China will remain a communist dictatorship:
The head of China's rubber-stamp parliament cited Western democracy no less than nine times in a speech Monday — to illustrate what the country would not become.
China will never be a multiparty state with separation of powers, he said. It will not have an independent judiciary. Elections will still have mostly government-approved candidates on the ballot.
The hard line taken by National People's Congress Chairman Wu Bangguo was an apparent response to renewed calls for political reform from both inside and outside the country.
So. No democracy or rule of law. Check.
And China's approach to being a partner with America will continue to be a bit confusing with those Chinese characters:
Five Chinese ships including a Chinese naval vessel harassed a U.S. Navy ship in the South China Sea on Sunday, at one point closing to within 25 feet of the ocean surveillance ship, the Pentagon said.
A Defense Department statement said the Chinese vessels "shadowed and aggressively maneuvered in dangerously close proximity" to the USS Impeccable, which was conducting routine operations in international waters 75 miles south of Hainan Island.
The Pentagon identified the Chinese vessels as a Navy intelligence ship, a bureau of maritime fisheries patrol vessel, a state oceanographic administration patrol vessel, and two small Chinese-flagged trawlers.
The Pentagon said the U.S. ship was operated by a civilian crew under contract with the Defense Department and accused the Chinese vessels of violating international law.
Unlike the EP-3 incident at the beginning of President Bush's term, in which our unarmed patrol plane "shot down" a Chinese fighter harassing it, the Chinese didn't lose anybody in this provocation. Though some of the Chinese sailors were without pants by the end of the encounter. (I have no idea why.)
So the Chinese will not obey international law about simple sea traffic. Check.
The Chinese sure are touchy about Hainan Island. Even when we are well out in international waters and air space, the Chinese are willing to risk a confrontation with us.
Go figure. The Russians sink a Chinese ship, and while the Chinese just accepted the Russian invitation to buzz off, China goes after our ship?
Well, at least the future is a little less cloudy.
UPDATE: China tells us to buzz off:
The U.S. navy vessel concerned has been consistently conducting illegal surveying in China's special economic zone. China believes this contravenes international laws of the sea and China's relevant laws. China has repeatedly used diplomatic channels to demand the U.S. side cease unlawful activities in China's special economic zone. China's law enforcement authorities have also sent vessels to carry out law enforcement activities. The U.S. claim about operating in high seas is out of step with the facts. This official stressed that China cannot accept the baseless U.S. accusations, that China demands the U.S. cease this kind of illegal surveying activity and do more things beneficial to the stable development of China-U.S. relations. This official also stated that the Chinese government will make a formal statement about this incident.
I'm not feeling the love in that statement. I'm sure our "smart diplomacy" will straighten this all out.
But if our Impeccable credentials are found wanting, perhaps 7th Fleet could transit the area to remind the PLAN that they shouldn't mess with our ships.
