China's Hard Line: `No Room for Compromise'

In China the National People's Congress is taking place and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, took the opportunity to voice his stance on relations with neighboring nations and the United States. Wang made it very clear that he was unhappy with the Japanese and refused to accept their claim to a few islands in the East China Sea. Japan is equally unhappy with China and in op-eds both nations have referred to the other as well-known villain Lord Voldemort. The China-Japan relationship has even been compared to, by Japan's president, the relationship between Germany and the UK prior to WWI. As for tensions in the South China Sea, Wang stated that China will not bully the smaller nations, but will also not bend to their demands. On the other hand China is more than willing to work the United States despite push back in support of Japan and not accepting the nine dash line. Nevertheless, the US has looked to China for support in regional problems and China has been willing to help.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/world/asia/china.html?ref=world&_r=0

By: Janine Yeh