Chinascope – Page 715

People’s Daily: Japan Strengthens Naval Blockade over China

On January 7, People’s Daily reported on the Japanese government’s plan to strengthen its defense forces. In response to China’s growing naval power, Japan will officially launch its 2015 plan for the Southwest area. In an interview with CCTV, military experts said that the reason for the Japanese to launch this program is out of consideration of Abe’s policy and domestic economic situation. The plan for the defense program is to increase Japan’s defense deployment in the Southwest and its ability to control the sea and air. [As a result], the possibility of misfires between China and Japan will increase.

Yang Bojiang, the Director of the Institute of Japan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Japan has two reasons for launching its National Defense Program. The first is that Abe’s policy requires it. Abe has been implementing Japan’s "full normalization." Japan has made significant changes in its defense concepts, relevant policies, institutional settings, military deployment, and procurement of weapons systems. The second is that Japan is not optimistic about its current economic situation. It needs to use this program to handle its internal contradictions.

In recent years, the Japanese have continued to strengthen their efforts to develop a naval blockade against China. Du Wenlong, a researcher at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, noted that China has an urgent need for naval training. In the future, China’s underwater submarines and its surface or air combat fighter fleet will all pass through the first island chain. Japan also has military deployment in these areas and does not rule out the deployment of an air defense weapons system in the future. As a result, Japan will increase its frequency and its capacity to monitor and interfere with Chinese ships and planes. In response, China will carry out counter measures, causing friction and conflict. The scope and intensity of the friction will increase.

Source: People’s Daily: January 7, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0107/c1011-26339168.html

Briefings | | January 9, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

“Fox Hunt 2014” Campaign Captured 680 Economic Fugitives

On January 8, 2015, China’s Public Security Ministry held a press conference to announce that, as of December 31, 2014, the "Fox Hunt 2014" campaign had captured 680 economic fugitives. The ministry launched the campaign in July 2014 in order to catch corrupt Party officials living abroad and to confiscate their ill-gotten gains.

The number of 680 captured fugitives is four and half times the number captured in 2013. Of the 680, 290 were arrested and 390 surrendered.

As for the confiscated funds, the money involved for 208 of the fugitives was over 10 million yuan (US$1.61 million). The amount involved for another 74 was over 100 million yuan (US$16.09 million). Of the 680, 117 had been hiding overseas for over 10 years and 196 for over five years. The longest period of time involved was 22 years.

During the "Fox Hunt 2014" campaign, the Ministry of Public Security requested assistance from more than 90 countries and regions, sent out more than 70 special teams and made arrests in over 69 countries and regions. The Ministry of Public Security also dispatched a total of 14 working groups to supervise operations in key regions.

Source: Jinghua Times reprinted by People’s Daily, January 9, 2015 http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/0109/c1001-26354684.html

Briefings | | January 9, 2015 | Government/Politics

Zhu Chenghu: China Must Improve Its Ability to Handle Information Warfare

On January 6, 2015, People’s Daily reported on the "2015 China High-level Forum on International Affairs" held at the Institute of International Relations at Renmin University of China on January 3, 2015. Major General Zhu Chenghu, a professor from the National Defense University of China, gave a speech on the topic of "the contemporary military trends in the world and China’s military diplomacy." Zhu said that future wars will be more localized because of informationization. Therefore, China must improve the ability of its soldiers to handle an information war. Faced with enormous pressure on maritime security, China must also develop naval forces to safeguard China’s maritime interests.

Zhu stated that, although the United States has never acknowledged its strategic goal of containing China, the United States strengthens its military deployment surrounding China, shifts its strategic center to the Asia-Pacific region, conducts high intensity and close surveillance of China, holds large-scale military exercises in waters near China, divides the relations between China and other countries, has created a TPP around China, and excludes China from the TPP. "All these actions have demonstrated that it is trying to contain China." General Zhu said, "Although China has said that we do not challenge the leadership of the United States position, I want to tell our American friends that China’s challenges to you are inevitable and unavoidable. China’s development is bound to challenge the U.S. leadership."

Zhu said that, faced with the United States and other countries’ future changes in warfare and adjustments in military strategy, China must strengthen its construction and development of military weapons and equipment. In military construction, China must increase military investment to ensure financial support, improve the ability of officers and soldiers to manage information warfare, and improve the combat capability of military troops and equipment. On weapons development, [China must] strengthen the development of information infrastructure and information equipment, strengthen the development of forces in space, strengthen the strategic development of both nuclear and ordinary, offensive and defensive capabilities, and strengthen the construction of naval equipment.

Zhu further said that in recent years, China has been paying attention to the sea. It is partly because China is facing tremendous pressure in the area of maritime security that China must protect its maritime rights from other countries’ aggression. At the same time, it is due to the fact that China’s economic development is more dependent on the oceans than ever. However, China is still far behind the West in the development of maritime power. To safeguard the interests of our oceans, the only way is to advance [China’s] maritime power.

At the end of his speech, Zhu said that military diplomacy sometimes has the function of solving tough issues with a small effort. Often, its role in resolving a number of the issues that our country faces in external security cannot be replaced with national or money diplomacy. With the advances of China’s power, military diplomacy will play a greater role in the country’s overall diplomacy.

Source: People’s Daily: January 6, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0106/c1011-26336440.html

Briefings | | January 8, 2015 | US-China Relations

PLA Military Training Includes Political Education and Following the Party’s Commands

On January 7, 2015, Xinhua reported that, as approved by Xi Jinping, the People’s Liberation Army issued a guideline on the 2015 political education campaign for the new generation of the revolutionary military.

The guideline required further study of Xi Jinping’s speeches on strengthening and improving political education in the military, implementing the rule of law, deepening military reform, and fighting against corruption, among other things. The guideline called for enhanced trust and loyalty in the Party’s Central Committee and in President Xi.

The 2015 campaign will center on four topics: political beliefs in the Party and following the commands of the Party; the military capability to win a war; bravery and sacrifice; and good character. The four-topic training is to be completed in the first six months of 2015.

Source: Xinhua, January 7, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-01/07/c_1113915170.htm

Briefings | | January 8, 2015 | Defense/Military

Xinhua: China Is Becoming or Has Become the World’s Largest Garbage Dump

On January 6, 2015, Xinhua reported that China is becoming or has already become the world’s largest “garbage dump.” The article stated, “This is not exaggerated to scare people.” According to "Shanghai Securities News" (http://www.cnstock.com/), China imported 125 times more plastic waste, 50 times more metal waste and 21 times more paper waste in 2003 than in 1990. Chinese buyers bought this waste for more than twice the price that other countries wanted to offer. After having been recycled, re-processed or re-furbished, it was then returned to the market.

Some experts have said, “The land and water polluted by garbage cannot be restored for 100 years." The article particularly mentioned plastic waste from the United States, medical waste from Britain, chemical waste from South Korea, household waste from Germany, and abandoned agricultural film from Japan.

Source: Xinhua, January 6, 2015
http://www.xinhuatone.com/detail.jsp?con_id=410164&class_id=53

Briefings | | January 7, 2015 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Lake Poyang, China’s Largest Freshwater Lake Almost Completely Dry

On January 7, 2015, Xinhua published a photo article titled, “Lake Poyang, China’s Largest Freshwater Lake, Approaches Being Dried Out.” In the brief news article, four photos displayed the dried-out bed of Lake Poyang.

The water level of Poyang Lake at its hydrological station was only 8.11 meters. When the water level is less than 8 meters, it means that the lake has entered its extreme drought season. Currently, Poyang Lake’s water area occupies only 310 square kilometers. In the past, when the water area of the lake was more abundant, it was over 3000 square kilometers.

Source: Xinhua, January 7, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2015-01/07/c_127367345.htm

Briefings | | January 7, 2015 | Economy/Resources

China Youth Daily: The United States Does Not Want to See a Close Inter-Korean Relationship

On January 7, 2015 China Youth Daily published an article criticizing the United States for imposing additional sanctions against North Korea (DPRK) following North Korea’s cyber-attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment. According to the article, the relationship between North Korea and South Korean is getting closer thanks to Kim Jong-un’s warm New Year’s TV messages from the DPRK for two consecutive years. However, the US decision to impose unilateral sanctions against North Korea has “poured cold water” over the inter-Korean reconciliation atmosphere.

The article concluded that, from its strategic point of view, the United States does not want to see a close inter-Korean relationship. If the tension in Northeast Asia eases up, the United States will not have an excuse to ask South Korea to pay more military costs for US troops to reside there; the US will, in particular, lose its rationale for containing China. Through maintaining the tension on the Korean peninsula, the United States is able to maintain its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Source: China Youth Daily, January 7, 2015
http://zqb.cyol.com/html/2015-01/07/nw.D110000zgqnb_20150107_3-07.htm

Briefings | | January 7, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

HSBC Chinese Manufacturing PMI Recorded a Seven Month Low

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that HSBC/Markit jointly released the final Chinese Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) number for December, which is at a seven month low point at 49.6. According to Qu Hongbin, HSBC Chief Economist of the Grand China Region, domestic demand is on the decline, which has caused the number of new orders to shrink. This also confirms that the manufacturing industry is getting weaker. Qu suggested that the government may need to relax its currency policies again in the next few months. The unemployment sub-index showed an increase in unemployment, which may indicate that manufacturing companies are not hiring. PMI is an indicator of financial activity reflecting purchasing managers’ acquisition of goods and services. A PMI number below 50 typically reflects a decline.

Source: Sina, December 31, 2014

http://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/usstock/c/20141231/111321206181.shtml

Briefings | | January 6, 2015 | Economy/Resources

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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