Skip to content

Briefings - 1012. page

Beidaihe Retreat for Overseas Chinese Talent

Beidaihe, best known as China’s Camp David, is a retreat commonly used by the Party’s highest leadership each July to slip away from the summer heat of Beijing and to plan important strategies in the privacy that Beidaihe offers. 
In July, the Chinese Communist Party invited 70 some overseas Chinese experts to Beidaihe for a vacation. They are part of the “1000 Elite Program,” a government initiative to attract the world’s top overseas Chinese scholars, scientists, and corporate executives back to work for China. The Beidaihe retreat program started as early as 2001.
According to the Xinhua report, the experts said that while abroad they never experienced such courtesy, and that the Party and the government gave such great attention to overseas talent. It quoted one as saying, “We must use our knowledge and technology to make more contributions to national development, and to use practical action to show gratitude to the Party and the people.”
Source: Xinhua, July 28, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-07/28/c_12384730.htm

Beijing Justifies Internet Control by Referring to Western Practices

In a lengthy article published by its official Xinhua news agency, China enumerates many examples of how Western governments control cyberspace, with a view to defending China’s own control of the Internet.
The article starts by pointing out, “Many Western countries advocate freedom of speech. At first glance, they seem to exert no control over the Internet.” The article goes on to give examples of government regulations in the U.S., Germany, Australia, Korea, and Japan. They include U.S. intelligence agencies’ strikes on Internet hackers, the German’s Information and Communication Service Act, Japan’s Adolescent Internet Environment Readiness Act, and Korea’s enforced real name online registration.
An analysis of the examples, however, reveals that they do not, in actuality, greatly restrict citizen’s freedom of speech.
Source: Xinhua, July 23, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-07/23/c_12365092.htm

SARFT: Not Allowed to Have a Radio, Film, or Television Festival without a Permit

On July 26, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television re-issued a directive that any institution that does not have a Radio and TV Program Production License should not participate in any radio, film, or television festival.
The notice demanded that all organizers of radio, film, or television festivals rigorously review the qualifications of the participants and bar any unqualified ones from participating.
Source: Xinhua, July 26, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-07/26/c_12374931.htm

Xinhua: Guard Against Foreign Forces in South China Sea

Xinhua published an editorial critical of U.S. Secretary of State Clinton’s remarks at the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting about U.S. interests regarding the disputed South China Sea Islands.  

“These remarks show the interest by foreign forces in intervening in the South China Sea. The underlying motives and the possible impact thereof are worth our attention and alert (toward) the neighboring countries in the South China Sea.”

The editorial warns that whenever there are territorial disputes, western forces will first incite discord in the region and then pose as arbitrators to divide and rule the disputing countries.

Source: Xinhua, July 27, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-07/27/c_12379898.htm

Huanqiu: Be Wary of U.S. Moves in East Asia

Huanqiu published that the United States is “quietly moving” to solidify its influence in Southeast Asia using different tactics. The activities, Huanqiu speculated, include trips to Asia by U.S. officials and U.S. scholars, conferences in Asia on economic partnerships and maritime law, as well as visits to China by U.S. scholars. These covert activities provide the base for future actions as well as intelligence support to its policies and open actions, aiming to cut into East Asia for control when the time is ripe. Professor Su Hao, China Foreign Affairs University, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote the article.

Source: Huanqiu, July 21, 2010
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-07/945457.html

PLA Admiral: Diplomacy Using Incentives and Penalties

Yang Yi, Admiral of the People’s Liberation Army, discussed different means available for Chinese diplomacy. According to his article, there are three major conflicts that China faces. One is the conflict between Chinese-style socialism and the Western cold war mentality; two is resistance to a rising China by monopolistic countries trying to restrain China; and three is conflicts between the accelerated development of China and the interests of other developing countries.

In his opinion, whether the three conflicts can be resolved is the key to China’s ability to maintain stability and to avoid military conflicts. Yang recommends a balanced diplomacy consisting of full participation in international affairs to influence direction, prompt responses without following others, and proactively changing the "rules of the game" by applying incentives and penalties, i.e. using the carrot and stick approach.

Source: Huanqiu, July 28, 2010
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-07/964371.html

Xinhua: Strategies to Fight the U.S. Aircraft Carrier’s Supremacy

After China’s unusual repeated protests, the U.S. “George Washington” aircraft carrier will not enter the Yellow Sea, but will perform joint exercises with South Korea in the Japanese Sea. China and the US have entered an “aircraft carrier dilemma” era, International Herald reported on July 22. The article listed three strategies for China to deal with the US:
1. Best strategy: A political solution: Define China’s core interest areas along China’s coastal areas and use political and diplomatic approaches to block U.S. carriers from entering it.
2. Mediocre strategy: A political approach plus military preparation such as anti-surveillance preparation, monitoring the U.S. carrier, conducting China’s exercises in certain water areas, etc.
3. Military strategy: If the U.S. carrier arrives at China’s coast despite China’s strong protests, then send a nuclear submarine carrying strategic missiles to the ocean war locations, increase the combat readiness level of the land-based long-range missiles, and apply military pressure against the U.S. carriers battle group, etc.

Source: International Herald, July 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-07/22/content_13897790.htm

PLA Established a Centralized Network Warfare Command

According to a South China Morning Post report that was republished by the Global Times, the PLA has established its first network warfare center, called the Information Protection Center. This center is directly under the General Staff Department and will command all the Internet-based strategic information centers throughout all PLA units. It is the first time that the PLA confirmed it has developed a network warfare strategy. Some believe the strategy has shifted from the information protection of the past to developing network warfare.

The PLA also published a rule that prohibits its 2.3 million soldiers from creating web pages and blogs, entering the online community, and using online chatting and dating services, even when on vacation.

Source: Global Times, July 25, 2010
http://china.huanqiu.com/eyes_on_china/economy/2010-07/956140.html