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Police Shot Tibetan Monk Who had set Himself on Fire

Chinese police at Aba prefecture in Sichuan Province shot a 24-year-old Tibetan monk after he set himself on fire at a market, just after Losar, the Tibetan New Year. Earlier he and his fellow monks were refused entry to the main prayer hall at the Kirti Monastery in Aba. The Chinese authorities had forbidden observation of Monlam, a traditional prayer festival held after Losar. The monk was shot three times and was taken away by police after he fell.

Source: Epoch Times, March 2, 2009
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/2/n2448219.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Beijing Censor Tiananmen Square Massacre Questioning

On March 2, Monday, at a press conference of China’s Political Consultative Conference, the Communist Party’s showpiece political event, a Voice of America reporter questioned the government response to letters written by Tiananmen Mothers, families of 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre victims.

According to Hong Kong based Mingpao report, it caused a “commotion” among the audience. Zhao Qizheng, the spokesperson replied with “Chinese government has had a clear conclusion on the political disturbance in 1980’s.” While CCTV was live broadcasting the whole press conference, it immediately switched to another program when the Q&A started. In the following Xinhua news, that part was also blacked out.

Source: Voice of America, March 3, 2009
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2009-03-03-voa39.cfm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Other Western Countries Should Follow Hillary to Put Economy Ahead of Human Rights

An article titled “Hillary Visits China: Economy Ahead of Human Right, Cooperation over Discrepancy” on Xinhua’s website applauds Hillary Clinton’s realism in her China visit. The article says “Human rights issue was out of the focus at the top level meeting between China and U.S. demonstrates that the balance of China and U.S.’s mutual influence has materially changed. Now U.S.’s need of China is increasing. … U.S. can not possibly be as hard-lined as before. At the same time, more and more of the core interest of both countries are overlapped. Many issues require the cooperation of both countries to resolve. As compared to the big countries’ cooperation, human rights issue naturally becomes less important.” The article also quoted the comment by Professor Xiong Zhiyong from China Foreign Affairs University, saying “Hillary Clinton’s statement is realistic, and is the right choice of U.S.’s China policy. It is worth other Western countries to follow.”

Source: Xinhua, Feb. 23, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-02/23/content_10875221.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

50 Million Quit Chinese Communist Party and Affiliates

As of February 26, over 50.4 million Chinese have renounced their affiliations with Chinese Communist Party at a web site of Epoch Times. Since the November 2004 release of an editorial series Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party by The Epoch Times, Quit the Party has become the biggest push ever for freedom in China. There have been numerous news reports that the Beijing authorities have arrested, tortured and killed people for distributing and possession of the editorial series. According to Epoch Times, these withdrawals run deep into the heart of the Party as its upper echelon including diplomats, general Party secretaries and other high-ranking officials are among those who publicly sever their ties with the Party.

Source: Epoch Times
http://tuidang.epochtimes.com/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/t/quitting-the-chinese-communist-party/

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Police Helicopters to Patrol in Beijing

The first four police helicopters will be patrolling above Beijing and will play a major role in cracking down social unrests, according Beijing police authorities on February 26, 2009. “During social emergencies, the police helicopters will work with ground police to track, search and arrest the targets.”

The police helicopter team consists of forty-three pilots. 86% of them are air force servicemen. It is the largest and best-equipped police helicopter team and will fly monthly schedules, three days a week, between 4 to 8 flights. In times of social emergencies, helicopters will take off within 30 minutes of the order. The helicopters were imported from Italy, models AW139 and AW109.

Source: China National Defense Information, February 27, 2009
http://info.cndsi.com/html/20090227/60815075742.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Chinese RMB Becoming Hard Currency?

Chinese currency is quickly being adopted as settlement currency, claimed International Herald Leader under Xinhua on February 16, 2009. Since Dec 2008, China has entered into agreements with eight of its neighboring countries including Vietnam, Myanmar, Russia, Mongolia and South Korea to use Chinese RMB as settlement currency. On Feb 8, 209, China entered into a currency exchange agreement with Indonesia worth 80 billion yuan which allows Indonesians to borrow RMB at banks in Indonesia. China views the international financial crisis an opportunity to “internationalize” its currency to make further inroads into the international economies.

Source: Xinhua, February 16, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-02/16/content_10825739.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Pressure by Western Countries Can Not Stop China and Congo’s Cooperation

Reporter of Xinhua’s International Herald Tribune reports from Congo’s capital Kinshasa that the road maintenance project co-operated by China Enterprises United Inc. and Congo’s is under way normally. The reporter describes that the warm atmosphere of Chinese engineers and the local workers working together forms a stark contrast with the (Western) reports that the “project is being stopped.” The report says that Western countries regard Congo as their territory of interests because of Congo’s rich natural resource and important geographic location. Western countries tried to interfere since the beginning of the negotiation of cooperation between China and Congo. They pressured Congo government through their controlled World Band and IMF. The report further says that Congo government resisted the pressure from the West and welcomed the China’s help. Now the preparation phase of the projects is progressing on normal track.

Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-02/17/content_10831601.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua Downplays Criminal Charges Against Chinese Woman for Illegal Export

Xinhua comments on the recent criminal charges in the U.S. against a Chinese woman in Maryland. She was charged with exporting miniature controls for small, unmanned aircraft to China. Xinhua article stated that the alleged dual use aircraft has not yet been put to use by military thus it is far fetched to charge her for assisting Chinese military. Further, Xinhua stated that the case might be viewed as racial discrimination since Mr. Hansen, who played a more active role in the export and works at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, has not yet been charged in the case. “In fact, spy cases related to China are common in the U.S., most of which have acquitted defendants,” said Xinhua.

Source: Xinhua, February 19, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2009-02/19/content_10848849.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations