Geo-Strategic Trend - 237. page

On February 25, 2011, People’s Daily published an article criticizing the U.S. government for “abandoning Mubarak unsympathetically at the critical moment,” which has “not only disappointed other US Middle East allies, but also let them further understand the pragmatic nature of the U.S. Middle East foreign policy.” By listing current and historic examples of U.S. foreign policy decisions in Egypt, Iran and Libya, the article concludes that the purpose for the U.S. to promote democracy in the Middle East is to control its strategic benefits in the Middle East out of self interest. 

Source: People’s Daily, February 25, 2011
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14001278.html

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), Asia’s largest refiner, completed its acquisition of Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s Argentine oil and gas unit for $2.45 billion. The acquisition agreement was signed on December 10, 2010. This purchase gives Sinopec an interest in 23 production and exploration concessions in Santa Cruz, Mendoza, and Chubut provinces. According to Sinopec Groups, in 2010, petroleum production had reached 15 million barrels with natural gas sales hitting 14 billion cubic feet.

Source: Xinhua, February 23, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/23/c_121114769.htm

On February 17, 2011, People’s Daily reported Finance Ministry Spokesperson Yao Jian’s comments on Finance Minister Chen Deming’s visit to three African countries (Morogo, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana) from February 13-17. Yao said the visit carried special meaning because it took place against the backdrop of the 55th anniversary of China-Africa cooperation and the full-scale implementation of the eight new strategies put forth by the fourth minister’s conference of the China-Africa cooperation forum. The China-Africa cooperation forum was established in 2000. Over the last decade, the scale of cooperation has steadily increased. The amount of bilateral trade has increased from US$10 billion in 2000 to US$126.9 billion. Investments cover the areas of mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and so on. Since July 1, 2010, China has reduced its customs duty by 60 percent for 26 African countries. China also encourages and supports Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Africa, and expand in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, finance, commerce, and environmental protection.

Source: People’s Daily, February, 17, 2011
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/13942743.html

"The Chinese Communist Party is working directly with local organizations and businesses in Taiwan, looking for agents, instead of dealing with the Nationalist Party leaders (the Kuomintang)," said Wu Zhaoxie (Joseph Wu), a research fellow at National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations. “Further, there are more political parties [in Taiwan now] … about 140 of them. Most of them are one person or three to five-person parties, funded by Taiwan businesses or Mainland civic groups or organizations. Actually the Chinese Communist Party is behind them.” Wu made this statement on February 15, 2011, during an interview with Epoch Times after the Taiwan Cross-strait Business Relations Forum.  

As the former head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C.,Wu was the chief representative of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the United States. 

Source: Epoch Times, February 15, 2011
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/11/2/15/n3171118.htm

Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos recently told Financial Times that China has proposed building a railway to connect Colombia’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts as an alternative to the Panama Canal. The US$7.6 billion project, to be funded by the Chinese Development Bank, will be operated by the China Railway Group.

China’s ambassador to Colombia, Gao Zhengyue, told president Santos, “Colombia has a very important strategic position. We view the country as a port to the rest of Latin America.” According to Financial Times, “The 220km ‘dry canal’ would run from the Pacific to a new city near Cartagena where imported Chinese goods would be assembled for re-export throughout the Americas. Colombia-sourced raw materials would make the return journey to China.” 

Source: Financial Times, February 13, 2011
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e14756c-37a9-11e0-b91a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1E2w2RaDQ

On February 10, 2011, China expressed its support for the Mubarak government’s efforts to “maintain social stability and restore order” through a statement by its Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu, “China understands and supports Egypt’s efforts to maintain social stability and restore normal order, and holds that Egypt should decide its own affairs independently, without intervention from the outside.” On February 12, 2011, after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, Ma commented, “I hope the latest developments will help Egypt restore national stability and the normal order.” Official media in China only briefly reported the events in Egypt.

Source: China News, February 10, 2011 & Xinhua, February 12, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/02-10/2834006.shtml
http://news.xinhuanet.com/video/2011-02/12/c_121070763.htm

Xinhua published an article on February 12, 2011, stating that southern Sudan’s independence is a tragedy. The article blamed the United States for being hostile to Sudan for a long time, making a big fuss over the genocide in Darfur, and issuing an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President al-Bashir. The article suggested that it was suspicious that the leader of South Sudan, John Garang, who was a firm supporter of Sudan’s unification, was killed in a plane crash. “Looking back, the West determined the road of separation that Sudan took. South Sudan, after its independence, will probably embrace the West like Kosovo has done. The northern government of Sudan will have more difficulties in contending with the United States.”

Source: Xinhua, February 12, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-02/12/c_121069952.htm