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US-China Relations - 122. page

Xinhua: Why Does the United States Always Vilify China Year after Year?

Following the release of the United States annual report on China’s military power, Xinhua published a series of commentaries. Below is one of them: 

“Each year, when, with a Cold War mentality, the United States releases a China’s military power report, it does so out of consideration for its own interests. For example, from the perspective of the U.S. military, the first consideration is to ask for money for the military budget from the U.S. Congress by speculating on China’s military development. At the same time, the United States disseminates the China military threat theory to achieve the purpose of creating a reason for its return to the Asia-Pacific with the so-called Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy. Then it can also pull its allies in to share responsibilities and let its allies stand as the front for it in this region.” 

“In addition to the usual ‘smearing,’ it is noteworthy that the report also said that the momentum of bilateral military exchanges is good despite the leadership turnover of both countries in 2012. On the one hand, the report contains groundless accusations and disseminates the China threat theory; on the other hand, it also signals to maintain communication on both sides. It reflects the U.S. strategy of ‘having both hands ready’ towards China. From a series of recent statements that the U.S. Defense Department made, the goal of the U.S. military to stress communication and contacts with China is more ‘one-dimensional.’ It is trying to strengthen communication and exchanges in order to make China agree and accept the U.S. viewpoint, rather than let both sides understand each other in order to reach a compromised view through the exchange.” 

Source: Xinhua, May 9, 2013 
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/jrch/20130509.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

PLA Daily: U.S. Report on China’s Military Power Based on Chinese Netizens’ Speculation

People’s Liberation Army Daily published a commentary on the recent U.S. Department of Defense report on China’s military power. The commentary stated that the report relied for its information on what so called U.S. experts on China had copied and pasted from Chinese military websites. The information did nothing but reflect what Chinese netizens speculated and imagined.

“Each year the United States routinely publishes a report on China’s military power. This is totally a gross interference in China’s internal affairs. China has repeatedly stressed that the development of China’s military is defensive in nature. Let us ask, since China, in strengthening its national defense and building its military, is not targeting any country, why does the U.S. consider it its own business?"
 
The commentary stated that the U.S. motivation behind its speculations and accusations is self-evident. “On the one hand, it touts the "China military threat theory" to sow discord between China and other countries, especially, its neighboring countries, aiming to contain China. … On the other hand, the U.S. exaggerates China’s military threat to promote its domestic interest groups and arms dealers. Presumably U.S. arms manufacturers are already gearing up to count their money.”

Source: Xinhua, May 8, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-05/08/c_124681010.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Beijing Daily: U.S. Affinity for Japan’s Amendment of [Peace] Constitution Is Ill-Intentioned

China was irked by the comment that U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Terrell made at a press conference on May 2, 2013, about Japan’s Peace Constitution. Patrick said, "Any question about Japan’s Constitution should be asked of Japan. It’s an internal matter the Japanese government should consider." Beijing Daily published an article accusing the U.S. of being ill-intentioned by siding with Japan in amending its peace constitution. The article listed three major reasons for the U.S. position. 

The article said, “In the context of the expanding extreme right-wing political forces in Japan and their increasingly dangerous political activities in defending Japan’s history of aggression and its militarism, the United States, as a country witnessing the enactment of Japan’s peace constitution, hypocritically took Japan’s revision of its peace constitution to be the same as other countries’ amending their existing constitutions, calling it ‘an internal matter of the Japanese government.’ The U.S’s ill intention in siding with and conniving with the Japanese ultra-right political forces on the military expansion of  its strong army is all too clear. It makes one wonder about the deeper reasons behind the act.”
“First, it is a reflection of the U.S.’s global power politics and hegemonism. The United States has the world’s most powerful military machine, guarding all of the important military bases and transport corridors around the world. Facing major changes in the international situation, the United States is trying to implement a rebalancing strategy in Asia and an increase in its military presence in countries such as Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and Singapore, in order to strengthen its control of Asia using super military power. In the context of U.S.’s military strategy, which is in contradiction to the trend toward world peace and development, Japan’s strengthening of its military power is exactly what the United States has been expecting for many years."
“Second, due to the huge U.S. budget deficit and its military spending constraints, there is an urgent need to foster the Japanese military more actively by strengthening the U.S.-Japan military alliance and forcing Japan to spend money and send troops without restriction for the implementation of its global military strategy."
“Third, the U.S. is implementing the dual policy of cooperation with and containment of China. It is building a strategic encirclement to deter China while strengthening exchanges and cooperation with China. Japan’s Abe government coincides well with the United States’ attempts in this regard.” 
Source: Beijing Daily, May 7, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-05/07/c_124671432.htm 
http://bjrb.bjd.com.cn/html/2013-05/07/content_70528.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Qiushi Theory Analysis of US Diplomacy on Human Rights

On May 19, the US State Department issued the “Global Human Rights Report for 2012.” Then on May 19, Qiushi published an analytical article on the subject. The article stated that, while the US adopted “Human Rights” as a key agenda item in its foreign policy, its real intention is to act as the global police to promote its own value system around the world. According to the article, “This shows that the U.S.’s obvious intention is to maintain its world dominance and utilize power politics in order to benefit its own interests.”  The article observed that the U.S. uses a double standard. While it often interferes with the domestic matters of other countries, the U.S. itself violates human rights in many ways. The article also mentioned that the US has always tried all kinds of means to create trouble for China on human rights issues even though both countries have completely different political systems and ideology.

Source: Qiushi Theory, May 2, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/zs/201304/t20130426_226409.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua: U.S. Engages “Double Standard” on Anti-Terrorism; It Is Like a Dog in the Manger

Xinhua published a commentary to rebut the U.S. State Department spokesman’s statement on the recent incident in Bachu County in Xinjiang, which the Chinese government characterized as violence and terrorism. The article said, “The U.S. not only did not condemn the incident; on the contrary, it criticized China’s ethnic and religious policies for no reason. This type of behavior of engaging in a ‘double standard’ in the fight against terrorism will, in the end, end up being a dog in the manger.”

"In 2002, after the ‘9/11’ incident, the United States cooperated with the international community to support the United Nations Security Council’s decision to list the ‘East Turkistan Islamic Movement’ as a terrorist organization.  However, with the advance of the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq war, Washington began to change its stance; it vigorously implemented a ‘double standard’ in the fight against terrorism. The most prominent manifestation includes selectively ignoring the extremist groups in the Republic of Chechnya of the Russian and the "East Turkistan" terrorist organizations that threaten China’s national security.” 
The article advises the United States, in the fight against terrorism, not to do things like a dog in the manger. 

Source, Xinhua, April 26, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2013-04/26/c_124637279.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Chinese Experts: Obama’s Second Term China Policy Will Reinforce both Contact and Precaution

On April 15, 2013, following U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to China, the Shanghai Institute for International Studies held a forum. Experts and scholars from the institute discussed the Obama administration’s China policy for his second term. 

Experts believe that, in his second term, the Obama administration will continue the main approach from his first term, that is, "contact plus precaution." However, the degree of engagement will be deeper and precautionary actions will also be greater. Washington believes that only by opening up overseas markets and reviving its domestic manufacturing industry will the United States be able to restore its economic strength and fortify its No. 1 position in the world. Therefore, the Obama administration will continue to strengthen economic and trade ties with China to boost its economic power. Meanwhile, the U.S. always believes that in order to ‘integrate’ China into the U.S.-led international system, it must maintain its contact with and influence in China. 
At the same time, Obama’s second term will also increase its precautions against China. This is mainly reflected in how, in many security issues, the United States joins forces with its allies in the Asia-Pacific region against China. This trend may continue over the next two years. Although the U.S.-Japan and the U.S.-Philippine joint security alliances are the products of the Cold War and are not effective in regional security issues, the United States still considers it the "best" choice to guard against China. 
As for North Korea, the Obama administration will continue the policy from his first term: North Korea is not a direct threat to U.S. national security; the North Korea problem is not a priority for United States’ diplomacy. The main goal  of the White House is to prevent the situation in the peninsula from getting out of control. 
For the development of Sino-U.S. relations in the next four years, experts believe that it is going to be a "more cooperative and more competitive" situation. 
Source: Jiefang Daily, also People’s Daily, April 16, 2013  
http://www.jfdaily.com/a/5823855.htm 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2013/0416/c157278-21147254.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

The Information Office of the State Council Published the 2012 US Human Rights Record

Xinhua reported that the Information Office of the State Council released the "2012 US Human Rights Record." It was created in response to the “distorted claims” made in the 2012 Human Rights Report that the U.S. State Department published. "According to the ‘2012 Human Rights Record,’ the U.S., the so called ‘Human Rights Defender,’ pointed fingers at over 190 countries about their human rights issues while it kept silent about its own record. … The ‘2012 US Human Rights Record’ was meant to disclose human rights violations that took place in the U.S. in areas including life and personal safety, civil and political rights, economic and social rights, racial discrimination, woman and children’s rights, and the U.S. rights invasions of other countries." According to Xinhua, this is the 14th time that the State Council has published the "US Human Rights Record."

Source: Xinhua, April 21, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-04/21/c_115472314.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Huanqiu Editorial: Welcome Kerry; Hope He Is Different from Hillary

On April 13, 2013, Huanqiu (Global Times) published an editorial on new U.S. Secretary of the State John Kerry’s visit to China. Below are some highlights: 

“This secretary is familiar with diplomatic affairs and is moderate in style, which is different from the former secretary Hillary Clinton.” “To Chinese people, the cold face of Hillary Clinton is hard to forget. [However,] ‘Moderate Kerry’ is only one of the many symbols of the United States. Even though his ‘moderation’ is true, he will not be able to lead the U.S. to reduce its suspicion toward China.” 
"What Sino-U.S. diplomacy is has become a blurred and serious problem. In the past, we considered it to be diplomatic visits by the leaders of the two countries, Sino-U.S. trade, and military talks. Today even ordinary Chinese people can realize that matters such as the friction over the South China Sea, the Diaoyu Islands conflict and the Korean Peninsula chaos all contain ‘Sino-U.S. diplomacy.’ This makes a lot of Chinese people feel uncomfortable whenever the U.S. comes to mind." “Today, a considerable number of Chinese people believe the overall goal of the U.S. toward China is to overthrow the current political system and to ‘crush China’ in a way similar to what U.S. did to the Soviet Union. Therefore, China needs to be extremely vigilant while developing relations with the U.S.” 
“Mutual trust between China and the U.S. cannot reach the same level as the trust among the U.S. and its allies. If the two countries allow each other’s strategic suspicion to go unchecked, the maintenance of "normal relations" between China and the U.S. can only rely on ‘common commercial interests.’ Such a relationship is not as strong as some people believe. It is very clear by just looking at the relationship between China and Japan.” 
“It should be emphasized that the nature of suspicion in China and the United States is different. The U.S. worries that the rise of China is a challenge to its dominant position. Its preventive measures against China are offensive, such as the implementation of the ‘Asia-Pacific re-balancing strategy,’ deploying troops around China, and encouraging China’s neighboring countries to be aggressive in the island dispute with China. On the contrary, China’s precautions against the U.S. are an instinctive protection of the country’s current political and security interests. China’s approach is defensive.”  
Source: Huanqiu, Aril 13, 2013 
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-04/3828126.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations