Skip to content

US-China Relations - 106. page

Xinhua: China’s Major-Country Relationships in 2014

Xinhua published an article reviewing China’s progress in developing major-country relations with Russia, the U.S., the E.U. and major developing countries.

Sino-Russia relations: "The relationship is the best it has been in the 65 years since China and Russia established diplomatic relations. The Sino-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership will be moving forward at a high level in 2015. In May 2014, the heads of the two countries signed the ‘Sino-Russian Joint Statement on the New Stage of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Coordination.’ The two countries finalized a gas supply treaty. The two countries are working on reaching the goal of bilateral trade at $100 billion in 2015 and $200 billion by 2020."

Sino-U.S. relations: "Although there was friction in the relationship in 2014, the waves didn’t stop the voyage. In 2015, the two countries will continue developing their relations while controlling their differences. Xi Jinping and Obama not only met twice in 2014, but also called and sent letters to each other multiple times. A highlight in 2014 was the continuous military relations development. Military exchanges frequently got interrupted due to issues of the Sino-U.S. relations in the past, but the exchanges were strong last year."

Sino-E.U. relations: "Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe in the spring of 2014 set the direction for Sino-E.U. relations, and thus European scholars largely viewed his visit as a ‘milestone in the Sino-E.U. relationship.’ The European Commission and European Council went through an election. The new leaders expressed a desire to push for an E.U.-Sino comprehensive strategic partnership."

China and major developing countries: "China has an outstanding relationship with Brazil, India, and South Africa. It can be summarized as frequent top leaders’ visits, the development of practical cooperation, support for each other’s discourse rights, the enhancement of strategic trust between the different countries, and substantive improvement in connecting each other’s development strategies."

Source: Xinhua, December 16, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-12/16/c_1113667231.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Young Chinese Scholars on Sino-U.S. Relations

The International Strategy Institute of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Party School held its Second Young Scholar Forum in Beijing on December 6. Two hot topics were the U.S. strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific and the new type of Sino-U.S. major country relationship. People’s Daily reported the scholars’ views on these topics:

 

"Observing Obama’s actions in the past couple of years, the U.S.’strategy of returning to the Asia-Pacific’ is a true strategic adjustment. It increases the U.S. presence in Asia."

"The U.S.’ rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific strategy presents four challenges to China. It impacts the status of the security around China; it impacts the Sino-U.S. military security relationship; it impacts China’s regional influence; and it impacts China’s anti-terrorism situation."

"In its strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, the U.S. also exports its ideology. In the battle of the ideology field, we can see that the U.S. wants to broadcast its ideology to the world. … The battle in the ideology field, though, does not use gun powder; it is more brutal."

"As for future U.S.’ China policy, the key issue is whether the U.S. is willing to give up some of its interests to China." 


"In the past, when the U.S. raised the ‘China threat’ issue, China would rebut it immediately. However, no matter how China rebutted, it was using another’s system of terminology. Now China has introduced the concept of a ‘new type of major country relationship’ and led the U.S. to change. This is a major achievement."

Source: People’s Daily Online, December 9, 2014
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/1209/c1002-26174514.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

US Retailers Warned of Alibaba’s Impact on Local Businesses

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that a U.S. business union named Alliance for Main Street Fairness has asked the U.S. Congress to eliminate the special tax benefits afforded to online retailers such as the Chinese vendor Alibaba. In September, Alibaba drew the attention of the U.S. public when it had the largest IPO in U.S. history. The Alliance has the backing of many famous U.S. retailers who are members such as Best Buy, Target, and JC Penny. They are currently running a TV and radio campaign against obvious targets such as Alibaba. Alibaba’s annual online retail sales volume is larger than the two top U.S. market leaders, Amazon and eBay, combined. The large U.S. retailers in the Alliance warned that if Congress does not “plug the hole” in online taxation, Alibaba and company may pretty soon “end” all U.S. local retailers. Alibaba’s core market is Mainland China. It is currently selling products to U.S. consumers via its Aliexpress website. Alibaba pointed out some time back that its focal point is still the Chinese domestic market. As of now Alibaba has not responded to the advertising campaign that its U.S. competitors have launched.
Source: Sina, December 2, 2014
http://finance.sina.com/bg/juhengwang/20141202/00401170031.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Huanqiu Assails How Freedom House Ranks China on Internet Freedom

Freedom House recently issued the "Freedom on the Net 2014" report, which states that, around the world, the freedom of the Internet continues to backslide, with China, Syria, and Iran ranked at the bottom of the 65 countries and regions that the U.S. human rights organization monitors. As a routine practice, China’s state newspaper Global Times (Huanqiu) retaliated with criticism against Freedom House. Its response follows.
"Western media reported that most of the funding for the organization (Freedom House) is from the United States government and it has a close relationship with the Department of Defense."
"Now that Transparency International’s recently published 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index dropped China’s rank by 20 places, this is another act of Western organizations to make China sick by using ridiculous rankings. However, because this approach completely disregards the bottom line, the intention of these ideological attacks is easily discernable. Such a negative ranking of China has ruined the reputations of Western organizations among the Chinese People."
"After all, Freedom House’s accusation about China’s lack of network freedom is a reflection of the old-fashioned differences in values and politics between the West and China. Such an accusation can also expand to include ‘lack of press freedom,’ ‘deterioration of its human rights record,’ and so on."
"The U.S. based Freedom House takes a country that has achieved one of the most effective developments of the Internet around the world and ranks it third from the bottom. It’s hard to tell whether this is a real shame of China, or of its own. In any case, the Chinese people’s care for the freedom of the Internet is far more than the ‘concerns’ of some Western organizations. Let’s guess: Freedom House is just a front for the United States to influence China’s own policy."
Source: Huanqiu, December 6, 2014
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2014-12/5229589.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Yuan Peng: Sino-U.S. Relations Have Undergone Four Fundamental Changes

Xinhua‘s international channel conducted an interview of Yuan Peng, Associate Dean of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) regarding the direction in which Sino-U.S. relations are heading. In the interview, Yuan said that "since China launched a new round of reform and opening up, China-U.S. relations have indeed undergone major changes. The three joint communiqués and three joint declarations that guided Sino-U.S. relations in the past may not be sufficient guidelines for the next 35 years."  

Yuan Peng said, "Sino-U.S. relations have undergone four fundamental changes. The first is the change in the balance of power between China and the U.S. China’s GDP jumped from tenth (in the world) at the beginning of the reform and opening to the current second place. The power shift between China and the U.S. is in transition from a quantitative to a qualitative period."  

"The second is the U.S. strategic change. The U.S. has moved its strategic center from Europe to Asia. Despite the Middle Eastern chaos and the Ukrainian crisis, the U.S. has only made some policy adjustments. The ‘Asia-Pacific rebalancing’ change is not merely a tactical one, but a fundamental, strategic change." 

"The third is the change in the strategic foundation for Sino-U.S. relations. China and the U.S. jointly coped with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Sino-U.S. relations after the Cold War have consisted of economic and trade interests. Now the issue is that the foundation will change and both sides are still struggling to find a new strategic foundation. As of the present, a similar new strategic foundation has not appeared." 

"The fourth is a change in the strategic environment. The external environment of Sino-U.S. relations has become more complex and varied, subject to the influence of third party factors such as the Diaoyu Islands, the Ukraine, Russia, and others."

Yuan Peng said, "Putting the four changes together, we can draw the conclusion that a major, even a radical change in Sino-U.S. relations, unlike any in the past 35 years, is now emerging. China must make a fundamental strategic adjustment."


Source: Xinhua, November 28, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-11/28/c_127259937.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Wang Xiangsui: The China-U.S. Relationship Is both Competitive and Symbiotic

Xinhua recently published an article in which Wang Xiangsui, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Beijing University, discussed the current situation of China-U.S. relations and China’s strategy for handling the situation. 

Wang said, “There are three major conflicts between China and the U.S.: the conflict between traditional and emerging powers; the contradiction between capitalist and socialist countries; and the contradiction between a financial nation with an industrial country. There are also two needs for cooperation between China and the U.S.: the need to maintain overall international security and the need to maintain global economic development.” 
“The source of instability in Sino-US relations comes from the fact that the U.S. always adheres to the principle of the ‘U.S. getting the maximum benefits’ and wanting to take all of the benefits. For China, only through fighting can it protect its interests and maintain the basic situation of cooperation. … The nature of Sino-U.S. relations is one of competition between big countries.” 
Wang believed that “the competitiveness of the U.S., including the American model, is in decline. The American Life cycle has entered the stage of decay.” 
“Given the situation that the American style of globalization is difficult to continue and the new global order has not been established, the tide of globalization will be receding. When the U.S. has become powerless in global affairs, the world will enter the ‘post-American’ stage, showing a multi-polarization of forces and a diversification of civilizations. According to the current situation, there may be three major economic circles, or three entities: one in Europe, one in North America, and one of East Asia.” 
As for China’s strategy, Wang said that China is on the path of revival, still climbing with a heavy weight, far from the stage of standing on the top and looking at all the hills from above.” 
“With a clear understanding of China, the United States, and the world’s trends, we can determine that our strategic goal is not, at the moment, to replace the United States in leading the world, to promote the ‘Chinese system,’ and to start a ‘China moment’ and ‘Chinese cycle.’ Instead, China should utilize the remaining heat of American globalization and generally stable environment of the American cycle. It should begin a modern Chinese-style road … implement the strategy of forming entities, consolidate the Asia-Pacific Circle – Eurasian continent circle, and form a major economic zone on par with the euro and the dollar zones. In a division into a 3-way world, it should be satisfactory for China to acquire and lead one.” 
Source: Xinhua, November 27, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-11/27/c_127257806.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Warns GOP May Block Climate Negotiation

Well known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, soon after Chinese President Xi Jinping reached the agreement with U.S. President Obama on carbon dioxide reduction goals, the U.S. Republican Party immediately took a stand against Obama’s promises. China’s Chief Climate Negotiator Xie Zhenghua expressed his low confidence in the 2015 deal because it will be blocked due to “U.S. domestic politics” just like the Kyoto Protocol was. China used to be described as the troublemaker in climate negotiations. However now, with strong support from the new Chinese leadership, China is highly motivated by the need to solve its own severe pollution problems. The host of the 2015 Paris Negotiation expressed the belief that, this time, China has a much stronger willingness – the joint announcement of Xi and Obama changed things.
Source: Sina, November 26, 2014
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2014-11-26/114631205409.shtml
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

National Defense Reference: The True Intention of the U.S. in Handling the Islamic State”

National Defense Reference, a magazine under the PLA Daily, published a commentary talking about the U.S.’s intention in handling the "Islamic State." Below is an excerpt from the article: 

“More and more facts prove that, for the ‘Islamic State’s organization to be able to develop to where it is today is inseparable from the United States’ indirect support.” 
“Why has ‘Islamic State,’ an extremist organization, been able to grow so rapidly in recent years? In fact, the rise of the "Islamic State" is mainly due to the following four factors. First, the years of war and unrest in Syria and Iraq, that the United States supported and plotted provided the soil for its religious extremist ideology. Second, the ‘Islamic State’s new generation of leaders in the ‘base’ organization have a higher IQ. Most of them received their education in the United States and Europe. The U.S. and its allies trained the key members. Third, the U.S. and its allies have been supporting Syrian opposition groups all along. Many of the personnel and weapons have flown into the ‘Islamic State’ organization. Fourth, many members from foreign countries joined the organization, including European and U.S. citizens.” 
“In fact, as early as 2003, when the U.S. launched the Iraq war, it already anticipated the rise of terrorist forces more dangerous than the ‘base’ organization in the region. Because the U.S. was too eager to overthrow Saddam, it did not develop effective countermeasures to prevent and suppress the terrorist forces, which allowed the ‘Islamic State’ organization to flourish and grow.” 
“In the current situation, despite the fact that the ‘Islamic State’ poses a huge threat to the United States and other Western countries, the United States will not use all of its forces to deal with the ‘Islamic State’ and slow down its ‘Eastward Strategy.’ Its eyes are still on the Eastern part of the world. There is reason to believe that, regardless of the past, present, or future, the United States will not really want to completely eliminate the ‘Islamic State.’ Its real purpose is to break up the extremist groups through air strikes and let the members of the extremist organizations further flock to Syria and Turkey and to return to Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, which serves its "strategic Eastward" and ‘Asia-Pacific rebalancing.’” 

Source: National Defense Reference, November 15, 2011 
http://reader.chinamil.com.cn/gfck/2014-11/15/content_6224730.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations