(3) Daily Press Briefing, US Department of State, Oct. 29, 2010.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2010/10/150176.htm
Quote:
"QUESTION: The Chinese Foreign Minister – Ministry spokesman Ma expressed
serious concern and strong dissatisfaction in response to Secretary Clinton
saying that the Senkaku Island falls within the scope of Article 5 of the U.
S.-Japan security treaty. How do you respond to this?
"MR. CROWLEY: Well, the Secretary outlined our position during, I think in
the media availability that followed her meeting with Foreign Minister
Maehara. The United States does not take a position on the question of the
ultimate sovereignty of the Senkakus Islands, but we do, because of the
administration of these islands by Japan as a result of the reversion of –
to – of Okinawa in 1972, we do see the Senkakus within the scope of Article
5 of the treaty that we have with Japan. But we would just simply continue
to encourage China and Japan to have a thoughtful, considered dialogue and
resolve these issues.
"QUESTION: Ma also said that the China will not be bound by the decision
taken by the other countries under the cover of the treaty that he claims a
relic of the Cold War. And also, he follows that the U.S. and Japan have no
business deciding things that are clearly in the unilateral interest of
China only. So how would you respond to this?
"MR. CROWLEY: Well, as I just said, we recognize that there is an open
question of sovereignty and we expect that to be resolved between Japan and
China through dialogue.
"QUESTION: Different topic?
"QUESTION: May I do a quick follow-up on this?
"MR. CROWLEY: Hang on. Yeah.
"QUESTION: I appreciate what you’re saying, but, I mean, the China has kind
of directly criticized the U.S. I mean, is this a source of – are you
concerned that during Clinton’s trip there that China has openly criticized
the U.S.? I mean, does this not create certain tension at a time when --
"MR. CROWLEY: Well --
"QUESTION: -- everything’s doing – being said to say that everything’s
great?
"MR. CROWLEY: This is not a new issue. As I say, this issue has been with us
for almost four decades, and the issue of sovereignty goes back to the end
of World War II. We simply believe that this is an issue between China and
Japan, and it should be resolved through respectful dialogue. And we would
hope that both sides will take steps, as they did in recent weeks, to reduce
tension rather than escalate tension. And hopefully, this will lead to a
peaceful dialogue between the two countries.
"QUESTION: So would the response be, 'Take it up with Japan, it’s none of
our business,' or – I mean, because --
"MR. CROWLEY: Well, again, we have a policy. The Secretary restated our
policy, both which covers – well, we believe our mutual responsibilities
under the treaty that we have with Japan. We have also made clear that we do
not take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands, but we
would encourage the two countries to sit down and resolve this.
My comment: Surely China wants US to butt out, in its disputes with Japan
over Senkaku islands or with ASEAN over South China Sea. US will not budge,
though.
-- 作者: choi 时间: 10-31-2010 11:03 标题: Re: Senkaku Islands Remain Bone of Contention 本文通过一路BBS站telnet客户端发布
--------------------Separately
(1) Gopal Ratnam, U.S. Defense Department Sees No Rare-Earths Crisis, May
Aid U.S. Producers. Bloomberg, Oct. 31, 2010.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-30/pentagon-sees-no-security-threat-from-rare-earths-may-aid-u-s-producers.html
Note: The report refers to
Mark Landler, Jim Yardley and Michale Wines, China’s Fast Rise Leads
Neighbors to Join Forces. New York Times, Oct. 31, 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/world/asia/31china.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=china&st=cse
My commehnt:
(a) Paragraph 1 of the VOA report: "中国的军事扩张和过份自负的贸易政策在亚洲
地区引发不安，导致许多邻国着手重建老关系，同时也开发新朋友，以便在中国这个“
超级大国”崛起之时保护各自的利益。
(b) Paragraph 1 of the NYT report: "China’s military expansion and
assertive trade policies have set off jitters across Asia, prompting many of
its neighbors to rekindle old alliances and cultivate new ones to better
defend their interests against the rising superpower.
(c) When I read the VOA repot (first), my impression was that China acquires
new friends, kind of like 狐假虎威. But the NYT report gives a different
flavor: it is US that "cultivate new ones [friends]"--such as Vietnam (at
least militarily)--"against the rising superpower" that is China. This
notion is confirmed when I finish reading the NYT report.
My comment: The report states 中国仍是俄罗斯武器主要买主. 主要 (main) is
correct, but not the largest as the report implies. Here is a wires report:
"Its [Russian] main arms customers are India, Algeria, China, Venezuela,
Malaysia and Syria." Indeed India is the largest: "Military aircraft
currently account for 40 percent of Russia's overall arms exports, with
India currently Russia's largest export market."
Russian arms exports increase. UPI, Oct. 28, 2010.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/10/28/Russian-arms-exports-increase/UPI-44461288302152/
(5) Perspective: Taiwan needs sense of balance in Senkaku Islands dispute. Mainichi Shimbun, Oct. 30, 2010
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20101030p2a00m0na001000c.html
My comment: I am agnostic if this editorial correctly states the positions of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and people of Taiwan. My impression is that many DPP politicians have no gut to come out saying Senkaku islands are not Taiwan's, but that they are lukewarm if they do say the islands are Taiwan's.