US-China Relations - 135. page

Guangzhou Daily recently reported that the U.S. International Trade Commission started an investigation on February 29, 2012, involving two Chinese companies and one Canadian company that make tattoo equipment as well as permanent cosmetic ink and application equipment. The investigation is taking place "to ensure patent protection." The final ruling date will be determined within 45 days. An investigation typically takes one year to reach a final ruling. This is the latest round of investigations after an earlier round a month ago on laser printer toners, camera phones, tablets, and other handheld image capturing devices, as well as adjustable energy-saving fluorescent lamps. 13 Chinese companies were investigated. In the U.S. fiscal year 2011, over 70 investigations were initiated under the U.S. Tariff Act, Section 337.

Source: Guangzhou Daily, March 2, 2012
http://gzdaily.dayoo.com/html/2012-03/02/content_1628808.htm

Study Times published a commentary on the new U.S. strategy in Asia. The article’s author expressed the belief that the U.S. adjustment represents another post-Vietnam war contraction, rather than an expansion. It stated that the U.S. move is more a defensive one to safeguard what it has achieved, instead of an offensive one. In its strategy in Asia, the U.S. coordinates its military, political, and economic actions very well. “This strategic maneuver was carried all the way through and China felt real pressure.” However, the article continued, it is impossible to drive all Asian countries away from China and to isolate China completely. It appears that the U.S. may invite China to join the TPP at a later time so that China will have to play a passive role and simply follow the rules that have already been established. “But China will not accept such an invitation. The U.S. simply does not have the final say!”

Sourse: Study Times, February 27, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/02/27/07/07_33.htm

The International Herald Leader put forth an argument that China should work toward breaking the tradition that the U.S. holds the Presidency at the World Bank. “The developed countries’ actual share of and influence over the world economy is decreasing. The share of the new economies represented by the BRIC countries is rapidly increasing.” The decision on the Presidency needs to reflect the new world order. Also, letting the U.S., which has only 16% of the World Bank’s voting power, control the president’s position is unfair to other countries that have 84% of  the voting power. “There should be a ‘new game’ for the new candidate. U.S. internal politics should not be the determining factor; it should be determined by the major country members of the international finance system and the economic system.”

According to the article, China does not expect to see a game change this time, but it should openly express its dissatisfaction and consolidate support from other countries. “On the decision of Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, France’s Lagarde paid a visit to China and to other new economies before she was appointed and also addressed China’s interest in the IMF’s quota and voting share reform. China can duplicate this success at the World Bank.”

Source: Xinhua, February 24, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2012-02/24/c_131427183.htm

Xinhua recently published a report commenting on cuts in the U.S. defense budget. According to the new budget plan, the defense budget for next year will be reduced by $32 billion. A total of $487 billion will be cut over the next decade. The report expressed the belief that the factors leading to the reduction were the current unstable U.S. economic situation and the political atmosphere of a presidential election year. However, the article pointed out that the budget reduction also reflected some strategic improvements that the U.S. military has made. One is strengthened mobility and delivery capabilities, which make deploying military forces to the front-line much easier and faster. Hence there is no need to keep a large amount of manpower deployed in remote areas. Another improvement is in the technology area where unmanned and space-based attack capabilities are becoming game changers. The report concluded that the budget cuts demonstrated that it will be easier and cheaper for the U.S. to start future wars. The lowered U.S. defense budget may mean more trouble for the world.

Source: Global Times, February 25, 2012
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2012-02/2470054_2.html

Qiushi published an article that discussed China’s strategic vision to cope with the U.S. "Movement to the East." The article stated the following: The "Movement to the East" is a major strategic change in U.S. foreign diplomacy. To a large extent, it targets China. [China] should study it carefully and cope with it appropriately. First, we need to understand the dichotomy in Sino-U.S. relations. On the one hand, there is an un-resolvable conflict between China and the U.S., namely China’s "Peaceful Development" and U.S. hegemony. This is the fundamental reason for the U.S. "containment" policy. On the other hand, China and the U.S. are highly inter-dependent. This inter-dependence is not just limited to the economic area, but also includes other areas such as the political and diplomatic areas. This is the reason for the U.S. "engagement" policy.

Based on the above understanding, we should further perfect our foreign strategy. That strategy should not only target the U.S., but should also focus on the whole world. [We should] look at the big picture from the long-term perspective; [we should] not be limited to the [U.S.] "Movement to the East," but should look at the whole world; not just the current situation, but also the long-term objective, focusing on strengthening ourselves (including our economic, military and political influence); … [we should] develop relations with neighboring countries, big countries and developing countries, and [we should] actively initiate multilateral diplomacy. At present, [we] should especially focus on consolidating our cooperation with neighboring countries and on strengthening cooperation with the gold brick countries, work on the G20 mechanism, the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), 10+1, 10+3, and the China-Japan-South Korea free trade zone.

Source: Qiushi, February 21, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/gj/gjgc/201202/t20120221_139934.htm

Study Times published an article that advocated an approach to controlling the differences in the relationship between the U.S. and China. To implement the control approach, the article suggested that there must be a dialogue mechanism, a regular and systematic structure between functional departments of the two countries to assess and evaluate the differences, and a control mechanism. As the two countries distrust of each other is increasing, the ability to deal with conflicts is decreasing. Without effective control of the differences, the bilateral relationship may become more turbulent.

“At the official level, senior government officials should focus on the overall situation of bilateral relations and should not only refrain from making remarks that may result in a strategic misjudgment, but also prevent any expression of words and deeds that might result in damage to the strategic mutual trust between the two countries. At an unofficial level, [both countries] should actively guide or control the public opinion within the two countries, not allow the voice of those who advocate hostility to prevail, and avoid the expansion of misconceptions and the emergence of new misunderstandings.

Source: Study Times, February 13, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/2012/02/13/02/02_35.htm

Guangzhou Daily published a commentary criticizing the United States’ new military strategy. “The new U.S. military strategy shows that, as its national power is declining, the U.S. is helpless – it has no choice but to adjust it military strategic objectives and downsize its military forces. At the same time the U.S. demonstrates that it is obstinate in maintaining its superior military power and world hegemony. It is attempting to get away from wars it cannot afford to continue, and is aiming its strategic spearhead very unwisely at its so-called ‘potential adversary’ [China] that upholds peaceful development. … Of course, we do not want to be treated this way, but the U.S. insists. Therefore we do not need to cover up for the U.S. Secondly, there is no need to panic. It is nothing more than containment and constraint, to assemble and win over allies, and to compress our strategic space. We have had that experience before and there is nothing remarkable about it.”

Source: Guangzhou Daily reprinted by Xinhua, February 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-02/12/c_122689185.htm

The International Herald Tribune published an article on the Xinhua website proposing a more hard-line stance on the U.S. military presence in the Western Pacific Region. The article stated, “There are a number of opinions about the U.S. intention in maintaining a military presence in the West Pacific region. … The fundamental question comes to whether it is indeed targeting China.”

“At the present, analyzing the strategic intention of the U.S.’s military adjustment in the Western Pacific is not the most important task. … To overturn the trend of the U.S. strengthening its military power, the U.S. might meet an invincible counter-threat, forcing it to make a choice between starting a large-scale military confrontation and admitting that the U.S. is not invincible.”

The article concluded, "The key that China must remember is that the way to avoid being threatened is by no means trying to meet the requirements of the threatener. The threatener’s intention always changes and its requirements increase.”

Source: Xinhua, February 6, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-02/06/c_122657115.htm