Briefings – Page 1129

Government Corruption High, Even in a Bad Economy

A salesperson at a high-end restaurant in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, told the reporter that, not including drinks, a standard meal for costs at least 300 to 400 yuan for one person and 3,000 to 5,000 yuan for a typical group. He said, “Our business is good. The economic crisis has not impacted us in any way.” Most customers have a high social status, and many are party and government officials.

Government vehicles are widely known to be used privately China. A driver who works for the Zhengzhou Municipal Authorities Affairs department reported that only about one third of their use is for government business; one third is for private use; the rest is for their own private businesses.

It one example in Shanxi’s Jincheng City, 66 government vehicles were sighted at high-end entertainment facilities. Many had license plates belonging to government agencies or the county-level people’s congress. Nine were police vehicles.

The State Secretary for The Prevention of Corruption, Ma Wen, said, “We have repeatedly emphasized this problem of ‘dining’ at the government’s expense. Despite arrests, the overall result is not satisfactory. Chinese people have a tradition of inviting friends and colleagues to restaurants. A number of cadres take dining on public funds for granted.

Despite the economy going downhill, corrupt government officials always find ways to keep themselves well fed and entertained, and the taxpayers get to pay for everything.

Source: China News, March 30, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/03-30/1624243.shtml

Briefings | | April 3, 2009 | Government/Politics

Medical Experts Call for Stop to Training Chinese Doctors

At the Ethics of Organ Transplantation Conference (EOTC) at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas on March 28, 2009, world renowned Canadian human rights attorney David Matas gave a presentation on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) practice of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit.

Medical experts attending the conference were shocked and angered by Matas’ findings. Many expressed that organ harvesting should not be used as a weapon of killing and that doctors who had carried out the organ transplants were committing crimes. The attendees felt that transplant doctors carrying out forced organ harvesting on the Falun Gong practitioners in China had brought a great shame to the organ transplant field, and these experts stated that the US should stop training Chinese doctors and transferring their transplant techniques to Chinese doctors. Some indicated that they would put the case of the CCP’s ongoing live organ harvesting into text books. Some EOTC experts stated they would call for Congress to stop the CCP’s crime.

Source: The Epoch Times, March 9, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/30/n2479217.htm

Briefings | | April 2, 2009 | Government/Politics

Chinese Hackers Have Broken into 103 Countries

The Epoch Times and the Chinese BBC have both coverd the story of a ten-month research study by the Munk Center for International Studies in Toronto, CA. The research reports that in the past two years, a Chinese spy network dubbed "GhostNet" has invaded 1,295 computers in 103 countries, including government agencies. These agencies include foreign affairs ministries, embassies and consulates, international organizations, news agencies, and NGOs. According to the report, there’s a "covert, difficult-to-detect and elaborate cyber-espionage system capable of taking full control of affected systems" that leads back to China.

Researchers at the Oxford University, UK also reported that these Chinese hackers have gathered information for the Chinese police to enable them continue their crackdown in Tibet.

While not claiming absolute proof, their newly-released report "Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network" says "circumstantial evidence" strongly suggests "this set of high profile targets has been exploited by the Chinese state for military and strategic-intelligence purposes." The Chinese Embassy in London denied any involvement and claimed the reports to be propaganda issuing from the Tibetan Government in Exile.

Source: The Epoch Times, March 31, 2009
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/31/n2479769.htm
Source: BBC Chinese, March 30, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7970000/newsid_7973200/7973223.stm
Source: NetworkWorld, April 1, 2009
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/040109-cyber-espionage.html?page=1

Briefings | | April 2, 2009 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: As the Number One US Debt Holder, China Should Have a Louder Voice

Xinhua published an article from Security Times, which argues that since China has become the number one debt holder of the US, China should have more say.

The article argued that accumulating US dollars in the short-term by China is unavoidable since other foreign reserves are not as appealing as the US dollar, but this approach may be harmful to China in the long term. As the creditor, China faces two risks: the default risk of the US dollar, which is unlikely, and the exchange rate risk. It was written in the article that China should reduce its foreign reserve and accumulate more raw materials instead.

Source: Securities Times, November 20, 2008
http://www.p5w.net/today/200811/t2018539.htm

Also published on: Xinhua, November 20, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2008-11/20/content_10385110_1.htm

Briefings | | April 2, 2009 | Economy/Resources

The Chosun Ilbo: Super-Sovereignty Reserve Currency Triggers US-China Currency War

China recently suggested the creation of a “global currency” to replace the US dollar. The US is firmly against the proposal. US President Obama told the press on the March 24 that “the US dollar is extraordinarily strong.” Primary US economic officials retorted on the same day.

Despite US rebuttal, Mr. Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of the central bank of China, mentioned this “international reserve currency” issue again on March 25. The new members of the G20 are skeptical about the current international currency system.

The article quoted a Russian official announcement on the necessity of a G20 discussion on a new IMF international currency. The British Prime Minister was also quoted on his dismissal of such a discussion.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo, March 26, 2009
http://chn.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/03/26/20090326000033.html

Briefings | | April 1, 2009 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua Commentary: China Should not Have a High Tone at the G20

Xinhua published an article suggesting that China should take care of itself before playing a major role in the international financial system. It argued that the governor of the central bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan’s suggestion of “replacing the US dollar” with a Super Reserve Currency under the IMF is unrealistic. Even if that happens, China may still not get more say at the IMF as it has been single-handedly maneuvered by the US for so long.

It further argued that so far China has been less impacted by the financial crisis not because China has a sound financial system, but rather because China’s financial system has not been fully opened to the world. China’s social and political systems are not yet ready for China to play the role of world financial leader.

So China should continue to remain low key. Its practical approach is to reduce the IMF’s international role by diverting the IMF into other regional financial and economic organizational roles and develop the Renminbi to make it strong enough to stand up to the US dollar and the Euro. Only when China is capable of providing the alternative currency reserve, can China have the ability to establish a just and fair international financial order.

Source: Xinhua, March 30, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-03/30/content_11098132.htm