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US-China Relations - 116. page

IHL: Why Does the U.S. Maintain a Weak Army?

The International Herald Leader published a commentary on U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel’s announcement about a reduction of forces that would cut Army personnel by over 70,000 starting in 2015. 

“First, the U.S. Army cut shows that, for a long period of time, the U.S. military will give up massive ground wars outside of its territory.” 

"For China, the U.S. Army’s cuts raise more concerns.” A reduction or giving up a massive ground war in the Asia Pacific region means that “the U.S. will not hesitate to adopt Air Sea warfare as well as other more subversive forms of combat. Instead of combat that would involve a large number of troops, it will adopt air raids, sea and air strangulation, cyber-attacks, propaganda, diplomatic alliances, economic sanctions, and other ‘combined’ means to weaken the opponent’s combat capability; it will try to achieve maximum advances quickly, with minimum or even ‘zero’ casualties.”

“While reduced in forces, the U.S. military will, on the other hand, tighten its fists. China cannot take it lightly and should remain vigilant.” 

Source: International Herald Leader, March 3, 2014                                                       http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2014/0303/354514.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: The U.S.’s Human Rights Trick Is Weak and Feeble

People’s Daily published a commentary on the United States release of the 2014 "Country Reports on Human Rights." The article said, “Once a year, the U.S. State Department releases its "Country Reports on Human Rights" to the world. This is a routine action of the United States in the field of international human rights. It recklessly finds faults and makes comments on the human rights situations of nearly 200 countries and territories, but if it covered all possibilities, (it would find) it is its own human rights situations, that have been widely criticized.” 

The article indicated that America’s approach is not to promote the exchange and development of international human rights, but to use the "human rights stick" to dictate the world.　　 

The article declared, “Year after year, the U.S.’s selective blindness and even groundless accusations in its ‘Country Reports on Human Rights’ has repeatedly exposed its political bias and motives.” “The United States holds the ‘Country Reports on Human Rights,’ which has no credibility, to act as a ‘human rights master’ and interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. No country finds this practice acceptable.” 

Source: People’s Daily, March 1, 2014 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0301/c1002-24498043.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: Huawei Again Attempting to Expand Its U.S. Market Share

People’s Daily recently reported that Eric Xu, one of Huawei’s three chief executives, delivered a speech at the Mobile World Congress, which is the largest international conference in the mobile industry. Xu suggested that Huawei is planning to introduce a series of new Huawei-branded mobile phones to the U.S. market. Huawei expects to sell 80 million to 100 million mobile phones globally in 2014. This figure represents eight percent of the global mobile phone market. Xu expressed interest in shifting the company’s focus to high-end smart phones. The United States still excludes Huawei from the list of permitted suppliers for the U.S. communications infrastructure. Xu admitted that his company suffered a tough time last year in the U.S. market due to the lack of new products. He promised to deliver more new products to U.S. customers. However, Huawei will not “actively seek” infrastructure deals in the U.S. 
[Editor’s note: Huawei is the second largest communications equipment manufacturer in the world. Due to its close historic ties to the Chinese military, Huawei’s products have been banned from communications infrastructure level bids in many industrialized countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. Huawei is not a publicly traded company.]
Source: People’s Daily, February 28, 2014
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0228/c157278-24488876.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Information Office of the State Council Published Human Rights Record of the United States in 2013

In a reaction to the 2013 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices that the United States issued on February 28, the Information Office of the State Council published the “Human Rights Record of the United States in 2013.” The record stated that the US slandered the human rights practices of close to 200 countries and regions but chose to cover up its own human rights situation. According to the record, human rights issues remained serious in the U.S. in 2013 and even deteriorated in certain areas. The record listed U.S. human rights violations in areas including, but not limited to: an increase in criminal cases; the PRISM (surveillance program); solitary confinement; a high unemployment rate; racial and age discrimination; a large number of child labor cases; and invasions into other countries such as Pakistan and Yemen.

Source: Xinhua, February 28, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-02/28/c_119546385.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

[We] Should Not Be Blindly Optimistic about Talk that the “U.S.-Japan Relationship Is Breaking Down”

The People’s Daily website recently published an opinion article about a breakdown in the relationship between the United States and Japan. Below is an excerpt from that article: 

Since December 26, 2013, when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine, the relationship between Japan, China, and South Korea has been in a frozen state. Recently, public condemnation and doubts from the international community, including the United States, about the Abe regime’s extreme right-wing tendencies have been growing. … There has been recent talk in the international community stating that "The U.S.-Japan relationship is breaking down." Will it really be so between the United States and Japan? 
In this regard, we must remain highly aware and be sober minded. We must not be blindly optimistic. 
First, recently, Abe’s hardline nationalist movement has clearly gained momentum in Japan. If there were no support from a big country behind it, how could Abe dare to act so recklessly as to even openly challenge China, South Korea, and the world? Who its "boss" is behind the scenes is well known to everyone, without any need to guess. The reason that the United States expressed disappointment about Abe’s move is mainly because Abe did not take sufficient action to mitigate the worries of another key U.S. ally, South Korea, about its agenda. 
Second, since Japan and the U.S. signed a security treaty in the 1960s, the United States and Japan have maintained close contact and relations with each other. Even in the statement condemning Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, the United States also stressed that Japan is still a very important and even its staunchest ally and friend in Asia. 
Third, at present, Japan’s domestic politics have shown a clear trend towards being overall rightist. From Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine as well as from a series of tough words and deeds, even Europe and America also had some doubts and suspicions about his motives and about Japan’s future direction. However, out of its own strategic interests, the United States will take advantage of this "Yasukuni" card, and continue to adhere to its stance of supporting Japan. 
The Abe path is endangering the safety of the Asia-Pacific region and sometimes it may affect or even damage the Japan-U.S. relationship. However, the world should be clear that they are the same kind of animal. As long as its fundamental interests will not be jeopardized, then in front of a common "enemy," the United States is not going to reverse its relationship with Japan. 

Source: People’s Daily (online), February 25, 2014 
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2014/0225/c1011-24454659.html

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China News: China Made Solemn Protest against Obama’s Meeting with the Dalai Lama

China News reported on February 22 that Zhang Yesui, the Chinese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, summoned the U.S. Embassy charge d’affaires Daniel Kritenbrink to protest the recent meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama. Zhang called this a “wrong move,” saying it severely interfered with China’s internal affairs and it caused significant damage to the China-U.S. relationship. Zhang expressed “strong indignation and opposition.” The Chinese spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pointed out that the Dalai Lama has long been performing the function of splitting China under the name of religion and that the U.S. move violated its promise not to support the idea of an independent Tibet. He also asked the U.S. government to take immediate steps to eliminate the “adverse effects” so as to prevent further damage to the relationship between the U.S. and China. 
Source: China News, February 22, 2014
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2014/02-22/5869673.shtml
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua: Royce, It Is Time to Change [Your] Old Brain!

Xinhua published a commentary on Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. Below is an excerpt from the article: 

“While meeting in Tokyo on February 17 with Nakasone and other Japanese politicians, Republican lawmaker [Ed] Royce criticized Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, saying that ‘it caused confusion for the coordination among the U.S., Japan, and the ROK, and isn’t this helpful to China?’"　 
“Although Royce’s remark is consistent with the U.S. government’s position of opposing Abe’s homage on the surface, after a second thought, it has other overtones.” 
“According to Royce’s logic, by opposing Abe’s [Shrine] visit, he is not worried that Abe’s action will harm the world. Rather, he is worried that it will cause a division between the United States, Japan, and Korea and he is worried that it is counter-productive to their jointly dealing with China. Clearly, Royce is very much concerned about the progress of China’s development.”
“As the ‘head’ of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Royce pays no attention to the harm and danger of Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine and ignores [Abe’s] damage to U.S. interests. Instead, he is very concerned about how to deal with China by uniting Japan and Korea. This is really incredible. This is not what a leader who has significant influence on U.S. foreign policy should do.” 
“The reason for this is that Royce’s head is full of a Cold War mentality.” 
“Currently, China and the U.S.’s interests are blended together. No one can survive without the other; and no one can contain anyone.”
 “China’s rise is the inevitable choice of history and is the seismic trend. Anyone who attempts to prevent this historical process is bound to fail. It is impossible [for them] to succeed.” 
“Royce, it is time to change [your] old brain!” 
Source: Xinhua, February 21, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-02/21/c_126170719.htm http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0221/c157278-24427625.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

CRN: Air Defense Identification Zone Reflects the Strategic Battle between U.S. and China

China Review News reported from Washington on the U.S. response to China’s establishment of an air defense identification zone. The following is an excerpt from the report: 

The U.S. reaction was fast and strong in responding to China’s move to set up an air defense identification zone (ADIZ). This is not very common in the history of U.S. reactions to Chinese diplomatic moves. Following Japan’s recent media report that China is about to expand its ADIZ to the South China Sea, the United States launched a new wave of criticism to pressure China. 
The reason that the United States is strongly against China’s establishment of an ADIZ is twofold. First, the U.S. is worried that China’s move is intended to challenge U.S. dominance in the Western Pacific, as well as the accompanying freedom of flight in international airspace. Second is the fear that, since China and Japan’s air defense zones overlap, if the two sides frequently dispatch planes for law enforcement but lack communication channels and crisis control mechanisms, then in case of an unexpected escalation of the conflict, the U.S. may be dragged into the difficult situation of having to decide whether to fight against China. 
What upsets China the most is the following. On the one hand, the United States claims that it does not take sides on the issue of sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands; on the other hand, it constantly stresses that the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty applies to the Diaoyu Islands. This time, Kerry even extended [the treaty] to the entire East China Sea. The United States established an ADIZ 60 years ago. Japan also established an ADIZ as early as 1969. The U.S., however, was so furious when China set up the same type of ADIZ, even sending military airplanes to test China’s reaction. The U.S. Congress did not ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but it still requires China to act in accordance with the United Nations Convention. 

In the Western Pacific region, the Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands or over the air defense identification zone in the East China Sea is ultimately a Sino-U.S. strategic dispute. If there is no mutual strategic trust between the United States and China, the East China Sea dispute between Japan and China will not have an end. 

Source: China Review News, February 10, 2014 
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1030/1/2/9/103012947.html?coluid=93&kindid=7950&docid=103012947&mdate=0210001040

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations