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Olympics: Beijing Buses Exploded less than Two Days before the Opening

At 11 a.m. on August 6, a Route 205 bus reportedly exploded at the gate of Qinghua University. Three passengers suffered injuries. At 4:30 p.m. on the same day, a Route 10 bus exploded at Naoshikou Street near Changan Street, a famous street in Beijing that runs through Tiananmen Square.

Per photos taken by eye witness citizens, white powder was scatted everywhere. A middle aged woman suffered from a broken leg. Other injuries were not clear.

Source: EpochTimes.com, August 7, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/7/n2220344.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Olympics: Beijing Citizen Protested in Tiananmen Square for Housing Dispute

Based on a BBC report, on Monday August 4, about 20 citizens who live near Tiananmen held a protest. They are unhappy about the unfair relocation compensation from government-backed developers.

One person said: the developer has no right to seize their properties because of the Olympics, and the citizens should not give up their rights for the Olympics.

The protesters were arrested quickly by the police.

Source:  Chine News Digest, August 5, 2008
http://www.cnd.org/my/modules/wfsection/article.php%3Farticleid=20243

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Gordan Chang: Chinese Pay More Attention to U.S. Election than Olympics

After a recent two month visit to four Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, China scholar and lawyer Gordan G. Chang gave a speech in New York on August 1. The author of The Coming Collapse of China noticed that the Chinese leaders appear to lack confidence about the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

Chang and his wife were also surprised by the lack of interest to the game among Chinese people. Many Chinese are more interested in the U.S. presidential election than the Games.

Per Chang’s observation, China’s post Olympic economic forecast is gloomy.

Source: Epoch Times, August 5, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/5/n2216572.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Olympics: Beijing’s Neighboring Cities Endure Power Outage

Villages, towns and cities in areas surrounding Beijing recently experienced frequent power outages. Before the 1980’s, the government used to shut off the electricity of nearby cities when major events took place in the capital. But the practice was all but abandoned in recent years, until now.

Rural areas were hit first and for the longest amount of time, followed by low income urban areas, high income districts were next, and government offices were the last to face the outage.

One city in Shandong Province experienced a power outage every other day, each lasting 10 hours.

Source: Boxun, July 31, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/07/200807310509.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Olympics: Woman Trying to Demonstrate in Designated Areas Arrested

Despite the promise to allow people to demonstrate in three parks during the Beijing Olympics, last week, the authorities arrested a woman who tried to demonstrate in one of the designated demonstration areas. The woman was detained and sent back to her hometown Suzhou on Friday August 1. Some anti-Japanese activists also saw their application denied.

People are skeptical and do not trust the government’s promise to allow freedom of speech. Beijing based journalist Ling Cangzhou said: “Everyone knows that in China, freedom and democracy are written in the Constitution. But how much can the Constitution be enforced is in question.”

Source: Voice of America, August 3, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-08-03-voa30.cfm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Olympics: China Unblocks Some Websites While Blocking Others

Under widespread complaints from foreign reporters, Beijing opened up a few blocked websites, including Amnesty International, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and the BBC. This privilege is only for foreigners, not Chinese citizens.

Other sensitive websites such as those of Falun Gong or the Tibetan government in exile remain blocked.

Source: Boxun, August 1, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/08/200808020125.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

U.S. Reporter Denied Visa for Darfur Connection

The Chinese Consulate in San Francisco had denied a visa to Kendra Zanotto, 2004 Olympic synchronized swimmer and Bronze medalist. The 26 year old athlete was hired by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad as a reporter to cover the synchronized swimming event.

The Chinese Consulate offered no explanation. But Ms. Zanotto believes the reason is her involvement in Team Darfur, an athletic group trying to end violence in Sudan.

In an interesting twist, some Chinese websites reported (apparently falsely) that the reason her visa was denied was because of an “immigration tendency”, a frequent reason given for U.S. visa denial to foreign visitors. As a result, the news was cheered by many Chinese as a sign for China’s standing up.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 25, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/qianzheng-07252008151406.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Sino-Japan Human Right Dialogue Resumed before Olympics

To repair China’s shattered image during the Olympics, Beijing agreed to resume a Human Right Dialogue with Japan after eight years of break.

Human Right Dialogue was invented by China in early 1990’s to counter the Human Rights criticism by the West. The dialogue is a discussion between equal partners, while the criticism puts China at defense.

The Human Right Dialogue is not an admission of China’s human rights problem. Qin Gang, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokes person made it very clear. In a recent press conference, Qin said: “The Chinese Communist Party has been working to improve human rights since Day One of its founding. Human Rights always will be our sacred goal.”

The article blames Amnesty International, Reporters without Border and Human Right Watch for pressuring China to improve its human rights.

Source: Xinhua Net, July 23, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2008-07/23/content_8751211.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics