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Dai Bingguo: China and Central Asian Countries Have Become Inseparable Friends

On January 10, 2012, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China Central Asia Friendship Association hosted a ceremony at the People’s Hall in Beijing. State Councilor Dai Bingguo attended the reception. The purpose of the ceremony was to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of establishing bilateral diplomatic relations between China and Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. In the speech that Dai gave at the ceremony, he said, “China and Central Asian countries have become inseparable good neighbors, good friends, and good partners. No matter what will happen in the international environment, China will unswervingly carry out the diplomatic policy of being friendly to its neighbors and being partners with its neighbors.

Source: People’s Daily, January 11, 2012
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/70731/16850441.html

Government Think Tank: Developed Countries May Transfer Crises to Emerging Markets

Zhang Yansheng, head of the Research Institute of Foreign Economic Relations under the National Development and Reform Commission warned developing countries that developed countries may get out of the current crisis at the  expense of emerging markets. Particularly, he wrote, “There are many ways for developed countries to transfer crises [to developing countries]. They can create bubbles and trade friction among developing countries. They can instigate financial instability through printing money and lowering interest rates, and they can use a variety of economic means to suppress emerging economies. When developed countries rise again, the bubbles in emerging economies will burst, which will plunge them into a prolonged recession. Historically, developed countries have invariably transferred and gotten out of crises at the expense of emerging economies.”

Source: Xinhua, January 9, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2012-01/09/c_131344120.htm

Huanqiu: Out of Its Own Self Interest, China Should Prevent an Iranian War”

On January 10, 2012, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an article titled “Out of Its Own Self Interest, China Should Prevent an Iranian War.” China’s self-interest in Iran includes the huge amount of oil in Iran and Iran’s important role in containing the U.S. so as to, strategically, ease the  pressure on China. Although “China cannot form an alliance with Iran and act as the enemy of the United States, China must do something to stop an ‘Iranian War’ while avoiding any fatal damage to Sino-US relations.”

The article lists the following suggestions of how to prevent the U.S. from starting a war against Iran: 1) Cooperate with Russia to oppose an Iranian War; 2) If the U.S. sanctions a Chinese company in Iran, China should carry out the same sanctions against the U.S.; 3) Help Iran diplomatically, maintaining high-level visits between Beijing and Tehran, so as to prevent Iran from being convicted in the court of global public opinion; 4) Make the war mentally and realistically more difficult for the U.S to start, as this is an election year and a new war may interfere with Obama’s re-election.

Source: Huanqiu, January 10, 2012
http://finance.huanqiu.com/data/2012-01/2342289.html

We do not fight a battle unprepared

On January 10, 2012, China Review News reprinted an article from Xinhua about China’s military preparedness. The article includes commentaries from Luo Yuan, the Vice Secretary-General of the China Military Science Research Association and from Ted Carpenter, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute in the United States.

Luo Yuan believes that the purpose of the U.S. returning to the Asia-Pacific area is to curb and contain China’s rise. He said that China must learn how to “dance with the wolf,” and while in the process of modernizing China’s defenses, be cooperative and defensive at the same time. “We do not fight a battle unprepared, an uncertain battle, or a battle not worthwhile. If we fight a battle, we will hurt you badly and beat you down convincingly.” Ted Carpenter believes that China’s military modernization is logical; but he suggested that China not release any irritating statements so as to avoid unfavorable responses from the U.S.

Source: China Review News, January 10, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/7/3/1/101973190.html?coluid=6&kindid=27&docid=101973190&mdate=0110125009

Scholar Calls for More Research on the U.S.

International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua News Agency, published an article on January 9, 2012, titled “More Researches Should Be Conducted on the Fatal Flaw of the United States.” The author of the article is Mr. Sun Zhe, a professor and director of the Center for US-China Relations, Tsinghua University. Sun suggested that the U.S. high-profile involvement in the South China Sea and President Obama’s criticism of China is normal. Having met many Americans including the U.S. vice president, former senior politicians, and think tank scholars, Sun concludes that the Americans are increasingly viewing China as a threat to the United States.

“The more China is viewed as a country that will surpass the U.S. in GDP, the more we must be modest and be aware of our shortcomings.” To outwit the U.S. diplomatically, Sun suggested doing more academic research exchanges so as to better understand the U.S. and China.

Source: International Herald Leader, January 9, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2012-01/09/c_131344109.htm

Three Major Public Opinion Shifts on the Internet

China Review News (CRN) recently republished an article that Professor Hu Yong from the Peking University School of Journalism and Communication wrote discussing the change in topics among Chinese netizens. Hu identified three major changes that represent important shifts in public opinion: (1) The focus has shifted from nationalism to issues faced in daily living, such as food safety and air pollution. (2) An Internet-based social structure is getting more and more mature. Large groups of people are using the Internet to ask for and defend their social rights. Public freedom of speech on the Internet is influencing the political landscape. (3) The Internet-based society lacks Internet-ready administration. The current administration is not aligned with the Internet-oriented values that encourage innovation, freedom of speech, mutual trust, and reduced government interference. Hu suggested that the approach the government takes at present is heading in the opposite direction. The article concluded by calling for recognition of netizens’ basic rights.

Source: China Review News, January 8, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/7/0/1/101970166.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=101970166&mdate=0108092059

Xinhua: The 2012 Spring Festival Transportation Period Started

Xinhua announced that the period of “Spring Festival Transportation” started on January 8, 2011. The annual massive usage of transportation related to the Spring Festival will take place for 40 days this year, from January 8 to February 16. Estimates are that the traffic volume will be 3.158 billion person-trips (a unit to measure the number of one way trips per person). This represents an annual increase of 9.1% over 2011. The railway system alone is expected to carry 235 million people. Meanwhile, the demand for cargo transportation is also on the rise. The joint government coordination committee expressed the belief that the situation is “not optimistic.” The primary concern for the 40-day window is safety. Another variable in the equation is bad weather. The steady supply of critical resources such as coal, gas, food, and fertilizer is also in question. 

Source: Xinhua, January 8, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2012-01/08/c_111392564.htm

CRN: China Needs Confidence in Handling the South China Sea Situation

China Review News (CRN) recently published an official commentary on the “chaos” in the South China Sea. The commentary started with an analysis of the different strategies Vietnam and the Philippines have been using. In the territorial disputes that occurred in 2011, the two countries attacked China’s position, thus bringing more heat to the issue. The commentary suggested that the “behind-the-scenes shadow” of the United States was there each time the situation worsened. China’s neighbors are actively improving their military capabilities. In addition to that, threatening China with their “public opinions” has become a quick new way to create more trouble for China. The commentary called on China to have “very strong” Chinese confidence as well as to take decisive steps in response to the challenges that the regional political forces impose.

Source: China Review News, January 4, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/6/2/1/101962112.html?coluid=1&kindid=0&docid=101962112&mdate=0104000351