Geo-Strategic Trend - 251. page

The fourth annual Confucius Institute will be held in Beijing December 11 to 13. As a press conference for the event, Xu Lin, the Director of the state agency Hanban, and The Chinese Language Council International under Ministry of Education, commented that the impact on Confucius Institutes and overseas Chinese language promotion is counter-cyclical. 

According to Outlook Magazine, among China, the U.S. and India’s relationship, the U.S. has the largest advantage, while China must nurture its relationship with India, “India believes that the U.S. apathy toward India is largely because the United States pays more attention to China. If the U.S. and China get closer, it will undermine India’s interests.” “In the trilateral relationships among China, the U.S. and India, the U. S. is the most powerful with the greatest initiative, while the relationship between China and India is marginalized and needs careful nurturing.”

The article holds that the U.S. fosters tension in the Sino-Indian relationship in order to lure India into the U.S encirclement to contain China. The article warns that if the Indian government chooses to blindly follow the U.S., acting as its pawn to contain China, then it will have a negative impact on Sino-Indian relations.

Source: Legal Daily, December 1, 2009
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/2007jdwt/2009-12/01/content_1189703.htm

On November 27, China Arts & Entertainment Group (CAEG) signed a strategic cooperation pact with the Export-Import Bank of China. This is the first instance of a state policy bank providing preferential financing to a large cultural enterprise, said Xinhua. 

The Chinese Communist Party Central Committee sent the Deputy Director of the International Liaison Department, Chen Fengxiang, to attend the 11th Congress of the United Russia Party held on November 21 in Saint Petersburg. Chen also delivered a speech in the forum entitled “Party Responsibilities During A Period of Crisis.”

Source: People’s Daily, November 21, 2009
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64107/64112/10423109.html 

In Sudan, on the evening of November 17, according to the website of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee’s International Department, the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir had a meeting in Khartoum  with the CCP’s chief of legal affairs and Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang. 

On November 20, 2009, Xinhua reported that China is Iran’s largest trading partner.  In 2008, the direct bilateral trade amounted to 27.6 billion U.S. dollars. The trade volume from January to September this year has already reached 15.4 billion U.S. dollars including 5.5 billion U.S. dollars in exports and 10.0 billion U.S. dollars in imports. 

In November 2008, China and Iran signed an “Understanding Memorandum on Sino-Iranian Investment.” From January to September this year, Iran has invested $67.0 million in China; China has invested $159 million in Iran. Iran is China’s third largest crude oil importer. In 2008, china imported 21.3 million tons of crude oil from Iran, accounting for 12% of China’s imported crude oil.

Source: Xinhua, November 20, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-11/20/content_12512183.htm

Lee Kuan Yew, former paramount leader of Singapore, during his recent tour of the U.S., delivered a speech reminding the U.S. to play an important role in Asian affairs in order to balance China’s military and economic power. Chinese state-run media exhibited limited dissatisfaction, stating that the Chinese netizens were furious about Lee’s speech, but then quoting reports from oversees media and interviews with experts with mild criticism of Lee Kuan Yew or even an explanation for Lee from Singapore’s perspective.

Sources:
1. Global Times, November 4, 2009
http://world.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-11/622707.html
2. China News Service, November 4, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/hb/news/2009/11-04/1946402.shtml

On October 27, 2009, foreign affairs ministers of China, India and Russia met in Bangalore, India. A Joint Communique was issued afterwards and published in People’s Daily.

The Communique stated that the improved economic conditions of the three countries will facilitate even faster growth. “The strengthened communication of the three countries will benefit improvement of their overall influence, promotion of the democratic process, and development of a multi-polar world.”

The Communique enumerated mechanisms for the three countries to launch talks on global economic management, climate change, trade policy, development, and cooperation.

The Communique asked for a “comprehensive reform” of the United Nations. China and Russia support India’s wish to play a larger role in the UN.

Source: People’s Daily, October 29, 2009
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2009-10/29/content_371134.htm