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New Law Adopted to Regulate Foreign NGOs

On April 28, 2016, the 20th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress adopted a law to regulate the activities of foreign NGOs in China. The law will become effective in January 2017. 

The law has seven chapters and 54 articles. Article 5 provides that these overseas NGOs “must not harm China’s national unity, security, and national solidarity and must not harm China’s national interests, the public’s interests and the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations.” “Foreign NGOs shall not engage in or fund for-profit activities and political activities, and shall not illegally engage in or fund religious activities.” 
According to Article 6, the Ministry of Public Security and the provincial police departments will be responsible for the registration and regulation of foreign NGOs. Under Article 9, foreign NGOs operating in China must not engage in activities in China without approval. 
Article 20 provides that while engaging in activities in China, foreign NGOs must not impose additional terms and conditions on their Chinese cooperating organizations and beneficiaries which violate Chinese law and regulations. 
Source: The Central Government of China, April 29, 2016 
http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-04/29/content_5069003.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Military Reform Seminar Held for the First Time

Xinhua reported that a People’s Liberation Army senior officials military reform seminar was held for the first time from April 18 to 22, 2016, in Beijing. 

According to Xinhua, “President Xi has attached great importance to the success of this seminar. He personally reviewed and approved the program, determined the trainee list, and set specific requirements for the planning and layout of the seminar.”  
“Now, the curtain has lifted for the most important, most profound, most comprehensive, and most far-reaching reform in our military history. We must have a multi-level, multi-dimensional understanding of President Xi’s intention and resolve on national defense and military reform, strengthen our confidence and determination, maintain strategic focus, and unswervingly carry out the reform all the way to the end.” 
Participants in the seminar held that the military must constantly strengthen political awareness, unconditionally follow the command of President Xi, build up military capacity through reform, create innovative military theories through reform, carry out the military reform according to the law, and institutionalize the reform’s achievements through laws and regulations.
Source: Xinhua, April 25, 2016 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2016-04/25/c_128927263.htm
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Slackers in the Government Will be Held Accountable

On April 24, China Discipline and Inspection Daily, the official publication of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), published a commentary warning that officials who slack off will be dealt with seriously. The commentary stated that the intensification of the anti-corruption campaign is deterring officials from engaging in the abuse of power. However, many officials continue to take no, slow, or illegal actions when they are expected to perform their official duties. The harm these "lazy government officials" bring is more serious than corruption. The commentary acknowledged that slacking off, omissions, and non-performance are increasingly rampant. It stated that it is better to hold someone accountable once than to motivate him a thousand times. 

Source: China Discipline and Inspection Daily, April 24,2016 
http://csr.mos.gov.cn/content/2016-04/24/content_32855.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xi Jinping: Party Officials Should Get Online and Listen to the Public

On April 19, 2016, Xi Jinping held an Internet security and information working meeting. At the meeting, he stated that government officials should get online often to listen to the opinions and suggestions that the public expresses online.  

Xi called for Party officials to exercise “more tolerance and patience” towards netizens to “promptly accept constructive criticism, promptly offer help to people in trouble, promptly give explanations that diffuse misunderstandings, promptly clarify confusion, promptly resolve complaints and grievances, and promptly guide and correct misconceptions.” 
Xi said, “We should not only welcome but also seriously study and absorb online criticism and Internet oversight that people make out of their feelings of goodwill, whether it is to criticize Party and government work or leaders individually, and also whether it be gentle and mild or harsh to the ear.” 
Source: Xinhua, April 19, 2016 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-04/19/c_1118671560.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Death Penalty for Extremely Serious Corruption Cases

On April 18, 2016, China’s Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate jointly issued implementation guidelines on the penalty for corruption cases under the China’s Criminal Law Amendment (9). The penalty became effective in November 2015. 

The guidelines explained that a maximum penalty of immediate capital punishment will be allowed in an “extremely serious” case in which bribes and embezzlement involve 3 million yuan or more. If the death penalty is considered too harsh for a specific convict, then a life sentence without parole may be issued. The statement provided that the death sentence may be suspended for two years if there are mitigating factors. 
The guideline stressed that the “crimes of corruption and bribery must be severely punished according to the law.” 

Source: Xinhua, April 18, 2016 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2016-04/18/c_1118650975.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

New Regulation to Protect and Reward Informants

Recently, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued a regulation concerning the protection and rewards for informants in the further efforts to curb corruption. 

The regulation requires that the identity of the informants and the information they provide must be kept strictly confidential. 
The regulation includes three measures to protect and reward informants. First, special actions (including restraining orders) may be taken to protect the safety and property of the informants and their families. Second, recommendations for remedial action should be made to redress any retaliation launched against the informants and their families. Third, efforts can be coordinated to provide subsidies to informants and their families for any serious personal injury or significant property damage they suffer as result of retaliation. 
As for rewards, the regulation provides that the normal reward to informants should not exceed 200,000 yuan per case. If the contribution from an informant is significant, approval may be given for up to 500,000 yuan. The amount of the reward will not be subject to the above limits in cases that involve a particularly significant contribution from the informant and upon proper approval. 
Source: Xinhua, April 8, 2016 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-04/08/c_1118567300.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Study: Over 80 Percent of Underground Water Unfit to Drink

According to statistics that the China’s Ministry of Water Resources released, over 80 percent of the water from underground wells is unfit to drink. In 2015, the study tested 2,103 wells in the populous plains of China where the underground water resources are well developed, yet heavily polluted. Tests were conducted in shallow underground waters which are susceptible to soil or surface water contamination. The study of the Ministry of Water Resources concluded, “The evaluation showed the overall poor quality of these water resources.”  

It showed that 32.9 percent of the wells tested had Grade 4 quality water (fit for industrial use but not fit for human consumption), while another 47 percent was Grade 5 quality water (worse than Grade 4), for a total of over 80 percent that was unfit for human consumption. The pollution came from manganese, iron, fluoride and triazoles. Some areas suffered from pollution caused by heavy metals and toxic organic materials. The study attributed the pollution to industry and to agricultural development. 

Source: Ministry of Water Resources, April 5, 2016 
http://www.mwr.gov.cn/zwzc/hygb/dxsdtyb/ http://www.mwr.gov.cn/zwzc/hygb/dxsdtyb/201604/P020160405539942030096.pdf 

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Super Media: Five Traps for Xi Jinping and China

Super Media International Group in Hong Kong published a commentary in its April issue of its Super Media publication, elaborating on several issues related to Xi Jinping. The commentary stated that Xi faces five traps and that his governance path is first to establish his authority, then the rules, and finally the legislation. 

The first trap is the middle income trap where, when a country attains a certain income (due to given advantages) it will get stuck at that level. On November 10, 2016, Xi spoke about efforts to overcome the middle income trap. 
The second is the Tacitus Trap. On March 18, 2014, Xi explained that Tacitus, a historian of the Roman Empire said that when a government loses credibility, no matter what it says or does, it will be considered a lie or a bad deed. 
The third trap is the Thucydides trap. Xi said in an interview on January 22, 2014, that China should avoid the Thucydides trap. However, Thucydides’ theory that a rising power will inevitably seek hegemony does not apply to China, and, further, that China does not have the genes to implement such action. 
The fourth trap is Westernization and separation. On February 17, 2014, Xi spoke about this trap at a forum for provincial leaders. “The so-called ‘Westernization’ means to give up the leadership of the Communist Party and the socialist system and to implement the multi-party system and private ownership just as in the West, which is controlled by monopoly capital. The so-called ‘separation’ is to split China in an attempt to divide and rule. They intended to win a ‘war of no smoke,’ in order to achieve their purpose of disintegrating China’s socialist system.” 
Lastly, the fifth trap is the personality cult trap. On some occasions, the lyrics of “The Sun Rises from the East” that praises Mao Zedong were changed to praise Xi. State media have also promoted such a personality cult. Many are digging a huge trap for Xi. They praise Xi only to set him up for his downfall later. Observers recognize that, to get around these traps, Xi’s approach to governance has been first to establish authority, then rules and finally legislation. 
Source: Super Media, April 5, 2016 
http://www.supermedia.hk/?p=870
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics