In other diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks, U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman wrote that numerous other countries had expressed concern over China’s “aggressiveness.” From the Guardian:
In his cable, entitled “Stomp around and carry a small stick: China’s new ‘global assertiveness’ raises hackles, but has more form than substance”, he accused Beijing of “muscle-flexing, triumphalism and assertiveness”, but added that some observers saw it as rhetoric designed to appeal to Chinese public opinion. “Numerous third-country diplomats have complained to us that dealing with China has become more difficult in the past year,” Huntsman reported. His examples included:
■ A British diplomat saying that Chinese officials’ behaviour at the Copenhagen climate change summit was “shocking” and so rude and arrogant that the UK and French complained formally.
■ The Indian ambassador to Beijing requesting closer co-operation with the US because of “China’s more aggressive approach”.
■ Japanese diplomats complaining that officials were “aggressive and difficult” during summit preparations.
■ Another Japanese official describing rising tensions in the East China Sea, saying that “the increased aggressiveness of Chinese ‘coastguard’ and naval units… had provoked ‘many dangerous encounters’ with Japanese civilian and self-defence force ships”.
The official said Japan had not reported all the incidents.
