Clinton plays down tension risks with China

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Clinton plays down tension risks with China - People's Daily Online

Clinton plays down tension risks with China08:46, January 13, 2010

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed on Monday the risk of tensions between China and the US, saying she believes the two countries have "a mature relationship" to overcome "differences of opinion."

Speaking on the first day of her ongoing Asia-Pacific trip, Clinton acknowledged in Hawaii that relations with China might be entering a rough pe-riod, as US President Barack Obama''s administration supports the sale of defensive arms to Taiwan and a possible meeting between the president and the Dalai Lama.

"What I''m expecting is that we actually have a mature relationship that fits the description that was given at the summit between our two presidents, that it be positive, cooperative and comprehensive," Clinton said. "That means that it doesn''t go off the rails when we have differences of opinion."

China has expressed its strong dissatisfaction with a US decision last week to sell almost $1 billion worth of anti-missile batteries and missiles to Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu also emphasized Tuesday that mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as each other''s core interests, are important conditions for the steady development of Sino-US relations.

Shen Dingli, director of the Center of American Studies at Fudan University, said Sino-US relations have always been adversarial and cooperative.

Even though more friction may appear this year, according to Shen, there are also long-standing problems. Therefore the recent developments shouldn''t hurt bilateral relations fundamentally.

"Both Taiwan and Tibetan issues touch the core interests of China''s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any unwise move by the US may cause China to cancel cooperation with the US on anti-nuclear and anti-terrorism (issues), which would also touch the core interests of the US," Shen added.

Clinton also reiterated that visits to Asia are a "signal that the US intends to be a leader and exercise influence in this region for this century as well as the last century," AFP reported.

"There was a general sense on the part of our allies and partners in the region that we were withdrawing," AFP quoted her as saying, suggesting the previous administration of president George W. Bush had neglected the region.

"But people want to see that the United States is fully engaged in Asia so that, as China rises, there is a presence of the United States as a force for peace and stability, as a guarantor of security," she added.

Meanwhile, Clinton held talks with her Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada Tuesday over the disputed US air base in Japan.

Clinton also said Washington intends to "exercise influence" in Asia for another century and serve as a stabilizing force in the region.

This is her fourth Asia tour since becoming the chief US diplomat a year ago. She will visit Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Agencies contributed to this story

 

[illuminatus]

Chinese media warns of damage to US ties

China unveils anti-missile system

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
‘The US on the one hand wants all kinds of cooperation, but on the other hand keeps selling weapons to Taiwan’

BEIJING: China successfully tested emerging military technology aimed at destroying missiles in mid-air, the government said, while state media warned ties with Washington would be hurt by US missile sales to Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan is an illegitimate breakaway from mainland rule and sees the US arms sales an intrusion into a domestic dispute.

The brief report on the “ground-based mid-course missile interception technology” from China’s state-run Xinhua news agency gave few details, and did not specify whether any missile or object had been destroyed in the test, staged on Chinese soil.

“The test has achieved the expected objective,” said the report, without describing that objective. “The test is defensive in nature and is not targeted at any country,” it quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu gave few clues about the test, but she told a news briefing it had not left fragments in space or created risks for orbiting vessels. This latest flexing of China’s maturing military hardware came after the United States cleared a sale of Patriot air defence missiles to Taiwan last week, drawing condemnation from Beijing.

China’s ire over the arms sales shows no sign of escalating into military confrontation or diplomatic upheaval. But Beijing’s growing assertiveness over the issue could magnify strains with Washington while both sides grapple with economic tensions and the US seeks Chinese backing on Iran and other disputes.

“China feels the United States on the one hand wants all kinds of cooperation, but on the other hand keeps selling weapons to Taiwan, and this discrepancy is expanding,” said ZhuFeng, a professor of international relations at Peking University.

“There won’t be any substantive reversal in relations over this,” he added. “But China’s self-confidence is growing and it feels these weapons sales to Taiwan are humiliating.” The Patriot “PAC-3” missiles can destroy missiles in mid-air, and could be used against the thousand or more offensive missiles that Taiwan says China has along its coast facing the island.

A commentary from the Xinhua agency on Monday warned of broader fallout from the Patriot missile deal. “Each time the United States has sold weapons to Taiwan, there has been huge damage to China-US relations,” said the commentary, issued separately from the report on the anti-missile test. “This US arms sale to Taiwan will be no exception.”

The commentary accused the Obama administration of betraying a commitment to respect each country’s “core interests.” “Immediately halt weapons sales to Taiwan to avoid damaging cooperation between China and the United States in important areas,” it said. It did not specify those areas. China curtailed military-to-military contacts with the United States after then President

George W Bush notified Congress in October 2008 of plans to sell Taiwan a long-delayed arms package worth up to $6.4 billion. Senior Chinese People’s Liberation Army officials have also urged Beijing to punish Washington and US firms for arms deals with the disputed island.

“We have the power and ability to adopt counter-measures (against US arms sales to Taiwan),” Jin Yinan, a PLA major-general and professor at China’s National Defence University, wrote in a newspaper, the Study Times, earlier this month. “We must use counter-measures to make the other side pay a corresponding price and suffer corresponding punishment.”

Beijing has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since 1949, when Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and fleeing Nationalists gained control of the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, recognising Beijing’s “one China” policy. But Washington remains Taiwan’s biggest military backer and says it is obliged to help the island defend itself.

Source: Chinese media warns of damage to US ties

 

[super_star]

Clinton plays down tension risks with China - People's Daily Online

Clinton plays down tension risks with China08:46, January 13, 2010

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed on Monday the risk of tensions between China and the US, saying she believes the two countries have "a mature relationship" to overcome "differences of opinion."

Speaking on the first day of her ongoing Asia-Pacific trip, Clinton acknowledged in Hawaii that relations with China might be entering a rough pe-riod, as US President Barack Obama''s administration supports the sale of defensive arms to Taiwan and a possible meeting between the president and the Dalai Lama.

"What I''m expecting is that we actually have a mature relationship that fits the description that was given at the summit between our two presidents, that it be positive, cooperative and comprehensive," Clinton said. "That means that it doesn''t go off the rails when we have differences of opinion."

China has expressed its strong dissatisfaction with a US decision last week to sell almost $1 billion worth of anti-missile batteries and missiles to Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu also emphasized Tuesday that mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as each other''s core interests, are important conditions for the steady development of Sino-US relations.

Shen Dingli, director of the Center of American Studies at Fudan University, said Sino-US relations have always been adversarial and cooperative.

Even though more friction may appear this year, according to Shen, there are also long-standing problems. Therefore the recent developments shouldn''t hurt bilateral relations fundamentally.

"Both Taiwan and Tibetan issues touch the core interests of China''s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any unwise move by the US may cause China to cancel cooperation with the US on anti-nuclear and anti-terrorism (issues), which would also touch the core interests of the US," Shen added.

Clinton also reiterated that visits to Asia are a "signal that the US intends to be a leader and exercise influence in this region for this century as well as the last century," AFP reported.

"There was a general sense on the part of our allies and partners in the region that we were withdrawing," AFP quoted her as saying, suggesting the previous administration of president George W. Bush had neglected the region.

"But people want to see that the United States is fully engaged in Asia so that, as China rises, there is a presence of the United States as a force for peace and stability, as a guarantor of security," she added.

Meanwhile, Clinton held talks with her Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada Tuesday over the disputed US air base in Japan.

Clinton also said Washington intends to "exercise influence" in Asia for another century and serve as a stabilizing force in the region.

This is her fourth Asia tour since becoming the chief US diplomat a year ago. She will visit Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Agencies contributed to this story

USA scared of China's ICBM IMO

 

[Communist]

USA scared of China's ICBM IMO

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