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Xinhua- susisan Media Says China Will Be the Third Largest Exporter of Multipurpose Fighter Plane

Russian magazine Arms Market published an article analyzing the situation of global market of multipurpose fighter plane during 2004-2013. The article says that global sale of multipurpose fighter planes will steadily increase in the next five years. The United States, Russia, and China will be the leading countries selling new fighter planes.
China’s rise to the third place is mainly due to its contract with Pakistan to provide 183 JF-17 “Thunder (Fierce Dragon)” fighter planes. In addition, other Asian and African countries who are China’s customers of traditional fighters are also potential new users of JF-17 “Thunder.” China’s new generation J-10 multipurpose fighter also has a high ratio of function/price. It is highly possible that J-10 will become a fierce competitor of U.S. and Russia’s third generation fighters in the global market.

Source: Xinhua, December 1, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-12/01/content_10437382.htm

Sarkozy Said to be Ungrateful for the Favor China Did Him in 2004

French President Sarkozy’s meeting with the Dalai Lama has drawn attacks by media in China.  One example is an article by China Review News which described Sarkozy as a person who has "changed his face too many times and is ungrateful for the favor that China gave to him in 2004".

In the article, Cai Fangbo, China’s former ambassador to France disclosed that in 2004 when he was ready to run for president, Sarkozy, then the France’s interior minister, requested to have a meeting with Hu Jintao during his trip to visit China. Hu granted the request despite the difference in the political ranking. After Sarkozy was elected, he was said to "have repeatedly expressed his gratitude towards the favor he received".  "But in 2008, Sarkozy has held up the anti-China flag and led the France-China relationship downhill.  China has shown great tolerance to him but he hasn’t returned the favor.  Sarkozy uses tactics to gain political advantage and will eventually loss his credibility” the article wrote.

Source: China Review News, November 30, 2008
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1008/1/4/9/100814946.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=100814946&mdate=1130093321

Deutsche Welle: Dissatisfaction Deepens During the Economic Crisis

An article on the Deutsche Welle China section listed the number of protests held by various groups and warns of the consequences if no serious action is taken by the government.

As those whose houses were relocated, farmers who lost land, workers fighting for unfair wages, taxi drivers, property owners as well as the depressed stockholders join protests, the dissatisfaction towards the government has spread to the middle class now.

The article quoted an investigative report by Yu Jiarong, a sociologist, disclosing that the ever worsening anxiety over the economy has intensified the conflicts between the police and the protesters. Photos and videos spread through the internet are causing the incident to expand. “The expert has warned that if the government does no take any serious action, China will suffer bigger losses as anger continues to accumulate among the protesters.”

Source: Deutsche Welle, November, 26, 2008
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3822835,00.html

Xinhua: China’s Foreign Relations Entering Golden Stage

As part of the theme to celebrate the achievement of the open door policy adopted 30 years ago, Xinhua has been publishing a series of articles focused on the subject. On December 1, in its international section, Xinhua published a talk given by Wu Jianmin, a commentator for Xinhua, former Chinese ambassador to France and President of the China Foreign Affairs University who summarized the major changes that China’s foreign relations have gone through in the past 30 years ago.

Wu summarized the major changes in the following three areas: worldwide environment, policy adjustment, and the focus. He said that the world has transitioned from war and revolution towards an era of peaceful development. From 1949 to 1978, China’s foreign policy was focused on surviving the embargo from the western countries led by the US which was aimed at eliminating China. But since 1978, as China has adopted an open door policy and the Party has shifted its focus to economic development, there has been a need to maintain a good relationship with other countries. As a result, the guiding principle of foreign policy has changed to seeking the common ground with other countries. The focus of the policy has also shifted from fighting for survival towards building mutual cooperation since China has a need for it.

“Currently China’s foreign relations are entering a golden stage”, Wu said, “we have formed dynamic relationships with 172 countries that are the giants, neighboring countries, developing countries and maintained the multilateral foreign relations with them.”

Source: Xinhua, December 1, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-12/01/content_10436728.htm

Financial Risk Transfer – U.S. Kills Buddies

International Herald Leader under Xinhua published an article on October 6 on the U.S. economic policy under the situation of the world financial crisis. [1]
On October 3, the U.S. Congress passed the $850 billion financial rescue package. President Bush was relieved with a smile on his face, but led Chinese experts to worry.

US Assets Melting Down

 “The United States has always asked the whole world to bear the U.S. difficulties. It won’t be an exception for this time.” Zhou Shijian, Senior Research Analyst of the US-China Research Center of Qinghua University, told the reporter in an interview. Since the World War II, the United States has been issuing large amount of U.S. dollars (cash) and issuing national debt to resolve its economic crises. However, these methods, to certain extent, amount to transferring the risks to other countries including China.

Lu Qianjin, Associate Professor from Department of International Finance of Fudan University, said the main source of the rescue package issued by the United States was increasing national debts; it would make the financial deficit even worse, consequently, increasing the deficit in trade. It could hinder the growth of U.S. dollars and potentially force the dollar back to the depreciation track.

 “If the dollar depreciates, the price of the future oil products will remain high, and it poses the risk of asset melting down for the countries that hold U.S. assets.” Lu Qianjin said. At the same time, Lu said: “these countries will also face the same risk of asset melting down if the United States is to reduce its debt by depreciating the dollars.”

 “$850 billion rescue package is like purchasing medicines from the world to cure the U.S. disease.” Zhou Shijian told International Herald Leader. Currently, there is only one third of the U.S. dollars circulating within the United States. According to the report from the U.S. Treasury Department, China is the second largest holder of the U.S. debts.
   
Companies in China Are Suffering “US Default”

In reality, since the financial crisis started, the U.S. has been transferring its crisis to others. Zhou Shijian is using word of “killing buddies” to describe the U.S. behavior. “Europe has the best relationship with the United States, now Europe is in a crisis. The next is Japan, and then China” Zhou Shijian said.

Lu Qianjin said, China is not only facing the risk of dollar depreciation and bankruptcy of the U.S. financial institutes, it also faces the risk of the U.S. companies transferring their losses by defaulting on payments.

Currently, there are thousands of companies in Zhejiang Province facing default of the U.S. companies. The financial crisis has caused the decline in consumers’ spending in the United States.  Importers could not get their cash collected and the cash flow fell short. In addition, banks have tightened up their loans. Importers could not get their loans easily. Some importers announced bankruptcy after their cash flow broke, as a result, the companies in China could not get their payments for goods exported to the United States.

 “The U.S. companies have actually transferred their losses [to Chinese companies].” Lu Qianjin said.

Psychological Impact Could Not be Ignored

Tan Yaling, from the China financial research center of Beijing University, said in this financial crisis, through proactive adjustment, the U.S. has moved from reaction mode to pro-action mode and has transferred its loss to others.

 “The United States has a mature economy.  Many of its actions are strategic and foreseeing.  Sometimes, it uses the psychological factors to influence countries like China and to transfer its risks.” Tan Yaling said that  the U.S. stock market is going downward, however, the U.S. dollar index is going up.  “It is very abnormal. Therefore, you could see the U.S. strategies coordinate very well as planned.”

Tan Yaling said further that the dollar strengthening is to meet the need of inbound asset flow to the US. “It satisfies the market need in this special period,” at the same time, the U.S. is using the fluctuation of its stock market to throw the world into crisis. Even on the same day of the rescue package approval, the stock market dropped.

“Why it could be this way.  October 3 was Friday and the Chinese market closed for that week. On Monday before we open the market, we must check the U.S. market.” Tan Yaling said.

Tan Yaling told International Herald Leader, “by self-adjustment, the U.S. is using the psychological factors and policies to influence the market development in other countries.” The U.S. is not stronger than others, but rather behaved worse than others.

Or to Expand the Export of the Military Products

Because the rescue package costs $850 billion, the U.S. has to pay a huge amount of interest in the future. Lu Qianjin said that to make up this big hole, the U.S. could expand its export in military products.

 “There would be strong opposition if the U.S. government wants to tighten up the belt of its own people to solve the problem by increasing the taxes. One may have seen the opposition during the process of negotiating the rescue package.” Lu Qianjin said that another way of improving the economy and lessening the financial pressure would be to expand exports to increase income and tax revenue. “Especially expanding the export of military products is a fast and effective way of relieving the financial pressure in the US.”

Currently, the U.S. government has started to sell military products to Taiwan and the total amount will be $6.46 billion. “In the future, the United States may use future geo-political conflicts or the alleged potential military threats to expand exports of military products to certain countries and areas, hoping Exports of Munitions would alleviate domestic economic problems.” Lu Qianjin predicted.

Endnote:
[1] International Herald Leader, October 6, 2008  http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2008-10/06/content_10154827.htm

International Herald Leader: The U.S. Fabricated the Chinese ‘rospace Spy

On October 6, 2008, the International Herald Leader, a subsidiary of Xinhua News Agency, published a respondent to the arrest and lawsuit against the Chinese-American physicist, Shu Quansheng, Ph.D., by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [1]
LOS ANGELES, BEIJING — While the Chinese around the world joyfully celebrated the launching of Shenzhou VII, the news of "The Chinese Aerospace Spy Arrested," came out from the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the United States. On the early morning of September 24, 2008, the FBI arrested the Chinese-American physicist, Shu Quansheng, Ph.D., the President and CEO of the U.S. AMAC International Inc., in Norfolk, Virginia.

The FBI filed three indictments against Shu Quansheng: Illegally provided the defense service to the foreign agents in violation of the U.S. "Weapon Export Control Law," exported defense goods, and bribed or attempted to bribe foreign government officials in violation of the U.S. "Foreign Corruption Law, respectively." If all of these charges were convicted, Shu Quansheng would face up to a 25-year of imprisonments.

The Chinese-American Scientist Was Accused of Selling Technology

The FBI indictments indicated that Shu Quansheng provided professional technology to the aerospace plans; assisted the purchase of foreign technology, and the improvement of the aerospace and the satellite abilities of China. The FBI official stated that Shu Quansheng was suspicious of providing the technology that "will be used to implement the plans for future lunar landing and the new generation rocket fuel for its space station plans of China." The indictments indicated that since 2003, Shu Quansheng has sold the technology of developing the liquefaction hydrogen rockets to China, and provided the low-temperature pump, the low-temperature valve and the refrigeration equipment related to the liquefied hydrogen technologies for the construction of astronautics launch station in Hainan Province, China, all of them violated the "Weapon Export Control Law."

After the turmoil 1989-political movement, the U.S. implemented the weapon embargo against China, and it is prohibited to sell the high-tech products to the Chinese military departments. This prohibition is still effective and has become the prosecution legal basis for the law enforcement authority to investigate the Chinese-American espionage case.

At NASA, A Person of Great Merit, Earns High Prestige in the U.S.

The 68-years-old Shu Quansheng was born in Shanghai, China. He is a well-known scholar at the areas of accelerator, superconductivity and cryogenics, and has earned high prestige in the American scientific community. On October 5, 2008, the International Herald Leader called the office of AMAC Beijing branch, but nobody answered. According to the website of the AMAC Beijing branch, Shu Quansheng was the Chairman of the U.S. Applied Superconductivity Conference in 2001, and was a member of the Commerce Committee for President Bush

During the college years, Shu Quansheng majored in Physics. In 1970, after graduated and earned his Ph.D., he started teaching at Zhe Jiang University in China, and was engaged in the cryogenic technique research. In the mid-1980s, Shu Quansheng immigrated to the U.S. and was engaged in the scientific research at Washington University. In 1998, he became an American citizen. In the same year, he founded AMAC in Newport News, Virginia, and became the CEO of the company. 10

AMAC had been granted $4.7 million for research and renovation from the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA because of its outstanding achievements in the areas of superconductivity accelerating cavity, the radio frequency power coupler, the magnetic suspension cryogenic system and the astronautics low temperature. Shu Quansheng had led and completed six projects related to low temperature and superconductivity. According to the website of the AMAC Beijing branch, he developed the first prototype of Cryogenic Transfer Line with Magnetic Suspension in the world from 2001 to 2004. This magnetic suspension technology would improve the launch quality and lengthen the flight life span of the vehicle.

The U.S. Media Implicated the FBI Abused Its Power

The analysis of the aerospace plan of China from an American scholar may explain the intention of the FBI’s publicity of this so-called, "the Chinese Aerospace Spy Case," at the launch of Shenzhou VII. Charles Vick, a senior analyst for GlobalSecurity.org research group, a think tank in the defense information and aerospace research, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., indicated during the interview that although the military power of China in outer space falls far behind the U.S., China possibly would threaten the leadership position of the U.S. in 15 years as a result of the its fast economy development and the support in aerospace plan of its government.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice launched the "The National Anti-Expansion Plan," in 2007, with the main purpose of prohibiting the export of sensitive military or military-civilian technology to China, Iran and so on. However, as early as in 2005, the FBI official publicly declared China as the biggest espionage threat. By now, the U.S. government has already filed at least 20 espionage cases that involved exporting sensitive technology to China. With incessant Chinese spy cases emerging, even the U.S. media, which always pursue sensation, started to suspect the authenticity. When "Forbes" magazine reported the Shu Quansheng case, it mentioned the Li Wen He case in 1999. It pointed out that Li Wen He finally sought the justice and obtained the compensation from the government and the media. It implied that the FBI abused its power during the investigation of the so-called Chinese spy cases.

An anonymous retired Chinese aerospace engineer told the International Herald Leader that the FBI and the other U.S. law enforcement agencies are still keeping the mindsets of the cold war. Their first impressions are that most Chinese technical personnel could be the Chinese spies of which made these Chinese-Americans impossible to protect themselves. The fundamental reason of these "the Chinese Espionage Cases" is the ideology conflicts between the different political systems of the U.S. and China, particularly the U.S. authorities still regard the rising China as the potential enemy. Under the present circumstance that both countries have close ties on economics and technologies, it could be predicted that more so-called "the Chinese Espionage Cases" would emerge.

Endnote:
[1] International Herald Leader, October 6, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2008-10/06/content_10154808.htm

Hubei Taxi Drivers on Strike to Protest New Government Fee

Since November 24, no taxi has been running in Suizhou City of Hubei Province. The city’s 500+ taxis are parked, with some drivers petitioning in front of the city government.

The strike is said to be caused by a city government directive issued on November 15. It asked for an annual 4,000 yuan “operation fee” from each of the 550 taxi cabs running in the city. The fee is levied for a four year term. If the driver does not pay the money by the end of 2008, the city police will confiscate his license.

Burdened by multiple administrative fees and charges, the taxi drivers are left with a meager disposable income off of which to live. The newly added government charge has become the last straw. The strike has been going on for two days. There is no effective dialogue between the city government and taxi drivers.

Source: Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, November 25, 2008
http://www.msguancha.com/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=1608

Expert: AIDS in China Heading Out of Control

A medical expert in Guangzhou warned on Nov 24 that AIDS in China has entered a stage of being uncontrollable.

An 18-year-old college freshman was recently diagnosed with AIDS in a Guangzhou hospital. According to the doctor, the male student was infected through sexual intercourse.
 
In China, transmission of the deadly disease through sexual activities has dwarfed every other channel of contagion, according to Cai Weiping, an AIDS expert from Guangzhou No. 8 People’s Hospital, in a media interview.

While the liberal attitude toward sex among the younger generation is one of the major reasons for the disease being out of control, migrant workers and the elderly are also vulnerable populations. Although the government has started the AIDS education, the sex workers at the bottom of  society are usually not targeted. Cai said that due to their extremely low income, they cannot afford the cost of condoms.

Source: Nanfang Daily, November 25, 2008
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/nfjx/200811250032.asp