Geo-Strategic Trend - 247. page

In a joint statement on Wednesday, after a two-day visit that Chinese president Hu Jintao made to the member of The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China and Uzbekistan agreed to boost their bilateral relationship in security, natural gas, science & technology, agriculture, trade and investment. 

Xinhua republished an article from Wen Wei Po, stating that four Chinese top military leaders had visited ten countries in the past month. The Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Committee, Guo Boxiong, visited Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia. The Minister of Defense, Liang Guanglei, visited Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. The PLA Chief of General Staff, Chen Bingde, visited Namibia, Angola, and Tanzania. Director Li Jinai of the PLA General Political Department visited Vietnam. These visits were creative and productive as they focused on countries in Asia, Australia, and Africa at the time when the Sino-U.S. and Sino-E.U. military relationships are at a complicated stage.

The article also stated that Li Jinai’s visit to Vietnam settled some emergent issues, but it didn’t specify the details.

Source: Xinhua, June 5, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-06/05/content_13623144.htm

Global Times, under Chinese state daily news Renmin, republished a report by Xinhua that China National Petroleum Corporation recently signed an agreement with Myanmar Oil and Gas Company to be the controlling shareholder in a joint venture to construct an Oil and Gas Pipeline. The Gas Pipeline is 793 kilometers long in Myanmar while the Oil Pipeline is 771 kilometers in Myanmar. Both start from Kyaukpyu City of Myanmar and enter China via Ruili City of Yunnan Province. The design capacity of the Oil Pipeline and Gas Pipeline are 22 million tons per year and 12 billion cubic meters per year, respectively. On other fronts, the China-Russia Oil Pipeline will start production by the end of this year, and the China-Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipeline has been operational since last year.

Source: Global Times, June 4, 2010
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-06/843160.html

Li Yunshan, Politburo member and head of the Communist Party Propaganda Department, spoke at the May 24 reception of the China-Europe High-Level Political Party Forum in Bejing. The premise of his speech was “deepening strategic mutual trust and promoting across-the-board cooperation.” Li made three recommendations: one, to enhance strategic awareness and establish and perfect the communication mechanism; two, to enhance common understanding of win-win positions and broaden the cooperation channels; and three, to enhance inclusivity and solidify friendly co-existence. Communist Party officials from the International Department of the CCP Central Committee, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and the Reform Commission attended the event.

Source: International Department, Central committee of Communist Party of China, May 24, 2010 http://www.idcpc.org.cn/dongtai/100524-4.htm

As it has become impossible for China not to talk about the planning and execution of building overseas bases, China should just open its plan to and conduct public diplomacy with the world. Global Times published an article by Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute, Shanghai International Studies University, on opening such a discussion. Liu argued that such establishments are needed for both China’s own interests (trade, energy resources, investment, and overseas Chinese) and the broader international responsibilities that the international community asks China to take on. China’s good relationship with countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa makes it possible for China to move to the Indian Ocean. The short-term goal of overseas bases is to support the escort at the Gulf of Aden. For the long-term, the strategy should focus on the security of China’s energy resources path and China’s overseas interests.

Source: Global Times, May 20, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Exclusive/2010-05/821889.html

At the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao spoke for a strategic cooperation relationship with Arab countries featuring “comprehensive cooperation and joint development.” 

Xinhuan reported that Kim Jong-il made an informal visit to China between May 3 and May 7. He stopped in Beijing, Tianjin and Liaoning and met with all nine members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee. Hu Jintao proposed five suggestions in their conversation: (1) maintain top level contacts; (2) enhance strategic communication; (3) deepen trade cooperation; (4) extend culture exchanges; (5) improve coordination in international and regional affairs. Kim commented that the current core work of the North Korean Communist Party is to improve the living quality of the North Korean people. He also agreed that denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is still his policy. Establishing the positive conditions for returning to the Six Party Talks is also a priority. In his meeting with Kim, Wen Jiabao agreed to push trade cooperation, especially the projects with high priorities.

Source: Xinhua, May 7, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-05/07/c_1278775.htm

Wang Yongli has announced that Miami Dade College, the largest and most diverse community college in the U.S., with eight campuses and over 170,000 students from across the world, will host China’s Confucius Institute. Wang is the deputy director of Hanban, the Office of the Chinese Language Council International, an agency composed of government appointed officials in charge of the regime’s promotion of the Chinese language overseas. This move will help Chinese culture to extend into communities, and Wang says Hanban will supply Chinese teachers and Chinese sources, and sponsor China-related activities.