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All posts by TGS - 124. page

China Replaces Japan as Second Largest Manufacturer But Is Not Strong

Wang Zhongyu, President of the China Enterprise Confederation, announced on March 27 that in 2009 China’s manufacturing accounted for 15.6% of the value of total global manufacturing. With the United States accounting for 19%, China has now replaced Japan (15.4%). Wang stated, however, that China’s manufacturing industry is large in size but not strong, and most enterprises are still at the bottom of the value-added chain. U.S. service oriented manufacturing is 58% of its entire manufacturing while that of China is 2.2%.

Source: China News Service, March 27, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/cj-gncj/news/2010/03-27/2193673.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua Editorial: Yuan Appreciation Will Not Help

Xinhua published an editorial on international affairs addressing yuan appreciation. It stated that trade deficits that some countries have with China are caused by their domestic structural and policy factors, not the exchange rate with China. The editorial questioned the magnitude of the reported trade deficits, suggesting the increase in Chinese exports may be attributed to the foreign companies in China exporting back to their own home countries.

“From whatever angle, to pressure a substantial appreciation of the yuan within a short time is unwarranted, unfounded and even, it is more useless. Some Western politicians have tirelessly speculated a ‘yuan appreciation’ theory. Its underlying motive is questionable. The financial crisis has brought people to see that the current world economic imbalance is mainly attributed to excess consumption in some developed countries, and to the economic contraction. To pressure for yuan appreciation does not help resolve these issues. In fact, it is developed countries that should make positive policy adjustments to reform their economic structure in order to fulfill their international responsibilities.”

Source: Xinhua, March 18, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-03/18/content_13197957.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China and US: Friend or Foe?

China and the U.S. are more foes than friends, says Yan Xuetong, a Chinese international relations scholar. In an interview with the State’s International Herald Leader, Yan stated that while the two do share some economic interests, they have much greater conflicting strategic interests in term of security. While the U.S. continues to support the Dalai Lama, Taiwan independence and East Turkistan independence, China will not allow these groups to succeed. Thus, on the political front, conflicts dominate the Sino-US relationship with few common interests. He expressed that cooperation does not mean China and the U.S. are friends and that the two will continue to pretend to be friends during the Obama administration.

Yan received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992.

Source: Xinhua, March 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-03/22/content_13221096.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Party Building: Public Security Officials Under Intensive Training

March 20 saw the opening of boot camp training for 472 regional and municipal public security directors at the People’s Public Security University in Beijing. The Minister of Public Security taught the first lecture. The 10 day training will address social stability, the rule of law, and corruption, among other topics. The training was touted as the first since the Communist Party came to power as an important endeavor to safeguard national security and social stability. In 2009, the Ministry of Public Security held similar training for county public security directors to implement a new directive from the Communist leaders to improve party building.

Source: Xinhua, March 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2010-03/22/content_13220070.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Maintaining Social Order as the 2010 Propaganda Priority of the Party

The Committee of Political and Legislative Affairs of China’s Communist Party recently issued its 2010 propaganda priorities. Effective practices and experiences of handling social stability will be highlighted in the propaganda: the resolution of social conflicts, improvement of the government reputation, grass-roots infrastructure for comprehensive management of the social order, promotion of the socialist rule of law and government efforts in resolving complaints.

Source: Xinhua, March 17, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2010-03/17/content_13186591.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua Critical of the Book China Dream

Xinhua’s International Herald Leader stated that China’s hawks should be nonviolent, rational, responsible and not "savagely combative." "Whose dream is this China’s dream? Is it the dream and pursuit of the Chinese people? The Chinese people dreams for a powerful China but do not necessary have the aspiration to become the No. 1 military power and eventually dominate the world. The book may sell well but lacks professionalism. As known to all, the No. 1 military power in the world is the United States, with its largest inventory of nuclear weapons. Whatever nuclear weapons China possesses is nothing compared to the United States. To become No. 1 means to surpass the United States and produce more nuclear weapons. Is this what China should do?" "Irresponsible remarks may sometimes be manipulated, leading to devastating consequences." "Any clear-cut expressions should not ignore the complexity of reality. Nor should they disregard the national image in the international community and our national long term interests." 

Source: International Herald Leader, March 15, 2010 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/zgjx/2010-03/15/content_13173057.htm
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China Youth Daily: Rule of Law vs. Pressure from the Internet

A China Youth Daily article questioned the rule of law in the light of a series of recent arrests of online bloggers for their outspoken postings against the government. Earlier, on February 26, Mr. Chen from Yunxi County, Hubei Province was arrested for his “trouble-making” remarks on the Internet. In response to the public outcry on the Internet against the arrest, local police stated that they were "in strict accordance with the law" and the decision to arrest was reported to and approved by superiors “to uphold the law." After eight days of detention on charges of “insulting and defaming others,” Chen was released due to “pressure from the Internet,” said the Yunxi Public Security Bureau.

China Youth Daily questioned, “Now that the pressure from the Internet forced them to release the guy, then what exactly was the pressure that forced them to arrest the guy?”

Source: People’s Daily, reprint China Youth Daily, March 12, 2010
http://media.people.com.cn/GB/40698/11131970.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Outlook Weekly: Trends of Social Unrest in 2010

China will face tougher and more complex social unrest in 2010, says Outlook, a weekly magazine under Xinhua. In the past several years, social unrest has centered on issues of rural land use, the demolition of urban housing, state-owned enterprise reform, military discharges and retirement, and lawsuits. But 2009 saw intensive social unrest over welfare benefits, medical malpractice, unemployment, environmental pollution, workplace accidents, civil disputes, and investment fraud. Incidents tend to involve large crowds from multiple segments of the public and from extended geographic areas. Protests have accelerated to surrounding Party and government buildings and blocking traffic. Further, “instigators of most of the mass group events use the Internet and mobile phone text messages to contact and organize. This approach has the characteristics of a wide range of provocation, strong appeal, no warning signs, easy and quick gathering of people who have no direct interest, and so on.”

Source: Outlook Weekly, March 7, 2010
http://news.sohu.com/20100307/n270642035.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability