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CCP Members Are the Backbone of ByteDance

Epoch Times reported on August 4, 2020, that it had obtained an internal list of the Communist Party committee members at ByteDance headquarters in Beijing. ByteDance is the parent of TikTok.

Among the members is Zhang Fuping, Secretary of ByteDance’s CCP Committee and ByteDance’s Chief Editor. The internal list shows that Zhang Fuping joined the CCP in 2013.

As Chief Editor, Zhang Fuping is responsible for all of the contents of ByteDance and TikTok.  In April 2018, at an internal CCP training session that Zhang chaired at ByteDance on guiding public opinion, he stated that, “[We] must stay true to the main responsibility of the enterprise and absolutely not allow the Internet to become a platform for the transmission of harmful information and rumors.”

In September 2019, Zhang Fuping presided over an opening ceremony for the Ministry of Public Security in which online police were launched to be able to monitor, through special TikTok accounts, the user’s activities on TikTok. These online policemen came from over 170 national, provincial, and regional online police organizations. Zhang Hongye, Deputy Director of the Online Security Department under the Ministry of Public Security, stated that the purpose of these special accounts was to take advantage of TikTok to enhance the government’s capacity to maintain social stability.

According to the internal list that Epoch Times obtained, the ByteDance headquarters’ CCP committee has 138 members. Of the 138, most were born in the 1990s and are young and energetic. They all are in corporate management or professional and technical positions and are the backbone responsible for the company’s operations.

Source: Epoch Times, August 4, 2020
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/8/4/n12306881.htm

 

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Is China Getting Ready for War?

As the U.S.-China relationship has deteriorated, China has begun spreading an atmosphere of getting ready for war. On July 25, 2020, in Beijing, posters on how to handle air raids, which had not been posted for nearly 50 years, appeared in Beijing’s Haidian District. A video circulating on the Internet shows that air-raid billboards were on display, which reminded residents “how to enter an air-raid shelter quickly after hearing the alarm …”

In some places along China’s southeast coast, public announcements are posted, notifying people that retired naval and air force personnel, including their families, must go and register with the community neighborhood committee, which indicates that these people may be called to return to the military at any time.

According to a  notice issued by the Shuiyun Street Community Neighborhood Committee in Chongqing City, Sichuan Province, on July 24, 2020, families of active-duty border/island officers and soldiers living in its jurisdiction, especially those stationed in Xinjiang, Tibet, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, and at other borders and islands, are required to register with the community neighborhood committee.

On the evening of July 27, Beijing time, the Chinese Communist Party media CCTV Headline News broadcasted a piece of old news that in January 2020, Xi Jinping wrote to the Top Gun Sixth Company of the People’s Liberation Army, emphasizing that the military must follow the CCP command to prepare for war.

Sources:
1. Radio Free Asia, July 27, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/ql-07272020054946.html
2. Voice of America, July 28, 2020
https://www.voachinese.com/a/US-citizens-relatives-china-react-drastic-escalation-US-prc-tension/5519350.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Internal Document Revealed Irregularities in China’s Organ Transplant System

An internal document on China’s organ transplant system shows 21 major problems under 8 categories. The document is titled, “China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS) Data Verification Report (Zhejiang Province).” (The Report) covers the government’s COTRS data involving medical institutions in Zhejiang Province during the period from January 1, 2015, to April 13, 2018. Established in 2011, the COTRS is meant to be a national organ allocation mechanism for transplant, with organ donations from voluntary organ donors as the only legitimate source.

Of the problems discussed in the Report, livers and kidneys of unknown origin were used in transplants in Zhejiang. These accounted for 7.82 percent and 4.51 percent of the organs of illegal origin in the country.

The Report identified cases where the transplant occurred before the allocation and suspected distribution outside COTRS and manipulation of the flow of organs.

The Report found that the number of “special situation registrations” was too high, indicating that the hospital as an organ procurement organization (OPO) may have abused the procedure possibly involving a  suspected manipulation of the allocation process. According to the Report, “special situation registration” is only applicable to organ allocation outside the organ allocation system in order to prevent the waste of organs if a force majeure occurs during organ allocation.

The Report identified 135 cases where the OPO hospital tampered with donor data one hour prior to the distribution of the organ.

The Report discovered a large number of cases where the transplant hospital changed the recipient’s data one hour before the transplant. In some cases, new recipients were added to the waiting list and received the available organ. The Report considered these activities to be a suspicious manipulation of the flow of organs.

The Report found that about 10 percent of the livers disappeared without an explanation in COTRS.

Source: Epoch Times, July 3, 2020
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/6/16/n12190627.htm

 

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Former CCP Party School Professor: CCP Has Become a Political Zombie

Cai Xia, a former professor of the Central Party School of the CCP, made some remarks at a private forum saying that the CCP has become a political zombie. The remarks were then reported and appeared on the Internet.

Cai Xia stated that there is no way out of the current system itself. “There is no point in reforming the system. Speaking from the bottom line, this system must be cast away.” Cai Xia believes that after the CCP reform and opening up, the two most fundamental problems have not been solved: one is the system and the other is theory.”

Cai Xia stated that the CCP has become a “political zombie.”  “The CCP has come to its end.”

Cai Xia warned that if nothing is done now, “we will only be able to watch the free fall of the system, wait for him [Xi Jinping] to have a free fall and for the society to collapse; then we would start from the beginning. I think this is a highly probable path. If so, China will be in major chaos within five years.

Source: Radio France Internationale, June 4, 2020

http://www.rfi.fr/cn/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD/20200603-%E5%89%8D%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%B1%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%AE%E5%85%9A%E6%A0%A1%E6%95%99%E6%8E%88%E8%94%A1%E9%9C%9E-%E6%8D%A2%E4%BA%BA-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E6%89%8D%E6%9C%89%E5%B8%8C%E6%9C%9B

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

CCP Media Slams the “Street Vendor Economy” of Premier Li Keqiang

In a visit to the city of Yantai in Shandong province on June 1 and 2, 2020, Premier Li Keqiang said street stalls and small shops “are important sources of jobs.”  “They are part of China’s vitality just like those high-end, great, and classy businesses,” said Li. This followed his previous remarks made at the press event after the May 28 adjournment of the Third Session of the Thirteenth People’s Congress, where he praised the street vendor policies back in the 1970s for effectively creating jobs. The encouragement of street vendors, backed by Premier Li Keqiang, as a way to create self-employed businesses to absorb newly unemployed, is viewed as a marked change for the government, which previously cracked down on street vendors as part of urban rejuvenation efforts.

Within days, key CCP media pushed back.

On June 6, 2020, Beijing Daily, published an article boycotting Li Keqiang’s “street vendor economy,” claiming that the “street vendor economy is not suitable for Beijing.”  It listed a series of various disadvantages to the community environment, including “dirty streets, fake and shoddy products, noise disturbing people, vendors roaming on the streets blocking traffic, etc.” Beijing Daily asserted that the resultant disadvantages damage Beijing’s image as China’s capital and China’s national image, and are “not conducive to a high-quality economy.”

On the same day, the CCP’s mouthpiece, People’s Daily, published a commentary on the street vendors. It expressed that the street vendor economy should not be overheated. “With street stalls all over the city, there are also people worried about whether it will hinder traffic. How can the quality of merchandise be guaranteed? How to solve the health problem associated with food and the environment? These worries are not superfluous.”

On June 7, CCP media, China Central TV, also published a commentary, reiterating that the “street vendor economy” is not suitable for Beijing, and said that Beijing’s urban management will strengthen law-enforcement inspection and handling of the street vendors. It further stated that the “street vendor economy” is not a panacea and “blindly following the trend will be counterproductive.”

Sources:
1.The Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, June 4, 2020,
http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020-06/04/content_5517257.html
2.Beijing Daily, June 6, 2020
https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2020-06-06/doc-iirczymk5630045.shtml
3.People’s Daily, June 6, 2020
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0606/c1003-31737652.html
4.China Central TV, June 7, 2020
https://news.sina.cn/gn/2020-06-07/detail-iircuyvi7133828.d.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Pandemic: Over 40 Percent of China’s Cinemas May Go Bust

According to a survey that the China Film Association released on May 27, 2020, the pandemic has had a severe adverse impact on the entire Chinese film industry. The survey was conducted in April, with questionnaires sent to select, mature, dynamic, and market-competitive cinemas. Four in ten cinemas may permanently close down. Since February, all cinemas have been in the red.

 

The survey showed that the national box office revenue for the first quarter dropped 88 percent year on year to 2.23 billion yuan (US$312 million). The cinemas with more than 2,000 seats saw the box office revenue decrease by 87.7 percent year-on-year. Those with 500-2000 seats by dropped 88 percent and smaller ones with less than 500 seats by 91.3 percent.

 

Over 90 percent of those surveyed were pessimistic about the short term prospects. Half believed that it will take at least 3 to 6 months to reach the same level as before the pandemic and 37 percent of the theaters believed that it will take more than half a year.

 

As many as 42 percent of the cinemas surveyed responded they are at risk of “closing the door.” Only 10 percent indicated that they may change hands and continue to operate. Finally, 28 percent said they are “waiting for the headquarters’ arrangements.”

 

The China Film Association estimated that if cinemas reopened in June and revenues gradually recovered to 90 percent of last year’s levels within six months, the box office revenue would be reduced by about 60 percent year-on-year for 2020.

 

In 2015, China surpassed the United States to become the country with the largest number of screens in the world, over 70,000 screens in 12,480 cinemas in 2019. Its annual box office revenue accounted for about a quarter of the world’s total. As of 2019, it was the second-largest film market in the world.  China has been the largest overseas box office for Hollywood and in 2019 contributed 5.4 percent to the growth of the global film industry.

 

Sources: Sina.com, May 29, 2020. 

https://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2020-05-29/doc-iircuyvi5682505.shtml?cre=tianyi&mod=pcent&loc=2&r=25&rfunc=100&tj=none&tr=25

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Won’t Set a GDP Growth Target

On May 22, the third session of the 13th China’s National People’s Congress was held in Beijing. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivered a government work report, stating that China will not set a GDP growth target for 2020. For the first time since setting economic growth targets in 1994, China will not set a specific target for annual economic growth. Li Keqiang explained, “[M]ainly because of the great uncertainties of the global pandemic situation and the economic and trade situation, China’s development is facing some unpredictable factors. This will help guide all parties to focus on the “six stabilities” (stabilizing employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and expectations), and “six protections” (protecting the employment of residents, basic livelihood, market players, food and energy security, supply chains in the industrial chain, and basic-level operations)

The government work report announced that China will issue 1 trillion yuan in government bonds for COVID-19 control.

Source: BBC Chinese, May 22, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business-52766866

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China’s Revenue Hit Hard in First Four Months of This Year

According to the statistics released by China’s Ministry of Finance on May 18, in the first four months of this year, Mainland China’s general public budget revenue fell by 14.5 percent year-on-year, indicating that the Chinese economy has been hit hard by the Wuhan virus and its fiscal revenue has also declined. The general public budget revenue is a tax-based revenue according to Article 6 of China’s Budget Law.

The statistics further show that the revenue of the central government and local governments decreased by 17.7 percent and 11.5 percent year-on-year, respectively.  The national government fund budget revenue decreased by 9.2 percent year-on-year.  According to Article 9 of China’s Budget Law, the government fund budget revenue is revenue collected, charged or raised from specific targets and exclusively used for the development of certain public undertakings.

Tax revenue from industry sectors affected by the Wuhan virus has been hit the hardest. From January to April, hospitality and restaurants, transportation, and sports and entertainment declined by 46.8 percent, 29.8 percent, and 28.2 percent, respectively.

On a monthly basis, the national fiscal revenue from January to April decreased by 3.9 percent, 21.4 percent, 26.1 percent, and 15 percent respectively. The national fiscal revenue includes both tax and nontax revenues.

Source: People.com, May 18, 2020
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0518/c1004-31713705.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources