Chinascope – Page 1015

“Why Do Presidential Candidates, for No Reason, Always Pick China as a Topic”

People’s Daily Oversea’s Edition carried an article questioning why, without reason, presidential candidates always pick China as a topic.

The article named republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney. According to the article, even when Romney seems to lose his approval rating due to the high profile candidacy of Texas Governor Rick Perry, Romney’s words to “attack China” grow stronger in areas from trade, to patent rights, to currency. The article also mentioned the comments that Romney made in 2006 during his visit to China when he was the Massachusetts Governor, “China is a stronger competitor than expected. … It is important for the U.S. to interact with China based on free trade. … The US-China relationship should be bridged instead of building a concrete wall.”

The article points out that Romney’s inconsistent remarks and inter-changeable principles "demonstrate the bad trait of U.S. politics." It calls the U.S. “a country that is constantly looking for an opponent” and criticized the two parties for their “ignorant, arrogant, extreme statements (on China)” in order to attract voters’ attention.

Source: People’s Daily Oversea’s Edition, September 16, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/gj/gjsspl/201109/t20110916_110467.htm

Briefings | | September 19, 2011 | US-China Relations

Securities Times: A Rare Opportunity for Chinese RMB Internationalization

An editorial in the Securities Times states that the economic crisis in the United States and Europe has brought a rare opportunity for internationalization of the Chinese RMB. In early September, Nigeria announced that it had a Memorandum of Understanding with the People’s Bank of China to convert about 5 to 10% of its foreign exchange reserves to Chinese RMB. China has already entered into agreements with Russia, South Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Malaysia and others regarding use of the RMB in settlement. The editorial states, “To internationalize the RMB is the only path for the rise of China. … From regional to global, this is the real path of internationalization.” "It not only expands the RMB’s influence but also reduces the exposure of Chinese foreign trade to the weak U.S. dollar." However, the editorial recognized that the RMB has a long way to go to become a true international currency, stating that the current situation is inadequate because China is the second largest economy and has the largest trade surplus and foreign reserves. “The current international environment has provided China with a historic opportunity to accelerate RMB internationalization.”

Source: Securities Times, September 9, 2011
http://epaper.stcn.com/paper/zqsb/html/2011-09/09/content_304984.htm

Briefings | | September 16, 2011 | Economy/Resources

For the First Time, Cyber War Included in Security Treaty between U.S. and Australia

Xinhua reported on the newly formed cyber war alliance between the U.S. and Australia, pointing out that this is the first time the U.S. has included cyber defense in a bilateral treaty, the intention being to increase its military presence in the Asia Pacific region.

The report highlighted U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta’s view that “The Internet is the future battlefield." It quoted Panetta’s statement that, “We not only need to defend against a cyber attack; we also need to be proactive. We not only need to depend on ourselves; we also need to cooperate with our partners. This is the best way to achieve the goal.”

The article also quoted Australia Defense Secretary Smith’s statement, “Cyber security is becoming a big transnational threat. It will be a major topic in the secretary level discussions between Australia and the U.S.”

Source: Xinhua, September 16, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-09/16/c_122041466.htm

Briefings | | September 16, 2011 | Defense/Military

PLA Daily: The Dual Character of U.S. Policy toward China

People’s Liberation Army Daily published a commentary on the upcoming U.S. arms sale to Taiwan. According to the commentary, if the U.S. proceeds with the arms sale to Taiwan, “it will seriously interfere with China’s internal affairs and will endanger China’s security and core interests.” It will further demonstrate the dual character of the U.S. position on major issues affecting China’s core interests. Such a dual character “has its root cause in its self-proclaimed global hegemony.” “On the one hand, it wants China to share responsibility and handle crises. On the other hand, it is afraid that China will challenge the U.S. It has thus been inconsistent to such an extent that it sells arms to Taiwan and sabotages its normal bilateral relationship with China. The white paper that China recently released indicated that any concerns the U.S. has about China amount to much ado about nothing.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted by Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China, September 12, 2011
http://www.mod.gov.cn/big5/opinion/2011-09/12/content_4297235.htm

Briefings | | September 16, 2011 | US-China Relations

Video: Government Training of the 50 Cents Party Staff

A video about how the government trains spokespersons and Internet commentators was posted on the Internet. The Internet commentators are commonly known as 五毛黨 (the 50 cents party, or 50 centers), because they are paid 0.5 yuan for every article they post on the Internet to praise the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and denigrate those the CCP opposes." The video reported that, on September 8, the Xishui County Party Propaganda Department in Hubei Province provided a training session for all government spokespersons and Internet commentators in the county to prepare them “to actively respond to sudden public events and correctly guide public opinion.” The propaganda department stressed that “the Internet has become a major battlefield in the war of ideologies.” It requested that the “governments’ spokespersons and Internet commentators continuously increase their sense of responsibility and mission” and improve their capabilities in five areas: “to make sure the Party and the government maintain a positive image, to manage their work, to handle sudden events, to guide public opinion and public relations, and to use and manage the Internet.”

Source:
1. Youmaker.com, September 15, 2011
http://www.youmaker.com/video/svb5-f784c018d27d4a4ea31337044d0e46f5001.html

Briefings | | September 15, 2011 | Government/Politics

What Does China Tell the World in Its Peaceful Development White Paper?

On September 6, 2011, China issued the “China’s Peaceful Development” white paper. On September 8, Qiushi Journal published an article on the significance of the white paper. It tells the U.S. and other "hostile" countries not to interfere with China’s Core Interests. China’s white paper defines China’s core interests as: national sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, national unity, the stabilization of the political system defined by the Constitution (Ed: the Chinese Communist Party’s reign), and the basic protection of sustainable economic development.

The Qiushi article praised the white paper as a clear declaration. “For many years, the U.S.-led Western countries have viewed socialist China as a thorn in their side and tried in every way to topple China. Their desire to destroy China has never died. Politically, they promote ‘democracy, freedom, and human rights’ and develop Tibetan separatists, Xinjiang separatists, and ‘democracy activists’; economically, they pressure for renminbi appreciation and attempt to stop China’s economic growth; militarily, they drag Japan, India, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries to form an anti-China C-circle. Defining our national core interests is to tell the U.S. and other Western countries: Don’t touch my cheese!”

The Qiushi article pointed out that China is prepared to go to war to defend itself, saying, “(In its wars) China fights the invaders furiously. … The white paper unmistakably warned a number of countries: the increasingly strong Chinese people will never tolerate anyone’s attempt to damage China’s core interests.”

The white paper itself declared that “China conducts a defensive defense policy.” “China faces complex and non-traditional challenges and is threatened by separatist and terrorist forces. Defense modernization is a legitimate security requirement for China. … China’s defense spending is reasonable and appropriate. It matches the need to safeguard our national security.”

Sources:
1. Qiushi Journal, September 6, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zywz/201109/t20110906_108413.htm
2. Qiushi Journal, September 8, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/lg/rpzm/gj/201109/t20110908_108915.htm

Briefings | | September 15, 2011 | Government/Politics

Huanqiu: Chinese People Support Punitive Retaliation against U.S. for Arms Sale to Taiwan

Regarding the current situation involving the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, Huanqiu (the Chinese name for Global Times, a newspaper under Xinhua) surveyed the residents of seven cities from September 8-11, 2011. The results were that 84.1 percent of those surveyed oppose the U.S. selling advanced weapons to Taiwan; 76.1% support the Chinese government’s taking strong action to stop the U.S. arms sale; more than half support the government in retaliating by punishing the American companies involved in the arms sale.

Yuan Peng, an American expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said that the survey results demonstrate that the Chinese people are willing to cooperate if the government takes action on this issue; it is an expression of patriotic sentiment. If the U.S. does not change its decision, the Chinese people’s resentment toward the U.S. will not be satisfied with mere lip service.

Source: Huanqiu, September 14, 2011
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2011-09/2001813.html

Briefings | | September 15, 2011 | US-China Relations

China Review News: Ten Years of U.S. Counter-Terrorism Enabled China’s Speedy Rise

On September 13, 2011, China Review News published a commentary stating that the United States’ 10 years of counter-terrorism has shaken and weakened its dominant position in the world. Meanwhile, those 10 years of counter-terrorism enabled China, Russia, and other so-called “post-communist” countries to rise rapidly and join the global system.

The commentary concluded, “Those 10 years of counter-terrorism were 10 years over which the United States declined. What matters more is that, even if the United States can recover and find its lost self, the world around it will surely be quite different.”

Source: China Review News, September 13, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1018/3/2/1/101832146.html?coluid=1&kindid=0&docid=101832146&mdate=0913000715

Briefings | | September 14, 2011 | Grapevine

Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.