The smallest, most ordinary scrap of information can often speak volumes about the direction in which a nation is going. A case in point from China is a Fuzhou, Fujian Province public schools memo dated Feb. 29, 2016, on the subject of “moral education” and “education for the Chinese Dream.”
On Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work warned Beijing against declaring an exclusion zone in the South China Sea, calling any potential announcement as “destabilizing,” and vowing the United States would not recognize such a zone.
China has responded to its apparent loss of influence in Myanmar by unleashing an aggressive propaganda and organizing campaign aimed at countering Western influence and cultivating a pro-Beijing grassroots political base particularly among ethnic Chinese in Myanmar.
By defying international law using “traditional fishing grounds” as an excuse, China’s latest show of aggression in the South China Sea has only heightened tensions among its neighbors, and provided the region’s militaries an excuse to increase defense spending.
China tried to save face last week, by lashing out at those critical of its human rights record during a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.
The erratic behavior of the Kim dynasty has long enraged and exasperated both its enemies and allies, though larger states have certainly used North Korea’s existence as a fig leaf for moves of their own.
In the past, scholars tended to believe that the internet was an effective tool to challenge authoritarian regimes and facilitate the development of civil society. However, as an expert that has been investigating the issue for a number of years, I disagree with this widely held belief.
After protracted negotiations, China has finally withdrawn its opposition, joining in the UN Security Council’s unanimous decision to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and ballistic missile test.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, put together at the end of last year and signed at the beginning of last month, has not come into effect yet. Nonetheless, presidential candidates have spared no effort decrying it, turning the issue into a political piñata used to score points.
China’s assertive attitude towards its neighbors and America’s role in East Asia has slowly morphed since last autumn’s final round of provocative acts into something less strident.
During her recent address to the National Assembly, President Park stressed her intention to adopt a more assertive strategy toward the North Korean regime.
In an appearance on Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command stated: “I believe China seeks hegemony in East Asia.”
The Chinese foreign ministry recently announced that China would be setting up a “logistical facility” in the East African country of Djibouti.
On Sunday, Pyongyang launched a long-range missile. While China still opposes expanding sanctions on North Korea, Washington has recently stressed its determination to support South Korea and Japan against the North’s nuclear threat.
When delegates from nearly 200 countries convened in Paris in late November 2015, many were hopeful about the COP21. It could be a watershed moment when the world would unite and finally put forth a plan to combat climate change.