Taiwan

State Responsibility - Countermeasures

The Obama administration announced the sale of $6 billion worth of Patriot anti-missile systems, helicopters, mine-sweeping ships and communications equipment to Taiwan. There was no explanation on the necessity for the arms sale in light of the improving ties across the strait, and Gen. James L. Jones, the US national security adviser, said only that the announcement should not “come as a surprise" to China and that the Obama administration was “bent on a new relationship with China that goes beyond arms sales to Taiwan.” By the same logic, China might also be able to justify its long-standing behaviour such as obstruction of UN sanctions against Iran and North Korea and lax protection of IP rights by saying such behaviour should not comes as a surprise to the US and the US-China relationship should move beyond those small issues. Demonstrating no sensitivity to, or even memory of, their historical actions towards China, some "Western governments and analysts" were reportedly alarmed by China's "strident tone". In fact, US government officials made clear that the arms sale was meant to send a message to China that the US "will act in our own national security interests".

Chinese vice foreign minister He Yafei declared that the US decision "constitutes a gross intervention into China’s internal affairs, seriously endangers China’s national security and harms China’s peaceful reunification efforts.” The Foreign Ministry announced cancellation some military exchange programmes and threatened sanctions US arms firms.

Climate Change

Treaty

As the UN requires that countries should by 31 January 2010 approve the Copenhagen Accord and append their own goals for cutting carbon emissions or slowing emissions growth by 2020, China, together with other major developing nations, stressed that only the industrialised countries need to make internationally binding commitments and that the efforts by developing countries to slow the climate change would be voluntary steps. Environmental advocates say, however, that China is forging ahead with its own plans to become more carbon-efficient. Later, China agreed to join the Copenhagen Accord by submitting a a single-sentence letter saying that the UN “can proceed to include China in the list of parties” signed up under the accord.

Use of Force

China has reached consensus with other countries concerned on the division of convoy areas in the seas off the Somali coast. A Defence Ministry spokesman said China is willing to engage in anti-piracy cooperation with other countries under the framework of Security Council resolutions.

See previous post.

Hong Kong

Extradition

A former dissident was sentenced to 9-year imprisonment by a Sichuan court after he tried to enter Hong Kong on a false passport, refused to reveal his true identity and was then handed over to the mainland by the Hong Kong immigration authorities. His lawyer alleged that Hong Kong somehow violated the "one country two systems" principle because his client should have been deported to Macau (where he had come) or the US (where he had permanent residence) under Hong Kong law. Later, a Hong Kong government official rejected accusations the government knowingly handed former the individual to the mainland.

Treatment of Aliens

A week after Google complained about China's internet censorship and threatened to quit China a FM spokesman said "[f]oreign companies in China should respect the laws and regulations, respect the public interest of Chinese people and China's culture and customs and shoulder due social responsibilities", clearly implying that Google would have to continue self-censoring its Chinese-language search engine if it wanted to keep doing business in China.

Law of the Sea - Island

Law of the Sea - Continental Shelf

As Japanese Government introduced a budget bill to its Diet providing for budget for infrastructure building on the Okinotori Atoll in the Pacific to keep it from submerging into the sea, a Chinese FM spokesman said that the Okinotori atoll is merely about 10 square meters above the sea and is not an island entitled to have continental shelf or EEZ around it. He said Japan's claim was against international laws and would gravely damage the interests of the international community as a whole. In response, a Japanese Foreign Press Secretary called the Japanese claim to "have already been established".

Law of the Sea - Continental Shelf

Japanese FM Katsuya Okada told his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi that Japan will take ''certain'' action if China goes against the Principled Consensus between the two countries to jointly explore gas resources in the disputed East China Sea. Japan's action would be to start development on its own in the area, In response, Yang maintained China's sovereign rights over Chunxiao oil and gas fields.