Skip to content

Briefings - 1077. page

Largest Chinese Manmade Modern Canal to Be Constructed

The State Council recently approved the Yangtze to Hanjiang Project, with an investment of RMB 6.2 billion. It is estimated that the construction work will start in March at the earliest. The project is to build a canal between the Yangtze River and the Hanjiang River in Hubei Province. It will be the largest modern canal in China and the largest water resource adjustment facility in the province. The canal will be around 67 kilometers in length and 3.7 billion cubic meters in annual water volume. The central governement will fund the entire project.

Source: Xinhua, February 26, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-02/26/content_13051910.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China News Agency: Obama’s Meeting with Dalai Lama Will Not Affect Overall Sina-US Relations

A reporter from China News agency in Washington DC interviewed 3 American Chinese experts regarding U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meetings with the Dalai Lama. According to China News Net on February 19, 2010, all of the 3 China experts thought that the meetings would not affect Sina-US relations in general.

Shen Jiyao, a retired professor from the University of Washington DC, pointed out that the fact that Obama kept the meeting closed from the media showed the United States’ intention to reduce the impact of this meeting on the bilateral relations. Xue Haipei, President Obama’s former campaign consultant, said that the meetings will not shake the fundamentals of Sino-US relations. Zhu Zhiqun, a professor of Bucknell University, does not think the meetings will mortally damage Sino-US relations.

Source: China News Net, February 19, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/02-19/2125944.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Ming Pao Daily: China & U.S. Need to Cooperate More While the Importance of Tibetan Issue Declines

Ming Pao Daily reported on February 20, 2010, that the high-profile protest made by China against the U.S. President Barack Obama’s meeting with Dalai Lama will not affect Sino-US cooperation.

Radical messages such as resisting U.S. goods and reducing China’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries have appeared on Mainland China’s websites. Some scholars claimed that China would not rule out “bigger moves” in retaliation. However, according to AP, one expert, professor Jin Cairong of Renmin University in Beijing, believes that the Sino-US bilateral ties are more important than the Tibetan issue. With the approaching date of Hu Jintao’s visit to the U.S. this year and the new round of Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, China and the U.S. need to cooperate more.

Source: Ming Pao Daily, January 20, 2010
http://www.mingpaotor.com/htm/News/20100220/tcab1.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

PRC Ministry of Culture: Improve the Cultural Product Content Inspection and the Monitoring Systems

According to Beijing Youth Daily on February 17, 2010, the Department of Cultural Marketing, which is under the PRC Ministry of Culture, recently issued the “Department of Cultural Marketing’s Key Jobs in 2010” to each cultural marketing administrative and law enforcement division. The document lists 9 key jobs for the Department of Cultural Marketing in 2010. The development of “Online Games Regulations” and the drafting of “Mobile Phone Entertainment Regulations” are among these 9 key jobs. In addition, improviing cultural product content inspection and monitoring systems are also included as key jobs.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily, February 17, 2010
http://bjyouth.ynet.com/article.jsp?oid=63386597

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

CASS: China’s Public Servants Control 10% of Mafia Organizations

The recently published 2010 Rule of Law Blue Book, a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) annual report on the nation’s judicial progress, revealed the typical “White-Black-Red” trinity structure in Mafia organizations in China. “White” refers to legitimate business leaders, “Black” denotes the Mafia "Big Brother," and “Red” are the people with political ties offering a protective shield. Ten percent of the underground criminal enterprises are headed by public servants. 

The Blue Book shows a deterioration of the social order in the Mainland, where violent crime cases have grown substantially for the first time in a decade. For the first 10 months in 2009, the number of criminal cases increased over 10%, with total cases increasing by 20%. 
In 2010, China is still facing serious social instability. Inequality and unemployment, intensified by the financial crisis, are generating greater numbers of impoverished citizens. "The press [which carries the responsibility in China of maintaining stability], will not be relieved," says the report. 
Source: Radio France International, February 26, 2010 
http://www.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/122/article_19685.asp
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

National People’s Congress Passes National Defense Mobilization Act

On February 26, 2010, the thirteenth meeting of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress passed the National Defense Mobilization Act. The Act provides for national defense mobilization leadership structure, reserve personnel enlistment, strategic materials deployment, and war disaster prevention and relief. According to the legislation, the National Defense Mobilization Act should link up with the Emergency Contingency plan in terms of command, man power, information, and logistics. 

In case of war, the NPC Standing Committee determines nationwide or partial mobilization; the President proclaims the mobilization order; and the State Council and CCP’s Central Military Commission jointly lead the mobilization work. 
Source: China News Service, February 26, 2010 
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/02-26/2141293.shtml
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Extended Drought Affects Millions

A severe drought, which began in the fall of 2009, has plagued most of Southwest China and part of South China, affecting 11.88 million people, 800 million livestock, and 11.2 million acres of farmland, says the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH). 

On February 24, the SFDH initiated a Level II Drought Emergency Response by injecting 750 million Yuan (109.8 million U.S. dollar) into drought response and deploying 8.9 million people to help. 
Source: People’s Daily, February 26, 2010 
http://env.people.com.cn/GB/11032720.html
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Meeting with Dalai Lama is the Result of the U.S. Cold War Mentality

Obama’s reforms did not change his Feb 18 meeting with Dalai Lama, a Xinua article commented. Since President Bush’s first meeting with the Dalai Lama in 1991, three U.S. presidents had met with the Dalai Lama eleven times before the February 18 meeting. Why hasn’t Obama reformed this practice, asked the article. “It is based on the U.S. cold war mentality and one of the many cards in the pursuit of the US strategic interests.” The article states that it is high time for the U.S. to adopt a new way of thinking in handling the bilateral relationship.

Source: Xinhua, February 19, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-02/19/content_13005223.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations