Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (09-08-2014)

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Sep 2016 07:10

China: Military deployment along [India] border non-aggressive - Prabin Kalital, ToI

The Chinese Liberation Army, in its mouthpiece 'China Military', claimed that the country's military deployment and movement along the border have always been non-aggressive and restrained and blamed the Indian media for its "oversensitive" coverage of the Indo-China border.

An opinion article in the magazine stated, "China is undoubtedly India's largest opponent and therefore every move of the Chinese military will touch the nerve of the Indian media. However, the Indian military has more movement than China along the Sino-Indian border."

Citing examples, the article claims that India has a number of unmanned aerial vehicles deployed along the Sino-Indian border. The article was published not long after India announced plans to deploy the supersonic BrahMos missile in Arunachal Pradesh. "In comparison, Chinese military's movement along the border has always been restrained. India is not yet the biggest threat for China and though confrontation events along the border would occur from time to time, the overall situation is rather stable," the article stated.

Claiming that Chinese equipment deployment and drills along the border are mostly confirmatory, mainly to gain experience, improve high altitude combat capability and form deterrent ability," the article stated.

The article also defended the recent appearance of a Chinese stealth fighter aircraft (J-20) in Tibet. Quoting Chinese experts, the article claimed that the J-20 will not be deployed at the Sino-India border.

Gen Suhag reviews situation along LAC

Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag reviewed the operational military readiness and infrastructure build-up along the Line of Actual Control with China as well as the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the north-east during a visit to the region on Monday and Tuesday. "Gen Suhag was...updated on the security situation in Assam," said an officer.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Sep 2016 17:31

Asean and China pledge to exercise self-restraint in South China Sea - Straits Times

VIENTIANE - Asean and Chinese leaders pledged to exercise self-restraint when dealing with the South China Sea issue in a joint statement issued after a summit of leaders in Vientiane on Wednesday (Sept 7).

The statement, issued on the 25th anniversary of the Asean-China Dialogue Relations, said: "We reaffirm our respect for and commitment to the freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea as provided for by the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS ); and undertake to resolve the territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS ."

"We also undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability," the statement added.

Asean and China also expressed their commitment to the full and effective implementation of an earlier agreed upon Declaration of Conduct, and "work substantively" towards the early adoption of a more binding Code of Conduct on the South China Sea "based on consensus".{The Chinese are taking a very nuanced position here whiloe referring to UNCLOS. The use of the word 'including' gives China room to wriggle out perhaps. On the other hand, by demanding no 'activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affected peace and stability', China wants ASEAN nations to agree to a particular approach of China which can term anything not approved by it as contributing to violation of 'peace & stability'}

Relations between the Asian giant and the 10-nation bloc have been dogged by territorial disputes in the South China Sea in recent years, to the extent of threatening Asean's consensus-driven unity.

To reduce the chances of a maritime flare-up, Asean and Chinese leaders on Wednesday adopted a joint statement on the application of the code of unplanned encounters at sea, and also guidelines for hotline communications among senior officials during maritime emergencies.

arun · Post by **arun** » 08 Sep 2016 07:52

X Posted from the “China Watch Thread-I” thread.

The Peoples Republic of China’s deep seated racism on display. PRC flag carrier Air China prints tips in inflight magazine advising that “precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people". While PRC racism towards Indian and African origin people is not surprising, overt addition of those originating in PRC’s Higher Than Himalayas, Deeper than Indian Ocean, Sweeter than Honey, Purer than Ever Flowing Water, Closer than Lips to Teeth Iron Brother the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is surprising as I would have thought the PRC would have kept racism here covert:

Row as Air China warns of London's 'Indian, Pakistani and black' neighbourhoods

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 08 Sep 2016 15:14

arun wrote:X Posted from the “China Watch Thread-I” thread.

The Peoples Republic of China’s deep seated racism on display. PRC flag carrier Air China prints tips in inflight magazine advising that “precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people". While PRC racism towards Indian and African origin people is not surprising, overt addition of those originating in PRC’s Higher Than Himalayas, Deeper than Indian Ocean, Sweeter than Honey, Purer than Ever Flowing Water, Closer than Lips to Teeth Iron Brother the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is surprising as I would have thought the PRC would have kept racism here covert:

This is really uncalled for. Everyone knows that Pakistanis are Arabs.
Gautam

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 08 Sep 2016 15:21

I believe that the Chinese really wanted to warn their countrymen against the Pakis. But, they didn't want to upset them by issuing such an advisory and added Indians to assuage the Paki feelings.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 08 Sep 2016 20:31

In that case, the Chinamen went long and far, Ted.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 09 Sep 2016 00:05

SSridhar wrote:I believe that the Chinese really wanted to warn their countrymen against the Pakis. But, they didn't want to upset them by issuing such an advisory and added Indians to assuage the Paki feelings.

Well, USA has Mexicans, who are dirty. Germany has dirty Turks, England has Pakis (Indians are included), Russia has peoples from their Stans, France has their Arabs etc. Now that China aspires to have a higher standard of living and a super power status, who but pakis can fit the bill?
Gautam

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 09 Sep 2016 17:28

Chinese media lash out at US Asia policy, go easy on Barack Obama - ToI

Chinese state-run media outlets on Friday roundly attacked the US for its increasing foreign policy focus on the Asia Pacific. Even as they took a softer tone when referring to US President Barack Obama+ , they panned the foreign policy reorientation that he spearheaded.

Editorials in two government-run newspapers - Global Times and China Daily - focussed on US foreign policy under Obama, a day the completion of the ASEAN Summit in Laos+ . Obama became the first US President to participate in a summit of the grouping of Southeast Asian nations, many of whom are grappling with China's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Even as it gave Obama credit for raising the Asia Pacific region's place in America's foreign policy priorities, the China Daily editorial said, "With his days in office numbered, Obama cannot do much to press ahead with the pivot he has sought to engineer, which has not progressed as smoothly as he no doubt hoped. Not because the idea is flawed, but because its execution has been."

"The problem is, rather than wanting to be a member of an Asian community of shared destiny, the US has returned to the Asia-Pacific flexing its muscles, and thus expecting to get its own way. The idea of justifying the US' militaristic pivot with the tensions it has created is counterproductive. Unless it comes to help consolidate the region's peaceful environment, the US will only end up hurting its own fundamental interests, as Asian countries are preoccupied with working together for common development," the editorial added, even as it skipped mention of the tensions that Beijing faces with nearly every Southeast Asian country.

The editorial in the Global Times however was less charitable towards the US. "The core of the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific includes deployment of 60 percent of US naval assets to Asia, the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, and smart diplomacy which aims at alienating China from other countries," it read.

Even as it characterized Obama as the US President with the "least hard-line" on China, it painted a bleak picture of the future of relations between Washington and Beijing, and said the strains placed on relations by the current dispensation would help China emerge with more maturity.

"As long as China's GDP is getting close to that of the US, Washington will put Beijing in check, with or without the rebalance strategy. China should adopt a calm mind and handle complicated matters with ease," the Global Times editorial said.

The editorials give an insight into a possible siege mindset that setting in among Beijing's foreign policy mandarins. China has expressed an increasingly displeased line on the rising US presence in the region. Expanding ties and exchanges between the US and other nations in the Asia Pacific, including India's attempt to step up engagement in the region have seen China feel the pressure of encirclement.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 11 Sep 2016 03:14

China's Next Territorial Claim: Hawaii and Almost the Entire Pacific Ocean?

From there, things got even more interesting. On the sidelines of the conference, a Vietnamese filmmaker was shooting a documentary on the South China Sea and asked me on camera what I thought of the claims. Without being able to do any in depth reading or fact-checking the piece, I expressed hope the report would be proven untrue, but if somehow Beijing was bold enough to make such a claim, it would only go further to cement the narrative as China becoming an international bully—taking the concept of what I referred to as ‘Mapfare’ to a whole new level.The text of the article is interesting to say the least:
“In a move expected to escalate global tensions, China’s Ministry of Education has released a new world map in which China claims large swaths of the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii and most of Micronesia.According to Xinhua, the Education Ministry also issued a directive ordering “all educational facilities and government offices to replace their outdated world maps with the current iteration.”Though the United States has yet to offer any comment, Micronesian President Manny Mori has called the map “absurd” and accused China of “cartographic rape.”It goes on—and where it all falls apart as a poorly-timed comedic ruse:“China’s new territory also encompasses Mexico’s Clarion Island and France’s Clipperton Island, which officials say will be allowed full autonomy. American possessions in the region, however, will be combined to form Xinmeiguo
China’s new neighbors will almost certainly raise questions about the map’s legitimacy and protest the country’s expanded borders. Indeed, China’s previous “nine-dash map,” which included the contested Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, was already a source of controversy.
But Ministry of Education officials defended the new “251-dash map” by pointing to several Qing-era documents which show the Caroline, Northern Mariana and Marshall Islands under Chinese control.“The study of what constitutes Chinese territory is ongoing,” said one ministry official.At press time, proof had been found that the Ming Empire once controlled a large portion of Antarctica. The Ministry of Education said it would immediately begin production of a new, revised map.”I assumed like many of my colleagues at the conference it could very well be possible. Heck, if China has the guts to try to make a case for claims on Okinawa, why not go all in? Call it ‘mapfare’ on steroids.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-bu ... tire-17658

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 11 Sep 2016 10:22

http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/ ... ina-border
India, U.S. will hold military exercises near China border

he Armies of India and the United States are all set to flex their muscles close to the India-China land border, just three months after Indian Navy sailed through the South China Sea in an affirmation of freedom of navigation in international waters. A total of 225 US Army soldiers are landing at Chaubuttia in Uttarakhand to start the two-week-long joint exercise called Yudh Abhyas, from 14 September. This is the 12th edition of the India-US joint exercise and the first in an area close to the border with China. “Interconnectivity and interdependence are the new global order, interoperability and jointness as being applied in Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2016 are the new military essentials,” Lt Gen Balwant Singh Negi, GOC in C Central Command, told The Sunday Guardian.India’s military and strategic ties with the United States are growing rapidly. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed between US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar just a couple of weeks ago was a major step to curb firepower from likely threats. LEMOA has created a formal platform between India and the US to mutually use each other’s military bases and other facilities. With a trilateral joint exercise called Malabar involving Indian, US and Japanese Navies in June this year, India had sent a strong message to China that it would not allow any country to control the South China Sea. Yudh Abhyas is an extension of the same message of freedom from fear of threat by forces inimical to democracy and forces backing terrorism.
Lt Gen Rajan Ravindran, Chief of Staff, HQ Central Command, told this newspaper, “Exercise Yudh Abhyas-2016, the Indo-US joint exercise is a giant step for the armies of two great democratic nations to train and gain from each other’s rich operational experiences.”Yudh Abhyas will be the first India-US exercise after LEMOA came into existence. The Chaubuttia military station near Ranikhet is situated just over 100 km away from the India-China border. Yudh Abhyas will start with the unfurling of the national flags of India and the US, apart from the playing of the two countries’ national anthems, Jana Gana Mana and the Star Spangled Banner, respectively. The US contingent will have soldiers from the 5th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade combat team and 7th Infantry Division of the US Army, while an equal strength of 225 soldiers from the Indian Army will be from the 14th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles and the 12thBattalion of the Madras Regiment. 14 Garhwal Rifles will engage US Army soldiers in command post exercises and 12 Madras Regiment in field exercises.An official from the US embassy told The Sunday Guardian, “Yudh Abhyas will be an excellent opportunity for US and Indian forces to share tactics, techniques, procedures and operational experiences. Yudh Abhyas is also an opportunity to broaden US-India military cooperation and enhance interoperability. The US side sincerely appreciates the excellent hospitality and amazing logistics support provided by the Indian Army in the lead up to the exercise.”
Yudh Abhyas has been strategically planned by the Ministry of Defence keeping in mind the features of the Line of Control, which India shares with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control, which India shares with China. The exercise will be conducted in the heavily forested areas of Chaubattia, where the heights range from 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet. The exercise will begin with a difficult march of approximately 6 km with complete battle loads of almost 30 kg on each soldier. Then the soldiers of both the Armies will familiarise themselves with each other’s organisational structures, weapons and tactical drills. To simulate a counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment, the tactical part of the exercise will include “raid, cordon and search” operations, with the emphasis on using state of the art equipment for surveillance, tracking and identification of terrorists, using specialist weapons, sensing and neutralising IEDs and establishing effective communications.. However, authoritative sources said that “There is no question of China being the focus, it is only because of geographical features and logistics that the region around Ranikhet was chosen for this long-planned exercise.” They add that “It is the policy of both the US and India to seek to have a friendly and cooperative relationship with a major trading partner, China. ”

tandav · Post by **tandav** » 11 Sep 2016 10:36

Apparently a Chinese "Onion" type news.

Prem wrote:China's Next Territorial Claim: Hawaii and Almost the Entire Pacific Ocean?

From there, things got even more interesting. On the sidelines of the conference, a Vietnamese filmmaker was shooting a documentary on the South China Sea and asked me on camera what I thought of the claims. Without being able to do any in depth reading or fact-checking the piece, I expressed hope the report would be proven untrue, but if somehow Beijing was bold enough to make such a claim, it would only go further to cement the narrative as China becoming an international bully—taking the concept of what I referred to as ‘Mapfare’ to a whole new level.The text of the article is interesting to say the least:

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-bu ... tire-17658

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 11 Sep 2016 11:10

This is Baki style verbal punch in response to the SCS arbitration decision to protect their H&D in-front of the mango chini. This is as the Bakis fond of saying a "Shut up call" to the world.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 11 Sep 2016 15:37

China’s BRICS trade pact idea finds no takers - Arun S, The Hindu

India and three others in the BRICS bloc — Brazil, Russia and South Africa — have cold-shouldered China's attempt to bring to the negotiating table a proposal for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the five major emerging economies.

Tariff Elimination

While Beijing’s proposal for a 'BRICS FTA' is aimed at boosting trade ties in the grouping through binding commitments on eliminating tariffs, BRICS members barring China are not keen on such a pact.

Their apprehensions about the plan include the fear that it could lead to a surge in imports of Chinese goods into their territory — in turn, hurting local manufacturing.

The development comes amid hectic preparations for the BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting on October 13 and the first BRICS Trade Fair from October 12 to 14 (both in Delhi) as well as the Eighth BRICS Summit (to be held in Goa) on October 15-16. India is hosting these events as it currently holds the BRICS Chairmanship.

Official sources said though China had recently “informally sounded out other BRICS members regarding the need to take up the FTA proposal during the Trade Ministers Meeting, there were no takers for it.” There was also no interest to start negotiations on a separate ‘BRICS Investment (protection & promotion) Treaty’, they said.

‘Low ambition’

Discussions between the trade ministers will now be one with “low ambition” as none of the countries has shown willingness to take up anything “major” this time, the sources said. Therefore, there will only be a framework cooperation agreement on matters related to small and medium enterprises, services sector and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). BRICS members will also consider evolving mechanisms for single window clearance as well as to speedily resolve non-tariff barriers that are hurting trade.

While Russia and South Africa did not respond to the BRICS FTA proposal, Brazil pointed out that it participates in FTA negotiations as part of the ‘Mercosur’ – a trading bloc and customs union of Latin American nations, the sources said.

Declining to take up the FTA proposal, Brazil also cited the recent political turmoil surrounding the regime change in that country, they said. India said it is already participating in negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (or RCEP, a proposed mega-regional FTA between the 16 Asia-Pacific nations including India and China).

Trade deficit

New Delhi also raised concerns regarding a widening goods trade deficit with China. India’s goods trade deficit with China has escalated from $1.1 billion in 2003-04 to $52.7 billion in 2015-16, according to Indian government statistics.

As per Chinese government statistics, in 2014, China enjoyed a goods trade surplus with India (to the tune of $37.9 billion) and with Russia (worth $12 billion), with Chinese exports outstripping imports into China from these countries.

However, the data showed that in 2014, China ran a goods trade deficit with South Africa (worth $28.9 billion) and with Brazil ($16.7 billion) with China importing more from these two countries than it exported to them.

‘BRICS visa’

The forthcoming BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting would look at a cooperation agreement for an exchange of services trade data, in addition to discussions on the proposed ‘BRICS Visa’ (or long-term multiple-entry visa for business persons to attend meetings and conferences, as well as for tourism and medical treatment purposes).

On IPR, there could be talks on exchange of regulations and an agreement to co-ordinate negotiating positions for IPR-related negotiations at the multilateral level. There will also be efforts to rope in the BRICS New Development Bank to finance projects mainly in the infrastructure sector in BRICS countries.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Sep 2016 17:40

China, Russia to hold joint exercises in S. China Sea- Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China and Russia will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea (SCS), sending a calibrated message to the United States and its allies that Beijing has a powerful partner in waters riven by rival territorial claims.

The show of strength will be showcased during the eight-day Navy drill in the South China Sea off southern China’s Guangdong Province.

Analysts, however, say that the exercises are being held in a non-disputed area, and are therefore unlikely to stir up fresh tensions significantly.

An earlier news report run by Russia’s Tass news agency said that last month, Russia and China held consultations in the Guangdong Province over holding the exercise. “The two sides explored the site of the exercise and the related infrastructures,” the report quoted the Chinese defence ministry spokesperson as saying.

Hague ruling

The exercises follow a spike in tensions after an arbitration court in The Hague rejected China’s claims in the SCS, and slammed it for causing environmental damage there. China has rejected the ruling in a government white paper that was released in the aftermath of the Award.

Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Liang Yang said that the drill, “Joint Sea-2016,” will feature Navy surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters marine corps and amphibious armoured equipment from both navies.

Most of the Chinese participants will come from the Nanhai Fleet under the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The two sides will undertake defence, rescue, and anti-submarine operations, in addition to joint island seizing and other activities, the spokesperson observed.

He stressed that the Marine Corps, in particular, will carry out live-fire drills, sea crossing and island landing operations, and island defence and offence exercises among others.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Sep 2016 18:12

China Blames U.S. for North Korea Threat, Questions Sanctions

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... -sanctions

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Sep 2016 20:35

Russia, China’s rejection of Hague ruling sets tone for SCS exercises - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China and Russia have begun their first naval exercises in the South China Sea (SCS), setting the stage for a deeper military and political engagement, reinforced by the meeting at Hangzhou between the two heads of state.

Significantly, Chinese state media, without dispelling ambiguity entirely, is signaling that exercises are not being held in a disputed area in the SCS, but within China’s coastal waters.

The state-run China Central Television reported in its Monday morning bulletin that the joint manoeuvres were being held in “waters off China’s Guangdong province”. It then quoted “experts” as saying that “the exercise is likely to take place in coastal waters.”

Russians sending a dual signal

Diplomatic sources had earlier told The Hindu that the Russians and the Chinese had come to an understanding that the exercises would not be held in disputed waters. They added that the Russians have been sending a dual signal. While they are conveying to the United States that they stand by the Chinese, they are at the same time preserving their strategic relationship with Vietnam, which hotly contests Chinese claims in the Spratly islands in the SCS.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted Colonel Yue Gang, who retired from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as saying that Beijing and Moscow had each confronted rising challenges from Washington — from the stand-off with China in the SCS to the sanctions imposed by the West over Russia after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

'They need to cooperate'

“[China and Russia] understand that they need to cooperate, not just in diplomacy and politics but also in the military as a way to respond to the challenge from the West,” he observed.

The eight-day Joint Sea-2016 exercise is the largest naval drill that the two countries have decided to conduct since their annual naval manoeuvres began in 2012. Analysts say the exercises signal the possibility of joint military assertion by the China and Russia in the Western Pacific Ocean, which would seriously challenge the U.S.-led Pivot to Asia doctrine of force accumulation in these waters.

Chinese state television also reported that the drills are expected to test “landing operations on islands and reefs”— a tangential reference to the possibility of joint defence by Russia and China of some of Beijing’s claims in the SCS. The construction of artificial islands, with the scope of extending Beijing’s military reach, has reinforced the debate, led by the U.S., that China’s growing military clout poses a threat to “freedom of navigation” in waters supporting 5 trillion dollars of annual global trade.

Putin backs China on ruling

Ahead of the exercise, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said during this month’s G-20 summit in Hangzhou that Moscow supported China’s rejection of the ruling by an international arbitration tribunal that had rejected Beijing’s territorial claims in the SCS.

Mr. Putin said in a response to a reporter’s question that “as far as the Hague Arbitration Court and its rulings are concerned, we agree with and support China’s position to not recognise the court’s ruling.” He added: “And I’ll tell you why. It is not a political but a purely legal position. It is that any arbitration proceedings should be initiated by parties to a dispute while a court of arbitration should hear the arguments and positions of the parties to the dispute. As is known, China did not go the Hague Court of Arbitration and no one there listened to its position. So, how can these rulings be deemed fair? We support China’s position on the issue.”

'Very good relationship with Xi'

The Russian President also praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, the host of the G-20 summit. “I’ve developed a very good relationship based on trust with President Xi Jinping,” he observed.

In Moscow, the website 'Russia Beyond the Headlines' quoted Viktor Litovkin, a military specialist, as saying that the Chinese military infrastructure in the SCS will protect Russia in the area “against U.S. Navy ships and the Aegis system and SM-3 and Tomahawk missiles.”

The Cold-War continues in a new formulation.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Sep 2016 12:13

Chinese media says why US should be wary of China, Russia getting closer - Shailaja Neelakantan, ToI

China and Russia together are formidable and unbeatable, so any third country seeking dominance over the West Pacific should think twice, China's state-run media warned, in the context of the two countries' ongoing joint military drills.

The Joint Sea-2016 drill between China and Russia started on Monday on the South China Sea. "Countries such as the US and Japan have been extremely sensitive (about the drills). Let them be," the Chinese government run Global Times said in an editorial.

"The US and Japan have burnt their own fingers." it added.

The joint drills feature naval surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine corps and amphibious armoured equipment from both navies. In addition, "island seizing" activities, including anti-submarine operations, will feature alongside live fire drills and island defence. "It is undoubtedly a joint exercise of great scale and depth," the editorial said.

Then comes the editorial's warning: "As long as a third country has no ulterior motives, it has no reason to worry about the Sino-Russian drills. If some country is to seek global hegemony and dominate the West Pacific, it should think twice, as China or Russia is hard to deal with individually, let alone together." {The Chinese now want to take the war into the American turf. On its own, China will never be a match for USN in West Pacific}

West's 'double standard'

The Chinese state-run news outlet further criticized what it sees as a double standard in the way the West is looking at these joint drills. The article said the drills are not that different from the ones done by other countries in other waters.

In fact, the "US often sends warships to exercise the so-called freedom of navigation." Therefore, if the US is sensitive about the China-Russia drill, it says more about its own intentions than China's or Russia's, the editorial said.

The editorial also warned that if Washington keeps putting pressure on China and Russia', their mutual support will only increase.

"Both China and Russia are nuclear powers. If the two cannot safeguard their own security or maintain their strategic space for survival and development, the 21st century will be filled with darkness and horror," the editorial concluded.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 13 Sep 2016 13:07

‘We should not confuse int’l order with American one’: Russian defense minister to US counterpart

https://www.rt.com/news/359115-carter-a ... er-shoigu/

China calls Washington ‘cause & crux’ of N. Korean nuclear issue as US flies bombers over peninsula

https://www.rt.com/news/359121-china-us ... rea-cause/

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Sep 2016 13:19

China says should maintain South China Sea peace with Vietnam - Straits Times

China and Vietnam should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and manage and control disputes, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, where about US$5 trillion (S$6.8 trillion) worth of seaborne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.

Vietnam is in the midst of a quiet military buildup analysts say is designed as a deterrent, to secure its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone as China grows more assertive in staking its claims in the South China Sea.

A court of arbitration in The Hague in July said China's claims to the waterway were invalid, after a case was brought by the Philippines. Beijing has refused to recognise the ruling.

Vietnam welcomed the ruling, saying it strongly supports peaceful resolution of disputes, while reasserting its own sovereignty claims.

Meeting in Beijing on Monday, Li told Phuc that the South China Sea involved both issues of sovereignty and maritime rights as well as "national feelings", China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"China and Vietnam should work hard together, scrupulously abide by their high level consensus, maintain maritime stability, manage and control disputes, promote maritime cooperation, continue to accumulate consensus, jointly maintain maritime and regional peace and stability and create conditions for the stable development of bilateral ties," Li said.{Li Keqiang does not want Vietnam to do a copycat of the Philippines and take their maritime dispute to the UNCLOS}

The ministry cited Phuc as saying maritime issues should be appropriately handled in a peaceful way on the basis of equality and mutual respect and not allow maritime issues to affect the development of relations.

Earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered Vietnam a credit line of half a billion dollars for defence cooperation, giving a lift to a country rapidly pursing a military deterrent as discord festers in the South China Sea.

The offer comes after a surge of almost 700 per cent in Vietnam's defence procurements as of 2015, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank, which tracks the arm trade over five-year periods.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Sep 2016 19:49

Japan-India defence cooperation aimed at China disgraceful: Beijing - PTI

Reacting angrily to a report that Japan plans to sell search and rescue aircraft+ to India at a lower cost, China on Tuesday said it would consider such a move "disgraceful" if it is aimed at pressuring Beijing over the disputed South China Sea issue.

"I have noted this report. We hold no objection to normal state to state cooperation including defence cooperation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing here today.

"But if the report is true that if someone is making unrighteous move then this is very disgraceful," she said replying to a question that Tokyo plans sell $1.6 billion worth of Shinmaywa US-2+ search and rescue aircraft to India at cheaper rates to strengthen security cooperation with New Delhi.

Asked to elaborate on why China regards this sale of weapons disgraceful, Hua said "we hold no objection to state to state cooperation including defence cooperation as long is such cooperation is normal".

"But as reported that the Japanese government is to cut the price to sell weapons to India with an aim to pressurise China on the South China Sea+ issue and such attempt is targeted at China. If such a report is true then we don't think the purpose such cooperation is righteous".

It would have been interesting (and definitely hilarious) to hear the Chinese FO spokesperson's reaction if there had been any follow-up question on whether the much more serious Chinese supply of nukes & their delivery platforms to Pakistan solely aimed at India was to be termed 'righteous' and 'graceful' and if so how.

China puts its feet into its mouth very often.

schinnas · Post by **schinnas** » 13 Sep 2016 21:22

SSridhar wrote: It would have been interesting (and definitely hilarious) to hear the Chinese FO spokesperson's reaction if there had been any follow-up question on whether the much more serious Chinese supply of nukes & their delivery platforms to Pakistan solely aimed at India was to be termed 'righteous' and 'graceful' and if so how.

China puts its feet into its mouth very often.

Cheen are exhibiting total bully behavior here... keeping themselves above all rules and insulting and intimidating other countries when they do in self-defense even 10% of what Cheen does. Such thuggery and intimidation would work with spineless leaders. Thankfully Abe and Modi aren't the kind to take such insults lightly.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 14 Sep 2016 12:38

India-Hong Kong trade affected by China bogey - Chitra Narayanan, Business Line

Hong Kong is assiduously wooing India to step up trade with the country, but the China bogey may come in the way of trade relations between the two, fear businessmen in the ‘Fragrant Harbour’.

“We have been lobbying with the Indian government to consider Hong Kong and China as separate. But instead we are now getting linked more and more and the restrictions applied to Chinese companies are now applying to Hong Kong companies too,” says Raj Sital, chairman of The Indian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong. The Chamber has over 600 corporate members.

According to him, Hong Kong is the superconnector that ties China with the rest of the world, including India. But the glue is now coming a bit unstuck as far as India is concerned due to India’s security concerns about China.

Pain points

Earlier this year, in February, C Y Leung, Chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region had led a business delegation to India to discuss bilateral trade and iron out the sticky issues. “Three areas where we have problems were discussed,” says MH Arunachalam, immediate past chairman of the Indian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong, who was part of the 200-member delegation. The pain points are a comprehensive double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) that has been in discussions for over a decade and is yet to be signed.

The second is the fact that now Hong Kong based companies cannot open offices – even representative offices - in India automatically and directly, but need prior permission from the RBI, a process that sometimes can take over a year. “The way we were doing business with India has fundamentally changed, with more layers added,” says Sital.

The third concern is that Hong Kong citizens cannot now buy property in India without prior permission. “Even properties that were purchased earlier, if we sell today, we cannot repatriate the money without prior permission,” says Arunachalam describing how it affects the 50,000-strong Indian community in Hong Kong that has real estate investments in India.

One country, two systems

“India needs to recognise that Hong Kong and China may be one country, but we are actually two systems,” says Sital referring to the 50-year agreement that was signed when the British handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Ironically, India has a double taxation treaty with China, points out Sital. The Indian government’s response to the entreaties of the Hong Kong delegation has been that “it’s a sensitive issue”.

For Hong Kong, the India push is important as its exports were down by 3 per cent in 2015. “At a time when Hong Kong’s exports are down we have to look at the three markets that show promising growth and India is one of them,” says Nicholas Kwan, Director of Research, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). In 2015, Hong Kong’s exports to India expanded by 8.1 per cent to touch US$13 billion. India is the fourth largest export market for Hong Kong.

Major export items from Hong Kong to India are telecom equipment and parts which saw a jump of over 32 per cent from the previous year to US$5,129 million and accounts for 39.3 per cent share of its total exports to India.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 14 Sep 2016 17:37

Friendship will prevail over India-China differences: China

"China-India strategic partnership of cooperation has made all-round progress these years. The two countries are marching toward the goal of building a closer partnership of development," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

"It is only natural that China and India, neighbours and two major countries, do not see eye-to -eye on some of the issues. But in the bilateral relationship, friendship and cooperation prevail over differences and problems," Hua said.

"Guided by the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, China will work with India to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences and ensure the sustained and steady growth of China-India relations," she said.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 14 Sep 2016 17:38

India-China relations not a 'zero sum game': Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar

arun · Post by **arun** » 15 Sep 2016 10:10

Official statements put out by our Ministry of External Affairs and Foreign Ministry of PR China regards meeting on India joining Nuclear Supply Group (NSG). PR Chinese procedural foot dragging evident via expedient of claiming that NSG must look at issue of membership of Non-Signatories to the NPT rather than membership of India:

Visit of Chinese delegation for talks on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
September 13, 2016
A Chinese delegation led by Director General Wang Qun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited India on 13 September 2016 for talks with an Indian delegation led by Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary (Disarmament & International Security) in the Ministry of External Affairs. The talk covered issues of mutual interest in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation.

As agreed by the EAM and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in their meeting on 13 August, the two sides focused in particular on an issue of priority for India - membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The discussions were candid, pragmatic and substantive. The two sides agreed to meet for the next round on a mutually convenient date.

New Delhi
September 13, 2016

Clicky

China Supports the Notion of Two-Step Approach within the Nuclear Suppliers Group to Explore a Non-Discriminatory Formula Applicable to all Non-NPT States

2016/09/13

On September 13, 2016, China and India held a fresh round of arms control consultation in New Delhi. The consultation was co-chaired by Ambassador Wang Qun, Director-General of Arms Control Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern in this field.

On the question of non-NPT states' participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), given that it is an issue of major concern to India, China, for its part, shared with India the recent developments as it sees within the Group in relation to the question. China also shared with India its principled positions and views on the above question. In the meantime, China listened to and had the inputs from India on this issue, and indicated that it will bring such views and inputs back to the Group for its consideration. China hopes the above inputs will help facilitate the relevant discussions within the Group.

The two sides realized that the question of the non-NPT states' participation is, in essence, a multilateral issue, and can only be subject to multilateral solution by the Group. Bilateral exchanges should serve to facilitate the relevant discussions within the Group.

China pointed out that the issue of the non-NPT states' participation in the NSG raises new questions for the Group under the new circumstances, and the crux of the above question is how to address the gap between the existing policies and practices of the non-NPT states and the existing international non-proliferation rules and norms based on the NPT as the cornerstone. China wishes to see early commencement of an open and transparent inter-governmental process to undertake, in accordance with the mandate adopted by the NSG at its Seoul Plenary meeting, a comprehensive and thorough study on the question of the non-NPT states' participation in the NSG in various aspects. China has hitherto not yet taken a position on any country-specific membership in the category of the non-NPT states. And China supports the notion of two-step approach within the Group to address the above question, i.e., at the first stage, to explore and reach agreement on a non-discriminatory formula applicable to all the non-NPT states, and to proceed to take up country-specific membership issues at the second stage. China, for its part, expressed its readiness to actively participate in the above process within the Group.

The two sides also had in-depth discussions on issues related to cyber security and the work of the Conference on Disarmament.

The two sides believed that the consultation is positive, candid, pragmatic and constructive. The two sides expressed the wish to intensify their exchanges on the relevant issues. They also agreed to hold the next round of consultation in China in due course, to be decided through diplomatic channels.

Clicky

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 15 Sep 2016 17:12

BRICS meet in New Delhi to focus on security issues - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China has signalled that it wants the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping to acquire a larger security dimension, ahead of the departure to New Delhi of State Councillor, Yang Jiechi for a meeting of the national security advisers of the five emerging countries.

“The Chinese side would like to see BRICS countries play a bigger role in international and regional security issues, step up coordination and cooperation on major issues concerning security and contribute to peace, prosperity and stability of the world,” said Hua Chunying, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson.

Common interest

The National Security Adviser Ajit Doval would be hosting the meeting that starts on Thursday.

Ms. Hua stressed that the participants will discuss counter-terrorism, cyber-security, energy security, situation in West Asia and North Africa as well as other international and regional issues of common interest.

Analysts say that the BRICS countries are expected to converge on a common approach of battling the Islamic State, in its breeding grounds in Syria, Iraq and its permeation in other parts of the world including South Asia and China’s Xinjiang province. Terrorism emanating from the Afghanistan-Pakistan zone is also expected to be high on the agenda.

China-Russia consultation

The meeting follows the culmination of China-Russia Strategic Security Consultations, hosted by Mr. Yang and China’s public security head Meng Jianzhu. The Russian side was represented by Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, who is also heading for talks in New Delhi. The foreign ministry spokesperson pointed out that the bilateral dialogue with Russia covered the scope of security cooperation among the BRICS countries as well as the fluid situation in Central Asia. This has been underscored by the recent terror attack on the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan and the political transition in Uzbekistan following the death of country’s President, Islam Karimov. The Ferghana valley on the tri-junction of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan is a well-known channel for the movement of terrorists and contraband.

The Moscow-Beijing dialogue coincided with the ongoing joint naval exercises by the two countries in the South China Sea.

Mr. Doval is also holding separate talks both with Mr. Patrushev and Mr. Yang. Sino-Indian ties appear to have been rebooted following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou earlier this month.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 16 Sep 2016 02:21

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 325608.cms

How Donald Trump could wipe $420 billion off China's exports

Victory for Donald Trump in the US Presidential election could be a game changer for China's economy. The candidate's promise to slap punitive tariffs on Chinese imports would be highly contractionary, deflationary and wipe hundreds of billions off the value of the world's second-biggest economy, according to new research by Kevin Lai, the Hong Kong-based chief economist for Asia (excluding Japan) at Daiwa Capital Markets. Lai estimates that Trump's suggestion for a 45 per cent tariff on Chinese goods to narrow the trade deficit with America would spark an 87 per cent decline in China's exports to the US -- a decline of $420 billion. That would, over time and factoring in multiplier effects, mean a 4.82 percent blow to China's gross domestic product, or about a half trillion dollars' worth. It doesn't even take into account an estimated $426 billion in foreign direct investment repatriation if companies started to withdraw.A loss of GDP or a slowdown in GDP growth of this scale would be staggering," Lai wrote in a note entitled "What would a Trump presidency mean for China." "Eventually, Trump and his administration may actually compromise with a watered-down version of tariffs." Still, even watered-down tariffs to 15 per cent would result in a loss of GDP for China of 1.8 per cent, again excluding the impact of foreign companies pulling out. The tariff's would likely be placed on a wide range of goods from machinery and tools to toys and home appliances, according to Lai. ai said China's quasi-fixed-exchange-rate regime and regular intervention by the People's Bank of China did help limit the yuan's gains over the past 20 years. At the same time, ultra loose monetary policy in the US supplied China with limitless dollars at a low cost and that China has recycled its surplus savings into funding the US budget. "Hence, it is really a chicken-and-egg question," Lai said. Add it all up and a victory for Trump could add severe pressure on China's economy."Obviously, the stakes are very high," Lai said.

arun · Post by **arun** » 16 Sep 2016 10:54

PR Chinese Foreign Ministry comment on a Times of India article reporting that Japan may cut price for supply Shinmaywa US-2 Amphibious Aircraft to India in a bid to revive the deal:

FWIW let me assure the PR China Foreign Ministry that India and Japan’s “pursuit of co-operation is above board” in seeking to contain hegemonistic behavior of the Peoples Republic from India to Japan and including parts in between like the South China Sea:

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 13, 2016 ……..

Q: A report on the Times of India said that the Japanese government is trying to secure a US$ 1.6 billion arms deal with India by pledging to reduce the price as much as possible. Japan is aiming at strengthening cooperation with India in defense and security and encouraging India to speak up on issues related to the South China Sea. What is your comment on that?

A: We have noted the report by the Times of India. We have no objection to normal cooperation, including cooperation in defense. However, it will be disgraceful if the motive behind someone's pursuit of cooperation is not so above board.

The Times of India Article referred to:

Japan may cut price to ink aircraft deal with India

arun · Post by **arun** » 16 Sep 2016 11:01

Continuing from my earlier post (Clicky).

PR Chinese Foreign Ministry on Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) membership of India. The usual PR Chinese duplicitous prevarications on display:

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 14, 2016

2016/09/14 ……………..

Q: China and India held a new round of arms control consultation in New Delhi yesterday, discussing the accession of India into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG). Can you give us more details?

A: On September 13, China and India held a fresh round of arms control consultation in New Delhi. The consultation was co-chaired by Wang Qun, Director-General of the Arms Control Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.

On NSG enlargement, given that it is an issue of major concern to India, China shared with India the relevant discussions within the Group, as well as its principled positions and views on that. In the meantime, China listened to India's opinion on the accession into the NSG by countries that are not signatories to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and promised to bring such views back to the Group for its consideration. China hopes the above inputs will help facilitate the relevant discussions within the Group.

The two sides realized that non-NPT states' participation is, in essence, a multilateral issue, and can only be subject to consensus of all NSG members through consultation. Bilateral exchanges should serve to facilitate the relevant discussions within the Group.

China pointed out that the issue of the non-NPT states' participation in the NSG raises new questions for the Group under the new circumstances, and the crux of it is how to address the gap between the existing policies and practices of the non-NPT states and the existing international non-proliferation rules and norms with the NPT as the cornerstone. In accordance with the mandate given to the NSG at its Seoul Plenary meeting, China supports an early commencement of an open and transparent inter-governmental process to undertake comprehensive and thorough discussion on issues relating to non-NPT states' participation in the NSG in various aspects. China has yet to take a position on the accession into the NSG by any specific non-NPT country. China supports the notion of a two-step approach, which means that at the first stage, exploring and reaching agreement on a non-discriminatory formula applicable to all non-NPT states, and proceeding to take up country-specific membership issues at the second stage. China is willing to actively participate in the above process within the Group.

The two sides also had in-depth discussions on issues related to cyber security and the work of the Geneva Conference on Disarmament.

The two sides believed that the consultation is positive, candid, pragmatic and constructive. The two sides expressed the wish to intensify their exchanges on the relevant issues, agreeing to hold the next round of consultation in China in due course, to be decided through diplomatic channels.

From here:

Clicky

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 16 Sep 2016 13:47

get ready!

http://indianexpress.com/article/world/ ... s-3032639/

arun · Post by **arun** » 20 Sep 2016 09:00

Excerpt from Pew Survey on Indian attitudes to the Peoples Republic of China:

The China challenge

Indians have little love for China. Only about a third (31%) of the public expresses a favorable opinion of their emerging Asian rival. These positive views are down 10 percentage points in the past year, but unchanged from 2014. Another 36% voice an unfavorable opinion and 32% have no opinion.

Large majorities say Beijing poses serious challenges for India. Seven-in-ten of those surveyed believe that China’s economic impact on India is a serious problem, including 45% who voice the view that it is very serious. Nearly half (48%) of Indians think China’s relationship with Pakistan poses a very serious problem for India. Another 21% see this as a somewhat serious challenge. Fully 69% hold the view that China’s growing military power is a problem for India, including 46% who say this is a very serious issue. And the same proportion (69%) expresses the opinion that China’s territorial disputes with India are very or somewhat serious. Notably, with regard to problems posed by China, BJP adherents are more intensely worried than Congress backers.

A little less than half of the public sees China’s emergence as a world power as a major threat to India. Just 6% say it’s no threat at all, while about a quarter believe Beijing’s rise is a minor challenge (23%) or have no opinion (25%).

A China syndrome

Indians hold China in low regard and are concerned about the competitive and strategic challenge posed by Beijing. Just 31% of the public holds a favorable view of China, while 36% voice an unfavorable opinion. However, 32% of Indians voice no view at all.

A plurality (41%) of people with a primary school education or less express no view of China, while only 8% of those with some college education or more voice no opinion, underscoring the impact of education on public views of the world around them.

Such negative views are coupled with concern about specific problems Indians believe are linked to Beijing. Seven-in-ten believe that China’s economic impact on India is a problem, including 45% who say it is a very serious problem.

Roughly six-in-ten (61%) Indians with some college education are very worried about the competitive challenge posed by China. Just 38% of people with a primary education or less are similarly concerned. However, just 2% of those with at least some college respond “don’t know” to this question, compared with 28% of those with a primary education or less. People who identify with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are more troubled by China’s economic impact on India (46%) than are Congress party supporters (37%).

Nearly half (48%) of Indians think China’s relationship with Pakistan poses a very serious problem for India. Another 21% see this as a somewhat serious challenge. BJP backers are more critical than Congress adherents.

Fully 69% hold the view that China’s growing military power is a problem for India, including 46% who say this is a very serious issue. Half of those who identify with the BJP are very worried, but only 37% of Congress supporters share that intense concern.

And a similar overall proportion (69%) expresses the opinion that China’s territorial disputes with India are a very or somewhat serious problem. BJP supporters are more likely than adherents of the Congress party to say China’s territorial disputes with India are a very serious problem.

From here:

India and Modi: The Honeymoon Continues

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 20 Sep 2016 10:24

A China syndrome

Indians hold China in low regard and are concerned about the competitive and strategic challenge posed by Beijing. Just 31% of the public holds a favorable view of China, while 36% voice an unfavorable opinion. However, 32% of Indians voice no view at all.

A plurality (41%) of people with a primary school education or less express no view of China, while only 8% of those with some college education or more voice no opinion, underscoring the impact of education on public views of the world around them.

more false then facts

adityadange · Post by **adityadange** » 20 Sep 2016 16:17

China's media warns Nepal against getting close to India

Looks like chinese are experiencing heat specially with their economy on decline.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 20 Sep 2016 19:13

Prem wrote:China's Next Territorial Claim: Hawaii and Almost the Entire Pacific Ocean?

From there, things got even more interesting. On the sidelines of the conference, a Vietnamese filmmaker was shooting a documentary on the South China Sea and asked me on camera what I thought of the claims. Without being able to do any in depth reading or fact-checking the piece, I expressed hope the report would be proven untrue, but if somehow Beijing was bold enough to make such a claim, it would only go further to cement the narrative as China becoming an international bully—taking the concept of what I referred to as ‘Mapfare’ to a whole new level.The text of the article is interesting to say the least:
“In a move expected to escalate global tensions, China’s Ministry of Education has released a new world map in which China claims large swaths of the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii and most of Micronesia.According to Xinhua, the Education Ministry also issued a directive ordering “all educational facilities and government offices to replace their outdated world maps with the current iteration.”Though the United States has yet to offer any comment, Micronesian President Manny Mori has called the map “absurd” and accused China of “cartographic rape.”It goes on—and where it all falls apart as a poorly-timed comedic ruse:“China’s new territory also encompasses Mexico’s Clarion Island and France’s Clipperton Island, which officials say will be allowed full autonomy. American possessions in the region, however, will be combined to form Xinmeiguo
China’s new neighbors will almost certainly raise questions about the map’s legitimacy and protest the country’s expanded borders. Indeed, China’s previous “nine-dash map,” which included the contested Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, was already a source of controversy.
But Ministry of Education officials defended the new “251-dash map” by pointing to several Qing-era documents which show the Caroline, Northern Mariana and Marshall Islands under Chinese control.“The study of what constitutes Chinese territory is ongoing,” said one ministry official.At press time, proof had been found that the Ming Empire once controlled a large portion of Antarctica. The Ministry of Education said it would immediately begin production of a new, revised map.”I assumed like many of my colleagues at the conference it could very well be possible. Heck, if China has the guts to try to make a case for claims on Okinawa, why not go all in? Call it ‘mapfare’ on steroids.
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-bu ... tire-17658

Wasnt this first put up on PRC's equivalent of the Onion website?

arun · Post by **arun** » 20 Sep 2016 19:29

svinayak wrote:
A China syndrome

Indians hold China in low regard and are concerned about the competitive and strategic challenge posed by Beijing. Just 31% of the public holds a favorable view of China, while 36% voice an unfavorable opinion. However, 32% of Indians voice no view at all.

A plurality (41%) of people with a primary school education or less express no view of China, while only 8% of those with some college education or more voice no opinion, underscoring the impact of education on public views of the world around them.
more false then facts

Please explain why so.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 22 Sep 2016 07:08

http://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints/Viewp ... d=NARAN012

China's South Asian conundrum

The India-Pakistan rivalry is an enduring staple of regional politics. But new equations within India and in the regional geopolitical environment may mean that this crisis is not business as usual. Pakistan has more to lose from an armed standoff with its South Asian adversary. But India needs to play its hand carefully in light of China's alliance with its militant neighbor.As prime minister, Narendra Modi has brought a more hawkish, nationalist dispensation to Indian foreign policy. The country that elected him in 2014 is a more capable great power than the one his predecessors governed during previous crises following Pakistan-based terrorist attacks, notably in 2008 and 2001. India is the world's fastest-growing major economy. Its relations with leading powers including the U.S. are closer than in previous standoffs with Pakistan, giving New Delhi greater potential diplomatic leverage over its neighbor.By contrast, official American sentiment toward Islamabad has hardened following 15 years of war in Afghanistan against Pakistani allies including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani terrorist group. The drawdown of Western forces from Afghanistan means that Pakistan today has less ability to use its vital resupply routes as leverage against Washington. But against this strategic setback is the strategic gain that Pakistan has accrued from China's decision to double down on its South Asian alliance by stepping up military, diplomatic, and economic support for the regime in Islamabad.
Historically, China has provided the Pakistani regime with nuclear and ballistic-missile technologies so as to create a balance of terror against their mutual adversary, India. More recently, to protect its client, Beijing has done Islamabad's bidding at the United Nations, where China obstructed efforts to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorist leaders, and at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, where Chinese diplomats vetoed India's membership because Pakistan objected. The Jaish-e-Mohammed attack in Uri is particularly embarrassing for Beijing since its diplomats recently blocked an Indian push at the UN to sanction Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar for his involvement in previous attacks against Indian forces.
China has also joined Pakistan in fanning the flames over Indian governance in Kashmir, the Muslim-majority state that has been rocked by the worst popular unrest in years. Indian security forces have been heavy-handed in breaking up protests there this summer, and the government in New Delhi has lacked its usual deftness in engaging with its political opponents in Kashmir. Beijing has not helped by siding with Islamabad in challenging India's sovereignty over the province -- a dangerous game given questions in certain quarters in New Delhi over the legitimacy of China's sovereignty in Tibet.
Now into the tempest over Kashmir come the jihadis of Jaish-e-Mohammed, one of the more potent of the militant groups that have enjoyed sanctuary and sponsorship from Pakistan's security services. Their attack on an Indian army base in Uri comes after their January assault on the Pathankot air base in the Indian state of Punjab. The Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, responsible for the horrific November 2008 assault on Mumbai, has also committed deadly attacks against Indian targets both in Kashmir and in Afghanistan.Modi's emerging strategy appears to be to isolate Pakistan over its sponsorship of terrorism in major international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly which is meeting this week. In August, he invoked the threat of stepping up Indian support for separatists in Baluchistan who have been waging a decades-long struggle against Pakistani rule. During the 2014 campaign, he warned Pakistan's generals that India was not a "soft state" that could be slowly bled by asymmetric attacks without provoking an Indian military response.. Politically, Beijing has no interest in allying with the sponsors of terrorist networks that could trouble its own control over Muslim minority populations in Xinjiang. Nor does China's leadership want to have to choose sides in any Indo-Pakistani military conflict, given India's growing weight in world affairs. Pakistan's military leaders should not be too sure of Beijing's backing, since China did not ride to their defense in previous wars on the subcontinent -- including when Pakistan lost half its territory in 1971 following its defeat by India.
The broader dynamic at play is that India is pulling away from Pakistan, which cannot hope to maintain parity with what is set to become one of the world's top three economic and military powers. India's importance, and the growing U.S.-India strategic entente, require China to tread gingerly in supporting Islamabad against New Delhi. By intensifying its South Asian alliance for broader strategic and economic purposes, Beijing has unwittingly shielded Pakistan from international pressure to crack down on terrorists who operate freely in its cities. More is at stake after the attack in Uri than the future of Kashmir.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Sep 2016 15:00

Our friendship with Pakistan is unbreakable: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang - PTI

References to Kashmir and tensions arising out of Uri terror attack+ were conspicuously absent in Chinese official media coverage of the meeting between China Premier Li Keqiang and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif+ here [Washington].

As all-weather strategic partners of cooperation, China and Pakistan+ have always firmly supported each other and their friendship is unbreakable, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying while meeting Sharif on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session.

China stands ready to deepen all-round practical cooperation with Pakistan and is willing to make joint efforts with Islamabad in injecting new impetus into the development of bilateral relations, Li said.

While noting that practical cooperation focussing on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor+ (CPEC) has made positive progress, Li urged the two sides to carry out the planned construction of the corridor, accelerate the building of the Gwadar Port as well as its supporting facility, and bring more companies into industrial parks, the report said.

China is willing to maintain close high-level contacts and continue to strengthen coordination with Pakistan on global and regional affairs, Li said.

However, contrary to reports in Pakistan media, there were no references to Kashmir situation or Uri attack in Xinhua's story on Li-Sharif meeting.

A report in Pakistani daily Dawn had said "Li had assured that China would continue to support Pakistan's stance on Kashmir".

The Dawn report quoted Li as telling Sharif that: "We support Pakistan and we will speak for Pakistan at every forum."

China attached great importance to Pakistan's position on Kashmir and said "Pakistan itself was a victim of terrorism", it said.

The Chinese premier hoped that there would be better understanding of Pakistani position on Kashmir+ by the international community, the report had quoted Li as saying.

Sharif showed his satisfaction on the state of Pak-China relations and welcomed the statement of China on the 'atrocities' being committed in Kashmir, the report had said.

Li expressed the hope that situation between India and Pakistan+ would not escalate.

He said China was ready to play constructive role in improvement of relations between Pakistan and India.

Xinhua quoted Sharif as telling Li that Pakistan and China are time-tested friends and partners who have firmly supported each other.

As their relations develop very smoothly, bilateral cooperation in a variety of fields has also entered a new phase. The Pakistani side cherishes friendship with China, and is committed to promoting bilateral cooperation, Sharif was quoted as saying.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Sep 2016 19:08

China to fly drones over South China Sea - IANS

China is capable of flying drones over the disputed South China Sea to keep a watch over the contested waters spread over 3.5 million square km.

These indigenous drones will hover over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea claimed by both China and Japan, an official said.

"Many of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea have much larger underwater portions than what is visible above water, making them harder to survey and map," Li Yingcheng, general manager of China TopRS Technology Co. Ltd said.

"In response to this challenge, China has designed drones to handle such complicated surveying, including the ZC-5B and Zc-10 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The ZC-5B has a maximum flight distance of 1,400 km, and can stay in the air for up to 30 consecutive hours," Li was quoted as saying by Chinese media.

"Its design makes it especially stealthy, which comes in handy for open sea reef surveying and mapping" Li added.

These drones will use the Beidou (Chinese equivalent to Google) navigation system.

Last month, China had launched a high-resolution satellite for the protection of its maritime rights amid disputes with maritime neighbours over the South China Sea.

Experts say it is difficult for one single power to control and keep a watch over such a large waterbody which is believed to have oil reserves of seven billion barrels.

"Reefs and islands are important parts of our national territory. Precise information of their geology is crucial evidence for the demarcation of territorial waters and for safeguarding national maritime interests and security," Li said.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Sep 2016 19:12

China assures Pakistan of support in case of foreign 'aggression', claims media report - PTI

China has assured Pakistan+ of its support in the event of any foreign "aggression"+ and also supported the country's stance on the Kashmir dispute, a media report has claimed.

Beijing conveyed the message during a meeting of its top diplomat in the provincial capital with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Dawn reported.

"In case of any (foreign) aggression+ our country will extend its full support to Pakistan," Consul General of China in Lahore Yu Boren said in a press release by the Punjab Chief Minister's Office.

"We are and will be siding with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. There is no justification for atrocities on unarmed Kashmiris in (India)-held Kashmir and the Kashmir dispute should be solved in accordance with aspirations of the Kashmiris," the report quoted Yu as saying.

Yu, who called on Shahbaz Sharif on Friday to felicitate him on his 65th birthday, discussed with him the situation developing in Kashmir and the progress being made on various projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 24 Sep 2016 19:28

^ wrt the last post .... if it is factual (u cannot rely on any report coming out of bakistan that is not backed by another from outside)

The Chinese have pulled a Baki stunt on the Bakis. The Bakis are famous for saying one thing in English (for the world audience) and another in Urdu (for the mango apdul).

This is exactly what the Cheenis have done to the Bakis. This is not a surprise.