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The Hindu : News / International : Chinese media see "containment strategy"
The Chinese government on Wednesday played down a series of commentaries appearing in State-run media which suggested that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's on-going visit to India was part of a "containment strategy" aimed at China, saying it was ready to work with both Japan and India to develop ties.
Welcoming visits
The Foreign Ministry said it "welcomed" mutual visits between India and Japan and wanted to "actively develop" relations with both countries, when asked about recent commentaries appearing in the official media, alleging that Japan, India and some of China's other neighbours were part of a United States-led effort to contain China's rise.
In recent days, just as Mr. Noda concluded a visit to Beijing and travelled to New Delhi on Tuesday, the People's Daily, which is the Communist Party's mouthpiece, as well as the government-run China Daily and a military newspaper, all carried articles discussing his India visit.
"Boosting ties with India is part of Japan's strategy of strengthening alliances with Asia-Pacific nations with an eye on China," the China Daily reported on Wednesday.
"The India-Japan summit is a continuance of Japan's "Arc of Freedom and Prosperity" strategy, which has been widely interpreted as an effort to contain China," it quoted Lu Yaodong, director of the department of Japanese diplomacy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as saying.
"Japan and India have comprehensively boosted regional cooperation in recent years, not only in security but also in economic ties," he told the newspaper. "And the cooperation has been moving from bilateral to multilateral, trying to include the United States, Australia and India in its Arc of Freedom and Prosperity."
The Communist Party-run People's Daily, in an article earlier this week, said the U.S. was "[working] to shore up its ties with old Asian allies, like Japan and South Korea, as well as new giants like India."
Lin Zhiyuan, a scholar at the Academy of Military Sciences, was also quoted by a military website this week as saying that the U.S. was "intensifying 'security rebalancing' efforts on China" and "instigating its allies to pay, contribute and appear to restrain China." The U.S., he said, had "strengthened penetration in China's surrounding regions through humanitarian aids, military exchanges and arms sales."
Asked if these views reflected that of the Chinese government, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei stressed that China had good ties with both Japan and India, and was ready to work with both countries to improve relations.
Chinese analysts say even influential party and government newspapers don't necessarily reflect the government's official policy, although they are an important channel to articulate the concerns of the party – or at least certain influential sections – with a level of clarity beyond the niceties of diplomacy.
Mr. Hong said the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to Beijing, which concluded on Tuesday, reached a consensus that "peaceful coexistence, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development serve the interests of the two countries and two peoples".
Positive tone
In Beijing, Mr. Noda and Chinese President Hu Jintao devoted much time to the situation in North Korea following the death of Kim Jong-il, rather than focus on bilateral disputes. The tone of the visit was generally positive, observers said, in a marked difference from the recent strains in ties over maritime disputes.
The two countries also signed a landmark deal to enable both countries to trade in each other's currencies and reduce their reliance on the dollar, with Japan expected to purchase $ 500 million worth of Chinese government bonds.
"We are ready to actively develop relations with Japan and India," Mr. Hong said. "And we welcome the mutual visits between India and Japan, as well as their efforts to promote regional peace and development."
The Chinese government on Wednesday played down a series of commentaries appearing in State-run media which suggested that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's on-going visit to India was part of a "containment strategy" aimed at China, saying it was ready to work with both Japan and India to develop ties.
Welcoming visits
The Foreign Ministry said it "welcomed" mutual visits between India and Japan and wanted to "actively develop" relations with both countries, when asked about recent commentaries appearing in the official media, alleging that Japan, India and some of China's other neighbours were part of a United States-led effort to contain China's rise.
In recent days, just as Mr. Noda concluded a visit to Beijing and travelled to New Delhi on Tuesday, the People's Daily, which is the Communist Party's mouthpiece, as well as the government-run China Daily and a military newspaper, all carried articles discussing his India visit.
"Boosting ties with India is part of Japan's strategy of strengthening alliances with Asia-Pacific nations with an eye on China," the China Daily reported on Wednesday.
"The India-Japan summit is a continuance of Japan's "Arc of Freedom and Prosperity" strategy, which has been widely interpreted as an effort to contain China," it quoted Lu Yaodong, director of the department of Japanese diplomacy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as saying.
"Japan and India have comprehensively boosted regional cooperation in recent years, not only in security but also in economic ties," he told the newspaper. "And the cooperation has been moving from bilateral to multilateral, trying to include the United States, Australia and India in its Arc of Freedom and Prosperity."
The Communist Party-run People's Daily, in an article earlier this week, said the U.S. was "[working] to shore up its ties with old Asian allies, like Japan and South Korea, as well as new giants like India."
Lin Zhiyuan, a scholar at the Academy of Military Sciences, was also quoted by a military website this week as saying that the U.S. was "intensifying 'security rebalancing' efforts on China" and "instigating its allies to pay, contribute and appear to restrain China." The U.S., he said, had "strengthened penetration in China's surrounding regions through humanitarian aids, military exchanges and arms sales."
Asked if these views reflected that of the Chinese government, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei stressed that China had good ties with both Japan and India, and was ready to work with both countries to improve relations.
Chinese analysts say even influential party and government newspapers don't necessarily reflect the government's official policy, although they are an important channel to articulate the concerns of the party – or at least certain influential sections – with a level of clarity beyond the niceties of diplomacy.
Mr. Hong said the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to Beijing, which concluded on Tuesday, reached a consensus that "peaceful coexistence, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development serve the interests of the two countries and two peoples".
Positive tone
In Beijing, Mr. Noda and Chinese President Hu Jintao devoted much time to the situation in North Korea following the death of Kim Jong-il, rather than focus on bilateral disputes. The tone of the visit was generally positive, observers said, in a marked difference from the recent strains in ties over maritime disputes.
The two countries also signed a landmark deal to enable both countries to trade in each other's currencies and reduce their reliance on the dollar, with Japan expected to purchase $ 500 million worth of Chinese government bonds.
"We are ready to actively develop relations with Japan and India," Mr. Hong said. "And we welcome the mutual visits between India and Japan, as well as their efforts to promote regional peace and development."
