Japan's alleged anti-China diplomatic scandal despicable

[TaiShang]

Japan's alleged anti-China diplomatic scandal despicable

Xinhua, February 2, 2017

Ten thousand pounds per month. That's the money the Japanese Embassy in London has been paying to a British think tank for its work to hype up China threat and propagate against China-UK relations, said a Sunday Times report.

As an official representative of a sovereign country in Britain, the Japanese Embassy's act, if proved to be true, is surprising and despicable.

In this alleged diplomatic scandal, the embassy has hired the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a right-wing think tank, to encourage high-level British politicians and journalists to "voice opposition to Chinese foreign policy."

A recent example is an article published in August 2016 questioning China's involvement in Britain's Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. Former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind has confirmed that he had been approached by the HJS to put his name to the article.

Fear over China's rapid development and its sound relations with Britain has been seen as a major motive behind the Japanese Embassy's indecent campaign against its neighbor.

But such a trick will neither help Japan, whose economy is struggling, nor deter China's growing ties with Western countries. It only reveals a serious deficiency in Tokyo's self-confidence.

Meanwhile, one cannot help wondering if there are other Japanese embassies that are working on similar projects to tarnish the image of China.

Since the disclosure of the allegations, the Japanese government and media as well as the embassy in London have chosen to remain silent.

Silence is by no means gold in this case. It probably means embarrassment.

The trick carried out by the HJS did not work. The British government gave the green light to the Hinkley Point C project. It is a sign of bilateral confidence in and mutual commitment to a "golden era" of Britain's post-Brexit relations with China.

For the HJS, which poses as "a policy shaping force fighting for the principles of free society," its involvement in this money-driven trick is a slap on its own face.

 

[TaiShang]

Why does Japanese embassy 'act as a spy'?
By Wang Xiaohui
China.org.cn, February 4, 2017

Distraction policy [By Jiao Haiyang / China.org.cn]

On Jan. 29, the second day of China's Lunar New Year, The Times, a British national newspaper, published a report entitled "Rifkind a stooge in secret PR war on China," saying that the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a U.K. think tank, is paid a total of 15,000 pounds per month by the Japanese embassy in the U.K. to voice opposition to Chinese foreign policy. Former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind was approached by HJS and served as a stooge in this disgraceful deal.

According to the report, a provisional proposal wanted the think tank to deliver a "communications strategy" for the embassy at a cost of 15,000 pounds per month. Written in early 2016, the proposal aimed to engage U.K. journalists and high-level politicians, including members of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, to focus on "the threat to western strategic interests posed by Chinese expansionism." It added that "as part of delivering the 'threat' message, we will have to counter the growing belief, particularly in the U.K. Treasury, that Chinese inward investment can provide the answer to the U.K.'s infrastructure problems."

Chinese people who were celebrating the Spring Festival might have missed the report, but the problems it revealed are deep.

Why does the Japanese embassy fund the spreading of anti-Chinese propaganda?

Generally speaking, the responsibility of an embassy is to handle political, economic, military and cultural relations with the government of its host country and to defend the lawful rights of its citizens in a foreign land on behalf of its country. What the Japanese embassy has done goes against common sense and is no better than espionage.

So, why did Japan conduct this kind of activity, which harms others without benefiting itself? As is known to all, the problems and conflicts between China and Japan are both historical and contemporary. Since the late 19th century, Japanese imperialists had wreaked havoc throughout Asia, and especially in China, for almost 50 years. However, it not only refuses to reflect on its wartime aggression, it also tries to revise history and set itself against China on territorial sovereignty as well as trade. Of course, the main reason for this fear is China's rise. In the wake of rapid economic growth during the past 40 years, especially since reform and opening up, China has leapfrogged Japan to become the world's second largest economy, and the gap is gradually widening. Along with its economic expansion, China is also growing into a military power.

China's development has caused much concern for Japanese politicians, especially those on the right. Due to fear based on the past logic of "power to hegemony" and a self-envisioned "China threat," Japan aims to contain its neighbor by all possible means.

President Xi Jinping's visit to the U.K. in 2015 sparked a China craze in the country and lifted bilateral relations to a new height. George Osborne, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, also called for creating a "golden decade" of China-U.K. cooperation during his visit in Shanghai in 2015. All of this has caused a large headache for the Abe administration and led to the embassy's disgraceful decision to wage a propaganda campaign against China via a third party.

Why did a British think tank dedicate itself to working for the Japanese embassy?

Even though the transaction of the monthly stipend of 15,000 pounds paid by the Japanese embassy sounds handsome, it remains unimaginable that a prominent think tank like HJS would accept the payment. Moreover, why should the former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind act as a conduit for HJS? The reason goes far beyond business transactions. The hostility towards China's social institution and "the Chinese Road" are the true reasons behind the scenes.

In October 2015, the China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) partnered with Electricite De France Group (EDF) to seal an agreement to develop a project at Hinkley Point C. It was the first time that a Chinese enterprise has ever engaged in nuclear power construction in the European market, which, therefore, attracted immeasurable attention from across the world. However, the project has sparked disturbances and doubts from think tanks and the media, hyping security concerns when Britain allows China to be involved in the construction of the local nuclear power plant.

Rifkind confirmed he had been approached by HJS to put his name to an article published in the Daily Telegraph expressing concerns about China's involvement in Britain's Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. Headlined "How China could switch off Britain's lights in a crisis if we let them build Hinkely C," the article made groundless speculation that "no one knows what 'backdoor' technologies might be able to be introduced into the building of a power plant."

Because of such disturbances, the project of Hinkley Point C continued to be protracted as EDF delayed investment in the final phase and the newly elected British government postponed approval in July 2016.

Even though the Hinkley Point C project eventually moved forward after several twists and turns, we can truly feel the repercussion of "China Threat Theory," which is firmly ingrained in the minds of many western countries. The latest reports in The Times have made us truly understand the point, while the intriguing schemes of the Japanese have also been exposed.

Would Japan's little tricks work?

Japan has never lacked the ability to play tricks, especially political tricks. From the September 18 Incident, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the Pearl Harbor Attack and the duo performance of the Japanese government and Tokyo authority in attempts to "purchase" China's Diaoyu islands in 2012, Japan has never failed to demonstrate that their gimmicks are always followed by bigger and more vicious schemes.

However, the world has transformed in the past century and China today is no longer the country it once was. China will step forward to the central stage of the world despite the apparent political, economic and military challenges and the schemes both on and off the tables. Without making use of invasion and looting, the development of China relies on assiduous endeavors and sweat of its 1.4 billion people. While making its own progress, China has contributed substantially to the world's economy and provided new approaches to global governance. An increasing number of countries have recognized and accepted China's efforts and devotions, which resonates with a Chinese adage that "a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust cause finds scant support." The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has drawn the involvement of more than 100 countries and made progress in its initial stage; The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is running smoothly; multinational cooperation in projects such as the Hinkley Point C has removed hurdles and made headway; the G20 Hangzhou Summit in 2016 demonstrated that China would share its thoughts with the world and propose its ideas … How can independent, just and inclusive development be impeded by dirty tricks?

"The passes and paths are as impregnable as iron, but we are now transcending them from the very beginning." This is the real path to a stronger China.

The author Wang Xiaohui is editor-in-chief of China.org.cn.

 

[Jlaw]

Japanese were never to be trusted. first life lesson I learned. Why Chinese shock at this report? There are many other schemes by Japanese that are not revealed yet.

 

[TaiShang]

UK military mired in Japan's anti-China propaganda scandal: report

(Xinhua) 16:55, February 06, 2017

　　Admiral Lord West [File photo: Xinhua]

A former head of the British Royal Navy and one of the best known British army chiefs had been unwittingly dragged into an anti-China campaign by a London think tank being paid by the Japanese government, it was reported Sunday.

Admiral Lord West, former first sea lord and chief of all British Royal Navy staff, and Colonel Bob Stewart, former British army officer, were both used in the war of words organized by the think tank, the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), the London-based Sunday Times newspaper reported.

The newspaper reported a week earlier that the Japanese embassy in London was paying HJS a reported 10,000 pounds a month to run an anti-China propaganda campaign.

Neither the Japanese embassy nor HJS have denied the arrangement.

The report claimed that West, who served as a security minister in the former Labor government, was recruited by the think tank to publicly oppose China.

West was asked by HJS to put his name to an article published on a political website last July which attacked China's maritime claims over the South China Sea.

The report said West was not being informed that HJS was being paid by the Japanese government.

This weekend West, who is said to serve on HJS's advisory council, attacked the think-tank for touting his name, saying he would not have put his name to the article if he had known Japan was funding the HJS.

"I was certainly not aware that HJS was funded by the Japanese," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The report also revealed that Stewart, who served as a UN commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), was also unaware of HJS's paymasters when he put his name to an article critical of China that had used HJS's research. Stewart currently serves as a Conservative member of parliament (MP).

The Sunday Times said the media campaign reflects growing tensions between Japan and China. Its report added that last week HJS had been forced to apologize publicly to another British politician, former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind for not informing him of its deal with the Japanese embassy.

It said Rifkind had been encouraged by HJS to voice opposition to the Chinese foreign policy. HJS had sought Rifkind's name for an article in the respected broadsheet London newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, expressing concerns about China's involvement in the Hinkley Point nuclear plant project. The project, with China's involvement, has been approved and welcomed by Prime Minister Theresa May.

The Sunday Times said HJS had refused to say whether it would issue the two former military men, named in Sunday's report, public apologies.

Since the disclosure of the allegations, the Japanese government, media as well as the embassy in London have chosen to remain silent.

 

[帅的一匹]

That's what Japan is good at, fishing in trouble water.

 

[terranMarine]

Japan is a sad country, no honor at all.

 

[MultaniGuy]

Indeed the tables have turned. 100 years ago, Japan had their empire. Now Japan's population is in decline.
Now China is becoming a Superpower country in the world.
China will overtake the United States by economy soon.

 

[TaiShang]

Japan is a sad country, no honor at all.

Japanese government sounds desperate. Trump has disturbed some dreams.

 

[TaiShang]

Funding anti-China articles in UK shows Japan’s pettiness

Source: Global Times Published: 2017/2/3


The Sunday Times recently reported that Japan has been paying 10,000 pounds per month to a British think tank, the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), to hype up "China threat" among British high-level politicians.

The scandal exposed Japan's twisted shrewdness and is a shame on British intellectual and political groups.

According to media reports, the HJS was paid by the Japanese Embassy in London to spread anti-China propaganda, via the conduit of public figures such as Malcolm Rifkind, a former British foreign secretary. Rifkind confirmed that he was approached by the HJS in August 2016 and asked to put his name to an article titled "How China could switch off Britain's lights in a crisis," which criticized Hinkley C, a UK-Chinese nuclear power station.

The practice is a clear violation of social standards and morals. Western media did not follow up on the story and Japanese media remained silent about the news. Such silence is unimaginable if China and Russia were found to have been involved in similar scandals.

The event shows that sabotaging China has been an important mission of Japanese overseas outposts, something China would never do. The behavior reveals the insidiousness and pettiness of Japanese diplomacy, which is humiliating for the entire East Asia.

With 10,000 pounds, the British think tank has sold both its spirit of independence and pride. Or maybe it's because we have overestimated the integrity of the intellectual groups of the UK. We do not know whether the scandal is merely the tip of an iceberg of anti-China drive or an isolated event. We also don't know to what extent the HJS is representative of other think tanks in the UK.

Some criticisms from the West are so obviously absurd and illogical that we can sense the bias or hostility toward China. We don't know why the Western intellectuals who are so keen on advocating a spirit of objectiveness and science have made so many shallow mistakes. Is it because of ideological differences or geopolitical "conspiracies" like the one plotted by the Japanese embassies?

Before and after the US presidential elections, the mainstream Western media were in a war with Donald Trump, showing the hidden "political hand" that was previously unknown to the Chinese audience.

Now, we are shocked to see what a mere sum of 10,000 pounds could do to the British public opinion. We hope that most British people are as angry as we are when they hear the story, and feel uncomfortable about such an inappropriate deal taking place in their own country.

**

Perhaps we call Japanese administration a "petty government."

As for the British intelligentsia, could we please next time outbid the Japanese by paying 50% more and "rent" their opinion? Don't we have some extra forex? In effect, British intelligentsia appears to be not that expensive. 10.000 pound a month is handsome but not worrisome.

How much was China's foreign reserves at the last count? @Shotgunner51

Would that extra money spent for this UK think tank be also calculated into the UK GDP just as the money generated from sex business does? Of course, here I do not want to demean the latter by comparing it with the former.

@terranMarine , @Chinese-Dragon , @long_ , @vostok

 

[oprih]

Those japanese embassy officials brought shame to themselves and to japan, as punishment they should perform harakiri immediately.

 

[艹艹艹]

Japan is a shameless country

 

[Pangu]

This so-called "Think Tank" is obviously devoid of any objective & reasonable cognitive ability, but money talks & bullshit walks, no thinking needed.

 

[帅的一匹]

Never trust Japanese, and I never travel to Japan.

 

[Daniel808]

Home | UK

Useful idiots? Japanese embassy pays British think tank to plant anti-China stories
Published time: 30 Jan, 2017 15:04
Edited time: 1 Feb, 2017 12:35

Participants carry a traditional dragon figure as they take part in an event to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Rooster in London, Britain, January 29, 2017. © Neil Hall / Reuters


The neoconservative Henry Jackson Society (HJS) think tank is on the payroll of the Japanese embassy, charged with drafting in public figures to spread anti-Chinese propaganda, investigators claim.

The Times’ investigation suggests the London-based HJS is paid £10,000 (US$12,500) per month to spread anti-Chinese propaganda, including through public figures like former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind.

HJS frames itself as a pro-intervention and pro-capitalist voice, which aims to spread freedom and democracy around the world. It is run by the academic and failed Tory parliamentary candidate Alan Mendoza.

The deal between the think tank and the embassy was reportedly reached to counter the growing cooperation between the UK and China, championed by former Chancellor George Osborne.

The agreement reflects the rising tensions between China and Japan – the latter a close US ally in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rifkind confirmed to the Times over the weekend that he had been asked by HJS in August to put his name to an article called ‘How China could switch off Britain’s lights in a crisis if we let them build Hinkley C’, which criticized a UK-Chinese nuclear power station deal.

The comment piece claimed there may be a risk of a Chinese-funded power station having cyber-backdoors built into it which could present a risk to UK security.

Rifkin told the Times he had not been aware of the links between HJS and the Japanese embassy and said the think tank “ought to have informed me of that relationship when they asked me to support the article they provided. It would have been preferable if they had.”

The report indicates that HJS originally approached the Japanese embassy alongside a PR firm named Media Intelligence Partners (MIP), which is run by a former Tory PR man named Nick Wood.

The Times says it saw an early version of a proposal which would see the think-tank and PR firm develop a communications strategy for the embassy for a fee of £15,000 per month.

This, they said, would allow Japan’s concerns to be placed “on the radar of mainstream UK journalists and politicians.” It includes journalists from major papers like the Telegraph and the Guardian.

Other aims included the creation of “an engaged and interested cadre of high-level politicians” and a focus on the “threat to Western strategic interests posed by Chinese expansionism.”

The actual deal reached was for a lower figure of £10,000 plus expenses, according to the Times.

https://www.rt.com/uk/375636-henry-jackson-japan-china/

 

[MultaniGuy]

Never trust Japanese, and I never travel to Japan.

I heard Chinese dislike Japanese.
How much do Chinese dislike Japanese?