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Briefings - 1105. page

70,000 Protesters Fought against Riot Police

Epoch Times reported that as many as 70,000 residents from Shishou City, Hubei Province protested in the streets and clashed with the police several times on June 19 and June 20. About ten thousand riot police were called in and conducted forced clean-up at 3 a.m. on June 21. The confrontations between the riot police and residents were recorded on mobile phone videos and still images appeared on websites.

The uprising was triggered by the mysterious death of Mr. Tu Yuangao, a 23-year-old cook at the Yonglong Hotel. It was reported that Mr. Tu was killed after finding out that the hotel owner, the head of the local public security bureau, and the wife of the head of the court were smuggling and selling drugs. Local residents went to the hotel to support Mr. Tu’s family’s request for a fair investigation. They stopped the police several times from forcibly taking Mr. Tu’s body.

China censored all reports about this incident on the Internet. On July 20, the article China News Agency published instead was titled “Several Departments in Shishou City, Hubei Province Held a Joint Commuter Bus Fire Drill.” 

Source:
[1] Epoch Times, June 20, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/6/20/n2564437.htm
[2] Epoch Times, June 21, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/6/21/n2564903.htm
[3] China News Agency, June 20, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/news/2009/06-20/1742317.shtml

China to Capitalize on the Growth of the Culture Industry

For the first few months of 2009, China’s culture industry experienced double digit growth of 17 percent, while its book sales grew 20 percent and movie ticket sales were up 40 percent compared to the same period last year. In order to capitalize on this growth, China has instituted a series of plans to include the culture industry in its national “Eleventh Five Year Plan” and make it a new area to stimulate domestic demand.

Ministry of Cultural is speeding up formation of guidelines, organizing national conventions, and encouraging non-public enterprises to enter the culture industry. Below are a few examples:

  • On April 24, the Ministry of Culture signed a cooperative agreement with the Bank of China to establish a long term strategic partnership to secure financial funding for new culture enterprises and projects.
  • On May 18, during the 5th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzheng, 3.5 million visitors were at the expo, 830,000 more than the previous time.
  • On June 15, the Shanghai Cultural Equity Exchange, a platform for the trading of property rights, creditor’s rights and equity rights of culture products was formed. There were 500 active projects being traded including 50 from foreign countries.

Source: Xinhua, June 18, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2009-06/18/content_11563116.htm

Maintaining Social Stability is a Tough Challenge for the Government

According to Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Central Political Bureau Standing Committee, and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Commission, China is facing an arduous task in maintaining social harmony and stability. Zhou admitted that increasing internal conflicts, a high crime rate, as well as “complex struggles against our enemies,” still exist.

Zhou was speaking at the “National Recognition of the Comprehensive Management of Social Order and the General Assembly.” The full text of speech can be found in Qiu Shi magazine.

Source:
[1] China News, June 16, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/06-16/1735600.shtm
[2] Qiushi Journal, June 16, 2009
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20090616/GB/qs%5E505%5E0%5E1.htm

China News Agency: China’s Military Expenditures Leaping to “the World’s Second” Is Normal

Many Chinese web sites widely published a China News Agency article defending China’s military spending. The article was based on a Hong Kong Wen Wei Po article. It acknowledged that in 2008 China’s military expenditures had leaped to the world’s second. It then argued, “Internationally, ‘people with their own agenda’ will inevitably create a new wave of ‘China threats.’ However, since China’s GDP will soon surpass Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy, wasn’t it normal that its military expenditures correspondingly move to second position, too?” “In fact, right now China’s military expenditures, compared to the China’s national defense and security needs, are far from being adequate.”

Source: China News, June 15, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/hb/news/2009/06-15/1734256.shtml

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Expert: China’s Urban Development Model Has Reached Its End

Wei Houkai, Deputy Director of the Urban Development and Environment Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that the traditional urban development model in China has come to its end and China needs to transition to a new era. Wei listed the following concerns in China’s development model:
1. High growth.
2. High resource consumption – production is generated based on large scale consumption of energy, land, and raw materials.
3. High discharge – the energy cost per unit and waste discharge rate is the highest in the world.
4. Over-development and lack of planning.
5. Disaccord – the gap between the coast area and inland area, and the huge (4 to 6 times) income gap between the urban and the rural areas.

Source: China News Agency, June 15, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/cj-gncj/news/2009/06-15/1734339.shtml

Xinhua: The Hacker Business: an Industrial Chain in China

The International Herald Leader, a newspaper under the Xinhua News Agency, posted an article stating that the hacker business is an established gray industrial chain China. The article stated, “‘Hacker’ does not necessarily mean ‘wrecker." But the ‘wrecker’ part of the hacker business has become a large-scale industrial chain with more than 200 million yuan in annual income.” The hackers’ industrial chain includes: the “thief hackers,” who steal valuable network information; the “gun sellers,” who sell hacker tools and provide after-sale technical support; the “hired network killers,” who normally use a DDOS approach to attack web sites; and hacker trainers, whose teaching covers the technology of virus and Trojan creation and network attacks. It was said that a typical hacker’ web site can bring at least two to five million yuan annually.  

Source: Xinhua, June 12, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-06/12/content_11529888.htm

Xinhua: U.S. Interferes with Tibet through Intelligence, Human Rights and Funding

Intelligence, human rights and economic aid are the three tactics that the U.S. uses to interfere with Tibetan affairs, stated the International Herald Leader under Xinhua on June 15, 2009. On June 10, the U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 2410 authorizing the Secretary of State to establish a Tibet Section within the United States Embassy in Beijing to follow political, economic, and social developments in Tibet. In response, Xinhua has since published a series of articles to express opposition.

The June 15 article cites U.S. military support for the Dalai Lama in terms of telecommunications, munitions and training of Tibetan rebels. The article accuses the U.S. Department of State of smearing China in its report, alleging the Chinese government infringes upon Tibet’s democracy and freedom by force. The economic aid that the U.S. provides has included annual direct funding of $2 million to Tibetan exiles since 2002 and another $300,000 from the CIA to the Dalai Lama’s government in exile.

Source: Xinhua, June 15, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-06/15/content_11544122.htm;
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-06/15/content_11544098.htm

South Korean Military Networks Attacked 95,000 Times This Year

The Global Times under Xinhua reported that a South Korean Defense Security Command release stated that military computer networks had been attacked over 95,000 times this year, a 20% increase over the same period last year. The attacks fell into the following categories: Hacking 10,450 times, spreading a virus 81,700 times, denial of service attacks 950 times, and web page tampering 1,900 times. The South Korean Defense Security Command indicated that the analysis showed that 89% of the attacks were directed at the servers and homepage of military websites and 11% were attempts to steal military intelligence, thus posing a serious threat. South Korean Yonhap News reported that most attacks originated from China and North Korea. Government defense think tanks believe that South Korea’s "Chinese hacker" speculation is a replica or another version of the "China threat theory," reflecting a "cold war mentality."

Source: Global Times, June 16, 2009
http://world.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-06/489959.html