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China doesn't forget its hegemonic ambitions even in earthquake coverage

By Tony Le
22 May 2008

It has been noticed that even in the tragedy of the earthquake, China has not forgotten its hegemonic ambitions. According the Hoang Sa blog, countless internet web pages, newspapers, and television channels in China have been disseminating a map of China with a heart placed on the Sichuan province. The map of course includes the “cow-tongue” shape line that delineates China’s claims in Vietnam’s Eastern Sea. Below the map is a note reminding everyone that the whole world is looking to China with deep sympathy.

According to a comment on Hoang Sa blog by Nobikami, “I see that the hegemonists do not eliminate any tactic in order to disseminate their motives of expansionism. This time they are making use of the victims of the earthquake. Anyone who has cable television will see that on CCTV4 and CCTV9, there is the map of the “cow tongue” of China which is also posted on the bottom right corner of the screen, in any segment related to the earthquake and the rescue effort.”

China’s tactic this time is more expansive and perhaps even more effective than including the Paracel Islands on the Olympic torch relay map. News channels all over the world (including Vietnam's VTV) are using news clips from Chinese television which depicts this map. Unlike the torch relay which leaves people everywhere with a sour taste in their mouth, and a grimace on their face, people are now looking to China with sympathy, and receiving China’s subliminal message that the Paracel and Spratly Islands and virtually all of the Eastern Sea belong to China.

Vietnamese find it difficult to protest China’s inclusion of the Paracel Islands in the torch relay map as it is, even when the world look at the relay with disgust. How would Vietnamese protest China’s inclusion of nearly the entire Eastern Sea as Chinese territory on its earthquake maps now that the whole world looks to China with sympathy?

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bibo	\|05-27-2008 09:15:51

no surprise at all.

China got so much help from the world and so much land for itself, and yet . . . it's just never enough. It's not greed, then a new word need to be invented.

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