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All posts by TGS - 52. page

People’s Daily on Ukraine: Be on Guard against the Trap of Democracy

On February 28, 2014, People’s Daily published a commentary on the recent political events in Ukraine, titled “Be on Guard against the Trap of Democracy and Loss of Control.” 

“Acclimating to something alluring could not possibly be the life-saving magic that would bring a country onto a path of smooth development. A country would have no way out if it gave up exploring its own development path.” 
The article commented that, although the bloodshed in Ukraine has ceased, the country is in a total chaos without any control from its government. Ukraine is not alone. “Street riots, social chaos, economic depression and government paralysis have occurred repeatedly in countries in Southeast Asia, West Asia and North Africa. Different and diverse as the unrest is in each of these countries, the underlying reason is the same: a reckless choice of a development path has pushed the country into the trap of democracy. 
Source: People’s Daily reprinted by Huanqiu February 28, 2014. 
http://china.huanqiu.com/politics/2014-02/4866551.html
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Beijing New Home Sales Dropped Drastically in February

According to Xinhua, in February, Beijing’s new home sales were particularly disappointing. As of February 23, new home sales were 1,545 units, a 61.5 percent drop compared to same period last year. The monthly sales were even below normal weekly sales. Existing home sales were equally disappointing. As of February 25, there were 4, 224 existing home sales, a 45 percent decline compared to the same period last year. The fourth week in September last year saw 4,201 home sales, three times the monthly sales of February 2014. In November and December 2013, the weekly sales were above 1,500. 

Source: Xinhua, March 1, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/house/bj/2014-03-01/c_126207078.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Report on Indices of Government Transparency

On February 25, the Institute of Law under China’s Academy of Social Science (CASS) and the Social Sciences Academic Press jointly released the Annual Report on China’s Rule of Law (the Blue Book on the Rule of Law).

The Blue Book contains a report on the indices of the transparency of the Chinese government based on the evaluation of 55 government departments under the State Council. The Ministry of Education ranked first with the highest score, while the National Railway Bureau ranked last with zero points. 
With 100 points as the perfect score, the top five were as follows: The Ministry of Education (65.082); The State Administration of Work Safety (64.033); The National Development and Reform Commission (63.454); The Ministry of Commerce (61.635); and The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (60.7351).   
The bottom five were The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (33.252); The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (25.3353); The Ministry of Justice (25.2854); The State Bureau for Letters and Calls (19.9555); and The National Railway Bureau (0).  
Source: Xinhua reprinted by Guangming Daily, February 25, 2014 
http://politics.gmw.cn/2014-02/25/content_10497663_2.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Report: The Top Ten Percent Owns Sixty-Four Percent of the Wealth

Yixin Wealth (Credit Ease) and the Lianban Finance Institute recently released a report on the distribution of wealth in China. According to the report, the top 10 percent of the population owns 63.9 percent of the wealth in China.

From 2011 to 2013, the assets of Chinese families increased by 19.6 percent; of those, housing assets grew by 26.8 percent. 

The top five percent of families each has a net worth of at least 2.62 million yuan, while the top one percent of families each has at least 7.39 million yuan in net worth. The annual income of the top five percent is at least 452,100 yuan per family and the top one percent averages 1.15 million yuan in annual income per family. 

Over 56 percent of the top one percent of families are entrepreneurs while 37 percent the top five percent of families are entrepreneurs. About 78 percent of the top five percent of families live in eastern China. 
Source: Beijing Times reprinted by Xinhua, February 27, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2014-02/27/c_126196401.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

In January the Number of Housing Transactions in Beijing Hit Second Lowest in Nine Years

The Yahao Real Estate Selling and Consulting Solution Agency recently released statistics on the Beijing housing market. According to those statistics, in January 2014, there were a total of 6,908 transactions in the Beijing real estate market. These properties covered 744,200 square meters. In terms of the number of transactions and the total square meters of the properties involved in the transactions, the figures represented a 40 to 50 percent drop compared to December 2013 and to the same period in January 2013. 

At the same time, at 6,908, the number of transactions for January 2014 was the second lowest in the almost nine years since 2006 when transactions started to be posted online to increase transparency in the housing market. 
The China Index Academy monitored the January real estate transactions in 43 major cities and found that over 90 percent of these cities saw a decline from December 2013 in the total number of transactions. Bangbu was hit the hardest with a 56.78 percent decline, followed by Dalian’s with a 53.11 percent decline. The number of transactions in Shenzhen dropped by 44.4 percent, Beijing by 36.8 percent and Shanghai by 30.65 percent. 

Source: Beijing Times reprinted by Huanqiu, February 23, 2014 
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2014-02/4852590.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Bird Flu Leads to Shut Down of Live Poultry Markets

As of February 15, 2014, the main district in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, permanently closed its live poultry markets. Starting in July, other main cities in Zhejiang Province will close all live poultry markets as well. As bird flu spreads, there are still 4 million chickens ready for sale in Hangzhou, yet they cannot be sold. The total loss is estimated to be nearly 100 million yuan. About one-third of the poultry businesses in Zhejiang Province faces bankruptcy. The local Hangzhou authorities indicated that frozen poultry businesses will replace the live poultry businesses. 

Source: People’s Daily, February 18, 2014 
http://zj.people.com.cn/n/2014/0218/c186943-20588740.html
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

New Forced Labor Camps in Disguise

Beijing News reported that Henan Province has established a few forced labor camps in disguise. People who petition the authorities for redress of grievances are subjected to “24 hour non-stop admonitions, warnings, education, and persuasion.” 

Based on the official websites of local governments in Henan Province, such centers were established under the name of the "Abnormal Petition Admonition Education Center." They were also established in Nanyang, Zhumadian, Dengzhou, Xinxiang, and other places to subject “abnormal petitioners” to “24 hour non-stop admonition, warning, education and persuasion.” 

These centers are located in the local Public Security Bureaus. Local governments fund them in order to “actively explore new ways to centralize the disposal of abnormal petitioners.” Abnormal petitioners may be admonished for an indefinite period of time until the person signs a pledge not to petition again. 

 Source: People’s Daily, February 13, 2014. 
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0213/c1001-24344121.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Chinese Man Taken into Custody for “Spreading Rumors” Online about Bird Flu

Xinhua reported that a Mr. Zhou was taken into custody because he forwarded an online message that a doctor in Yichang City, Hubei Province died of bird flu. 

According to the police, Mr. Zhou, in Yichang City, saw the message on a microblog on February 9. “Without confirming the authenticity, [he] forwarded the message and synchronized the posting with his Tencent microblogging, causing adverse effects.” 
“On February 10, the Zigui County Public Security Bureau captured the suspect Zhou. According to the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Penalties for Administration of Public Security, Article 25, paragraph 1, netizen Zhou was sentenced to seven days of detention as punishment for spreading rumors.” 
[Article 25: A person who commits one of the following acts shall be detained for not less than 5 days but not more than 10 days and may, in addition, be fined not more than 500 yuan. and if the circumstances are relatively minor, he shall be detained for not more than 5 days or be fined not more than 500 yuan: (1) intentionally disturbing the public order by spreading rumors, making false reports of dangerous situations and epidemic situations, or raising false alarms or by other means; …] 
Source: Xinhua, February 12, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2014-02/12/c_119303802.htm 
http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/Law/2007-12/13/content_1384114.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics