Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/654615
ByChristopherBodeen The Associated Press BEIJING Theeconomydom- inated the Chinese legisla- ture's annual session, but other challenges cropped up too, including the poten- tialfornewinstabilityonthe Korean Peninsula, unrest in Hong Kong, the election of an independence-leaning government on the self-rul- ingislandofTaiwanandten- sionsintheSouthChinaSea. Such issues could prompt PresidentXiJinpingtoshore up his support by turning up nationalist rhetoric — one of the ruling Communist Par- ty's traditional strategies for building legitimacy. A look at some of them: HongKongheadache TheOccupyCentralstreet protestsin2014soughttoex- pand democracy but ended without a clear resolution — and a distrust of authority has lingered in Hong Kong. A Lunar New Year street riot last month shocked many in the city, while the disappear- ance of five people linked to a publishing house special- izing in politically sensitive books has raised fears that Beijing is tightening its hold on the southern financial hub. Elections this year for the 70-seat Legislative Coun- cil could result in deadlock, while unpopular Chief Ex- ecutive C.Y. Leung appears to be Beijing's only option to run for a second term in 2017. Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesdaythat Chinawon't be changing its basic policy of allowing Hong Kong to maintain a substantial de- gree of autonomy, and ex- pressed faith in the city's government and citizens to manage their problems while Beijing maintains a watchful eye. Taiwanturnsaway Beijing was helpless to watch the pro-Chinese Na- tionalist Party go down to ignominious defeat in Tai- wan's presidential and leg- islative elections in January. The result was a huge win for the independence-lean- ing Democratic Progressive Party,whoseleaderTsaiIng- wen is set be be inaugurated as the island's first female president in May, backed by her party's first majority in the legislature. During the eight-yearruleofNationalist President Ma Ying-jeou, Bei- jing had hoped to use eco- nomic inducements to bring the island closer to its goal of eventual political unifica- tion, but the policy seems in- stead to have generated re- sentment among young vot- ers. Lihasavoidedmentioning Taiwan's elections, but said Wednesday China would stick to its core policies of opposing the island's inde- pendence and insisting that Tsai agree that Taiwan and mainlandChinaarepartofa single Chinese nation. Koreanconundrum After working to repair ties with its communist neighbor, Beijing was an- gered by Pyongyang's pur- ported hydrogen bomb test in early January and a sub- sequent satellite launch that was seen as a test of banned missile technology. Thoughinitiallyunwilling to take tougher action that might destabilize Kim Jung Un'sregime,Chinahardened its attitude in mid-February and agreed with the U.S. on tough new U.N. sanctions to punishPyongyangforviolat- ing earlier resolutions. In a phone conversation Tuesday with his Japanese counterpart, Foreign Minis- ter Wang Yi reaffirmed Chi- na's commitment to fully implement U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and called for new talks with North Korea on nuclear dis- armament. SouthSea estrangement Tensions have been build- ing for years in the South China Sea as China's in- creasingly robust moves to assert its maritime claims in the strategically vital region prompted angry exchanges with other claimants, espe- cially Vietnam and the Phil- ippines. Frictions have risen fur- therwhenChinaaddedmore than 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of land to its hold- ings by expanding existing islands or creating entirely newonesbypilingsandatop coral reefs. The addition of airstrips and military in- frastructure has Washing- ton and others worried that Chinaisattemptingtoassert total dominance over the re- gion's waters and airspace. Foreign Minister Wang last week warned that China won't permit other nations to infringe on what it con- siders its sovereign rights in the area. Nextup:nationalism? The need to burnish his own image, deter ri- vals and divert attention from slower growth could prompt Xi to intensify Chi- nese nationalism through the use of jingoistic rhet- oric and by taking a hard line with the U.S. and oth- ers, U.S. analysts Robert D. Blackwill and Kurt M. Campbell wrote in a recent report. "Economic growth and nationalism have for de- cades been the two founts of legitimacy for the Com- munist Party, and as the former wanes, Xi will likely rely increasingly on the latter," the two wrote. Nationalism has proven effective before in mobi- lizing support, as in the 1990s when the party de- flected criticism over the bloody suppression of the 1989 pro-democracy move- ment by stirring pride in China's achievements and resentment against its ri- vals, especially the U.S. But such a strategy can also spin out of control, as with recurring violent anti-Jap- anese protests that have forced the government to quickly reassert control. LEGISLATURE Taiwan, Korea challenges could push China's nationalism MAR K S CH IE FE LB EI N — T HE A SS OC IA TE D P RE SS Ch in es e P rem ie r Li K eq ia ng w ave s a s h e le ave s a p re ss c on fe rence a e r t he c lo si ng s es sio n o f t he a nn ual N at io na l Pe opl e' s C on gr es s h eld i n B ei ji ng 's Gr eat H al l o f t he Pe op le o n W ed ne sd ay . By Daniel Estrin The Associated Press JERUSALEM Israel expro- priated a large stretch of land in the West Bank as Vice President Joe Biden was ending a visit to Israel last week, according to a copy of the land declaration obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The land seizure, re- ported earlier by Israeli media, has already drawn a sharp rebuke from the United States. COGAT, the Israeli mil- itary body that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs, confirmed Wednesday that about 580 acres (235 hect- ares) near the West Bank city of Jericho were de- clared government land. Officials said the deci- sion was enacted Sunday. However, the declaration was signed last Thursday, the same day Biden left the region, according to the land document provided by anti-settlement group Peace Now. Responding to Israeli media reports about the move, U.S. State Depart- ment spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that it was "the latest step in what appears to be an ongoing process of land expropri- ations, settlement expan- sions and legalizations of outposts that is fundamen- tally undermining the pros- pects for a two-state solu- tion" to the Israeli-Palestin- ian conflict. "We strongly oppose any steps that accelerate set- tlement expansion, which raise serious questions about Israel's long-term in- tentions," Kirby said. Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. Palestinians seek to establish an inde- pendent state in those ter- ritories. A visit by Biden in 2010 was marked by a dip- lomatic spat with Washing- ton after Israel announced settlement construction plans during his visit. In January, Israeli offi- cials announced that Israel had approved the expropri- ation of 370 acres (150 hect- ares) of West Bank land near Jericho. Peace Now said the latest expropriation appeared to implement the January decision, but with a larger tract of land seized than initially publicized. COGAT gave no reason for the latest land expro- priation. Peace Now said such land tends to be used for Jewish settlement pur- poses. In the past, Israel has declared West Bank lands as government prop- erty when the lands are not farmed and not found to be registered under anyone's name. UN REBUKE Israel expropriated West Bank land during end of Biden visit InPrintEveryTuesday-Thursday-Saturday Online:Publishes24/7 www.redbluffdailynews.com Threeadditionalonline locations at no extra cost! 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