operations behind the scenes but with no intention to fight for the title. However, “the US is unlikely to support any candidates outside of the European countries because it does not want to go against the European countries." The article quoted a number of people, including Amado Boudou, Minister of the Economy of Argentina, and Angel Gurría of OECO, who stated that it is time to break tradition and have someone other than a European hold the position.

Source: China Economic Weekly, June 13, 2011
http://www.ceweekly.cn/html/Article/20110613397335060.html

A Xinhua article commented on the New York Times report that the U.S. plans to invest US$70 million to develop a "shadow" Internet system and a “communication network of mobile phones” to help the opposition in Iran, Syria, and Libya avoid Internet censorship. The article said, “The U.S. spares no effort to develop such techniques. Its purpose is nothing but to have American values infiltrate other countries. … In the past decades, the U.S. spread its values mainly through broadcasters such as ‘Voice of America,’ ‘Radio Free Europe,’ and ‘Radio Free Asia.’ With the Internet boom, the U.S. has obviously moved the main battlefield of ideology to cyberspace.”