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Chinese Ships Entered Controversial Island Region

According to Kyodonews of Japan, on March 16, 2010, ships from Chinese Marine Surveillance Corps. entered the Japanese area of the Diaoyu Islands (which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands). The Japanese Coast Guard followed with warning signals. The Chinese ships left the area 25 minutes later.

Xinhua reported about the same incident and stated that on March 16, Marine Surveillance Corps. ships No. 50 and 66 entered into the Diaoyu Islands (or Senkaku Islands) region to conduct routine surveillance where they encountered the Japan Coast Guard. According to the Xinhua report, they said, “We immediately called for their attention, displayed our identity, inquired about the situation and declared our position.” Xinhua said that they received no response from the Japan Coast Guard which just simply followed after them.

China’s State Oceanic Administration claimed that the routine surveillance was consistent with China’s position on the ownership of the islands and the nearby region. Chinese Marine Surveillance Corps. is an entity that operates under the supervision of State Oceanic Administration.

There have been continuous conflicts between China and Japan over the ownership of Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands. In September 2010, the Japanese Coast Guard hit a Chinese fishing boat in the region and arrested the boat captain.

[Ed. Media reported in 2010 that the Chinese fishing boat collided with Japanese vessels, after which the Japanese detained the Chinese captain.]  
Source:
Voice of America, March 16, 2012
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20120316-JAPAN-ISLANDS-DISPUTE-142901005.html
Xinhua, March 16, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2012-03/16/c_122840287.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2012-03/16/c_122840354.htm
New York Times, September 10, 2010
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/look-out-for-the-diaoyu-islands/

Hu and Xi Met with the Military to Show Solidarity

On March 12, 2012, President Hu Jintao, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission, met with the military representatives attending the Fifth Session of the Eleventh National People’s Congress. Vice President Xi Jinping, who is also Vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was present as well. Hu’s remarks at the meeting emphasized the role that the military plays in maintaining stability. “[The military] should adhere to the overall tone that progress is made amidst stability. … [The military must] pay more attention to safeguarding social stability and the security and stability of the military itself. …” Hu stated that the People’s Liberation Army must unswervingly adhere to the fundamental principle of the Communist Party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces and must ensure, through strict discipline, that all political and military orders are carried out with no impediments.

Source: Huanqiu, March 13, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/2012lianghui/news/2012-03/2517693.html

Chinese Scholar: China Needs Quasi-Alliances to Break the U.S. Encirclement

Xinhua published an article written by Wang Haiyun, Deputy Director of the Chinese Association on the History of Sino-Russian Relations. The article discussed how to break the U.S. encirclement of China. It stressed the need to form international alliances to counter how the U.S. encircles China and hinders its rise. The article stated, “The structural conflicts between China and the U.S. have determined that the U.S. strategy to prevent China’s rise will not undergo any fundamental change. … Although the U.S. still mouths many words about developing a cooperative relationship with China, what it does is totally the opposite. This is the serious reality China must face. … [China] cannot continue to maintain the unrealistic illusion of ‘developing a strategic relationship’ with the U.S.”

“Therefore, China must adjust its international strategy as soon as possible. While trying to maintain the stability of the relationship with the U.S. and avoid turning a localized conflict into a large-scale conflict, [China] must actively explore the strategy and means to break the U.S.’ encirclement. One important thought is to change [China’s] ‘non-alliance’ to a ‘quasi-alliance.’ The U.S. targets China in many different ways. We [China] cannot just fight alone.”

“The main points of the ‘quasi-alliance’ strategy include: 1) Continue to state the ‘three-no’-policy of ‘non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting a third country,’ and, in addition, not publicly forming a military alliance for a certain period of time. 2) Strive to create ‘neighboring friendship areas, strategic stability areas, and economic cooperation areas,’ turning them into our neighboring geographic and strategic allies. 3). Form the image of a ‘dependable but unprovokable’ big country, while enhancing our soft power in the neighboring countries.”

Source: Xinhua, March 11, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-03/11/c_122815157.htm

What Does China Want in the South China Sea?

Xinhua published a rebuttal to Western comments that China may have softened its stance on the South China Sea issue, which they made in the light of China’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hong Lei’s statement that “no countries, including China, have laid claim to the entire South China Sea.” The article holds, “China has never laid claim to the entire South China Sea. Instead China has maintained that it has sovereignty and jurisdiction over the islands in the South China Sea as well as their adjacent waters. This position is consistent and clear. … In fact, [Hong Lei’s] statement is a strong rebuttal to those who, with the ulterior motive to cause confusion, have distorted China’s position on the issue of sovereignty over the South China Sea.” Even countries that have made no claim to sovereignty have taken turns holding joint military exercises or submitting bids for oil and gas in the South China Sea region, thus creating instability.

Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2012-03/12/c_131454775.htm

Wen Jiabao: Progress Has Been Made in the Wang Lijun Investigation

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao responded to questions about Wang Lijun, the former Changchun police chief who entered the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu and stayed there for one day. At a press conference after the conclusion of the Fifth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wen stated, “I can tell you all that the Central Committee [of the Party] has taken this matter very seriously. It instructed the relevant departments to start an investigation immediately [as soon as this incident took place]. The investigation has already shown progress. Based on the facts and the law, the matter will be handled strictly in accordance to the law. An answer will be given to the people with respect to the results and handling of the investigation, which will stand the test of law and history."

Source: People’s Daily Website, March 14, 2012
http://lianghui.people.com.cn/2012npc/GB/239293/17385949.html

Bo Xilai Removed from Chongqing Leader Post

State news agency Xinhua reported that China has removed prominent politician Bo Xilai from his post as Chongqing’s Communist Party leader. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang will replace Bo, said the Xinhua report.
This is another major development following last month’s scandal involving Bo’s former chief of police, Wang Lijun. It began when Wang, the police chief Bo had promoted, spent a day at the US Consulate in Chengdu. Chinese security forces from Beijing detained him when he came out. Although Bo was not formally linked to this case – and denied he was involved – many believed it would tarnish him.
China’s state-run Xinhua said only that Bo has been replaced as Party chief in Chongqing. The move came a day after the end of the country’s annual parliamentary session, the National People’s Congress (NPC), where Bo’s absence from a meeting sparked speculation about his future. After a long silence, he spoke last week about the incident with his ex-police chief, answering questions from journalists at a meeting on the sidelines of the NPC. He said he never imagined Wang would run off. Speaking at a meeting of Chongqing delegates, Bo said that it came suddenly. "I feel like I put my trust in the wrong person," he added.
Source: Xinhua, March 15, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-03/15/c_2111657329.htm

U.S. Looks Agitated while China Does Not Need to Show Its Weapons

In an interview with a China Review News reporter, Deputy Director of the Chinese Culture Exchange and Promotion Association, Xin Qi, commented that “The U.S., by attacking everywhere, looks agitated. This is mostly related to the U.S.’s notion that ‘Western civilization is the center [of the world].’ China does not need to directly confront the U.S. Rather, China should let the U.S. understand and accept China’s new path of peaceful rise.”

“The U.S. met with a stiff rebuff in Iran and North Korea. The U.S. army will also withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. may think that China’s ‘bone is not quite hardened, yet it has become quite big’ after 30 years of the open and reform policy. American’s thinking is absolutely wrong. By repeatedly using the ‘no’ vote in the U.N. on the Syria issue, China has made it clear to the U.S. that such thinking is an illusion.”

“In the current situation, it is unnecessary for China to show its weapons to the U.S. There is no need to confront an angry, drunken man who smells of alcoholic. Rather, one should quiet him down and make it clear to him that he should recognize the interests that China and the U.S. have in common. … At the same time, China should make it clear to the U.S. that it is impossible for one model of civilization to dominate the world forever. In addition to the ‘Washington Consensus,’ there is also the ‘Beijing Consensus.’ The U.S. has to learn to accept China’s path and experience…”

Source: China Review News, March 11, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/3/5/2/102035272.html?coluid=148&kindid=7550&docid=102035272&mdate=0311004955

Police Use Tear Gas to Suppress Protesters in Hainan

According to Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, tens of thousands of villagers from the town of Ying Ge Hai in Hainan Province marched on the streets on March 10, 2010, to stop the opening ceremony of a thermal power station. Ying Ge Hai is famous for its salt fields and its fishing industry. These are the major sources of income for at least 20,000 villagers. Fearing the environmental and air pollution to the area, the villagers have resisted the power plant proposal since last December. However, the authorities have still gone ahead with the plan. On Saturday March 10, the protesters marched to the village office building and demanded that the authorities cancel the opening ceremony. The police force was on the scene and used tear gas to stop the protesters from entering the building. The police besieged and blockaded the entire village, arresting at least 20 protesters. The related online postings were taken down almost as soon as they were posted.

Source: Wen Xue City, March 12, 2012
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2012/03/12/1675489.html