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Briefings - 1019. page

Zhou Yongkang Visited North Korea

Zhou Yongkang, a senior Communist official and one of the nine-member standing committee of the Politburo, led a Chinese delegation to attend North Korea’s 65th anniversary celebration of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. During his 3-day visit from October 9 to 11, Zhou met with Kim Jong-Il four times. Zhou also “had extensive contacts with the newly elected Workers’ Party leadership.” Zhou also watched a military parade and the evening celebration performance. Kim Jong-Il said that he and the central group leadership would like to visit China often.

[Ed: The newly elected leadership may refer to Kim Jong-Un, Kim Jong-Il’s selected heir].

Source: Xinhua, October 11, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/11/c_12648095.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: Sino-Turkey Joint Military Training

The People’s Daily website published an article consisting of reports from the U.K., U.S., Russia, and Turkey on the military exchange that China held with Turkey from September 20 to October 4. It stated that “this military exchange is a ‘joint training’ but not a ‘joint exercise.’” China flew its Su-27 planes over Pakistan and Iran to land at Turkey’s air force base, a journey of over 4,000 miles, without aerial refueling.

Source: People’s Daily website, October 10, 2010
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/42969/58519/12910945.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Deputy Minister of Water Resources: Serious Water Shortage in the North

Hu Siyi, the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, recently announced that the situation regarding the lack of water in northern China is getting worse due to the double pressures of global climate change and large-scale economic development. For example, the Haihe River Basin surface water level dropped 41% during the past two to three decades. The urbanization of China is speeding up rapidly. Meanwhile, the acceleration of industrialization is resulting in a rapid increase in water usage. During the past four years, just the energy and heavy chemical industries alone consumed 10 billion cubic meters more water. Hu believes that water conservation faces unprecedented challenges.

Sources: Xinhua, October 7, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-10/07/c_12633704.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Mission 2010 Exercise Authorized

Based on the Annual Plan of Joint Exercises, the Central Military Commission authorized the Mission 2010 cross-regional group army mobility exercise, which started on October 10, 2010. The exercise was a response to Hu Jintao’s call for “Innovative Development in Military Exercises.” The basic goal of this exercise was to improve information system based combat capabilities. The exercise covered the Beijing, Lanzhou, and Chengdu Military Regions and the Air Forces as well as the Army Air Corps. The total number of troops involved was more than 30,000, and the total mobility distance covered was over 10,000 kilometers. In addition, civilian passenger and cargo airplanes were coordinated to participate in this exercise.

Source: Xinhua, October 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/09/c_13549165.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua: Tibetan Buddhist Temple Administration Regulations Released

The China State Bureau of Religious Affairs recently released the Tibetan Buddhist Temple Administration Regulations. The regulations are set to take effect on November 1. Tibetan Buddhism has widespread support across Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. According to the head of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, some temples are “blind" when they determine development goals, and some temple officials are not patriotic.

He claimed that some temples are straying further and further away from the Party and that the Dalai Lama is “using” them. He believes these unwanted activities are having a major negative impact on the “normal religious order.” The regulations detailed the conditions for criminal and civil liabilities, and the restrictions on large scale religious activities.

Source: Xinhua, October 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/09/c_12641421.htm
China News Service, October 8, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2010/10-08/2572913.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Curse Companies Operate Openly and Are in High Demand in China

On October 4, 2010, a Fujian Province website in China (www.fjsen.com) described how professional telephone curse companies have been appearing on the Internet in China. As long as you pay the company, a professional curser will swear at someone you hate by placing numerous phone calls or text messages. The rate for cursing by phone is 70 Chinese yuan (US $10.47) per day, and the rate for cursing through text messages is 40 Chinese yuan (US $5.99) per day .

Although cursing on behalf of others violates Chinese law, curse companies’ websites are not censored or blocked in China. Their businesses are operated openly and are in high demand. Usually, customers need to book their services 2-3 days in advance. 

Source: www.fjsen.com, October 4, 2010
http://www.fjsen.com/d/2010-10/04/content_3741404.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

From 2002 to 2009, over 260,000 Chinese Obtained U.S. Citizenship

On October 6, 2010, China News Service (CNS) reported that, in the 8-year period from 2002 to 2009, more than 260,000 Chinese people over the age of 18 obtained U.S. citizenship. The report was based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Since 2005, over 30,000 Chinese nationals have become U.S. citizens each year. In 2008, the figure surpassed 40,000; in 2009, it was over 37,000. The average waiting period for a Chinese to get citizenship, from the time the green card is issued, is 7 years.

Source:  China News Service (CNS), October 06, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/hr/2010/10-06/2569916.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

The Party Establishes its Leadership in China-Owned Enterprises and China-Foreign Joint-Ventures

Study Times, a newspaper owned by the press agency of the Party School under the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, published an article on October 04, 2010, regarding the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party’s core leadership position in enterprises in China.

The article also talked about establishing the party’s position in China-Foreign joint ventures.  Following the CCP’s constitution, China’s “Company Law” and “State-Owned Assets Law" allow the Party’s work to run smoothly and effectively in China-Foreign joint ventures.

The article reminds the reader, “Always adhere to the unwavering principle of the Chinese Communist Party’s control over managers, administrators and people.”

Source: Study Times, October 04, 2010
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/10/04/08/08_38.htm 

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics