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Media Report
December 20 , 2016
  • The Associated Press：Smog Chokes Chinese Cities, Grounding Flights, Closing Roads
    The Associated Press reports: "Thick, gray smog fell over Beijing on Tuesday, choking China's capital in a haze that spurred authorities to cancel flights and close some highways in emergency measures to cut down on air pollution. Beijing and much of industrial northern China are in the midst of a 'red alert,' the highest level in China's four-tiered pollution warning system. The alert has affected 460 million people, according to Greenpeace East Asia, which calculated that about 200 million people were living in areas that had experienced levels of air pollution more than 10 times above the guideline set by the World Health Organization...China has long faced some of the worst air pollution in the world, blamed on its reliance of coal for energy and factory production, as well as a surplus of older, less efficient cars on its roads. Beijing and other cities have tried to improve air quality by switching power plants from coal to natural gas and rolling out fleets of electric buses and taxis. But despite its public commitment to reduce carbon emissions, China remains the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, with plans to build new factories and increase production."
  • The Washington Post：China returns seized U.S. naval drone despite Trump call to 'keep it'
    The Washington Post reports: "China on Tuesday returned a U.S. naval drone seized in the South China Sea last week, a peaceful resolution to a military standoff that threatened to inflame maritime tensions ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the drone was transferred to the United States after 'friendly negotiation.' In a separate statement, the Pentagon confirmed the drone's return but offered a less friendly-sounding account. The incident was 'inconsistent with both international law and standards of professionalism for conduct between navies at sea,' the Pentagon statement said. The United States has 'called on Chinese authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and to refrain from further efforts to impede lawful U.S. activities,' the statement said...Trump weighed in, posting a message on Twitter that said: 'China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters — rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act.'...[his] response...will no doubt compound Chinese concerns about the president-elect's Asia policy."
  • Foreign Affairs：The Trouble With Ceding Climate Leadership to China
    Foreign Affairs comments: "Just as the United States appeared poised to take a victory lap after securing a string of successes on climate change, Donald Trump was elected to the U.S. presidency, suggesting that Washington might abandon its leadership role instead. Trump and his advisers have vowed to withdraw the United States from climate accords abroad and to abandon President Barack Obama's push for clean energy at home. If the Trump administration keeps those promises, China will probably step into the leadership vacuum left by the United States. At first glance, that might seem like good news...The trouble is that China would lead on climate-change issues only insofar as doing so would advance its national interests. Some of those interests, such as China's desire to cultivate foreign markets for clean energy exports and curb domestic air pollution, line up with combatting climate change. Others, such as the incentives the country faces to export coal power plants abroad, could get in the way of reducing emissions."
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