Caucus Brief: U.S. Senate Resolution Deplores China's Use of Force in S. China Sea

U.S. SENATE RESOLUTION DEPLORES CHINA'S USE OF FORCE IN S. CHINA SEA.  Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed by unanimous consent a resolution deploring China's "use of force" in the South China Sea and urging a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes.  The resolution was introduced by Senators Webb and Inhofe.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-deplores-beijings-use-of-force-in-south-china-sea-disputes-urges-peaceful-resolution/2011/06/27/AGbMHDoH_story.html   China's Response that the Senate Resolution "doesn't hold water.":  http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/beijing-rejects-us-criticism-of-its-actions-in-south-china-sea/2011/06/28/AGZGWooH_story.html  

CHINA'S TERRITORIAL CLAIMS LEADS ASIAN NEIGHBORS TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH THE U.S. 
A piece from Stars and Stripes argues that China's behavior in the South China Sea has pushed its regional neighbors towards closer ties with the United States.  From the piece: "As a result, nearly all of the nations bordering the South China Sea are seeking closer ties to the United States through more frequent ship presence and increasingly complex naval exercises, navy officials tell Stars and Stripes."  http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/china-s-claim-on-sea-leads-asian-neighbors-to-strengthen-ties-with-u-s-1.147599

CHINA OPENS STRING OF SPY SCHOOLS.  In recent weeks China has opened its eighth National Intelligence College on the campus of Hunan University.  Since January, similar schools have opened inside universities in Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Qingdao and Harbin.  These new schools could point to a shift in China's intelligence collection methodology, moving away from travelling academics and students and towards carefully selected trained spies.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8596647/China-opens-string-of-spy-schools.html

BRITAIN AND CHINA SET $2.2 BILLION IN TRADE DEALS.  Beijing and London agreed on Monday to roughly $2.2 billion worth of trade deals during a European tour by Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao.  According to the NYT, Britain's David Cameron hopes that strengthening trade relations with China will facilitate growth in British manufacturing and speed an economic recovery that recently has started to slow.  These trade deals include a lift of China's ban on British poultry and greater UK access to China's engineering and research markets.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/business/global/28iht-ukchina28.html

CHINA'S CARRIER A SYMBOL MORE THAN A CAPABILITY.  A piece from Foreign Policy explains why China's Varyag aircraft carrier, while not representing a significant growth in capability, is a symbol of China's rising power and blue water navy aspirations.  From the piece: "It would be a mistake to overstate the strategic consequences of China's starter carrier.  It will not fundamentally alter military balances in the Asia-Pacific region, nor does it threaten U.S. military dominance.  Yet it is an important harbinger of things to come."  http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/27/should_we_be_afraid_of_chinas_new_aircraft_carrier?page=0,0

CHINA'S BLUE WATER DREAMS.  http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/27/blue_water_dreams

WHY BUYING SAN FRANCISCO'S BRIDGE FROM CHINA WAS A BAD IDEA.  An op-ed from Foreign Policy argues that the decision to purchase the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge from China could end up costing the people of California much more than originally thought.  Using China's record of major construction projects, including the Three Gorges Dam and high speed rail, concerns over safety and quality are not unfounded.  Additionally, the piece warns that by farming out infrastructure projects, the U.S. sacrifices its future capability to innovate.  From the piece "But the Chinese didn't call the Americans in to build their bridges for them.  They invested in developing the capacities necessary to build their own bridges.  That's what we did when we built the Golden Gate."  http://prestowitz.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/06/27/cheap_is_expensive

IN CHINA, A PLACE WHERE MAOISM STILL REIGNS.  A piece from the NYT describes Nanjiecun, a city in the center of China that remains visibly dominated by Mao Zedong and Communist billboards, as well as large statues and portraits of Marx, Lenin, Engels, and Stalin.  From the piece: "The nation finds itself gripped by something of a red revival these days.  Conservative factions within the Communist Party have been defending Mao's legacy with greater vehemence than usual, and top officials are pushing a campaign to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the party's founding on July 1^st.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/magazine/in-china-a-place-where-maoism-still-reigns.html?ref=china

The Caucus Brief is a daily publication for Members of Congress and Hill Staffers on China news and information compiled by the office of Congressman Randy Forbes, Founder of the Congressional China Caucus.  Email Reed.Eckhold@mail.house.gov with tips, comments, or to subscribe/unsubscribe.