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All posts by TGS - 66. page

IHL: The Basis for the U.S. China Threat Theory

The International Herald Leader (IHL), which is under Xinhua, recently published a commentary stating that the United States has exaggerated its “China Threat” theory by identifying several "weapons" ranging from military threats to security threats and the economic threats. The article alleges that China’s normal development and Chinese products, technology, or companies have all become targets of the U.S. “China Threat” theory.

IHL lists a few such "weapons": “The Report on China’s Military Power,” China’s anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) as represented by Dongfeng-21D, the 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test, China stealing U.S. nuclear technology, “Chinese State owned communications companies that threaten U.S. national security by acquiring U.S. companies,” cyber attacks by Chinese hackers, and the Chinese RMB exchange rate.

Source: International Herald Leader, May 9, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0509/205800.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

PLA Daily: U.S. Report on China’s Military Power Based on Chinese Netizens’ Speculation

People’s Liberation Army Daily published a commentary on the recent U.S. Department of Defense report on China’s military power. The commentary stated that the report relied for its information on what so called U.S. experts on China had copied and pasted from Chinese military websites. The information did nothing but reflect what Chinese netizens speculated and imagined.

“Each year the United States routinely publishes a report on China’s military power. This is totally a gross interference in China’s internal affairs. China has repeatedly stressed that the development of China’s military is defensive in nature. Let us ask, since China, in strengthening its national defense and building its military, is not targeting any country, why does the U.S. consider it its own business?"
 
The commentary stated that the U.S. motivation behind its speculations and accusations is self-evident. “On the one hand, it touts the "China military threat theory" to sow discord between China and other countries, especially, its neighboring countries, aiming to contain China. … On the other hand, the U.S. exaggerates China’s military threat to promote its domestic interest groups and arms dealers. Presumably U.S. arms manufacturers are already gearing up to count their money.”

Source: Xinhua, May 8, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-05/08/c_124681010.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

BBC: Hundreds Protest in Beijing over Girl’s Death

A large number of migrant workers from Anhui Province took to the street in a rare protest to demand a full investigation of the death of Yuan Liya, 22, also from Anhui.

According to the official weibo (China’s version of twitter) of the Beijing police authorities, on May 3, 2013, Yuan Liya, a 22-year-old from Anhui, fell to her death from a mall in Fengtai district in Beijing. Close to a hundred people gathered near the mall and the police quickly arrived at the scene.

Many indicated on-line that they found the death to be suspicious. The on-line pictures showed that more than a hundred people were there. Some said it was closer to a thousand. Dozens of police vehicles and hundreds of police lined the streets near the mall where Yuan had died. The pictures posted on-line showed migrant workers marching on the streets, holding banners in protest.

Source: BBC (Chinese), May 8, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/05/130508_beijing_anhui_girl.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

People’s Daily: Four Challenges to Upgrading Industrial Structure

The China Center for International Economic Exchanges, headed by former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, issued a report on the transformation of China’s industrial structure. The report concluded that China faces four challenges to upgrading its industrial structure: the lack of key technology, the pressure from international competition, the pressure on employment, and structural and institutional obstacles.

As China has grown to be the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, it has had to rely on imports for many of its key technologies, large complete groupings of equipment, core components, and important basic elements.

Internationally, the United States, Japan, France, and other countries have proposed and implemented a "remanufacturing” strategy. Developing countries such as China, India, Brazil, and South Africa have, one by one, entered into accelerated industrialization, causing sharp price hikes in energy and other resources. All of this has gradually diminished China’s competitiveness.

How to upgrade the industrial structure without losing jobs is a challenge. Expanding the service industry is necessary to resolve this problem.

Finally, China must deepen reform to provide structural and institutional assurance to the upgrading of its industrial structure.
 
Source: People’s Daily, May 6, 2013
http://scitech.people.com.cn/n/2013/0506/c1007-21372018.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

The Zhu Ling Case: Beijing Police Cannot Remain Silent

Nanfang Dushi Bao (Southern Metropolis Daily) issued a commentary on the Zhu Ling case. In 1995 in Beijing, Zhu Ling was the victim of thallium poisoning and suffered serious neurological damage and permanent physical impairment. It is believed that the suspect’s family had a special relationship with Jiang Zeming and, as a result, the case remains unsolved.

The Nanfang commentary said that, as the Zhu Ling case has gone viral. Many people have sympathized with the victim, feeling both anger and sympathy: Zhu Ling’s case has now become the case of the century. “One cannot forgive the prolonged silence of the Beijing police. Obviously, silence is not golden, especially in the administration of justice.” By now, the Zhu Ling case is no longer is a simple poisoning case, forgotten in a drawer; it has become the case of the century. All people question what happened and even other countries support its resolution. The impact that it has generated is enough to swallow the suspect’s daily life, but China’s scarred judiciary has also been hit hard.”

[Editor’s note: A White House Petition on the whitehouse.gov website was created on May 3, 2013, demanding an investigation into the suspect, who is believed to be living in the U.S. under a different name. The number of signatures on the petition reached the 100,000 goal three days after it was created.]

Source: Nanfang Dushi Bao (Southern Metropolis Daily), May 7, 2013
http://epaper.oeeee.com/A/html/2013-05/07/content_1852417.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China’s Economy May Decline in the Fourth Quarter

Economic Information, a publication under Xinhua, published an article about the economic trends in 2013 by Li Zuojun, who is from the Resources and Environment Policy Institute at the State Council’s Development Research Center. Li predicted that, after the weak growth in the first three quarters, China would face a probable economic decline.

According to Li, some growth was the result of the following: the residual effect of the 2012 economic rebound, an increase of investors’ confidence as a result of the installation of new leadership, the new urbanization strategy, and the improvement of the international environment where the economic recovery of the United States, the stabilization of Europe, and the improvement of Japanese economy stimulated China’s exports.

The probable decline in the fourth quarter of 2012 will be caused by two factors. One, in May of last year, China adopted policies and measures aimed toward steady growth. Policies of this nature tend to bring growth for about one year. After October 2012, China’s economy rebounded. This will last no more than one year at the maximum. Two, there may be new macro adjustment policies implemented in the second or third quarters to contain the rebound of Gross Domestic Product, the Consumer Price Index, and the housing market. The economy will slide as a result.

Source: Economic Information, April 18, 2013
http://www.jjckb.cn/opinion/2013-04/18/content_440102.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

CNPC and Sinopec Received Large Government Subsidies in 2012

According to Xinhua, the top two State-owned petroleum companies, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), received a total of 12.2 billion yuan (US$1.98 billion) in government subsidies in 2012. Sinopec alone received 9.4 billion yuan (US$1.53 billion). The Chinese government subsidized CNPC and Sinopec 1 billion and 462 million respectively in 2009, 1.599 billion and 1.0 billion in 2010, and 6.734 billion and close to 1.5 billion in 2011.

In 2008, due to the high cost of crude oil and the low prices paid for finished oil products, both companies incurred astronomical losses. For that year, CNPC and Sinopec received 15.7 billion yuan (US$2.57 billion) and 50.3 billion yuan (US$8.7 billion) in government subsidies, respectively.

Source: Xinhua, May 2, 2013
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.cs.com.cn/xwzx/cj/201305/t20130502_3966487.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Reported Steady Increase in H7N9 Cases

On May1, 2013, the China National Health and Family Planning Commission released information indicating that between 1600 hours on April 24 and 1600 hours on May 1, 2013, another 19 new H7N9 cases were reported for a total of 127 cases. Twenty-six have died and 26 have recovered. Of the 19 newly reported cases, three are in Jiangsu Province, four in Zhejiang Province, three in Fujian Province, five in Jiangxi Province, one in Shandong Province, one in Henan Province, and two in Hunan Province. The official release maintained that there is no epidemic connection between the cases and no evidence indicating human to human transmission.

The cases of those infected have spread over ten provinces and provincial level municipalities.

Source: Xinhua, May 1, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2013-05/01/c_115604120.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability