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Second Sino-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue

At the second Sino-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) strategic dialogue in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on May 2, China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, the current rotating GCC president; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nizar Madani of Saudi Arabia, the next rotating GCC president; and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kuwait Mohammad Sabah Al-Salim Al Sabah and Foreign Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa also attended the meeting. 

Both sides look forward to bolstering ties in trade and the economy. Yang said, “In the next stage, both sides should continue to enhance mutual understanding, deepen political trust, and continue mutual support on major issues of concern regarding each other’s core interests.” Yang also expressed support for GCC countries’ “efforts to maintain regional peace and stability.”

Source: Xinhua, May 2, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-05/02/c_121370203.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Kunming-Singapore High-Speed Railway under Construction

On April 25, 2011, China started building the Kunming-Singapore high-speed railway, which will run from China’s Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, to Singapore, passing through Vientiane in Laos, Bangkok in Thailand, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Once finished, the entire trip is expected to take only a dozen hours. 

Two more lines are part of the China-Southeast Asia high-speed railway system: the west Kunming-Yangon (of Burma) route is scheduled to start construction in 2011; the east line connecting China, Hanoi in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and Bangkok in Thailand is still in under consideration. 
China has adopted the practice of building high-speed railways outside China as part of the transition to the stage of investing domestic capital overseas on a large scale. 
 
Source: Dongfang Daily Online, April 25, 2011
http://www.dfdaily.com/html/63/2011/4/25/596558.shtml
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese Scholars: After bin Laden’s death, the U.S. Faces More Difficulties

After the death of bin Laden, Chinese media published articles suggesting the U.S. faces more difficulties down the road. 

Gao Zugui, a CCP’s Central Party School professor wrote on People’s Daily Online, “The first issue is the legitimacy for the U.S. to continue its anti-terrorism actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. … (The second is) the trend of terrorism has become more diversified and decentralized. … After bin Laden, someone else will become the new leader of Al-Qaeda and the terrorists will be more active.” 
        
Tsinghua University professor Zhao Kejin said on Global Times that the U.S. faces challenges: “First, whether the U.S. can maintain its world-wide anti-terrorism coalition.” “Second, whether Obama can consolidate the U.S. bipartisan consensus on anti-terrorism.” “Third, how to position anti-terrorism as a strategic priority in national security.”

Sources:
1. People’s Daily Online, May 3, 2011
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14535176.html
2. Global Times, May 3, 2011
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2011-05/1666270.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Sends College Graduates to Work in Villages

Starting in 2008, the Chinese Communist Party’s Department of Organization and the Ministry of Education have been sending twenty thousand college graduates per year to be “village officials” for a period of five years. The purpose is to build an army of grassroots communist cadres and to ease unemployment for college graduates as well. Ironically, being enrolled in a college or university is the only means for a rural Chinese to be able to obtain resident status in the cities.
The “college graduate village officials” are usually “officials’ assistants” rather than real administrative officials. However, they receive annual subsidies ranging from 5,000 (US$ 766) to 15,000 yuan (US$ 2,296). After three years, they can choose to leave the village and may receive extra benefits if they get permanent government jobs or apply for a post-graduate program.

Source: VOA, April 9, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110409-College-Students-Work-at-Grassroots-119530704.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Banks’ Hidden Practice of High Quarter-end Rates to Lure Deposits

In March, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) launched spot checks on banks’ illegal practice of attracting deposits as the quarter-end review of banks’ financial status approached.
Many banks are known for the hidden practice of offering significantly high returns on financial products with an issuance period that spans end-of-quarter dates such as March 31. Increasing deposits in this way can reduce the loan-to-deposit ratio below the 75% industrial red line. For example, on March 31, some banks have offered 80,000 yuan in daily interest for a 10 million yuan deposit (the equivalent of a 300% annual interest rate). In March last year, some banks even put up an announcement that, depending on the amount of the deposit, the depositors might receive returns in kind, such as eggs and cooking oil. In September last year, CBRC criticized a list of banks for such illegalities, including the Agricultural Bank of China.

Source: Beijing Morning Post, April 11, 2011
http://www.morningpost.com.cn/xwzx/jjxw/2011-04-11/179314.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Leadership Reshuffle in State Oil Giants

China recently appointed the top leaders of the state Sinopec Group and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC). Su Shulin, Party Secretary and General Manager of Sinopec, was appointed Deputy Chief of the Party Committee in Fujian Province. Fu Chengyu, Party Secretary and General Manager of CNOOC, was appointed Party Secretary and Chairman of Sinopec. Wang Yilin, Deputy Manager of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), was appointed Party Secretary and Chairman of CNOOC. China is also using this opportunity to set up a board of directors at the two state oil giants, although their subsidiaries listed in domestic and overseas stock markets already have boards. Sometime later, a board will also be created for CNPC.

Source: Beijing News, April 12, 2011
http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2011-04/12/content_219795.htm?div=-1

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Acts to Implement Social Control

Echoing Hu Jintao’s important speech on social control given on February 19, Chinese media reported on a series of actions taken to implement social control.

Xinhua reported that Beijing is implementing a grid-style social service and control model. Since 2007, each building has had an informant assigned to it. Ten thousand safety and stability specialists and thirty thousand public servants are participating in social control. Guangming reported that the Supreme Court published “Opinion on Further Strengthening Root-level Court Development under the New Situation.” The document calls for the development of a risk evaluation mechanism for major sensitive cases. The Political Department of the Public Security Ministry published “Ideological and Political Work Guidelines for Root-level Public Security Organizations.” It sets the standards and guidelines for the ideological and political work done in public security organizations.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, February 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/18/c_121098674.htm
2. Guangming Online, February 20, 2011
http://politics.gmw.cn/2011-02/20/content_1630096.htm
3. Public Security Ministry Website, February 17, 2011
http://www.mps.gov.cn/n16/n1237/n1342/n803715/2693580.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Hu Jintao Gave a Speech on Controlling Society

On February 19, 2011, the Conference on Social Management and Innovation was held at the CCP’s Central Party School. Top leaders from the central and provincial government attended the conference. Hu Jintao gave a speech at the opening ceremony. Hu stressed the importance of social management and outlined eight points for society’s future direction: 1. Improve the Party’s leadership and formalize social management work. 2. Improve the Party and government-led mechanisms to protect people’s rights. 3. Improve the management of transients and special populations and create a national database to cover every individual in China. 4. Improve the basic social management and service system. 5. Improve the public safety system. 6. Improve social management in private companies. 7. Improve Internet management and establish a mechanism to lead public opinion on the Internet. 8. Strengthen education in socialist ideology.

All of the nine members of the Politburo standing committee, all other Politburo members, and top CCP officials in central and provincial authorities attended the opening ceremony.

Source: CCP News Online, February 19, 2011
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/13958405.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics