Skip to content

All posts by NNL - 158. page

Study Times on Handling Internet Crises

Study Times recently published an article on how to improve the handling of crises that spread over the Internet. The article recommended that China should develop an Internet security and information control mechanism, strengthen its monitoring and emergency response capability for such crisis, develop new technologies, improve communication between the government and the people, and educate the media and the people about how to be cautious. The article suggested that the government initiate efforts in the following areas:

1. Strategy and institutional structure: The government should include Internet crisis management as part of its national security strategy and develop a proper institutional structure and laws on Internet information management. Also the government should clarify the structural relationship between the National Security Commission, the Central Internet Security and Information Leading Group, and local governments.

2. Early detection of and emergency response to Internet crises: The government can establish Internet information collection teams to monitor news discussion groups, forums, and search engines’ search results; it can also collect information on the hot issues and events as well as on people’s opinions on these issues and events.

3. Internet technology: The government should put the R&D of Internet technology in a core position and strive for China’s own innovations of core Internet technology.

4. Crisis management: The easiest way is for the government to tell the truth, so as to gain people’s trust and weaken the impact of negative opinions.

5. Education: The government should educate media professionals on professional ethics and professional “discipline.” It also needs to educate the general public about Internet crisis – to train citizens on how to tell, criticize, and evaluate information on the Internet. It can do this through the use of television, newspapers, the Internet, school, and special education programs.

Source: Study Times, March 24, 2014
http://www.studytimes.cn/shtml/xxsb/20140324/4272.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China’s Central Bank’s Four New Policy Characteristics

Xinhua republished an article from CNStock.com, which had reported on several major actions that China’s Central Bank has recently taken. The bank has stopped virtual credit card products, capped the amount of third party payments, and increased the volatility of the RMB exchange rate. All these show that People’s Bank of China is adopting policies to avoid innovation, reduce financial risks, and maintain the GDP level.

The article listed four new directions that the Central Bank is following:
1. Prevent financial problems and maintain the GDP level.
2. Focus on resolving financial risks and ensure that financial innovation does not create additional economic risks. The decision to stop virtual credit card products is an indication that the Central Bank would rather give up new innovation of financial products to avoid the potential risks associated with introducing innovative products.
3. Increate the volatility of the RMB exchange rate to push for the RMB’s devaluation and stimulate exports.
4. Limit the Internet purchase amount to support physical stores.

The article stated that because of item 1 and 2, the increasing trend of the RMB’s interest rate will be turned around and the cost of capital will decrease. This will lead to two results: one is to indirectly support real estate prices; the second is to limit financial innovation, which will reduce the inflow of foreign money into China.

Source:
1. CNstock.com, March 18, 2014.
http://news.cnstock.com/news/sns_jd/201403/2950773.htm
2. Xinhua, March 18, 2014.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2014-03/18/c_126280684.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

How Xinhua Made Fun of Jiang Zemin

Several times over the past year, Xinhua made fun of Song Zuying (宋祖英), a famous singer of Chinese folk songs. It is widely known to the Chinese people that Song, though married, is Jiang Zemin’s mistress. When Jiang had power, defaming Song in any Chinese media, not to mention the official media Xinhua, was unimaginable. It never happened, even when Hu Jintao was the head of China.

A recent Xinhua blog wrote about the relationship between Song Zuying and the Chinese actor Zhao Benshan (赵本山). It is rumored that Bo Xilai chose Zhao to be his Minister of the Ministry of Culture after Bo’s coup to overthrow Xi Jinping. The blog said that Song and Zhao are like brother and sister and they are “even closer than brother and sister.”

What is most interesting is that the blog also mentioned “big brother.” It said that in 2000, there was a rumor that Song has special backing (implying Jiang). To support her, Zhao said, “With the backing of big brother, what are you afraid of? If there is any problem just tell big brother. Even if the sky falls, big brother will hold it for you.” On the surface, the “big brother” here seems to mean Zhao, but in reality, Song’s political power (from Jiang) would have been much stronger than Zhao’s. So Zhao would not have said this to her.

What this blog did was directly make fun of Jiang Zemin, who claimed himself to be the “big brother” to Song. According to the book “The Real Story of Jiang Zemin (江泽民其人),” Jiang watched Song’s performance and felt attracted to her. He then gave her a note which said, “In the future if you have any problem, you can come to big brother. Big brother can solve any problem for you.” The “big brother” in the note referred to Jiang himself. Thus Song became Jiang’s mistress.

On another note, this “big brother” story from “The Real Story of Jiang Zemin” book was, of course, banned in China. Some Chinese found a creative way to publish it though. On a 163.com blog, the author published the exact same story by replacing Jiang’s name by Ma Yingjiu (the President of Taiwan) and Song’s name by Lin Zhiling (a Taiwanese singer). It went on to say that Lin held a performance in Sydney and sang in Korea for the 2002 Soccer World Cup (Chinese know that it was really Song who did that) and that Ma built the National Center for the Performing Arts for Lin (Chinese know that Jiang built it for Song). The readers’ responses show that they understand who the two people really are.

Sources:
[1] Xinhua Blog, “What Is the Hidden Secret That Song Zuying and Zhao Benshen Swore to Be Brother and Sister?”
http://yuyu26.home.news.cn/blog/a/0101007C4C310CEF1F9188FA.html
[2] Epoch Times Online, “The Real Story of Jiang Zemin,” Chapter 18, “Love Beautiful Ladies and Have Many Mistresses.”
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/6/17/n957853.htm
[3] 163.com Blog, “Come to the Big Brother when You Have Problem,” November 24, 2010
http://bbs.news.163.com/bbs/zhongmei/192313326.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi on Chinese Culture Going Abroad

Qiushi republished an article from Guangming Daily about Chinese culture going abroad. The article drew the conclusion that "Chinese culture needs to go abroad; ‘going abroad’ is not to change other people but to let the world understand China and Chinese culture. Letting others accept Chinese culture is to let them accept it voluntarily."

The author discussed the forms for spreading Chinese culture. His suggestion was to provide as many culture products and culture services overseas as possible. Another approach is to have a large number of Chinese go overseas. Those people are the ones who spread Chinese culture. If they demonstrate a good personal quality and civilized behavior, Chinese culture will have a higher status.

Source: Qiushi, November, 8, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/wh/whzl/201311/t20131108_288251.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi on the Direction of China’s Economy

A recent Qiushi article discussed the direction of China’s economy. It stated that China should continue relying on development-based high economic growth to solve its problems.

The author argued that, with a per capita GDP of US$6,090, for the next ten years China should still rely on the high economic growth model in order to reach US$12,000. By then it will be able to join the ranks of developed countries.

He rebutted the idea of laying blame for China’s current economic and social problems, such as environmental pollution, an increasing gap in income distribution, an imbalance between urban and village development, an imbalance in regional development, and insufficient public services, on the rapid economic development in the past. Instead, the author argued that the problems that have occurred during economic development can only be solved in through the process of further development.

The author listed the following as the direction for economic development: expanding consumption by taking real estate and the automobile as the driving force; developing a third industry to absorb a large number of unemployed people; getting more farmers off the land to work in cities; building a system to encourage more innovation; and developing and improving capital markets.

Source: Qiushi, November 1, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2013/201321/201310/t20131030_284130.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Media: The Communist Party Covered up Bo Xilai’s Real Crimes

A recent VOA report discussed how the Bo Xilai trial covered up both the political coup in which Bo had been involved and the crime of live organ harvesting.

The article reported a netizen’s comments on the end of Bo’s political life after his appeal was rejected. It quoted a tweet from a netizen named "Handsome Water:" "Bo Xilai thought he had the upper hand against the CCP’s vital position and could escape the legal punishment due because of his political coup and the crime of live organ harvesting, so he kept showing off his ‘smile’ during the trial." "Although, Bo Xilai could escape for this moment, he will never escape for his whole lifetime. When the CCP collapses, Bo Xilai’s live organ harvesting crime will for sure be brought up and he will be tried. At that time, he will finally face his punishment under the law."

The report didn’t specifically mention the victims of live organ harvesting. Falun Gong practitioners have reported repeatedly that the CCP has committed this crime against its members in China.

Earlier, Epoch Times published a special commentary on Bo’s trial, stating that he and the Communist Party acted in concert; they deliberately covered up the most crucial truth about his trial: a political coup and the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

The commentary pointed out that the trial was not about Bo’s strategy of "Sing Red and Strike Black." Rather, it was about the underlying conspiracy to usurp power, which the Communist leaders could not tolerate. It further pointed out that Bo’s conspiracy to seize power was not simply a matter of personal ambition, but a major step for a group that former President Jiang Zemin, Zeng Qinghong, and Zhou Yongkang led to continue the persecution of Falun Gong and to avoid accountability for that persecution. According to the commentary, the group decided that Bo Xilai would take over instead of Xi Jinping, would continue the persecution, and would make Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, and other political opponents the scapegoats.

Source:
1. VOA, October 31, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/content/error-404-episode-64-bo-xilai-verdict/1781060.html
2. Epoch Times, September 8, 2013 
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/13/9/8/n3959387.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

A Clash of Values, Part V

The U.S.-Sino Relationship

Download PDF

Differences Between the Governing Principles of the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 

Previously, this series focused on the differences between the United States and China as to their foundations and theoretical underpinnings. While America’s Founding Principles grew out of a revolutionary war fought for freedom and the rights of the governed, the Communist Party fought a revolutionary war to establish its authoritarian rule. While the U.S. based its legitimacy on the consent of the governed, Mao Zedong proclaimed in Chapter Five of The Little Red Book, “Every Communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” While the U.S. adopted a Constitution designed to limit governmental power and guarantee specific individual rights, the Communist Party designed the Chinese government to assure its supremacy over China and ensure that it was firmly ensconced in power.”

Continue reading →

Analyses | | |   Opinion

A Clash of Values, Part IV

Download PDF

Propaganda vs. Reality

In Part II of this series, we discussed the CCP’s quest for control, “How could it maintain strict control if anything other than the Party – human rights, the right to vote, universal values, a sense of morality, the rule of law, China’s Constitution, or even God – took precedence over the Party’s dictates?”

Over the years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used propaganda to create a fiction to present to its own people and to the rest of the world that the Party is Great, Glorious, and Correct and that the China Model will displace Western universal values, while “China will fundamentally be established as the legitimate world leader.”  This CCP viewpoint faces a serious problem. Just as the CCP distorts reality to support its own self-interest, man likewise values truth, seeks truth, and has the capacity to recognize what is not true. In Part IV, we will explore the CCP’s quest to control perception and the dichotomy between the CCP’s view of reality and the Western view.

Continue reading →

Analyses | | |   Opinion