Geo-Strategic Trend - 245. page

According to a People’s Daily article on April 28, at the Fourteenth Meeting of the Eleventh National People’s Congress in Beijing, the Minister of Culture, Cai Wu, reported on the ever-growing international influence of Chinese domestic culture products. 

The International Herald Leader, under Xinhua, recently published an article discussing the fact that Foreign Policy Magazine is now grouping Venezuela, Iran and Russia into a new acronym, “VIRUS.” Foreign Policy believes these countries are a threat to the U.S. and the entire order of the West.

The author of the International Herald Leader article suggested that the U.S. is fond of labeling other countries, such as the “Axis of Evil” label that the earlier administration came up with. However the author thought the U.S. is only pretending to have moral superiority because the label “Totalitarian Dictatorship” does not apply to Saudi Arabia and “Democratic Bridgehead” won’t apply to democratically elected Hamas. The article concluded that the labels may reflect U.S. policy directions, and that some of them are worth monitoring.

Source: Xinhua, April 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-04/22/content_13402389.htm

Global Times quoted an article from the Nigeria Daily Sun newspaper on April 8, “Air Force Has Recovered Its ‘Broken Wings’ – Inaugurates Chinese Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.” It claimed that Nigeria has recovered its air force power after spending US$250 million to purchase fifteen F-7 fighter planes and armaments from China. The deal included twelve F-7NI single-seat fighters, three F-7NI double seat trainers, twenty live PL-9C air-to-air missiles, ten training PL-9 rounds, unguided rockets, and 250/500 kg bombs. Nigeria’s government approved the deal in 2005. China started training Nigerian pilots in 2008 and delivered the aircraft in 2009. China’s F-7 is a Chinese copy of the Russian Mig-21.

Sources:
1. Global Times, April 9, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2010-04/771941.html
2. Daily Sun, Nigeria, April 8, 2010
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/apr/08/national-08-04-2010-025.htm

Boxun (peacehall.com and boxun.com), an independent online Chinese news source, published an article based on information from Associated Press on April 5, 2010, titled, “Europe Exclaimed: China Swept the Entire Eastern Europe with a Trump in Hand.”¹

The article reported that “the Chinese government’s approach is very simple. It just starts from economic cooperation. The trump in hand is the money.”

The article further pointed out that “China’s investment in the Balkans is not for money but for positioning itself in international politics. China sends a strong signal to the world through (its involvement) in the Balkans that … China is no longer a regional power but a real world power. China is on the way towards world hegemony. The Balkans is only a geographical location on its schedule.”

1. Ed. Note: The original article from Associated Press could be found.

Source: Boxun, April 5, 2010
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/army/2010/04/201004051101.shtml
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/army/2010/04/201004051101.shtml

China Great Wall Industry Corporation signed an agreement with the Republic of Bolivia at the Presidential Palace in La Paz. The agreement includes the delivery of a communications satellite and corresponding land systems. The satellite will be based on the Chinese Dong Fang Hong 4 platform. It will be launched 33 months after the contract takes effect. The theoretical life span of the satellite is 15 years. This is the first satellite owned by Bolivia. China entered the international satellite production and launching market in 1990. This is the sixth on-orbit delivery contract.

Source: Xinhua, April 2, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-04/02/c_1213458.htm

Li Baodong, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, announced on March 31 that the Chinese government will add 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) to Haiti’s post-quake relief. 

North Korea’s top leader Kim Jong-il will most likely visit China soon, according to the International Herald Leader. The article suggests that the most obvious reason for Kim’s visit is to ask for financial aid from China. North Korea is short of funds, especially since last-year’s embargo initiated by the U.N. that greatly restricted North Korea’s arm sales overseas. Also, Kim Jong-il is likely to officially introduce his chosen successor, his third son Kim Jong-un to Chinese leaders. The article said that Kim Jong-il’s visit to China will fall between March 25 and 31. He will visit Northeast China first before he comes to Beijing.

Source: International Herald Leader, March 25, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-03/25/content_13242755.htm

While visiting Russia on March 23, China’s Vice President Xi Jinping joined Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin for the opening ceremony of Russia’s “Chinese Year.”