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BBC Chinese: China against UN Security Council North Korea Human Rights Discussion

BBC Chinese recently reported that the United States and eight more countries (Chile, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom) in the United Nations Security Council called for a meeting to discuss the human rights situation in North Korea. The UN Security Council had a similar meeting in December of last year. Last month, Liu Jie, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, asserted that it was a “bad idea” for 15 UN Security Council member countries to sit together to discuss North Korea’s human rights. He also commented that the UN Security Council has nothing to do with human rights issues. The 69th UN General Assembly adopted a resolution last year to submit the North Korea human rights investigation report to the Security Council. The UN General Assembly also encouraged the Security Council to submit the issue to the International Criminal Court. Liu advised that the Security Council should not politicize the human rights issue. 
Source: BBC Chinese, December 4, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/12/151204_un_north_korea_human_rights
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Guangming Daily: Obama’s “Political Legacy” Insecure

Source: Guangming Daily, December 1, 2015 U.S. President Barack Obama’s term will end in 2016. He hoped to leave the U.S. climate policy, particularly the global agreement on emissions made at the climate summit in Paris, as his "political legacy." A Guangming Daily article asked whether this might be just an empty wish. 
The article stated, “Although Obama is sparing no effort to promote America’s new emission reduction targets, opposition from the U.S. Congress continues unabated and may make Obama’s climate policy short-lived. Most Republicans voted against the Obama administration’s unilateral action on climate change issues. Many members of Congress even questioned whether human actions are responsible for global warming. Some media commentators believe that Obama can certainly use his administrative veto, temporarily excluding resistance from Congress, so that the new emission reduction measures can be implemented within his term of office. However, the U.S. Constitution requires that Congress must pass any Contracting Act in order to become a law. Otherwise once Obama leaves office, the next president will have the right to deny Obama’s climate policy, making the agreement reached at the climate summit in Paris an empty letter in the United States.” 

Sources: Guangming Daily and Xinhua, December 1, 2015
http://gmrb3.wap.gmw.cn/gmrb/html/2015-12/01/content_310138.htm?div=-1
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-12/01/c_128485485.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Experts Interpret Xi’s Direction in Sino-U.S. Relations

Following Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, over a dozen domestic experts on U.S.-China relations gathered at Renmin University of China and discussed the future direction of Sino-U.S. relations. These scholars had the basic consensus that Xi’s U.S. visit exceeded expectations, enhanced mutual trust, and righted the direction. In both the grand scheme as well as the details, Xi made some new statements. Scholars believe that, in the next year, Sino-U.S. relations overall will be manageable. However, long-term structural contradictions will still exist; [China] needs to maintain a strategic focus and have the patience to manage these relations. 

The scholars noticed that Xi made three new points in his statements regarding the new type of relationship between major powers. 
First, on three occasions, Xi expressed that building a new type of relationship between the two major powers of China and U.S. is “a priority for the direction of China’s diplomatic policies.” 
Since the 18th Congress, China has officially stated that the relations with diplomatic priority include Sino-Russian relations, China-E.U. relations, diplomacy with neighboring countries, as well as the relationship between China and other BRIC countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). As for the importance of Sino-U.S. relations, the most common expression is that "the Sino-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the 21st century." The "Sino-U.S. relationship is at the top of the most important relations in China’s diplomacy" was also once a consensus among academics, but has rarely been mentioned in recent years. 
This is an important statement of [China’s] foreign policy. Da Wei, Director of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, believes that "Chairman Xi reaffirmed the importance of Sino-U.S. relations to the American public." 
Second, some scholars noted that in the summary list of Chairman Xi’s visit, the first item on the "Sino-U.S. new relations between big powers" mentioned that China respects the traditional U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific region and its real interests and welcomes the U.S. to continue to play a positive and constructive role in regional affairs. Among them, the statement that "China respects the traditional American influence and real interests in the Asia Pacific region" appeared for the first time. 
Wang Dong, Deputy Executive Director of the Sino-U.S. Cultural Exchanges and Research Base at Peking University, pointed out that China often said that "[we] welcome the United States to continue to play an active and constructive role in regional affairs." However, "to respect traditional American influence and real interests in the Asia Pacific region" has, previously, never been clearly stated. He said, "This statement is to confirm China’s strategic intentions. We are reinventing the wheel." 
Third, about the future of Sino-U.S. common interests and responsibilities, President Xi Jinping used the term "unprecedented" on the evening of September 25 at the welcoming banquet that President Obama held in the White House. 
Most noteworthy is that, on the 25th, after the talks with President Obama, when the two heads of state jointly met with reporters, President Xi stated that the two sides have a lot of common interests in the South China Sea. 
Wang Dong believes that using the term "unprecedented" to describe the future of Sino-U.S. common interests and common responsibilities and also stating that China and the U.S. "have a lot of common interests in the South China Sea," appeared for the first time in Sino-U.S. relations. It manifested President Xi’s full understanding and control of the overall direction of future Sino-U.S. relations. To some extent, it will help alleviate the situation of Sino-U.S. tension and confrontation in the South China Sea issue. 
Source: People’s Daily, October 15, 2015 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/1015/c1002-27702943.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

TPP’s Biggest Impact on China Is Reconstruction of the Industrial Chain

Following the U.S.-led formation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a People’s Daily article discussed what impact the TPP might have on China’s industrial chain. Below is an excerpt from the article: 

“The main objective of the U.S. in pushing the TPP is to extend the U.S.-led global trade rules. The TPP will mean an upgrading of the trade rules. Its main role is to reconstruct the global industrial chain through free trade negotiations. This is a core interest of the United States and it will have a possible adverse impact on China’s future position in the global industrial chain.” 
“Tthe TPP’s impact on the global industrial chain may not appear in the short term. Because there are so many developed and developing countries that will participate, each having a production capacity of many products’ raw materials, accessories and core elements, their combination will lead to a change in the global industrial chain in 10 years or longer. By then some of China’s industries with competitive advantages (such as textiles) will inevitably suffer a greater impact.” 
“At present, China’s manufacturing competitiveness comes mainly from its comprehensive, multi-level support capabilities. The United States’ effort to promote the TPP also serves to establish a comprehensive, multi-level supporting industrial chain. The TPP already includes some Asian economies. In the future it is likely that more Asian economies will participate. The existing industrial chain of China and Asian countries will be subject to its impact in varying degrees. The industry chain is very important for the economic integration of China with Asian countries.” 
“The TPP will also affect China’s new ‘one belt, one road’ initiative. Compared with the TPP, ‘one belt, one road’ did not establish a free trade zone; nor does it have trade or investment rules. Even though it may have the effect of reshuffling the global industrial chain, due to the absence of a complete set of rules for the operation of raw materials, processing, exports, tariffs and markets for the entire chain, after their capacity of industrial production is improved, some countries may still consider joining TPP. 
Source: People’s Daily, October 8, 2015 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/1008/c1002-27670983.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Caixin: U.K.’s Bilateral Relationship with China Versus the U.S.’s Global Approach

Caixin, China’s leading provider of business and financial news and information, published an analysis of China’s relations with Britain as compared to its relations with the United States. In the analysis, Caixin‘s reporter, Zhang Yuanan, who is based in Washington D.C., observed the different moods across the Atlantic surrounding Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visits to the U.S. and then to Britain. 

In terms of the achievements of Xi’s state visits, in Washington, both Xi and Obama announced a Fact Sheet. In London, China and the UK published a joint statement. Zhang took note of the ascending significance of fact sheets, joint statements, and joint communiques in China’s top leaders’ interactions with foreign heads of state. 
At a time when Sino-British relations are entering a "golden age," Sino-U.S. relations have become more complex. Zhang held the view that Britain’s pragmatism originated from its understanding that Britain is not in a position to be openly challenging or rolling back China’s interests, while the United States is. 
Zhang noted Britain’s track record in being practical in its foreign relations and pointed out the weak foundation of Sino-British relations, due to the lack of shared values. This will be especially so if China’s economy is losing steam, while the euro zone’s recovery picks up speed and the U.S. continues to boom, which would reduce Britain’s reliance on investments from China. The coming five or so years will provide enough time for Britain’s current administration to benefit from its warm relations with Beijing. 
The relationship between Britain and China is primarily bilateral in nature. That Britain handles the relationship differently from the United States is not out of any fundamental difference in values, ideals, or interests between the two English-speaking countries. Zhang did not think that London’s more practical China policy, since it is not a core issue, would drive a wedge between Britain and its relations with the United States. 
In contrast, the United States, as a world power, hinges its relationship with China on cooperation across regional, multilateral, and global issues. In other words, when the world becomes more chaotic, there is more room for Sino-US cooperation, which serves to offset any bilateral friction. 
Source: Caixin, October 29, 2015
 http://opinion.caixin.com/2015-10-29/100867877.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Military Expert: U.S. New Nuclear Submarine Poses a Big Threat to China

Following the U.S. National Interest magazine report that the U.S. Navy is developing a new ballistic missile submarine to replace the existing fleet "Ohio" class ballistic missile submarine, CCTV conducted an interview of Chinese military experts Yin Zhuo and Cai Weidong. Yin Zhuo said that the U.S. cruise missile submarine is to be used to fight big wars against big countries like Russia or China. The weapon will pose a great threat to China. Cao Weidong expressed the belief that the United States’ development of the submarine is not intended to replace the aircraft carrier. The U.S. military can make use of nuclear submarines carrying cruise missiles, quietly move to the doorway of other countries, and implement long-range precision strikes. Cao said that the U.S. needs to set up a powerful "enemy" like China so as to develop its combat capability. 

Source: People’s Daily, October 27, 2015 
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/1027/c1011-27742197.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Global Times: U.S. Congress Accused China of Manipulating Hong Kong

Global Times recently reported that the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) just released its annual report accusing China of manipulating Hong Kong’s autonomy. The report also asked the U.S. Executive Branch to resume reporting annually to the Congress on Hong Kong’s reality. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented that reports of this type do not introduce anything new and they just make irresponsible remarks on Chinese internal affairs. The new report is yet another channel for the U.S. government to put pressure on China. The CECC report covers various topics such as human rights and the rule of law. It also covers developments in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macao. The latest report started with describing China’s human rights condition as having “worsened.” In the Hong Kong portion, it continued by suggesting the Chinese leadership’s focus on “sovereignty and control” violated multiple rights of the Hong Kong residents. 
Source: Global Times, October 10, 2015
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2015-10/7718105.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

VOA: Chinese Petitioners Stopped Xi’s Motorcade Outside Department of State

On September 25, 2015, petitioners from Beijing, Shanghai, and two central provinces, Hunan and Hubei, among other regions of China, briefly stopped Xi Jinping’s motorcade when Xi and his wife were heading toward the Department of State for lunch during Xi’s state visit to Washington. 

At around 1:10 p.m., Xi’s motorcade was passing through the intersection of 18th St NW and E St NW. Several Chinese petitioners rushed toward and stopped two stretch Cadillacs. It was reported that Ms. Li Huanjun, from Beijing and Ms. Ge Lifang, from Shanghai, stopped the second Cadillac. From within, Xi looked squarely into the eyes of one of the petitioners for several seconds. The police rushed over and took the petitioners off the street and released them. Then Xi’s motorcade proceeded toward the State Department. Later, Xi sent someone from his entourage to chat with the petitioners and to take their complaint letters. 
Source: Voice of America, September 25, 2015 
http://www.voachinese.com/content/xijinping-china-human-rights-20150925/2980160.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations