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Can’t Afford to Die – China’s Funeral Expenses Average 45.4 Percent of Annual Salaries

April 4 is the day for the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day when Chinese families visit their ancestors’ graves.

The data released by the China Funeral Association in 2014 show that funeral services reached 200 billion yuan in 2014. The funeral industry has developed into a booming sector.

According to analysts, China’s funeral industry’s market size was about 263.8 billion yuan in 2020 and may reach 411.4 billion yuan by 2026. Based on the data available, the gross profit margin of leading funeral service companies has been over 80 percent, far exceeding that of leading real estate companies in China, which hovers between 22 and 25 percent.

Behind the funeral industry’s profits are the public’s concerns that the rising cost of funerals means that people will soon be unable to afford funeral services.

A survey report on global funeral expenses by the British life insurance agency SunLife shows that the average funeral expenses worldwide are about 10 percent of the annual income of the local people. For China, however, funeral expenses (37,375 yuan or around US $5,690.90) account for about 45.4 percent of the average annual salaries, ranking second globally.

Source: Tencent, April 3, 2021.
https://new.qq.com/omn/20210402/20210402A0DMAL00.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

CCP Spokesperson: Population Counts; Chinese Netizens Think Otherwise

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dismissed the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and the European Union because their combined population accounts for merely 11 percent of the world’s total population. This contrasts with the CCP’s usual practice of using GDP as the yardstick to brag about its economy. As soon as this remark came out, it caused a wave of online ridicule.

On March 23, 2021, at a press conference on this subject, Hua was asked whether she was concerned that more countries would impose sanctions in a concerted manner. She issued a rebuttal, saying that the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union combined account for about merely 11 percent of the world’s population, while China has about one-fifth. Therefore, she stated that these countries’ voices are not the voices of the international opinion and that their position does not represent that of the international community.  She asked these countries to “take a good look at themselves.”

Her remarks did not appear to sit well with Chinese netizens.

“According to this statement, your Party’s population [Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members] accounts for less than one-tenth of the country, and it [the CCP] is not elected or authorized in any form. Yet, you still bark everywhere without shame on behalf of a billion people.”

“Does 11 percent of your one-fifth of the world’s population support you?”

“Then how dare the 90 million [CCP members] represent one billion people? Shame on you for representing the people of the earth and managing the earth.”

“The 90 million CCP members account for only 6 percent of the Chinese population. How can they say that they represent the Chinese people? Only a government elected by the people, with each person having one vote, is in a position to say that it represents the people and the opinion of the public.”

“1.4 billion Chinese are kidnapped as hostages. In this case, the number of hostages is needed to refute the rules of the civilized world. However, when it comes to education, medical care, and pensions, 1.4 billion people are worth nothing when pandemic relief funds are needed. Not even one penny has been given out. To put it bluntly, what is happening in China is that twenty or thirty evil cult leaders determine the fate of 1.4 billion people. The rogue regime never treats people as human beings, and they are all just hostages held under the gun.”

Analysts believe that the CCP statement “Europe and the United States do not represent international public opinion” has become the latest CCP propaganda to fool Chinese people. It may also reflect the retreat of the CCP’s propaganda. After it has failed to divide Europe and the United States, the CCP now declares that the public opinion of Europe and the United States do not count whatsoever.

Source: Radio France International, March 24, 2021

https://www.rfi.fr/cn/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD/20210324-%E5%8D%8E%E6%98%A5%E8%8E%B9%E4%B8%8D%E5%86%8D%E6%AF%94gdp%E5%8F%AA%E7%9C%8B%E8%B0%81%E4%BA%BA%E5%A4%9A-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E7%BD%91%E6%B0%91%E5%90%90%E6%A7%BD

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Disciplinary Actions against CCP Members Who Disagree with the CCP

On March 28, 2021, Xinhua reported that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued (trial) disciplinary regulations for 17 types of behavior that would be subject to disciplinary action.

The General Office of the CCP Central Committee’s notice distributing the regulations emphasized that disciplinary actions are an indispensable method for educating and managing cadres and an essential measure for the Party to maintain complete and tight control.

The regulation lists 17 types of behavior that are subject to disciplinary action.

The first is the failure to be in agreement with or taking positions on significant issues which are not consistent with the CCP. The second is “having doubts about ideals and beliefs, lacking in Marxist beliefs, engaging in feudal and superstitious activities that cause adverse effects, participating in religious activities in violation of the CCP’s regulations, or believing in cults.”

The third is “ineffective implementation, making choices, discounting, and making changes” when implementing the theories, strategies, and decisions of the CCP Central Committee, which result in adverse effects or severe consequences.

The fourth is a lack of courage to fight and an unwillingness to take responsibility when facing significant issues of right and wrong, major conflicts, and crises and difficulties, which result in adverse effects or serious consequences.

Others include failure to report personal matters such as leaving for overseas.

Source: The Central People’s Government of China, March 28, 2021
http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2021-03/28/content_5596366.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: China Has a Red Line that Cannot Be Touched

On March 20, 2021, Xinhua reported an article from Anchorage, Alaska with the title, “China Has a Red Line that Cannot Be Touched.” The red line is the ruling position of the Communist Party of China.

 

Xinhua reported that from March 18 to 19, China and the United States held a high-level strategic dialogue in Anchorage, Alaska. “The two sides conducted candid, in-depth, long-term and constructive communications on their respective domestic and foreign policies, Sino-US relations and major international and regional issues of common concern.”

 

“The Chinese side emphasized that the ruling position of the Communist Party of China is the choice of history and the choice of the people. China’s development is inseparable from the leadership of the Communist Party of China. This represents the high degree of consensus of the Chinese people and reflects the common understanding of the international community. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the system most in line with China’s national conditions and the “code” for China’s development. It has been proven that socialism with Chinese characteristics is a correct path, and we will continue to walk along this broad road.”


“The ruling position of the Communist Party of China and the security of the system must not be compromised. It is an untouchable red line. The leadership role of the Communist Party of China and the core position of the Party’s leader are based on past arduous practice, and have received the heartfelt support of 1.4 billion Chinese people. This collective will is as firm as a rock and will not waver.”


Source: Xinhua, March 20, 2021

http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2021-03/20/c_1127235796.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Facial Recognition Installed in Many Stores in China; Personal Data Accessed

On March 15, 2021, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that many stores have had monitors installed. Because of facial recognition, this has allowed access to the customers’ personal information. According to one of the companies that installed the monitors for those stores, the amount of facial recognition data collected is in the range of hundreds of millions.

It has been reported that such monitors are almost ubiquitous in China. Monitors installed in some stores seem to be harmless but they contain facial recognition systems and the stores secretly access data without informing the customers.

CCTV has visited more than 20 stores across the country that are equipped with facial recognition systems. These stores have all secretly accessed the facial recognition data collected from their customers. They include stores of well-known foreign companies such as Kohler, BMW, and 4S Stores in Shenzhen, Wuxi and Max Mara.

As soon as customers enter a store that has a facial recognition monitor, their faces will be captured and identification numbers automatically generated, without their knowledge. For a chain store, the store will know which location the customer goes to and how many times they have been there.

Companies that help these stores install monitors with facial recognition include Suzhou Wandianzhang Internet Technology Co., Ltd., Yoluoke Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Yaliang Smart Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Ruiwei Information Technology Co., Ltd.

According to Suzhou Wandianzhang Internet Technology Co., Ltd., it has installed millions of monitors with facial recognition and its database contains hundreds of millions of records that the stores have collected.

Source: China Central Television, March 15, 2021
https://news.cctv.com/2021/03/15/ARTIieo9QjynMSXTVDb224QE210315.shtml

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology Social Stability

Kyodo News: Chinese Company Accesses Personal Information of Japanese LINE Users

On March 17, Kyodo News reported that technical personnel of companies in China had accessed the personal information of Japanese LINE users.

LINE is a freeware app for instant communications on electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, and personal computers. LINE users exchange texts, images, video, and audio, and conduct free VoIP conversations and video conferences. There are more than 86 million users in Japan.  In addition, local governments and companies in Japan also use LINE as infrastructure to serve the public.

According to Kyodo News, LINE stated that since the summer of 2018, four technicians from Chinese companies working with LINE on artificial intelligence development have been able to access servers in Japan and view information during the development process. In addition to names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, the information that was accessible also includes the content of the reports by users to LINE about improper conversations.

LINE’s terms of use for users do not explain overseas access. LINE reported to the Personal Information Protection Committee of the Japanese Government on the grounds that there were problems with the measures to prevent such overseas access.  A third-party committee consisting of experts will be set up to investigate the incident.

Source: Kyodo News, March 17, 2021

https://china.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/36bbab653ad6-line.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

China Quietly Expands its Military Influence in Africa

On March 9, 2021, Duowei, a pro-Beijing news media based in North America, published an article stating that China has quietly been expanding its military influence in Africa.

In the past several decades, Chinese military academies represented by Shijiazhuang Army Command College, the National Defense University PLA China and Nanjing Army Command College have trained a large number of military officers for many African countries. Since the Cold War, there have been long-standing military exchanges between China and Africa, including arms trade, military personnel training and military aid.

During the Uganda-Tanzania War in 1979, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent military advisors to support the Tanzanian Army, which subsequently overcame the Ugandan army and took over the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

In the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983 – 2005), the National Defense University PLA China trained the North Sudanese army, while almost all the middle-level and senior generals in South Sudan were graduates of the Shijiazhuang Military Academy, including the commander-in-Chief.

The Nanjing Army Command Academy alone provided military training to 5 African presidents: former Namibian President Samuel Nujoma (1990-2005), former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete (2005-2015), former Congolese (DRC) President Laurent Kabila (1997-2001), Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (since 1993), and former Guinea-Bissau President Joao Bernardo Vieira (1980-1999, 2005-2009).

Among them, in 1964, Samuel Nujoma went to the Nanjing Army Command Academy for advanced studies. After returning home, he led the local people to become independent from South Africa by applying PLA tactics such as guerrilla warfare and encircling the city from the countryside.

The National Defense University PLA China, Shijiazhuang Army Command Academy, Shijiazhuang Mechanized Infantry Academy and Nanjing Army Command Academy, serve as a training base for military or government leaders across Africa.

In February 2019, the State media, Global Times, had a similar report on the PLA training of African military officers .

Sources:
1. Duowei, March 9, 2021
https://www.dwnews.com/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD/60232262
2. Global Times, February 1, 201
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/9CaKrnKhDe1

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xi Jinping: Lawyers Must Side with the CCP

On March 1, 2021, Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) official media, published the full text of a speech that Xi Jinping, the CCP General Secretary, gave in November 2020, at a conference on the rule of law.
Xi stated that the more complex the international and domestic environment, the more it is necessary to use the rule of law to solidify the CCP’s control.
Xi emphasized that China “will never copy the models and practices of other countries, and will never follow the Western so-called ‘constitutionalism,’ ‘separation of powers,’ and ‘judicial independence.’”
Xi stated that some lawyers in China “have weak political awareness and even maliciously attack our country’s political system and the rule of law system.” “It is the basic qualification of a legal professional to support the leadership of the Communist Party of our country and support the socialist rule of law in our country.”
After Xi’s speech appeared in Qiushi, it immediately drew criticism from Chinese lawyers overseas. On March 2, 2021, Radio Free Asia quoted a Chinese lawyer in the United States who requested anonymity. He said that Xi Jinping’s remarks were full of fallacies, “Lawyers must abide by the law and perform their duties following the law.  … Now the CCP requires that the CCP leadership comes first. Then where is the law?”
Ren Quanniu, a human rights lawyer who has assisted Hong Kong dissidents, believes Xi’s speech will make it more difficult for lawyers to represent clients in human rights cases. According to Ren, in a place in Inner Mongolia, the authorities gave the title of “Government Legal Advisor” to all lawyers to make sure that local people basically cannot find a lawyer if they want to sue the local authorities.
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics