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The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...

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• In September 2010, the <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>-Japan trawler <strong>in</strong>cident<br />

broke out around the Diaoyu/Senkaku<br />

Isl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the East <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea.<br />

• In October 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Cl<strong>in</strong>ton<br />

stated that the U.S.-Japan defense treaty covers<br />

the disputed isl<strong>and</strong>s. <strong>The</strong> <strong>United</strong> <strong>States</strong> would<br />

come to Japan’s defense were <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> to use force<br />

to settle the dispute.<br />

• In November 2010, the two Koreas exchanged<br />

artillery fire on <strong>and</strong> around the South Koreacontrolled<br />

Yeonpyeong Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> the Yellow<br />

Sea. <strong>The</strong> USS George Wash<strong>in</strong>gton aircraft carrier<br />

strike group <strong>and</strong> South Korean forces held jo<strong>in</strong>t<br />

military exercises off the North Korea shores <strong>in</strong><br />

the Yellow Sea shortly afterwards.<br />

• In December 2010, President Obama phoned<br />

Ch<strong>in</strong>ese President Hu J<strong>in</strong>tao to warn that<br />

<strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>’s muted response to the Korean Pen<strong>in</strong>sula<br />

tension was embolden<strong>in</strong>g North Korean<br />

provocations <strong>and</strong> asked <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> to stop practic<strong>in</strong>g<br />

“willful bl<strong>in</strong>dness” to the rogue regime’s<br />

transgressions.<br />

• In January 2011, U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates<br />

made an icebreak<strong>in</strong>g visit to Beij<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> PLA,<br />

however, made a clumsy test flight of its longspeculated<br />

stealth fighter jet J-20. It was an act<br />

unmistakably <strong>in</strong>tended to send a defiant message<br />

to the <strong>United</strong> <strong>States</strong>.<br />

While the above events were tak<strong>in</strong>g place, “Ch<strong>in</strong>ese<br />

foreign policy hawks” made their timely debut.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se are some high-powered <strong>and</strong> well-connected<br />

<strong>in</strong>dividuals with military <strong>and</strong> foreign policy backgrounds.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y follow the examples of their American<br />

hawkish counterparts to make provocative calls.<br />

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