Posts Tagged Sudan
Top leader of China’s Protestant church attends conference of anti-gay Anglican bishops in Singapore
on April 21, 2010 by admin in Shanghai, Comments (0)
Elder Fu Xianwei (傅先伟) cosies up with primates of the Anglican Global South Elder Fu Xianwei (傅先伟长老), the chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (三自爱国运动) and the highest-ranking official […]
I Saw This On Yesterdays News!?
on February 20, 2010 by admin in Expats, Comments (7)
This was yesterday’s news: Terror-reeling India and South Africa have something in common: both are rated as one of the world’s 20 most dangerous countries. Backed by travel advice […]
Can See My Eyes Rolling As I Read That Obama Won The Majority Of Expatriate Votes From Indonesia????
on November 25, 2009 by admin in Expats, Comments (4)
I wonder if he’ll win The Sudan, Iran and Malaysia next? ‘They’ love this guy! Tags: Expatriate, Eyes, From, guy, Indonesia, Iran, Love, majority, Malaysia, Obama, Read, Rolling, Sudan, […]
Pragmatism needed in Sino-Russian ties
on November 5, 2009 by admin in Campus, Ningbo, Comments (0)
Ningbo, China — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin returned from his visit to China last week with a package of signed contracts worth US$5.5 billion in energy, mining and infrastructure […]
Pragmatism needed in Sino-Russian ties
on October 21, 2009 by Eckhard Goessl in City China Ningbo, frontpage, Comments (0)
Ningbo, China — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin returned from his visit to China last week with a package of signed contracts worth US$5.5 billion in energy, mining and infrastructure projects. But despite this achievement, there is still a long way to go in strengthening what is supposed to be a “strategic partnership.”
So far, China’s partnership with Russia seems to involve more rhetoric than results. Since 1997, when Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Boris Yeltin decided to establish a strategic relationship, there has been little progress other than a deal to resolve border conflicts. Interaction between the two giant neighbors remains at a micro level.
More than once, in the declarations or agreements that have followed various diplomatic meetings, the two sides have declared their intention to further develop their relations as well as expand their trade volume. Yet too often the signed agreements remain unfulfilled – due to differences or inefficiency – awaiting the next summit.
According to Chinese figures, in 2008 Russia’s trade with China soared to US$56.8 billion. Yet Sino-Russian trade volume is only one-third that between China and South Korea.
Part of the reason for the low trade volume can be traced to bureaucratic discrimination and corruption. Chinese business people have faced repeated difficulties in Russia.
Some have used the system to their advantage, obtaining favorable tax arrangements, for example. But many have been detained or had their goods confiscated at customs checkpoints or during police raids, allegedly aimed at smugglers, that have targeted whole communities of Chinese traders. Many have suffered enormous losses.
Through joint military operations and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian nations – the two neighbors have increased security collaboration, especially in fighting separatism, terrorism and extremism.
However, in other strategic areas, such as energy and space cooperation, there are obstacles to substantial progress. China is ambitious to expand collaboration on building gas pipes, railways and even developing a joint space program. Yet a lack of trust between the two sides repeatedly leads to the delay or cancelation of projects in these areas – even after deals have been signed. Most such setbacks have been initiated by the Russians.
The agreements signed last week cover a broad range of projects – including forestry, transport and communications, infrastructure construction, aerospace programs, resource development and finance – yet the results remain unknown.
This superficial Sino-Russia partnership seems to lag behind the more promising Sino-U.S. relationship. Ironically, on the surface considerable publicity is given to Sino-U.S. bickering over issues like trade, human rights, global warming and Darfur in Sudan.
Yet Sino-U.S. relations in fact have developed comprehensively, covering almost every sphere. Despite their differences, there is a positive and energetic cooperation between China and the United States in many areas, particularly finance and security.
In 1997 former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President Bill Clinton described their relationship as a “constructive strategic partnership.” President George W. Bush changed this, describing China and the United States as “strategic competitors.” Later he adjusted this, saying the countries had a “constructive and cooperative partnership.” All along, in fact, there were some differences in the way the two sides defined their relationship.
Yet in reality, this kind of rhetoric has taken a back seat to the actual pragmatic development of Sino-U.S. relations. Although the two states consistently quarrel over certain issues – trade, human rights and religious affairs, for example – both sides have learned how to avoid an escalation of such conflicts.
Both sides will stand up for their national interests, but more importantly, they have learned to coordinate their interests and downplay their differences. Elite players in the fields of business, diplomacy and academics have played a big role in making this happen, achieving a more mature and balanced relationship.
A steady path of cooperation and exchange has elevated Sino-U.S. relations to a level of trust where they can deal not only with bilateral issues, but can also confront broad regional and global issues. The common-sense acknowledgement of interdependence in a globalized world has allowed both sides to recognize each other as “stakeholders,” a term that represents a common interest and shared responsibility.
If the Sino-Russian relationship is to be elevated to the same level, more steady engagement is needed to build trust and confidence. At the same time, both sides must acknowledge their shared interests and view each other as stakeholders in a global community, with a responsibility to work together on global issues. Only in this way can they overcome historical mistrust and ensure real – not just rhetorical – advancement in their relationship.
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(Dr. Zhang Quanyi is associate professor at Zhejiang Wanli University in Ningbo, China, and a guest researcher at the Center for the Study of Non-traditional Security and Peaceful Development at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. His research interest revolves around the creation of a world state. He can be contacted at qyzhangupi@gmail.com. ©Copyright Zhang Quanyi.)
Breaking News from Brazil
on August 24, 2009 by Brazil RSS Feeds in Miscellaneous, Comments (0)
Listing title: Breaking News from Brazil. Brazil Category: Search. Subcategory: only
Items in this feed:
- Musings on an Interview with Sean, the American Boy Abducted to Brazil
- Brazil Justice Allows US Father to Have Son Back, But He Has to Stay in Rio
- Cutting Brazil s Amazon Leads to Boom and Bust Economy
- For Brazil, G8 Is Over and G20 Represents New Reality
- Brazil Is Teaching World How to Deal with Economic Crisis, Says Lula
- Brazil President Sees Crisis as Chance to Create New Global Economic Order
- Stuck in Recession Brazil Creates Its Own Stimulus Package
- Brazil s Internet Cozy Harbor for Its Almost 4 Million Expatriates
- Brazil Goes to Germany for a Big Push of its Coffees
- Brazil Starts Work of Identifying Victims of Air France s Flight 447
- Brazil s Supreme Sends Abducted American Boy s Case Back to Lower Courts
- Brazil Admits Recession After Economy Shrinks Additional 0.8
- Sudan s First Ethanol Plant Was Made in Brazil and Shipped There
- Slow Pace: Brazil Surplus Grows to US$ 10.5 Billion
- Brazilian Businessmen Get a Crash Course on How to Woo the Middle East
- This Is Old GDP, Says Minister About Brazil s Just-Revealed Recession
- Brazil to Join EU and US in Effort to Research Nuclear Fusion Energy
- Brazil Goes to France to Find Inspiration for Its First Ambiental Expo
- Air France Tragedy: Brazilian Navy Finds 8 More Bodies. 24 Recovered Now
- Brazil-France Effort Recovers in the Atlantic 17 Bodies from Air France Jet
- Brazil Finds Bodies from Air France Jet While Waiting for French Submarines
- Brazil s Gol Airline Sees Bluer Skies for Its Operations
- Brazil s Car Sales Up 5.4 in May, But Down for the Year
- Air France Jet Didn t Explode, Says Brazil
- OAS: For Brazil s Lula, Cuba Is Not the Ugly Duckling Anymore
- Brazil Finds Wreckage on the Sea But No Bodies of Air France Jet
- Supreme Reverts Lower Court: American Boy Sean Stays in Brazil
- Half of Brazilians Favor Unconstitutional Third Mandate for President Lula
- Six Years Later Brazil Sends to Prison for 23 Years Killer of Journalist
- Brazil to Start Producing Second-Generation Ethanol in September
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