Congressional China Caucus

PEW SURVEY FINDS CHINA SEEN AS TOP ECONOMIC POWER.  The Boston Globe reports that for the first time, people responding to a global survey are more likely to view China and not the United States as the world’s leading economic power.  From the piece: “The results of the Pew Research Center survey do not reflect reality: America's economy remains well ahead of its closest rival. But it does highlight China's steadily rising public image amid rapid growth, as well as the erosion of the United States' status as the global superpower, especially after the 2008 financial crisis left it struggling with recession and high unemployment.  The 21-nation poll found that 41 percent of people said China was the world's economic power, while 40 percent favored the U.S. Among the 14 nations that were asked the same question in 2008, the margin was wider: 45 percent placed the U.S. on top four years ago, with just 22 percent for China, but in the latest poll China was favored 42 percent to 36 percent.”  http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/06/13/pew_survey_finds_china_seen_as_top_economic_power/

CHINA’S OLYMPIC THREAT OVER DALAI LAMA’S LEEDS VISIT.  The BBC reports that China has threatened to pull its athletes out of their Leeds Olympic training camp due to a visit by the Dalai Lama to the city.  From the piece: “The Tibetan spiritual leader is due to speak at the Yorkshire International Business Convention in Leeds on Friday.  It is thought Chinese officials asked Leeds City Council to put pressure on the organizers to cancel his visit.  The Dalai Lama visit will go ahead but the council has removed any association between itself and the convention.  In a statement, Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said the convention was a private event not organized by the council… When asked whether the Dalai Lama's visit to Leeds would have any impact on China's participation in the Olympics, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing, Liu Weimin, referred to Prime Minister David Cameron's meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader in May.  He said: ‘We hope the British side stops making mistakes again and again, which undermine China's interests.’”  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-18421667

COUNTDOWN TO SPACE BLAST-OFF.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18419997

CHINA SHIPPED MISSILE LAUNCH VEHICLES TO NORTH KOREA.  According to Voice of America, Japanese officials say China has violated a U.N. embargo by supplying North Korea with vehicles capable of transporting and launching ballistic missiles.  From the piece: “Local media Wednesday quoted government sources as saying that a Chinese company sent four giant, 16-wheel missile launch vehicles to North Korea last August.  The Asahi Shimbun, which first reported the story, said the U.S. has not publicly criticized China over the matter because it does not want to embarrass Beijing and because it needs China's support to help stifle Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.  Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin denied the allegations Wednesday, saying Beijing has not violated the U.N. resolutions prohibiting the sale of arms, training, and other assistance to Pyongyang… In April, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta acknowledged that China has provided ‘some help’ to North Korea with its ballistic missile program through trade and technology exchanges.”  http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2012/06/13/report-china-shipped-missile-launch-vehicles-to-north-korea-2/

MORE RICH CHINESE BUY U.S. PROPERTY.  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/12/business/china-u-s-property/index.html

AVOIDING A U.S.-CHINA WAR.  An op-ed in the NYT argues that the United States and China need to take steps to ensure that the relationship does not give way to war somewhere down the road.  From the piece: “In East Asia, things are very different. For most of its history, China has dominated the region. When it becomes the largest economy on earth, it will certainly seek to do so. While China cannot build up naval forces to challenge the United States in distant oceans, it would be very surprising if in future it will not be able to generate missile and air forces sufficient to deny the U.S. Navy access to the seas around China. Moreover, China is engaged in territorial disputes with other states in the region over island groups — disputes in which Chinese popular nationalist sentiments have become heavily engaged.”  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/opinion/avoiding-a-us-china-war.html

IS CHINA THE REAL MAHANIAN MARITIME POWER OF THE 21^ST CENTURY?  http://www.informationdissemination.net/2012/06/is-china-real-mahanian-maritime-power.html

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.