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Chinese General Comments on U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr.

At the time of the USS John S McCain’s collision with a non-military vessel near Singapore on August 21, the “Defense Times” program on China News Radio (CNR) interviewed Jin Yinan, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General.

Jin Yinan commented on Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command:

“I think all the soldiers around the world have a common trait: do well on you own duties; train well; and prepare well for war.  However, since Harris became the Commander of the Pacific Command, he has been indulging himself in politics. He has been eager to make (political) statements. That’s a big taboo. It means the military is interfering in political affairs. His interest is not on training or management, but rather on showing-off. (He) uses the U.S. power to protect the interests of his mother country – Japan (Editor’s note: Harris is the first Asian American to achieve the rank of Admiral in the U.S. Navy, and the highest-ranking Japanese American). Of course he still needs to protect the interest of his father’s country – the U.S. Harris is a completely political soldier. He has been keen on attending large international conferences and keen on making tough statements at those meetings. Yet he has ignored military management and training. So the time when he serves as the Commander of the Pacific Command is the time that the Pacific Command has the most problems.”

Source: PLA Website, August 24, 2017
http://www.81.cn/mjjt/2017-08/24/content_7729238.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military US-China Relations

Xinhua and Caixin Made Different Reports on Trump’s Speech

Two Chinese media, Xinhua and Caixin reported with much different attitudes on Trump’s speech made in Phoenix on August 22. The Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Department heavily controls Xinhua. It is the traditional mouthpiece of the state. Caixin is a relatively new media, commonly believed to have a close connection to Wang Qishan.

Xinhua Report: A Split America – Trump’s Speech at a Gathering Caused Controversy

In his near 80-minute speech, Trump spent about half of his time raging at the media. He defended his position on the violent incident in Charlottesville.  …

When Trump scoffed at the media, the audience booed. His supporters shouted, “CNN sucks!” The TV news reporter while shaking his head and sighing said, “This is the President we elected.”

Later Trump moved to immigration, the border wall and NAFTA. …

About 4,500 people said on Facebook that they participated in the protest event next to Trump’s gathering. Over 3,000 more people said that they participated in the anti-Trump event that a local immigration rights group had organized in downtown Phoenix.

After the gathering, the anti-Trump protesters clashed with the police. Police used tear gas on the protesters and smoke was everywhere. At least three protesters were arrested. No injuries were reported.

Afterwards, some U.S. media commented that Trump’s speech, “increased the split in American society.”

Caixin Report: “Trump Criticized the Media for Quoting Him out of Context and Threatened to Shut down the Government if Congress Does not Fund the Border Wall”

On August 22, Trump countered the external criticism (of his position on the Charlottesville clash) and criticized the media for quoting him out of context.

Trump said, “It’s time to expose the crooked media’s deceptions and to challenge the media for their role in fomenting divisions.” “(A)nd yes, by the way, they are trying to take away our history and our heritage. You see that.”

Trump took out a few (copies of) his statements on Charlottesville’s violence incident and criticized the media for quoting him out of context.

“These are truly dishonest people. It’s not all of them. Not all of them. You have some very good reporters. You have some very fair journalists, but for the most part, honestly, these are really, really dishonest people, and they’re bad people. I really think they don’t like our country.”

While he made those statements, the audience booed at and shouted at the reporter area, “CNN sucks! CNN sucks!” About 19 thousand people participated in the gathering. Many of them waved the banners of “Drain the Swamp,” “Make America Great Again,” and “Women Supporting Trump.”

Trump said that the media ignored his statement on unity. “Just like they don’t want to report that I spoke out forcefully against hatred, bigotry and violence and strongly condemned the neo-Nazis, the White Supremacists, and the KKK.” …

Arizona is one of the states that strongly supported Trump during the Presidential election. A few hundred people gathered to protest Trump outside the rally. Phoenix’s Mayor, Greg Stanton, a Democrat, had asked the White House to cancel the gathering and warned about potential violence. However, in reality, the pro- and anti-Trump people didn’t have a direct confrontation that day.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, August 23, 2017
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2017-08/23/c_1121532170.htm
2. Caixin, August 24, 2017
http://international.caixin.com/2017-08-24/101134637.html
3. Time, August 23, 2017
http://time.com/4912055/donald-trump-phoenix-arizona-transcript/

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Huanqiu: Philippine’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Astonished the Media

Huanqiu reported that Alan Peter Cayetano, the Philippine’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, held a press conference on August 8, after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Conference. His comments on the South China Sea issue astonished the media.

According to Huanqiu, “Cayetano said that China has played an ‘active role’ in the ASEAN region. China’s rapid economic growth has benefitted all ASEAN countries. The Philippines ‘is proud’ of the current Sino-Philippine relationship.”

A news reporter asked if the Philippines wanted to add tough words towards China in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ joint statement on the South China Sea.

Cayetano stated that he didn’t want to add them. “I drafted the statement. (Adding tough words against China) does not reflect the current situation.”

The reporter followed up with asking why he did not want to add those words.

Cayetano cut the question off, asking, “Are you saying that we should embarrass China and then the Philippines should start a confrontation with China?” “Or should we let the South China Sea keep peace and stability and to pass the ‘South China Sea Code of Conduct successfully? … What is your goal?”

A CNN Philippines reporter asked why Philippine didn’t mention the “South China Sea Arbitration’ in the joint statement. Cayetano answered blankly, “Because it has no purpose in the development of Sino-Philippine relations.” “Do you want us to maintain the tough position and thus maintain the tension in the South China Sea, or get the current result via diplomatic channels?” “You tell me, which way better protects Filipinos’ interests and better protects the Philippine’s fishermen?”

“You asked me why I didn’t mention the South China Sea arbitrage.”

“My answer is that it is in the Philippine’s state interest.”

“What we need to do is to establish trust with China via friendly channels. That is in our state interest.”

Source: Huanqiu, August 10, 2017
http://world.huanqiu.com/article/2017-08/11108198.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

VOA: China’s SOEs in Hong Kong Openly Establish Party Structure

Voice of America (VOA) reported that China has recently taken off the veil and is openly establishing the Communist Party structure in its State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) that are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

“From 2016 through July 2017, at least 32 of China’s SOEs listed in Hong Kong proposed to adjust their corporate governance structure to include articles that formally establish the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Committee within the company. It has become particularly obvious in the past few months.”

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) passed amendments to its by-laws in June 2017, including the following articles:

“According to the ‘Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party’ and the ‘Company Law,’ (ICBC decides to) establish the CCP’s organization (within the company).”

“The CCP Party Committee will have one Party Secretary, two Deputy Secretaries, and a few Party Committee members. The Chairman of the Board and the Party Secretary should be the same person.”

In their by-laws, other SOEs, including CITIC Securities, Sinopec, and other steel and energy companies, also defined the CCP’s leadership role in the company. These 32 companies have a collective market value of over US$1 trillion.

Since it attained power in China in 1949, the CCP has always firmly controlled China’s SOEs.

In 2001, shortly after China joined the WTO, China extended the CCP’s control to private companies. It required that any private company that had three or more CCP members as employees must establish a Party Branch or Committee within the company.

Walmart China and other foreign enterprises in China established CCP Branches around 2006.

Source: VOA, August 15, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-firms-in-hongkong-20170815/3986965.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

The Paper: List of Army Commanders Published

A Chinese media, The Paper, published an official list of the commanders and political commissars of each of the 13 Armies of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

It also stated, “During this round of military reform, the PLA cut over 1,000 units at the Regimental level or above. It cut nearly half of the non-combat staff and 30 percent of officers. It deployed a few dozen military units and all of them moved out in three days. A few hundred generals were re-assigned to different posts and they all reported to their new office on the same day they received the order.”

Source: The Paper, August 16, 2017
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1765430

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

85 Percent of Communist Party Members Believe in Religious Gods

Fenggang Yang, the Director of the Center on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University, organized a survey involving Chinese. The survey results showed that 85 percent of Chinese people have religious beliefs or have conducted activities similar to religious rituals.

The survey also showed that the same percentage (85 percent) of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members believe in Gods as described by religions, even though the CCP promotes an atheist ideology and denies the existence of any higher level beings.

Fenggang Yang described the reasons: As the society opens up, Chinese people start to get in contact with religions. When people face high risk or cannot control their fates, they tend to turn to a supernatural power for help. “The spiritual belief is not something that any society can stop or prohibit.”

As the ruling party, the CCP members have more resources and opportunities. Therefore people still want to join the Party. “However, joining the CCP does not mean they have completely abandoned their beliefs in supernatural power or Gods.”

Since 2004, over 280 million Chinese have announced that they quit the CCP or its affiliated organizations including the Communist Youth League and Communist Pioneers.

Source: Epoch Times, July 31, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/7/31/n9482586.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Central News Agency: The List of Commanders of Each Army

Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported a list of the commanders and political commissars of each of the 13 Armies of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which they said they obtained recently. The PLA has recently cut its 18 armies down to 13. Comparing the heads of the old 18 armies and the new 13 armies, most of them remain at the top army posts and some were re-assigned as the Army Commander or Army Deputy Commander at a military region (theater command).

Top commanders of each army were all moved out of their own army unit and assigned to another one to eliminate the small interest groups they might have formed when they were in charge at the old army.

Source: Central News Agency, July 30, 2017
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201707300107-1.aspx

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Retired Officials Excluded from the PLA Anniversary Celebration Event

On August 1, China held the Celebration Party for the 90th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping gave an important speech.

All of the seven Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee members and current high-rank military and Party officers sat on the rostrum. However, none of the retired officials, from either the military side or the Party, was seated on the rostrum. This is totally different from the 70th or the 80th anniversary celebration where the retired officials were on the rostrum.

A political commentator suggested that this showed Xi has full control of the military, exceeding what the previous leaders had.

Source: Epoch Times, August 2, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/8/2/n9487950.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Government/Politics