Decent Commentary on China’s Liaoning Class Aircraft Carrier
China’s first aircraft carrier “Liaoning” was delivered and commissioned to the Navy of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on the morning of Sept. 25. China is the last one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to have an aircraft carrier in active service.
The delivery and commissioning of Liaoning Ship marks a crucial step for China in shifting from a “land power” to a “land and sea power.” The ocean is becoming increasingly important for China along with the enhancement of national strength and overseas influence. The ocean not only serves as treasure house of resources but also connects China with the world.
The Navy of China’s PLA needs to protect 18,000 kilometers coastline, maritime trade routes and overseas interests. As the most advanced maritime operational platform, the aircraft carrier plays a deterrent role in time of peace and functions as the core of defense and offense in time of war. The commissioning of first aircraft carrier will improve the navy’s capability to fight battles and defend against maritime invasion, enrich naval warfare tactics, facilitate China’s settlement of disputes concerning maritime interests through peaceful means and promote regional peace.
Certain analysts are worried that the first aircraft carrier in service will lead to emergence of “China threat theory” and arms races, which is understandable, but unnecessary. Whether the weapon poses a threat or not mainly depends on the strategic thinking and intention of users. China has repeatedly claimed that it will never seek hegemony, engage in military expansion or arms races, or pose military threats to any other country.
The commissioning of the aircraft carrier is just a small step of China’s aircraft carrier program, which requires fully functional aircraft carrier, carrier-borne aircraft, and the well-trained crew. Besides, multiple aircraft carriers and rich experience in service are urgently needed. The first aircraft carrier in active service embodies China’s resolution to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.
As the Chinese navy has little experience in construction, training, and utilization of aircraft carrier, China should make active and pragmatic efforts to ensure full function of the aircraft carrier as soon as possible.
– Defence.Professionals
Free 90-Day US Visas for Taiwanese
Yet another US attempt to draw the Taiwanese in.
The US government has added Taiwan to its visa waiver program as part of a strategy to expand tourism to the United States, the White House said. The move will allow Taiwanese visitors to enter the United States for 90 days without visas, a privilege already extended to people of 36 nations.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had linked up to designate “Taiwan as the newest member of the visa waiver program,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. The move was a logical development in the “close security, economic and people-to-people relationship between the US and Taiwan,” he said. – AFP
In Emergencies,China Mobile Says Can Warn 25 Million People in 10 Seconds
Beijing’s deadly floods this summer quickly became an avenue for criticism of the government when it claimed it would have been “impossible” to text a warning to the city’s more than 20 million residents in a timely fashion. China Mobile’s Guangdong subsidiary quickly proved this wrong by sending out more than 30 million warning texts about floods in that region shortly after the Beijing disaster, and now the company has come out and said that it has the capability to handle warnings in Beijing, too. In fact, Beijing Mobile (China Mobile’s Beijing subsidiary) Party secretary Tian Limin says that with the government’s permission the company is capable of sending out 25 million warning texts — enough to cover every Beijing resident — in under ten seconds. – Tech in Asia
Fair Assessment of Chinese Military Modernization
This op-ed piece by Taiwan-based correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly is a fair assessment of China’s military modernization and current capabilities. PLA generals will tell you that China is 20-30 years behind the US. And China, over that period, will be focussed on economic modernization with all the implications for Chinese society and politics. China threat mongers should ponder that deeply.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/limits+Chinese+hard+power/7310477/story.html
Vancouver School Board Adds Chinese Language Content to Website For First Time
In response to changing demographics, the Vancouver school board has — for the first time in 15 years — revamped its Continuing Education website in a bid to boost enrolment.
Perhaps the most dramatic change to the website is the addition of a Chinese language section, for courses offered in Chinese.
The website had not undergone significant change since 1998, according to program director Andy Gauthier. And with enrolment in the program seeing a small dip in the spring, Gauthier said the timing of the new website was well timed.
The Chinese section of the website highlights popular classes such as floristry, offered by renowned Chinese-Canadian artist Louisa Lam. Gauthier said the school board wanted to increase the profiles of instructors like Lam and culinary arts mainstay Agnes Chiu.
BC’s ‘Stone of Heaven’ Industry
See this CTV clip about Canadian jade mining and carving in BC. Canadian mines are now attracting interest from Chinese investors.
Canadian CEOs: Don’t Single Out China on Security
Canadian business leaders have heard all the warnings about China: fears that Chinese hackers and cyber-spies may be trying to breach the computer networks of Canadian companies and government departments, and concerns about huge state-owned companies taking over vital Canadian resources.
The warnings haven’t fallen on deaf ears, but they don’t exactly have Canadian companies running for the exits. China is just too big and too wealthy to scare off business that easily.
Some of Canada’s top executives met in Ottawa this week at a forum hosted by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. The two-day event, called Canada in the Pacific Century, attracted some of the top CEOs, government ministers and academics all keen on prying open the vast Asian marketplace for Canadian business.
Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney was there, assuring Canadian companies it’s never too late to break into the Asian market. Carney told his audience there is still the potential for “a huge amount of growth” in China.
Canadian businesses have known about China’s potential for years. So have Canadian politicians. Ottawa sent its first trade delegation to the People’s Republic in 1972, not long after the two countries established formal diplomatic relations. Jean Chretien led numerous Team Canada missions to China during his tenure as prime minister.
Even current Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was cool to China when he was first elected in 2006, eventually came around to the realization the world’s biggest market could not be easily ignored. There is now even talk of China and Canada one day reaching a free trade deal.
– CBC
Ishihara Shintaro, the Tail That is Wagging the Dog
Ishihara Shintaro, the ultra-nationalist Governor of Tokyo, who’s 1980s book Japan That Can Say ‘No’ girded the US and shot him into international infamy, is the devil behind it all.
Here is a good article on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2012/09/26/161812054/tokyos-governor-stokes-the-island-feud-with-china?ft=1&f=1001
Tibet Railway Extension to be Finished a Year Ahead of Schedule
China is set to complete a 253-km rail link from Lhasa to Shigatse, near its border with Nepal, by 2014 — a year ahead of schedule. Railway authorities say the rail link, which is an extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, will be completed in two years’ time and will have an annual freight capacity of 8.3 million tonnes, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
China began construction on the rail line — half of it on bridges and in tunnels through the mountains of Tibet — in 2010. The line will also run through the Grand Canyon of the Yarlung Zangbo River.
Construction on the line began in 2010 with a budge of 13.3 billion Yuan ($ 2.1 billion). Officials of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government were quoted as saying in January that the link would be completed in 2015, and would boost tourism and accelerate the transportation of natural resources.
The project is included under the current five year plan (2011-2015) for the TAR, which has also allocated funds for expanding the region’s road network with 5,000 km of roads being built in 2011.
– The Hindu
Chinese Government Ministries Test Electric Cars
Eleven Chinese ministries and government agencies are test-driving China-made electric cars and more will follow suit, state news agency Xinhua said, in the latest show of state support for the country’s fledging green vehicle industry.
Staff at the ministries will drive a fleet of 23 electric cars from Warren Buffett-backed BYD Co Ltd and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co, or JAC Motors, as their official vehicles in a one-year trial, Xinhua said on Wednesday.
Sales remain dismal due to high battery costs and a lack of charging facilities. Experts also say electric cars lack mass market appeal because they are either too costly or not stylish enough for the rich.
Ministries testing the cars include China’s powerful economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Culture.
– Reuters