Geo-Strategic Trend - 243. page

Zhou Yongkang, a senior Communist official and one of the nine-member standing committee of the Politburo, led a Chinese delegation to attend North Korea’s 65th anniversary celebration of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. During his 3-day visit from October 9 to 11, Zhou met with Kim Jong-Il four times. Zhou also “had extensive contacts with the newly elected Workers’ Party leadership.” Zhou also watched a military parade and the evening celebration performance. Kim Jong-Il said that he and the central group leadership would like to visit China often.

[Ed: The newly elected leadership may refer to Kim Jong-Un, Kim Jong-Il’s selected heir].

Source: Xinhua, October 11, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/11/c_12648095.htm

The People’s Daily website published an article consisting of reports from the U.K., U.S., Russia, and Turkey on the military exchange that China held with Turkey from September 20 to October 4. It stated that “this military exchange is a ‘joint training’ but not a ‘joint exercise.’” China flew its Su-27 planes over Pakistan and Iran to land at Turkey’s air force base, a journey of over 4,000 miles, without aerial refueling.

Source: People’s Daily website, October 10, 2010
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/42969/58519/12910945.html

On October 2, while Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was attending the Eighth Asia-Europe Summit in Brussels, Yin Jiwu, an associate professor at the International Relations Institute of Beijing Foreign Language University, wrote an article that was published in Global Times, a newspaper under Xinhua, titled “Asia-Europe Cooperation Should Exclude the United States.” 

Yin believed that issues that concerned the Summit provided a clue as to which direction the world would move in the post-U.S. era. Yin said that the current development issues mostly involve how to have sustainable development and how to advance together economically, with human happiness and dignity. In this respect, he continued, the U.S Model of liberal capitalism is already out of date. This is also where Asia and Europe can exclude the United States in their cooperation.

Source: Xinhua, October 2, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-10/02/c_12625867.htm

The Chinese Embassy in Italy held a press conference on October 1 in Rome announcing “Chinese Culture Year” in Italy. The coordinator on the Italian side suggested that the project will “present today’s China.” Italy had an “Italian Culture Year” campaign in 1996, and this Chinese announcement marked the start of a similar initiative. The “Year” begins in October 2010 and ends in September 2011. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is expected to attend the opening ceremony scheduled for October 7. Multiple activities are planned to take place in 10 cities including Rome, Florence and Milan.

Source: Xinhua, October 1, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/01/c_12626369.htm

The Export-Import Bank of China has signed a $56.4 million loan agreement with the African Export-Import Bank. The loan will be used to finance Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Co., Ltd. (ZTE) so that it can export telecommunication equipment to Africa for projects in Zimbabwe and Burundi, said Xinhua, citing the African bank’s president, Jean-Louis Ekra.

According to officials from the Export-Import Bank of China, the African Export-Import Bank held its 85th Board meeting in Beijing, the first board meeting outside the African member countries. It was meant to promote across the board development of the China-Africa partnership.

ZTE was established in 1985 by a group of state-owned enterprises associated with China’s Ministry of Aerospace. It is publicly traded in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Source: Xinhua, September 28, 2010.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/28/c_13534034.htm

On September 27, 2010, China’s President Hu Jintao and Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev signed a joint statement to "deepen their strategic coordination partnership.” Both sides agreed that mutual support on core interests of state sovereignty and territory claims is an important component of China-Russian strategic cooperation.

Russia reaffirmed its support for China’s positions on Taiwan, Tibet and East Turkistan, while China affirmed its support for Russia’s effort to stabilize the Caucasus and Commonwealth of Independent States. They also agreed to jointly work on anti-terrorism issues more frequently and hold regular working sessions. The joint statement was affirmed in a statement of the importance and efficiency of the Chinese-Russia energy negotiation mechanism. Both sides agreed “to hold the same position on maintaining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization region, as well as peace and stability in Central Asia.”

Source: Xinhua, September 28, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/28/c_13534081.htm

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited China from September 26 to 28, including Dalian, Beijing, and Shanghai. On September 27, Hu Jintao met Medvedev in Beijing. After the meeting, they attended a ceremony celebrating the signing of more than 10 cooperation agreements, including a joint statement on comprehensively promoting the Russian-Chinese relationship of partnership and strategic cooperation, a joint statement on the occasion of the 65th anniversary since the end of the Second World War, and a memorandum of understanding and treaties on cooperation regarding resources. Medvedev stated, “The size of my delegation was unprecedented. It shows the high level of cooperation between the two countries…”

Source: China News Service, September 27, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2010/09-27/2558988.shtml