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All posts by TGS - 128. page

Military Official: China May Retaliate over American Arms Sales to Taiwan

Rear Admiral Yang Yi of the National Defense University’s Institute for Strategic Studies warns that China may retaliate in response to recent American arms sales to Taiwan. "Why can’t we be on the offensive against these trouble makers? In addition to lodging a protest with the U.S. government and taking the necessary measures, why can’t we impose sanctions on these ‘perpetrators?’ We want to inflict ‘heavy’ damage to the interests in China of those businesses and groups who offend the Chinese people. Let them suffer more economic losses here than gains from selling arms to Taiwan, so that the arms sales will not worth it." “Through our constant efforts, we can mold the policy choices of the United States; now is the time for us to set the rules for the United States.”

Source: China News Net, January 7, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/01-07/2058142.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Military Expert on Globalization of Chinese Military

In an article in Global Times, Chinese military expert Song Xiaojun discussed three major changes in the Chinese military in the last ten years. First, anti-China forces and separatist forces are rampant, e.g. the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia in 1999, the U.S. and China aircraft collision in 2001, and the "China threat theory" that has swept the world. Second, ordinary Chinese people, especially young people and Internet users, are concerned about military defense. Third, the rapid modernization of China’s weapons has attracted the world’s attention, e.g. China sent a warship to escort ships near Somalia. Song Xiaojun believes that the biggest problem with China’s military development is that it lags behind economic development, and that the Chinese military must become a global force in order to ensure China’s economic interests are not undermined.

Source: Global Times, December 30, 2009.
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-12/675329.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China Military Implements Training for the New Year

The General Staff Department (GSD) of the People’s Liberation Army has issued directives on seven aspects of the 2010 military training. They include deepening the research and exploration of training in the conditions of an information environment; promoting system wide joint training and innovation in the conditions of an information environment; and focusing on training the core military capabilities.

Source: Xinhua, January 6, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-01/06/content_12767287.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Outlook: Obama’s Afghanistan War û A High Risk Gamble

An article in Outlook comments, “Obama’s biggest hope is that Afghanistan will not become America’s second Vietnam and his political grave.” The article states that Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan may be effective short-term. “However, from the long-term perspective, it remains uncertain whether the new strategy can lead the U.S. out of the quagmire of Afghanistan.”

Source: Outlook, Issue 50, reprinted Soho December 14, 2009
http://news.sohu.com/20091214/n268925053.shtml
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/lw.xinhuanet.com/htm/content_5307.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

H1N1 and Dissemination of Information During Crisis

The widely usage of Internet and Web2.0 media enables the public to use blog postings and text messages among themselves to disseminate H1N1 information, says Globe, a biweekly magazine published by Xinhua. People don’t rely on the traditional media, which is more rigid in reporting the epidemic situation, any more. Thus the crisis of H1N1 also becomes a crisis for the media.

Globe also argued that China should improve its influence over international public opinion, as currently the Western media have led China by the nose on major news. “Therefore, how to explain China to the world and seek international support during a crisis should be an important link as the government improves the dissemination of information during a crisis.”

Source: Xinhua, December 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2009-12/14/content_12644361.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Media Directed to Create Positive Publicity about China’s Economy

The media should create a favorable public opinion about stable and rapid economic development, said Liu Yunshan, Politburo member and head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He stated that the publicity and ideological fronts should study and implement the guidance of the Central Economic Work Conference, be in alignment with the Party’s assessment of the international and domestic economic situation, and with the Party’s economic policy and implementation thereof. 

Source: Xinhua, December 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/14/content_12645871.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Chinese Military Using Internet to Monitor Soldiers

The People’s Liberation Army is strengthening the ability of its political commissars to use information technology to monitor its officers and soldiers. Xinhua reports that in a recent contest of its political officers, the Jinan Military Region has added questions on collection and analysis of online information, production of multimedia courseware and simulation of wartime political works. 96 percent of the soldiers had Internet experience prior to joining the PLA. A common activity shared by those born in the 80s and 90s is to express independent opinion on the Internet. "This is an important channel for us to learn what our officers and soldiers really have on their minds,” said a political commissar from the "Tiger" Division of the Jinan Military Region.

Source: Xinhua, December 9, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/09/content_12619528.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Ministry of Health: Pregnant Women Account for 13 Percent of H1N1 Deaths

According to the Ministry of Health, as of December 7, 2009, Mainland China had reported 326 deaths and 4,328 severe cases of H1N1 Influenza. Pregnant women accounted for 13.7% of the deaths. Zhong Nanshan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that most of them were over 6 months pregnant. He further stated that 50% of the patients who have colds or fevers and visit the clinics have influenza and 90% of these influenza patients are H1N1. The current inventory of medicine for H1N1 treatment is for 2% of the population, e.g. for 26 million people. The medicine will be distributed from the central government to provinces, then to rural areas and local communities.

Zhong was reported earlier to state that 80% of the H1N1 deaths were pregnant women, which caused alarm among pregnant women. Later he stated that he meant 8% instead of 80%.

Source:
Xinhua, December 9, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/09/content_12619064.htm
Xinhua, December 10, 2009
http://www.xinhuanet.com/chinanews/2009-12/10/content_18463536.htm
Guangming Daily, quoting Guangzhou Daily, December 9, 2009
http://www.gmw.cn/content/2009-12/09/content_1018476.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability