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Scholar: China’s Restraint Will not Resolve Dispute over South China Sea

On July 20, 2011, Nanfang Daily reported on comments that Zhao Kejin, an associate professor at Tsinghua University, made regarding the South China Sea issue. Zhao argued that China should make a strategic commitment to defend the South China Sea. Zhao explained Deng Xiaoping’s strategic vision established in the 1980s: "Sovereignty rests with China; set aside disputes; and engage in joint development.” Zhao stated, “’Sovereignty rests with China’ is the principle and premise; ‘setting aside disputes’ is a tactic and a method; and ‘joint development’ is the goal and the direction.”

As other countries test the waters in the South China Sea, “China’s strategic communities are divided. Some people think we should exercise restraint and continue to buy time for strategic opportunities for China’s modernization. Others hold that China should take a tough stance and do not even rule out the possibility of using force. In fact, neither of these two views grasps the fundamental issue of the South China Sea. The ultimate South China Sea dispute is whether the parties deny the consensus that ‘regardless of any disputes or whether we engage in joint development, sovereignty rests with China.’” For those who attempt to challenge China’s sovereignty over the South China Sea, “regardless of which party it is, China should take a clear stance and should not rule out any options, including the use of force and war to defend its sovereignty.”

Source: Nanfang Daily, July 20, 2011
http://nf.nfdaily.cn/nfrb/content/2011-07/20/content_26925567.htm

Scholar on South China Sea: China Needs More Time to Gain Strength to Drive out the United States

Huanqiu recently interviewed a Chinese scholar, the Vice President of the Institute of International Relations at China’s People’s University, who commented on the South China Sea situation. The scholar believes that the ultimate solution to the South China Sea crisis is to drive out the United States; however, China needs time to gather its strength to do that. He said that implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea would represent positive progress and might reduce the tension of the South China Sea crisis. “However, differences between China and other parties to the dispute still exist. The South China Sea dispute is so complex that a consensus by itself will not remedy the situation. A controversial political atmosphere that does not allow compromise has emerged within the countries involved in the dispute. The external factor of the U.S., which has always wanted to take the lead in Southeast Asia, should not be ignored. For China, one of the options is to drag things out. China needs more time to gather its strength so that it can ‘drive out’ the United States and other outside forces. Only then will it be possible to find the ultimate solution to the South China Sea issue.”

Source: Huanqiu, July 22, 2011
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2011-07/1839703.html

Why Do the Chinese Praise Bin Laden as a Hero?

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After chasing him since September 11, 2001, Americans breathed a collective sigh of relief when bin Laden was gunned down on May 1, 2011. However, many Chinese were upset about Bin Laden’s death and praised him as an “anti-U.S. Hero.” What made the Chinese eulogize one of the worst criminals of this century? This article analyzes this phenomenon and identifies that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) promotion of the philosophy of struggle, its relentless anti-U.S. campaign, and the deliberate attempt to belittle human rights and universal values have brainwashed and confused the Chinese people, thus making them unable to tell good from evil.

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Culture Minister: Overseas Dissemination of Chinese Contemporary and Pop Culture Is Insufficient

On July 19, 2011, a Xinhua reporter interviewed Cai Wu, China’s Minister of Culture. Cai said that, in the cultural exchanges with foreign countries, China’s “exported” cultural products were more traditionally oriented; however, "the effort to disseminate Chinese contemporary and pop culture is not sufficient. (We) particularly lack excellent books, dramas, art performances, movies and TV programs that can exhibit the image of contemporary China’s development and are culturally profound and deep. As a result, people in other countries lack a comprehensive and accurate understanding of contemporary China." 

Source: Xinhua, July 19, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-07/19/c_13994171.htm

What Does Obama’s Meeting with Dalai Tell Us?

Xinhua republished a commentary from Tibet-online on the Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama. The article claims that Obama’s actions “hurt others without any benefit to himself.” The article said, “Since Obama took office, he has been oscillating without determination on the strategy and attitude of how to ‘contain’ China. In the beginning, he wished to use the flexible ‘smart power’ strategy to seek ‘change by contact,’ and actively looked for China’s unconditional cooperation in international affairs, regional conflicts, and environmental protection. China’s refusal exposed the Obama administration’s true face of inheriting the American style of hegemonic thinking. He then started to implement the strategy of forcefully pressuring China from all directions so as to contain China’s development. He used the ‘suppressing China card’ to obtain a politically active status and votes.”

“Ignoring the feelings of 1.3 billion Chinese, … Obama not only severely damaged the Chinese people’s sentiments and improvements to the Sino-U.S. relationship; he also let the Chinese once again witness America’s ‘ruthless’ and hegemonic thinking of using the excuse of the ‘Tibetan issue’ to interfere in China’s internal affairs  He once again destroyed many people’s political illusion about the U.S.”

Source: Xinhua, July 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-07/20/c_121696758_3.htm

Huanqiu Editorial: The West Is a Xinjiang Separatist and Terrorist Sympathizer

Huanqiu, a newspaper under Xinhua, published an editorial commenting on the Western media report about the Hetian incident in Xinjiang on July 18, 2011. The article said, “After the incident of a violent attack against police, the (Chinese) government immediately announced the incident and characterized it as a premeditated terrorist attack. Overseas media instinctively ascribed the incident to the category of ‘conflict between Uighurs and Han Chinese,’ claiming ‘China suppressed the Uighurs in the name of anti-terrorism.’”

“The Hetian Incident once again tells Chinese that we should never harbor any illusion that the West will support China’s anti-terrorism. The West, though not openly, has already become the de facto instigator or even friend of China’s terrorism. In the anti-terrorist issue, China may well be isolated for a long time.”   

The article concluded, “To deal with violent terrorism, the government must be resolute and not allow the terrorists and overseas sympathizers any illusions. Let them call names if they want to. What the rising China cannot get around and therefore is not afraid of is the abusive, name-calling voices.”

Source: Huanqiu, July 20, 2011
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2011-07/1833197.html

Study Times: Controlling the Release of Information during Social Unrest

An article from Study Times advocates that the government establish a mechanism so it is the first one to release information during major social unrest. For example, dedicated spokespersons should be appointed for major social unrest, including those representing the government, Party committees, enterprises, and other trades. “Their role is to timely and appropriately release factual information. Specific requirements include that the information must be objective, speak along the same lines, and become the authority for the dissemination channel.” The article states that the government must approve the content to be released prior to its release. After it is published for the first time, there should be follow-up information according to developments and the disposition of the social unrest.

Source: Study Times, July 18, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/07/18/06/06_44.htm

Report: Micro-blogs Have Become Second Largest Source of Public Opinion

An Internet research group under of the Communications University of China issued a report on its study of Chinese Internet opinion that covered the first half of 2011. The report concluded that micro-blogs have become the second largest source of public opinion after news media reports. The conclusion is based on an analysis of the source, geography and subject matter of over a thousand popular topics on the Internet. Forums, blogs, and news websites used to be the most important sources of public opinion. In the first six months of 2011, 18% of public opinion originated from micro-blogs. In those six months, public opinion on the micro-blogs tended to focus consistently on food safety issues. More opinions and information came from developed provinces with Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang being the top three. Hunan Province, Chongqing City and Hubei Province showed rapid growth. According to the report, news media remain the largest source of public opinion but their dominance has weakened.

Source: Xinhua, July 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-07/18/c_121684906.htm