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Xinhua: Over 83,000 Party Officials Return Illegally Obtained Money

On October 22, 2012, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), released information about officials who returned money they had previously obtained illegally. According to the release, the Party issued an anti-corruption guide in January 2010. Since that time, 83,195 Party officials voluntarily returned cash, securities, and bonds worth over 771 million yuan (about U.S.$123 million) to Party authorities. The release said that, in addition to the amount that was returned, the Party disciplinary commission also reported that it had confiscated 392 million yuan of illegal gains. During the same period of time, the Party’s disciplinary committee investigated and punished more than 3,500 Party officials in a bid to crack down on corruption inside the Party. Since January 2011, “more than 1 million government officials above division level reported their personal matters to higher authorities; of those, 100% of those at the mid-level of management reported personal matters.”

Source: Xinhua, October 23, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/yuqing/2012-10/23/c_123857808.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Social Unrest over Man’s Death

A driver died during a traffic incident sparking an incident of social unrest that pitted several thousand people against the authorities in Luzhou, Sichuan. According to Huanqiu, which reprinted the version that the local government publicized, the traffic police directed the driver to move his vehicle, which was illegally parked, but the driver refused. The driver did not feel well and, after taking some medicine, died on site. The Luzhou government “reminded the residents that they should not believe or spread any rumors.”

Xinhua later reported that, during the incident, about a thousand people gathered. Some of them were emotional and attacked police vehicles. They overturned seven vehicles and set five of them on fire. Two were entirely burned as a result. “After patient persuasion, the driver’s relatives voluntarily brought the body to the city funeral home. … During the incident, Public Security took custody of 20 people and no one was injured or died.” The local government hoped the residents would not believe or spread rumors.

[Editor’s note: According to online miniblog posts, the 57-year-old man argued with the police who then pushed and kicked him, leading to his death. This incident occurred within three weeks of the Eighteenth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.]   

Sources:
Huanqiu, October 18, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/local/2012-10/3197614.html
Xinhua, October 18, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-10/18/c_123838416.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Beijing Police Heighten Security on the Eve of Party’s Congress

China North Industries Group Corporation donated 500 units of the Beidou Positioning system to the Beijing Public Security Bureau to be installed in the first line patrol vehicles and in telecom command vehicles. They are meant to provide technological support to the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which will be held on November 8, 2012. People’s Daily reported that the Beidou positioning systems will effectively improve the positioning capability of police vehicles in terms of reliability and security. In addition, Beidou’s texting function will serve as a reliable means of communication for all levels of command during an emergency.

Source: People’s Daily, October 19, 2012
http://society.people.com.cn/n/2012/1019/c223276-19315774.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Sany Holds Press Conference on Lawsuit against Obama on Wind Farm Sale

Xinhua reported that Sany Group, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against President Obama for blocking its purchase of wind farms near a U.S. military base, will hold a press conference on October 18, 2012, to provide an update on the case. On September 28, 2012, Obama signed a decree banning the sale of four wind farms in Oregon to the Ralls Corp. and its Chinese affiliate, Sany Group, on national security grounds. “As for this incident, Xiang Wenbo (the president of Sany) expressed that ‘hopefully the upcoming press conference will, in addition to clarifying the true facts, allow Chinese to further understand America and international trade, and to learn how to audaciously protect the rights of Chinese companies during the process of globalization.’”

Source: Xinhua, October 17, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2012-10/17/c_123831810.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

International Herald Leader: U.S. Concerns about Huawei Are Totally without Merit

China’s state’s media, the International Herald Leader (IHL), published an article that its Washington D.C. reporter wrote to rebut the comments U.S. Congressmen made during the recent Congressional hearing on Huawei and ZTE. The reporter stated, “U.S. politicians suppress Huawei and ZTE without any credible evidence in order to curb the rise of China’s strategic industries and to seek the U.S.’s own political interests.”

With respect to comments by the U.S. Congressmen on Huawei’s products proving to be a security risk, IHL, citing senior officials from Huawei and ZTE, stated, “These arguments are totally without merit.” 

On the relationship with the Chinese Government, IHL quoted from Huawei that “[it] has no special relationship with the Chinese Government and has not received any help from the Chinese Government.” “ZTE declared that ‘ZTE is neither a State-owned enterprise nor under the control of the Chinese government.’”

Huawei asserted that the Communist Party Committee at Huawei was established in accordance with China’s Company Law, and that even Walmart and other foreign owned enterprises have Communist Party organizations.

Source: International Herald Leader, September 25, 2012
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2012/0925/97646.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Chengming: New Party Office Established to Stop Party Officials from Fleeing Overseas

Hong Kong’s Chengming magazine reported that a new office has been established to stop Communist officials from fleeing China. Li Keqiang, Vice Premier and Standing Member of the Communist Party Politburo, is the head of the new office. It is called the “Command Group to Fight against Communist Officials and Government Employees Fleeing the Country.” It was established on September 22, 2012, and started operations the next day.

According to Chengming, the "anti-fleeing" office focuses on three major regions, 20 airports, 9 ports, and 12 border crossings. Over 8,000 SWAT members were deployed at the targeted locations on or before September 28. Over 350 anti-counterfeiting instruments have been installed at these locations to detect fake documents. In the past two months, the Ministry of Public Security has validated and replaced ID cards, passports, and other travel documents for over 70,000 senior officials and over 448,000 mid-level officials.

It was reported that between 2000 and 2011, China captured 18,487 Communist officials suspected of attempting to flee the country. Funds recovered during a five year period reached 54.19 billion yuan.

Source: Chengming, October 1, 2012
http://www.chengmingmag.com/cm420/420toc/420toc.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi: China Must Keep a Low Profile and Bide Its Time

Qiushi published an article stating that, in spite of its economic growth, China must still keep a low profile. “It is a question that the next several generations will face and ponder as to what kind of country today’s China, as a world-class country, should develop into, and in what way China should influence the world. From an analysis of the rise and fall of major powers from an economic development perspective, one may identify some enlightening norms. China does not have the requisite conditions to become a super power in the next 50 years and should not seek to become one. Particularly, it should not engage in direct confrontation with the United States; we need to keep a low profile and bide our time. In the complicated international environment and the gaming of major powers, it is both an urgent need and a long term task to overcome difficulties and seek room for development. [We] must not be penny wise and pound foolish and lose the opportunity to truly ‘rise.’”

Source: Qiushi, October 9, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/jj/jjggyfz/201210/t20121009_185175.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Abortions in China Reach 13 Million a Year

China’s National Population and Family Planning Commission recently released statistics showing that there are over 13 million abortions in China every year, the highest in the world. Over 50 percent of the abortions are performed on women under 25 years old. College students are now considered a high risk group. The statistics also showed that only about 12 percent of China’s young people believe that they have adequate information about contraception. The State’s China National Radio commented that such behavior mirrors both society and the parents and may very well be the result of seeds that adults have sown.

Source: China National Radio, October 4, 2012
http://china.cnr.cn/xwwgf/201210/t20121004_511053320.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability