Skip to content

Briefings - 1137. page

China Government Think Tank: Obama Should Follow Bush

Researcher at Institutes of American Studies of China Academy of Social Sciences states that Obama’s policy toward China will most likely follow the transition that Bush made after 911. The article predicts that Obama will be low key in his China policy to avoid confrontation. During his term, the U.S.-China Economic Strategic Dialogue will be upgraded in rank and areas expanded. The article comments that it would be critical that Obama follows Bush in balancing the Congressional pressure and the White House position.

Source: Outlook, December 23, 2008
http://news.sohu.com/20081223/n261371205.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Friends of Judges Selected as Jurors

Courts selectively “designate” jurors in spite of the random selection required by the law, said Study Times, the publication of the Party School of CPC, on December 29, 2008. The designations are based on relationships with judges. Lack of uniformity in sentencing has also become a major problem in the legal system. Judges tend to have too much discretion in sentencing. Scholars are calling for separation of trials and sentencing to reduce abuse of discretion by judges.

Source: Study Times, December 29, 2008
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=2366&nid=8473&bid=5&page=1

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

The Main Theme China’s State Media Will Be Promoting the History of Chinese Communist Party in the N

Radio Free Asia reports that after New Year’s Day, China’s State media’s will mandate reporting the economic achievement under the rule of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and promoting the history of CCP as the main theme. At the same time, the authorities will apply more strict examination of media reports and publications. Particularly when the content is related to Taiwan, Tibet and so on, the media reports and publications must be consistent with the authorities in political stance. 2009 will be the 60 years anniversary of China under the rule of CCP.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 29, 2008 http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/chuban-12292008095619.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China to Strike on Hostile Forces for Ethnic Separatist Activities

A Beijing senior official recently claimed to “resolutely” strike on hostile forces’ secession, infiltration, and sabotage activities using the ethnic issues, so as to defend ethnical solidarity and social stability.

At the National Ethnical Working Forum on December 24, Jia Qinglin, the member of standing committee of Politburo and Chairman of The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), set the requirement of “deeply understanding the significance of the ethnical solidarity under the new situation and practically defending the ethnical solidarity.” Jia said it’s needed to “resolutely” strike on domestic and overseas hostile forces’ secession, infiltration, and sabotage activities using the ethnic issues, so as to defend national unity, ethnical solidarity, and social stability.

Earlier in December, the Ministry of Education issued the Guidelines for Ethnical Solidarity Education, requiring elementary schools to strengthen the education of ethnical solidarity from the third grade, calling it a “strategic task that matters for the great renaissance of the nation of China.”

Source: Voice of America, December 25, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-12-25-voa40.cfm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Chinese Municipalities Order Harsh Punishment for Petitioners Headed to Beijing

Due to a flurry of factory bankruptcies across the nation, the number of migrant workers going to Beijing to appeal is increasing markedly. Beijing requires all local governments in the political-legal committee to emphatically work on preventing and controlling “petition riots.” An article from the website of the People’s Daily on December 23, 2008, recommends that the whole country follow the regulation issued by (the government of) Sanxi Province to give harsh punishments to petitioners. The article reveals that the office of the Taiyuan Municipal Party Committee and the Political-Legal Committee issued a notice to punish those who go to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Zhongnanhai, foreign embassies in China, central government leaders’ places, and provincial and municipal Party and government offices to appeal, as well as those who organize and instigate group appeals.

Source: Boxun, December 23, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/12/200812231119.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

PLA Daily: Chinese Army Must Establish Strategic Level Big Early Warning System As Soon As Possible

China’s state-run news agency Xinhua republished an article from the PLA Daily talking about the immediate need for the Chinese army to develop a strategic level early warning system. The article says that over the last decade, the Chinese army has shortened the distance from developed countries in early warning systems. However, the “short board” problem in the fighting efficiency of the early warning system still exists. At present, the army has mastered most of the modern early warning monitoring technology, is striving to solve the “short board” problem, and is working to develop the strategic level “big early warning” system.

Source: Xinhua, December 18, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-12/18/content_10523193.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Nuclear Industry Veterans Protest In Guangdong Province

120 veterans went to protest in front of the Guangdong provincial office and requested a settlement for medical benefits. The veterans have been working in a factory that produces nuclear material and claimed to have been exposed to various levels of nuclear radiation over the years. According to Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, many of them have been diagnosed with various chronicle diseases but are unable to afford medical care. One veteran told the reporter that he suffers from extreme fatigue. Some of his colleagues have died at an average age of less than 40 years old.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 19, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junren-12192008092201.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Unemployment Rate Higher than Official Number, Could Reach 10 Percent

At the beginning of this year, the official target for the number of unemployed was set at 10 million or 4.5 percent. However the reality is far worse than that now. According to experts, the unemployment rate in China is estimated to be at 8 percent and could possibly reach even the 10 percent mark. They explain that even though there is a labor investigation system setup by the National Bureau of Statistic, the publicized number does not include those who are excess labor in the countryside, peasant workers who lost their jobs in cities such as regions of the Pearl or Yangtze River Deltas or the 12 percent of college graduates who are still looking for jobs.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 20, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhong-12192008223343.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics