Category: China

Tweet of the Day: Chinese Advantage

| September 23, 2015

China Not Invited to North Korea’s 70th Anniversary Event

| September 22, 2015

China probably is not being invited to this big North Korean anniversary because of the criticism their government has given towards the prospect of a North Korean nuclear test or rocket launch next month:

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China is not among nations invited to attend North Korea’s key national anniversary next month, a diplomatic source said Monday, reflecting strained political ties between the allies.

North Korea has indicated that it may launch a long-range rocket on or around Oct. 10 to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of its Workers’ Party. Any launch will spark international condemnation as a disguised ballistic missile test, which is banned under U.N. resolutions.

North Korea sent invitations to some nations in Africa and South America, but China, the North’s economic lifeline and diplomatic backer, has not been invited to attend the Oct. 10 ceremony, the source said on the condition of anonymity.

“To my knowledge, China has not been invited to take part in the Oct. 10 ceremony,” the source said.   [Yonhap]

You can read the rest at the link.

How Will China React To A North Korean Nuclear or Rocket Test?

| September 20, 2015

The Chinese may act angrily and say all the right things to the international community, but the Kim regime is counting on that they won’t do anything that would threaten to destabilize the regime.  This is because the Chinese likely fear a collapsed North Korean state more than they do the backlash from North Korean provocations:

china north korea image

If North Korea launches a rocket into space or conducts a nuclear test in the coming weeks, as observers suspect it may, China is certain to respond angrily, and perhaps with an unprecedented level of economic punishment. The question is whether North Korea can be swayed even by its most important ally.  (…………………)

China’s response to North Korea’s last declared nuclear test, in the spring of 2013, was considered something of a watershed in degree of harshness. China swiftly joined the international community in condemning the action, called in the North Korean ambassador to protest, and, according to some indications, slowed the flow of goods across their border.

A new nuclear test or rocket firing could lead China to enforce existing and future sanctions more vigorously.

“China will strongly oppose (a test or launch) and will be sure to implement future United Nations resolutions even more resolutely,” said Zhang Liangui, a North Korea expert with the ruling Communist Party’s main research and training institute in Beijing.

China may also take unilateral steps such as cutting back on cross-border trade, Chinese experts say. Such measures could target the industrial commodities and luxury goods Kim needs to keep the moribund North Korean economy ticking over and ensure the loyalty of regime supporters.  [Associated Press]

You can read the rest at the link.

Chinese Admiral Tells International Naval Forum that South China Sea Belongs to China

| September 17, 2015

It looks like the US and its allies should open a new front with the South China Sea issue and get the name of this body of water officially changed just like the South Koreans have been trying to do for years with the Sea of Japan:

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In a rare appearance together, American and Chinese admirals sat alongside one another to present their views on maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region. The audience came to hear about one thing, the South China Sea, and China’s commander was clear: “It belongs to China.”

There was political theater and a few one-liners, as the panel remained cordial and the admirals were all smiles during handshakes before and after. But the tension was real and the messages direct.

“The South China Sea, as the name indicated, is a sea area. It belongs to China,” said Vice Adm. Yuan Yubai, who commands the North Sea Fleet for the People’s Liberation Army Navy.  [Defense One]

You can read the whole thing at the link, but what I found most fascinating about the article was how direct these admirals were talking to each other about the issues in the South China Sea.

Tweet of the Day: Popularity of High Speed Rail Grows In China

| September 13, 2015

Tweet of the Day: Someone In China Remember the US’s World War II Help

| September 8, 2015

Picture of the Day: President Park Given Center Stage in China

| September 5, 2015

At the military parade in Beijing marking the seventieth anniversary of China’s war victory over Japan, from right to left, former Chinese Presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, current President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Uzbek President Islam Karimov, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Sep. 3. (by Lee Jeong-yong, staff photographer) [Hankyoreh]

Tweet of the Day: China Hard Landing Would Be Devastating for Korea

| September 4, 2015

Tweet of the Day: China Interested In RIMPAC 2016

| August 30, 2015

President Park to Attend Event In China Commemorating the End of World War II

| August 28, 2015

I wonder if the Chinese Communist Party will take credit for the fighting that the Nationalists primarily carried out fighting Japan during World War II?:

Seoul’s presidential office has officially announced that President Park Geun-hye will visit China from September 2 to 4 to attend Victory Day events marking the end of World War II.

Along with the main commemoration ceremony on Thursday next week, the South Korean president will also attend a military parade in Tiananmen Square, featuring 12-thousand troops and conventional and nuclear missiles.

Presidential Spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters Wednesday that Park decided to attend the event in consideration of South Korea’s friendly and cooperative ties with China, and its hope for the country’s role in the unification of the two Koreas.

A day ahead of the Victory Day celebration, President Park and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit. On the last day of her visit, Park will be in Shanghai to attend the reopening ceremony of the historic building where the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was located during Japan’s colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula.   [KBS World Radio]