US-China Relations - 141. page

Xiao Dong, the chief editor of China Press, a U.S. based Chinese language newspaper, contributed a special article to People’s Daily. In the article, Xiao wrote that China should use “soft checks and balances” to deal with the U.S. “soft containment” of China which appeared as a recent adjustment to its strategy in the Pacific region. “Soft checks and balances include constraining the U.S. through international organizations, deterring the U.S. through economic means, restricting its freedom through diplomatic measures, and using ingenuity to lead the U.S. strategy toward failure. … Soft power is a capability while soft checks and balances are a means.” Specifically, “China should fully utilize the existing dialogue mechanism to resolve conflicts and seek a win-win situation; fully utilize the framework of international institutions and organizations, particularly those China can effectively influence; and fully use diplomatic means of all kinds to reduce the pressure.”

According to the U.S. based Jamestown Foundation, “China Press is directly controlled by the Chinese government. The paper is characterized by its substantial and timely news reports from Mainland China. It represents the voice and views of China’s Communist government.”

Sources:
People’s Daily, December 21, 2011
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/70731/16672314.html
Jamestown Foundation, “How China’s Government Is Attempting to Control Chinese Media in America” http://www.jamestown.org/programs/chinabrief/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3764&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=191&no_cache=1

Study Times, the publication of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CCP, published an article on December 19, 2011, titled “How Should China Deal with TPP?” According to the article, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is incomplete without China’s accession. Currently, China has difficulty meeting certain TPP’ requirements, such as on government procurement, state-owned enterprises having a limited role in the national economy, an assurance of market-driven innovation, a high demand for labor, and environmental standards. However, TPP’s rules give China an opportunity to open up and promote reform. “Following the principle of seeking  what is most beneficial for China’s maximum interest, China should actively and steadily negotiate with TPP.”  

Source: Study Times, December 19, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/12/19/02/02_31.htm

Xinhua carried an article, originally from Jiefang Daily, which was written by Liu Baolai, the former Chinese Ambassador to the Middle East and Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The title was, “It Is Too Early to Speak Unfavorably of the U.S. Decline.” The article analyzed the strategies that the U.S. has used in adjusting in its foreign and domestic policies. It concluded that the U.S. still holds the world’s number one position and no other country can replace it.

The article summarized the strategic changes in U.S. foreign policy in the following three areas: 1) The shift in focus from anti-terrorism to the economy: the U.S. concern over the economy has replaced its concern over terrorism. One example is that the topic discussed during Obama’s recent Asia Pacific trip was not terrorism, but rather it was the economy. 2) The shift in strategy towards the East and forging the “America Pacific Century”: the U.S. withdrew from Iraq and Afghanistan while speeding up its pace in moving towards the Asia Pacific region in order to regain its dominance in the area. 3) The adjustment in Middle-East policy: the U.S. started to openly support the reforms in the Middle East with the intention of letting those countries smoothly transition towards democracy by following the U.S.’s direction.

According to the article, the U.S. government has focused domestically on reducing the rate of unemployment, on increasing investment in high tech and new weapons development in areas such as clean energy and the pharmaceutical field, and on preserving military power by maintaining the military budget despite the skyrocketing national debt it faces.

The article summarized, “It can therefore be concluded that the high status of the U.S. in the world will remain stable in the predictable future and no other country can replace it.” .

Source: Xinhua, December 14, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-12/14/c_122418506.htm

China Review News published a commentary stating that all of the activities of U.S. Secretary of State Clinton in Asia in 2011 had the purpose of, in summary, building an environment hostile to China. Throughout 2011, Mrs. Clinton set foot in numerous Asian countries, some even twice. The U.S. had joint military exercises with countries neighboring China in the West Pacific and South China Sea. “[The U.S.] even sent its aircraft carriers to the Yellow River to show off its military, obviously an action against China.” “During the second half of the year, her visits to India, the Philippines and Burma were viewed as having a strong meaning for China, even as solidifying hostility against China. … She encouraged India to participate in containing China, provided military support to the Philippines to create chaos in the South China Sea, and dug holes in the foundation of the China-Burma relationship.”

Source: Chinese Review News, December 14, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/3/7/4/101937486.html?coluid=7&kindid=0&docid=101937486&mdate=1214001243

According to a China Education Online report released on December 13, 2011, the number of Chinese students studying aboard will exceed 300,000 and may reach 330,000 by the end of 2011. It will be the 4th year for the annual growth rate to exceed 20%. The report said that, since 1978, there were two quantum leaps in the number. One was in 2002 and the other, which has continued unabated, was in 2008. For example, the number of 284,700 students studying overseas in 2010 was double the number in 2007. The most popular country of destination is the United States. In 2010 over 45% of students studying abroad went to the U.S. Other top choices include Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. The report attributed the growth to the fact that Western countries have been encouraging the enrollment of international students since the 2008 financial crisis began. The report stated that the U.S. Embassy in China granted over 85% of student visa applications. It was also noted that students leaving China tend to be younger in age. While 62% surveyed would like to attend colleges abroad for bachelor’s degrees, 22% wanted to attend high schools.

Source: China Education Online, December 14, 2011
http://gaokao.eol.cn/2011luntan_11216/20111214/t20111214_718923.shtml

Huanqiu published an article suggesting that, now that the U.S. has reentered the Asia Pacific Region, China should adjust its geographic strategy in reaction to U.S. strategy.

The article called Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to Myanmar a significant move in U.S. Asian policy. It stated that the U.S. has changed its strategy towards China’s neighboring countries, following the end of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, a change that targets China. The move has the purpose of preventing China from surpassing the U.S. in Asia. The article suggested that China should revisit its geographic strategy. An example it gave was that China could express its intention of building a strategic partnership with Afghanistan by opening the Wakhan Corridor and having China’s development of the Kashgar Economic Zone include developing an economic cooperation plan with Afghanistan. China could also form a strategic agreement with Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the long run, China should advocate forming a five-country dialog and establishing economic cooperation with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and India so as to revive the “Historic Silk Road.”

Source: China Review News, December 1, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/2/1/8/101921899.html?coluid=148&kindid=7550&docid=101921899&mdate=1201000712

The International Herald Leader interviewed Yan Xuetong, a professor at Qinghua University in Beijing and Director of The Institute of International Studies. In the interview, Yan advocated that China should form alliances with other countries. He suggested that if China continues its non-alliance policy and does not provide security protection to others, China will not be able to expect support from others if its national security interests are threatened. He also suggested that ideology has no bearing on forming alliances with other countries. Even though Vietnam shares the same ideology as China, it is not China’s ally. The US and Saudi Arabia have totally different ideologies, but they have been allies for dozens of years.

Soruce: International Herald Leader reprinted by Xinhua, December 5, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-12/05/c_131284250.htm

The International Herald Leader, which is under Xinhua News Agency, published an analytical article regarding the U.S. decision to decrease aid to China. The article asserted that the U.S. government’s aid to China will gradually decrease in public, but funding to support “the promotion of human rights and democracy” will increase behind the scenes. The article said, “‘Aid to China’ is not so simple and filled with good will. … A considerable number of the programs for China aid that the the U.S. Congress has approved are so-called ‘democracy aid’ and ‘human rights aid.’ Some human rights religious NGOs conduct clandestine activities and even support some of the dividing forces or anti-China forces. … In the new international situation, such aid is an important means for the U.S. government to realize its interests utilizing its soft power.”

Source: International Herald Leader, December 2, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-12/02/c_131282523.htm