Geo-Strategic Trend - 253. page

In a speech delivered at a seminar that the Communist Party held on Hong Kong’s Basic Law, Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, stated that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy is granted by the Mainland Central Government and that there is no separation of powers in the Hong Kong political system.

On July 15, China launched its first international student camp as part of its "soft power" campaign to exert influence abroad using non-military, and non-economic means. 850 students from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Korea attended this government sponsored international Chinese language learning program.

On July 17, 2007, a former Chinese diplomat disclosed that Chinese Communist regime kidnapped a New Zealand resident two years ago and brought her back to China via a state-owned ship that was waiting in New Zealand waters. "The kidnapped woman was very valuable to the Communist Party." Chen Yonglin, former First Secretary in Australia, made the disclosure amid recent accounts from former Chinese student leaders at universities in Australia, Europe and the United States revealing how China has used Chinese student organizations to infiltrate universities and communities in Western countries.

China’s State Food and Drug Administration confirms that it is investigating the death of Political minister Whang Joung Il of the Korean Embassy in China.  The Senior Korean Diplomat to China died in Beijing after eating a sandwich. The incident occurred amidst concern following many reports about unsafe ingredients in products from China.

According to a Xinhua report, a government think tank concluded that what has happened in Iraq demonstrates that western democracy will not result in prosperity but in chaos and instability.

China and South Africa established a strategic dialogue mechanism on Monday, January 7, during Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s visit. Yang and his counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma agreed on the mechanism aimed to enhance high-level exchanges and promote long term political and economic cooperation. 10 years ago, S. Africa broke ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China. The visit marks the first African tour by China’s top diplomat in his post. It will be followed by trips to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Ethiopia.

Source: Voice of America, January 8, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-01-08-voa49.cfm

On the New Year’s Day of 2008, China’s state media Xinhua posted a slogan “2008, the World Belongs to China” in the headline at its website’s World Report section. The slogan was later changed to “2008, the World Expects that China Appears in Perfect Form.” On the other hand, the website also republished on the same page two articles that predict the downhill slide of the United States. One, quoted as “by Japanese media,” runs a title of “The American Era Is Ending.” The other one, quoted from Financial Times, is titled “The Era of U.S. Dollar’s Dominance Is No Longer Existent.”

Source: Xinhuanet, January 1, 2008

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-01/01/content_7347547.htm

On the New Year’s Day of 2008, China’s state media Xinhua posted a slogan “2008, the World Belongs to China” in the headline at its website’s World Report section. The slogan was later changed to “2008, the World Expects that China Appears in Perfect Form.” On the other hand, the website also republished on the same page two articles that predict the downhill slide of the United States. One, quoted as “by Japanese media,” runs a title of “The American Era Is Ending.” The other one, quoted from Financial Times, is titled “The Era of U.S. Dollar’s Dominance Is No Longer Existent.”

Source: Xinhuanet, January 1, 2008

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-01/01/content_7347547.htm