Produced and Published by Observer Research Foundation 1 Vol. II ...
Produced and Published by Observer Research Foundation 1 Vol. II ...
Produced and Published by Observer Research Foundation 1 Vol. II ...
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development <strong>and</strong> strategic<br />
interaction between major powers.<br />
Source: The Japan Times, 17 April<br />
2013<br />
China points finger at US over<br />
Asia-Pacific tensions<br />
China's defense ministry made a<br />
thinly veiled attack on the United<br />
States on 16 April for increasing<br />
tensions in the Asia-Pacific <strong>by</strong><br />
ramping up its military presence<br />
<strong>and</strong> alliances in the region, days<br />
after the top U.S. diplomat visited<br />
Beijing. China is uneasy with what<br />
the United States has called the<br />
"rebalancing" of forces as<br />
Washington winds down the war<br />
in Afghanistan <strong>and</strong> renews its<br />
attention further east. China says<br />
the policy has emboldened Japan,<br />
the Philippines <strong>and</strong> Vietnam in<br />
long st<strong>and</strong>ing territorial disputes<br />
with Beijing. China faces "multiple<br />
<strong>and</strong> complicated security threats"<br />
despite its growing influence, the<br />
Ministry of Defense said in its<br />
annual white paper, adding that the<br />
US strategy meant "profound<br />
changes" for Asia. "There are some<br />
countries which are strengthening<br />
their Asia Pacific military alliances,<br />
exp<strong>and</strong>ing their military presence in<br />
the region <strong>and</strong> frequently make the<br />
situation there tenser," the ministry<br />
said in the 40-page document, in a<br />
clear reference to the United States.<br />
Such moves "do not accord with<br />
the developments of the times <strong>and</strong><br />
are not conducive towards<br />
maintaining regional peace <strong>and</strong><br />
stability", ministry spokesman Yang<br />
Yujun told reporters. The official<br />
People's Liberation Army Daily<br />
went further, saying in a<br />
commentary on 15 April that China<br />
needed to beef up its defenses to<br />
deal with a hostile West bent on<br />
undermining it. "Hostile Western<br />
forces have intensified their<br />
strategy to westernize <strong>and</strong> split<br />
China, <strong>and</strong> employed every<br />
possible means to contain <strong>and</strong><br />
control our country's<br />
development," it said. On 15 April,<br />
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry<br />
defended the re-orientation of U.S.<br />
foreign policy towards Asia as he<br />
ended a trip to the region<br />
dominated <strong>by</strong> concerns about<br />
North Korea's nuclear program.<br />
While China has been angered <strong>by</strong><br />
North Korea's behaviour, including<br />
its third nuclear test in February, it<br />
has also made clear it considers<br />
U.S. displays of force in response<br />
to Pyongyang's behavior to be a<br />
worrisome development.<br />
Source: Reuters, 16 April 2013<br />
Chinese navy continues highsea<br />
training<br />
The "Lanzhou" guided missile<br />
destroyer under the Navy of the<br />
Chinese People's Liberation Army<br />
(PLA) performed a training mission<br />
in the Western Pacific Ocean on 14<br />
April. From their last return to<br />
Sanya after the completion of high<br />
sea training mission on 3 April to<br />
their leaving Sanya for the high sea<br />
training again on 10 April, both the<br />
"Lanzhou" warship <strong>and</strong> the<br />
"Hengshui" warship had only seven<br />
days to rest <strong>and</strong> recuperation. The<br />
continuous high sea training<br />
missions are not only a great test<br />
on the reliability of equipment but<br />
also a tempering on the physical<br />
<strong>and</strong> mental training level for<br />
personnel. Despite time pressure,<br />
everything from logistics supply to<br />
personnel preparation, equipment<br />
support <strong>and</strong> many others was going<br />
orderly <strong>and</strong> smoothly. "Such a<br />
short time of rest <strong>and</strong> recuperation<br />
is not a problem for our logistics<br />
department," said Fan Hai, deputy<br />
captain of the "Lanzhou" warship.<br />
In contrast to the ship service<br />
department, the electromechanical<br />
department seems slightly busier<br />
with managing the main engines of<br />
the ship, the power stations <strong>and</strong> the<br />
sea water desalination equipment.<br />
During the 7 days, they were busy<br />
with various types of mechanical<br />
maintenance. "After the last highsea<br />
training, the overall<br />
performance of equipment is still<br />
excellent," said Qi Yao,<br />
electromechanical chief of the<br />
"Lanzhou" warship.<br />
Source: China Military Online, 16<br />
April 2013<br />
Japan, Vietnam to hold maritime<br />
security talks in May<br />
Japan <strong>and</strong> Vietnam have agreed to<br />
hold maritime security talks in May<br />
in Hanoi to accelerate maritime<br />
cooperation amid China’s<br />
increasing assertiveness in the East<br />
China Sea <strong>and</strong> South China Sea,<br />
government sources said Saturday.<br />
The two nations are expected to<br />
exchange views on Japan’s possible<br />
provision of patrol vessels to<br />
Vietnam during the first-ever<br />
bilateral talks on maritime security,<br />
the sources said. Vietnam has<br />
expressed hope that Japan will<br />
provide patrol boats as part of<br />
Hanoi’s efforts to improve its<br />
maritime security capabilities. The<br />
two sides are expected to confirm<br />
their st<strong>and</strong> against China’s maritime<br />
assertiveness <strong>and</strong> the need for<br />
abiding <strong>by</strong> international law to<br />
ensure maritime security, one of<br />
the sources said. Senior officials<br />
<strong>Produced</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Published</strong> <strong>by</strong> <strong>Observer</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong><br />
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