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Briefings - 1160. page

Coal Will Remain the Main Source of Energy through 2050

According to Study Times, coal will continue to be the main source of energy through the year 2050, although the percentage of coal in China’s energy supplies may drop from 75% to 60%. “The basic reality of China’s energy is a ‘lack of oil, not enough gas, and a lot of coal,’ with uneven distribution of resources and economic development in the eastern and western regions.” Renewable energy such as wind power, solar power and biomass will hardly account for any meaningful percentage in the overall energy balance. The State should exercise caution with nuclear energy development, warns Study Times.

Source: Study Times, May 4, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2617&bid=4

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Research in Psychology Used to Suppress Religious Groups

"Since 1999, Chinese authorties have maintained over 2, 000 research projects in religious psychology in order to suppress religious groups," said Dr. Sun Yanjun, a visiting professor of the Psychology of Religion at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Sun made the remarks at a press event held on May 4, 2009, at the National Press Club in Washington DC. According to Dr. Sun, in addition to the National Social Science Foundation and other State foundations, the Public Security Ministry, the State Security Ministry, the Communist Party Propaganda Department, and the State Administration for Religious Affairs have all funded these research projects. Almost all of the cognizant research institutions have participated in these projects. “Under a dictatorship, science becomes the accomplice of tyrannical rule. This is the scientific professionals’ deepest shame,” says Sun.

Source: Epoch Times, May 5, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/5/5/n2516116.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Hangzhou Regulation: No Anonymous User on the Internet

The highly visible “Hangzhou City Computer Information Network Safety Protection Management Regulation” went into effect in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province on May 1, 2009. The regulation states that no company or person may use computer networks to spread rumors, disturb social order, or destroy social stability; encourage the public to criticize others, expose others’ privacy, or make even subtle personal attacks; or publicly insult or fabricate lies to slander others. On-line service providers must record the valid identification information of the user when he/she is applying for service. [1]

Yangcheng Evening News published several articles to point out that the internet users’ dismay about the tighter government’s restriction over freedom of speech on the Internet. [2] [3] [4]

Source:
[1] Zhejiang News, May 1, 2009
http://www.zj.chinanews.com.cn/detail/1118252.shtml
[2] Yangcheng Evening News, May 2, 2009
http://www.ycwb.com/news/2009-05/02/content_2124053.htm
[3] Yangcheng Evening News, May 3, 2009
http://www.ycwb.com/sp/2009-05/03/content_2124295.htm
[4] Yangcheng Evening News, May 4, 2009
http://www.ycwb.com/misc/2009-05/04/content_2124689.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Challenges for College Graduates to Find Jobs

China Youth Daily listed the challenges for college graduates to find jobs: One, irrational industrial structure makes manufacturing the strongest industry in China and other industries such as design, supply chain, and services that need more college graduates weak. Second, the large gap in social security benefits makes government or state-owned enterprises, offering more benefits, more attractive than agriculture or private companies, offering limited or even no benefits. Third, national monopolies prevent private enterprise from entering certain industries and thus creating jobs.

This year, China will have 7 million college graduates enter the job market.

Source: China Youth Daily, May 1, 2009
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2009-05/01/content_2648156.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Foreign Resistance to China’s Forced Certification of IT Products

The China National Certification and Ratification Regulatory Committee announced that it will defer  implementation of its “IT Product Safety Forced Certification System” for one year. The scope of the forced certification has also been reduced to government-procured IT products only. However, Japan, European countries, and the US all expressed concerns about China’s policy.

The certification system dictates that makers of thirteen IT products, which have been either imported or produced in China, including anti-spam software, firewalls, network monitoring and control systems, and OS for IC chips, must disclose the source code to Chinese government for certification. However, the source code is the intellectual property and core compatibility of the software producers. Foreign countries are concerned that Chinese producers may produce copycat products once businesses disclose these trade secrets to China. Also, exposing source code for network tools will allow China freedom to browse private information on the Internet.

Source: The Liberty Times, May 1, 2009
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/may/1/today-int2.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Military Talent Gaps

Study Times, a magazine by the CCP Central Party School, recently published an article on the gaps between Chinese military generations.

The article identified three major issues: (1) average military officers’ lack of education, especially in information technology; (2) significant lack of talented officers capable of joint combat commanding in the information systems environment; (3) significant lack of high level technical talents.

The article concluded that the causes of the problems are that the(1)education system is far behind modern day world standards; (2)the military organizational structure does not meet the requirements of today’s challenges;(3) and that compared to profitable civilian organizations, the military does not have enough incentives to attract needed talents.

Source: Study Times, April 27, 2009.
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2603&bid=7

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua: Navy Ceremony Starts the “Era of Chinese Sea Power”

Xinhua News published a digest article on April 23, based on a report by The China Press, a US based publication sponsored by the Chinese government. The article pointed out that the Chinese naval 60-year anniversary ceremony marked a “breakthrough” on the traditional limited “Coastal Waters Defense” naval strategy, which “obviously” does not match China’s status as a rising world power.

China has noticed that its sovereignty over sea waters has been significantly challenged in recent years. As an example, the article referred to recent incidents between China and Russia, Malaysia, Japan and the United States.

Source: Xinhua, April 23, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-04/23/content_11240727.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Li Changchun: No One Allowed to Report on Officials Involved in Siemens Scandal

The Central Propaganda Department recently banned all Chinese media from reporting on Chinese officials involved in the recent international Siemens bribery scandal. Relatives of two members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee were on the bribery list.

Documents regarding the scandal that have been released by the US Justice Department revealed names of companies involved, including Chinese companies. Under US and German government pressure, Siemens also provided names to the involved governments, including China. The targeted media ban order was issued by Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, the CPC Central Committee. However, Chinese media can freely report on the rest of the scandal story.

Source: Sina News, April 26, 2009.
http://dailynews.sina.com/gb/chn/chnnews/ausdaily/20090426/1711187101.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics