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Phoenix: China Experts Advised to Attack Taiwan and South Korea’s THAAD Base

As the U.S. is sending more military forces and the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea, Phoenix, a Hong Kong based media with strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), reported that Chinese experts have recommended using force on Taiwan and attacking South Korea’s THAAD base to counter the U.S.’ threat of using force against North Korea.

On February 6, Phoenix interviewed Yu Yingli, an Asian Pacific expert in Shanghai. Yu said, "I think if the U.S. wants to take the unilateral path of using force, actually we in China should consider tying the Taiwan issue to the North Korean nuclear issue. If the U.S. does not want to rule out the military option on the North Korean nuclear issue, our position on Taiwan, actually, has always been that we do not rule out the option of using force."

Then on February 19, Phoenix quoted military expert Wang Yunfei as saying. "[We] should warn South Korea that, if there is conflict between China and the U.S., the THAAD base, power plant, supply base, and other related facilities in South Korea will be the first target that China’s military will take on. As these facilities are based in South Korea, South Korea should hold the U.S. responsible for the resulting losses and deaths."

Sources:
[1] Phoenix Online, February 16, 2016
http://phtv.ifeng.com/a/20160216/41551232_0.shtml
[2] Phoenix Online, February 19, 2016
http://news.ifeng.com/a/20160219/47493071_0.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Major General: “Kill the Enemy to Open a Bloody Path” for Military Reform

Xinhua republished an article from Guangming Daily on military reform. The author Zhang Chuanjia, a Major General and a consultant to the Central Military Commission’s Military Reform Leading Group, indicated that military reform is facing severe obstructions.

Zhang stated, "Any existing system that has formed has a structure in which vested interests co-exist within that structure. This [military] reform intends to break that structure apart. From past experience, we have seen that almost all excuses given for blocking reform had the intention of covering up the real motivation, which was to protect vested interests. Therefore, if we don’t show the determination to ‘kill the enemy in order to open a bloody path,’ we can’t cut down the fence protecting the vested interests and we can’t make progress on military reform."

Zhang, in the later part of his article, stressed that carrying out military reform should be viewed as a political battle.

Source: Xinhua, February 18, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2016-02/18/c_128729392.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

A Beijing University Graduate Reported Problems in China’s Villages

China Youth Online published an article that a graduate of Beijing University wrote about the problems in his home town, the villages in Luling City, Jiangxi Province. These problems are typical throughout China’s farm lands.

The traditions in China have almost all been lost. Because farmers go to the cities to work, they rarely stay in the village any longer. People don’t celebrate the traditional holidays and they don’t follow the rituals anymore.

People will do anything to make money. The author’s cousin called him to ask him to cheat in exchange for 10,000 yuan (U.S. $1,540). His other cousin, earned over 1 million yuan by lending money at rates amounting to usury; yet others regard him very highly because of his ability to make money.

People are getting more violent. Several remote relatives almost beat his brother to death because of a conflict over a tiny piece of land. The police didn’t take the case and asked them to settle it themselves. The offenders gave 20,000 yuan as compensation and threatened to put poison in his family’s water well if his family didn’t settle.

The education the children receive in the villages is also getting worse.

Source: China Youth Online, February 19, 2016
http://zqb.cyol.com/html/2016-02/19/nw.D110000zgqnb_20160219_3-12.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

What Worries China’s Middle Class?

The Paper published a commentary on the worries that China’s middle class faces:

Career: China’s economic turmoil and the restructuring of its industries mean that many mid to high level managers face the risk of losing their jobs. The Internet technology has also impacted almost all industries.

Family assets: The main assets for a middle class family are their home, investments in the stock market, and cash. The housing market and stock market are volatile.

Education for their children: Many in the middle class studied very hard to achieve their status. The family experiences desperation when their children do not receive good grades.

There are also worries over medical insurance, retirement funds, and other matters.

Source: The Paper Online, February 12, 2016
http://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1430325

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Global Times: How to Deal with the North Korea Issue

"There have been many recent developments in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea exploded a hydrogen bomb and used a long distance missile to launch a satellite. The U.S. sent an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers, a strategic nuclear submarine, and Special Forces to Japan and South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea also made substantial progress on planning the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system." A Global Times article commented on the North Korea situation.

The article argued that China must take action to prevent the threat of war there.

"First, [China] should mobilize the international community to convince the parties involved in the escalation to go back to the Six-Party Talks. [China] should let North Korea understand: North Korea will face a national disaster if a war starts and China will not sacrifice its own interests to save a regime that does not listen to its advice. [China] should let South Korea understand: There is no benefit to bringing in external forces to escalate the tension on Korean Peninsula and it is practically impossible to use military threats to have the South unite with the North. It is also hard to convince the U.S. and Japan. [China] should ask the ‘healthy voices’ in those two countries to convince their decision makers to move forward with dialog and then with a peace treaty."

"Second, [China] should work with Russia and other countries that are again creating tension in Northeast Asia to make sure that the U.N. Security Council will not authorize the use of force. There is no situation in which the U.N. should authorize any country to start a war in the peninsula."

"Third, [China] should prepare for a war. Even though there is a very low probably that a war will occur, [China] should be 100 percent prepared."

Source: Global Times Online, February 16, 2016
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2016-02/8543096.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

The Paper: Why the Price of a Bride Keeps Rising

The Paper published an analysis report on the purchase of brides in China’s villages. Chinese, especially peasants, prefer sons to daughters. Because of China’s "one-child" policy over the past few decades, this view has contributed to a higher proportion of males than females in China.

"The development of a nationwide marriage market has resulted in an outflow of females from Western and Central China [because they are able to marry in Eastern China which is more developed economically]. The imbalance between males to females means that, for the groom, the cost of getting married has continued to rise."

"Nowadays, a girl’s preference for a husband is someone who is the only child in the family, has money, and has relatively young parents. In that case, her in-laws can continue to work and pass their earnings on to their only son [and, of course, the girl as well]. They can also provide free babysitting services for the young couple’s baby."

Source: The Paper Online, February 12, 2016
http://www.thepaper.cn/baidu.jsp?contid=1431178

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mentioned the Taiwan “President”

Taiwan’s China News Agency (CNA) reported that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website used the term "Taiwan ‘President’" for the first time.

A news reporter asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson whether the mainland government supported the cyber-attack from mainland China on "Taiwan ‘President’" Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook page. The Ministry spokesperson denied it.

The CNA article stated that the interesting thing was that the official transcript published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website used the term "Taiwan ‘President.’"

"The Mainland government has long been cautious about words related to Taiwan’s sovereignty. Taking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an example, it always used ‘Taiwan Leader’ or ‘Leader of the Taiwan Region’ to describe the President of the Republic of China. Even when a news reporter used ‘President’ in his question, the term ‘President’ would not appear in the official transcripts." [Editor’s note: the Republic of China is the governing authority over Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China is the governing authority over mainland China.]

As of February 9, the official transcript still had the term, "Taiwan ‘President.’"

Sources:
[1] Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, February 5, 2016
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/fyrbt_673021/t1338806.shtml
[2] CNA, February 5, 2016
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201602050351-1.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CCDI Quoted Xi as Requiring Politburo Members to Follow Political Rules

Starting this year, Xi Jinping has been communicating that officials must follow political rules. On February 6, the CCDI website published some of Xi Jinping’s quotes. Xi has commented that top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must also follow the "Party’s discipline and rules."

"Comrade Deng Xiaoping once said, ‘In China, who has the potential to make big mistakes? It is the CCP.’ Then in the Party, who has the potential to make a big mistake? I think it is the top officials."

"High-level cadres must have political sense, a sense of the big-picture, and a sense of responsibility. … They should absolutely not implement only partially or modify the Central Committee’s policies; absolutely not create their own ways to respond to the Central Committee’s policies; and absolutely not make [improper] comments about the Central Committee’s policies. In any situation, they should obey the Party’s discipline strictly and they should safeguard the Central Committee’s authority."

"How should we manage the Party strictly? We should start with the Politburo. … The whole Party is watching the Politburo. Whatever we ask the whole Party to do, the Politburo must do it first."

Source: CCDI website, February 6, 2016
http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/yw/201601/t20160126_73475.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics