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People’s Daily Website Invites Articles for The Dishonest Americans Series

On May 22, 2013, the People’s Daily website launched a column called “The Dishonest Americans Series.” The series invited Chinese to write about their unhappy experiences in the United States. The following is the Editor’s note introducing a complaining article titled “U.S. Refuses to Apologize after Insulting Passengers.”

“From the editor: Most Chinese people think that Americans are honest, reliable, and righteous. However, once you live in that country for a while, you may discover the descriptions above are a bit misleading. Today’s topic on “The Dishonest Americans Series” does not refer to all Americans. We want to disclose some incidents and Americans we have encountered so as to provide a more objective picture of what the U.S. and Americans are really like.”

Source: People’s Daily, May 22, 2013
http://usa.people.com.cn/n/2013/0522/c241376-21564627.html
http://usa.people.com.cn/n/2013/0522/c241376-21564657.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Youth Daily: U.S. Military Jumps Ahead to Develop Cyber War Rules

People’s Daily republished an article reporting on the United States’ recent developments in cyber war preparation. The article said, “Cyberspace has become an entirely new battlefield. In this new battlefield, the U.S. military was the first to wake up and the first to take action. Therefore it has benefited the most.” “It is the same as in physical space, the U.S. military has adopted a series of measures to maintain its leading edge in cyber warfare capabilities. This year, the U.S. Cyber Space Command substantially expanded its capacities, announced that it established 40 global cyber warfare combat forces, secretly implemented cyber warfare rules, and launched the "Tallinn Handbook" via NATO with the intention of using it as the International Code of cyber warfare. The U.S. military markedly speeded up the pace of cyberspace internationalization.” 

The article pointed out that “the U.S. has made it clear that China is the ‘biggest rival’ in cyberspace; it has repeatedly accused China of launching ‘cyber attacks’ and it has been disseminating the Chinese ‘cyber threats’ theory. Following the U.S. report on China’s ‘military-related hacking incidents’ earlier this year, its allies have set up or expanded its Cyber Army, in one measure after another, with the goal being to prevent Chinese ‘cyber attacks.’ 
"Under the auspices of the United States, the ‘China threat theory’ in cyberspace has entered a new stage, going from media attacks to joint counterbalancing. The United States, taking China as its ‘biggest imaginary enemy’ in cyberspace, has achieved its strategic intent of jointly counterbalancing [China] on a global scale."  

Source: China Youth Daily and People’s Daily, May 24, 2013 
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/0524/c1011-21595608.html 
http://zqb.cyol.com/html/2013-05/24/nw.D110000zgqnb_20130524_1-09.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

“Student Zhang, Please Return to China; Use the U.S. Style and Breathe Freely”

People’s Daily published a commentary supporting the Chinese student who criticized Joe Biden, Vice President of the United State, for the comments he made about China.

On Monday, May 13, 2013, Biden spoke at the commencement ceremony of the University of Pennsylvania. About China, Biden said, “You CANNOT think different in a nation where you cannot breathe free. You CANNOT think different in a nation where you aren’t able to challenge orthodoxy, because change only comes from challenging orthodoxy.” Zhang Tianpu, a Mainland Chinese student and graduating senior at the ceremony, felt insulted and wrote a letter to Biden demanding an apology. As of May 22, the letter had collected over 300 signatures.

State media published reports about Zhang. For example, a People’s Daily commentary stated that Biden’s self-righteousness is typical of American pride and prejudice. “The young Chinese are, in general, full of confidence in China’s situation and development. … China is walking its own path and that represents the confidence of young Chinese. This confidence is particularly valuable for the future of China and should be highly commended.”

Some Chinese newspapers and netizens thought differently. Nanfang Daily commented, “The Chinese student asked for an apology, ‘challenged orthodoxy,’ and ‘breathed freely,’ and moreover, he loved his motherland in an orthodox manner, but it reminds us of the classic joke about the former Soviet Union.” There was a popular joke in the former Soviet Union. A visiting U.S. Secretary of State told Brezhnev that people in the U.S. can criticize the U.S. President in front of the White House. Brezhnev replied, “So what? The people in the Soviet Union can also criticize the U.S. President in front of the Kremlin."

On weibo (Chinese version of twitter), some netizens urged Zhang to bring the U.S. style criticism back to China  and “breathe freely.” Others complained about Internet control in which the authorities delete their posted comments on these topics.

Sources:
Huanqiu, May 23, 2013
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2013-05/3961235.html
People’s Daily, May 24, 2013
http://www.people.com.cn/24hour/n/2013/0524/c25408-21594797.html
Nanfang Daily, May 23, 2013
http://tinyurl.com/o4dgr75
Weibo, May 24, 2013
http://weiba.weibo.com/10015/t/zy9s058OQ; http://weiba.weibo.com/10015/t/zy9s058OQ

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

IHL: The Basis for the U.S. China Threat Theory

The International Herald Leader (IHL), which is under Xinhua, recently published a commentary stating that the United States has exaggerated its “China Threat” theory by identifying several "weapons" ranging from military threats to security threats and the economic threats. The article alleges that China’s normal development and Chinese products, technology, or companies have all become targets of the U.S. “China Threat” theory.

IHL lists a few such "weapons": “The Report on China’s Military Power,” China’s anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) as represented by Dongfeng-21D, the 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test, China stealing U.S. nuclear technology, “Chinese State owned communications companies that threaten U.S. national security by acquiring U.S. companies,” cyber attacks by Chinese hackers, and the Chinese RMB exchange rate.

Source: International Herald Leader, May 9, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0509/205800.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

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