US-China Relations - 163. page

On March 1, 2010, Xinhua commented that two high U.S. officials’ visited Beijing in the hope of mending ties with China, because of the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the “Google Incident” and Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeffrey Bader were in Beijing from March 2 to 4. “In terms of Sino-U.S. relations, China’s position has been consistent and clear. China will never barter away China’s core interests … The U.S. must understand that China can’t remain silent when China’s interests are harmed.”

Source: Xinhua, March 1, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-03/01/content_13076932.htm 

Luo Yuan, a major general in the People’s Liberation Army, made public remarks at a government conference that the U.S. has knowingly violated China’s core strategic interests in Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang, which amounts to provocation against China. He stated that China should follow Russia’s tit for tat approach and counter the U.S. to show that China also has cards in its hand. Examples include Russia’s deployment of Topol M strategic missiles in Russia and deployment of short-range missiles at Kaliningrad.

Source: China Review News, March 4, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1012/4/7/4/101247486.html?coluid=1&kindid=0&docid=101247486&mdate=0304002941

Yok Mu-ming, Chairman of the New Party in Taiwan said that Taiwan should sacrifice some of its relationships with the U.S. for achieving a better relationship with Mainland China. Yok said the Ma Ying-jeou administration should delay Taiwan’s spending on U.S. weapon purchases and instead use the money for social welfare projects. He claims that it is wasteful to buy U.S. weapons since the China-Taiwan relationship is developing peacefully. Yok said that during the upcoming municipal congress member elections the New Party candidates will speak out loudly about what the Kuomintang candidates dare not say

Source: Global Times, March 1, 2010
http://taiwan.huanqiu.com/liangan/2010-03/730177.html

Xinhua recently republished an article by a commentator of Phoenix Satellite Television, a pro-government TV station based in Hong Kong. The article suggested that the latest visit to Hong Kong of a U.S. aircraft carrier demonstrated China’s weakness, since the United States hardened its position in the relationship between the two countries. It considered this “proof” of China being a “paper tiger” in the “cyclical game” played by the U.S. The author believes China has enough “tools” in its toolbox to punish the United States when President Obama is taking a tougher position with the recent arms sale to Taiwan and meeting with the Dalai Lama in the White House. The Chinese leadership did not deliver on what it talked about. That seems to be a sign of a lack of “political will.”

Source: Xinhua, February 26, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-02/26/content_13051853.htm

China News, a state owned and internationally oriented Chinese news agency, recently reported the fact that the Chinese Embassy complained to CNN about Larry King’s interview of the Dalai Lama. The Chinese Embassy reiterated its position against the Dalai Lama’s visit to the U.S., as well as against CNN’s interview. The Embassy asked the news network to abide by the U.S. government’s acknowledgement of Tibet being part of China. CNN was also asked not to provide a stage for the Dalai Lama. CNN did not cancel the show as the Chinese Embassy had requested, but a Chinese announcement was presented during the show.

Source: China News, February 28, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/02-28/2142660.shtml

A reporter from China News agency in Washington DC interviewed 3 American Chinese experts regarding U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meetings with the Dalai Lama. According to China News Net on February 19, 2010, all of the 3 China experts thought that the meetings would not affect Sina-US relations in general.

Shen Jiyao, a retired professor from the University of Washington DC, pointed out that the fact that Obama kept the meeting closed from the media showed the United States’ intention to reduce the impact of this meeting on the bilateral relations. Xue Haipei, President Obama’s former campaign consultant, said that the meetings will not shake the fundamentals of Sino-US relations. Zhu Zhiqun, a professor of Bucknell University, does not think the meetings will mortally damage Sino-US relations.

Source: China News Net, February 19, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/02-19/2125944.shtml

Ming Pao Daily reported on February 20, 2010, that the high-profile protest made by China against the U.S. President Barack Obama’s meeting with Dalai Lama will not affect Sino-US cooperation.

Radical messages such as resisting U.S. goods and reducing China’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries have appeared on Mainland China’s websites. Some scholars claimed that China would not rule out “bigger moves” in retaliation. However, according to AP, one expert, professor Jin Cairong of Renmin University in Beijing, believes that the Sino-US bilateral ties are more important than the Tibetan issue. With the approaching date of Hu Jintao’s visit to the U.S. this year and the new round of Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, China and the U.S. need to cooperate more.

Source: Ming Pao Daily, January 20, 2010
http://www.mingpaotor.com/htm/News/20100220/tcab1.htm

Obama’s reforms did not change his Feb 18 meeting with Dalai Lama, a Xinua article commented. Since President Bush’s first meeting with the Dalai Lama in 1991, three U.S. presidents had met with the Dalai Lama eleven times before the February 18 meeting. Why hasn’t Obama reformed this practice, asked the article. “It is based on the U.S. cold war mentality and one of the many cards in the pursuit of the US strategic interests.” The article states that it is high time for the U.S. to adopt a new way of thinking in handling the bilateral relationship.

Source: Xinhua, February 19, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-02/19/content_13005223.htm