Syria
As Syria was holding its national referendum, one Chinese commentary on the situation in Syria and China's role in the Syrian crisis came out. According to this article, what the West wants in Syria is not democracy but the end of Bashar al-Assad's regime, so that Iran's influence on Syria will be reduced. In other words, the West is trying to build up a new geopolitical layout in the Middle East. Thus, as the author contends, China should, together with Russia, support the Syrian referendum and the reform of Bashar's regime. The author also suggests that China should seriously reconsider its changing role in the international arena, because each card China plays will be carefully examined by the West. China can retreat at any point as the situation in Syria changes, but China needs to be aware of the costs.
However, some other Chinese experts believe that China does not have to follow Russia's position regarding the Syria problem. Zhu Wenhui, an expert and commentator from Hong Kong, pointed out that Russia has more strategic interests in Syria that China does, and that Putin might be using his tough stance on this problem to gain popularity domestically. Therefore, China should deal with this case based on its own interests and considerations instead of blindly following Russia.
Sino-Japanese Relations
Last week, Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura denied the well-documented massacre of Chinese civilians by Japanese troops in 1937, which has provoked great anger and protests from the Chinese public. The city of Nanjing subsequently suspended its sister-city relations with Nagoya. “On the denial of the Nanjing massacre by the mayor of Nagoya, China has already expressed its solemn position and made a solemn complaint to the Japanese side,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular briefing. Qiu Yi, a Taiwanese political commentator, described the denial as "nonsense", and claimed that Chinese people from mainland China and Taiwan should condemn the Japanese mayor's absurd remarks together. An article on the website associated with Global Times cites the example of Willy Brandt, who kneeled before the martyrs monument in Warsaw when he was the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1970, and argues that Japanese politicians should follow this example.
Chinese Foreign Policy
Wang Zaibang, an expert on international relations, believes that China does not have to deliberately pursue a tough stance when it deals with its foreign affairs as long as it rationally formulates its foreign policies. The rise of China per se is not a threat, but deliberate pursuit of tough foreign policies could be perceived as threatening. Nevertheless, he also points out that rationality does not mean weakness. Another expert, Li Daguang, suggests that China should actively promote diplomacy of alliance. According to him, the capability of forming an alliance with other countries is a marker of a country's soft power, while China's no-alliance policy, formulated in the 1950s-1960s due to the Sino-Soviet split, is not applicable to today's situation.
Sources:
"叙利亚问题已变味卷入其中的中国随时可后撤" (The Syrian situation is changing, China can retreat at any time)
"朱文晖：对叙利亚问题中国无需跟从俄罗斯" (Zhu Wenhui: China needs not to follow Russia on the Syrian issue)
"南京暂停与名古屋官方交往" (Nanjing suspended formal relations with Nagoya)
"邱毅：两岸中国人应同声谴责日市长荒谬言论" (Qiu Yi: Mainland China and Taiwan should join together to condemn the Japanese mayor's absurd remarks)
"专家：日本要让受害国感动有必要学德国下跪" (Expert: Japan should learn from Germany)
"专家：中国外交不必刻意追求强硬 理性足矣" (Expert: China's diplomacy does not have to deliberately pursue toughness, it is enough to be rational)
"李大光：时过境迁 中国应积极推进盟国外交" (Li Daguang: China should actively promote diplomacy of alliance)
