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Sina Weibo Removes U.S. Embassy Photos of Chen Guangcheng

According to a report by the Central News Agency (CNA) in Taiwan, the photos that the U.S. Embassy in Beijing posted showing Chen Guangcheng leaving the U.S. Embassy were removed shortly after they were posted on the Embassy’s official sina weibo (sina microblog), a popular Chinese blog website similar to twitter and facebook.

The U.S. Embassy released two photos on its official sina weibo at 11:30 pm Beijing time on May 2. One showed Chen leaving the Embassy with Ambassador Locke and State Department Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell. The other showed Chen in a wheelchair entering a Beijing Hospital with Ambassador Locke and State Department Legal Advisor Harold Koh. Within six minutes of the posting, sina weibo removed the two photos. The reason given on sina weibo was, “This photo is not appropriate for public display.”

The CNA report said that, on the U.S. State Department website, there are several photos that show Chen and his family at a Beijing hospital, “but one cannot view these photos from inside China.”

Source: Central News Agency, May 3, 2012
http://www.cna.com.tw/News/FirstNews/201205030059.aspx

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

PLA: Incomplete Loyalty is Disloyalty

The People’s Liberation Army Daily recently published a commentary entitled “Communists’ Loyalty Cannot Be Incomplete.” It warns that Communist Party members must be on guard against “incomplete loyalty.” The commentary states, “The so-called ‘incompletel loyalty’ is the state between loyalty and disloyalty. For instance, a person may look loyal, but at the critical moment, be wavering; loyal when things are in line with his own preferences but complaining when his desires are not met; asking others to be loyal but treating himself differently; pledging loyalty at meetings but doing things his own way after the meetings; loyal when supervised but unable to discipline himself when alone. Instances like these are totally inconsistent with the requirements of loyalty to the Party.”

The commentary further pointed out that Communist Party members or cadres who are in the state of incomplete loyalty are doomed to be defeated. “In this sense, ‘incomplete loyalty’ is disloyalty.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted at the Communist Party of China Website, April 26, 2012 http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/49150/17753358.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China Demands U.S. Apologize over Chen Guangcheng

On May 2, 2012, Xinhua issued a brief report saying that Chen Guangcheng “entered the U.S. Embassy in China in late April. He left the U.S. Embassy of his own volition after staying there for 6 days.” No other information was mentioned regarding how Chen’s escaped last week from his village home in Linyi in Shandong Province. Chen had been under house arrest since his release from prison in September 2010, after serving his full sentence of four years and three months. The authorities said he "damaged property and organized a mob to disturb traffic." Since 2005 Chen has been receiving increased international attention because of what he actually did. Chen organized a class-action lawsuit against Chinese authorities in Shandong for excessive enforcement of China’s one-child policy (including forced abortions and sterilizations).

In a separate report on May 2, 2012, Xinhua quoted Liu Weimin, China’s foreign affairs spokesperson, who told the U.S. that China demanded an apology. “I would like to emphasize that the U.S. Embassy in China has the obligation to comply with international law and Chinese law and cannot engage in activities inconsistent with its function. China absolutely will not accept this U.S. interference in China’s internal affairs, and demands that the U.S. apologize over this, conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, discipline the personnel involved, and ensure that no similar events will ever occur again.” According to Xinhua, Liu further stated, “What the U.S. should do now is to stop continuing to confuse and to try in every way to quibble and to cover up its own responsibility in this matter. Moreover, it should not continue to interfere in China’s domestic affairs. It should, instead, responsibly and seriously learn from this incident, truly reflect on its policies and approaches, and adopt measures to safeguard the Sino-U.S. relationship.“

On the same day, U.S. Secretary State Clinton issued a statement saying that she was pleased that the U.S. “was able to facilitate Chen Guangcheng’s stay and departure from the U.S. Embassy in a way that reflected his choices and our values.” Her statement further stated that “the United States government and the American people are committed to remaining engaged with Mr. Chen and his family in the days, weeks, and years ahead.”

Sources:
Xinhua, May 2, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2012-05/02/c_111873571.htm
Xinhua, May 2, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-05/02/c_111875347.htm
U.S. Department of State, May 2, 2012
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/05/189090.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China’s Central Bank’s Increased Issuance of RMB Leads to Domestic Inflation

According to Beijing News, the People’s Bank of China (China’s central bank) ranks No. 1 in assets in the world and last year printed money equal in value to half of the total currency printed in the world. The latest statistics released by the central bank show that, as of February 2012, its assets reached 28,330 billion RMB (about $4,500 billion), surpassing the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank and the European Central Bank. In the past five years, its assets increased by 119% and M2 by 146%. Due to the exchange control and the fact that the RMB is not an international currency, the increased RMB circulated only inside China. Thus those in China bore the full inflationary impact. “China is way behind the United States in terms of total GDP, economic power, personal income, and the overall wealth of the country. In 2011, the ratio of China’s M2 to GDP reached 189% while the ratio of M2 to GDP in the U.S. was about 64%. This showed the power of the RMB to boost inflation.”

Source: The Beijing News reprinted by Xinhua, April 24, 2012
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-04/24/c_123025821.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Wen Jiabao: What Will We Leave to Future Generations?

In Stockholm recently, Wen Jiabao met with local Chinese companies, overseas Chinese and representatives of Chinese students. In his discussion he raised the question of China’s future. He also pointed out a number of issues related to China’s economic development. He stated, “In a nutshell, our economic development is neither balanced nor coordinated; nor is it sustainable. (The problems) relate mainly to the widening income gaps between rural and urban areas and between different regions, to expanding inequality in income distribution, to over-consumption of resources, to  energy, and to severe environmental pollution. These problems lead us to think about what we will leave to future generations.” Wen stated that sustained growth “relies not only on economic development, but also on progress in society, on the quality of our people, and on the power of morality. No one would be able to beat such a country (that had those qualities).

Source: China News Service, April 25, 2012
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2012/04-25/3843708.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Qiushi: The Western Hand behind the Break-up of State-owned Enterprises

Qiushi publish an analysis that criticized the “noises that demonize the public ownership system and state-owned enterprises.” The article, entitled, “The Western Hand behind the Break-up of State-owned Enterprises,” expressed the belief that foreign investment may have become a national economic security issue. “Statistics show that, of the 28 major industries in China, 21 are controlled by foreign investment through (the foreign companies’) right to a majority of the assets. Foreign investments control the top 5 enterprises in almost every industry that has been opened up. These 21 industries are those where state-owned enterprises have withdrawn. China’s privately owned companies are not able to form an effective force to compete with the wolves of the Western multi-national corporations. … State-owned enterprises are the only major force in the market that can compete and fend off the multi-national corporations that Western monopolistic capital controls. … In any country, when foreign investments control an industry, it is likely to become a national economic security issue.”

Source: Qiushi, April 18, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/jj/jt/201204/t20120418_151879.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Bo Xilai’s Financier, the Dalian Shide Group, May Face Bankruptcy

According to The Beijing News, the Dalian Shide Group, a Chinese private enterprise whose chairman is Xu Ming, is reportedly being investigated for economic problems. It has used up most of its stock ownership in banks as collateral for loans and has borrowed more than 6 billion yuan in funds. Meanwhile, within this coming month, the company has over 800 million yuan in payments to make on its loans; the monthly interest rates run as high as 4.5%. It is reported that the company has started preparations in anticipation of filing for bankruptcy.

Xu Ming established Shide in Dalian in 1992. In 2005, Forbes ranked Xu as China’s eighth richest man. It has been reported that Xu has close ties with Bo Xilai, the former Party Secretary of Chongqing City, Sichuan and has provided him with financial support. On March 15, 2012, the CCP leadership removed Bo from his position and he is currently under investigation. Shortly thereafter, Shide lost contact with Xu Ming, whom many believe is also under investigation or arrest in connection with Bo.

Source: The Beijing News, April 19, 2012
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/finance/2012/04/19/194671.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Outbreak of H5N1 Reported – 95,000 Chickens Culled

On April 18, 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced that China’s Northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region had reported an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry. “On April 13, more than 23,000 chickens at some farms in Yanglang Village of Touying Town in the city of Guyuan in Ningxia showed symptoms of suspected avian flu. On April 18, after testing samples collected at those sites, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed that the epidemic was a case of H5N1 bird flu virus.” According to the MOA announcement, a total of 95,000 chickens have since been culled. 

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, April 18, 2012
http://www.moa.gov.cn/zwllm/yjgl/yqfb/201204/t20120418_2605976.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability