Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

 

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Regional Issues U.S.-China Engagement People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Arms Sales & Military Balance China’s Rise: China’s Economic and Social Developments ‘One China,’ ‘Status Quo,’ and ‘Taiwan Independence’ Taiwan’s Party Politics Chen’s Legacy and Ma Era Exchange Rates and Internationalization of RMB Korean Peninsula Crises Chiang-Chen Talks Gulf of Aden and China’s Blue Water Navy ECFA and FTAs Google and China   [ News ] [ Papers ] Public’s Affinity for China Drops to Record Low (Kyodo, Dec. 19, 2010) The number of Japanese who feel friendly toward China dropped to a record low 20 percent in a poll conducted by the government, down 18.5 percentage points from the previous survey last year. Cross-Strait Arbitration Will Depend on China’s Legal System, Expert Says (Taipei Times, Dec. 19, 2010) Whether China is able to establish a fair and well-functioning legal system is an important factor influencing the development of cross-strait relations in the future, Jerome Cohen, a leading US expert on the Chinese legal system, said. Gov’t Ready to Negotiate Cultural Pact with China (CNA, Dec. 19, 2010) Taiwan is prepared to discuss a cultural agreement with China and hopes that the issue can be put on the agenda for cross-Taiwan Strait negotiations next year, a Taiwanese official said. Senkaku Memorial Day Riles China (Japan Times, Dec. 18, 2010) Beijing was quick to lash out at the city ofIshigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, for establishing a memorial day commemoratingJapan's 1895 integration of the Senkaku Islands. US Pressuring EU on China Embargo (Taipei Times, Dec. 18, 2010) The latest confidential diplomatic cable to be released by the WikiLeaks Web site shows that the US continues to pressure EU countries to maintain their arms embargo against China. Cross-Strait Talks Reach Tenuous Stage: SEF (Taipei Times, Dec. 18, 2010) SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kun acknowledged that cross-strait talks have entered a challenging stage because of the increasingly complicated issues to be addressed. United States and China Come Closer in a Joint Commission (Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 18, 2010) Although North Korea has created a wedge between the United States and China, the two countries have made some progress in dealing with their often-heated dispute over trade. China for the First Time Reveals Aircraft Carrier Plan (The Hindu, Dec. 17, 2010) The Chinese government has for the first time officially revealed that it has launched a program to build an aircraft carrier, an already widely-known project that has recently stirred debate over China’s naval intentions and capabilities. Japan Announces Defense Policy to Counter China (New York Times, Dec. 17, 2010) Japan announced a new defense policy on Friday that will respond to China’s rising military might by building more submarines and other mobile forces capable of defending Japan’s southernmost islands. US and China ‘Unlikely’ to Sign Joint Statement during Hu’s Visit: Envoy (China Post, Dec. 16, 2010) Taiwan's representative to the United States said it was “unlikely” for the U.S. and China to sign the fourthcommunique or release a joint statement that will impact the trilateral relationship during Chinese President Hu Jintao's scheduled visit to Washington next January. Taiwan, Singapore Set for Formal Talks on Trade Deal (CNA, Dec. 16, 2010) Taiwan and Singapore will begin formal negotiations on a free trade agreement early next year after completing feasibility studies, representatives of both governments announced in a joint press release. Next Round of Talks with China Set for Dec. 20-22 (CNA, Dec. 15, 2010) Top negotiators representing Taiwan and China are scheduled to hold their sixth meeting since 2008 in Taipei Dec. 20-22, during which a cross-Taiwan Strait medical and health cooperation agreement is expected to be signed, officials said. Lee Calls for New Force to Beat Ma in 2012 (China Post, Dec. 15, 2010) Former President Lee Teng-hui has called for consolidating the opposition forces to vote President Ma Ying-jeou out of office and reverse the “pro-China” policies pushed by Ma and his administration. Navy Asked to Explain Apparent Ship Plan Delay (Taipei Times, Dec. 14, 2010) The navy was asked to justify an apparent decision to delay plans to launch a program to build submarine chasers to increase the nation’s coastal defense capabilities. First Taiwanese Academy to Open in LA Next Spring (CNA, Dec. 13, 2010) The first academy aimed at promoting Taiwanese culture will open in Los Angeles next spring, Taiwan's office in the West Coast city said. More Muscular China Made Change Necessary By Masami Ito(Japan Times, Dec. 18, 2010) The new defense guideline calling for a drastic shift to the southwest is a necessary and natural move for Japan amid China's growing military might and tougher diplomatic posture in the East China Sea, military analysts said. Opinion Poll on a 2012 Presidential Election between Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen (UDN, Nov. 29, 2010) 70% of the voters who supported the Ma-Siew ticket in the 2008 Presidential Election would vote for President Ma in the 2012 election. Testing Times Ahead for Sino-US Ties By Benjamin A. Shobert(Asia Times, Dec. 18, 2010) American policymakers must decide whether to engage China, or blame it for their problems. And Beijing's decisions on dealing with burning economic issues will have a big impact on the United States. In India, China Leader Pushes Trade By Jim Yardley(New York Times, Dec. 17, 2010) China and India set ambitious new economic targets by pledging to nearly double their trade in the next five years to $100 billion annually. Assessing China’s Maritime PLAN By James Holmes and ToshiYoshihara (Taipei Times, Dec. 14, 2010) Two narratives are making the rounds among China--watchers this year. One alleges that the buildup of high-end PLAN warships has slowed or ended. The other claims that Chinese policy toward the South China Sea remains innocuous despite saber-rattling over a “core interest” there. We Dissent. As China Rolls Ahead, Fear Follows By David Barboza(New York Times, Dec. 13, 2010) A growing number of economists now worry that China could be stalled next year by soaring inflation, mounting government debt and asset bubbles. Japan Plans Military Shift to Focus More on China By MartinFackler (New York Times, Dec. 13, 2010) Japan is about to release new military guidelines that would reduce its heavy armored and artillery forces pointed north toward Russia in favor of creating more mobile units that could respond to China’s growing presence near its southernmost islands. Evolution of Cross-Strait Relations By Tung Chen-yuan(Taipei Times, Dec. 13, 2010) While cross-strait issues were not a main focus of the recent special municipality elections, the results will definitely have an impact on the future development of cross-strait relations.