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Briefings - 1062. page

British Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Death despite UK Government Pressure

British citizen Akmal Shaikh was executed on December 29, 2009 in China. Shikh was found carrying four kilograms of heroin into China in 2007. According to Chinese law, the death sentence is given to people smuggling 50 grams or more heroin.

The British government, the media and other international human rights organizations appealed repeatedly to the Chinese government to reduce his sentence, citing psychological sanity concerns. The Chinese government stated that Shikh didn’t show signs of mental disorder, and that the trial was carried out following Chinese law and judicial process. Chinese media and judiciary experts consider the effort to save Shikh an attempt by the British government to exert undue influence on the Chinese judicial system.

Source: Xinhua, December 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-12/24/content_12699516.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Wen Jiabao: No RMB Appreciation under Pressure

In an interview on December 27, 2009, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao commented on the RMB’s value. Wen confirmed that the RMB will not undergo any appreciation as a result of outside pressure. He suggested that protectionism is rising rapidly against China. Some countries are coming up with a large number of trade barriers, even in the name of environmental protection. Wen believes keeping a stable RMB value is China’s contribution to the world economy. Meanwhile, he is not optimistic about next year’s trend of Chinese exports.

Source: Xinhua, December 27, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2009-12/27/content_12711307.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Innovative Management of Mobile or Hidden Party Members in Hunan

Hunan, one of the largest provinces providing migrant workers in China, has 181,200 CCP Party members who are on the move, also called mobile or “hidden” members. Xinhua reported on December 6, 2009, that, in order to find those hidden Party members, organizations in Hunan are providing employment information and job skills training for the mobile Party members.

In the past three months, all kinds of service organizations for the Party members in Hunan have re-registered 25,336 mobile Party members, and found 8,926 “pocket” Party members, those who keep their Party member identification to themselves after having retired, graduated from college, or left their original work unit or the army. Meanwhile, 1,503 new low-level Party organizations have been established. 807 of them are in private enterprises or associations and 126 of them are in society, such as in newly built residential neighborhoods, commercial buildings, flea markets and construction sites.

Source: Xinhua, December 06, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/06/content_12597493.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

282 Confucius Institutes in 88 Countries

Huanqiu reprinted a report originally published on China.org.cn on December 4, 2009, describing the development of Confucius Institutes around the world. Since 2004, 282 Confucius Institutes have been set up in 88 countries. At present, online Confucius Institutes are available to 149 countries. In addition, there are 11 Confucius radio broadcasting classes.

In 2009, the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL) has sent 2,060 training teachers to 109 countries and 2,740 Chinese language volunteer teachers to 71 countries. At the same time, 1,020 foreign students from 50 countries are studying in China for their Master’s degrees, majoring in International Chinese Education, and 2,200 foreign students are studying the Chinese language in China. Over 1,000 U.S. elementary and secondary school principals have been invited to visit China.

Source: China.org.cn, December 04, 2009
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-12/657985.html 

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Meng Jianzhu: Sustain Rapid Economic Development and Maintain a Harmonious Society

According to Xinhua news, 150,000 comprehensive social management cadres from municipal, county, township, and neighborhood levels participated in a 3-day national teleconference training. At the end of the training, on December 22, 2009, Meng Jianzhu, State Councilor and deputy director of the Party Central Committee for Comprehensive Society Management, gave a speech.

Meng pointed out that China is currently in an important strategic period of opportunity for social and economic development and of social contradictions. It is an arduous task to sustain stable and rapid economic growth and maintain a harmonious society at the same time. Therefore, the Party committees, the local governments, and the comprehensive social management departments at all levels must take more forceful measures to create a stronger cadre team that is firm in its political stance and competent in its work.

Source: Xinhua, December 22, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/22/content_12689541.htm 

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Is Worried about High Real Estate Prices

Xinhua reported that Wen Jiabao presided over a December 14 State Council Executive Meeting in which China’s communist controlled government acknowledged that the country is facing real estate problems. Since the time China stimulated its economy, the already high-priced housing market experienced another upsurge, making it unaffordable for the average Chinese to attain decent housing. Many Chinese people live in sheds. The meeting attendees demanded that the government exert pressure, curb rising housing prices and increase the supply of non-luxury residential properties, such as low to mid-level priced and small to mid-level sized housing and public rental housing. 

Source: Xinhua, December 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2009-12/14/content_12645976.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China’s National Defense Mobilization Law — 2nd Reading

A draft law that allows the Chinese government to mobilize most of its adult population for defense duties was up for a second reading at the People’s National Congress Standing Committee session on December 22. The draft law emphasized that the State Council and the CCP Central Military Commission hold joint responsibility for national defense mobilization. It included that the National Defense Implementation Plan should be in sync with the Emergency Response Plan, which calls for Emergency activities that include command, the application of force, information, and supply.

The draft law also defined the reserve system. Reservists are to be part of the active-duty forces, reserve forces, or militia. It also included a section calling for the medical and health aid system to be active in peace and war situations. When national defense mobilization occurs, medical staff, medicine, and medical equipment will also be mobilized for wartime use.

Source: Xinhua, December 22, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/22/content_12689759.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Zhou Yongkang: Three Priorities for Maintaining Social Stability

Xinhua reported that Zhou Yongkang, member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Party Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee, offerred his opinion during the video-conference meeting on December 18, discussing national political and legal work. Zhou stressed three priorities concerning political and legal activities. The three priorities are: the resolution of social conflicts, the innovation of social management, and fair and un-corrupted law enforcement.

Zhou pointed out that China is at a period of economic development and high social conflicts. Thus the task to maintain social stability is very challenging.  

Source: Xinhua, December 18, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/18/content_12667754.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability