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The New U.S. Maritime Strategy Shows Its Two-Faced Nature towards China

People’s Daily Overseas Edition published an article commenting on the new U.S. maritime strategy that the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard jointly issued on March 13, titled, "A Cooperative Strategy for the 21st Century Sea power: Forward, Engaged, Ready." This is the first revision of the 2007 edition of its maritime strategy in nearly eight years. 

The article said, “The new U.S. maritime strategy listed China, together with such countries as Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as its security challenges or threats. It significantly strengthened its attention to and vigilance toward China.” 
The article said that the new strategy made groundless accusations against China’s legitimate actions of safeguarding its maritime rights and interests and it slandered China for using force or for intimidating other countries while maintaining its sovereignty. The article also stated, “Although the new strategy didn’t specifically name China, the U.S. media made it clear that China is one of the target countries in its ‘all domain access’ combat operation.” 

The article further commented, “Looking at the new U.S. maritime strategy, between the lines, it is full of a Cold War mentality. First, the U.S. military continues to regard China as a potential military adversary, continues to develop combat capability against China, continues to strengthen its military deployment around China, and continues to strengthen its military alliances that were established during the Cold War with Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and other countries. [The new strategy] turns a blind eye to China’s efforts – to its restraint in recent years when dealing with maritime disputes with its neighboring countries. It continues its efforts to use these maritime disputes to contain China’s development. Second, the U.S. military’s ‘all domain access’ concept of combat operations is to develop the U.S. military’s combat capability of free access to other country’s sea shores and even inland. This is undoubtedly hegemonic and tyrannous thinking.” 
Source: People’s Daily, March 16, 2015 
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2015-03/16/content_1542885.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

BBC Chinese: U.S. Students No Longer Enthusiastic about China

BBC Chinese recently reported that fewer and fewer U.S. students are planning to advance their education in China. According to the University of California’s overseas education program, the number of the students planning to go to China for their studies is less than half of what it was four years ago. Several other similar organizations also see the same trend. Analysts said that one of the major concerns that the U.S. students have is the severe environmental pollution in China. Another key concern is that job opportunities in China are on the decline. More and more international companies are hiring the locals who received their education in the U.S. Many international education organizations have found that most of the students who still visit China have plans for only a short-term stay. Their purpose is largely for tourism instead of serious educational goals. Fewer and fewer U.S. students are interested in learning Chinese. 
Source: BBC Chinese, March 12, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/03/150312_us_china_students
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Study Times: US Asia-Pacific Rebalancing Strategy and Its Challenge to China

Study Times, a major journal that examines CCP policy, published an article analyzing the policy the U.S. applies in its Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy. The article was republished in other major state-run media such as Qiushi and People’s Daily. 

The article stated, “Since coming to power in 2009, the Obama administration has tried to apply new thinking and adjustments to the reality that the United States faces in considering its international status and global strategy. Regarding its China policy, the Obama administration changed from the ‘strategic reassurance’ used in 2009 to the ‘hedge on both sides’ used after 2010. He has paid more attention to containing China. The implementation of this policy shift serves to strengthen operations in the Asia Pacific region and actively promote the so-called ‘Asia-Pacific rebalancing’ strategy. In the current situation, the two parties in the United States differ in their policies on many domestic and international issues but seem to share a consensus on promoting the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy.” 
The article expressed the belief that, because many circumstances influence this strategy, its outlook is uncertain. These circumstances include the following: 1) the financial situation of the U.S.; 2) the security situation in other regions in the world; 3) the attitude of Asian countries; and 4) the level of China’s development. Among these factors, China’s development status and its diplomatic abilities should be the major ones affecting the "Asia-Pacific rebalancing" strategy. China should have sufficient understanding and confidence. 
The article stated that the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy adjustments to China place significant external pressure on China, embodied in the following factors. 1) The U.S. Military pressure on China has increased. 2) China’s surrounding environment has becomes more complicated. 3) China’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region faces challenges. 4) China will face more severe challenges in ideology [the infiltration of Western values].　

Source: Study Times, February 9, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/international/2015-02/09/c_1114300613.htm http://www.studytimes.cn/shtml/xxsb/20150209/9313.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua Commentary: The [U.S.] Handicaps Its Own “Coalition against Terrorism” and Ties Its Own Hands

Xinhua International recently wrote a commentary article on U.S. anti-terrorist policies. The translation of an excerpt from the article follows: 

“U.S. President Barack Obama proposed an international anti-terrorism summit, which will be held in Washington on February 18. The participants will discuss how to combat violent extremism around the world. The so-called international anti-terrorism summit is, in reality, a meeting of the union members that the United States organized and has been leading since last September. Its purpose is to oppose extremist organizations, such as ‘the Islamic State.’"  
“Since the ‘9.11 incident,’ around the world, the United States has been acting as a ‘Big Brother’ of counter-terrorism. The then President George W. Bush, in the name of anti-terrorism, organized the anti-terrorism coalition, with their loyal allies as the core, and launched two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In reshaping the geopolitical map and implementing its ‘Greater Middle East Initiative,’ the U.S. war on terror has produced the ‘horror freaks [embryos]’ that have taken root in the Middle East, spreading the terrorism troubles to the world.” 
“Over the past 13 years (since 9.11, which was in 2001), terrorist activities have continued worldwide, unabated. The new challenges that the global community faces in the fight against terrorism, such as the rapidly emerging ‘Islamic State,’ are directly related to the U.S. Middle East policy.” 
“Compared to Bush’s anti-terror coalition, Obama’s newly established ‘anti-terrorism coalition’ appears to have gained wide ‘support.’ … However, hiding behind the fact is that this anti-terrorism coalition is not inclusive. The United States has excluded Russia, Iran, and Syria, who could play a role in the fight against the ‘Islamic State’ problem.” 
“Therefore, the representativeness of the new anti-terrorist coalition has been questioned. Out of consideration for its geopolitical and global strategy, the U.S. limits the eligibility for the anti-terrorism coalition, shutting out the countries it does not like.” 
“Another paradox is that, as the U.S. counter-terrorism operations are getting deeper, the terrorist threat to international security has been increasing rather than decreasing. After more than five months, the new anti-terrorism coalition has yet to come up with a clear strategic action plan in the fight against the ‘Islamic State.’ Purely on the basis of moral support or ‘giving money support,’ the aggregation may get into a fragile alliance that includes collective action problems.’" 
“Terrorism is the common enemy of the world; all countries face it. To limit who is eligible to join the ‘coalition against terrorism’ results in, in fact, them tying their own hands and feet themselves. … If they blindly think about the use of force, or even have other selfish interests in the name of fighting terrorism, they will not get out the vicious cycle of ‘the more you strike, the more the terror.’” 
Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2017 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-02/17/c_1114400560.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua: Chinese Students Studying in the United States Are More Confident in China’s System

China’s state-run media published a report to praise the Chinese [Communist] system by quoting a Japanese media Diamond Weekly’s article, “The Reason for the Increase in the Patriotism of the Chinese Students Studying in the United States.” Below are excerpts translated from the Chinese report. 

“Twenty years ago, Chinese students in the United States were obsessive about the system and values of the United States, including its liberalism, but now times have changed. More recently, with China’s economic development over the years, Chinese students are becoming more confident in China’s national system and development model.” 
“Overall, the Chinese students in the United States approve of the freedom, democracy, and the rule of law in the Unites States, as well as the promotion of academic freedom and freedom of speech on the university campuses. Surprisingly, though, no one suggested that China should be like the United States and pursue freedom and democracy. At least they think that the current system is the most suitable [system] for China’s national situation and the most beneficial model for China’s development; adhering to the Communist Party governing system is the basis for China’s numerous endeavors.” 
“In recent times, more and more Chinese returning to China from the United States have expressed stronger ‘patriotism’ [toward China].” 

Source: Xinhua, February 25, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-02/25/c_127516016.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Qiushi: The Dividends of Hegemony: America’s Source for Reaping without Sowing

Qiushi recently republished a Red Flag Manuscript article with the title, “The Dividends of Hegemony: America’s Source for Reaping without Sowing.” Two researchers, Yang Duogui and Zhou Zhitian, from the Science and Technology Policy and Management Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were the authors. 

The article said, “Since 500 years ago, from Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands to England, and then to the United States, state ‘hegemony’ has gradually developed from the traditional ‘territorial colonization’ into a modern ‘financial colonization.’ Today, for the U.S., as the world’s only superpower, financial colonization is its core secret for maintaining its hegemony power. For the Americans, financial hegemony has become the cornerstone for the United States to be able to obtain its hegemony dividend. It is the source for reaping profits without sowing.” 
The article summarized the following ten major ways and channels the U.S. uses to harvest its “hegemony dividends”: 1) Seigniorage. The author calculated that “assuming that all of China’s foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. Treasury bonds and the interest spread between U.S. Treasury bonds and China Treasury bonds is one percent, then each year the United States will get about US$ 23-26 billion in seigniorage at a minimum from China’s economic development without paying any costs.” 2) International inflation tax revenue; 3) Earnings from [issuing] debts; 4) Overseas investment income; 5) Fee income from dollar transactions; 6) Unfair trade gains; 7) Currency manipulation of earnings; 8) Financial derivative gains; 9) Returns from big item Commodity futures; 10) Income from intellectual property.
Source: Qiushi Journal, February 6, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/hqwg/2015-02/06/c_1114285652.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua: U.S. NSA Installs Spyware on Hard Disks So They Can Eavesdrop on Most Computers Worldwide

Xinhua recently reported, in its International Section’s headline news, that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has made a technological breakthrough. It is installing spyware that will be hidden in Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba Corp.’s hard disks enabling them to eavesdrop on most computers in the world. The report indicated that multiple Internet researchers and former agents have acknowledged this. 

According to the report, the Russian security firm Kaspersky Labs, headquartered in Moscow, exposed this spy action on the 16th [of February, 2015]. It further said, “Although Kaspersky Labs refused to disclose publicly the country that was taking this behind the scenes spy action, it said it is closely related to the ‘Stuxnet’ virus. The ‘Stuxnet’ virus was a cyberwar weapon developed under the direction of the U.S. National Security Agency and was used to attack Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities.” 
Source: Xinhua, February 18, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-02/18/c_127506544.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: U.S. Filed WTO Complaint against China’s Export Subsidies

People’s Daily recently reported that the United States just filed a WTO (World Trade Organization) case against China for subsidizing eight categories of export companies. These included textiles, clothing and shoes, metal materials, light industry and specialized chemical products, medicine, construction materials, and agricultural products. The Chinese government provided funding via the public service platform to companies located in 179 industrial parks. The U.S. filing claimed that the Chinese government provided $US one billion worth of subsidies in the period from 2010 to 2012. The public data released on the Chinese Ministry of Commerce official website supported some of the numbers. Before this new filing, there had been 24 WTO filings between the United States and China. The U.S. had initiated 15 of them. Some analysts pointed out that this latest conflict occurred at the very moment when President Obama was asking the U.S. Congress for the power to fast track international trade negotiations. However, the WTO investigation may discover that this type of “hidden subsidy” has been used widely by governments all over the world, including the U.S. government. 
Source: People’s Daily, February 13, 2015
http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2015/0213/c1004-26560398.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations