Briefings – Page 1171

Official: Inequality Causes Low Consumption

Ren Yuling, a State Council advisor, was recently quoted by China Economic Weekly, a magazine owned by the People’s Daily newspaper. Ren refers to the grave income inequalities across the population. In metropolitan areas, the top 20 percent of the population possesses 66.4% of the financial assets, while the bottom 20 percent owns only 1.3%. With the wealth concentrated in a very few, majority of the people are lack of consumption power. This is the fundamental reason for a low domestic personal expenditure, a major target of the 4 trillion yuan government stimulus package.

Source: Voice of America, March 16, 2009
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2009-03-16-voa54.cfm

Briefings | | March 18, 2009 | Economy/Resources

PLA Daily editorial: Focus on core military capacities

PLA Daily editorial on March 18: "Insist on military modernization construction in preparing for military warfare, with an emphasis on core military capacities."

"China’s current national security is facing a complex situation. Although non-traditional security threats continue to rise, the traditional threats remain the top concern. The Party’s 17th Congress has pointed out that the military must improve the capabilities to confront multiple security threats and fulfill diverse military operations. The multiple security threats primarily refers to the threat of the country being invaded, overthrown, and split; diverse military operations primarily refers to accomplishing the task of win a regional and information warfare. The core military capacities matters for the nation’s fundamental interests."

Source: Xinhua, March 18, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2009-03/18/content_11029549.htm

Briefings | | March 18, 2009 | Defense/Military

Government Site Warns Alarming Soil Erosion

China’s Ministry of Water Resources website says that soil erosion has deprived the country of 1 million mu* of arable lands on a yearly basis. From 2001 to 2005, there were more than 150,000 squared kilometers of annual new land losses due to construction activities. Total land loss has amounted to 3.56 million squared kilometers, 37.1% the country’s size. If the trend continues, the 1.4 million mu of black soils in Northeast China will disappear in 50 years, causing a 40% drop in grain production; the lithified land in the southwest will double in 35 years, leaving 100 million people nowhere to stay.

Source: Xinhua, March 18, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-03/18/content_11030156.htm

*mu is China’s traditional unit of measurement of areas. 1 mu = 666.7 squared meters.

Briefings | | March 18, 2009 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: North Korea’s Hard-Line Stance Is Forced by Western Governments and Media

Xinhua published an article originally from China Youth Daily claiming that North Korea’s hard line stance is related to the actions by the United States, Japan, and South Korea. First, South Korea President Lee Myung Bak started the policy of “Korea unification under democracy” to replace his predecessor’s compromise policy between South and North. This has made North Korea feel pressured of its future. Second, Japan and U.S. always pressure North Korea. Although Japan, U.S., and other Western countries promise to give financial compensation and aids after North Korea abandoning nuclear arms, they add many additional political requirements, or attack North Korea’s “human rights,” or criticize Korea’s leaders, and delay the implement of the promise. These have made North Korea government very disappointed. Finally, Japan and U.S. never give up their preparation of war in Korea peninsula. They first installed missile defense system, then accused North Korea’s launch of satellite. All these actions made Pyongyang feel the need to defend its safety. In addition, tens of thousands of American and South Korea’s joint military forces conduct exercise at the Korean border. It would be strange if North Korea takes no actions.

Source: Xinhua, March 15, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2009-03/15/content_11013179.htm

Briefings | | March 17, 2009 | US-China Relations

Qiushi: Must Persist Marxism as the Guiding Principle in Ideology

Qiushi, a magazine under Xinhua News Agency, published an article titled “Why Must (China) Persist Marxism as the Guiding Principle in Ideology and Cannot Have Multi-Polar Principles?” The article says, “Marxism as the guiding principle in China was not determined by any individual’s or party’s will. It was a choice by the history and the people. Without Marxism, there is no new China, there is no China-style socialist. Under any circumstance, (China) must persist Marxism as the guiding principle.” The article emphasizes that “under the leadership of the Central (Communist) Party surrounding Hu Jintao, as long as we persist Marxist principle and continue to innovate in the economic reform and modernization, Marxism will have more sparkling life in China, and its leading position in ideology will be unshakable.”

Source: Xinhua, March 16, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2009-03/16/content_11021088.htm

Briefings | | March 17, 2009 | Government/Politics

Large Number of Absentees at Annual Political Consultative Conference

As of March 11, members who did not show up at the annual China People’s Political Consultative Conference reached 301, Nanfang Dushi newspaper reports. China started its annual parliamentary sessions, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and its advisory auxiliary, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), on March 5 and March 3, respectively. 252 out of 2,235 CPPCC members were absent for the second session. 84 of them did not obtain prior approval for the absence. 301 were absent for the third session. 103 of them did not get permission for the leave. Most absentees are Hong Kong members, followed by artists and athletes. Nanfang Dushi comments that such a large number of members who did not care to show up is unprecedented in the 60 year history of the CPPCC.

Source: Epoch Times, March 12, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/12/n2459179.htm

Briefings | | March 13, 2009 | Government/Politics

Briefings - 1171. page