Chinese Sphere: Pondering Place in New World
Amidst reports of the ongoing back-and-forth arguments that took place in the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue over the strength of the Chinese currency, an interesting news item surfaced in the Southern Metropolis Daily, one of China's leading commercial newspapers. In remarks to the paper, Major General Jin Yi'nan, the head of the PLA National Defense University's Institute of Strategy, advocated dispatching the Chinese Navy over to the Gulf of Aden to take care of the Somali pirates. Just last month the pirates hijacked of a Chinese fishing boat and took 15 Chinese hostages.
While Jin was quick to dispel "China threat" concerns, he made clear that the overall message of such a mission went beyond a simple piracy fighting action: "If the Chinese Navy were to rescue hostages and protect the passage of commercial vessels, it would in no way be an economic issue. Rather, it would be an issue of national image. In fact, sending out a naval group is not just to target the Somali pirates. The Chinese Navy would sail from Hainan, through the Malacca Straits, enter the Indian Ocean, draw near to the Red Sea, and take position in the Gulf of Aden. This would be a sign to the world that China will be resolute, determined, and capable of mobilizing its Navy to protect its maritime interests, regional security, and the safety of shipping lanes and passages. That is the most important point."
In a Ming Pao op-ed, convener of Hong Kong's Executive Council CY Leung ponders how Hong Kong can maintain a position of importance in China and the world: "We need to integrate two primary demands: the first is for foreign financial organizations to develop their business in mainland China; the second demand is for mainland China to develop its own sustainable domestic financial industry with the help of Hong Kong. If we are unable to meet both of these demands, the financial center of Hong Kong will lose its 'international' nature and become just like Shanghai. We will also lose our 'Chinese' nature and become just like Singapore. ... If we can carry out this project, we can secure the position of the next generation of Hong Kong residents as well Hong Kong's place in the country."
The closer that Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou tries to bring the country to China, the more his administration seems to take on facets of its authoritarian neighbor. Police treatment of protesters during the Chinese envoy's visit last month elicited notices from Freedom House, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and most recently Amnesty International, a dubious distinction that Taiwan has not had since the days when it was a martial law dictatorship. Now Ma has stated that it would not be in the "national interest" to welcome the Dalai Lama, who had expressed a desire to visit Taiwan in 2009. The Dalai Lama last visited Taiwan in 2001 when the current opposition Democratic Progressive Party was in power.
In an editorial, the Taiwan-based China Times writes, "Cross-Strait relations are, indeed, important to Taiwan, and everybody wishes for harmony between the two sides. However, cross-Strait relations should in no way be equated with the national interest. A free economy, democracy, human rights, and national stature are absolutely of greater importance. ... For a long time the message we have given to the international community was that Taiwan stood on the side of democracy, freedom, and human rights and faced suppression from Communist China. Every country, out of consideration for its 'national interest' and Chinese pressure, has sacrificed Taiwan.
"However, there are many international friends who are still concerned about Taiwan's plight. Now that we have rejected the Dalai Lama, have we not just shot ourselves in the foot? Moreover, if we ourselves are unable to withstand pressure from Communist China, how can we ask the international community to support Taiwan?"
