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Briefings - 1001. page

China Accuses the U.S., Japan, and South Korea of Defaming North Korea

On December 24, 2010, Huanqiu republished an article from China Youth Daily (Ed. note: the original article cannot be found on China Youth Daily) titled “Targeting the PLA: the U.S. Army Expands in the West Pacific Areas with a Combination of Air and Sea Combat Forces.”

The article states that talk of a nuclear confrontation on the Korean Peninsula is no longer alarming. The United States, Japan, and South Korea are eager to issue new sanctions against North Korea. “Undoubtedly, the scheme is to ruin the DPRK’s reputation in the world, so as to call for the power of the whole world, in the same way that Saddam Hussein was treated, in the name of justice, to force North Korea into submission.”

“However, the DPRK is not Iraq. This scheme of the United States, Japan, and South Korea will actually be very difficult to carry out.”

Source: Huanqiu, December 24, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2010-12/1368860.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Urgent Need to Solve the Problem of Social Injustice in China

Study Times, a newspaper published by the Party School of the Central Committee of the CCP, published an article discussing the urgent need to solve the problem of serious social injustice in China. According to the article, social injustice is becoming more serious among most social groups in China. The younger generation, e.g., the “Rich 2nd Generation” and the “Poor 2nd Generation” has also inherited it. If China does not solve the problem of social injustice now, it may be too late.

China’s per capital GDP has reached U.S. $3,600 based on the foreign exchange rate in 2009. Thus it has the necessary economic foundation to enhance social justice by establishing a basic social security system. The article concludes that China must not miss the current opportunity to establish a basic social security system.

Source: Study Times, December 27, 2010
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/12/27/01/01_30.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Study Times: Overseas Expansion of the Party

Study Times published an article by the Party Committee of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) about its practice of maintaining Party control over China’s overseas businesses. The operation of expanding the Party overseas involves following these businesses. “Where there are people, there are Party organizations and Party activities.” “These overseas Party organizations are under the CCECC Party Committee, while accepting the leadership and administration of the Party Committees at our embassies and consulates. … Currently, the overseas offices of the CCECC have formed, horizontally and vertically, a complete Party organization system with 100% coverage.”

Source: Study Times, December 27, 2010
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/12/27/08/08_13.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Scholar: Government Is a Black Hole That Sucks Up Wealth

Sun Liping, a sociology professor at Tsinghua University, stated that there is an enormous black hole in Chinese society that sucks up wealth. According to Sun, “The crux of the problem is that an enormous black hole has formed in society, and it is sucking up wealth. The black hole absorbs a considerable part of the achievements in social development, leaving a very limited share for the people. Within this limited share, improving one part will hurt another part. There is limited space." How big is the black hole? According to Professor Sun, in 2009 the government raked in, using various means, fiscal revenue of 11,500 bn yuan, about one-third of the GDP.

Source: China Securities Journal reprinted at Soho.com, November 1, 2010
http://business.sohu.com/20101101/n276881426.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Liang Guanglie: Wars Are Unlikely, but Military Friction Can’t Be Excluded

On December 29, 2010, People’s Daily published a December interview of Liang Guanglie, China’s Defense Minister. Li stated in the interview, “Looking at the current world situation, a full-scale war is unlikely, but we cannot exclude the possibility that, in some local areas, unexpected events may occur, or military friction may take place due to a ‘misfire.’” He indicated that, of all the military forces, the navy, air force, and second artillery corps make up a large and growing percentage, while the army is on the decline; that 80% of the officers now have college degrees; and that a modern weaponry system dominated by second generation equipment, with third generation equipment as the backbone has preliminarily been established.

Source: People’s Daily, December 29, 2010
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2010-12/29/content_711023.htm?div=-1

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Researcher Suggests Trading in Yuan in Southeast Asia

Yin Jianfeng, Director of the Financial Research Center, Institute of Finance and Banking, Chinese Academy of Social Science, stated that China should avoid the Japanese yen’s mistake when pushing the yuan as an international foreign exchange reserve. Yin argued that the yen failed as an international currency due to Japan’s weak financial system, its high domestic savings rate, and the lack of an offshore trading center.

To push the yuan to go worldwide, Yin suggested using Asian countries, excluding Japan, to break into the international market, since China’s trade with these countries accounts for nearly 50% of its imports and 38% of its exports. “Hong Kong should be the yuan’s offshore international financial center.” “Trade in yuan should first start in Southeast Asia, with Hong Kong as the Southeast Asia yuan investment and trade center.”  

Source: Xinhua, December 20, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-12/20/c_12900744.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China’s Government Think Tanks Debate Foreign Policy

On December 21, 2010, the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Science, published its “2010: Evaluation of China’s Security Situation.” The report stated, “In 2010, China faced intensified security pressure from its neighboring countries and deteriorating relationships with its neighbors.”

Recently China’s government think tanks have been debating the direction of China’s foreign policy. The International Herald Leader reported on a forum held to discuss the security report. Participants expressed two opposing views:

1.  “China should learn how to reduce it neighbors’ fears and worries concerning China’s rise. In other words, make more friends and create zero or few enemies.”

2. “China should learn from Russia. It initially took a soft foreign policy approach, but the Western world’s continued interaction with its neighbors became a threat. After Russia showed its determination to safeguard its interests, [Ed: sending troops to Georgia], the situation stabilized.”

Source: International Herald Leader, December 24, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-12/24/c_13663115.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Guangming: Developing China’s Propaganda Machine to Better Influence Other Countries

Guangming Daily published an article by Leng Song, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, on how to improve China’s influence over other countries. Leng listed the following strategies:

1. Build up the CCP Central media’s brand name and reputation overseas. All major Central media have already begun to expand in the Western world.
2. Have better control and utilization of the Internet, avoiding simple approaches such as blocking or removing articles on the Internet.
3. Expand the media’s focus to both developed and developing countries. China’s current foreign propaganda focus is Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Russia. China should also cover Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Leng also argued for the use of crises to promote China’s image. “Timeliness is the key to controlling the tone of the media when reporting a social crisis.” “Reporting on social crises requires full awareness of (the CCP’s) policy direction and political position.”

Source: Guangming Daily, December 22, 2010
http://epaper.gmw.cn/gmrb/html/2010-12/22/nw.D110000gmrb_20101222_1-11.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics