SINGAPORE PROMOTES CHINESE NOMINEE AS PANCHEN LAMA
B.RAMAN
Mr.George Yeo, Singapore's Foreign Minister, has hurt the feelings of large sections of the Tibetal Buddhists in China and abroad, including India, by providing legitimacy to the action of the Chinese Communist Party in arresting in 1995 His Holiness the Panchen Lama chosen by the Tibetans in accordance with their tradition and imposing on them an individual chosen by the Chinese Communist Party as the 11th Panchen Lama.
2. The nominee of the Chinese Communist Party has not been accepted by the Tibetan people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Chinese have till now refused to release the Panchen Lama chosen by the Tibetans and allow him to perform his functions as a religious leader. Confronted with a situation where the Tibetans and other Buddhists of the world are not prepared to recognise the legitimacy of the Panchen Lama imposed on the Tibetan people by the Chinese Communist Party,the Chinese Government has mounted an exercise since the beginning of this year to build up the image of their nominee in the Tibetan-inhabited areas of China. In this connection reference is invited to my article of June 17,2010, titled "Bringing up their Panchen Lama" at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers39%5Cpaper3864.html
3.The Chinese have further extended this exercise now in order to build up his image abroad. As part of this exercise, the Chinese authorities arranged a meeting between their nominee and Mr.George Yeo at Beijing on September 14, 2010, during a visit by the Singapore Foreign Minister to China. It has been reported that the Chinese Party-nominated Panchen Lama accepted an invitation extended by Mr.George Yeo to visit Singapore. Even though this has been projected as part of an exercise to promote contacts between Buddhists in the two countries, its political significance in providing legitimacy to the actions of the Chinese Communist Party in interfering in the religious affairs of the Tibetan Buddhists and tampering with their traditions cannot be missed.
4. The Chinese have made it clear on many occasions that when His Holiness the Dalai Lama dies, his successor will be chosen by the Communist Party and Government as they did in the case of their nominee as the Panchen Lama. The action of the Singapore Foreign Minister in providing legitimacy to Chinese actions in denying freedom of religion to the Tibetan people could be a prelude to his providing legitimacy to the Chinese Party imposing on the Tibetans a Dalai Lama in Chinese Communist Party colours.
5. It is understood that Mr.George Yeo, who paid a controversial visit to Tibet in August last year, has been taking close interest in the project of the Government of India for the revival of the Nalanda University. His action in providing legitimacy to actions of the Chinese Party, which were an affront to the Tibetans and other Buddhists, has to be strongly deplored. In view of this, there is a need to re-examine his continued association with the Nalanda revival project. (16-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
EAST CHINA SEA:SINO-JAPANESE WAR OF NERVES
B.RAMAN
The Chinese leadership is increasingly concerned over the firm line till now taken by the Japanese leadership over the incident involving a Chinese fishing trawler and a Japanese Coast Guard vessel in what Japan considers its territorial waters adjoining the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
2.Japan, which considers the islands its territory, is in administrative control of the disputed small group of islands and reefs. China calls the group the Diaoyu Islands and claims that the group historically belonged to China from the days of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The question of sovereighty over the group of islands has assumed importance due to a belief that the area is rich in oil and gas. China has been saying that Japan should concede Chinese sovereignty over the group. In return, China would agree to a joint development of the natural resources of the area by the two countries.
3.In the face of the Japanese insistence over its sovereignty, an incident involving a Chinese fishing trawler and a Japanese Coast Guard vessel in the area on September 7,2010, has to a led of war of nerves between the two countries initiated by Beijing. The Japanese Coast Guard vessel, which questioned the intrusion of the trawler into what Japan regards as its territorial waters, was involved in a collision with the trawler. The Chinese project the incident as an accidental collision. The Japanese seem to suspect that the captain of the trawler, acting on instructions from the People's Liberation Army (Navy), deliberately rammed the trawler against the Coast Guard vessel.
4. Initially, the Japanese detained the trawler and its crew, including the Captain, for investigation. They have since released the trawler and the crew except the Captain. The Captain is in the custody of the Japanese Police and is to be produced before a court on September 19. Beijing through diplomatic channels and through the Government-controlled media has mounted a war of nerves against Japan in order to intimidate Tokyo into releasing the Captain without prosecuting him. The Japanese Ambassador in Beijing was called to the Chinese Foreign Ministry five times since the incident took place to be warned of the consequences should the Captain not be released without prosecution.
5. The Japanese determination till now----apparently with quiet American backing---not to release the Captain has put Beijing in a dilemma. If it did not have its way in this war of nerves and force Tokyo to concede its demand, it could be seen as a humiliation. This could be politically embarrassing to President Hu Jintao. If the Chinese forced a naval confrontation with the Japanese Navy, this could strengthen growing fears in the Asian region that China has started using its military muscle to enforce its territorial claims. Today, the confrontation is with Japan in the East China Sea. Tomorrow, it could be with Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea. The day after,in Arunchal Pradesh with India over the Chinese claims to Indian territory in that area.
6. At the same time, there is a fear in China of the implications of a likely use of China's naval force against Japan. It could strengthen anti-Chinese feelings in Japan and damage the considerable economic relations with Japan, without which the Chinese economic miracle would not have been possible.
7. After having stepped up diplomatic pressure against Japan---in vain so far---- the Chinese are trying to mobilise public pressure.Calls are going out through the Internet to Chinese netizens to demonstrate in Beijing against Japan on September 18 if the Japanese do not release the Captain by then and to boycott Japanese goods. Patriotism is a double-edged weapon. If it fails to intimidate Japan, it could acquire an anti-Japanese momentum of its own the consequences of which could be unpredictable.
8. These fears are reflected in the calls being made to Beijing by some of its analysts not to over-react by losing patience. Patriotism against Japan, yes, but with prudence so that the political leadership does not end up by dropping the stone of patriotism on its own feet instead of on the feet of Japan. This advice is reflected in an editorial on the subject carried by the party-controlled "Global Times" on September 16. The editorial is annexed. (16-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi , and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
ANNEXURE
China should not be easily irritated
( "Global Times" editorial of September 16, 2010)
The latest incident near the Diaoyu Islands has sparkled anti-Japanese sentiments among Chinese citizens.
After Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan won a party vote to stay in power, his ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, arrived at the Chinese foreign ministry later on Tuesday, asking China to take proper measures to prevent a worsening of the conflict between the two countries.
The Chinese government would never deliberately stir up domestic nationalism, because this will ultimately undermine China's own social order and national prospects.
However, along with the emergence of a diversified society, ordinary Chinese now have more courage to express themselves. Media, especially the Internet, has become the main outlet that conveys grass-roots opinions on international issues.
What the Chinese government needs to do is to facilitate orderly and effective delivery of ordinary people's voices to the outside world, whereas making sure that overly impulsive voices and actions will not bring about internal friction.
When it comes to national sovereignty and dignity, ordinary Chinese do have the right to express all kinds of notions, including radical ones.
A China without voices calling for a fight with Japan and boycotts against Japanese goods is not a real China with 1.3 billion people. But on the other hand, China has to ensure the rational transmission of various grass-roots voices. Violence that took place during the 2005 anti-Japanese demonstrations should not be repeated.
China is often depicted as an "irritated" country in overseas media reports. China should stay cool-headed, because radical flames can burn down sober actions. Those who provoke China are often powerful and sophisticated diplomatic veterans. What they revere is actually cool-headed wisdom as well as the deliberation of countermeasures.
The mainstream notion of external affairs is healthy in China. The minority who try to kidnap patriotism and undermine social order will always exist.
How to restrain such "patriotic thieves" and facilitate the normal expression of social thoughts is also a part of China's political enlightenment.
Bringing home the boat captain that is being illegally detained by Japanese authorities poses a challenge to both the Chinese government and ordinary people. It's necessary to let Japan feel the threat from grass-roots Chinese against its interests.
Some grass-roots organizations should help common people express and act in a proper way. Only then will Japan show honest reverence toward grass-roots Chinese.
The Chinese leadership is increasingly concerned over the firm line till now taken by the Japanese leadership over the incident involving a Chinese fishing trawler and a Japanese Coast Guard vessel in what Japan considers its territorial waters adjoining the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
2.Japan, which considers the islands its territory, is in administrative control of the disputed small group of islands and reefs. China calls the group the Diaoyu Islands and claims that the group historically belonged to China from the days of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The question of sovereighty over the group of islands has assumed importance due to a belief that the area is rich in oil and gas. China has been saying that Japan should concede Chinese sovereignty over the group. In return, China would agree to a joint development of the natural resources of the area by the two countries.
3.In the face of the Japanese insistence over its sovereignty, an incident involving a Chinese fishing trawler and a Japanese Coast Guard vessel in the area on September 7,2010, has to a led of war of nerves between the two countries initiated by Beijing. The Japanese Coast Guard vessel, which questioned the intrusion of the trawler into what Japan regards as its territorial waters, was involved in a collision with the trawler. The Chinese project the incident as an accidental collision. The Japanese seem to suspect that the captain of the trawler, acting on instructions from the People's Liberation Army (Navy), deliberately rammed the trawler against the Coast Guard vessel.
4. Initially, the Japanese detained the trawler and its crew, including the Captain, for investigation. They have since released the trawler and the crew except the Captain. The Captain is in the custody of the Japanese Police and is to be produced before a court on September 19. Beijing through diplomatic channels and through the Government-controlled media has mounted a war of nerves against Japan in order to intimidate Tokyo into releasing the Captain without prosecuting him. The Japanese Ambassador in Beijing was called to the Chinese Foreign Ministry five times since the incident took place to be warned of the consequences should the Captain not be released without prosecution.
5. The Japanese determination till now----apparently with quiet American backing---not to release the Captain has put Beijing in a dilemma. If it did not have its way in this war of nerves and force Tokyo to concede its demand, it could be seen as a humiliation. This could be politically embarrassing to President Hu Jintao. If the Chinese forced a naval confrontation with the Japanese Navy, this could strengthen growing fears in the Asian region that China has started using its military muscle to enforce its territorial claims. Today, the confrontation is with Japan in the East China Sea. Tomorrow, it could be with Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea. The day after,in Arunchal Pradesh with India over the Chinese claims to Indian territory in that area.
6. At the same time, there is a fear in China of the implications of a likely use of China's naval force against Japan. It could strengthen anti-Chinese feelings in Japan and damage the considerable economic relations with Japan, without which the Chinese economic miracle would not have been possible.
7. After having stepped up diplomatic pressure against Japan---in vain so far---- the Chinese are trying to mobilise public pressure.Calls are going out through the Internet to Chinese netizens to demonstrate in Beijing against Japan on September 18 if the Japanese do not release the Captain by then and to boycott Japanese goods. Patriotism is a double-edged weapon. If it fails to intimidate Japan, it could acquire an anti-Japanese momentum of its own the consequences of which could be unpredictable.
8. These fears are reflected in the calls being made to Beijing by some of its analysts not to over-react by losing patience. Patriotism against Japan, yes, but with prudence so that the political leadership does not end up by dropping the stone of patriotism on its own feet instead of on the feet of Japan. This advice is reflected in an editorial on the subject carried by the party-controlled "Global Times" on September 16. The editorial is annexed. (16-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi , and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
ANNEXURE
China should not be easily irritated
( "Global Times" editorial of September 16, 2010)
The latest incident near the Diaoyu Islands has sparkled anti-Japanese sentiments among Chinese citizens.
After Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan won a party vote to stay in power, his ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, arrived at the Chinese foreign ministry later on Tuesday, asking China to take proper measures to prevent a worsening of the conflict between the two countries.
The Chinese government would never deliberately stir up domestic nationalism, because this will ultimately undermine China's own social order and national prospects.
However, along with the emergence of a diversified society, ordinary Chinese now have more courage to express themselves. Media, especially the Internet, has become the main outlet that conveys grass-roots opinions on international issues.
What the Chinese government needs to do is to facilitate orderly and effective delivery of ordinary people's voices to the outside world, whereas making sure that overly impulsive voices and actions will not bring about internal friction.
When it comes to national sovereignty and dignity, ordinary Chinese do have the right to express all kinds of notions, including radical ones.
A China without voices calling for a fight with Japan and boycotts against Japanese goods is not a real China with 1.3 billion people. But on the other hand, China has to ensure the rational transmission of various grass-roots voices. Violence that took place during the 2005 anti-Japanese demonstrations should not be repeated.
China is often depicted as an "irritated" country in overseas media reports. China should stay cool-headed, because radical flames can burn down sober actions. Those who provoke China are often powerful and sophisticated diplomatic veterans. What they revere is actually cool-headed wisdom as well as the deliberation of countermeasures.
The mainstream notion of external affairs is healthy in China. The minority who try to kidnap patriotism and undermine social order will always exist.
How to restrain such "patriotic thieves" and facilitate the normal expression of social thoughts is also a part of China's political enlightenment.
Bringing home the boat captain that is being illegally detained by Japanese authorities poses a challenge to both the Chinese government and ordinary people. It's necessary to let Japan feel the threat from grass-roots Chinese against its interests.
Some grass-roots organizations should help common people express and act in a proper way. Only then will Japan show honest reverence toward grass-roots Chinese.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
SELIG HARRISON'S WAKE-UP CALL: MY COMMENTS
B.RAMAN
On August 27,2010,the “New York Times” carried an article by Selig Harrison, former correspondent of the ”Washington Post” in New Delhi who now works in a Washington-based think tank, stating inter alia as follows: “While the world focuses on the flood-ravaged Indus River valley, a quiet geopolitical crisis is unfolding in the Himalayan borderlands of northern Pakistan, where Islamabad is handing over de facto control of the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region in the northwest corner of disputed Kashmir to China. The entire Pakistan-occupied western portion of Kashmir stretching from Gilgit in the north to Azad (Free) Kashmir in the south is closed to the world, in contrast to the media access that India permits in the eastern part, where it is combating a Pakistan-backed insurgency. But reports from a variety of foreign intelligence sources, Pakistani journalists and Pakistani human rights workers reveal two important new developments in Gilgit-Baltistan: a simmering rebellion against Pakistani rule and the influx of an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/op...20china&st=cse)
2.Selig’s wake-up call should not have been a surprise to intelligence sources and policy-makers in India and the US. They were aware of the high level of involvement of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China and its nuclear establishment in the construction and maintenance of high-altitude roads in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).The PLA was interested in infrastructure development and maintenance in GB because of its strategic importance for possible use by the PLA in the event of another military conflict with India. China’s nuclear establishment was interested because it wanted to use the PLA-constructed Karakoram Highway (KKH) as an overland route for the movement of missiles and spare parts to Pakistan.
3. The first wake-up call that China had been using the KKH for moving missile supplies to Pakistan was sounded by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US, which managed to take satellite photographs of such movement. On August 6 and 7,2001, the “Washington Times” gave the following details:
* The China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Corporation sent a dozen shipments of missile components to Pakistan since November,2000, and a US spy satellite detected the latest shipment as it arrived by truck at the mountainous Chinese-Pakistani border May 1,2001. The company supplied components for Pakistan's Shaheen-1 and Shaheen-2 missile programmes. The consignments were sent by ship and truck.
* The missile components are being used for production of the Shaheen-1, which has an estimated range of 465 miles, and the development of the Shaheen-2, which US intelligence agencies think will have a range of up to 1,240 miles.
4.Following the disclosure by the “Washington Times, Gen.Pervez Musharraf visited Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including GB, for four days from August 27,2001. In an article of September 3,2001, titled MUSHARRAF'S VISIT TO POK & N.A. at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers4%5Cpaper307.html, I wrote as follows: “The US media reports that its intelligence agencies had detected the transport of 12 consignments of Chinese missile components by sea and land since China pledged to stop such supplies in November last. The consignments sent by trucks came via the Karakoram Highway through Xinjiang and the N.A. (Northern Areas). To avoid detection of transport by sea by US satellites or by the CIA's port-based sources, China and Pakistan had decided to move future consignments by road, which, they felt, would not be vulnerable to detection by the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US. Pakistan has also sought Chinese assistance for the movements of future consignments of missiles and components from North Korea by road through the same route. The military junta had taken considerable precautions to prevent detection of the truck movements by not associating any of the officials of the NA Administration, particularly the Shias, with the arrangements for the movement. In view of this, both Islamabad and Beijing were surprised and embarrassed by the US media reports that US intelligence had detected the truck movements. Pakistani officials claim that even if US satellites had detected the trucks, they could not have known that the consignments contained missile components. They, therefore, reportedly feel that there must have been leakage to the CIA from one of the Pakistani officials associated with the movement. Moreover, following past US detection of the storage of the earlier missiles/components in Sargoda, the military junta had drawn up alternate plans for storage in Gilgit in the hope that there would be less possibility of detection there by the CIA. Before Musharraf's arrival in the POK, Lt.Gen. Jamshed Gulzar, Corps Commander, 10 Corps based in Rawalpindi, had visited the N.A. to enquire into the leakage jointly with the Force Commander, NA, Lt-Gen Muhammad Safdar. Measures for tightening up security in N.A. was one of the subjects which figured during the discussions of Musharraf in Gilgit in which apart from senior military officers, Abbas Sarfaraz, Musharraf's Minister for Kashmir and NA Affairs, who is also the Chief Executive of the NA, also participated. “ In this connection, reference is also invited to my article of August 7,2001, titled GILGIT & BALTISTAN, CHINA & NORTH KOREA at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers3%5Cpaper289.html
5. When the KKH was constructed by Chinese engineers in the 1970s, China had no private construction company. All construction companies were State-owned. Only the Engineering units of the PLA had engineers with experience of construction at high altitudes. Right from the beginning, PLA engineers had been involved in the construction, maintenance and upgradation of the KKH. As a result, there had always been a sizable presence of engineers of the PLA in GB. This number has gone up since the beginning of this year following severe damages to the KKH by two natural disasters in January and August. Regular units of the PLA have always been deployed in the GB to provide security to the Chinese engineers and humanitarian workers. It has been difficult to estimate the total number of Chinese engineers, humanitarian workers and security personnel in GB. This number will go up further when China starts the construction of a railway line through GB.
6.While information has been coming from time to time about the role of PLA engineers in infrastructure development in GB, similar details are not available about the role of engineers of the North Korean Army. Nationalist sources from the area, who have been fighting against the Pakistan Army, have been saying that North Korean military engineers have good expertise in high-altitude tunnel construction and have been helping the Pakistan Army in the construction of roads which would facilitate all-weather road movements to the Chitral area. According to them, for part of the year, the Chitral area is cut off from the rest of Pakistan by landslides. The only way of reaching Chitral is via Afghanistan. Other sources say that the engineers involved in this are from South and not North Korea. It has not been possible to verify this.
7. Thus even before Selig sounded his wake-up call, considerable details were available for over a decade on the presence and activities of the PLA and possibly North Korean military engineers in GB. Considerable details came from GB when the Government of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee was in power from 1998 to 2004. It was during that period that the PLA presence in GB increased. His Government failed to highlight this threat to our own population and to the international community. It is not known whether we have factored this into our plans for the protection of the Ladakh-Kargil sector. Infrastructure development in our territory in the areas bordering GB has remained neglected. It is time we sit up and pay more attention to this. If we do so, Selig’s wake-up call would have served a useful purpose. Chinese and North Korean activities in GB should also figure prominently in the talks during the visit of President Barack Obama to India in November. (15-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
On August 27,2010,the “New York Times” carried an article by Selig Harrison, former correspondent of the ”Washington Post” in New Delhi who now works in a Washington-based think tank, stating inter alia as follows: “While the world focuses on the flood-ravaged Indus River valley, a quiet geopolitical crisis is unfolding in the Himalayan borderlands of northern Pakistan, where Islamabad is handing over de facto control of the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region in the northwest corner of disputed Kashmir to China. The entire Pakistan-occupied western portion of Kashmir stretching from Gilgit in the north to Azad (Free) Kashmir in the south is closed to the world, in contrast to the media access that India permits in the eastern part, where it is combating a Pakistan-backed insurgency. But reports from a variety of foreign intelligence sources, Pakistani journalists and Pakistani human rights workers reveal two important new developments in Gilgit-Baltistan: a simmering rebellion against Pakistani rule and the influx of an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/op...20china&st=cse)
2.Selig’s wake-up call should not have been a surprise to intelligence sources and policy-makers in India and the US. They were aware of the high level of involvement of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China and its nuclear establishment in the construction and maintenance of high-altitude roads in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).The PLA was interested in infrastructure development and maintenance in GB because of its strategic importance for possible use by the PLA in the event of another military conflict with India. China’s nuclear establishment was interested because it wanted to use the PLA-constructed Karakoram Highway (KKH) as an overland route for the movement of missiles and spare parts to Pakistan.
3. The first wake-up call that China had been using the KKH for moving missile supplies to Pakistan was sounded by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US, which managed to take satellite photographs of such movement. On August 6 and 7,2001, the “Washington Times” gave the following details:
* The China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Corporation sent a dozen shipments of missile components to Pakistan since November,2000, and a US spy satellite detected the latest shipment as it arrived by truck at the mountainous Chinese-Pakistani border May 1,2001. The company supplied components for Pakistan's Shaheen-1 and Shaheen-2 missile programmes. The consignments were sent by ship and truck.
* The missile components are being used for production of the Shaheen-1, which has an estimated range of 465 miles, and the development of the Shaheen-2, which US intelligence agencies think will have a range of up to 1,240 miles.
4.Following the disclosure by the “Washington Times, Gen.Pervez Musharraf visited Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including GB, for four days from August 27,2001. In an article of September 3,2001, titled MUSHARRAF'S VISIT TO POK & N.A. at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers4%5Cpaper307.html, I wrote as follows: “The US media reports that its intelligence agencies had detected the transport of 12 consignments of Chinese missile components by sea and land since China pledged to stop such supplies in November last. The consignments sent by trucks came via the Karakoram Highway through Xinjiang and the N.A. (Northern Areas). To avoid detection of transport by sea by US satellites or by the CIA's port-based sources, China and Pakistan had decided to move future consignments by road, which, they felt, would not be vulnerable to detection by the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US. Pakistan has also sought Chinese assistance for the movements of future consignments of missiles and components from North Korea by road through the same route. The military junta had taken considerable precautions to prevent detection of the truck movements by not associating any of the officials of the NA Administration, particularly the Shias, with the arrangements for the movement. In view of this, both Islamabad and Beijing were surprised and embarrassed by the US media reports that US intelligence had detected the truck movements. Pakistani officials claim that even if US satellites had detected the trucks, they could not have known that the consignments contained missile components. They, therefore, reportedly feel that there must have been leakage to the CIA from one of the Pakistani officials associated with the movement. Moreover, following past US detection of the storage of the earlier missiles/components in Sargoda, the military junta had drawn up alternate plans for storage in Gilgit in the hope that there would be less possibility of detection there by the CIA. Before Musharraf's arrival in the POK, Lt.Gen. Jamshed Gulzar, Corps Commander, 10 Corps based in Rawalpindi, had visited the N.A. to enquire into the leakage jointly with the Force Commander, NA, Lt-Gen Muhammad Safdar. Measures for tightening up security in N.A. was one of the subjects which figured during the discussions of Musharraf in Gilgit in which apart from senior military officers, Abbas Sarfaraz, Musharraf's Minister for Kashmir and NA Affairs, who is also the Chief Executive of the NA, also participated. “ In this connection, reference is also invited to my article of August 7,2001, titled GILGIT & BALTISTAN, CHINA & NORTH KOREA at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers3%5Cpaper289.html
5. When the KKH was constructed by Chinese engineers in the 1970s, China had no private construction company. All construction companies were State-owned. Only the Engineering units of the PLA had engineers with experience of construction at high altitudes. Right from the beginning, PLA engineers had been involved in the construction, maintenance and upgradation of the KKH. As a result, there had always been a sizable presence of engineers of the PLA in GB. This number has gone up since the beginning of this year following severe damages to the KKH by two natural disasters in January and August. Regular units of the PLA have always been deployed in the GB to provide security to the Chinese engineers and humanitarian workers. It has been difficult to estimate the total number of Chinese engineers, humanitarian workers and security personnel in GB. This number will go up further when China starts the construction of a railway line through GB.
6.While information has been coming from time to time about the role of PLA engineers in infrastructure development in GB, similar details are not available about the role of engineers of the North Korean Army. Nationalist sources from the area, who have been fighting against the Pakistan Army, have been saying that North Korean military engineers have good expertise in high-altitude tunnel construction and have been helping the Pakistan Army in the construction of roads which would facilitate all-weather road movements to the Chitral area. According to them, for part of the year, the Chitral area is cut off from the rest of Pakistan by landslides. The only way of reaching Chitral is via Afghanistan. Other sources say that the engineers involved in this are from South and not North Korea. It has not been possible to verify this.
7. Thus even before Selig sounded his wake-up call, considerable details were available for over a decade on the presence and activities of the PLA and possibly North Korean military engineers in GB. Considerable details came from GB when the Government of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee was in power from 1998 to 2004. It was during that period that the PLA presence in GB increased. His Government failed to highlight this threat to our own population and to the international community. It is not known whether we have factored this into our plans for the protection of the Ladakh-Kargil sector. Infrastructure development in our territory in the areas bordering GB has remained neglected. It is time we sit up and pay more attention to this. If we do so, Selig’s wake-up call would have served a useful purpose. Chinese and North Korean activities in GB should also figure prominently in the talks during the visit of President Barack Obama to India in November. (15-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
Monday, September 13, 2010
HOLY KORAN:IRAN SPREADING ANTI-US RUMOURS
B.RAMAN
It has been reported that the anti-US and anti-Christian violence in Jammu and Kashmir on September 13,2010, was triggered off by rumours disseminated by an unlisted and unregistered TV channel of Iran alleging an incident of insult to the Holy Koran in the US.
2. The Srinagar correspondent of "The Hindu " (September 14) of Chennai has reported as follows: " The Government (of J & K) has banned airing of Teheran-based "Press TV".... Chief Secretary S.S. Kapur said it was surprising that only in "Press TV" an unknown individual was shown, without verification or any authenticity descecrating the Koran. It seemed to be a deliberate act and a conspiracy to instigate innocent sentiments of the people. Mr.Kapur said he verified with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry the authenticity of "Press TV". He was informed that this channel was not at all listed among the registered channels being telecast in India. The District Magistrate of Srinagar was asked to issue orders for an immediate ban on the unauthorised channel....No other reliable channel of the world or of India had telecast such condemnable images of descecration.Even if such an act had occurred at any individual level, it was an act that was strongly condemnable. Provoking the sentiments of innocent people by deliberate telecast of such images was also against ethics. Describing the report of the channel as totally against public interest, the Chief Secretary said this unauthorised and unregistered channel ("Press TV" ) was banned in all other districts of the State too."
3.The Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union should act against Iran and the "Press TV" for allegedly provoking anti-US and anti-Christian violence by telecasting such provocative images. ( 14-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
It has been reported that the anti-US and anti-Christian violence in Jammu and Kashmir on September 13,2010, was triggered off by rumours disseminated by an unlisted and unregistered TV channel of Iran alleging an incident of insult to the Holy Koran in the US.
2. The Srinagar correspondent of "The Hindu " (September 14) of Chennai has reported as follows: " The Government (of J & K) has banned airing of Teheran-based "Press TV".... Chief Secretary S.S. Kapur said it was surprising that only in "Press TV" an unknown individual was shown, without verification or any authenticity descecrating the Koran. It seemed to be a deliberate act and a conspiracy to instigate innocent sentiments of the people. Mr.Kapur said he verified with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry the authenticity of "Press TV". He was informed that this channel was not at all listed among the registered channels being telecast in India. The District Magistrate of Srinagar was asked to issue orders for an immediate ban on the unauthorised channel....No other reliable channel of the world or of India had telecast such condemnable images of descecration.Even if such an act had occurred at any individual level, it was an act that was strongly condemnable. Provoking the sentiments of innocent people by deliberate telecast of such images was also against ethics. Describing the report of the channel as totally against public interest, the Chief Secretary said this unauthorised and unregistered channel ("Press TV" ) was banned in all other districts of the State too."
3.The Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union should act against Iran and the "Press TV" for allegedly provoking anti-US and anti-Christian violence by telecasting such provocative images. ( 14-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
JAMMU & KASHMIR: ACT FAST, ACT DECISIVELY
B.RAMAN
The situation in Jammu & Kashmir is going from bad to worse. The widespread acts of violence on the Eid day and the outburst on September 13,2010, in the wake of baseless rumours of insult to the Holy Koran in the US make one apprehend that we may reach a point of no return if we do not address the anger of large sections of the youth.Fifteen people, including a member of the security forces, were killed in different incidents on September 13----the largest number in a single day since the present trouble broke out over three months ago.
2. The anger is a reality. It will be totally unwise to close our eyes and ears to it. It will be suicidal to think that but for instigation by Pakistan the anger might not have acquired such dimensions. The origin of the anger and its gradual escalation were due to mishandling of the situation by the State Government and by the confused response of the Government of India to the situation as it has developed. Pakistan and the jhadi organisations based there are now exploiting the anger caused by perceptions of our insensitivity to violations of human rights by the security forces. Deaths of some Kashmiris in an alleged false incident involving the security forces and the total inaction of the Government in the face of repeated demands for enquiries into the deaths of young Kashmiris due to use of force by the security forces against stone-throwing mobs have led to a resurgence of the alienation of growing sections of the youth.
3.The incidents of September 13 show two strands of anger. The first is against the Governments of J&K and India due to the perceived violations of the human rights of the Kashmiris. The second , which made its first appearance in the incidents of September 13, is directed against the US because of a threat, which had emanated from a pastor with insignificant following to burn the Holy Koran on the anniversary of 9/11. He gave up his threat under political and public pressure in the US, but not before he had provided fresh oxygen to the jihadi elements in the Islamic world.
4.To what extent the anger of the Kashmiris against the US was spontaneous and to what extent it was insitigated by Al Qaeda and pro-Al Qaeda elements based in the Af-Pak region? It is difficult to answer this question, but one has to note with some concern that the anger against the US seen in the streets of Srinagar on September 13 was part of the pattern one had been seeing in the last few days in the Af-Pak region ever since the pastor issued his threat. We had seen similar anger against the US in the streets of Srinagar when US troops invaded Iraq in 2003. That too was part of an orchestrated pattern seen in different cities of Pakistan. But the anger subsided after a few days. Will it subside similarly now? One has to keep one's fingers crossed. It is important to note and deny promptly and effectively all rumours being disseminated from the Af-Pak region by Al Qaeda, the Talibans and their affiliates regarding insults to Islam.
5. One should remember there was an escalation in violence in J&K in the days and weeks before the visit of President Bill Clinton to India in April 2000. We should expect a similar escalation in the period before the forthcoming visit of President Barack Obama to India in November.There is a strong possibility that the kind of violence that one has been seeing since the Eid day, which is different from the kind of violence that one had been seeing before Eid would be sought to be kept up till the visit of Mr.Obama. The violence before Eid was largely spontaneous. The violence since Eid is increasingly orchestrated and inspired from outside---- inspired not only by the State of Pakistan, but also by all the jihadi organisations based there.
6.If we had promptly acted against the initial incidents and against those members of the security forces against whom allegations of staging a false encounter had been made, the situation might not have deteriorated to the extent it has. There are now vicious winds of anger and hatred blowing across Kashmir, helped by our failure to understand that we are now facing a different kind of situation in J&K and by our reluctance to act against the members of the security forces against whom allegations of human rights violations were made.
7. The situation has so badly slipped out of control that one does not know how to retrieve it. Retrieve one must for restoring normalcy in J&K.Even now, the Governments of J&K and India give the impression of a total lack of lucidity in analysing and assessing the situation. The Kashmiris are not agitating for jobs. They are not agitating against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. They are not agitating against the Army. They are not agitating against our counter-terrorism machinery, which had effectively countered Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the State. They are agitating against the State's law and order machinery for alleged disproportionate use of force against stone-throwing mobs. They are agitating against the Government of India for not intervening to protect the human rights and the self-dignity of the Kashmiri Muslims.
8.The first response of the Government of India should have been to ensure respect for the human rights of the Kashmiris. Even now, despite the deterioration in the situation which has made the increasing resort to law and order methods unavoidable, our priority should be to visibly stop violations of human rights. The National Human Rights Commission should be asked to look urgently into the various complaints that have been made and convince the Kashmiris of our seriousness in guaranteeing respect for their human rights and self-dignity.
9. If we don't do this and keep thinking that we can restore normalcy by creating jobs and by making statements of our willingness for a dialogue, we are in for a nasty surprise in J&K. The credibility of the Government of India in J&K is very low. It is seen as a Government which only acts under pressure. It is seen as a Government which is totally confused.
10. It has to show it means business----business in restoring law and order; business in respecting the human rights and self-dignity of the Kashmiris and business in preventing Pakistan and its jihadi organisations from exploiting the situation. ( 14-9-10 )
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
The situation in Jammu & Kashmir is going from bad to worse. The widespread acts of violence on the Eid day and the outburst on September 13,2010, in the wake of baseless rumours of insult to the Holy Koran in the US make one apprehend that we may reach a point of no return if we do not address the anger of large sections of the youth.Fifteen people, including a member of the security forces, were killed in different incidents on September 13----the largest number in a single day since the present trouble broke out over three months ago.
2. The anger is a reality. It will be totally unwise to close our eyes and ears to it. It will be suicidal to think that but for instigation by Pakistan the anger might not have acquired such dimensions. The origin of the anger and its gradual escalation were due to mishandling of the situation by the State Government and by the confused response of the Government of India to the situation as it has developed. Pakistan and the jhadi organisations based there are now exploiting the anger caused by perceptions of our insensitivity to violations of human rights by the security forces. Deaths of some Kashmiris in an alleged false incident involving the security forces and the total inaction of the Government in the face of repeated demands for enquiries into the deaths of young Kashmiris due to use of force by the security forces against stone-throwing mobs have led to a resurgence of the alienation of growing sections of the youth.
3.The incidents of September 13 show two strands of anger. The first is against the Governments of J&K and India due to the perceived violations of the human rights of the Kashmiris. The second , which made its first appearance in the incidents of September 13, is directed against the US because of a threat, which had emanated from a pastor with insignificant following to burn the Holy Koran on the anniversary of 9/11. He gave up his threat under political and public pressure in the US, but not before he had provided fresh oxygen to the jihadi elements in the Islamic world.
4.To what extent the anger of the Kashmiris against the US was spontaneous and to what extent it was insitigated by Al Qaeda and pro-Al Qaeda elements based in the Af-Pak region? It is difficult to answer this question, but one has to note with some concern that the anger against the US seen in the streets of Srinagar on September 13 was part of the pattern one had been seeing in the last few days in the Af-Pak region ever since the pastor issued his threat. We had seen similar anger against the US in the streets of Srinagar when US troops invaded Iraq in 2003. That too was part of an orchestrated pattern seen in different cities of Pakistan. But the anger subsided after a few days. Will it subside similarly now? One has to keep one's fingers crossed. It is important to note and deny promptly and effectively all rumours being disseminated from the Af-Pak region by Al Qaeda, the Talibans and their affiliates regarding insults to Islam.
5. One should remember there was an escalation in violence in J&K in the days and weeks before the visit of President Bill Clinton to India in April 2000. We should expect a similar escalation in the period before the forthcoming visit of President Barack Obama to India in November.There is a strong possibility that the kind of violence that one has been seeing since the Eid day, which is different from the kind of violence that one had been seeing before Eid would be sought to be kept up till the visit of Mr.Obama. The violence before Eid was largely spontaneous. The violence since Eid is increasingly orchestrated and inspired from outside---- inspired not only by the State of Pakistan, but also by all the jihadi organisations based there.
6.If we had promptly acted against the initial incidents and against those members of the security forces against whom allegations of staging a false encounter had been made, the situation might not have deteriorated to the extent it has. There are now vicious winds of anger and hatred blowing across Kashmir, helped by our failure to understand that we are now facing a different kind of situation in J&K and by our reluctance to act against the members of the security forces against whom allegations of human rights violations were made.
7. The situation has so badly slipped out of control that one does not know how to retrieve it. Retrieve one must for restoring normalcy in J&K.Even now, the Governments of J&K and India give the impression of a total lack of lucidity in analysing and assessing the situation. The Kashmiris are not agitating for jobs. They are not agitating against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. They are not agitating against the Army. They are not agitating against our counter-terrorism machinery, which had effectively countered Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the State. They are agitating against the State's law and order machinery for alleged disproportionate use of force against stone-throwing mobs. They are agitating against the Government of India for not intervening to protect the human rights and the self-dignity of the Kashmiri Muslims.
8.The first response of the Government of India should have been to ensure respect for the human rights of the Kashmiris. Even now, despite the deterioration in the situation which has made the increasing resort to law and order methods unavoidable, our priority should be to visibly stop violations of human rights. The National Human Rights Commission should be asked to look urgently into the various complaints that have been made and convince the Kashmiris of our seriousness in guaranteeing respect for their human rights and self-dignity.
9. If we don't do this and keep thinking that we can restore normalcy by creating jobs and by making statements of our willingness for a dialogue, we are in for a nasty surprise in J&K. The credibility of the Government of India in J&K is very low. It is seen as a Government which only acts under pressure. It is seen as a Government which is totally confused.
10. It has to show it means business----business in restoring law and order; business in respecting the human rights and self-dignity of the Kashmiris and business in preventing Pakistan and its jihadi organisations from exploiting the situation. ( 14-9-10 )
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
Sunday, September 12, 2010
CHINA STRATEGIC NEWS: SEPTEMBER 12,2010
COLLATED BY B.RAMAN
SURGE IN CHINESE INVESTMENTS IN MYANMAR
Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman of Myanmar’s State Peace and Development Council, visited China for five days from September 7. His visit came three months after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Myanmar in June. He met President Hu Jintao, Prime Minister Wen and other Chinese leaders. He also visited the Shanghai Expo and Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province. He was accompanied by a 34-member delegation including Prime Minister Thein Sein and the junta's No. 3 U Shwe Mann, who resigned last month from his military post as army Joint Chief of Staff.
2.Than Shwe met President Hu on September 8. The “China Daily” of September 9 gave the following account of the discussions between Than Shwe and Hu: Hu told Than Shwe:"China pays a great deal of attention to relations with Myanmar. Consolidating and developing Sino-Myanmar cooperation and friendship is our unswerving policy. However the international situation might change, this policy will not alter. China is willing to increase imports from Myanmar and welcomes the country's enterprises expanding investment in Chinese markets. China and Myanmar must work hard on energy, electric power and other projects, which would benefit people of both countries.” Than Shwe told Hu: “China's position on climate change and other major issues fully reflects the broad interests and concerns of developing countries. My Government is committed to ensuring stability on the border as part of a long-term policy of protecting its friendship with China.”
3.During his meeting with Prime Minister Wen the next day, Than Shwe reportedly thanked China for its support of Myanmar and pledged to work with Beijing to maintain stability on the border. Than Shwe told Wen his country would work with China to “jointly maintain peace and stability of the border regions”, Xinhua reported.
4.Before the arrival of Than Shwe, Jiang Yu, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, had told the local media that China hoped to see the forthcoming Myanmar elections on November 7 proceed smoothly along with the realization of democracy and economic development. She told the media on September 9: “A smooth election in Myanmar [Burma] is in the fundamental interest of the Myanmar people and conducive to regional peace and stability. China respects the independently chosen development path of the Myanmar people and hopes that the election can proceed smoothly.”
5.Aung Naing Oo, a Myanmar analyst based in Bangkok, told the Agence France Presse: “As far as we know, China has urged the Burmese Government to carry out economic reforms at all levels. Despite its social and human rights issues, China has experienced economic growth that now surpasses even Japan's. I think the Burmese leaders would like to see this kind of economic growth while not letting go of their hold on power.”
6.According to the Xinhua news agency,U Shwe Mann, a member of the State Peace and Development Council, who had accompanied Than Shwe, met the Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Chen Bingde. During their talks, Chen hailed the stable growth of bilateral ties between the two nations and the two militaries and added that the fruitful cooperation in various areas had brought concrete benefits for both sides. Chen hoped the two militaries would work together to carry forward the traditional friendship. Xinhua quoted U Shwe Mann as applauding China's unselfish help for Myanmar in its economic and defense construction, saying that Myanmar would work with China to boost pragmatic cooperation between the two militaries and the two countries.
7.Xinhua reported as follows from Kunming: Construction began on the China section of the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline on September 10 morning in An'ning City in southwest China's Yunnan province. CNPC, China's largest oil firm and parent company of PetroChina, will build and operate the pipeline whose construction is due to finish in 2013. The Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline starts at Kyaukpyu port on the west coast of Myanmar and enters China at Yunnan's border city of Ruili. The 2,380-km long oil pipeline will end in Kunming City, capital of Yunnan. It is expected to carry 22 million tonnes of crude oil per annum to China from the Middle East and Africa.The natural gas pipeline will be even longer, running from Kunming into Guizhou Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China for a total length of 2,806 km. It is expected to transport 12 billion cubic meters of gas to China every year. The project is the fourth way for oil and natural gas to enter China, after ocean shipping, the Sino-Kazakhstan pipelines and the Sino-Russian crude oil pipeline.The oil pipeline saves 1,200 km of shipping. It will reduce China's reliance on the Straits of Malacca for oil imports, experts say. Construction of the pipeline's Myanmar section began in June.
8.It added: China has imported more than 20 million tonnes of crude oil through the Sino-Kazakhstan oil pipeline that was put into service in 2006, according to statistics from Xinjiang's import authorities. The Sino-Russian pipeline is expected to begin operations by the end of 2010.The new pipelines are in line with China's strategy of diversifying the methods and sources of its crude oil imports, said Qin Guangrong, Governor of Yunnan. "It will lessen risks and strengthen China's ability to cope with the complex and volatile international situation," he said. The project will help quench south and west China's thirst for energy, Qin added. Construction in An'ning of an oil refinery with an annual capacity of 10 million tonnes also started on September 10.
9. According to a Xinhua dispatch of September 7,China is now Myanmar's third largest trading partner and investor. In 2009, bilateral trade totaled 2.907 billion US dollars. Up to January 2010, China's investment in Myanmar amounted to 1. 848 billion dollars, accounting for 11.5 percent of Myanmar's then total foreign investment. In May, China made a huge investment in Myanmar with a total of 8.173 billion dollars including Hong Kong' s 3.143 billion dollars, bringing China's total investment in Myanmar to 10 billion dollars up to May this year since the country opened to such investment in late 1988, according to Myanmar official statistics. In recent years, the two sides had expanded cooperation in hydropower, energy, mining, communications, fishery, manufacturing and infrastructure, and there had been frequent exchanges in culture, news and sports.
My Comment: Than Shwe did not seem to have attended the inauguration of the construction of the pipeline in Yunnan. It is not clear which projects accounted for the huge Chinese investment of over eight billion dollars in May last, which pushed up the total Chinese investments in Myanmar ten-fold. Many Western analysts have interpreted the visit as meant to secure Chinese support for the legitimacy of the forthcoming elections from which Aung San Suu Kyi and her party have been excluded. Another reason seems to have been to reassure Beijing that his recent high profile visit to India would not mean a dilution of the importance attached by his Government to Myanmar’s relations with China, which will continue to have primacy.
EAST CHINA SEA: CHINESE ASSERTIVENESS VS JAPANESE ASSERTIVENESS ---“JAPAN WILL REAP AS IT HAS SOWN” ( The Chinese version of the dispute and confrontation as taken from the Chinese media)
10.A Chinese fishing trawler, Minjinyu, collided with a 1,349-ton Japanese patrol boat, Yonakuni, near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea on September 7. Two other Japanese patrol boats then reportedly chased and hit Minjinyu, and six Japanese personnel boarded it when it stopped and questioned the Chinese fishermen.
11.Later the same day, several Japanese Government departments, such as the Cabinet Secretariat, the Coast Guard and the Foreign Ministry, held emergency meetings, after which an arrest warrant was reportedly issued against the captain of the Chinese fishing trawler for what they described as obstructing law enforcement. A senior Japanese official said the captain, a 41-year-old Chinese national, "will be taken to prosecutors or police and will be (questioned) under Japanese procedures".
12.China's Foreign Ministry expressed grave concern over the incident. Vice-Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa the same day and lodged "solemn representations" with the Japanese side.
13.At a regular press conference, ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said: The Diaoyu Islands and their adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times. She urged Japan to stop its so-called law enforcement in the waters off the islands and refrain from taking any action that would threaten the security of Chinese fishing boats and their crew. "We will follow the situation closely and reserve our right to take further action," Jiang said.
14.The Diaoyu Islands are a group of uninhabited islands, comprising mainly the Diaoyu Island, and smaller islands such as Huangweiyu, Chiweiyu, Beixiaodao and Nanxiaodao, as well as three large reefs, covering an area of 6.3 sq km. Of all the islands, Diaoyu is the largest with an area of about 4.3 sq km.
15.The Diaoyu Islands have been recorded in Chinese historical documents as Chinese territory since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Japanese Government, however, regards them as a part of the Okinawa prefecture, which was under the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until 131 years ago. China had friendly relations with the Ryukyu Kingdom for about 500 years, before Japan annexed it. And more importantly, China was the first to discover and name the islands Diaoyu.
16.There are records about the islands in a book published during the reign of Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle (who reigned from 1403 to1424), more than 400 years before 1884, when Japan claims to have discovered the islands.
17.The Diaoyu Islands have been part of Chinese territory since ancient times, and China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over them. This is not only the Chinese Government's stance, but also the conclusion of Japanese historian Kiyoshi Inoue.
18.In the Historical Facts of Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Islands, published in 1972, Inoue says that historically the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. He emphasizes that before Japan's encroachment, the Diaoyu Islands were not terra nullius but China's territory.
19.Before Japan began the Meiji restoration in 1868, no documents could be found in that country or the Ryukyu Kingdom that mentioned the Diaoyu Islands without citing Chinese documents.
20.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku told a news conference on September 8 that arresting the Chinese captain was in line with Japanese laws, and there was no need to take recourse to diplomacy because the Japanese Government did not have territorial disputes with China over the Diaoyu Islands.
21.Tokyo's explanation shows its wild ambition to take forcible possession of the Diaoyu Islands in steps and this is open defiance of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
22.The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Japan have demanded immediate release of the ship and its crew and guarantee for their safe passage back home. The Chinese Government is taking all necessary steps to protect Chinese people's life and property.
23.Japan infringed upon China's sovereignty when its patrol vessels intercepted and inspected the Chinese fishing boat, and arrested its captain. Japan should know that it would set a bad example if it charges the Chinese trawler's captain according to Japanese laws.
24.China should intensify its patrol off the Diaoyu Islands to protect Chinese fishermen, too, and it should never compromise its sovereignty and integrity.
----Taken from an article published by the “China Daily” on September 10.The author, Hu Feiyue, is a special guest commentator for “China Daily”.
25.Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo told Japan early September 12 morning to make a "wise political resolution" and immediately release the Chinese fishermen and fishing boat its coast guard seized earlier this week. Dai made the remarks when he summoned the Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa in the wee hours. He was the highest-ranking Chinese official to make a response after the fishing boat and its crew were seized. "Dai expressed solemnly (to the Japanese Ambassador) the Chinese government's grave concerns and its serious and just position," said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. Dai warned Japan not to make a wrong judgment on the situation and urged it to make a "wise political resolution" and immediately release the fishermen and return the boat. China decided on September 10 night to postpone a negotiation with Japan on the East China Sea issue, which had been scheduled for mid September, after a Japanese court ruled a 10-day detention through Sept.19 against the captain despite protests from China. Previously, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on September 10 summoned the Japanese Ambassador and demanded Japan immediately and unconditionally release the boat and all the crew, saying China's determination to defend its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and the interests of the Chinese people was unswerving. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on September 10 night when announcing the postponement of the talks that the Japanese side has "ignored China's repeated solemn representations and firm opposition, and obstinately decided to put the Chinese captain under the so-called judiciary procedures." She said Japan's acts have violated the law of nations and basic international common sense, and are "ridiculous, illegal and invalid." "Japan will reap as it has sown, if it continues to act recklessly," Jiang warned.
--Xinhua of September 12.
26. “The conflict over Diaoyu, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, is complicated and unsettled. The islands are claimed by both China and Japan, but in effect are controlled by Japan. Fishing boats from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan occasionally enter into what Japan considers its "territorial waters," and are often chased off or even sunk after a forceful collision. This is a highly dangerous maneuver. With the public spotlight increasingly focused on maritime conflicts between the two countries, Japan's irresponsible moves may eventually set fire to the Sino-Japanese relationship, or even force a military showdown. China did not encourage or instigate its people to cruise into the Diaoyu waters. Japan should also refrain from overreacting to civilian boats occasionally entering this area. The use of force is a rude move by the Japanese authorities, which directly threatened the Chinese crew's safety. These actions send a strong signal to the Chinese public, and will definitely draw condemnation and protest. If it were Chinese naval boats smashing into Japanese fishing boats in some disputed area, how would the Japanese public react? Many Japanese have called for a tougher stance with China in recent years. It appears the Japanese Government might be listening. With their current power and roles in East Asia, the two countries have no reason to be intimidated by one another. As a result, when dealing with a conflict, one should consider the impact on the other side. Japan should understand that patrolling the disputed waters does not legalize its claim. China's claim over the Diaoyu Islands will never change, as was reiterated yesterday by China's foreign ministry. Japan's strategy in its southwest is changing, and watching China's every step seems to have become its focus. Deploying troops to its Southwest Islands, and holding military exercises near the Diaoyu Islands demonstrated this. The military maneuvers are contradictory to the claim of Japan's various administrations to make the East China Sea a sea of peace. If the Japanese Government chooses to stand with some hawkish activists instead of trying to solve disputes with China through talks, the East China Sea is in danger. Japanese authorities announced last night it would arrest the captain of the Chinese fishing boat on suspicion of violating Japan's fishing laws. Japan needs to take care of the Chinese crew and publicize the result of its investigation as soon as possible. China also has the right to participate in solving this matter.”
---Editorial in the “Global Times” of September 8.
YELLOW SEA: “MIXED MESSAGES” FROM US
27.US Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said on September 9 that aircraft carrier US George Washington will be sent to waters off the Korean Peninsula to participate in war games with South Korea. "The US George Washington will indeed exercise in the Yellow Sea," Geoff Morrell said. China has voiced objection to any military drills off its coast. The drills were postponed from its original schedule on Sept. 5-9.However, Morrell didn't give a specific timetable, stressing that it's not an affront to China, but rather a warning to Pyongyang. "We have said that will take place. I don't think we have determined a date yet, but rest assured, the George Washington will operate in the Yellow Sea, as it does in other international waters," he said.
--- Xinhua, September 10.
28.”The Pentagon has sent mixed messages to Beijing on Sino-American military ties. On Sept 10, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told a news conference that Beijing appeared ready to host US Defense Secretary Robert Gates for talks later this year. A day before that, Morrell had said an US aircraft carrier would take part in a joint US-South Korea military drill in the Yellow Sea later in the year. The first message indicates the US wants to maintain normal military ties with China. But the second contradicts it. America has turned a deaf ear to China's security concerns, ignoring its repeated warning that the presence of a US aircraft carrier - irrespective of the purpose - in the waters off its eastern coast poses a threat to its security. The US decision to hold another military drill in the Yellow Sea shows its lack of consistency and sincerity in addressing security issues with China. Since military ties are an important part of bilateral relations, they cannot be allowed to suffer setbacks. China, on its part, has said many times this month that it is willing to improve military ties with the US. The ball is in Washington's court now. It should stop sending mixed messages and make efforts to build a sound climate for early resumption of bilateral military cooperation.”
---“ China Daily” of September 11.
ANTI-TERROR DRILL IN KAZAKHSTAN
29.ALMATY, Kazakhstan - Top military officers from China, Russia and three Central Asian nations vowed on September 10 to work together to fight terrorism, following recent riots in Kyrgyzstan and at a time of challenges in Afghanistan.
30.Chiefs of General Staff from the militaries of the five countries, which included Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, made the remarks after announcing the start of a joint anti-terror military exercise in southern Kazakhstan.
31.Chen Bingde, Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), told reporters China would use its most advanced domestically produced equipment during the drill. Chen said the hardware was featured during the parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of New China on Oct 1, last year.
32."Except for the navy and strategic missiles that are not involved here, the drill basically includes the most advanced equipment made in China," Chen said.
33.However, "the political and strategic significance of the drill goes much further than its military significance," Chen added, stressing that the exercise is not targeted at any country or region but at terrorism, separatism and extremism.
34.The security situation in Central Asia and bordering countries is complex, with terrorism, separatism and extremism a widespread issue.
35.In July 2009, riots led by such groups in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, claimed the lives of at least 197 people and left more than 1,700 injured.
36.This year, Kyrgyzstan has seen months of turmoil and bloodshed since the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in early April.
37."For Russia, the terrorist activities are real. Terrorist events in Russia's Caucasus have proved that," said Nikolai Makarov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian military.
38.A suicide bomber set off a powerful blast near a busy market in the North Caucasus on September 9, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens.
39.The drill is the seventh of its kind under the framework of the SCO but the first time SCO nations have taken heavy weapons into Kazakhstan. The country has been preparing for the event for the past year.
40.Set against the background of terrorism triggering a regional crisis, the Peace Mission 2010 drill on Kazakhstan's Matybulak testing grounds involves about 5,000 troops and will continue until Sept 25.
41.China sent about 1,000 troops to the country by train on a journey of nearly 5,000 km that lasted almost a week.
42.Russia and Kazakhstan each sent more than 1,000 troops while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan each dispatched more than 100.
43.The Chinese participants are largely from the Beijing Military Command and an air force combat group will fly directly from China to join the exercise.
44.After two weeks of joint training drills, Defense Ministers from the five nations will oversee the final drill.
45.Li Shuyin, an expert on Central Asia and Russian military studies with the Academy of Military Science of the PLA, said the SCO drills have enabled all of China's four military commands in the North to cooperate with foreign militaries.
46.The Jinan Military Command took part in the 2005 drill, while the Lanzhou command was involved in the 2007 gathering and the Shenyang command in 2009.
47.One of the highlights of Peace Mission 2010 will be the nighttime shooting of targets by personnel in helicopters, Li said, because it will be the first time it has been done during SCO drills.
48.Wang Haiyun, an expert in international strategy, said SCO member nations are mindful of developments in Afghanistan.
"We have to be prepared," said the former Military Attache to Russia.
49.While the five militaries have not had to fight a united war against regional terrorists, the drills have a role in deterring terrorists and keeping the situation relatively stable, he said.
-----China Daily of September 11.
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
SURGE IN CHINESE INVESTMENTS IN MYANMAR
Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman of Myanmar’s State Peace and Development Council, visited China for five days from September 7. His visit came three months after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Myanmar in June. He met President Hu Jintao, Prime Minister Wen and other Chinese leaders. He also visited the Shanghai Expo and Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province. He was accompanied by a 34-member delegation including Prime Minister Thein Sein and the junta's No. 3 U Shwe Mann, who resigned last month from his military post as army Joint Chief of Staff.
2.Than Shwe met President Hu on September 8. The “China Daily” of September 9 gave the following account of the discussions between Than Shwe and Hu: Hu told Than Shwe:"China pays a great deal of attention to relations with Myanmar. Consolidating and developing Sino-Myanmar cooperation and friendship is our unswerving policy. However the international situation might change, this policy will not alter. China is willing to increase imports from Myanmar and welcomes the country's enterprises expanding investment in Chinese markets. China and Myanmar must work hard on energy, electric power and other projects, which would benefit people of both countries.” Than Shwe told Hu: “China's position on climate change and other major issues fully reflects the broad interests and concerns of developing countries. My Government is committed to ensuring stability on the border as part of a long-term policy of protecting its friendship with China.”
3.During his meeting with Prime Minister Wen the next day, Than Shwe reportedly thanked China for its support of Myanmar and pledged to work with Beijing to maintain stability on the border. Than Shwe told Wen his country would work with China to “jointly maintain peace and stability of the border regions”, Xinhua reported.
4.Before the arrival of Than Shwe, Jiang Yu, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, had told the local media that China hoped to see the forthcoming Myanmar elections on November 7 proceed smoothly along with the realization of democracy and economic development. She told the media on September 9: “A smooth election in Myanmar [Burma] is in the fundamental interest of the Myanmar people and conducive to regional peace and stability. China respects the independently chosen development path of the Myanmar people and hopes that the election can proceed smoothly.”
5.Aung Naing Oo, a Myanmar analyst based in Bangkok, told the Agence France Presse: “As far as we know, China has urged the Burmese Government to carry out economic reforms at all levels. Despite its social and human rights issues, China has experienced economic growth that now surpasses even Japan's. I think the Burmese leaders would like to see this kind of economic growth while not letting go of their hold on power.”
6.According to the Xinhua news agency,U Shwe Mann, a member of the State Peace and Development Council, who had accompanied Than Shwe, met the Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Chen Bingde. During their talks, Chen hailed the stable growth of bilateral ties between the two nations and the two militaries and added that the fruitful cooperation in various areas had brought concrete benefits for both sides. Chen hoped the two militaries would work together to carry forward the traditional friendship. Xinhua quoted U Shwe Mann as applauding China's unselfish help for Myanmar in its economic and defense construction, saying that Myanmar would work with China to boost pragmatic cooperation between the two militaries and the two countries.
7.Xinhua reported as follows from Kunming: Construction began on the China section of the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline on September 10 morning in An'ning City in southwest China's Yunnan province. CNPC, China's largest oil firm and parent company of PetroChina, will build and operate the pipeline whose construction is due to finish in 2013. The Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline starts at Kyaukpyu port on the west coast of Myanmar and enters China at Yunnan's border city of Ruili. The 2,380-km long oil pipeline will end in Kunming City, capital of Yunnan. It is expected to carry 22 million tonnes of crude oil per annum to China from the Middle East and Africa.The natural gas pipeline will be even longer, running from Kunming into Guizhou Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China for a total length of 2,806 km. It is expected to transport 12 billion cubic meters of gas to China every year. The project is the fourth way for oil and natural gas to enter China, after ocean shipping, the Sino-Kazakhstan pipelines and the Sino-Russian crude oil pipeline.The oil pipeline saves 1,200 km of shipping. It will reduce China's reliance on the Straits of Malacca for oil imports, experts say. Construction of the pipeline's Myanmar section began in June.
8.It added: China has imported more than 20 million tonnes of crude oil through the Sino-Kazakhstan oil pipeline that was put into service in 2006, according to statistics from Xinjiang's import authorities. The Sino-Russian pipeline is expected to begin operations by the end of 2010.The new pipelines are in line with China's strategy of diversifying the methods and sources of its crude oil imports, said Qin Guangrong, Governor of Yunnan. "It will lessen risks and strengthen China's ability to cope with the complex and volatile international situation," he said. The project will help quench south and west China's thirst for energy, Qin added. Construction in An'ning of an oil refinery with an annual capacity of 10 million tonnes also started on September 10.
9. According to a Xinhua dispatch of September 7,China is now Myanmar's third largest trading partner and investor. In 2009, bilateral trade totaled 2.907 billion US dollars. Up to January 2010, China's investment in Myanmar amounted to 1. 848 billion dollars, accounting for 11.5 percent of Myanmar's then total foreign investment. In May, China made a huge investment in Myanmar with a total of 8.173 billion dollars including Hong Kong' s 3.143 billion dollars, bringing China's total investment in Myanmar to 10 billion dollars up to May this year since the country opened to such investment in late 1988, according to Myanmar official statistics. In recent years, the two sides had expanded cooperation in hydropower, energy, mining, communications, fishery, manufacturing and infrastructure, and there had been frequent exchanges in culture, news and sports.
My Comment: Than Shwe did not seem to have attended the inauguration of the construction of the pipeline in Yunnan. It is not clear which projects accounted for the huge Chinese investment of over eight billion dollars in May last, which pushed up the total Chinese investments in Myanmar ten-fold. Many Western analysts have interpreted the visit as meant to secure Chinese support for the legitimacy of the forthcoming elections from which Aung San Suu Kyi and her party have been excluded. Another reason seems to have been to reassure Beijing that his recent high profile visit to India would not mean a dilution of the importance attached by his Government to Myanmar’s relations with China, which will continue to have primacy.
EAST CHINA SEA: CHINESE ASSERTIVENESS VS JAPANESE ASSERTIVENESS ---“JAPAN WILL REAP AS IT HAS SOWN” ( The Chinese version of the dispute and confrontation as taken from the Chinese media)
10.A Chinese fishing trawler, Minjinyu, collided with a 1,349-ton Japanese patrol boat, Yonakuni, near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea on September 7. Two other Japanese patrol boats then reportedly chased and hit Minjinyu, and six Japanese personnel boarded it when it stopped and questioned the Chinese fishermen.
11.Later the same day, several Japanese Government departments, such as the Cabinet Secretariat, the Coast Guard and the Foreign Ministry, held emergency meetings, after which an arrest warrant was reportedly issued against the captain of the Chinese fishing trawler for what they described as obstructing law enforcement. A senior Japanese official said the captain, a 41-year-old Chinese national, "will be taken to prosecutors or police and will be (questioned) under Japanese procedures".
12.China's Foreign Ministry expressed grave concern over the incident. Vice-Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa the same day and lodged "solemn representations" with the Japanese side.
13.At a regular press conference, ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said: The Diaoyu Islands and their adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times. She urged Japan to stop its so-called law enforcement in the waters off the islands and refrain from taking any action that would threaten the security of Chinese fishing boats and their crew. "We will follow the situation closely and reserve our right to take further action," Jiang said.
14.The Diaoyu Islands are a group of uninhabited islands, comprising mainly the Diaoyu Island, and smaller islands such as Huangweiyu, Chiweiyu, Beixiaodao and Nanxiaodao, as well as three large reefs, covering an area of 6.3 sq km. Of all the islands, Diaoyu is the largest with an area of about 4.3 sq km.
15.The Diaoyu Islands have been recorded in Chinese historical documents as Chinese territory since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Japanese Government, however, regards them as a part of the Okinawa prefecture, which was under the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until 131 years ago. China had friendly relations with the Ryukyu Kingdom for about 500 years, before Japan annexed it. And more importantly, China was the first to discover and name the islands Diaoyu.
16.There are records about the islands in a book published during the reign of Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle (who reigned from 1403 to1424), more than 400 years before 1884, when Japan claims to have discovered the islands.
17.The Diaoyu Islands have been part of Chinese territory since ancient times, and China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over them. This is not only the Chinese Government's stance, but also the conclusion of Japanese historian Kiyoshi Inoue.
18.In the Historical Facts of Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Islands, published in 1972, Inoue says that historically the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. He emphasizes that before Japan's encroachment, the Diaoyu Islands were not terra nullius but China's territory.
19.Before Japan began the Meiji restoration in 1868, no documents could be found in that country or the Ryukyu Kingdom that mentioned the Diaoyu Islands without citing Chinese documents.
20.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku told a news conference on September 8 that arresting the Chinese captain was in line with Japanese laws, and there was no need to take recourse to diplomacy because the Japanese Government did not have territorial disputes with China over the Diaoyu Islands.
21.Tokyo's explanation shows its wild ambition to take forcible possession of the Diaoyu Islands in steps and this is open defiance of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
22.The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Japan have demanded immediate release of the ship and its crew and guarantee for their safe passage back home. The Chinese Government is taking all necessary steps to protect Chinese people's life and property.
23.Japan infringed upon China's sovereignty when its patrol vessels intercepted and inspected the Chinese fishing boat, and arrested its captain. Japan should know that it would set a bad example if it charges the Chinese trawler's captain according to Japanese laws.
24.China should intensify its patrol off the Diaoyu Islands to protect Chinese fishermen, too, and it should never compromise its sovereignty and integrity.
----Taken from an article published by the “China Daily” on September 10.The author, Hu Feiyue, is a special guest commentator for “China Daily”.
25.Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo told Japan early September 12 morning to make a "wise political resolution" and immediately release the Chinese fishermen and fishing boat its coast guard seized earlier this week. Dai made the remarks when he summoned the Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa in the wee hours. He was the highest-ranking Chinese official to make a response after the fishing boat and its crew were seized. "Dai expressed solemnly (to the Japanese Ambassador) the Chinese government's grave concerns and its serious and just position," said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. Dai warned Japan not to make a wrong judgment on the situation and urged it to make a "wise political resolution" and immediately release the fishermen and return the boat. China decided on September 10 night to postpone a negotiation with Japan on the East China Sea issue, which had been scheduled for mid September, after a Japanese court ruled a 10-day detention through Sept.19 against the captain despite protests from China. Previously, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on September 10 summoned the Japanese Ambassador and demanded Japan immediately and unconditionally release the boat and all the crew, saying China's determination to defend its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and the interests of the Chinese people was unswerving. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on September 10 night when announcing the postponement of the talks that the Japanese side has "ignored China's repeated solemn representations and firm opposition, and obstinately decided to put the Chinese captain under the so-called judiciary procedures." She said Japan's acts have violated the law of nations and basic international common sense, and are "ridiculous, illegal and invalid." "Japan will reap as it has sown, if it continues to act recklessly," Jiang warned.
--Xinhua of September 12.
26. “The conflict over Diaoyu, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, is complicated and unsettled. The islands are claimed by both China and Japan, but in effect are controlled by Japan. Fishing boats from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan occasionally enter into what Japan considers its "territorial waters," and are often chased off or even sunk after a forceful collision. This is a highly dangerous maneuver. With the public spotlight increasingly focused on maritime conflicts between the two countries, Japan's irresponsible moves may eventually set fire to the Sino-Japanese relationship, or even force a military showdown. China did not encourage or instigate its people to cruise into the Diaoyu waters. Japan should also refrain from overreacting to civilian boats occasionally entering this area. The use of force is a rude move by the Japanese authorities, which directly threatened the Chinese crew's safety. These actions send a strong signal to the Chinese public, and will definitely draw condemnation and protest. If it were Chinese naval boats smashing into Japanese fishing boats in some disputed area, how would the Japanese public react? Many Japanese have called for a tougher stance with China in recent years. It appears the Japanese Government might be listening. With their current power and roles in East Asia, the two countries have no reason to be intimidated by one another. As a result, when dealing with a conflict, one should consider the impact on the other side. Japan should understand that patrolling the disputed waters does not legalize its claim. China's claim over the Diaoyu Islands will never change, as was reiterated yesterday by China's foreign ministry. Japan's strategy in its southwest is changing, and watching China's every step seems to have become its focus. Deploying troops to its Southwest Islands, and holding military exercises near the Diaoyu Islands demonstrated this. The military maneuvers are contradictory to the claim of Japan's various administrations to make the East China Sea a sea of peace. If the Japanese Government chooses to stand with some hawkish activists instead of trying to solve disputes with China through talks, the East China Sea is in danger. Japanese authorities announced last night it would arrest the captain of the Chinese fishing boat on suspicion of violating Japan's fishing laws. Japan needs to take care of the Chinese crew and publicize the result of its investigation as soon as possible. China also has the right to participate in solving this matter.”
---Editorial in the “Global Times” of September 8.
YELLOW SEA: “MIXED MESSAGES” FROM US
27.US Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said on September 9 that aircraft carrier US George Washington will be sent to waters off the Korean Peninsula to participate in war games with South Korea. "The US George Washington will indeed exercise in the Yellow Sea," Geoff Morrell said. China has voiced objection to any military drills off its coast. The drills were postponed from its original schedule on Sept. 5-9.However, Morrell didn't give a specific timetable, stressing that it's not an affront to China, but rather a warning to Pyongyang. "We have said that will take place. I don't think we have determined a date yet, but rest assured, the George Washington will operate in the Yellow Sea, as it does in other international waters," he said.
--- Xinhua, September 10.
28.”The Pentagon has sent mixed messages to Beijing on Sino-American military ties. On Sept 10, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told a news conference that Beijing appeared ready to host US Defense Secretary Robert Gates for talks later this year. A day before that, Morrell had said an US aircraft carrier would take part in a joint US-South Korea military drill in the Yellow Sea later in the year. The first message indicates the US wants to maintain normal military ties with China. But the second contradicts it. America has turned a deaf ear to China's security concerns, ignoring its repeated warning that the presence of a US aircraft carrier - irrespective of the purpose - in the waters off its eastern coast poses a threat to its security. The US decision to hold another military drill in the Yellow Sea shows its lack of consistency and sincerity in addressing security issues with China. Since military ties are an important part of bilateral relations, they cannot be allowed to suffer setbacks. China, on its part, has said many times this month that it is willing to improve military ties with the US. The ball is in Washington's court now. It should stop sending mixed messages and make efforts to build a sound climate for early resumption of bilateral military cooperation.”
---“ China Daily” of September 11.
ANTI-TERROR DRILL IN KAZAKHSTAN
29.ALMATY, Kazakhstan - Top military officers from China, Russia and three Central Asian nations vowed on September 10 to work together to fight terrorism, following recent riots in Kyrgyzstan and at a time of challenges in Afghanistan.
30.Chiefs of General Staff from the militaries of the five countries, which included Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, made the remarks after announcing the start of a joint anti-terror military exercise in southern Kazakhstan.
31.Chen Bingde, Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), told reporters China would use its most advanced domestically produced equipment during the drill. Chen said the hardware was featured during the parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of New China on Oct 1, last year.
32."Except for the navy and strategic missiles that are not involved here, the drill basically includes the most advanced equipment made in China," Chen said.
33.However, "the political and strategic significance of the drill goes much further than its military significance," Chen added, stressing that the exercise is not targeted at any country or region but at terrorism, separatism and extremism.
34.The security situation in Central Asia and bordering countries is complex, with terrorism, separatism and extremism a widespread issue.
35.In July 2009, riots led by such groups in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, claimed the lives of at least 197 people and left more than 1,700 injured.
36.This year, Kyrgyzstan has seen months of turmoil and bloodshed since the ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in early April.
37."For Russia, the terrorist activities are real. Terrorist events in Russia's Caucasus have proved that," said Nikolai Makarov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian military.
38.A suicide bomber set off a powerful blast near a busy market in the North Caucasus on September 9, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens.
39.The drill is the seventh of its kind under the framework of the SCO but the first time SCO nations have taken heavy weapons into Kazakhstan. The country has been preparing for the event for the past year.
40.Set against the background of terrorism triggering a regional crisis, the Peace Mission 2010 drill on Kazakhstan's Matybulak testing grounds involves about 5,000 troops and will continue until Sept 25.
41.China sent about 1,000 troops to the country by train on a journey of nearly 5,000 km that lasted almost a week.
42.Russia and Kazakhstan each sent more than 1,000 troops while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan each dispatched more than 100.
43.The Chinese participants are largely from the Beijing Military Command and an air force combat group will fly directly from China to join the exercise.
44.After two weeks of joint training drills, Defense Ministers from the five nations will oversee the final drill.
45.Li Shuyin, an expert on Central Asia and Russian military studies with the Academy of Military Science of the PLA, said the SCO drills have enabled all of China's four military commands in the North to cooperate with foreign militaries.
46.The Jinan Military Command took part in the 2005 drill, while the Lanzhou command was involved in the 2007 gathering and the Shenyang command in 2009.
47.One of the highlights of Peace Mission 2010 will be the nighttime shooting of targets by personnel in helicopters, Li said, because it will be the first time it has been done during SCO drills.
48.Wang Haiyun, an expert in international strategy, said SCO member nations are mindful of developments in Afghanistan.
"We have to be prepared," said the former Military Attache to Russia.
49.While the five militaries have not had to fight a united war against regional terrorists, the drills have a role in deterring terrorists and keeping the situation relatively stable, he said.
-----China Daily of September 11.
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
Saturday, September 11, 2010
CALL TO US MUSLIMS TO RETALIATE
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MONITOR: PAPER NO.677
B.RAMAN
Terry Jones, the US pastor, who had threatened to organize a campaign to burn the Holy Koran starting from the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US, has since given up his plans. No Koran-burning incident took place anywhere in the world on the 9/11 anniversary.
2. Following the withdrawal of his threat, there have been no reports of an escalation of violent incidents in Afghanistan and protest demonstrations in Pakistan and other Muslim countries over his threat.
3. Normally, the Muslim anger over the pastor’s threat should subside in the wake of his withdrawal of the threat. However, attempts are being made by Muslim radical elements to keep the anger, particularly against the US, sustained even after the withdrawal of the threat by the pastor. They are trying to project the very fact that the pastor held out such a threat as an act of blasphemy and as an affront to Islam and calling for acts of retaliation by American Muslims.
4. Addressing an Eid prayer meeting in a Somali mosque on September 10,2010,Moalin Hashi, a senior Islamist cleric from the Hezbul Islam which is fighting against the Somali Government, is reported to have said: "These days senior infidels have been threatening to burn the holy Quran to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 incident, so we call on all Muslims in particular American Muslims to act against the pastor, to take tough action against the pastor."
5.After the prayer meeting, he is reported to have told local journalists as follows: "The wars going on in the world today are religious in nature but some think it is political but we can say it is religious considering what the pastors are saying and that they want to burn the Quran and that those before them used to insult our Prophet, so we want Muslims everywhere to rise up." ( 12-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
B.RAMAN
Terry Jones, the US pastor, who had threatened to organize a campaign to burn the Holy Koran starting from the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US, has since given up his plans. No Koran-burning incident took place anywhere in the world on the 9/11 anniversary.
2. Following the withdrawal of his threat, there have been no reports of an escalation of violent incidents in Afghanistan and protest demonstrations in Pakistan and other Muslim countries over his threat.
3. Normally, the Muslim anger over the pastor’s threat should subside in the wake of his withdrawal of the threat. However, attempts are being made by Muslim radical elements to keep the anger, particularly against the US, sustained even after the withdrawal of the threat by the pastor. They are trying to project the very fact that the pastor held out such a threat as an act of blasphemy and as an affront to Islam and calling for acts of retaliation by American Muslims.
4. Addressing an Eid prayer meeting in a Somali mosque on September 10,2010,Moalin Hashi, a senior Islamist cleric from the Hezbul Islam which is fighting against the Somali Government, is reported to have said: "These days senior infidels have been threatening to burn the holy Quran to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 incident, so we call on all Muslims in particular American Muslims to act against the pastor, to take tough action against the pastor."
5.After the prayer meeting, he is reported to have told local journalists as follows: "The wars going on in the world today are religious in nature but some think it is political but we can say it is religious considering what the pastors are saying and that they want to burn the Quran and that those before them used to insult our Prophet, so we want Muslims everywhere to rise up." ( 12-9-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
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