Customers of government postal services must produce a valid government identification card during the Olympics, says China’s State Post Bureau. The special notice from the government agency states that post offices will not provide postal service if a sender of particles either to or from 6 cities between July 20 and September 20 does not produce a valid government I.D. The 6 cities are
Source: Xinhua, July 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2008-07/16/content_8557748.htm
People’s Daily posted an edited version of the translation from an article in The Times (London) written by Brendan O’Neill titled “The farce of bashing China’s human rights record”. The key message of the article stated: “…The West has no moral authority to lecture anyone, including China, about rights and democracy… Respect for liberty is at an historic low in Europe and the U.S…”
Source:
People’s Daily, July 15, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/57507/7514447.html
Times Online, July 14, 2008
http://143.252.148.161/tol/comment/specials/article4329902.ece
Hu Jintao, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, promoted three PLA Army Generals on July 15. The ceremony was held in the August 1st Building in Beijing. The names of the three generals are: Liu Zhenqi, Vice Director of the PLA General Political Department; Huang Xianzhong, Political Commissar of the Shenyang Military Area Command; Fan Changlong, Commander of the Jinan Military Area Command.
Source: China News, July 15, 2008
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2008/07-15/1312918.shtml
Recently, the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Disciplinary Committee issued “Seven Rules” to warn executives of State owned companies. The rules warned that violators will face punishment, including the revocation of party membership. The article did not explain what punishments might be applied to non-party members.
The rules include language such as “profit taking for oneself or others using one’s official position is not allowed”, “no beneficial trade for one’s spouse and children using one’s official position [is allowed]” and “forcing accounting and financial professionals to forge fake financial reports is not permitted.”
All seven banned forms of misconduct are already illegal activities, raising the question of why the Party has to tell its senior members to obey existing laws.
Source: Jing Hua Shi Bao, July 16, 2008
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-07-16/005815937920.shtml
A Boxun (U.S.-based independent Chinese news website) reader posted pictures of large Chinese character slogans hung in various cities in mainland China. The slogans are being hung up as banners over the streets as part of a campaign to suppress petitions ahead of the Olympics. The slogans use wording such as “’Illegal ‘ Petitions Will Be Sentenced and Penalized;” “Firmly Crack Down on Criminal Activities Committed in the Name of Petitioning.” The author describes his anger at seeing a board saying “striking against illegal petitions” in front of a municipal government office.
Source: Boxun, July 14, 2008.
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/pubvp/2008/07/200807141034.shtml
Xinhua reports that passengers traveling in and out of Beijing during the Olympics need to use their real names to purchase tickets. The Ministry of Transportation issued a notice requiring strict checkups on passengers traveling via land and water. The news report is provided with photos showing police with heavy firearms standing at checkpoints along a main road.[1] In a separate picture report, armed police are patrolling Beijing’s Capital Airport. [2]
Source: Xinhua, July 11, 2008
[1]. http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-07/11/content_8528263.htm
[2]. http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2008-07/01/content_8467743.htm
China’s population of senior citizens will reach 250 million or 17 percent of the total population by 2020 and 400 million or 30 percent of the total population by 2050. This fast growing aging population will have an impact on the country’s economic and social development. It will also pose challenges for the existing inadequacy of the country’s pension and medical care system.
Source: BBC, July 11, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7500000/newsid_7502900/7502988.stm
On July 10th, both the People’s Daily and Guangming Daily devoted the entire front page to an identical layout setting featuring the news, speech, and photos of Hu Jintao at the G8 Summit. It was viewed as a media campaign effort to improve Hu’s image before the Olympics.
Source: Secret China, July 10, 2008
http://www.secretchina.com/news/253637.html