Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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SSridhar
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

China is now worried . . .

China hopes Maldives will back Belt and Road Initiative, FTA - Atul Aneja, The Hindu
China on Tuesday signalled its expectation that the newly elected government in Maldives will continue to back the Beijing-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reached with the outgoing administration of Abdulla Yameen.

China and Maldives enjoy traditional friendship {What traditional friendship?} and in recent years the two countries maintained sound momentum and conducted mutual beneficial cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road and achieved outstanding outcomes,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a response to a question.

He added: “We are willing to work with the Maldives to consolidate our traditional friendship and deepen our cooperation to the benefit of the people of both the nations.”

In its congratulatory message, the Foreign Ministry said it respected the choice of the people of Maldives, and hoped that the country “can maintain stability and development”.

Opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was the surprise winner of the Maldives' presidential election, defeating President Abdulla Yameen in Sunday’s poll.

In response to another question, Mr. Geng hoped that the new government will respect the FTA signed between China and Maldives, during Mr. Yameen’s tenure.

“As to the FTA signed between China and Maldives…we hope the Maldives will maintain consistency and stability of their policy and create an enabling environment for Chinese enterprises operation in the Maldives”.

The spokesperson pointed out that China and Maldives had signed a FTA last September. “China will work with Maldives to ensure the sound implementation of FTA and expand trade and investment cooperation between both the sides for the greater benefit and development of people of both the nations,” Mr.Geng observed.

During Mr. Yameens’s stay in office, China made substantial inevestments, which included a $830 million upgrade of Maldives’ airport. It also built a 2-km bridge linking the Velana International Airport on Hulhule island with capital Male. Besides, China is constructing a 25-storey apartment complex and hospital in the Maldives.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by ArjunPandit »

Tradition of corruption
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by yensoy »

^^^^ It's not Unkil's style to declare paper void. That brings the belief system crashing down. Unkil prefers to withhold part of the proceeds which will be placed in an escrow account to be paid out to corporate victims of industrial espionage carried out by agents of the owner of said paper, or something like that, so the market isn't spooked yet pain is delivered where it hurts the most.

Anyway these days the Chinese are investing via 3rd countries.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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US Congress passes bill to impose visa ban on Chinese officials denying Americans access to Tibet
The US Congress has passed a crucial bipartisan bill that seeks to impose a visa ban on Chinese officials who deny American citizens, government officials and journalists access to Tibet.

The legislation, passed by a unanimous voice vote, comes amidst the Trump administration imposing massive trade import duties on China that has started impacting the Chinese economy.

The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, which seeks to ensure that Americans are given the same access to Tibet that Chinese citizens have to the United States, was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“The Reciprocal Act to Tibet Act is about fairness, human rights and careful US diplomacy at its core. For too long, China restricted access to Tibet, preventing journalists from observing human rights abuses in Tibet and preventing Tibetan Americans from visiting their home country. This bill seeks to reset that table,” Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said on the House Floor.


The bill, she said, is premised on the idea that reciprocity forms the basis of diplomatic law and the practice of mutual exchanges between countries. This bill simply requires that if Chinese officials, journalists and other citizens are able to travel freely in the US, then it’s only fair that their American counterparts are also able to do the same.

“And if Americans are not granted the same access to Tibet that the Chinese enjoy in the United States, then there should be consequences. This is more than reasonable and long overdue,” Ms. Jayapal said.

Concerns over China’s power and behaviour

Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen worried that in the years as China has grown in strength and power, Tibet has been purchased to the periphery.

“I was worried that China’s bully tactics on display had extended so far that our United States Congress had no longer had the will, no longer had the desire to speak out in support of Tibet,” she said.

The Congress is sending a true signal that the US has indeed not forgotten about the people of Tibet, that Congress will not accept Beijing’s bullying and intimidation and that the US lawmakers will stand up for human rights for the people of Tibet, she said.

“Beijing’s policy’s on Tibet are not only immoral and unjust, but are threatening the stability of a crucial area for the US interests. So we must put pressure on China to stop its repression,” Ros-Lehtinen said.

Congressman Jim McGovern, prime author of the bill, said that the bill imposes real consequences for China’s bad behaviour.

Arguing that the basis of diplomatic law is mutual access and reciprocity, McGovern said that while Chinese diplomats and journalists travel freely in the US, the Government of China has erected many barriers in areas of China inhabited by ethnic Tibetans.

US diplomats and journalists must obtain permission to enter the Tibet Autonomous region, he alleged.

‘Victory for human rights of Tibetans and Americans’

“Under this bill, Chinese authorities who are involved in the design and implementation of policies that restrict travel to Tibetan areas become ineligible to receive a visa or be admitted to the United States. This is a victory for human rights of Tibetans and Americans,” Mr. McGovern said.

Speaking in support of the bill, Democratic leader Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi asserted that the issue of reciprocity is not only a human rights issue, but is also a practical matter. It is very important for the US to have a diplomatic presence in Lhasa. The bill, she said, takes an important step to advance freedom, dignity and prosperity for the Tibetan people.

The bill, Ms. Pelosi said, sends a clear signal that China’s meddling in Tibetan affairs is unacceptable. “For six decades, the people of Tibet have stood defiance in the face of oppression and brutality from an authoritarian China,” she said.

Senators Marco Rubio and Tammy Baldwin have introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act includes a national security waiver, and would require the US Secretary of State to submit to Congress an assessment of the level of access to Tibet granted to American government officials, journalists, and tourists by Chinese officials.

If the secretary determines that there are restrictions on travel to Tibet, the appropriate Chinese officials will be ineligible to enter the US.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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'China's big mistake': Pakistanis lobby to free wives trapped in Xinjiang - Reuters
BEIJING (Reuters) - Pakistani businessmen whose wives and children are trapped in China’s restive Xinjiang are traveling to Beijing to lobby their embassy, in hopes that the south Asian nation’s new government will pressure its ally for their release.

Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, some governments and U.N. human rights experts over mass detentions and strict surveillance of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority, and other Muslim groups, in the western region.

Mirza Imran Baig, 40, who trades between his home city of Lahore and Urumqui, the Xinjiang regional capital, said his wife was detained in a “re-education” camp in her native Bachu county for two months in May and June 2017 and had been unable to leave her hometown since her release.

His wife, Mailikemu Maimati, 33, and their four-year-old son, who are both Chinese nationals, are unable to get their passports back from Chinese authorities, he told Reuters outside the Pakistan embassy in Beijing.


“My ambassador says, ‘Wait, wait, wait, one day, two days.’ Okay, I wait,” Baig said late on Tuesday, after his meeting.

Reuters could not immediately reach the ambassador, Masood Khalid, to seek comment.

Beijing says it faces a serious threat from Islamist militants and separatists in Xinjiang and has rejected accusations of mistreatment.

Asked about the Pakistani businessmen on Tuesday, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told a regular news briefing that he was not aware of the situation.

Muslim majority nations have mostly remained silent over the situation in Xinjiang.

Last month’s election of cricketing legend and firebrand nationalist Imran Khan as Pakistan’s prime minister has fed the expectations of many for him to deliver on promises to create jobs, build an Islamic welfare state and restore the country’s image abroad.

Mian Shahid Ilyas, a businessman in Lahore who has been collecting details of cases and seeking government support, said he was optimistic the new government would help.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry in Islamabad did not reply to questions from Reuters on the Uighur spouses.

“A lot of people get married like us. It’s no problem. But in 2017 they start to seal everything off in Xinjiang,” Ilyas, who said his Chinese Uighur wife, a citizen of China, had been detained since April 2017, told Reuters by telephone.

Ilyas said he had confirmed details of 38 cases but believed there were more than 300 similar cases of Pakistani husbands whose wives and children, most of them Uighurs, had been stuck in Xinjiang for more than a year, in camps or confined to homes.

The handful of businessmen, including Baig, is traveling to China in groups of twos and threes, to avoid raising suspicion, parking themselves at the embassy to make their case, he said.


“This is China’s big mistake,” said Ilyas. “Before people did not know how they treated Muslims. Now, everyone knows.”
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by pankajs »

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/ ... -road-asia
EU’s bold move to rival China’s belt and road in Asia
As doubts grow over China’s vast “Belt and Road” trade infrastructure project, the EU is launching an alternative plan for Asia that it says will not saddle countries with debt they cannot repay.

EU member countries are expected to sign off on the new “Asia connectivity strategy” - which aims to improve transport, digital and energy links while promoting environmental and labour standards - in time for a major summit of European and Asian leaders next month.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Trikaal »

Seems like a token gesture. I doubt the 'officials' want US visa anyway. The least they could have done is deny visas to their families to have some sort of impact. An even better option would have been to deny chinese visas altogether.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prasad »

Its the journalists who are being denied. They are the eyes and ears and they get shadowed and harassed. They dont need govt officials to enter Tibet :)
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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Cold war mentality will harm US-China relations, top diplomat [Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi] warns Kissinger - SCMP
China’s senior diplomat has demanded the US stop viewing China with a cold war mentality to keep the Sino-US bilateral ties on a healthy track as tensions between the two sides continue to rise.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the comments to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

The meeting came a day after Wang warned US business representatives that Washington was putting four decades of gains in the Sino-US relationship at risk of “total destruction”. {The usual Chinese bluster}

“China and the US can have competition, but they should not view others with a cold war mentality,” Wang said in a foreign ministry statement, using the term describing the rivalry between the US and former Soviet Union.

“There are some forces in the US recently frequently smearing China and creating antagonistic sentiment, which has caused serious damage to China-US relations.”

Relations between the two countries would go downward if the trend continued, and the US should take steps to ensure bilateral ties remained on a proper track, he said.

In the meeting, Wang said he appreciated Kissinger’s contribution to the development of China-US relations, and hoped he would continue to yield a positive influence.

The elder US statesman had earlier denied an American media report that he had suggested to President Donald Trump that Washington should “box in” China by working with Russia in a series of private meetings.

A transcript of an event on September 13 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Wilson Centre’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, showed Kissinger had described the media report as a piece of “fiction.”

“I visualise China as a potential partner in the construction of a world order,” Kissinger is quoted.

“Of course, if that does not succeed, we will be in a position of conflict, but my thinking is based on the need to avoid that situation. So, our problem is not to find allies around the world with which to confront China.”


Tensions between China and the US are running high.

Trump used his second address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to accuse Beijing of “relentless product dumping” and other unfair practices, such as forcing foreign companies to transfer proprietary technology to local Chinese joint venture partners.

Beijing has been angered by the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese imports and Washington’s proposal to sell US$330 million worth of arms to Taiwan.

Washington also decided last week to impose sanctions on a unit of the Chinese defence ministry and its director for buying advanced weapons from Russia.

In a move seen as retaliation, China rejected a request for US warship USS Wasp to make a port call in Hong Kong next month. The vessel is part of a group based in Sasebo in Japan and operating in the Indo-Pacific region.

China also recalled a navy commander from a visit to the US and has postponed a military dialogue between the two countries.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Kashi »

The thing is that Americans are being denied access to Tibet NOT to China as the whole, so why respond with a blanket visa denial? Why not impose stipulations such as declaring Alaska, Hawai, Disneyland, USJ etc. out of bounds.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by yensoy »

Kashi wrote:The thing is that Americans are being denied access to Tibet NOT to China as the whole, so why respond with a blanket visa denial? Why not impose stipulations such as declaring Alaska, Hawai, Disneyland, USJ etc. out of bounds.
Because there are no internal security checks to enforce this in the US (the only exception being the 60 mile leash placed on the Paki ambassador some months ago, and that would have worked only because he is a public figure).
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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SSridhar wrote:Cold war mentality will harm US-China relations, top diplomat [Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi] warns Kissinger - SCMP




“I visualise China as a potential partner in the construction of a world order,” Kissinger is quoted.
This statement alone should make Trump sarkar (which vehemently disavows "construction of a world order" as globalist nonsense) throw Kissinger in the garbage. No?
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Prasad wrote:Its the journalists who are being denied. They are the eyes and ears and they get shadowed and harassed. They dont need govt officials to enter Tibet :)
Prasad, yeah, true. So long, it didn't occur to the Americans to demand such reciprocity !! Yet, I believe that from the point of creating as much pressure as possible on the Chinese, this is good. If Chinese diplomats have unfettered access to all corners of another country, they should also allow similar access to others. One, of course, understands restrictions to war zones etc.

Besides, consular access to Tibetan Amerricans may require US officials to visit Tibet too or XUAR, for that matter for Uyghur Americans. :)
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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Rudradev wrote:This statement alone should make Trump sarkar (which vehemently disavows "construction of a world order" as globalist nonsense) throw Kissinger in the garbage. No?
RD, I would be the happiest when that happens; but, it no longer matters because of his advanced age now.

Wang Yi resurrected him, for PRC needs some friends.

That being said, I believe that there is some taqiyyah in Kissinger's formulation.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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yensoy wrote:Because there are no internal security checks to enforce this in the US (the only exception being the 60 mile leash placed on the Paki ambassador some months ago, and that would have worked only because he is a public figure).
Not anyone but Murica's problem is it? A visa to a country is NOT a right to unhindered, unrestricted access. Make no mistake, the tit for tat is quite a laugh, but the reasoning is bizarre and very Murica-like to say the least. Anyway, it's also good to see Chinese get the taste of their own medicine. The shoe doesn't fit very well on the other foot does it now.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by yensoy »

Kashi wrote:Not anyone but Murica's problem is it? A visa to a country is NOT a right to unhindered, unrestricted access. Make no mistake, the tit for tat is quite a laugh, but the reasoning is bizarre and very Murica-like to say the least. Anyway, it's also good to see Chinese get the taste of their own medicine. The shoe doesn't fit very well on the other foot does it now.
Strawman argument. Nobody is asking for unrestricted unhindered access - even large tracts of land in the US are off-bounds. But when it comes to a large civilian-populated province being entirely off-limits, that is something quite different. Tell me one state in the US you can't visit when you have a US visa?
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Kashi »

Nothing strawman about it.

Once again, visa is a privilege not a right and the host country is well within their right to determine where the visitors can or cannot go, much like Chinese have done.

Of course other countries are free to institute reciprocal measures much like Americans have done. They could have made it more specific that in response to Chinese authorities restricting Americans from Tibet, Chinese visitors would be restricted from pre-determined locations.

Either way, it makes for a nice popcorn time.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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China slams Nasheed for questioning its projects - Atul Aneja, The Hindu
China on Wednesday slammed remarks by former Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed, who has called for a review of all agreements that Male had inked with Beijing.

“Whether the cooperation between China and Maldives can work out or bring benefits to the two countries is all up to what the two peoples say. It cannot be smeared by certain individuals,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang asserted
in response to a question. The Foreign Ministry bluntly warned that Beijing “will oppose… if certain people try to harm China’s interests”, while promising that China “shall continue cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, abide by the market rules, laws and regulations”.

On Tuesday, China signalled its expectation that the newly elected government in Maldives will continue to back the Beijing-led Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Free Trade Agreement reached with the outgoing administration of Abdulla Yameen.
That FTA was a sham and must be scrapped forthwith by the new government.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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India to ship first consignment of common grade rice to China - Reuters
India will send its first consignment of common grade rice to China on Friday, the government said, following intense lobbying by New Delhi after relations thawed between the two countries.

A consignment of 100 tonnes would be shipped
to China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp (COFCO), one of China's state-owned food processing holding companies, India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Thursday.

China is a leading importer of rice and sugar, while India is the world's biggest exporter of rice.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi finalised an amended agreement in June related to the export of non-basmati varieties of rice from India to China.

New Delhi is concerned about its rising trade deficit with China, and has sought greater access to the world's second-largest economy for agricultural products including rapeseed, soybeans and sugar.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SaiK »

Trade deficits are the reason Trump points to tariffs.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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SSridhar
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

I said before that China was worried after the Maldivian polls. Here is more proof.

China suggests to work with India in Maldives after poll shocker - Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, Economic Times
China has reached out to India after pro-Beijing Abdulla Yameen lost in Maldives by suggesting that India and China may work jointly in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation and even went on to suggest that the incumbent president lost due to his high-handed policies.

State-run Global Times has published a series of articles since Monday on Maldives poll results, which according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry has confused Beijing.

In one of the articles titled ‘China, India should cooperate in Maldives’, the Global Times suggested that India and China can do joint projects in Maldives and Indian companies can utilise Chinese facilities in Maldives.

“Some Western media outlets say Solih's victory deals a potential blow to China and he will likely adopt an anti-China stance. However, mainly domestic political factors were behind the election results. For instance, with Opposition leaders and judges arrested by the Yameen government, the Opposition party got united amid public concerns about damage to democracy and the rule of law,” the article claimed in what would indicate that Beijing is trying to distance itself from Yameen. {Yameen dropped like a hot potato}

Reaching out to India the article suggested, “In fact, it shouldn't be a one-or-the-other game for China and India in the Maldives. China invests in the Maldives as it is needed by the nation, a normal cooperative practice between two countries. China neither has the intention nor the need to shut out India on the archipelago…In fact, the building of infrastructure by China in the Maldives has created favourable conditions for the business and personnel of Indian companies on the island country. China and India can actually help boost Maldives' development by using their own strengths.”

Beijing has come up with a constructive "two-plus-one" mechanism -- China and India plus another South Asian country -- as a demonstration of sincerity. The mechanism can not only enhance mutual trust between China and India, but prevent other South Asian countries from being caught in between. This aims to harmonize relations between countries and serves the interest of all relevant parties, and is worth a careful consideration by New Delhi. Perhaps the two powers can have a try in the Maldives first,” the state-run newspaper further suggested.

Md Nasheed, former Maldives President and close ally of President Ibu Solih, has declared to review all the agreements that Maldives had signed with China under Yameen's five-year rule between 2013-2018, hours after his MDP won the presidential polls.

Maldives, a small economy relying heavily on tourism, is one of the most at-risk countries of any involved with the BRI to the distress of debt, said the Center for Global Development, a Washington DC-based think-tank tracking the initiative.

Chinese loans for projects already account for around 70% of the Maldives’ national debt. In 2014, China began to develop major infrastructure projects. One is a bridge linking the capital Male to a nearby island. The other is an expansion of the capital’s airport, a project awarded to a Chinese company in 2014.

The Maldives has also leased an uninhabited island (Feydhoo Finolhu) to a Chinese enterprise for 50 years at a price of around $4 million, with plans to develop infrastructure for tourism. China is also constructing a 25-storey apartment complex and hospital in the Maldives.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by nam »

This goodie-goodie article suggest the Chinese were definitely planning to make Maldives an outpost( atleast logistics & listening) for their naval ships.
This island Feydhoo Finolhu must have been part of dredging plans similar to SCS. Maldives cannot pay the debt, so take this island in return.

They did not expect Yameen to loose. Must have been Paks, who would given guarantees about they know a Muslim country better than anyone else. There must have radicalization program by Paks in Maldives, to make sure Yamen retains power.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Lisa »

^^ I think the Chinese offer should be accepted. The "two-plus-one" mechanism is a perfect start. China should lead by example and for a start allow us to be part of a "two-plus-one" discussion with the US vis-a-vis China's interloculation.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Pulikeshi »

^^^ What iz this Dow-plus-one? Why for will the paan chaboa desi gobermint be interested in this scheme?
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prasad »

Two plus One seems to be their new Sooth Asia strategy. They brought this up with Bhutan too.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Yeah, the strategy is to make India officially accept that its influence in its own backyard has waned and China needs to be consulted before India does anything. That's the simple truth that they are trying to convey. They first asked K.P.Oli of Nepal to articulate that during his recent visit there. Some Chinese-sympathizers here have been trying to say that Modi agreed to this proposal at Wuhan. Why should somebody think that India would concede its primacy in its sphere of influence so brazenly to China? Can't we see through their game plan? Are we such fools or are the Chinese so good at diplomacy? In fact, we have seen so many instances of the befuddled Chinese diplomacy that to think of them otherwise is foolish.

Even if Xi had brought up this muddled '2+1 Dialogue Mechanism' with Modi at Wuhan, we can be pretty sure that it would have either been rejected outright or at least cold-shouldered. That was why, China was trying to articulate it through its lackey Nepal. India ignored it and now China is pleading in the Maldives issue.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by pankajs »

^
Completely agree
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

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China censors bad economic news amid signs of slower growth - Sui Lee Wee & Li Yuan, NYT
China has long made it clear that reporting on politics, civil society and sensitive historical events is forbidden. Increasingly, it wants to keep negative news about the economy under control, too.

A government directive sent to journalists in China on Friday named six economic topics to be “managed,” according to a copy of the order that was reviewed by The New York Times .

The list of topics includes, — worse-than-expected data that could show the economy is slowing — local government debt risks. — the impact of the trade war with the United States — signs of declining consumer confidence — the risks of stagflation, or rising prices coupled with slowing economic growth — “Hot-button issues to show the difficulties of people’s lives.”

The government’s new directive betrays a mounting anxiety among Chinese leaders that the country could be heading into a growing economic slump
. Even before the trade war between the U.S. and China, residents of the world’s second-largest economy were showing signs of keeping a tight grip on their wallets. Industrial profit growth has slowed for four consecutive months, and China’s stock market is near its lowest level in four years.

“It’s possible that the situation is more serious than previously thought or that they want to prevent a panic,” said Zhang Ming, a retired political science professor from Renmin University in Beijing.

Mr. Zhang said the effect of the expanded censorship strategy could more readily cause people to believe rumours about the economy. “They are worried about chaos,” he added. “But in barring the media from reporting, things may get more chaotic.”,The directive didn’t appear to affect run-of-mill daily coverage of economic data, which could still be widely found online in China on Friday. Instead, the directive appeared to be aimed at easing the overall tone.

No anti-China comments

Indeed, another notice sent on Friday instructed online news outlets to remove comments at the bottom of news articles that “bad-mouth the Chinese economy.”

These topics pertain to “China’s economic downturn,” “China’s stagflation,” “new refugees,” “consumption downgrading” and “other harmful remarks that criticise the development prospects of China,” according to a copy of the notice reviewed by The Times . Consumption downgrading refers to Chinese consumers looking for ways to spend less.

Negative economic news could undermine the careful message Chinese officials have tried to transmit to the public in recent months. They have said that the country’s vast and growing ranks of consumers, as well as China’s increasing sophistication in technology and other areas, would help it weather any ill effects from rising U.S. tariffs.

At the same time, officials have made moves to juice the economy. The government has loosened restrictions on big but costly local government projects like subways and light rail lines. It has also promised tax cuts for businesses and other efforts to boost construction.

The trade war could certainly worsen the economic climate if it lingers, leading to job losses and even weaker consumer sentiment. But China has more deep-seated economic problems. Officials are trying to clean up massive debts accumulated by local governments. Curbing debt could mean slower economic growth, as it deprives borrowers of the funds they would otherwise spend.
NYT
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Pulikeshi »

SSridhar wrote:Can't we see through their game plan? Are we such fools or are the Chinese so good at diplomacy? In fact, we have seen so many instances of the befuddled Chinese diplomacy that to think of them otherwise is foolish.
Can’t agree more with this...
This is confounding to the techinically skilled about Chinese behavior! :mrgreen:
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Pulikeshi »

Have a poser for those who want to play:
Every Soup power has met its demise in the Af-Pak region, is CPEC going to be that demise with Chinese characteristics?
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Shwetank »

Pulikeshi wrote:Have a poser for those who want to play:
Every Soup power has met its demise in the Af-Pak region, is CPEC going to be that demise with Chinese characteristics?
That is a ridiculous folksy quote bandied about but has never made sense. Other than the Soviets, can't really obviosly say which superpower's demise was influenced (still not even the largest by far for them) by their adventures in that region. The British are often mentioned but how did it cause their demise? Getting into medieval or ancient history makes it seem even more far fetched.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by chetak »

Pulikeshi wrote:^^^ What iz this Dow-plus-one? Why for will the paan chaboa desi gobermint be interested in this scheme?
Perhaps, Milady was merely being sarcastic??
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Pulikeshi »

chetak wrote:
Pulikeshi wrote:^^^ What iz this Dow-plus-one? Why for will the paan chaboa desi gobermint be interested in this scheme?
Perhaps, Milady was merely being sarcastic??
Loud and clear on milady’s sarcasm, by and by my query was on Dow-plus-one onlee!
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Pulikeshi »

Shwetank wrote:
Pulikeshi wrote:Have a poser for those who want to play:
Every Soup power has met its demise in the Af-Pak region, is CPEC going to be that demise with Chinese characteristics?
That is a ridiculous folksy quote bandied about but has never made sense. Other than the Soviets, can't really obviosly say which superpower's demise was influenced (still not even the largest by far for them) by their adventures in that region. The British are often mentioned but how did it cause their demise? Getting into medieval or ancient history makes it seem even more far fetched.
Why is Afghanistan the graveyard of Empires

Folksy or not, main stream publications and journals do bandie this about... may not be causal -
as in 2008 Olympics cannot be reason for China’s demise. So why would Af-Paki CPEC be? :P

Greeks, Mongols, Iranians, British, Russians... usual list to name a few... Quo Vadis China?
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Xi Jinping reaches out to new Maldives leadership - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

More & more '2+1' nonsense is coming out from China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Ibrahim Solih, Maldives’s President-elect.

In his message, President Xi offered to “lift the comprehensive friendly cooperative partnership between China and Maldives to a new level”. Mr. Xi stressed that he “highly values the development of China-Maldives relations...”

President Xi spotlighted that “China and the Maldives share a longstanding friendship and China is committed to developing relations with the Maldives on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” — a reference to Beijing’s stated intent to build ties based on “equality” and “mutual benefit”.

Mr. Xi’s offer of continuity in ties with Male comes at a time when it is widely perceived that unlike its predecessor, the Solih administration is more favourably inclined towards India. Some Chinese academics say the situation in the Maldives will test the robustness of the “Wuhan spirit” — a reference to the India-China diplomatic reset achieved during the summit between President Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April at Wuhan.

“After the Wuhan summit, mutual confidence between China and India was promoted. Maybe China and India can cooperate under two-plus-one formula not only in the Maldives but also in Afghanistan and Nepal,” Long Xingchun, Director for Indian Studies at the China West Normal University, told The Hindu .


Wuhan mechanism

The Chinese academic was referring to mechanism proposed by China at Wuhan, where New Delhi and Beijing would coordinate their responses while engaging a third country in South Asia.

“But the results would depend on how India interprets the Chinese two-plus-one proposal. This is important not only for the two countries but will also benefit the third country,” Mr. Long observed. Separately in an article that he wrote for the state-run Global Times , Mr. Long said the two-plus one mechanism “can not only enhance mutual trust between China and India, but prevent other South Asian countries from being caught in between”.
A few things to note in the above.
  1. China is slowly ratcheting up the '2+1' theory as more Chinese analysts are beginning to talk
  2. The list is being expanded to include Afghanistan and Maldives now
  3. This is a one-side story that China is promoting through a leader of another country and media. This clearly shows that they never got any support from the Indian side at Wuhan. They now want to pressurize India through public pronouncements.
Why should Nepal, Afghanistan & Maldives alone be the testbeds for the Wuhan spirit? There is a gorilla in the room and China wants to skirt it, concentrating on pygmies instead. China must first demonstrate the 'robustness' of the Wuhan spirit by consulting and cooperating with India on Pakistan. Let China not do anything in Pakistan to upset India and we can then cooperate with the same Wuhan spirit in other countries.

For a start, China can demonstrate the Wuhan spirit by re-aligning the CPEC without going through the Indian territory; rescinding the 1963 border accord with Pakistan; stopping collaborating on the Pakistani nuclear & missile programmes; working with India in the UNSC 1267 Committee regarding Masood Azhar; supporting India in NSG without linking the issue with Pakistan; and, supporting India's inclusion in UNSC disregarding Pakistani advice.

Once the above are accomplished within a quick & reasonable timeframe and once China also agrees that the '2+1' would extend to China's neighbours too, including Taiwan, India can seriously think about the Wuhan spirit.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Mahesh_R »

SSridhar wrote:........
For a start, 1) China can demonstrate the Wuhan spirit by re-aligning the CPEC without going through the Indian territory; 2) rescinding the 1963 border accord with Pakistan; 3) stopping collaborating on the Pakistani nuclear & missile programmes; 4) working with India in the UNSC 1267 Committee regarding Masood Azhar; 5) supporting India in NSG without linking the issue with Pakistan; and, 6) supporting India's inclusion in UNSC disregarding Pakistani advice.

Once the above are accomplished within a quick & reasonable timeframe and once China also agrees that the '2+1' would extend to China's neighbours too, including Taiwan, India can seriously think about the Wuhan spirit.
SS sir... please write an OPED and get it published in one of the prominent news outlet.. this should be published for the larger reach of common man...who are ignorant and still think in the concept of why take panga with dragon...
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by jpremnath »

nam wrote:This goodie-goodie article suggest the Chinese were definitely planning to make Maldives an outpost( atleast logistics & listening) for their naval ships.
This island Feydhoo Finolhu must have been part of dredging plans similar to SCS. Maldives cannot pay the debt, so take this island in return.

They did not expect Yameen to loose. Must have been Paks, who would given guarantees about they know a Muslim country better than anyone else. There must have radicalization program by Paks in Maldives, to make sure Yamen retains power.
I dont believe any autocrat will take a chance and run a free and fair election...considering how he behaved in the last few years, there is no reason for Yameen to believe people like him...My thoery says RAW did sneak in and muddied the water for the pakis, chinis and Yameen. Similar to what they did in Sri Lanka.But, instead of rallying a new leader, they just 'influenced' the officials and other guys involved in the election management..Instead of sticking to the script and fudging results to make Yameen win, they just counted the votes as they came...He did not expect it and was not prepared to react to this verdict..neither were the chinis..And to top it all, we jumped in to congratulate the winner even before the votes were fully counted :rotfl: :rotfl:
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

US says Chinese warship came dangerously close to American destroyer - AFP
A Chinese warship sailed within yards of an American destroyer — forcing it to change course — in an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter as the US vessel was in contested waters in the South China Sea, an official said Monday.

The USS Decatur guided-missile destroyer was conducting what the military calls a "freedom of navigation operation" on Sunday, when it passed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in the remote Spratly Islands.

The 12-mile distance is commonly accepted as constituting the territorial waters of a landmass. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing claims all of the Spratlys and has built a number of military installations on the islands.

During the operation, a Chinese Luyang destroyer approached the USS Decatur in "an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver in the vicinity of Gaven Reef in the South China Sea," US Pacific Fleet spokesman Commander Nate Christensen said.

The Chinese ship then conducted a series of "increasingly aggressive maneuvers, and warned the Decatur to depart the area," he added. The Chinese "destroyer approached within 45 yards (meters) of Decatur's bow, after which Decatur maneuvered to prevent a collision."

In a statement, the Chinese Ministry of Defense said that its ship had "given a warning to leave" to the vessel after it entered the area "without permission."

"The US has repeatedly sent warships into the territorial waters near Chinese reefs and islands in the South China Sea," it said. The behavior "gravely threatens China's sovereignty and security, gravely damages relations between China and the US and their militaries, and gravely injures regional peace and stability."
US-Chinese relations have been strained on multiple levels since Donald Trump became president in 2017.

A trade war launched by Trump has infuriated Beijing, as did his authorization of a USD 1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province. Washington last week enacted new tariffs against China covering another USD 200 billion of its imports. China has taken a series of retaliatory measures, including scrapping a US warship's planned port visit to Hong Kong and canceling a meeting between the head of the Chinese navy and his American counterpart.

On Monday, a US defense official said that security talks due to take place later this month in Beijing between Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart had been canceled.
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Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by A_Gupta »

China’s infiltration of Australia and New Zealand
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/02/62724990 ... -influence
Hamilton says China's Communist Party has infiltrated Chinese-Australian associations devoted to students and scholars, writers and religious activities. "From taking over Chinese associations, buying political influence, promoting Beijing-loyal people into elected political positions, buying influence in universities by sponsoring think tanks, cyber-intrusion operations, you name it, they're doing it," he says
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