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Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Issues Social Blue Book for 2009

On December 15, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences issued the Social Blue Book for 2009 and held a forum to report the overall situation of Chinese society, analyzing the country’s current situation and also predicting the hot issues for 2009. The book revealed that seeing doctors and employment are the most prominent issues. It also said that the current jobless rate of college graduates is over 12 percent, three times the registered jobless rate.

Source: people.com.cn, December 16, 2008 
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/8523717.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

School Teachers Strike in Chongqing Spreading to Larger Areas

Following a strike by school teachers in Yongchuan District and Jijiang County in the Chongqing Municipality in October, similar strikes are spreading to many other districts and counties including Jiangjin, Qianjiang, Hechuan, Jijiang, Zijiang, Youyang, and so on, involving tens of thousands of school teachers. The teachers are asking for payments that they were promised. In Qianjiang, 2,000 teachers gathered in front of a government building to protest. In addition, retired teachers have also joined the protest to support the strike.

Source: The Epoch Times, December 16, 2008
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/8/12/16/n2364617.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China’s State Media Angry at Sarkozy over His Meeting with Dalai Lama

China’s state media have reacted angrily to French President Sarkozy’s decision to meet Dalai Lama and have continuously published articles to attack and discredit Sarkozy recently. Below are a few examples:

A Hoax Damaging [Sarkozy’s] Political Reputation
December 7, 2008, from People’s Daily
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-12/07/content_10466978.htm

Xinhua International Commentary: Unwise Move that Damages China-French Relations
December 7, 2008, from Xinhua
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-12/07/content_10465973.htm

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: The Wrong Action of Meeting Dalai by French Leader Rudely Interfered with China’s Internal Affairs
December 7, 2008, from Xinhua
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-12/07/content_10469357.htm

Sarkozy’s Political Show Is Overdone
December 8, 2008, from Guangzhou Daily http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-12/08/content_10472908.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China and India Army Held Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercise

On December 6, an opening ceremony for China and Indian Army’s joint anti-terrorist exercise was held at Belgaum anti-terrorist training facility in India. More than 200 army personnel and military experts from both sides participated in the ceremony. Qing Xiangyou, the head from Chinese group, said that the purpose of the exercise is to increase the understanding and trust, and develop cooperation from both armies.

Source: Xinhua, December 6, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-12/06/content_10465104.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: Japan Pursuing Space Diplomacy Is Meant to Compete with China

On November 27, Japan’s Strategic Headquarters for Space Development issued an outline for the future direction of Japan’s space strategy (equivalent to China’s space strategy). “Space Diplomacy” is a new concept proposed by Japan. Specifically, it is to utilize the Japanese government’s economic development aid (ODA) to enhance cooperation with developing countries from the Asian, African, and Latin American regions, strategically provide satellite information and space development technology to these countries in order to gain their understanding and trust.

Currently, under the direction of the Strategic Headquarters for Space Development, Japan has already initiated cooperation in satellite technology with Indonesia, Brazil, and Ethiopia. But from the Japanese government’s perspective, Space Diplomacy can not stop at a few individual countries. It has to expand in scope and form a whole Space Diplomacy System.

The article says that behind the system is a plan to compete with China.

Source: Xinhua, December 2, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-12/02/content_10443755.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua- susisan Media Says China Will Be the Third Largest Exporter of Multipurpose Fighter Plane

Russian magazine Arms Market published an article analyzing the situation of global market of multipurpose fighter plane during 2004-2013. The article says that global sale of multipurpose fighter planes will steadily increase in the next five years. The United States, Russia, and China will be the leading countries selling new fighter planes.
China’s rise to the third place is mainly due to its contract with Pakistan to provide 183 JF-17 “Thunder (Fierce Dragon)” fighter planes. In addition, other Asian and African countries who are China’s customers of traditional fighters are also potential new users of JF-17 “Thunder.” China’s new generation J-10 multipurpose fighter also has a high ratio of function/price. It is highly possible that J-10 will become a fierce competitor of U.S. and Russia’s third generation fighters in the global market.

Source: Xinhua, December 1, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-12/01/content_10437382.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Phoenix TV CEO Receives International Emmy Directorate Award

On November 24, the U.S. Secretary of Labor Department Elaine Chao handed the Directorate Award from the International Emmy Awards to Hong Kong Phoenix TV’s CEO Liu Changle, as a compliment to his work of bringing Phoenix TV to the TV network of more than 150 countries and areas.

[Chinascope note: Pheonix TV has received the nickname of ‘little CCTV’ in some circles, as it shares similar reporting principles on many topics. Because it is based in Hong Kong, viewers in mainland China may regard it as an overseas TV station that is more independent though it follows the Party line on many topics.]

Source: Xinhua, November 25, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2008-11/26/content_10414412.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: U.S. New Star Wars Plan Points to China

A blogger of the “Great Nation Forum” from the People’s Daily website published an article discussing the intention of a U.S. plan for developing a space missile defense system. The article says, “U.S. Congress granted five million dollars recently to fund independent research for developing a space missile defense system. The analyst here believes that once the plan is started, it means the "Star Wars Plan” from the 1980s is coming back. This time, the Pentagon’s putative enemies are not only Russia, or Korea and Iran, but also China."

Source: people.com.cn, November 25, 2008
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/42969/58519/8403479.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations