NNL – Page 203 – Chinascope

Epoch Times: China’s Report of GDP Growth Is Questionable

Epoch Times expressed that the report that China released on 2009 first quarter GDP was not convincing and the Economist pointed out that the figures had likely been fudged. The government released GDP and production numbers for the first quarter of 2009 declaring 6.1% and 16% increases respectively over the same period in 2008. However, the electricity production in the first quarter was 4% down from the same period a year earlier. In the past, GDP and electricity output have moved broadly together, although it is not a one-to-one relationship.

Economists have long questioned whether China has been massaging its GDP data. It is widely believed that China’s GDP growth was overstated during the period after the Tiananmen Square Massacre and the Asia Crisis period.

Source:
[1] Epoch Times, May 25, 2009
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/9/5/25/n2537054.htm
[2] Economist, May 21, 2009
http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13692907

Briefings | | June 1, 2009 | Economy/Resources

International Herald Leader: China Is not the Leader of the World Yet

International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua, published an article by Zhang Jie, Director of the Department of Security and Foreign Relations, Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Science. Zhang argued that it is not the “G2” era yet. As to leading and affecting the global affairs, U.S. still has the dominant power and does not want to have an equal share with China. China has a low per capita GDP and does not have the capability to lead the world on many areas including technology advancement, innovation and cultural influence. China should still exercise a big country’s responsibility though it’s not the leader. [1]

On the same day, International Herald Leader also published another article arguing that the meaning of “G2” has been shifted. The concepts of “Chimerica” and “G2” were created with the focus on economy. But “G2” was later transformed to mean that both U.S. and China jointly manage the global affairs, thus becoming a form of “China Threat” to both U.S. and other countries. [2]

Sources:
[1] International Herald Leader, May 26, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-05/26/content_11435934.htm
[2] International Herald Leader, May 26, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-05/26/content_11435900.htm

Briefings | | May 28, 2009 | US-China Relations

CASS: China’s Modernization Should Surpass the Western Model

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) published an article titled “China’s ‘Modernization’ Should Surpass the Western Model.” The article said China is facing three major problems: the gap between rich and poor, great deterioration of the environment, and people becoming consumption machines and pursuing materialism.

The article argued that neither giving up modernization nor simply following the Western model will resolve these problems. Instead, it argued the Sinicization of Marxism is the “third option” and pointed out that the research of Sinicization of Marxism is aimed at finding a way out for China. The author reminded people about two trends in China: one is the Sinicization of Marxism and the other one is to rethink and go back to the traditional Chinese culture. The concepts of “scientific outlook on development,” “people foremost,” and “harmonious society” contain a new development model and cultural form.

Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, May 12 2009
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090512233283.html

Briefings | | May 28, 2009 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: Washington Still Hanging on a Cliff

Xinhua quoted Hong Kong Wen Wei Po’s article, reporting that in the U.S., there are many companies like General Motors and Citibank that are in trouble, indicating the U.S. economy is still struggling, far from what the Washington officials claim “U.S. economy has reached the bottom.” “No wonder Obama’s hair has turned grey after taking office.”

GM’s stock went down to $1.09 per share on May 12. It was taken out of the Dow Jones Index and listed as junk stock. Citibank also went below $1 and was taken out of the Dow Jones Index. According to Bloomberg, in May 2000, the combined market value of GM and Ford was $100 billion, 50 times the market value of the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) Group. At the beginning of 2009, SAIC’s market value is more than Renminbi 40 billion yuan ($6 billion), more than the combined value of GM and Ford.

Source: Xinhua, May 22, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-05/22/content_11418440.htm

Briefings | | May 28, 2009 | Economy/Resources

China Youth: US Media Pretend There Is No Flu

China Youth published an article titled “The Flu Wreaks Havoc, but the U.S. Media Pretend They Haven’t Seen it” on May 15, 2009. The report said that U.S. media covered little about the influenza A(H1N1) flu, also called swine flu, though U.S. has already confirmed more than 3,500 infection cases. It criticized U.S. media for using a double standard in its reporting: it has extensive coverage and follow-ups for SARS when it was spreading in Asia, but kept quiet about swine flu when it is in the U.S. in the fear of hurting travel business and tourism and creating public anxiety. [1] [Editor’s Note: In 2003, China was criticized by the international community for covering up the SARS epidemic in China and providing unreliable information to WHO staff who went to China to monitor the spread of the disease.]

The Epoch Times reported on May 20, 2009, according to insider information from China’s security system, Chinese media have been providing intensive coverage of A[H1N1] flu to Chinese. The exaggerated reports of the U.S. and other countries’ “swine flu epidemics" make many in China feel that other countries are in great danger. On the surface it is for public health, the underlying reason is to use it as an excuse to declare a state of emergency in case there is a sudden event beyond the CCP’s control. This year is the most challenging year for the CCP, as it marks the 10th anniversary of the CCP persecuting Falun Gong, the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, the 50th anniversary of Dalai Lama leaving Tibet, and 60th anniversary of the CCP’s rule in China. [2]

Source:
[1] China Youth, May 15, 2009
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2009-05/15/content_2667711.htm
[2] Epoch Times, May 20, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/5/20/n2532456.htm

Briefings | | May 21, 2009 | US-China Relations

China News: China and Europe Hugging Each Other

China News published a report that Premier Wen Jiabao would go to Prague, Czech Republic on May 20, 2009 for the eleventh China-EU Summit. It stated that China and the EU are closely embracing each other.

The second China-EU High-level Trade and Economic Dialogue was held in Brussels on May 8, 2009. China sent senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Transportation, General Administration of Customs, and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. The EU representatives were from the fields of business and industry, transportation, internal market, agriculture, consumer protection, customs, environmental protection, information society, and competition. With such a large number of participants, the meeting reached agreements in five areas, including implementation of the general agreement from G-20, anti-protectionism for trade and investment, encouragement for business to participate in each party’s economy development plan, joint support to small to mid-sized business development, and energy development and environmental collaboration.

China is the EU’s second largest trading partner.

Source: China News, May 17
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/05-17/1695184.shtml

Briefings | | May 21, 2009 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Loyalty to the Party is Required for Senior Military Officers

With approval from its chairman, Hu Jintao, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Military Commission recently issued “The Order on Further Strengthening the Leadership Behavior for Senior and Mid-Level Military Officers.” The order requires that the senior and mid-level military officers have firm belief in the Communist Party and remain clearheaded politically. It states that the overall requirements are: insisting that the Communist Party manage itself; manage the party strictly; focus on the capability development and advancement of the Party organization in the military; greatly promote the core values of contemporary revolutionary soldiers: "loyalty to the party, love for the people, service to the country and devotion to the mission and upholding honor;” emphasize on improving the leaderships’ party nature (primarily loyal to the party and following party’s direction) and establishing and maintaining fine style of work; and start from strictly executing and maintaining the Party’s discipline and formalizing and executing procedures.

Source: China News, May 17, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/05-17/1695110.shtml

Briefings | | May 21, 2009 | Defense/Military

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