Keywords: countermeasures, Diaoyu Islands dispute, cigarette tax, post-disaster reconstruction

China carries out countermeasures against Japan

China has carried out a series of countermeasures to reaffirm its sovereignty over the Diaoyou Islands after Japan signed a contract to "nationalize" the islands.

As well for the government's declaration of territorial sea baselines, two CMS (China Marine Surveillance) patrols sailing near the islands, and the weather forecast of the Diaoyu Islands being included in the domestic broadcast, ordinary Chinese people also had their own ways to protest against Japan's illegal actions. Some canceled their travel plans to Japan and refused to buy Japan-made products, and protests appeared in Beijing, Guangdong and Shandong provinces.

The Chinese media all paid a lot of attention to the heightening of the Diaoyu Islands dispute, and the mainstream media shows a very strong attitude towards Japan.

The People's Daily said Japanese government must understand that peaceful development is China's strategic choice. Territorial sovereignty and peaceful development is never an either/or question to China. China will not be an easy victim like the old days, and Japan should not forget its failure and loss when it attempted aggression against China during World War II. Japan should have a deep understanding that China loves peace but will never yield to other countries, based on its communications with China.

China is now closely concerned about the development of the Diaoyu Islands dispute. If Japan still ignores China's feelings and does whatever it wants, it is bound to bear possible serious consequence, the paper added.

At this crucial moment of Sino-Japan relations, China will not keep a low profile on territorial integrity and sovereignty, according to the People's Daily (overseas edition). There is a long way to go on resolving the Diaoyu Islands dispute, but East Asia will not find peace if Japan got most of what it wanted, the paper added.

"China is accumulating strength with its fast development. It can fully show this strength to Japan in a future conflict to reverse Japan's attitude toward China. Until that time, it is possible to restart friendly ties between China and Japan," the Global Times commented in an editorial.

"Keeping friendly neighboring ties is a good policy. But it cannot be achieved through one-sided begging and compromising," the paper concluded.

The Beijing Times suggested disputes between nations should be solved by actions rather than emotions. Interests always have a major impact on a country's survival and development. Both personal and national interests cannot be acquired without striving. For China, diplomatic channels alone are not enough to protect its interests.

The steps to solve the disputes should not necessarily be judged as "soft" or "tough," said the Beijing Times. Instead, what really matters is the effects of these steps and the predictions for next steps and effects.

The PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army, opined that the territorial dispute is not only directly related to Japanese aggression against China and other Asian countries, but also related to whether Japan accepted its unconditional surrender after the World War II. If Japan's "nationalization" of Diaoyu Islands is not deterred, the right-wing activists who lack a sense of guilt for the war will keep expanding, posing a serious threat to regional and world peace. The international community should maintain special vigilance over this issue, the paper argued.

Yunnan smokes its way to post-disaster relief

After being hit by two earthquakes on September 7, the disaster-stricken Yiliang county has received more than 200 ($31.6) million yuan donations and subsidies. However, Yunnan's Development and Reform Commission applied to the State Development and Reform Commission for extra quotas to produce 400,000 large cartons of cigarettes, saying that the local government can use the cigarette tax revenue of more than 600 million yuan ($94.8 million) to rebuild the disaster zone.

Smoking kills, and whether using such revenues is appropriate drew media attention. Although tobacco industry is one of the pillar industries of Yunnan Province, contributing to about 50 percent of its fiscal revenues, media still calls local government to find other choices.

Commentator Zhu Changjun said in an opinion piece published in the Beijing News that the disaster tests both the government's relief capacity and its administrative and relief ethics. Any deviation of relief may result in bigger "second harm." The tobacco expansion plan contains too much pursuit of profit although it was posed in name of disaster relief. A disaster ethics course is surely needed after we have experienced so many disasters, Zhu argued.

Li Changan, in the Global Times (Chinese edition) opined that the lack of money for disaster relief is an illusion. The local finance authorities have the capacity but have chosen to invest money on other projects. Achievements in quake-proof buildings and other livelihood projects can only be seen in the long-term, which is hardly likely to attract officials' attention. 

Obviously, reconstruction of the disaster area by selling cigarettes is not the best and only choice of a local government. The government could promote fiscal policies such as tax reduction and low interest rates of loans. In the long term, the local government should put more effort on the transformation of economic development mode and adjustment of the industrial structure, in order to lessen its independence on the "toxic" industry.