Geo-Strategic Trend - 253. page

"After Obama’s smile (during his G20 trip and Europe/Asia tour), if no concrete action follows up, maybe comic cartoons is the only place for his ‘signature smile’." Stated a commentary by the International Herald Leader on April 14.

The article said that Obama’s signature smile was successful but failed to solve problems. "The smiles cover up the embarrassment of the US and its unwillingness to take additional responsibilities," the article commented on the change of the body language of the current president,"… we will expect to see the US to be more modest and self-restrained as well as being flexible and smart… How long can his smiles last under the current domestic situation?" The article asks, "In the eyes of those conservative forces in the US, US interest takes superiority over others. It will not allow its hegemony to be challenged … The attack from the conservatives against Obama’s bow to the King of Saudi Arabia at G20 shows that it is not easy for the US to set down its haughty airs and smile with sincerity to the world."

Source: Xinhua, April 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-04/14/content_11183659.htm

The state-owned China Development Bank will loan $1 billion to Ecuador to finance energy and infrastruture in exchange for Ecuadoran oil, reports Caijing, a top financial magazine in China. According to the agreement, the loan will be used mostly to help to finance oil, natural gas and potential hydropower projects that could boost energy production. Ecuador will provide mid to long term oil shipments as payment for the loan.

China has spent billions of dollars on energy and mining projects across Latin America in recent years in a bid to gain control over the oil, metals and other natural resources needed to fuel its economy.

Source: Caijing, April 7, 2009
http://www.caijing.com.cn/2009-04-07/110134040.html

Xinhua reported that, according to Taiwan media, Mainland China is encouraging Mainland media to invest in Taiwan media. On April 7, 2009, the General Administration of the Press and Publications of the PRC issued guidlines to further promote the reform of the Press and Publications.

Xinhua states, “According to Taiwan media, the Guidelines encourage Mainland media to go out and establish newspapers, journals, press houses, and printing shops through wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and cooperatives, and to expand their markets in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and foreign markets.” “The Guidelines recommend that six or seven large mass media each with assets and sales exceeding 10 billion RMB be established over the next three to five years.”

Sources:
Xinhua, April 7, 2009
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2009-04/07/content_11141968.htm
General Administration of Press and Publication of the PRC, April 7, 2009
http://www.gapp.gov.cn/cms/html/21/367/200904/463212.html

Chinese President Hu Jintao met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in London on April 1, 2009, hours after China and France issued a press communiqué.  In the communiqué France pledged not to support "Tibet independence" in any form. However, Xinhua reports that Tibetan supporters still “have support among French voters and politicians.” On March 2 Xinhua published an article to quash rumors that China threatened to cancel Airbus aircraft orders worth tens of billions of U.S. dollars as a warning to the French government.

Sources:
Xinhua, April 2, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-04/02/content_11121095.htm
Xinhua, March 2, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2009-03/02/content_10925108.htm

Reporter of Xinhua’s International Herald Tribune reports from Congo’s capital Kinshasa that the road maintenance project co-operated by China Enterprises United Inc. and Congo’s is under way normally. The reporter describes that the warm atmosphere of Chinese engineers and the local workers working together forms a stark contrast with the (Western) reports that the “project is being stopped.” The report says that Western countries regard Congo as their territory of interests because of Congo’s rich natural resource and important geographic location. Western countries tried to interfere since the beginning of the negotiation of cooperation between China and Congo. They pressured Congo government through their controlled World Band and IMF. The report further says that Congo government resisted the pressure from the West and welcomed the China’s help. Now the preparation phase of the projects is progressing on normal track.

Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-02/17/content_10831601.htm

Zhao Yang, the deputy chief of the Office of Overseas Affairs (OOA) under the State Council, talked to Xinhua after attending the 7th Annual Conference of The Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS) in Chicago on December 13 and 14.

Zhao mentioned four measures to be taken by OOA for promoting overseas Chinese language teaching. First, strengthen the communication and cooperation between Chinese communities and local governments; second, advance the role of Joint Conference of State Overseas Chinese Language Education Work, adding governmental support to language education; third, OOA is to launch degree programs to train overseas teachers of Chinese language; fourth, OOA will selectively build a batch of “Chinese Education Model Schools” and offer key support in textbooks and teacher’s training.

Source: Xinhua, December 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2008-12/16/content_10513693.htm

Russia and China are determined to breakthrough the stalled situation of arms cooperation in air force during the 13th Conference of Russia and China’s United Commission of Military Technology Cooperation on December 11, 2008. Russia and China’s military technology cooperation in the area of air force equipment  has stalled for the past couple of years. The conference will discuss the issue of Russia manufacturing Russian airplanes in China and how to expand the cooperation in this area, including gaining permission to manufacture Su-27 and Su-30 in China and receiving service after the sale.

Source: Xinhua, December 11, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-12/11/content_10487989.htm

The Third Annual Confucius Institute’s Global Conference was held on December 9, 2008 in Beijing. The conference was attended by 249 university presidents and deans of Confucius Institutes from 78 countries. The Minister of Education, Zhou Ji, hosted the conference. Liu Yandong, a Poliburo member of Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party, State Councilor, and Chairman of the Board of the Headquarters of the Confucius Institute, made a presence and addressed to the attendees. In the speech, Liu laid out the strategy for the development of global Confucius Institutes, including setting up a few “model Confucius Institutes”, and playing the roles of China scholars and China Study Programs in host countries.

Source: Xinhua, December 9, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-12/09/content_10480010.htm