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All posts by TGS - 161. page

Xinhua Tightens Reporting on Victims of School Collapse In Earthquake

Xinhua has banned reports about kids who were buried in classrooms that collapsed during the earthquake. According to a Xinhua correspondent, three internal directives were issued over the past two days. The first asked correspondents to write more articles with details about the emotional moment when a child was found alive among the debris. The second that came on May 19 and ordered that no reports should be published about those children who died in schools during the earthquake or about their heartbroken parents. The latest May 20 directive bans any reports related to schools in the earthquake stricken regions. Apparently a large number of casualties of the earthquake were children who were attending classes.

Source: Boxun, May 20, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/05/200805190802.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Internet Users: Put the Earthquake Efforts before the Olympics

Southern Weekend published at its home page excerpts of several blog postings on the Sichuan earthquake and the Olympics on May 13, 2008.  One posting is titled “With this major earthquake, forget the Olympics.” It says, “Love the Olympics. Love China. Feel free to love anything. But please love us ourselves first. And love humanity and treat humanity as part of our life.”

Another, with the title “At this moment, we need the country to mourn,” states, “For once, let’s lower our national flag for the dignity of life. For once, let’s put the dignity of life first before the Olympic torch. Show to the world by actions. [Life] is part of our national flag and of our country.”

Source: Southern Weekend, May 13, 2008
http://www.infzm.com/

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Internet Bloggers Were Penalized for “Spreading Rumors” About Earthquake

The authorities have fined and reprimanded 4 persons that were found spreading rumors on the Internet about an earthquake, reported the People’s Daily Online on May 13, 2008. These 4 persons are from the cities of Dalian, Langfang, Yuncheng and Jiaozuo. The report stated that they fabricated stories that there would be a major earthquake in Beijing and that the Sichuan earthquake was the result of human errors, with the purpose to attract online visits to their blogs. “The Public Security Department hopes that the broad masses of the people will not believe rumors, or spread rumors. It will enforce the law and strictly penalize those who deliberately create and spread rumors to confuse the people with the ulterior motive to incite unrest.” reported the People’s Daily Online.

Source: People Daily Online, May 14, 2008
http://society.people.com.cn/GB/41158/7235559.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China and Venezuela Join Hands in Oil Development and Refining

The State owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has recently signed a framework agreement with Venezuela’s Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA ) to form two joint ventures, one for heavy oil development in Venezuela and the other for oil refining in China. PDVSA will hold 60% and CNPC 40 % in the development of the joint venture project in Block Junin 4 of the Orinoco belt in Venezuela, with an estimated production capacity of 20 million tons per year. The refinery in China will refine the 20 million ton of crude oil from the Block Junin 4 joint venture. CNPC will hold 60% and PDVSA 40%.

Source: Xinhua, May 13, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-05/13/content_8162051.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Beijing: No Major Earthquakes Despite Jolts

Beijing Seismological Bureau said on May 12 that in the near future, Beijing will not see any destructive earthquakes. Earlier, Beijing residents felt jolted at 14:35 on May 12. The shakes lasted about one minute. Gu Yongxin, Deputy Director of Beijing Seismological Bureau, stated that it was the aftermath of the recent Sichuan earthquake.  Reports of possible earthquakes in Beijing was dismissed as rumors.

Source: Xinhua, May 12, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-05/12/content_8153951.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

State Textbooks for Secondary Education Foster Recent Patriotism

State textbooks for secondary schools shape the patriotism of young Chinese generations, wrote Mrs. He Qinglian, a prominent writer on China.  Mrs. He wrote that in the State textbooks for secondary schools, the Communist Party has defined the relationship between the Party and Chinese people as that between mother and children, the relationship between Communist authorities and oversea Chinese as that between motherland and oversea orphans. The article believes that the authorities’ deprivation of freedom of information has turned patriotism to loyalty to autocracy as shown in recent breakout of nationalism against western media on Tibet and the Beijing Olympics.

Source: Epoch Times, May 4, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/5/4/n2105085.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua Report on Washington Times Article on U.S. Hedge Strategy

On May 5, 2008 Xinhua reported on a May 2 Washington Times article entitled “Hedge Strategy.” The Xinhua report contains, in most part, translation of paragraphs from the Washington Times article. For example, Xinhua reported the U.S. Department of Defense consultant, Mike Pillsbury recently said that the U.S. strategy of "hedging" against an emerging military threat from Beijing by building up U.S. forces in the Pacific likely will continue whoever is elected president in November.

Source:
Xinhua, May 5, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-05/05/content_8108466.htm
Washington Times, May 2, 2008
http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080502/NATION04/235824757&template=printart

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

EV71 Cases on the Rise

Part of two preschools in Beijing were closed after discovery of EV71 cases, according to local authorities on May 6, 2008. EV71 cases in Fuyan City, Anhui Province have increased to 4,496 with 22 deaths. Zhejian Province is reported to have over 1, 198 cases between January and May 4, with one death. Hunan Province reported 368 cases as of May 5, with most patients being children under 5 years old. Guangdong Province has 3 deaths, with 1,692 infections.

Source: Beijing QianLong.com, May 6, 2008
http://beijing.qianlong.com/3825/2008/05/06/ 3562@4427593.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability