China’s New Stealth Fighter Jet and Gates’ Visit

US Defense Secretary Gates just left Beijing after a meeting with President Hu Jintao to strengthen military ties between the two countries. During his visit, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) surprisingly tested its new J-20 stealth fighter jet, designed to compete with America’s F-22 Raptor (but according to most analyses, it doesn’t come close). Hu insisted that it was nothing more than a coincidence that the test flight happened during Gates visit (even though it was originally scheduled for later this week).

Predictably, headlines on the English-language versions of Chinese propaganda organs shouted that the meeting represented a huge positive development in relations. However, I noticed that the Chinese-language websites of People’s Daily and Xinhua only had one tiny article buried at the bottom the site. Could this be because fenqing (愤青，young Chinese nationalists) would be upset to see negotiations with the US military? I couldn’t figure it out.

By far the most interesting development in this story is the strong suspicion American officials have that the civilian leadership in Beijing had no idea that the military was going to test the jet during Gates’ visit. If that’s true, this mean that Beijing is in fact far less stable than the American media would have us believe. This could have terrible consequences for US-China relations, since Washington must take the much more conservative military faction in Beijing into consideration.

It also raises some interesting questions about recent events: could recent skirmishes in the South andEast China Seas have taken place without civilian approval? Could the overeager military crackdown in Xinjiang in 2009 have been on the PLA’s insistence? And most importantly—could Beijing’s new friendly ties with its neighbors, especially in Central and Southeast Asia, be at risk should the PLA gain more political ground?

I’m generally not one to be overly pessimistic about China’s growth, but this week’s events don’t bode well for US-Chinese relations.

Xinjiang update

Recent Events
In the days since the July 5 riots, Han Chinese have retaliated. Many attacked Uighurs with makeshift weapons. They did not disperse even when security forces sent tear gas their way. Uighur women have rioted, claiming their husbands and sons were illegally arrested. Small groups have protested outside hospitals, demanding the release of victims' bodies. A group of about 200 forced itself into one of Urumqi's major mosques on Friday, July 10, after police shut down all mosques for the day. Yesterday, police fired on a group of Uighurs carrying weapons, killing two.

International Reactions
There have been many protests at Chinese embassies around the world, mainly consisting of exiled Uighurs. Uighurs in Munich and Amsterdam vandalized Chinese embassies, and Islamic groups in Jakarta clashed with police while protesting in support of Uighurs. Few governments have reacted strongly to the recent unrest in western China, however. The UN, US, and most countries have simply called for restraint on both sides. Russia has come out strongly in defense of Beijing's actions. Almost no government has condemned Beijing, unlike during unrest in Tibet last year. Even Muslim countries have kept quiet. There is one major exception: Turkey. President Erdogan in a July 10 televised address labeled China's actions in Xinjiang a "genocide". That is quite the statement for a country that has refused to admit that its massacre of Armenians a century ago was genocide. It's also a pretty risky statement for a country in conflict with its own ethnic minority, the Kurds. Turkey also said that the Uighurs are Turkey's brethren, and that Ankara would use its temporary seat on the UN Security Council to push for international condemnation of the events (this would not accomplish much, since China and Russia have veto power- but never mind). Erdogan also said that Ankara would grant a visa to Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uyghur Congress, who had previously been denied visas.

Turkey's harsh words towards China represent a major change in its foreign policy. Turkey has never supported Uighur separatism, and just last week, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul visited Urumqi and called it a "friendship bridge between Turkey and China". Even when the riots first broke out, Ankara issued a mild statement extending condolences to "the people of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in particular and to the people of China in general," and that necessary actions should be taken to make sure such violence does not happen again.

The shift is due to domestic politics. NGOs and religious groups have called for a boycott of Chinese goods. Many criticized Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for its silence on the Uighur issue. The AKP's base is religious and rural. Domestic politics were also behind Ankara's uncharacteristically strong condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza last year. Turkey's increasingly Islamic rhetoric have marginally helped its relations with the Arab world, though it has fallen on deaf ears in Central Asia.

Unrest in Xinjiang

I'm sure many of you have heard of the recent unrest in Xinjiang. On July 5 and 6, we saw clashes in Urumqi between Uighurs, Hans, and Chinese security forces. The official death toll of the riots in Urumqi has risen to 156, with more than 1,000 injured. Beijing claims that most of the dead were Han, while the World Uyghur Congress claims the number is much higher and most were Uighurs. 1,434 people have been arrested, almost all of them Uighur men. More than 20,000 security personnel have been deployed to Urumqi. Han Chinese, incensed at the violence against Hans by Uighurs, attacked them the next day- continuing even after police let off tear gas. Uighur women screamed at police, holding the identity cards of their husbands who had been arrested. Internet service has been cut in the capital city of Urumqi, and Twitter has been disabled across the country. Websites and message boards relating to Uighurs or the protests have also been blocked. In Kashgar, the second largest city in the region, a protest of 200 to 300 took place outside the Id Kah mosque, though no violence was reported. Chinese embassies in Germany and the Netherlands were attacked by exiled Uighurs.

The Chinese government has released a statement blaming Rebiya Kadeer, an exiled Uighur leader of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), for the protests. These allegations are almost certainly false- the government has provided no evidence to support their statement, except for the fact that she made a phone call to her brother in Xinjiang a few days before the protests started. This sounds a lot like the government's spin during the Tibetan protests- they were all blamed on the Dalai Lama without evidence, and despite the fact that he supports peaceful protests only. Chinese newspapers have virulently attacked Ms. Kadeer, calling her the “Uighurs’ Dalai Lama” and “an ironclad separatist colluding with terrorists”. Posts on blogs call for revenge, saying the Uighurs will pay for their actions.

It is still unclear who began the violence and whether Chinese security personnel have used excessive force. Han witnesses claim that Uighurs attacked Han civilians unprovoked, while Uighur leaders claim that Chinese policemen attacked peaceful protesters.

The State Department has called for restraint on both sides, but has not said whether they believe excessive force was used. The only country to openly condemn China has been Turkey. Prime minister Erdogan has said that he will use Turkey's seat on the UN Security Council to push for an investigation into the events.

Many are asking what this means for Uighur independence. In my opinion, nothing. Beijing has mastered the art of quashing protests, and I am sure that in a few months everyone but the Uighurs will forget that this ever happened. Foreign governments are unlikely to come to the Uighurs' aid-- they have too much at stake, and the Uighurs don't have the excellent PR that the Tibetans do.

You can read a background of the tensions in Xinjiang here.

And in case you were wondering, Uighur (also spelled Uyghur) is pronounced "WEE-gur". Urumqi (the capital of Xinjiang) is pronounced "u-RUM-chee", and Xinjiang is pronounced "sheen-jyang".

Food in China: The Basics

Here is the first of a series of blogs on must-eat dishes in China. Below are some basic dishes you will see all over the country:

Xiaolong Bao- these soup dumplings are a famous Shanghai dish. The dumplings are served in a steamed bamboo basket. They are usually made of pork (though I've had crab), and contain soup inside as well. To eat, you should bite off a corner, sip the soup from the dumpling, then dip the dumpling in vinegar and ginger, and eat the rest. If you try to eat it all at once you will burn your tongue.

Noodle soups- similar to Vietnamese pho, but the noodles are thicker and the broth more flavorful. They are basically what the name implies. Cheap and delicious. Beware the chicken soup- it will probably contain the head and/or feet of the chicken. I've also seen chicken noodle soups in China that contain something resembling a Matzo ball, but I don't know exactly what that is and I'm afraid to try it.

Huo guo- Most commonly translated as "hot pot". The table has a large pot of boiling broth in the middle (which sometimes contains cow bones or pigs' feet for flavor). You can order the broth clear, spicy, or extra spicy. Order tofu, meat, seafood, and various vegetables to throw in- sort of like fondue. The Taiwanese version (which I prefer) has individual pots for everyone, and you make your own dipping sauce. Taiwanese usually call it by its Japanese name, Shabu Shabu.

Mapo Doufu- literally translated as "Pockmarked-face Old Lady Tofu," supposedly named after the inventor of the dish. The dish hails from Sichuan (formally spelled Szechuan) province, known for its spicy dishes. The dish contains boiled tofu in spicy chili sauce with minced pork or beef. The sauce also contains ma (麻), a spice that I have only tasted in Chinese food that numbs your entire face.

Peking duck: a dish from Beijing. An entire duck is roasted until the skin is crisp. The duck is sliced in front of the diners, who then wrap it in a pancake with sauce. Traditionally, the duck should be mostly skin and little meat.

Xinjiang and Uighur independence

Last week, 17 Uyghurs were released from Guantanamo Bay. These men had been imprisoned there for six years after declared innocent. Only China wanted to take them in, but it was probable that they would torture and imprison the men upon return, since the government views these men as terrorists. Finally, after six years of unjust imprisonment, the men were sent to Bermuda and Palau.

So who are the Uyghurs, and what relation could they possibly have to the "War on Terror"?

Uyghurs make up one of the largest ethnic minorities in China. Most Uyghurs (pronounced "WEE-gurz", and also spelled "Uighurs") live in Xinjiang province, a huge, western province bordering several 'Stans. They speak their own language (Uyghur), historically written in Arabic script (now sometimes written in Cyrillic or Latin script). Uyghurs are Muslims (Sunni), but not very religious comparatively- many drink alcohol.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Central Asia broke up into several countries representing the different ethnicities of the region- Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc. There was no Uyghurstan, as the Uyghurs are fully aware. Today, there are over half a dozen seperatist groups, many of them considered terrorist groups, fighting for a "Uyghurstan" or, more commonly, "East Turkestan". China claims that many of these groups are working with Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, though there is not much evidence of this publicly available. China has been conducting its own "War on Terror" in Xinjiang since 1999, trying to root out these organizations. In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, several terrorist attacks occurred in the region, most of them claimed by Uyghur separatist groups. While China must protect its own citizens, some outsiders claim that the threat is exaggerated in order keep the region quiet, so the government can have access to the mineral wealth throughout the province.

China, officially an atheist state, recognizes Islam as one of its five official religions. Mosques, however, must be "patriotic," and sermons are limited to half an hour. No public prayer is allowed, and children under 18 may not go to religious schools (this is true of all religions). Uyghurs also aren't allowed to entirely express themselves culturally. Xinjiang University, the largest and best university in the area, no longer teaches any courses in Uyghur, and even Uyghur literature courses must be taught using Chinese translations of texts. Only "Minzu" (ethnic) schools may teach in languages of ethnic minorities, and these are often poorly funded. This has created a dichotomy between the "Min kao Min" and "Min kao Han" Uyghurs- those who were brought up speaking Uyghur and those brought up speaking Mandarin, respectively. Those who speak Mandarin do far better than their Minkao Min counterparts.

It's not all bad. Uyghurs (and other minorities in China) are mostly exempt from the one-child policy. They benefit from affirmative action when applying to universities and government jobs. But the bad tends to outweigh the good, and there is much improvement needed in Xinjiang.

In many ways, the Uyghur situation is similar to the Tibetan one. Both are ethnic minorities in China that have clashed with the Han majority; both have historical claims to an independent nation; both are very religious; and both groups want more autonomy or even independence. But while the cause of the Tibetans has been taken up by many in the West, most have not even heard of Uyghurs. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, many Westerners are infatuated with Buddhism and consider it to be a "religion of peace." People have romanticized Tibet and imagine it to be a beautiful, peaceful, mystical kingdom in the Himalayas, a la "Lost Horizon." This isn't at all true of course-- the Tibetans have a brutal and bloody history (more on that to come). By contrast, Americans are much less likely to identify with the plight of a Muslim people. Secondly, the Dalai Lama has great recognition outside China and even won a Nobel prize. The Uyghurs don't have such a high-profile leader to make their case to the West.

Recommended reading:

Under the Heel of the Dragon: Islam, Racism, Crime, and the Uighur in China by Blaine Kaltman. A political history of modern Xinjiang.

Dragon Fighter: One Woman's Epic Struggle for Peace with China, by Rebiya Kadeer. Xinjiang's most prominent dissident tells of her life and struggles for Independence.

The Taiwan-China Conflict

One of the biggest conflicts between the US and China is the issue of Taiwan. Though the US officially recognizes the "One China Policy," it also has promised Taiwan protection in the event of a military attack by China. Between 1998 and 2005, the US sold Taiwan over $10 billion in weapons. However, the US does not in any way recognize Taiwan as a country. During Hillary Clinton's Asia tour, she completely ignored Taiwan.

History

The Taiwan Strait conflict truly began in 1949. The Communists, led by Mao Zedong, had just won the civil war against the Nationalists (Kuomintang, or KMT) under Chiang Kai-shek. Over 2 million members of the KMT fled to Taiwan, and declared the island the Republic of China. Taiwan had been a Japanese colony since 1895, when China seceded it after it lost the First Sino-Japanese War. Japan formally relinquished its claim to the island in 1952. Rather than form a new nation, Chiang claimed that Taipei was in fact the capital of all of China (and Mongolia). The US, UN, and most other countries agreed, recognizing Taipei rather than Beijing. It was not until 1971 that the UN recognized Beijing. The US switched recognition in 1979 under Nixon.

In the mean time, Taiwan was ruled under brutal martial law (though nowhere as brutal as Communist China). Press was censored and political dissidents thrown in jail. Discriminatory laws favored mainland Chinese over the native Taiwanese, Hakka, and aboriginal populations. Mandarin was made the official language and children were not allowed to speak Taiwanese and other dialects in schools. Martial law was finally lifted in 1987, and opposition parties began to form. Most important of these parties is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), whose main platform is Taiwanese independence. The party's main support base is native Taiwanese voters. Taiwan held its first direct presidential election in 1996- and China fired missiles over the Strait in an attempt to coerce Taiwanese voters to vote for the pro-unification candidates. In 2000, DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian won the presidential election, ending decades of KMT rule.

Today

Chen was reelected in 2004, after he was "shot" the day before elections (most believe that he staged this for more votes). Chen was radically pro-independence, and often angered the PRC (as well as the US). Chen and his family also faced many corruption charges throughout his presidency, and he was sent to jail.

In 2008, Taipei Mayor and Chair of the KMT Ma Ying-jeou beat DPP chair Frank Hsieh in a landslide election. The DPP did not stand a chance because of the corruption charges against Chen and many other officials. Of course, Ma's good looks and charm didn't hurt him either.

Thousands of missiles are deployed on both sides of the Strait, and military spending continues to rise. However, cross-Strait relations have in fact thawed since Ma's win. In late 2008, direct flights between mainland China and Taiwan began. In May, the KMT party leader met with Hu Jintao in Beijing, and a high-level DPP official visited the mainland as well. China also reached out-- it allowed Taiwan to participate as an observer at the WHO during the swine flu outbrake. This was huge for Taiwan, which in 2003 suffered from a major SARS outbreak and recieved no help from the WHO.

It is absolutely within Taiwan's interest to keep the status quo with China. Taiwan become a part of China-- it is a strong democratic nation, with universal suffrage, an independent judiciary, and a strong economy (with its own currency). Under China, it would likely lose much of the democratic progress it has made (like Hong Kong). However, if the conflict heats up, Taiwan has no way of truly standing up for itself. Only 23 countries have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and most of them tiny island nations.

China in New York

For those readers who can't make it to China, there's plenty to do in the States as well. Manhattan contains America's second largest Chinatown (after San Francisco), and Flushing, Queens is catching up. Below is a list of things to do- which is pretty much entirely comprised of places to eat, because what else do you do in Chinatown?

Food

Quickly (Grand and Bowery): my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. Quickly serves Shabu Shabu, or hot pot- you get a pot of boiling broth, a plate a veggies, noodles, meat of your choice, and make your own soup. The meal comes with a drink of your choice- I'd recommend the tapioca milk tea, a classic, or taro milk tea, for something more interesting. It's expensive by Chinatown standards (about $15 per meal) but well worth it. Make sure to finish up with cream cakes- sort of a soft, squishy fortune cookie- sold right outside the restaurant. They also have a store just for tapioca tea and cream cakes (Pell between Mott and Bowery).

House of Vegetarian (Mott near Canal): the menu looks like any other Chinese menu- General Tso's chicken, beef and broccoli, sweet and sour pork. The difference is that it's all made out of tofu. The mock meat doesn't taste like meat at all- but it's still delicious. Don't let the fact that everything is vegetarian make you think it's healthy, though- everything is covered with MSG and a tons of sauce. Stick to the mock meat dishes, and stay away from fried rice or noodles. You will be able to stuff yourself for under $10. An alternative is Boddhai Buddha (Mott and Chatham), which is Kosher. I don't think it's as good, but many people swear by it.

Lanzhou Hand-pulled Noodles: another hole-in-the-wall worth going to. For $4-$6, you will get a massive bowl of noodle soup that will fill you up for the rest of the day. Warning: the "vegetarian noodles" still have meat broth. Get a seat facing the kitchen, and you can see the cook pulling the noodles.

Fried Dumplings (Mosco, between Mulberry and Mott)- a tiny whole in the wall in a part of Chinatown where no tourists go. There is no menu- just fried dumplings (guo tie), $1 for a plate of five. The manager doesn't speak much English, but all you need to say is how many you want.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (Bayard, between Mott and Bowery): has interesting flavors like sesame, lychee, dan tat (egg custard), and red bean. Pretty expensive though- $3.25 for a scoop.

Peking Duck (Mott and Mosco): for $40, you get an entire duck. That's your only option, actually. Make sure to bring three to five people per duck! Open later than most places in Chinatown.

Pongsri Thai (Bayard and Baxter): A bit more expensive than the other restaurants ($10-12 an entree), but the best Thai I've ever had in the city. Get any of the curries. For vegetarians (and meat eaters!), I highly recommend the vegetarian duck curry- spicy, and actually tastes like duck. Delicious.

Update: Just tried a great restaurant, Joe's Shanghai. Without doubt the best place to get xiaolong bao. On weekends, the wait can be up to an hour, so make sure to leave a lot of time.

Cream cakes- sold by street vendors all over the neighborhood. About $1 for 15 or 20. If you're hungry, get 30 or 40- they're small.

Bakeries- also located all over Chinatown. Chinese bakeries are surprisingly great. Everything is much sweeter (and greasier) than Western bakeries, so buy small quantities. I recommend egg custard ($1 each) and sesame balls (greasy, gooey goodness for 50 cents to $1).

Queens: the New York Times has a great interactive map of the best Chinese food in Flushing. It's pretty extensive, so I don't have much to add, except- make sure you try the Xinjiang kebabs from street vendors. Amazing. I recommend the chicken hearts- and get them spicy.

Not Food

Massage- massages in Chinatown are cheap. Make sure, though, that you're actually going to a massage parlor and not a brothel! I still haven't discovered how you can tell the difference before going in- I guess the best way is to just ask?

Columbus Park- go before 10 am and you'll see old ladies doing their morning Tai Chi. If they're nice, you can join. In the afternoons, elderly neighbors gather together with traditional Chinese instruments and jam. Sometimes you can see people practicing martial arts. And of course, there's a basketball court and tons of skaters.