Japan and the United States have committed to building an "unshakeable U.S.-Japan Alliance." The intention declared last week marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the current Japan-U.S. security pact. U.S.-Japanese relations have been greatly affected by the Democratic Party of Japan's landslide victory in the Lower House last year. In addition, issues such as US military bases have never strayed too far from the headlines.

But of the non-superpower, developed nations, Japan is very important to China. Aside from a geographical proximity, the two nations share historical and cultural ties. Also factored in is China's perception of Japan as a possible resurgent threat and Japan's close relations with the United States since the end of World War II.

Two leading Chinese telecom firms, ZTE Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. , should be kept from the U.S. market, as pose a security threat and are under the influence of China's government, a yearlong congressional investigation has concluded.

Main Stories in today's BON News:

Al-Qaida Threat To China
New Antarctic Expedition
Grain Security
All Aboard In Yunnan!
Blog: No Nobels - Again
Net Check: China And North Korea
Feature: Doing Biz In North Korea

In June, we reported on Zhai Tiantian- a Chinese student studying in the U.S. who was arrested on the charge of posing a “terroristic threat” after allegedly threatening to burn down a school building. A month later- a plea bargain has been offered to the detained overseas student. Our BON reporter Kelda Yuen has been keeping an eye on the case and joins us in the studio with more details.

US Threat To Economy In 2010
China Soccer Chief Sacked
China's Rail Network - Second To One
Dying With Dignity
Rating Online Games
Avatar Pulled Or Pushed?

 

The arrest of a Chinese student at New Jersey's Stevens Institute of Technology two months ago on terror threat charges caused concern – and anger – here in China.

Now, more than eight weeks after Zhai Tian Tian was arrested for allegedly threatening to burn down a school building, his mother has spoken out in defense of her son.

In her first television interview since his arrest, she tells Beyond the Headlines she believes her son is innocent – and accuses U.S. authorities of trampling on his human rights. B.O.N's Kelda Yuen has this exclusive interview.

BON recently reported on new data from the independent Pew Research Center in the US, which shows how Americans view China. In Center's report, 44 per cent of Americans think China is the largest economic power in the world, more than voted for any other country.

That compares with last year, when just 30 per cent of Americans thought China was the largest economic power.

Fifty three per cent of the American public surveyed think China is a main threat to US security. But just 21 per cent of American foreign policy experts polled think China is America's biggest threat, down from 38 per cent in 2001, and 30 per cent in 2005.