Second rush on diplomatic vehicle this month raises questions

Artist Ai Weiwei yesterday posted on YouTube video of US Ambassador to China Gary Locke's car being swarmed by anti-Japanese protesters. Beijing has said it will investigate the incident.

On Twitter, manager of Tencent's microblogging platform Jia Jia wonders if the protesters' arrival wasn't a little too well-timed:

Who can tell me, what power exists with the ability to not only pinpoint and track the location of the Japanese ambassador's ride, but also the US ambassador's car? And then surround the vehicle, tear off its flag? Nothing like this has happened for years, and now somehow it happens twice in one month.

To which decade-long target of state surveillance Hu Jia replied:

Doing things like this is basic common sense for the Ministry of State Security or Beijing Public Security Domestic Security Protection Bureau.

And this morning, Ai Weiwei's assistant Yan Ping, in response to the official US response to the incident:

With rows of armed police, civilian police, and plainclothes cops standing around, the US embassy vehicle was still somehow blocked, damaged and had its flag ripped off by protesters, and all the US does is complain? Wusses.

Morning Clicks

Australian Financial Review
-- China can’t buy Australia, says Defence secretary One of Australia’s top bureaucrats has rebuffed some of the country’s most powerful businessmen in their criticism of the government’s balance of China policy and security arrangements with the US, accusing them of putting commercial interests ahead of their country’s.

China US Focus
-- Tung Chee Hwa’s Interview with CNN on Party Congress and US’s role in Sino-Japan Rift Interviewer: Ms. Christiane Amanpour, CNN Host

Council on Foreign Relations
-- How to Talk to China What is striking about this policy failure is that comes even though the administration has for four years gone out of its way to avoid criticizing China’s severe human rights violations.

Isidor's Fugue
-- Being Nice Enough and Brainwashing: Two Chinese Responses About a Japanese Mother and Anti-Japan Protests in China  I know that most Chinese don't agree with this, but 60+ years of anti-Japan brainwashing propaganda is hard to simply ignore. I think that China is setting itself back 10 years in the world's eye and has squandered away the positive image it built up through the 2008 Olympics and 2010 Expo. 

Manila Standard Today
-- Aquino’s ‘shadow cabinet’ keeps dark secrets Palatino cited an example of the presence of a “secret” Cabinet after Malacañang admitted on Tuesday that it had assigned Senator Antonio Trillanes to act as a  backchannel to China in its dealing with Beijing on the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
-- POSITION PAPER OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AT THE 67th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY Due to different national conditions, countries have taken different approaches to and adopted different models on human rights. 

Philippine Daily Inquirer
-- Aquino’s back channel to China is Trillanes A tempest is brewing in the country’s diplomatic front with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario saying his efforts to resolve the lingering standoff with China over disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea were being torpedoed by a backroom negotiator. 

Shanghaiist
-- "Ni hao. You hear me?": Snoop Dogg finally joins Weibo From here on out, it shall be referred to as his "Weibizzle." 

Siweiluozi's Blog
-- Wang Lijun and Defection To me, the act of seeking asylum would be key to distinguishing an unauthorized visit with the Yanks from an attempt to defect.

southseaconversations
-- The halting of the anti-Japan protests (and bagpipes in Beijing) It doesn’t get any clearer than this. The protests were acceptable, indeed laudable, to the authorities until today. Now they are banned.

The Next Web
-- Japanese government sites allegedly hacked by the Chinese as island dispute extends online The Chinese-Japanese islands clash has taken a new turn; an online war may have just erupted. Japan appears to be the victim, but that’s just assuming the country’s Internet elite doesn’t decide to hit back.

The Sydney Morning Herald
-- We respect China, says incoming Defence head "I'm not aware of us not being respectful in our relationship with China, in fact I have no idea what it means to be more respectful" he responded.

Media Roundup

Beijing Review
-- A Robust Investment Destination

Caijing
-- Some Japanese Companies Resume Operation in China

Caixin
-- Foreign, Domestic Firms Show Interest in Newest Round of Shale Gas Bidding 
-- It Is Time to Really Complete Urbanization

China Daily
-- Xi slams Diaoyu 'purchase' 
-- Iran urged to engage with talks with IAEA 
-- Indonesia seeks Chinese investment and tech 
-- Open economy spurs boom in coastal city

Global Times
-- China launches another two Beidou navigation satellites 
-- Beijing mulls 72-hour visa-free entry for tourists

Sina English
-- ASEAN maritime forum in Manila to tune into common interest?

The Economic Observer
-- Chinese Crabs in Europe

Xinhua
-- Details of the trials of Wang Lijun 
-- 18 detained in Guangzhou for violence in anti-Japan protests 
-- Mainland, Taiwan should safeguard territory integrity together: top political advisor 
-- China to dispatch 30,000 experts to serve at grassroots level 
-- China's Cabinet announces appointments, dismissals of officials 
-- Japan's "purchase" of Diaoyu Islands affects China-Japan-ROK FTA talks 
-- 12 Chinese ships patrol in waters near Diaoyu Islands 
-- Japan's "purchase" of Diaoyu Islands will damage trade ties with China: MOC 
-- China's Xi calls "purchase" of Diaoyu Islands "a farce," urges Japan to stop 
-- Zimbabwe media seminar hails China- Africa relations 
-- Asia becomes major market for UNECE forest products 
-- Greece, China hold forum to enhance economic ties