US-China Relations - 91. page

People’s Daily published a commentary on “the U.S. Navy Decatur destroyer’s unauthorized access to China’s Xisha territorial waters,” [the Paracel Islands] on October 21. The commentary said, “The U.S.’s frivolous action, which is driven by a hegemonic mentality, will not make its presence known in the Asia-Pacific region. Making trouble and creating conflict will only accelerate the decline of U.S. international influence.”

The article continued, “In violation of the coastal states’ sovereignty, security, and maritime rights and interests and saying it was done in the name of ‘freedom of navigation,’ the U.S.’s provocation has once again exposed the negative energy of the United States return to its Asia-Pacific strategy and highlighted the role it has played as ‘troublemaker’ on the South China Sea issue.”
“The so-called cruise operation of the United States coincided with Philippine President Duterte’s visit to China. Sino-Philippine relations had been fully restored and the two sides signed a series of cooperation agreements. As China’s relations with relevant countries improved and the new momentum of resolving the South China Sea issue steadily emerged, the United States sent warships to China’s territorial waters to stir up conflicts. This has exactly demonstrated how the United States has deliberately created and induced tension in the South China Sea for some time. The move clearly shows the United States does not want to see the South China Sea in peace and cannot tolerate stability in the region. If no one will help it make trouble, Washington will be anxious to jump out to make trouble by itself.”

Duterte’s speech in China will help people understand the United States and the complicated mentality behind its actions, “China has a very good relationship with us; the United States a little anxious.” In provoking conflict as a means to show its ruthlessness, it is only venting the depression it has in its heart and also the manifestation of its hegemonic habits. It is not known whether the United States itself has realized that it is this hegemonic inertia that is accelerating the decline of U.S. international influence and that it is getting more and more difficult for the United States to provide positive energy with public goods? Whether or not Washington has the courage to admit it, the era in which it could sit comfortably as the leader of its own camp has passed.”

“It’s not just a day or two since the United States dealt with China regarding the South China Sea. Washington, [please] don’t have any unrealistic fantasy. China’s will to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity is rock-solid. … On the issue of peace and stability in the South China Sea, China will not let the United States behave wantonly.”

Source: People’s Daily, October 23, 2016
http://military.people.com.cn/n1/2016/1023/c1011-28800163.html

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that 16 U.S. Congressmen wrote a joint letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) calling for an investigation into a series of acquisitions that the Chinese Wanda Group has made. In January, Wanda acquired Legendary Entertainment for US$3.5 billion. As the result of a 2012 acquisition (US$2.6 billion), it also became the owner of the AMC Theaters, which made Wanda the largest theater operator in the world. Wanda has been expanding its presence in the global movie industry, covering the entire food chain from upstream movie producing all the way to the downstream retail theaters. Wanda recently attempted to acquire 49 percent of Paramount; it announced its strategic partnership with Sony Motion Pictures on September 22, and is currently negotiating a US$1 billion acquisition of Dick Clark Productions, which produces the American Music Awards and the American Country Countdown Awards.

Source: Sina, October 7, 2016
http://finance.sina.com/gb/economy/sinacn/20161007/05271506734.html

People’s Daily recently published a commentary suggesting that the U.S. is suffering the “dead loop” of having shooting tragedies followed by violent protests every month and it seems there is no way out. The article started with a discussion of “yet another shooting” which occurred recently in Charlotte, North Carolina. An unarmed black man was just one of the tens of thousands of innocent lives lost under police guns. Just in 2015, 986 innocent people died due to “over law enforcement.” That covered all 50 U.S. states except Rhode Island. Of those who died, 40 percent were African American. The U.S. always labels itself as the leader of democracy and human rights. However, even the democratically elected black President Obama regretted that there have been too many tragedies caused by a “disease” in the justice system – racial discrimination. The violent and over-done law enforcement process in the U.S. has made the nation’s human rights record “rustic,” and brought the total number of current prisoners to 2.2 million, which makes the U.S. number one in the world. Minorities can do nothing but protest. The author concluded that racial discrimination and injustice in the justice system bought the U.S. a one-way ticket to go deeper and deeper into the “shooting-protest dead loop.”

Source: People’s Daily, September 22, 2016
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0922/c1002-28734259.html

China’s state media People’s Daily published an article commenting on the U.S.’s attitude and position on North Korea’s nuclear test.

The article said, “The United States has created too much trouble with its shortsightedness and recklessness. When it creates an issue, it is difficult to deal with it and the U.S. is increasingly inclined to address itself as an outsider and complain and blame others. America’s approach not only violates international morality; it also adds a huge obstacle to solving the problem.”

The article continued, “A few days ago, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test in spite of the widespread opposition of the international community. This act undermines the nuclear non-proliferation system and threatens regional peace and stability. It requires all of the concerned parties to deal effectively with each other while avoiding further mutual stimulation. However, regarding the relevant news, Washington has ignored the complexity and grimness of the problem, once again throwing out the unfounded ‘Chinese responsibility theory.’

“On the North Korea nuclear issue, what qualifies the United States to be an outsider and what qualifications does it have to shift the responsibility for this aggravated situation to other countries arbitrarily? The history of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is clearly displayed. Is it not the United States that is the origin and crux of the problem? Otherwise, why has North Korea consistently been pursuing a nuclear strike capability directed at the United States?

“The United States has a sufficient understanding of the truth of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. It is hard to imagine that Washington really believes in the ‘Chinese responsibility theory’ that it has presented. There is reason to doubt whether Washington really has the will to push the North Korean nuclear issue in the direction of solution. At the beginning of this year, after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, the U.S. strongly promoted the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea at the expense of the national strategic security interests of others in the region. The United States certainly does not really believe that the deployment of THAAD can solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula once and for all.

“In recent years, the United States’ ability to provide effective public goods has been declining in many international affairs, but its effort to make trouble has not diminished. The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is just one example.

“In East Asia, since the launch of the “Asia-Pacific rebalancing” strategy, the United States has always regarded the South China Sea issue as an important safeguard for its regional hegemony and its strategic containment of China, blatantly provoking dissension among the countries concerned. At the same time, it also appears as the “guardian of the rules” constantly blaming China.

“Being the manufacturer of the problem but acting as the ‘outsider’ to blame other countries, the United States is not only violating international morals but it is also adding a huge obstacle to solving practical problems. On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, we need to advise Washington that it is very risky to have the mentality of trying one’s luck, having a wait-and-see attitude, or being opportunistic in this protracted problem. It will make the peninsula situation even more tense and make the problem more difficult to solve if it continues any selfish agenda while ignoring the overall situation.”

Source: People’s Daily, September 14, 2016
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0914/c1002-28714365.html

Global Times recently reported that the United State filed a new complaint against China with the World Trade Organization (WTO), claiming China violated WTO rules and subsidized domestic wheat, corn, and rice prices. The U.S. government released an announcement accusing the Chinese government of paying the farmers by setting the lowest government purchase prices for wheat, corn and rice. These subsidies broke the promises made in 2001 when China joined the WTO and directly resulted in overproduction, which weakened the competitiveness of the American farmers in the global market. The U.S. has intensified its trade attacks against China in recent months. The actions include taxing Chinese steel for anti-dumping, filing against China in WTO, and calling for the EU’s veto on China’s market economy status. The United States is the largest agricultural exporter in the world. This is the fourteenth WTO filing against China under the Obama Administration and its first WTO filing in support of U.S. food exporters.

Source: Global Times, September 14, 2016
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2016-09/9440770.html

On September 3, 2016, one day before the 2016 G20 Summit in Hangzhou China, Huanqiu (Global Times Chinese, a major official mouthpiece of the Communist Party) published an editorial asserting that “The Chinese people are the most enthusiastic fans of the G20 Summit.”

The Huanqiu editorial listed four “outstanding” “additional factors” about China’s hosting of the G20 Summit:

1. The Chinese government regards hosting the G20 summit in China as a “Big Thing.” For the G20, China created a favorable environment as well as an efficient and comprehensive organization. Although there has been criticism of the extensive and intensive preparations for the meeting, “the positive effects are certainly greater than the negative ones.”
2. As the world’s second largest economy and also the largest developing country, it is easier for China to communicate with both the developed countries and the emerging markets of the developing countries in a common language.
3. China really wants to promote global governance for everyone’s mutual benefit. The editorial asserted that, “The Chinese people are the most enthusiastic fans of the G20 summit.”
4. International public opinion has been bad-mouthing the G20. The developed countries are having difficulties extricating themselves from their crises, while the emerging markets of the developing countries face increasing challenges. The G20 needs a passionate summit. “Chinese society’s enthusiasm will help the G20.”
5. China has been developing rapidly for several decades. It has shared the problems of globalization. It will be very productive for the world’s political and business leaders to gather in Hangzhou China to analyze China as the mirror of the world’s development.

Finally, the editorial criticized some Western media for politicizing the G20 summit. China, as the host country, however, proposed the summit themes and the discussion topics, which all centered on the economy.

Source: Huanqiu, September 3, 2016
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2016-09/9396030.html