US-China Relations - 134. page

On March 20, 2012, Xinhua published an article on the eastward shift of the U.S. global strategic focus. The article asserted that, in order for the United States to maintain its hegemony in the world, it is determined to contain China and gradually weaken the Chinese Communist Party. The U.S. will do this not only through military containment, but also by using its economic, judicial, and ideological influence.

The article proposed that, in response, China should implement several diplomatic strategies, one of which is to strengthen China’s international united front. To this end China should: 1) continue to consolidate and develop the Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership; 2) further develop the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; 3) stand firmly on the side of the developing countries and oppose the world powers’ interference in the internal affairs of developing countries; 4) ensure that the ‘BRICS’ play an effective role by increasing their mutual trust and strengthening cooperation between them. (Ed. The BRICS include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.)

Source: Xinhua, March 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-03/20/c_122855344_2.htm  

China Review News (CRN) recently published a commentary on the impact of the improved U.S. energy independence. The commentary mentioned that the U.S. energy self-sufficiency rate reached 81% in the first 10 months of 2011. The U.S. has transformed itself from a daily importer of 2.5 million barrels of refined oil to a net exporter of refined oil. Only 17% of U.S. imported oil is from the Middle East. Meanwhile, it is estimated that, in 2013, China will rely on imported oil for nearly 60% of its oil consumption. Today, Iran alone supplies 10% of China’s oil imports. China’s energy suppliers are mostly from the Middle East and Africa. In 2010, China’s share of the world’s energy consumption reached 20.82%. The commentary concluded, based on these numbers, that the highly improved U.S. energy independence offered a great opportunity for the U.S. to reshape its global strategy to focus on the East and to build a U.S.-centered Asia-Pacific order.

Source: China Review News, March 12, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/2/4/7/102024759.html?coluid=148&kindid=7550&docid=102024759&mdate=0312000212

Xinhua published an article written by Wang Haiyun, Deputy Director of the Chinese Association on the History of Sino-Russian Relations. The article discussed how to break the U.S. encirclement of China. It stressed the need to form international alliances to counter how the U.S. encircles China and hinders its rise. The article stated, “The structural conflicts between China and the U.S. have determined that the U.S. strategy to prevent China’s rise will not undergo any fundamental change. … Although the U.S. still mouths many words about developing a cooperative relationship with China, what it does is totally the opposite. This is the serious reality China must face. … [China] cannot continue to maintain the unrealistic illusion of ‘developing a strategic relationship’ with the U.S.”

“Therefore, China must adjust its international strategy as soon as possible. While trying to maintain the stability of the relationship with the U.S. and avoid turning a localized conflict into a large-scale conflict, [China] must actively explore the strategy and means to break the U.S.’ encirclement. One important thought is to change [China’s] ‘non-alliance’ to a ‘quasi-alliance.’ The U.S. targets China in many different ways. We [China] cannot just fight alone.”

“The main points of the ‘quasi-alliance’ strategy include: 1) Continue to state the ‘three-no’-policy of ‘non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting a third country,’ and, in addition, not publicly forming a military alliance for a certain period of time. 2) Strive to create ‘neighboring friendship areas, strategic stability areas, and economic cooperation areas,’ turning them into our neighboring geographic and strategic allies. 3). Form the image of a ‘dependable but unprovokable’ big country, while enhancing our soft power in the neighboring countries.”

Source: Xinhua, March 11, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-03/11/c_122815157.htm

Xinhua published a rebuttal to Western comments that China may have softened its stance on the South China Sea issue, which they made in the light of China’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hong Lei’s statement that “no countries, including China, have laid claim to the entire South China Sea.” The article holds, “China has never laid claim to the entire South China Sea. Instead China has maintained that it has sovereignty and jurisdiction over the islands in the South China Sea as well as their adjacent waters. This position is consistent and clear. … In fact, [Hong Lei’s] statement is a strong rebuttal to those who, with the ulterior motive to cause confusion, have distorted China’s position on the issue of sovereignty over the South China Sea.” Even countries that have made no claim to sovereignty have taken turns holding joint military exercises or submitting bids for oil and gas in the South China Sea region, thus creating instability.

Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2012-03/12/c_131454775.htm

In an interview with a China Review News reporter, Deputy Director of the Chinese Culture Exchange and Promotion Association, Xin Qi, commented that “The U.S., by attacking everywhere, looks agitated. This is mostly related to the U.S.’s notion that ‘Western civilization is the center [of the world].’ China does not need to directly confront the U.S. Rather, China should let the U.S. understand and accept China’s new path of peaceful rise.”

“The U.S. met with a stiff rebuff in Iran and North Korea. The U.S. army will also withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. may think that China’s ‘bone is not quite hardened, yet it has become quite big’ after 30 years of the open and reform policy. American’s thinking is absolutely wrong. By repeatedly using the ‘no’ vote in the U.N. on the Syria issue, China has made it clear to the U.S. that such thinking is an illusion.”

“In the current situation, it is unnecessary for China to show its weapons to the U.S. There is no need to confront an angry, drunken man who smells of alcoholic. Rather, one should quiet him down and make it clear to him that he should recognize the interests that China and the U.S. have in common. … At the same time, China should make it clear to the U.S. that it is impossible for one model of civilization to dominate the world forever. In addition to the ‘Washington Consensus,’ there is also the ‘Beijing Consensus.’ The U.S. has to learn to accept China’s path and experience…”

Source: China Review News, March 11, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/3/5/2/102035272.html?coluid=148&kindid=7550&docid=102035272&mdate=0311004955

Huanqiu carried an opinion piece on how the U.S. has recently launched a number of joint military exercises, including the Cobra Gold Military Exercises (Thailand), Cope North 2012 (the U.S., Japan, and Australia) and Key Resolve-Foal Eagle (South Korea), with Asian Pacific countries. The article wondered what the U.S. is afraid of as it launches one large scale military exercise after another. It stated that what the U.S. really fears is losing its dominant power in the world and that, therefore, U.S. strategy revolves around how it can secure absolute world dominance.

The article also warned that a fleet, missiles, or aircraft carriers do not mean much in the 21st Century. What matters to safety is social and economic development and close cooperation between different nations. The article said, “If the U.S. does not put down its ‘fear,’ it could create more enemies. It will eventually bury itself in its imaginary “threat” and be unable to dig itself out.” 

Source: Huanqiu, March, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2012-03/2506854.html

China Review News published an commentary article talking about China’s diplomatic policy on the Iran conflict. The article says, “U.S. Finance Secretary’s visit to China is not for discussing economic issues, rather, it is for the issue of sanctioning Iran. This is a quite strange thing.”

Regarding what China will do to Iran, the article says, “ Based on the past norm, Chinese authorities would adopt or partially adopt the American government official’s request out of the consideration of diplomatic interests. However，if U.S. Secretary of Finance comes to China in the hope of getting China to increase the sanction of Iran, then U.S. Finance Secretary will probably go home empty-handed. Chinese government will never agree to join the camp of sanctioning Iran unless Iran openly opposes U.N. Security Council’s Resolution and pulls farther and farther away in the issue of nuclear weapons.”

The article made it clear that “China will not interfere with other countries’ internal affairs, not to say force other country to yield under pressure by economic sanction and armed force threatening. It is necessary that China’s Foreign Ministry publicize its diplomatic policy, and eliminate the illusion of Western countries.”

Source: China Review News, January 25, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/7/5/4/101975417.html?coluid=136&kindid=4710&docid=101975417&mdate=0125000148

There has been a new development in the case of Wang Lijun, the former Chongqing police chief and deputy mayor who sought asylum a month ago at the United States consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. According to the South China Morning Post, a source close to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) said that “On Saturday evening, President Hu Jintao issued an internal briefing to the Communist Party members among the CPPCC delegates, telling them that Wang was a traitor.”

“A government source in Chongqing took a similar stance yesterday, saying: ‘All officials above the prefecture level in Chongqing were told the day before yesterday [March 4] that Wang had betrayed his country.’”

When interviewed by Hong Kong based Phoenix TV at the Great Hall of the People, where the session of the National People’s Congress and the People’s Political Consultative Conference is held, U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, repeated the U.S. line on the deputy mayor. "He came in for a regularly scheduled meeting," Locke said. "He later left of his own accord."

Source: South China Morning Post, March 7, 2012
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=0d5ea7bb8d8e5310VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News
Phoenix TV, March 5, 2012
http://v.ifeng.com/news/mainland/201203/deec6057-a9ce-4c1c-8196-096445e3221e.shtml