Skip to content

All posts by TGS - 138. page

Outlook Article: China Should Invest Up To 1,000 Bn Yuan In Africa

According to Outlook Weekly, a Xinhua publication, a Government think tank proposed that China spend 500 to 1, 000 billion yuan of its foreign exchange reserve on Africa. The Director of the Center for Economic Security Studies of China’s Institute of Contemporary International Relations wrote that this funding infusion may be implemented through “direct investment, donations, low or zero interest loans, export financing or the Islamic model of zero interest in exchange for profit sharing.” The proposed primary areas of investment are infrastructure projects, improvement of sanitary conditions, education and manufacturing.

Source: Outlook Weekly, June 1, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-06/01/content_11467829.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Study Times: Bottlenecks of Chinese Military

The military reform is lagging behind with serious national defense ramifications, says a Study Time article. According to the article, Chinese military reform is lagging behind in areas such as joint operations, munitions procurement, management of research and development of defense technology, medicare for the military, retirement and settlement of officers, pension and benefits and etc. “Some of the problems have become the bottlenecks of the national defense and army modernization, causing the imbalance of national defense and basic elements of military building.” The article warns that this could potentially “lead to disorders in the entire military system, with serious ramifications if there is a war.”

Source: Study Times, May 25, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2673&bid=7

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Where There Is a Law Firm, You’ll Find the Communist Party.

The Ministry of Justice has established Party organizations in over 90% of the 14,222 law firms in China, says Legal Daily of the Ministry of Justice with the heading “Where there is a law firm, you’ll find the Communist Party.” From April 2008 to April 2009, Party organizations doubled their presence in law firms. “With red flags flying over law firms and lawyers who are Party members shining at their posts, our Party construction has moved on to a new stage in the legal community,” said a Ministry of Justice official.

Source: Legal Daily, May 22, 2009
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2009-05/22/content_1094411.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Study Times: U.S. Smart Power and China

According to comments in Study Times, the United States is applying its smart power policy to its U.S.-China relationship. The article states that smart power has three major characteristics: it is rational and objective; it is comprehensive and very “pragmatic;” and finally, it has a high operability. “Almost all of those who have proposed and developed the ‘smart power’ policy are politicians who have given full consideration to the needs of front-line diplomatic practices, thus making the policy highly operable.” According to Study Times, the record of Obama’s first 100 days indicates that smart power has been adopted to guide U.S. foreign strategy.

Source: Study Times, May 18, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=2647&nid=9615&bid=2&page=1

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China’s Position on Maritime Delimitation Unchanged

Xinhua reported that China will continue its current policy on Maritime Delimitation and island sovereignty. The issue involves China’s May 11, 2009, submission of information on the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLSC). China reiterates in the submission that China has sovereignty, but will put aside disputes to seek joint development with other countries. Most of submissions made by other countries to CLCS are for areas over which the submitters have disputes with China, Xinhua observed.

Source: Xinhua, May 18, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-05/18/content_11394144.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Senior Party Discipline Officials Receive Intensive Training

More than 2,000 Party secretaries of the Party’s discipline organs at the county level throughout China are gathering in Beijing to attend a focused training course, the first of its kind in the history of the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Xinhua reported that the training, held in the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, the National School of Administration, and the Training Center of the Supervision Ministry of the CPC Central Committee, has been aimed at improving their abilities to fight against corruption as well as maintain social stability.  The training began on May 8, 2009.

Source: Xinhua, May 12, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-05/12/content_11358058.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Disasters Have Significantly Damaged China’s Economy

According to a white paper on disaster relief that the State Council Information Office released on May 11, 2009, changes in China’s climate, economic growth and urbanization are placing increasing pressure on the country’s resources and the environment. On average, from 1990 to 2008, about 300 million people every year were affected, 3 million houses collapsed, 9 million people were re-located, and direct economic damages reached more than 200 billion Yuan. According to the white paper, the 1998 flood of the Yangtze River, the 2006 Sichuan draught, the Huai River flood in 2007, the freezing rain and snow disaster in southern China in 2008 and the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008, were particularly damaging. 

Source: State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China, May 11, 2009 http://www.scio.gov.cn/syyw/ejtt/200905/t319397.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Coal Will Remain the Main Source of Energy through 2050

According to Study Times, coal will continue to be the main source of energy through the year 2050, although the percentage of coal in China’s energy supplies may drop from 75% to 60%. “The basic reality of China’s energy is a ‘lack of oil, not enough gas, and a lot of coal,’ with uneven distribution of resources and economic development in the eastern and western regions.” Renewable energy such as wind power, solar power and biomass will hardly account for any meaningful percentage in the overall energy balance. The State should exercise caution with nuclear energy development, warns Study Times.

Source: Study Times, May 4, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2617&bid=4

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources