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Briefings - 1128. page

“Just Stress Party Nature but Human Nature”

On July 14, Zhou Jianguo, the town chief of Dianmen in Hengshan County of Hunan Province, ordered a force-demolition of more than 50 residential households in the Guihua village. He was reported stating “We just stress Party nature but human nature. Demolish!” The forced-demolition left hundreds of villagers to live and sleep in the open fields. Villagers said, “We suffer more than the victims of the Wenchun (Sichuan Province) earthquake. What they suffered was natural disaster…  But what we experienced was a man-made disaster. No one will pay attention to us.” One deputy town chief also said proudly, “Who can fight to beat the Communist Party?”

Source: Boxun News, Aug 4, 2009
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2009/08/200908040935.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

PLA Daily: Resolutely Oppose Military Nationalization

Compared to “nonpartisan armed forces” and “nonpolitical armed forces,” military nationalization is the most demagogic, according to an article from People’s Liberation Army Daily. “Hostile forces use it to confuse the relationship between the Party and country/armed forces and to put the military’s concerns in conflict with the country’s concerns so that the country’s concerns related to the military trump the political concerns of the military, thus negating the absolute leadership of the Party over the military. It is not only politically harmful, but also lacks theoretical support and will not work in practice – it is a false paradox.”

The PLA article asserts that military nationalization is in conflict with Marxist nationalization, harmful to the concerns of our armed forces, out of touch with the practical requirements of our political party, and contrary to the fundamental interests of the country.

Source: China News Service, May 7, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/05-07/1681239.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Netizens Challenge the Credibility of Official Statistics

The International Herald Leader reported discontent from the public as its members challenged the credibility of official statistics. According to the July 28 report of the National Bureau of Statistics, urban disposable per capita income actually grew 11.2% for the first 6 months of 2009, while the same income for rural residents increased 8.1%. Income for both urban and rural residents exceeded the 7.1% GDP growth. However, netizens cast their doubts by claiming that their income was “being generated” (by the official statistics). A Party School director also questioned the accuracy of the numbers. “The rapid growth of per capita income of urban residents contradicts the drastic decrease of the personal income tax amount.” According to a poll, urban residents perceived the fluxuation in their income for the second quarter of 2009 to be -8.6%, the lowest income since 1999.

Source: Xinhua, August 3, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-08/03/content_11815511.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Ministry of Public Security to Train Local Captains

On July 27, 2009, the Ministry of Public Security announced a plan to train its local captains at the grass roots level. The trainees include heads of police stations, detention centers, crime investigation squads, traffic administrators, and public security administrators. The priority is to train heads of police stations. Each training session is 10 days. Training will start in the second half of this year and end in June 2010. The training will focus on the build-up of information technology, law enforcement standardization and the relationship between the public and the police.

Source: Ministry of Public Security, August 3, 2009
http://www.mps.gov.cn/n16/n1237/n1342/n803715/2000939.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Peaceful Reunification Association Establishes a Regional Hong Kong Association

The Hong Kong Regional branch of the China Peaceful Reunification Association was formed on July 30. At the ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention Center, Du Qinglin, Minister of the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee, said the Hong Kong Association will build a bridge to promote exchange between the two sides (China and Taiwan); firmly defend national unification and territorial integrity; continuously expand the force to promote reunification and prevent (Taiwan’s) independence.

The President of the Hong Kong Regional Association, Gao Jingde, outlined three areas for the association to focus on: 1. Actively connect with the organizations and individuals in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas to form a peaceful reunification force; 2. Promote trade and exchange of culture, education, technology, media, sports, and tourism; 3. Conduct real and good work for a peaceful relationship between the two sides.

Source: United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee
http://www.zytzb.org.cn/zytzbwz/newscenter/benwang/200907/t20090731_567248.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

International Herald: China’s J-10 Fighter Goes to South China Sea

Around August 1, the PLA Daily reported that the Air Force in the Guangzhou Military Command conducted a J-10 fighter aerial refueling. The International Herald explained that J-10 is the most advanced fighter jet in China. Its flying range is 3,400 km and effective air combat radius is 700 km. As the islands and water in the South China Sea that China and ASEAN countries dispute are over 1,000 km from China’s mainland, the aerial refueling resolved the J-10’s flying limitation.

The International Herald further commented that this is a milestone for China’s Air Force to go beyond land-based defense, an announcement that China will expand its control of the air and sea, and a demonstration of China’s joint combat capability between the Air Force and the Navy as the J-10 is taking on what is traditionally the Naval Air Force’s responsibility.

Source: International Herald, August 3, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-08/03/content_11815461.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China News Agency: The U.S. Lowered Itself to China for Its National Interest

China News Agency quoted an article from the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao commenting on the U.S.’ behavior at the First Round of Sino-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, DC on July 27 and 28. Ming Pao said that Obama lowered himself to China, demonstrating the U.S.’ flexibility of being soft in exchange for its national interest.

However, how well the Sino-U.S. relationship goes depends on the following three main issues: 1. How much additional speaking power will the U.S. allow China to have in international organizations such as the IMF? 2. Will the U.S. stop the ban on selling advanced technologies to China? 3. When the U.S. economy stabilizes, will it reduce its spending or devalue the dollar to solve its financial problems but cause huge losses to China who owns a large amount of Treasury bonds?

Source: China News Agency, July 29, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/hb/news/2009/07-29/1794786.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua: China Should Have More Say on Global Pricing

Xinhua reported that the Deputy of the Development and Reform Commission, Ren Pengseng, said at the China Price Forum that China should fight for more say on the pricing of bulk commodities on the global market.

Ren claimed that the Chinese economy started recovering this year, but the recovery is not reliable and the pressure of structural adjustments is mounting up. Liquidity is ample and the level of prices tends to increase. In order to improve the price control and adjustment system, it is important to enhance monitoring and reserving mechanisms and price adjustment funds.

Source: Xinhua, July 30, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-07/30/content_11800355.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources