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Germany Investigating Chinese Officials Spying on Falun Gong

Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s office is investigating two high-ranking Chinese officials on allegations of espionage targeting Falun Gong practitioners, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on June 26. One of the accused is said to hold the position of a Chinese vice-minister and serves as head of the “610 Office,” an extra-judicial arm of the Chinese Communist Party, which executes the Communist Party’s directive to fight the Falun Gong meditation movement worldwide. The Spiegel report mentioned the investigation could make Chancellor Angela Merkel’s upcoming China visit more difficult.

In December 2009, a diplomat of the Chinese Consulate in Munich was ordered to leave Germany after being found to have spied on the German Uighur community.

Source: The Central News Agency, June 27, 2010
http://www.cna.com.tw/SearchNews/doDetail.aspx?id=201006270171

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

PLA Daily: China Develops the Bei Dou GPS System

ChinaMil Net recently republished an article by PLA Daily introducing the Bei Dou System – China’s self-developed GPS system. The report is based on information provided by Dr. Qi Faren, who is the former Chief Architect and Designer of the Chinese Manned Space Operations Project, director of the Aerospace College of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, an Academician for the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and an Academician for the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The report covered the architecture of the Bei Dou System, the satellite launching illustration, and a comparison of the four primary GPS systems in the world. The Bei Dou System is entirely based on Chinese intellectual property. By 2012, the system will cover the Asia-Pacific areas. Global coverage with more than 30 satellites is expected by 2020. The bi-directional short messaging capability is believed to be superior to the unidirectional US GPS system.

Source: ChinaMil Net, June 24, 2010
http://chn.chinamil.com.cn/xwpdxw/2010-06/24/content_4245192.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Xinhua: China’s New Submarines Finished Important Tests

Xinhua recently reported on the accomplishments of China’s new submarines, based on People’s Liberation Army Pictorial sources. Since the regularization of the Chinese Navy’s blue water training in April, new developments on the Navy’s side have kept rolling in. The recent successful completion of the latest submarine tests included extreme deep water operations, underwater high sailing speed tests, and deep water torpedo launches. All tests passed design and combat goals. The Chinese Navy considers the nuclear submarines the elite of the fleet and a strategic force underwater.

Source: Xinhua, June 25, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-06/25/content_13738847.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

SASAC: Not A Single World Class Brand

The director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), Li Rongrong, commented on June 25 that out of 125 national level state-owned companies, none has a world class brand. Despite the fact that China is the second largest industrial manufacturing country, Chinese companies have only become competitive on the low and mid-low end of manufacturing. National state-owned companies gained big improvements during the past several years. However, that was basically riding on the countrywide development wave. Li believes that these national companies are still weak on core competitiveness and lack independent innovations. Today, 70% of new industrial products are based on external technologies. Li announced that SASAC is establishing a new motivation system to help the state-owned companies improve, .

Source: China Review News, June 25, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1013/6/3/8/101363800.html?coluid=10&kindid=253&docid=101363800&mdate=0625105632

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

A Seven Month Crackdown across China: the 2010 Strike Hard Campaign

According to an article published on on June 21, 2010, on the website of the Ministry of Public Security of the P.R. China, Zhang Xinfeng, the vice minister of the Ministry of Public Security delivered a speech at a national public security work conference regarding launching a massive seven-month crackdown on rising crime. Called the “2010 strike hard campaign,” the purpose of the crackdown is to ensure society’s continued stability.

Zhang pointed out that public security organizations at all levels must further build up the system of social security control networks, such as the control networks on streets, in communities and within work units as well as video surveillances, police cooperation across regions and control of “Internet Society.”

 Source: Ministry of Public Security of the P.R. China, June 21, 2010
http://www.mps.gov.cn/n16/n1237/n1342/n803680/2445282.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Guangdong Province Emergency Regulation

On June 2, 2010, the eleventh Standing Committee of Guangdong Province held its 19th meeting and passed the “Guangdong Regulation on Handling Emergencies,” reported Nanfang Daily on June 21, 2010.

According to the regulation, any government above the county level must annually evaluate the officials’ emergency prevention and handling performances. The higher level government should maintain oversight, and inspect and assess the emergency management work conducted by the lower level government.

Source: Nanfang Daily, June 21, 2010
http://nf.nfdaily.cn/nfrb/content/2010-06/21/content_13003252.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Huashang Daily: Forced Evictions Bring Shareholders up to 400% Profit

On June 18, 2010, Huashang Daily published an article by Liu Xuetao exposing the inside operations and stories of forced evictions in China.

Several demolition company shareholders told the Huashang reporter that a demolition project makes a 100% to 400% profit for each shareholder. Within a few months, millions of yuan come in, half of which must be paid to government officials ahead of time. Demolition project shareholders include government officials, referees, village cadres and even thugs from black societies.

“All the expenses arising from forced evictions such as from residents being killed or wounded and things being damaged must be paid by the developer while the government plays the role of negotiator. The average payment for one person who is killed is over 100,000 Chinese yuan (14646.65 U.S. dollars).”

 Source: Huashang Daily, June 18, 2010
http://finance.hsw.cn/system/2010/06/18/050540101.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

The Party Permeates Society and Red SMS

On June 23, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) committee of China’s southern province Hainan vowed to have its subsidiaries installed in every segment of society by the end of the year. “Social organizations with three or more full-time staff of formal CCP members should launch a party branch; those with two or fewer must join a branch with fellow organizations. … It called for a hierarchical CCP structure in all social groups, foundations, and other private entities.”
In Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, the party chief sent a cell phone text message to greet 10,136 grass-root cadres. The mobile text messaging system, jointly developed by the city’s CCP Organization Department and the nation’s largest mobile phone company China Mobile, allows instant dissemination of the party’s messages.
The above are but two examples of ongoing nationwide campaigns to strengthen the CCP’s grip on the people. 
Source: Hainan Daily, June 24, 2010
http://hnrb.hinews.cn/html/2010-06/24/content_239437.htm
Zhejiang Online, June 24, 2010
http://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/05zjnews/system/2010/06/24/016706681.shtml
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics