Geo-Strategic Trend - 264. page

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith started their first round of bilateral strategic dialogue in Canberra on Tuesday. Yang expressed satisfaction toward Australia government’s one-china policy and opposition to Taiwan’s referendum on UN membership. Both Ministers agreed to strengthen high level communications, enhance mutual political trust, explore common interests, continue exchanges in culture and education, and deepen bilateral cooperation. Yang also met with Australia’s Prime Minster Kevin Rudd. The strategic dialogue mechanism between the two countries was set up when Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Australia in September 2007.

Source: Xinhua, February 5, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-02/05/content_7572994.htm

China and Japan’s officials of quality inspection and commerce had a closed-door meeting on February 5 in Beijing to discuss the Japanese food poisoning incident by pesticide-tainted dumplings imported from China. Both sides expressed to closely cooperate in the investigation. They will go to the food processing company in Hebei together for further investigation.

Source: Xinhuanet.com, February 5, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-02/05/content_7571883.htm

On May 14, 2007 Russian immigration authorities arrested and subsequently deported a 73-year-old U.N. Refugee who is a Chinese Falun Gong practitioner. Sources say it is part of a deal between Russia and China.

On May 14, 2007, in Sichuan, China launched a communications satellite NIGCOMSAT-1 for Nigeria. It is the first time a foreign buyer has purchased a Chinese satellite and its launching mechanism. The event has been officially touted as the beginning of China’s presence in the international market of commercial satellites.[1]

China has three launch sites. The other two are the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

After the cold war, China became the largest developing country in the world, while Africa, as a continent, encompasses most of the developing nations. Below are two exerpts from articles. One is about a review of the Forum of China Africa Cooperation. [1] It summarizes the investments that China has made in African countries.  The other article is about the support that African countries have given China in return.

Xiamen Star issued a "2006 Taiwan Report" authored by a group of experts and scholars from Mainland China and Taiwan. Those from Mainland China allege that Taiwan has entered a new period of political turmoil, color revolution is taking place in Taiwan and public opinion will decide who is the winner in Taiwan election.

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.