Chinese Media: Different Tones
Chinese media shows different tones on the island dispute, being tough with other countries but humble with Russia.
An article in the country's People's Daily said that everywhere there are "negative, pessimistic voices" that "China is facing many challenges."
Accordingly, China is facing external troubles, such as the Diaoyu Islands dispute with Japan; the East Sea dispute with some ASEAN countries. Meanwhile, the economy is also in crisis. "China's difficulties will last for a while longer," People's Daily quoted Premier Wen Jiabao as saying.
A Chinese fishing boat chased by the Japanese coast guard - Photo: Reuters
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The above editorial asks the question, is there ever a time when China can be "relaxed"? Not only is it being opposed by international public opinion because of its "hawkish" behavior inEast Sea,The world's most populous nation also said it felt "surrounded" by the US.
In many exercises in the Pacific, according to the editorial, whenever the Chinese navy participates, it is said to be plotting hegemony, and if it does not participate, it is criticized for the “China factor”. Even in the election between the two US presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, these two also brought up China as a topic of debate. In it, Mr. Mitt Romney criticized the current President Obama for being “too soft on China”.
In addition, tourism activities in Sansha are expected to begin later this year despite objections from Vietnam and the Philippines to the establishment of this city, according to MingPao Daily News. MingPao Daily News even said that China is “tightening military activities in the Spratly area”.
Meanwhile, the 21st Century Business Magazine in Guangzhou quoted experts from the China National Petroleum Corporation as saying that the plan to explore and exploit oil and gas in the East Sea is still "progressing smoothly" and attracting the attention of many American companies.
Humble to the Russians
Global Times and Beijing NewsJuly 18 news 2fishing boatalong with 36 Chinese fishermen were detained by the Russian coast guard while fishing in Russian waters. According to sources from the Chinese consulates in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok,Russian Coast Guardfired warning shots at one of the two ships; however, no one was injured.
Russia arrests Chinese fishing boat (Illustration photo)
Meanwhile, several other Chinese fishing vessels operating in the Far Eastern port of Nakhodka are also being investigated for suspected illegal fishing in Russia’s exclusive economic zone, the Global Times and Beijing News reported. Beijing officials have not yet commented on the incident in which the Chinese fishing vessel was chased by a Russian patrol boat for three hours at sea. Only the Global editorial said that Russia’s actions were “unacceptable” and “damaging Russia’s image” in relations between the two countries. The Global Times’s tone did not appear in the CCTV and Shenzhen TV reports.
On the contrary, the Shenzhen TV announcer also “warned Chinese fishermen not to encroach on Russian sovereign waters and not to fish illegally.” The announcer also admitted that Chinese fishing boats secretly fishing in Russian waters “happen a lot every year.” This shows China’s duplicity. In the fishing boat troubles with Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, this country has always loudly declared its “indisputable sovereignty” and “traditional fishing grounds” that it claims as its own.
In the case of the fishing boat being captured by Russia, China showed a rare soft attitude when it announced that it would punish the two fishing boats that violated Russian territorial waters.
According to VTC-M