All posts by NNL - 161. page

Chinese State Media published a number of articles that comment on cultural system reform as proposed at the sixth plenary session of the 17th Central Committee of the CCP held from October 15 to 18. The aticles suggested the following reasons for China to effectuate cultural reform:

1. Culture, as a “soft power,” is part of a country’s comprehensive national power. Nowadays the Oriental and Western ideologies are interacting and merging. “Whoever’s ideology and values are most widely spread (over the world), and whoever controls the discourse right, will have the greatest influence (over the world).” China needs this “soft power” both to defend against the Western countries’ subversion (“a major reason for the former Soviet Union’s disintegration was the severe decline of its cultural soft power”) and also to exercise its influence over the world. “China needs to have its cultural power match its international status.”

2. Culture has become an important support for economic development. “Culture, economy, and technology are increasingly mingled together. Economy has an increased cultural flavor; likewise, culture has an economic function.” Developing the culture industry can help China boost its economic growth.

3. The CCP wants to use culture to improve its deteriorating moral standards.

Sources:
1. Qiushi Journal, Oct 14, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/lg/clzt/201110/t20111014_116563.htm
2. Xinhua, Oct 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-10/18/c_111105718.htm

On September 6, 2011, China issued the “China’s Peaceful Development” white paper. On September 8, Qiushi Journal published an article on the significance of the white paper. It tells the U.S. and other "hostile" countries not to interfere with China’s Core Interests. China’s white paper defines China’s core interests as: national sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, national unity, the stabilization of the political system defined by the Constitution (Ed: the Chinese Communist Party’s reign), and the basic protection of sustainable economic development.

The Qiushi article praised the white paper as a clear declaration. “For many years, the U.S.-led Western countries have viewed socialist China as a thorn in their side and tried in every way to topple China. Their desire to destroy China has never died. Politically, they promote ‘democracy, freedom, and human rights’ and develop Tibetan separatists, Xinjiang separatists, and ‘democracy activists’; economically, they pressure for renminbi appreciation and attempt to stop China’s economic growth; militarily, they drag Japan, India, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries to form an anti-China C-circle. Defining our national core interests is to tell the U.S. and other Western countries: Don’t touch my cheese!”

The Qiushi article pointed out that China is prepared to go to war to defend itself, saying, “(In its wars) China fights the invaders furiously. … The white paper unmistakably warned a number of countries: the increasingly strong Chinese people will never tolerate anyone’s attempt to damage China’s core interests.”

The white paper itself declared that “China conducts a defensive defense policy.” “China faces complex and non-traditional challenges and is threatened by separatist and terrorist forces. Defense modernization is a legitimate security requirement for China. … China’s defense spending is reasonable and appropriate. It matches the need to safeguard our national security.”

Sources:
1. Qiushi Journal, September 6, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zywz/201109/t20110906_108413.htm
2. Qiushi Journal, September 8, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/lg/rpzm/gj/201109/t20110908_108915.htm

A video about how the government trains spokespersons and Internet commentators was posted on the Internet. The Internet commentators are commonly known as 五毛黨 (the 50 cents party, or 50 centers), because they are paid 0.5 yuan for every article they post on the Internet to praise the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and denigrate those the CCP opposes." The video reported that, on September 8, the Xishui County Party Propaganda Department in Hubei Province provided a training session for all government spokespersons and Internet commentators in the county to prepare them “to actively respond to sudden public events and correctly guide public opinion.” The propaganda department stressed that “the Internet has become a major battlefield in the war of ideologies.” It requested that the “governments’ spokespersons and Internet commentators continuously increase their sense of responsibility and mission” and improve their capabilities in five areas: “to make sure the Party and the government maintain a positive image, to manage their work, to handle sudden events, to guide public opinion and public relations, and to use and manage the Internet.”

Source:
1. Youmaker.com, September 15, 2011
http://www.youmaker.com/video/svb5-f784c018d27d4a4ea31337044d0e46f5001.html

Study Times, the publication of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CCP, published an article by Li Huaqing, the Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Board the of Chongqing Energy Investment Group (CQEIG). In the article, Li shared how the Party will impose its leadership in enterprise management. CQEIG’s approaches include:

1. The Party organization participates in the enterprise’s major decision making. To ensure the party’s effectiveness in managing the company, it implements a “cross-representation” leadership system (the Party’s leadership takes key positions in the enterprise).
2. Party development is intermingled with business operations. One approach is to develop Party members to be the key personnel while also having key personnel join the party. Another approach is to include Party development as a key criterion when it comes to managers’ performance reviews.
3. The Party controls the human resources function and sticks to the principle that “the Party is in charge of talent.”

Source: Study Times, September 5, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/09/05/10/10_28.htm