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Young Chinese Scholars on Sino-U.S. Relations

The International Strategy Institute of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Party School held its Second Young Scholar Forum in Beijing on December 6. Two hot topics were the U.S. strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific and the new type of Sino-U.S. major country relationship. People’s Daily reported the scholars’ views on these topics:

 

"Observing Obama’s actions in the past couple of years, the U.S.’strategy of returning to the Asia-Pacific’ is a true strategic adjustment. It increases the U.S. presence in Asia."

"The U.S.’ rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific strategy presents four challenges to China. It impacts the status of the security around China; it impacts the Sino-U.S. military security relationship; it impacts China’s regional influence; and it impacts China’s anti-terrorism situation."

"In its strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, the U.S. also exports its ideology. In the battle of the ideology field, we can see that the U.S. wants to broadcast its ideology to the world. … The battle in the ideology field, though, does not use gun powder; it is more brutal."

"As for future U.S.’ China policy, the key issue is whether the U.S. is willing to give up some of its interests to China." 


"In the past, when the U.S. raised the ‘China threat’ issue, China would rebut it immediately. However, no matter how China rebutted, it was using another’s system of terminology. Now China has introduced the concept of a ‘new type of major country relationship’ and led the U.S. to change. This is a major achievement."

Source: People’s Daily Online, December 9, 2014
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/1209/c1002-26174514.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Completed the First Phase of Nigeria Railroad Using Chinese Standards

On December 3, China Daily published a report on railway construction in Nigeria stating that, on December 1, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) completed the first phase of a modern railroad project in Nigeria.

According to the report, the whole project will involve building a railroad that will span 1,315 km (821 miles) in Nigeria, from Lagos to Kano. The first phase is 186.5 km long with nine stations and a design speed of 150 km per hour. The total cost was US$850 million.

"The railroad design completely adopted China’s railroad standards. This is the first modern railroad in Africa that is based on China’s standards."

"Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria stated that, in May, when Premier Li Keqiang was attending the Summit of the World Economic Forum at Africa, he indicated that China will be willing to work with African countries to build a high-speed railroad network, a highway network, and a regional aviation network."

On November 19, CRCC signed another deal in the amount of US$12 billion with Nigeria to build a 1,402 km railway along Nigeria’s coast, linking Lagos and Calabar.

Sources:
[1] China Daily Online, December 3, 2014
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqcj/zxqxb/2014-12-03/content_12825693.html
[2] Business Insider, November 20, 2014
http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-china-firm-signs-12-bn-deal-to-build-nigerian-railway-2014-11

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Liu Yunshan on Internet Security

China plans to hold a “National Network Security Promotion Week” during the last week of November each year. Xinhua recently reported on the first one, which started on November 24 this year.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, head of the Communist Party propaganda work, and deputy head of the Central Internet Security and Informatization Leading Group, made a statement at the opening ceremony. According to Xinhua, Liu said, “While enjoying the convenience of the Internet, [we] should be vigilant about network attacks, network scams, and network rights violations. Internet pornography, gambling, drugs, violence, and terror, as well as rumors on the Internet, have kept coming back despite our ban. It has severely threatened [our] national security and people’s interests.”

Liu pointed out, “[We] should let people know the policy and rules of [our] Internet management, let people know the code and conduct for Internet usage, and improve people’s legal awareness so that they follow the laws to set up Internet service and follow the laws when they use it. … [We should] improve people’s ability to resist harmful information on the Internet. [We] should promote a healthy Internet culture, promote socialist core values, and improve netizen’s moral self-discipline. This will let the Internet spread a good voice and positive energy and will make the Internet space clean.”

Source: Xinhua, November 24, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-11/24/c_1113383468.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Huanqiu: People Want the Police to Clear the Occupy Central Sites

Huanqiu reported that, on November 18, the Hong Kong government cleared the barriers at Admiralty, a site where Occupy Central protesters had been stationed.

The article stated "clearing the [Occupy Central] site is what the public wanted. Some commentaries said that, not only did the majority of Hong Kong’s citizens want the students to retreat completely, but the students also wanted the government to clear the site so that they can take it as a step calling for them to retreat."

Huanqiu interviewed a Beijing University professor who gave three reasons for the clearing at Admiralty to have gone smoothly. The first was that the overseas democracy promoters suggested the "Occupy Central" activists not have a conflict but instead plan for a long-term struggle. Second, the "Occupy Central" activists realized that the "Occupy Central" [movement] had reached a hopeless stage. Third, the court staff performed the site clearing. They represent the law and if the "Occupy Central" activists resisted, they would "nakedly" (without any coverage) have violated the law.

Source: Huanqiu Online, November 19, 2014
http://china.huanqiu.com/article/2014-11/5207114.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily: Factions Break the Political Rule

On November 6, People’s Daily published a commentary that stated, "The second round of the Central Inspection Team’s Tour found that factions are a common phenomenon in many places."

The article criticized this common practice among officials in China. "Party members and cadres should remember that forming factions, providing benefits to officials, making decisions that follow one’s own way, or openly endorsing something while secretly objecting to it, are all not allowed in the Party. Cadres should understand that the ‘true protection’ [for themselves] is not ‘which line they take,’ ‘which circle they belong to,’ or ‘whose people they are.’"

[Editor’s note: Wang Qishan initiated the Central Inspection Team’s Tour as part of the anti-corruption campaign. Wang, to support Xi Jinping, has taken down many officials, including both high-ranking officials ("tigers") and low-level officials ("flies"). Many of these officials are from the faction of Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party.]

Source: People’s Daily, November 6, 2014
http://cpc.people.com.cn/pinglun/n/2014/1106/c78779-25983172.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Xi Jinping’s Instructions on Political Work in the Military

Xinhua published a lengthy report, summarizing the instructions that Xi Jinping, Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, gave on the political work in the military. Improving the military’s political work is a key step in the overall theme of "building a strong army."

The article had three major sections, titled, "The goal of building a strong army requires applying strong political work in the military," "Promote strong political work in the military," and "Inspire and motivate soldiers using [Xi’s] own acts."

The article stated, "There are thousands of approaches to accomplishing the goal of developing a strong army, but the greatest one is to ensure resolutely that the military follows the [Chinese Communist] Party’s direction." In late 2012, Xi pointed out, "[We] must adhere to developing the army in ideological and political areas, adhere to the fundamental principle and system that the Party has absolute leadership over the military, and ensure the military is absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable."

It listed several approaches to developing the Party’s control over the military. "In peacetime, it should test whether the military adheres to the Party’s leadership. The key observation is whether it implements firmly, effectively, and seriously the directives of the Party’s Central Committee and Party’s Central Military Commission."

Source: Xinhua, November 3, 2014.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-11/03/c_1113098221.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua Summarizes the CCP’s Decision on the Rule of Law

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) passed the "CCP Central Committee Decision Concerning Some Major Issues on Comprehensively Advancing the Rule of Law (中共中央关于全面推进依法治国若干重大问题的决定)." Xinhua published an article listing 25 items to highlight the major points in the "Decision." A few points worth noting are:

12. Establish a mechanism to hold the decision maker accountable throughout his whole life [Editor’s Note: Implying even after retirement] for the major decisions he has made. Hold the administrative executive, other responsible leaders, and the related people who are legally responsible strictly accountable for decisions which involved a major mistake or which should have been adjusted promptly but were not and thus caused major damage or had a negative impact.

24. [China should] adhere to [the leadership of] the CCP’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee over the long-term. [Editor’s Note: It was Xi Jinping who took down Zhou Yongkang, the previous head of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee.]

25. The Party’s regulations and the Party’s discipline should be stricter than the country’s law. Party organizations and members at all levels should not only obey the law of the nation, but also follow the Party’s regulations and the Party’s discipline.

Source: Xinhua, October 28, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/video/2014-10/28/c_127151833.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Achievements of Li Keqiang’s Europe Trip

Xinhua reported that "Li Keqiang has successfully completed his trip to Europe and that China has harvested abundantly in its foreign diplomacy."

China has been doing trade diplomacy for decades. The Xinhua article praised the economic deals transacted with the European countries as the highlight of Li’s achievements. During Li’s trip, China and Germany signed 50 commercial and inter-government treaties, with a total of US$18.1 billion in bilateral trade and investment agreements. In Russia, the two countries signed 39 important bilateral documents, including a high-speed train project connecting Moscow and Kazan and a 150 billion yuan (US$25 billion) bilateral currency swap agreement. Chinese companies and Italian companies signed over 10 cooperation agreements, with a total exceeding US$10 billion.

Source: Xinhua, October 20, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-10/20/c_1112900663.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend