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All posts by TGS - 34. page

China’s Coal Industry Is Facing a Tough Time

China Economy reported that 2014 was a bad year for China’s coal companies. China’s Coal Industry Association issued a release stating that, in the first 11 months of 2014, profits fell by 44.4 percent and losses increased by 61.6 percent when compared to same period in 2013; 70 percent of coal companies were in the red. China completed 3.52 billion tons of coal production, which was a 2.1 percent reduction from a year ago. It was the first decline since the year 2000. On the one hand, coal consumption continues to decline. On the other, the companies have excess capacity and operational difficulties. According to China Economy, this will be the new norm for the future of the coal industry. 

Source: China Economy, February 21, 2015 http://www.ce.cn/cysc/ny/gdxw/201502/21/t20150221_4630603.shtml
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Qiushi: State Owned Enterprises Should Return More Profits to the State

Qiushi published an article advocating that State-owned enterprises should provide “social dividends” by returning more profits to the State and by increasing the amount of funds used for public benefits. 

According to the article, the economy has been experiencing downward pressure. To increase fiscal revenue, state-own enterprises must increase their “social dividends” in addition to their taxes. The article made the following observations.
First, the profits submitted to the central government have not been expended properly. For example, in 2014, only 18.4 billion yuan (US$2.94 billion) went to pay for social security expenses, while 120 billion yuan ($US 19.19 billion) went back to the State-owned enterprises. More profits should be paid into the State coffers. 
Second, currently the maximum amount that enterprises submit to the State coffers is about 15 to 25 percent of their profits. In the West, about 30 to 40 percent of the profits are for dividends to be distributed to shareholders. 
Third, of 5,000 State-owned enterprises, only 799 are included in the national budget and are required to submit their profits to the State. Particularly, the highly profitable State-owned enterprises in the financial sector are not required to submit their profits to the State coffers at all. 
Source: Qiushi, February 17, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/economy/2015-02/17/c_1114398141.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Eight Diseases in China’s Judicial System

According to Song Hansong, Director of the Office of Crime Prevention, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate, there are eight “chronic diseases” in the judicial system in China.

1.) Personnel working in the judicial system are crude, arrogant, overbearing, perfunctory, and not responsive.
2.) Procedures and rules are not followed in interrogations and when using residential surveillance. 
3.) Judges do not follow the law and listen to the views of the parties and the lawyers. They intentionally make things difficult, unreasonably delay the process, or unlawfully restrict the rights of the lawyers. 
4.) Illegal coercive measures are used to obtain evidence illegally and to confiscate property in spite of the legitimate interests of the parties. 
5.) In order to obtain a good performance evaluation, cases are handled in violation of the law and with fraudulent treatment. 
6.) investigators engage in ultra vires [activities beyond their legal power and authority] and in illegal economic and business activities. 
7.) Judges have ex parte communications with the parties and lawyers, disclose or inquire about the issues in the case, and intervene in the judicial process. 
8.) Judges take bribes and decide the cases on the basis of relationships and money. 
Source: Qiushi, February 15, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/politics/2015-02/15/c_1114374295.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

The Need to Accelerate China’s “Innovation-Driven” Transformation

On February 13, Finance (jingrongjie) magazine published an article on the need to accelerate China’s “innovation driven” strategic transformation. The article stated that China’s economic growth can no longer be sustained by going along with the use of cheap labor and the damage to the environment and resources. Only innovation can accelerate the transformation and the upgrading of China’s economy. 

The article stated that China faces several challenges.  
 
China’s innovation and competitiveness remain low. According to the 2013 National Innovation Index Report that the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development issued, China holds the position of No.19 in the ranking of innovative countries, while the U.S., Japan, and South Korea are Nos. 1, 2 and 4, respectively. The intensity of China’s innovation is also low. The intensity of U.S. innovation is 3.35 percent, while, in 2013 China’s innovation intensity was 0.88 percent. The “window” for China’s technological development to "catch-up" is closing. When compared to the United States and other developed countries, even China’s strategic emerging industries are showing gaps as wide as in traditional industries. Further, China has experienced a severe brain drain; it ranks No. 1 in brain drain in the world. After completing their studies overseas, about 87 percent of those who major in science and engineering fields do not return to China X. 
Source: Finance (Jingrongjie), February 13, 2015 
http://opinion.jrj.com.cn/2015/02/13040118859863.shtml
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Qiushi: The Faculty Is the Key to Political Education in Universities

Qiushi published a commentary in support of tightening the ideological education of college students. The commentary expressed the belief that the faculty members are the key to providing an effective Marxist education in universities and colleges. The commentary stated that faculty members who engage in the following four types of behavior are not good college teachers.   

The first was, “Openly attacking and defaming the Party’s leadership … discrediting socialism, and not having correct ideals and beliefs.” The second was “Complaining, venting grievances, sending out bad vibes to the students, and having no real skills.” Third was “Spreading Western values … praising the West, and having no sense of social responsibility.” Finally came, “Speaking against the Constitution and the law in the classroom and having no political bottom line, no legal bottom line, and no moral bottom line.” 
Source: Qiushi, February 13, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/tjyd/2015-02/13/c_1114357291.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Huanqiu: Norway is Making Cold War Allegations

Huanqiu published a commentary on Norway’s expulsion of a Chinese student, asking whether Norway wants trade or human rights. 

“A country at the far end of the Eurasian continent and close to the artic suddenly made “cold war style” noises against China. After Norway expelled a Chinese student using the pretext that he was a ‘national security threat,’ it listed Russia and China as ‘threats’ in its annual national security assessment report. The head of its national security department openly accused ‘China and Russia of engaging in espionage activities.’"
Cui Hongjian, Director of the European Department at the China Institute of International Studies, a State think tank, said, “The Norwegian government ought to think clearly. Do they want communications with China and the development of good economic and trade relations, or do they want to be shouting slogans about so-called ‘human rights and democracy.’" According to Huanqiu, the Chinese Embassy in Norway issued a statement stating that the Norwegian government’s remarks are irresponsible, “full of cold war rhetoric” and “without any basis.” 
Source: Huanqiu, February 6, 2015 http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2015-02/5610058.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi: Be a Fighter, not a Gentleman

Qiushi published an article highlighting the importance of ideological education in China’s universities and colleges. The article stated, “In recent years, the dominant position of Marxism in the ideological field has been consolidated and strengthened. People have a deeper understanding of the path, system, and theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics. However, noises from erroneous ideas that reject Marxism and reject open-door reform appear from time to time. … [We] must not be timid and fearful, simply standing by and watching in silence. … [We] should be fighters, not ‘gentlemen.’” 

The article recommended that the authorities allocate special funds to conduct research and development in support of the propaganda and ideological education in universities and colleges. 
Source: Qiushi, February 5, 2015 
http://www.qstheory.cn/zhuanqu/zywz/2015-02/05/c_1114258337.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Guangming Daily: Western Values Shall Not Be Allowed in College Textbooks

On January 31, 2015, Guangming Daily published a commentary rebutting criticism of the remarks China’s Minister of Education made about Western values in Chinese universities. 

Recently, Yuan Guiren, the Minister of Education, remarked that no Western values shall be put in any classroom textbooks. According to the commentary, “Although most people applauded and praised the remarks, some deliberately misinterpreted, distorted, and even attacked him.” 
“A few university faculty members openly approve of the anti-Party and anti-socialist forces. Foreign hostile forces engage in ideological penetration among college teachers and students. Some university leaders, to a great extent, ignore ideological work. Leaders and teachers at other universities keep silent to protect themselves, and do not ‘show their swords,’ thus … losing ground. … We must fully recognize the importance and urgency of ideological work. “ 
According to the commentary, “In today’s China, ‘Western values’ mainly refers to erroneous ideas from the Western capitalist world. It especially refers to the erroneous doctrines of political thought and Western political values such as constitutional democracy, ‘universal values,’ civil society, and neo-liberalism … of the Western capitalist countries as represented by the United States."  
Source: Guangming Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, January 2015 
http://theory.gmw.cn/2015-01/31/content_14701183.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics