China’s Rise Timeline Draft

By: Harrison Ling

January 2010• China posts a 17.7% rise in exports in December,

suggesting it has overtaken Germany as the world’s biggest exporter(BBC Asia).

• The U.S calls on Beijing to investigate the cyber attacks, saying China has tightened censorship China condemns U.S. criticism of its internet controls(BBC Asia)

• Overview: This is an important segment in that China is beginning to establish itself on the international market by slowly surpassing well known exporting countries. This also marks the beginning of a long battle with the United States in cyberattacks.

2010 September • Diplomatic row erupts over Japan’s arrest of

Chinese trawler crew in disputed waters in East China Sea. Japan later frees the crew but rejects Chinese demands for an apology(BBC Asia)

• Overview: Although the incident seems minor, this is the start of the now growing tension in the Pacific for the highly disputed waters by several of the Asian countries such as Philippines, Vietnam, etc.

2011 February • China formally overtakes Japan to become the

world’s second largest economy after Tokyo published figures showing a Japanese GDP rise of only four per cent in 2010 (BBC Asia)

• Overview: Just lasted year in 2010 China surpassed Germany in exports, and now we see China overtaking the second spot for the largest economy. It is important to note that this is within one year and that China is still rising.

2012 April• China ups the limit within which the yuan

currency can fluctuate to 1% in trading against the US dollar, from 0.5%. The US welcomes the move, as it has been pressing China to let the yuan appreciate (BBC Asia)

• Overview: The appreciation in the yuan allows the Chinese currency to compete well against other solid currency in the international market thus allowing the yuan to be a more widely accepted currency for payment.

2012 May• Philippines and Chinese naval vessels confront one

another off the Scarborough Shoal reef in the South China Sea. Both countries claim the reef, which may have significant reserves of oil and gas (BBC Asia).

• Overview: This is confrontation shows the steady increase in tension among neighboring countries of China. This is also when we begin to see China flexing its military might and becoming an intimidating force in the Pacific. The confrontation also establishes China’s fearless dominance and obvious aggression as the “alpha country” in the Pacific.

2012 June• China completes its first ever manual docking of a

spacecraft with another space module, when Shenzhou-9 docked with the Tiangong-1 lab module without relying on an automated system. China’s first female astronaut, Liu Yang, took part (BBC Asia).

• Overview: Having been a poor country that was dominated by Japanese control during WWII to rising to the international stage and possessing the technology to travel to space shows the major growth and advancement of China. Not only militarily and economically, but as a major player on the international field.

2012 September • China cancels ceremonies to mark the 40th anniversary of

restored diplomatic ties with Japan because of a public flare-up over disputed islands in the East China Sea. Talks between China and Japan on security matters nonetheless go ahead (BBC Asia)

• China launches its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning – a converted former Soviet vessel (BBC Asia)

• Overview: The fragile balance between China and Japan is starting to break as we continue to see tensions rise gradually over the highly disputed waters. The introducing of China’s aircraft carrier not only establishes China as one of the few elite countries to possess the firepower and mobility of an aircraft carrier, but it is considered an offensive and aggressive move. The aircraft carrier is an highly offensive weapon that is viewed as a threat. This threat tips the balance of the Pacific and creates a lot of unease within China’s neighboring countries.

2013 February • China denies allegations by Japan that its navy ships twice

put radar locks on Japanese military vessels, amid mounting tension over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea (BBC Asia)

• Overview: Security talks between China and Japan in 2012 does not result to any agreement as we can analyze from the allegations by Japan. Locking on foreign countries’ military is seen as an act of war and that is commendable to take decisive action. With this in mind, we begin to see China become more of the “bully of the Pacific”. China begins to do whatever China pleases and carries an attitude that no one can tell China what it can and cannot do. The disregard for international laws and risky play asserts China as a dominate figure over Japan and the other neighboring countries.

2013 November• China says it has established a new Air Defense

Identification Zone (ADIZ) over an area of the East China Sea, covering disputed islands controlled by Japan and a disputed South Korean-controlled rock. Japan and South Korea both protest against the move, and the U.S. voices concern (BBC Asia).

• Overview: Very aggressive move by China and once again presents itself as a dominate country that does as it pleases. Another country of that sort is Russia, both’s ability to bend international law and get away with it increases their presence as a dominate country. This is the start of U.S.’s concern over China in the Pacific.

2013 December• China successfully lands the Yutu (“Jade Rabbit”)

robotic rover on the surface of the moon, the first soft landing there for 37 years (BBC Asia).

• Overview: Not only has China been flexing its military might through the release of an aircraft carrier, but we see China making big advancement in the space community which is a reflection of China’s power.

2014 May• The U.S. charges five Chinese army officers with industrial cyber

espionage, in the first case of its kind (BBC Asia).• A row with Vietnam over disputed islands escalates, as ships from the

two countries collide in the waters of the Southern China Sea. Chinese workers flee Vietnam after the row sparks anti-China riots (BBC Asia).

• China signs a 30-year deal worth an estimated $400 billion for gas supplies from Russia’s Gazprom (BBC Asia).

• Overview: This one of many early incidents that begin the battle of cyberspace with the U.S. that continues to today. The confrontation with Vietnam further escalates the fear and aggressions of China’s strict control of the Pacific as the dominate one. The 30-year gas deal with Russia’s Gazprom reflects China as a major economy on the international scale making deals of that magnitude. Also, superpowers of the world are the world’s largest oil consumers thus the deal reflects China’s need for more gas supplies to fuel its large growing economy.

2015 June• China denies hacking data of nearly four million

U.S. government employees (BBC Asia).• Overview: The war on cybersecurity against the

U.S. is slowing growing and progressing further onto a major scale. Starting with small hacking issues two years ago to now large scale hacking operations conducted by China against the U.S.

Citations• "China Profile - Timeline - BBC News." BBC

News. BBC Asia, n.d. Web. 07 July 2015