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

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

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