The Chinese regime has recently upped its rhetoric about territorial claims over the Senkaku Islands, in a series of statements by communist leaders to foreign officials, and editorials in the state-run press.
While meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Sept. 9, Chinese leader Hu Jintao sternly counseled, “Japan must fully consider the seriousness of this situation and not make the wrong decision.”
Then, during a speech given at China Foreign Affairs University on Sept. 10, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that the Chinese regime and its people cherish national sovereignty and dignity more than others.
“Even in a time of difficulty, we will remain steadfast. The Senkaku Islands are part of China’s territory. When it comes to sovereignty and territorial issues, the Chinese government and its people will never cave in,” he said, according to the Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television.
“It was very rare for the top two Chinese leaders to simultaneously give strong words on the topic of Senkaku Islands,” according to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, one of the country’s largest newspapers.
Asahi Shimbun on its Sina Weibo feed recently blogged that “China has presented its strongest opposition yet” to Japan’s planned purchase of the Senkaku Islands, rocky, uninhabited islands that are thought to be near energy resources in the East China Sea.
State-run media in China also recently published a lengthy argument, with reference to Chinese maritime law, about why the islands should belong to China. Such arguments are not entertained by the international community however, which has emphasized the need to abide by existing international covenants and dialogue.
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Editor’s Note: When Chongqing’s former top cop, Wang Lijun, fled for his life to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu on Feb. 6, he set in motion a political storm that has not subsided. The battle behind the scenes turns on what stance officials take toward the persecution of Falun Gong. The faction with bloody hands—the officials former CCP head Jiang Zemin promoted in order to carry out the persecution—is seeking to avoid accountability for their crimes and to continue the campaign. Other officials are refusing to participate in the persecution any longer. Events present a clear choice to the officials and citizens of China, as well as people around the world: either support or oppose the persecution of Falun Gong. History will record the choice each person makes.
Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing crisis within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Who are the Major Players?
