All Seems Quiet For now

China, Japan conflict over islands in the East China Sea at a standstill, for now

David Lague, Reuters | Sep 21, 2012 12:56 PM ET
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Reuters / KyodoChinese ocean surveillance, fishery patrol ships and a Japan Coast Guard patrol ship, right, sail about 27 kilometres west from a group of disputed islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea Sept. 18, 2012. China and Japan are currently involved in a territorial dispute involving the group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.

• HONG KONG — The dispute between China and Japan over a desolate jumble of rocky islets in the East China Sea has taken a familiar turn with Beijing deploying a fleet of paramilitary patrol ships while similar Japanese vessels steam out in response.

As in earlier disputes over rocks and shoals in the South China Sea, Beijing is relying on these vessels rather than more menacing warships to assert its sovereignty over the disputed islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.

For both sides, the presence of lightly armed paramilitary ships reduces the risk of conflict, maritime experts say, while they retain the option of deploying more firepower if the dispute intensifies.

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• ‘In everybody’s interest’ for Japan, China to maintain good relations, Panetta says as Beijing launches flotilla of 1,000 fishing boats to disputed islands
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• Japan shuts factories, stores in China as islands dispute turns violent

However, unlike China’s recent sparring with the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal, this flare-up pits East Asia’s two maritime powers against each other in a confrontation loaded with military risk.

If a clash erupted, experts warn it could be difficult to contain to the disputed area and would likely draw in the United States, Japan’s security alliance partner, into hostilities with China.

The U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, said on Thursday the disputed islands were “clearly” covered by a 1960 treaty obliging the United States to come to Japan’s aid if attacked.

“I actually don’t think the two sides intend to fight a war over the islands this time,” said Sun Yun, an expert on Chinese security policy at the Washington-based Stimson Centre.

I do think it is more dangerous because the current round of tension is more emotionally charged than the earlier stand-offs in the South China Sea

“But, I do think it is more dangerous because the current round of tension is more emotionally charged than the earlier stand-offs in the South China Sea.”

Politics may well keep the row simmering in the months ahead with a Japanese election expected by year’s end and China preparing a leadership transition.

STEP INTO UNKNOWN

While China’s maritime rise has captured global attention, Japan has also been quietly and unobtrusively building a powerful navy boasting some of the most advanced military technologies afloat.

If tensions over the disputed islands led to military conflict, it is not clear that China’s navy could overpower Japanese forces as easily as it might expect to prevail against militarily weaker rivals in the South China Sea.

For both militaries, a naval clash would be a step into the unknown.

Kyodo / ReutersJapan Coast Guard officials guard an Uotsuri island, part of the territorially disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku isles in Japan, Diaoyu islands in China.

Japan’s pacifist Constitution has insulated its navy from combat since it was shattered in the final stages of the Second World War.

Modern China’s navy is still in its infancy and also has no fighting experience.

In its three-decade military build-up, Beijing has transformed what was a rusting, obsolete, coastal defense force into a blue water navy that is increasingly capable of mounting deployments and complex operations far from the Chinese mainland.

In raw numbers, China is now the world’s second-ranked naval power behind the United States with a fleet including about 80 major warships, 53 submarines, 50 landing ships and 86 missile patrol boats.

With a combination of Russian and homegrown hardware, it has deployed multi-ship fleets through the Japanese island chain and out into the Pacific ocean for exercises and training. Its ships have taken part in international anti-piracy operations in the Indian ocean. It has a fleet of advanced conventional submarines.

The most powerful Chinese warships and submarines are armed with deadly, Russian-made supersonic anti-ship missiles. However, the Chinese navy lacks operational training and experience, naval experts say.

BIGGER THAN BRITAIN’S

Kyodo / ReutersJapan's national flag is shown on one of a group of disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea Sept. 19, 2012.

Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force is clearly smaller with about 48 major warships and 16 submarines but it remains a formidable force compared with other traditional naval powers.

It has twice as many surface warships as Britain’s Royal Navy and twice as many submarines as the French navy.

Some of its key surface warships are equipped with the advanced U.S. Aegis combat system that combines computers, radars and information from other ships, satellites or aircraft to track multiple targets and guide attacking missiles.

Japan’s conventional submarines are also regarded as some of the most advanced and stealthiest in the world.

Naval experts say the Japanese navy is also a highly trained professional force that has exercised for decades in its major roles of sea lane protection and anti-submarine warfare. It has also trained regularly with U.S. forces.

If a clash took place in the area of the disputed islands between the Japanese island of Okinawa and Taiwan, both sides could deploy land-based strike aircraft to support their forces.

However, security experts say it is highly unlikely that any fighting would be restricted to naval and air units in the disputed area.

BALLISTIC MISSILES

Beijing might be tempted to use its huge arsenal of 1,200 ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan to attack Japanese forces and bases.

If China was the aggressor, they say the United States would almost certainly support Japan.

I don’t think the U.S. could stand aside

“I don’t think the U.S. could stand aside,” said Ross Babbage, a security analyst and former senior Australian defense official. “There would be a huge international crisis and I’m not expecting that.”

“And, I don’t think either side really wants it.”

However, there is always the danger of miscalculation and accident with big fleets of paramilitary patrol vessels on station and civilian protestors from both sides making landings on the uninhabited islands.

This risk is likely to remain, even if the current round of tension eases, maritime security analysts say.

The arrival of China as a naval power means Beijing now has the means to challenge Japan’s control over disputed maritime territory in the East China Sea and the oil and gas thought to lie beneath.

[And...What Will Canada Do?]

NDP Defends Canadian Sovereignty Over China Buying Our Oil Patch

Opposition party urges Canada to reject CNOOC's Nexen bid

Thu Oct 4, 2012 11:30am EDT

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government must reject Chinese state-owned CNOOC Ltd's $15.1 billion bid for oil producer Nexen Inc until the impact of the deal on jobs and the environment is made clear, the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) said on Thursday.
"The lack of transparency in the approval process and an alarming number of unanswered questions, have pushed the NDP to reject, as currently structured, the transaction that would allow the state-owned CNOOC to take over the Canadian company Nexen," the left-leaning party said in a statement.
The NDP cannot force the hand of the Conservative government, which has a majority in Parliament, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he will take public opinion into account as his government decides whether to approve the bid.
The NDP statement said the transaction raises many questions, including whether CNOOC will protect jobs and keep Nexen's head office in Canada. "It is also unclear how Canada's environmental standards will be enforced with regards to the sustainable development of its resources," it said.
In a news conference, the NDP made it clear its opposition was not only based on the deal itself but on broader concerns about the pace of development in northern Alberta's oil sands, one of the world's biggest crude oil deposits, where Nexen has a relatively small stake.
"We have to be strategic. The resources are going to be there," NDP industry spokeswoman Helene LeBlanc told reporters. "They're not going away, and I think we can be strategic...(on) the rate of development of the natural resource."
She said that NDP opposition was also based on the process for evaluating the bid as well as "our concerns about the company itself".
In the written statement, NDP natural resources critic Peter Julian said: "The Conservatives failed to act in good faith and inform the public of the consequences of this takeover. We're talking about a company that plays a key role in a critical sector of our economy."
The Conservative-dominated House of Commons rejected an NDP motion on Wednesday that demanded public consultations on the CNOOC deal. The vote was 145 against the motion to 125 for it.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren, Randall Palmer and Louise Egan; Editing by Peter Galloway)

China Slowdown\Spanish Debt.. The World Stumbles

http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/falls+over+Spanish+debt+China+slowdown+concerns/7336746/story.html

Private Companies In China?

China Continues To Be The Aggressor

Tokyo protests Chinese ships' trespass

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 22:18

Tags: China ship, Japan, disputed islands, Senkaku

Tokyo: Tokyo has lodged an official protest with Beijing over Chinese ships entering the territorial waters of disputed islands in the East China Sea, Japanese media reported Wednesday.

Four Chinese maritime surveillance ships were observed near the territorial waters of the Japanese held islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyus in China, Wednesday morning, Japan's NHK TV reported.

At 12.30 pm, three of the ships ignored warnings from Japanese patrol vessels and crossed into the territorial waters.

"The Senkakus are Japanese territory and entering Japan's territorial waters is unacceptable," Shinsuke Sugiyama, the head of Asian Affairs at the Japanese foreign ministry, said during a telephone conversation with a Chinese embassy official. "We demand the ships leave [Japan's] territorial waters."

The is the second time in the last two days that Chinese surveillance ships have entered the territorial waters around the islands.

On Tuesday, four Chinese ships entered the waters around the islands and remained there about four hours.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted to their lowest level recently over their claims to the islands.

Japan claims it has occupied the islands since 1895, while China maintains the islands were recognized as Chinese as early as 1783.

The islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, potentially contain large reserves of hydrocarbons.

Fake Chinese Parts: US Weapons

US weapons 'full of fake Chinese parts'

Thousands of United States' warplanes, ships and missiles contain fake electronic components from China, leaving them open to malfunction, according to a US Senate committee.

A Lockheed Martin C-130J "Super Hercules" Photo: AP

By Malcolm Moore, Shanghai

2:06PM GMT 08 Nov 2011

 

The US Senate Armed Services Committee said its researchers had uncovered 1,800 cases in which the Pentagon had been sold electronics that may be counterfeit.

In total, the committee said it had found more than a million fake parts had made their way into warplanes such as the Boeing C-17 transport jet and the Lockheed Martin C-130J "Super Hercules".

It also found fake components in Boeing's CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter and the Theatre High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defence system.

"A million parts is surely a huge number. But I want to repeat this: we have only looked at a portion of the defence supply chain. So those 1,800 cases are just the tip of the iceberg," said Senator Carl Levin.

In around seven in 10 cases, the fake parts originated in China, while investigators traced another 20 per cent of cases to the United Kingdom and Canada, known resale points for Chinese counterfeits.

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In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, counterfeit microchips are often smuggled out of factories, or burned off old computer circuit boards before having their identifying marks sanded off and repainted as new.
In Chinese bazaars, "military grade" microchips are openly advertised, although these chips are often commercial chips that have been modified and relabelled.
Military grade chips are designed to withstand far greater extremes of temperature and humidity, and there are fears that the fake Chinese parts could suddenly fail.
"We cannot tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target, a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles, or any other mission failure because of a counterfeit part," said John McCain, the senior Republican Senator on the committee.
Experts said the problems are not new, and have dated from a decision in the 1990s by the Clinton administration to cut costs by asking the Pentagon to buy "off-the-shelf" electronics, rather than designing its own systems.
As electronics manufacturing migrated to China, the US has been less and less able to control the quality of its military hardware. Some of the fake chips are bought by the Pentagon on the open market in order to maintain its fleet of older vehicles, which have outdated circuitry. These chips are often salvaged by Chinese scrap merchants from the dumps of electronic waste that have accumulated in the south of the country.
In 2008, an investigation by the US Commerce department found nearly 7,400 incidents of fake electronics in military hardware, while in 2005, internal Pentagon documents suggested that there had been equipment malfunctions because of fake parts.
The senate committee said China should "act promptly" and clamp down on its flourishing electronics black market.
However, Song Xiaojun, a former Peoples' Liberation Army officer who has become a nationalistic commentator in the Chinese media said the US had "got itself into the position it is in".
"The US has been dismantling its factories since the 1960s," he said. "And since the Clinton government, the US has turned a blind eye towards military requisitioning. As it keeps cutting its procurement budget, weapons dealers will keep providing cheaper quality products," he added. "This attack on China is political, given the forthcoming elections. But it should not be blaming China, this is a free market issue. The only solution the US has is to buy its components from Korea or Japan instead, but then its costs will rise a hundredfold."
In an interview with the New York Times on Sunday, Leon Panetta, the US Defence secretary, acknowledged that he may have to cut new weapons purchases as he tries to trim $450 billion (£280 billion) off the defence budget over the next decade

Private Companies In China?

Pyramid Tomb Of First Emperor: To Be Opened?

Mount Li — Is The Pyramid Tomb of China’s First Emperor Still Sealed?

by mitchey179 in Social Sciences, February 23, 2011

Legends speak of a vast treasure with mercury filled rivers and other spectacular features inside of Mount Li, China’s pyramid tomb for the country’s First Emperor. The question remains, are the legends accurate and if so, is the tomb still sealed after more than 2000 years?

One of the greatest modern archaeological mysteries resides in the country of China today with the pyramid tomb complex of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang.  It is reported that more than 700,000 men, with many of them being convicts were assigned the task of building the pyramid tomb and the surrounding buildings which have all been lost to age besides the pyramid of course.  But it’s not really the pyramid that is the big mystery surrounding this site, it is what the pyramid may contain inside of it that has archaeologists foaming at the mouth.  According to Chinese legends, the pyramid is actually the outer protection of a vast tomb for the country’s first emperor.  Inside this tomb are supposed to be vast treasures, a model of the emperor’s capital city, mercury filled rivers and oceans, a ceiling done with shells to mimic the constellations and the actual body of the emperor himself.  Most researchers and historians took this story to be a legendary tale or if it did exist, then it was probably plundered by tomb robbers long ago.  But, over the past 35+ years there have been numerous discoveries that are showing that the tomb could very well remain intact with all of its treasures still safe inside. 

The first discovery made was in March of 1974 with the Terracotta Warriors being unearthed.  A group of local peasants were in the process of building a well when their shovels hit upon what at first was thought to be a strange shaped rock but in actuality turned out to be the head of one of the buried warriors.  Since this discovery, more than 8000 Terracotta warriors have been unearthed in several large pits about a mile near the pyramid.  Amazingly, each one of these warriors was buried with real bronze age weapons and were painted with individual facial characteristics and colors.  There have been many ranks of military personnel unearthed in the pits with examples of cavalrymen, kneeling archers, commanding officers and most prevalent of all are the foot soldiers.  Many theories have been proposed to explain why these warriors were built and then buried but the one reason most archaeologists agree upon is they were most likely a military force to accompany the emperor in the afterlife.  What is odd, is that there is no mention of these figures in any of the records from that time period though.  Along with all of the warriors discovered, there have also been many more items found too.  Numerous life size horses have been unearthed in formation with the warriors, a few half scaled bronze chariots have been found, and real stables with lamps, shovels and mangers have been unearthed too.

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Around 1980, two burial graveyards were unearthed with the remains of some of the convicts who had helped build the pyramid.  In one of these graveyards 18 obituaries were found incised on tile the names and native places of each of the deceased.  These are the earliest examples of this practice found in China.  Around this same time, 17 royal graves were also unearthed with evidence of a massacre having occurred.  Legends tell that the First Emperor’s favorite son actually murdered all of his siblings to ensure his ascension to the throne.  The bodies of the victims in these graves tell of a horrible massacre having occurred with many of them being cornered and then either beheaded or cut in half at the waist.  Along with these human remains were also found rare animals interred in clay pots, and a kiln used for firing bricks for the tomb itself.  Perhaps the most intriguing find in these graves was an underground tunnel that archaeologists consider to be the main entrance into the first emperor’s tomb.  Currently, this tunnel is blocked by rubble and large stones.   A smaller tunnel passage was also found but this appears to be the work of looters who were unsuccessful in gaining entrance into the tomb. 

So, what evidence is there for the tomb having remained intact over the past thousands of years and actually containing the legendary treasures inside of it?  In 1985, Chinese scientists subjected the pyramid to electronic probes, acoustical soundings, geophysical prospecting and underground radar scans and found that the soil around the tomb was an amazing 280 times higher in mercury levels than the surrounding areas.  Trenches that were dug in the immediate vicinity of the tomb show that its walls are intact and that the soil covering them has not been moved.   Radar scans have shown that the all of the walls appear to be 100% intact with no breaches visible. 

With all of this positive scientific data, you would think that the Chinese would be overly eager to excavate as soon as possible but the Chinese government is playing it safe for right now and says that they have no plans to open the tomb anytime soon.   According to government officials, they are waiting for scientists to prove that they can excavate the tomb without endangering any of the artifacts inside of it.   Tombs that have been sealed for many hundreds and thousands of years need to have the air and humidity slowly brought up to what levels are on the outside of the tomb versus the inside to ensure that artifacts are not damaged in the process.  If this is not done correctly, then innumerable artifacts could be lost forever. 

So, when will the tomb be opened?  Thankfully, there are signs pointing that it could actually happen soon.  Scientist are pretty sure that they can safely excavate the tomb without damaging any of the artifacts inside of it.  It would take a pretty good length of time to slowly equalize the air contents to match the inside and the outside of the tomb but scientists are claiming that we have the technology available now to do this and only need the opportunity to demonstrate it.  Chinese officials are looking over the research and say that a decision should be coming shortly.  Meanwhile, the emperor can safely walk his tomb without disturbance for at least a little while longer. 

Weather Prediction: A New Rothschild Enterprise Based In Beijing

Hmmm...Maybe he knows something we dont

peeps..

Made In China

Made In China
HUNDREDS OF CANADIAN COMPANIES "MADE IN CHINA"

. The influx of Chinese investors who are affiliated with the triads or new associates of Beijing poses a new challenge to Canada's national security. The central point of thestrategy of the Chinese is first to buy a Canadian company so as to obtain a "local identity",legally concealing subtly their foreign identity. Then, using this acquisition, the Chinese-Canadian company invests heavily or buys other companies in various economic sectors,but always under the Canadian banner. In actual fact, control lies in Hong Kong or Beijing,and the financial benefits or fruits of research, often paid for by Ottawa or the provinces,are likely to make their way to Asia. (S)15. Hand in hand with their ethnicity and their commercial ambitions, the financial network of the Chinese entrepreneurs associated to the organized crime and to the power in Beijing has grown exponentially and very rapidly in Canada. Their influence over local, provincial and national political leaders has also increased. In the game of influence, several of theseimportant Chinese entrepreneurs have associated themselves with prestigious andinfluential Canadian politicians, offering them positions on their boards of directors. Many of those companies are China's national companies.16. The analysis of the information demonstrates that their attention was not initiallydirected towards sensitive sectors like high technology or other even more sensitive areas,but towards what might be called "soft" sectors such as: real estate, hotels, transportation,oil companies and travel agencies. Commercial sectors that at first sight do not involve any security risks and did not attract the attention of the Canadian services responsible for security. The scale of their ventures or investments has now made them some of the most important figures present in the major centres, and their decisions to invest in one place or another are not a matter of indifference to anyone. Such projects are seen by the local or national business community as a "favour" or a "chance" not to be missed. (S)CASE STUDIES17. It is estimated at the present time that over 200 Canadian companies are under Chinese control. These business are to be found in myriad sectors of the economy, rangingfrom multinationals to banking, high technology and real estate. Some typical cases arepresented here to illustrate the various scenarios that are clearly worrying for Canadian security. At first site, these individual cases do not seem to be a great threat. It becomes,however more disturbing when the ownership links between various sectors of Canadian enterprises are revealed. (S)Multinationals18.
CITIC (Canada) China International Trust Investment & Company(China International Trust & Investment Corporation)is the largest Chinese operating internationally. It hassubsidiaries operating in several Western countries, including the United States andCanada (Vancouver). Founded at the end of the 1970s, it now has assets worth US$23billion. Its subsidiary in Canada CITIC BC Inc., opened it doors in 1986. By 1995, itreported a turnover of CDN$250 million (1995). The projections for 1996 aimed for $290million. (UC)19. CITIC was initially established to encourage foreign investment in China. It has sincetaken the lead in Chinese investments outside China, in all areas from real estate toelectronics. In 1979 Beijing appointed to CITIC's board of directors three Hong Kongfinancial giants, Li Ka-Shing, Henry Fok Ying-Tung and Wang Foon-Shing. With their assistance, in the following years, the Beijing acquired important companies such as CathyPacific Airlines, Hong Kong Telecom and Star TV. In Canada, it is estimated that CITIC hasinvested nearly $500 million to buy up businesses in certain areas, such as Celgar PulpMill in British Columbia, Nova Corp Petrochemical in Alberta, real estate through HangChong Investments Ltd. and hotels. Eventually, CITIC developed also close business linkswith Power Corporation. (S)20. CITIC recently attracted American media attention in the scandal over illegal
contributions to the US Democratic Party and influence-peddling by the Chinese government (see section below). CITIC, China Resources and the Lippo Group [moving into the Okanagan, Kelowna] (in which inboth Li Ka-Shing is a large shareholder) are at the centre of the affair. CITIC chairman,Wang Jan, is also chairman of Poly Technology (see next section). CITIC has repeated the gesture by contributing through its Canadian subsidiaries to Canadian Political Parties.(UC)21. Norinco and Poly Technology (Poly Group). Northern Industrial Corporation (Norinco)and Poly Technologies (a subsidiary of Poly Group) are both owned by China and under the control of CITIC. They have subsidies around the world, including Canada (Montreal)and the United States. Poly Group was until recently head by Deng Xiaoping's son-in-law,He Ping, and is part of the entrepreneurial drive of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).Several large quantities of arms manufactured by Norinco have been confiscated on Indian reserves, especially those of the Mohawks. In May 1996, US authorities what theydescribed as the biggest arms seizure on American soil, confiscating 2,000 AK-47assaultrifles and other military weapons from a warehouse in California. The US-based Chinese representatives of Poly Technologies and Norinco were arrested in connection with this affair. Although the final destination of the arms has not been determined, the Amerindians"Warriors" and American militia trails are strongly suspected by US authorities.
In another incident, the Rex International Development company of Hong Kong, in which Norinco is the majority shareholder, is currently under investigation possibly subject to prosecution for exporting components for the manufacturing of chemical weapons toIran. Rex was established in 1982 as a joint venture with Norinco by Tsui Tsin-Tong, a financial partner of Li Ka-Shing. Tsui filed an application to emigrate to Canada in 1985 which has been renewed several times. His case is still not settled because he has never satisfied the Canadian authorities by providing adequate explanations of his contacts withthe PLA and the ChIS. Silver City Development Ltd., which holds shares in Rex, has been used for several years by the ChIS and the Chinese leadership as an investment front and cover. (S)23. Through the power of its multinationals industries and the billions of dollars they generate, China has been able to establish itself in the Western economy. This gave to thecountry an enormous advantage in the pursuit of gaining influence. In return through thesesubsidies and influences, they are able to open channels to facilitate access to Western power and traffic of illegal weapons and technology.