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All posts by TGS - 72. page

People’s Daily: U.S. 2013 NDAA Is a Gross Violation of China’s Sovereign Rights

Xinhua published a People’s Daily commentary that assailed the United States for aligning with Japan and for its possible arms sale to Taiwan. Before Christmas, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013. The NDAA contains two amendments related to China, both of which express “the sense of Congress.” One amendment recognizes Japan’s administration of the Senkaku Islands and that the U.S.-Japan Joint Security Treaty applies to the islands if they come under attack. This “constitutes a gross violation of China’s sovereign rights and domestic affairs.” The other amendment calls for selling advanced F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Taiwan, which “amounts to a blunt interference in China’s domestic affairs.”

Source: Xinhua, December 23, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-12/23/c_114123020.htm

Abuse of Office: Deputy Had Eight Hot Baths in one Day

According to an article in Xinhua, the abuse of office increases as the end of the year approaches. “A county in Inner Mongolia is known for its hot springs. The deputy of the county magistrate in charge of external propaganda complained to the Xinhua reporter that, when the year end is just around the corner, many government departments come to visit the county to conduct inspections. One day, he received over a dozen official guests. What most of them wanted was to experience the hot springs. He ended up having eight hot baths that day. By the end of the day, he was almost dehydrated. For the last bath, he did not even bother to change clothes. He just waited right in the tub for his guests to join him.” In another county in Inner Mongolia, a county official told the reporter that, on that day, he had four breakfasts with those visiting officials.

Source: Xinhua, December 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2012-12/20/m_124120545.htm

Guangming Daily: Stepping up Internet Control

On December 19, 2012, the state media, Guangming Daily, published a commentary titled “Establishing the Bottom Line in Applying the Rule of Law to the Internet World.” The commentary proclaimed that there is an urgent need to regulate activities on the Internet. “People use the Internet as a tool in their livelihood and in production. Activities on the Internet reflect society’s activities. The Internet cannot and should not become an empire where there is freedom but no restraint. … After all, the Internet should  never be above the law. … For China, we must immediately implement the rule of law to re-enforce control over the Internet. … It is urgent that legislation be passed to regulate the Chinese Internet.”

Source: Guangming Daily reprinted by Xinhua, December 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2012-12/20/c_124121216.htm

People’s Daily Signals Tightening of Internet Blogging

On December 18, 2012, People’s Daily published an article titled “The Internet Is Not above the Law.” The article raised the issue that the Internet has been used for commercial fraud, malicious attacks, and rumor mongering. “[We] must be aware that the Internet is not above the law and that those who express themselves on the Internet may violate the law, knowingly or unknowingly. … An open China needs an Internet world that is civil, law-abiding, and healthy. Whether it is the government monitoring authorities or netizens themselves, we should all value this platform. It is unrealistic to require that every person’s remarks be correct and expressed in a right way; yet it is mandatory that people should be aware of the rule of law and be accountable for their own actions and remarks.”

Source: People’s Daily, December 18, 2012
http://society.people.com.cn/n/2012/1218/c1008-19929548.html

Huanqiu: Dispute Over Senkaku Islands Enters New Stage

According to Huanqiu, on the morning of December 13, 2012, a Chinese maritime surveillance airplane entered into the territorial air space of the Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku Islands in Japan). “This was another significant step forward this year to reinforce the safeguarding of our sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands. … The Japanese air force responded with eight F-15 fighters and an Early Warning and Control aircraft (AWACS) to intercept the Chinese aircraft." The Huanqiu article stated that Japan no longer has actual control of the Senkaku Islands and that the dispute has now entered a new stage.

Source: Huanqiu, December 14, 2012
http://mil.huanqiu.com/paper/2012-12/3379857.html

China Ranks No. 1 in Asia in Arms Exports

Huanqiu reported that, according to the website of a Russian think tank, China is now a leading world exporter of certain munitions. Based on the 2004 to 2011 statistics of the Russian think tank, China ranks 10th in the world and 1st in Asia in arms exports. With a total value of $8.73 billion, China’s arms exports surpass that of all other Asian Pacific countries combined. It exports 51.65% of the total value of all arms in the Asian Pacific region.

Source: Huanqiu, December 11, 2012
http://mil.huanqiu.com/observation/2012-12/3366012.html

Xinhua Maintains Twitter Account Irking Chinese Netizens

Chinese medai have reported that Xinhua now maintains a Twitter account in English at “@XHNews.” On Twitter, Xinhua has over 5, 000 followers. The first posting dated back to March 1, 2012. The report has received wide attention from bloggers in China. “Many Chinese netizens learned for the first time that the Communist Party’s official media maintains an official blog on the overseas social media, in addition to its official blog on China’s domestic social media. The netizens blogged that they would love to visit the official blog.” The news angered Chinese micro-bloggers as they question why they are not allowed to access Twitter but Xinhua can. 

[Editor’s Note: Twitter and Facebook are not accessible from inside China, as the Chinese authorities block them. Only by using anti-censorship software in violation of the law can people in China “climb over” the Great Wall of Internet censorship to access Twitter and Facebook.]

Source: Nanfang Daily reprinted by sina.com, December 11, 2012
http://tech.sina.com.cn/i/2012-12-11/05547874393.shtml

Xi Jinping Calls for a Powerful Strategic Missile Force

On December 5, 2012, the new Communist Party General Secretary and Central Military Commission Chairman, Xi Jinping, met with representatives of the Second Artillery Force of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). During the meeting, Xi ordered the Chinese military to build a powerful and technological missile force. He told those present, “The Second Artillery Force of the PLA is the core of the strategic deterrence forces, the strategic support of China as a major power, and an important cornerstone for safeguarding China’s national security.” Xi stressed the need to uphold the Communist Party’s absolute control of the military and to ensure the absolute loyalty of the military to the Party.

According to China’s Ministry of Defense, the Second Artillery Force is a strategic force under the direct command and control of the Central Military Commission. It is mainly responsible for deterring other countries from using nuclear weapons against China, and for conducting nuclear counterattacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles.

Sources:
Xinhua, December 5, 2012.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-12/05/c_113922221.htm
China’s Ministry of Defense
http://eng.mod.gov.cn/ArmedForces/second.htm