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A Chinese High School Recommend Students Buy Huawei’s Customized Mobile Phone

On May 11, a high school in Liuzhou City in China’s southwest Guangxi Province recommended that students purchase Huawei’s customized mobile phone, claiming that it can manage students’ mobile phone usage, automatically filter bad messages, and record student violations. According to photos that netizens provided, this customized version of the Huawei Nova4 mobile phone has a management platform that Huawei’s Wuhan Research Institute developed.

The phone has several major functions. It can manage students’ time by locking and unlocking the phone at different times, such as class time, lunch break, nightly bedtime, or holidays, so as to avoid students’ excessive usage. The system will also automatically filter 500 million pieces of “bad” website information related to pornography and violence. The school can distribute notices to students via its back-end, and if a student is given a “misconduct” in phone usage, the system will keep a record.

Although the high school’s deputy principal said that this was a recommendation at the request of parents and not a mandatory purchase, the news triggered heated discussion among Mainland netizens. Some people criticized Huawei for launching such a mobile phone at such a sensitive time. Some questioned, “Who gives Huawei the power to monitor the lives of others under the banner of serving the good of students?” Others joked that this is “buying and bringing ‘big brother’ home.”

Source: Central News Agency, May 13, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201905130106.aspx

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Xi Jinping’s National Public Security Conference

A Radio France International article commented on the national public security (police) conference that was held in Beijing on May 7th and 8th. “This was actually a very rare meeting. Not only was it the first time that Xi Jinping, as the head of Chinese Communist Party (CCP). called for such as meeting, but it was also the first time in 16 years for senior CCP officials to hold such a meeting. The timing was the moment when the Sino – US (trade) negotiations were on the brink of breaking down.”

“At the beginning of the year at a study session of the first secretaries of the provincial CCP committees, Xi Jinping delivered a speech on the prevention of major risks. He used the ‘black swan’ and ‘gray rhinoceros’ as a metaphor to warn of unforeseen events that may occur in China. Later, in his interpretation of Xi Jinping’s speech, Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, issued serious warnings about preventing the worse-case scenario.”

“The public security (police) organs have always been the most powerful dictatorship tools for the CCP on the issue of how to prevent major risks. This may be an important consideration for Xi Jinping to have convened the 21st National Public Security Work Conference in China, especially at the critical juncture of Sino-US trade negotiations. Either a successful or an unsuccessful negotiation could trigger unexpected incidents.”

“Why did Xi Jinping choose to hold a public security conference at this point in time? In addition to the Sino-US trade war, some analysts believe it may have something to do with many ‘risky’ anniversaries this year. In the Internet era, a situation could occur unexpectedly and news could spread rapidly. Being is in a state of high nervousness; the authorities may be concerned about danger developing after even the slightest incident.”

Source: Radio France International, May 10, 2019
http://rfi.my/40×8.T

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

“Belt and Road” Alliance for Music Education

The Central Conservatory of Music, China’s leading music school, recently held the conference of the “Belt and Road” Alliance for Music Education. The events included three sessions: “The Dean’s Forum,” “The ‘Belt and Road’ Music Art Exhibition,” and “The Music Academic Workshop.” Deans and musicians from music schools or art schools from 30 countries and regions, including Russia, Italy, and Korea, attended the conference.

In May 2017, under the guidance of the Ministry of Education, the Central Conservatory of Music held the inaugural conference for the “Belt and Road” Alliance for Music Education. At present, the Alliance has 61 member institutions, including 37 foreign members and 24 domestic members. Zhao Min, secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Conservatory of Music, believes that with the mechanism of the “Belt and Road” Alliance for Music Education, China can proactively meet the demands from the alliance partners, build more exchange platforms for culture, art, education, and training, and carry out humanitarian exchanges and cooperation.

Source: People’s Daily, May 10, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/10/nw.D110000renmrb_20190510_6-14.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Ministry of Education to Strengthen the Training of Ideology and Politics Teachers

As the Chinese regime continues to focus on the ideological work of students and of the young generation, the Chinese Ministry of Education has recently issued a document to strengthen the training of those who teach ideology and politics in colleges and universities. It even set the goal of creating dozens of “influential ideology and politics master teachers.”

The Xinhua News Agency reported that the document is titled, “The 2019 to 2023 Training Program for Teachers of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Colleges and Universities.” The program proposes to build a strong team of teachers of ideology and politics using a number of channels, such as rotational theoretical training sessions, demonstration programs, specially funded projects, propaganda, and promotions. This plan clearly states that it is necessary “to train and create dozens of master teachers of ideology and politics who have extensive nationwide influence, hundreds of leaders with talent in teaching ideology and politics, and tens of thousands of outstanding teaching staff in the field.”

In addition, the Ministry of Education will also cooperate with other government authorities to set up a number of “research bases for college and university teachers of ideology and politics in the new era” in the infrastructure sector, such as high-speed rail, bridges, and ports, as well as the scientific and technological sectors, such as space and deep sea exploration. Within the next five years, ideology and politics teachers in all colleges and universities may be required to attend sessions in these bases.

Source: Central News Agency, May 6, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201905060302.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

“Chinese Communist Party to Mobilize Ten Million Young Volunteers to Develop the Countryside

The Central Committee of the Communist Youth League (CCCYL), the leading authority of the communist organization for young people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, recently announced that, over the next three years, it will send ten million college students to the countryside, in order to implement president Xi Jinping’s “important thoughts on youth work” and his Strategic Plan for the Vitalization of Rural Areas.

CCCYL issued the “Opinions on Further Implementing the Movement of Rural Vitalization and Accomplishment for Youth.” It swears that it will let Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, also known as Xi Jinping Thought, enter into young people’s minds and show in their actions.

The Opinions ask China’s young generation to participate in the rural projects to improve the local humanitarian environment without mentioning the details. It also includes entrepreneur projects where the young people start businesses and get rich. In addition, there are rural e- commerce fostering projects which are supposed to help 10,000 young people to use e-commerce to create jobs in the agricultural sector. College students will need to volunteer themselves to go to poor regions to gain experience.

It was very easy for Chinese people to relate to a Mao Zedong era movement half a century ago. In 1968, Mao believed that “it was necessary for young intellectuals to go to the countryside and be re-educated by the poor peasants.” He launched the “Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement.” It is estimated that more than 16 million young Chinese intellectuals, including Chinese president Xi Jinping, were forced to relocate to the countryside during the ten-year Great Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976.

Many parents worry that the state will inevitably force their children to go to the countryside. Possible means (the state might use) include not issuing a diploma and youth not being able to work for the government.

Source: Central News Agency, April 10, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201904100216.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Yunnan Built Big Data Center for Police Force

People’s Daily reported on April 9 that, since 2018, China’s Yunnan province has been vigorously promoting the construction of big data centers for the police force. The local government has invested 514 million yuan (US$ 76.5 million) to promote border defense technology, video surveillance, vehicle checkup, facial recognition and capture, and mobile phone hotspots. With 130,000 sets of equipment, the police are able to collect 140 million records of data on a daily basis. Yunnan has built a three-dimensional smart network to monitor blind spots effectively.

The Yunnan provincial Police Department also has developed seven categories for a 25 machine learning intelligent module system, including hundreds of professional application models and more than 1,500 combat simulation tools.

Source: People’s Daily, April 10, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-04/10/nw.D110000renmrb_20190410_5-10.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Russian Media: Chinese Diesel-Electric Submarines Steal Market Share from Russia

The TASS Russian News Agency recently published long commentaries, claiming that China is actively expanding in the submarine market and that Russian submarines are facing competitors. A March 29th article gave an example that Russia’s Project 636 diesel-electric submarine, which was originally planned to be exported to Thailand, met with a fiasco because it faced competition from China’s S26T submarine and lost huge orders. This is just the latest example of China squeezing the Russian traditional arms market.

The Russian media commented that Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Russia were previously considered to be world leaders in the field of submarine shipbuilding, with the Asia-Pacific always regarded as a market for the Russians. Now, in the field of diesel-electric submarines, a new player – China – is emerging.

The article  said that, as early as May 2017, China’s Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s (CSIC) S26T diesel-electric submarine already defeated Russia’s Kilo-class 636 conventionally-powered submarine, and the Royal Thai Navy awarded it with a contract valued at US$ 360 million, for one S26T diesel-electric submarine scheduled to be delivered in 2023. After that, the Chinese S26T submarine once again defeated Russia’s improved version of the Kilo-class submarine. It received orders from the Thai military for the purchase of two other submarines to be delivered in 2026. The total contract value of the three submarines is up to a billion dollars.

Earlier, China built eight S20 diesel-electric submarines through close cooperation for Pakistan, and leveled the playing field with Russia whose 877EKM submarine were exported to India.

Russian experts commented that China had previously purchased four 877EKM and eight 636 submarines from Russia. In fact, the break-through of China’s diesel-electric submarine technology took place after importing the Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

TASS observed that CSIC recently stated that at least eight countries in the world – Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, Libya, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela – are interested in Chinese submarines. This news is not likely to make the Russians happy because these countries have long been Russian partners in the export of weapons and equipment.

Source: Radio Free Asia, April 4, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/lxy-04042019094154.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Student Informants at China’s Schools

Recently in China, multiple incidents have occurred in which students reported on university and college faculty members after which these faculty members were dismissed. The students who report on their teachers are called “academic informants.” In Chinese universities, an institution exists in which some students are designated to serve as informants. They report to the school authorities on a regular basis. Student informants are the eyes and ears of the school’s party and political authorities and are also a part of the ideological and political work team.

According to the Wuhan University of Science and Technology’s (WUST), “Administrative Measures for Student Academic Informants at Wuhan University of Science and Technology” were published on its official website in October 2018. Student informants are generally students with an excellent academic performance. Their duties include: “to collect and organize a wide range of teaching and management related information”; “to report promptly on the students’ opinions and suggestions about the teachers’ teaching attitude, content, methods, and quality of teaching, homework grading, and extracurricular tutoring.” The student informants fill out the teaching information feedback form once every two weeks. The Administrative Measures also require that the school be responsible for the confidentiality of students who report teaching information. In addition, the school will issue a certain amount of remuneration each semester based on the informant’s performance.

In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Song Yongyi, a scholar living in exile in the United States and a staff member at California State University, Los Angeles, said that the student informant has always been a tool for controlling colleges and universities.

“That is the spy culture of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In order to control colleges and universities, the CCP often directly develops spies among students. There is now a large-scale use of student informants because in the past, the party organizations in universities and schools were very obedient. If they hear some remarks, they will report immediately. Today, the party organizations in colleges and universities are not so obedient, so the CCP trains agents to be informants.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, April 5, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/nu-04052019105014.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics