Xinhua reported that Hanban, the headquarters of the Confucius Institute, In collaboration with Columbia University, held an opening ceremony for the Confucius Institute. The ceremony was held at Columbia University on April 9, 2013. Xu Ling, the Director of Han Ban, Lee C. Bollinger, the university president, Chen Yulu, President of Renmin University of China, as well as Dong Xiaojun, consul-general of the Chinese Consulate General in New York, attended and spoke at the ceremony.

Source: People’s Daily, April 10, 2013
http://usa.people.com.cn/n/2013/0410/c241376-21077219.html

On April 11, 2013, Xinhua published an article by Hu Wenlong, research fellow at the China Academy of Military Sciences. Hu stated that it is inevitable and understandable that North Korea may be making trouble because of the U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution against North Korea. However, the United States may want North Korea to make trouble.

According to Hu, the U.S. response this time is different from its previous responses in three respects. First, its ultimate motive is different. The U.S. is not trying to diffuse the tension or push for negotiations. Instead, it is watching North Korea and following suit. It is escalating the military confrontation, thereby demonstrating its selfishness rather than a desire to safeguard world peace. “In fact, a phone call would diffuse the tension, but Obama does not pick up the phone.” Second, the U.S. is maneuvering things militarily. Besides issuing threats and escalating the situation, the U.S. is preparing for war. “More importantly, the U.S. is engaging in combat deployment and is rehearsing operations. Clearly the U.S. wants North Korea to make trouble. It is not the U.S.’s real wish for North Korea not to make trouble.” Third, the U.S. points a finger at China in order to mislead the media, to the extent that it wants to hold China responsible. “Now it is clearly pressuring China and blaming China for not taking tougher measures against North Korea. … Targeting North Korea is a pretext; targeting China is its true intent.”

Source: Xinhua, April 11, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-04/11/c_124564746.htm

China’s state-run media published an article commenting on the U.S. Air Force’s designation of six cyber tools as weapons. It said, “This unprecedented decision means that the government and the military of the United States officially define the attacks on the Internet as the reality of war. In addition to land, sea, air, and outer space, virtual cyberspace has become the new real battlefield.” “This approach will extend the arms race to Internet space, thereby affecting the international military and political structure.”