China Flexing

[Badger]

Just read this

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/16/eng20060816_293767.html

in the People's Daily on line.

There are a couple of other articles there that seem to be a recent change in political posture. Subtle, but significant, in my estimation.

This century will be an interesting one.

 

[Beerina]

To it's credit, I got about to the 4th paragraph before that funny feeling rose to conscious level, and I realized I was reading a propaganda piece.

But Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi turns a deaf ear to the serious warning and kind persuasions of the Chinese side.

Rhetoric, but also beautifully phrased for a diplomatic statement, which it is not.

However, I'm confused as to the "Flexing" part -- no subtle hint of militarism I could pick up other than China and Japan are "separated by a strip of water", and that's stretching it.