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

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

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