Briefings – Page 1194

Internet Users Question the Authenticity of the Chinese Astronauts’ Spacewalk Videos by

A number of articles have circulated widely on overseas Chinese websites questioning the authenticity of the space walk the Chinese astronauts on the Shen Qi spaceship conducted. The articles listed a number of doubts based on official state medias published videos and concluded that the spacewalk was not the live footage of the spacewalk, but rather recordings from the rehearsal at the Astronaut Research and Training Center.

Source: The Epoch Times, October 3, 2008
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/8/10/3/n2284091.htm

Briefings | | October 6, 2008 | Grapevine

Chinese Communist Party Launched New Campaign to Cope with Challenges

In the later part of September, Chinese Communist Party formerly launched a campaign called “Thoroughly Applying the Scientific Outlook on Development”, a theoretical development by the party in view of “China’s present preliminary stage of socialism to cope with many immediate challenges and woes for sustainable progress”. Top provincial leaders gathered at the Central Party School in Beijng for days to sit in seminars in order to bring the key messages back to their region and cascade it down its members. Hu Jintao spoke at the session citing the recent tainted food incidents and concluded that “the tasks to reform and manage the party have been complex more than ever”. Xinhua also setup a special webpage to echo this campaign.

The campaign was initiated in last October. Government agencies including financial institution and schools were selected as the trial sites in February of 2008. The campaign was said to last for a year and half.

Source:
Xinhua, September 22, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-09/22/content_10091583.htm
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/08kxfzg/

Briefings | | October 5, 2008 | Government/Politics

Bank of China to Purchase AIG’s International Leasing Business

The State’s central bank, Bank of China, is said to have expressed interest in acquiring international leasing business of American International Group for $100 Million, Caihua (Hong Kong) reported. Earlier Vice President of Bank of China Zhu Min indicated that the bank will proactively seek opportunities to acquire U.S. financial institutions. In 2006 Bank of China acquired 100% of the issued share capital of Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE) for US$965 million, and has now become the largest aircraft leasing company in Asia.

Source: Caihua, October 2, 2008
http://www.caihuanet.com/finetnews/20081002_317396.shtml

Briefings | | October 3, 2008 | Grapevine

Xinhua Lashes Out Against the Dalai Lama and US Congressman Wolf

Xinhua again criticized the Dalai Lama for advocating “Tibetan Independence” and Congressman Wolf in a September 30 article at its official website. Xinhua stated that teaching Tibetans science classes in Chinese Mandarin enhances Tibet heritage, not as the Dalai Lama said, destroys the ancient, unique Tibetan language. Moreover, by advocating Tibetan Independence, the Dalai Lama mixes politics and region, and is in violation of the principle of separation of powers adopted in democratic countries, said Xinhua. Xinhua rebutted Congressman Wolf’s Congressional testimony which stated the building of Potala Palace Square destroyed Tibetan culture, citing his August 1997 trip to Tibet.

Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-09/30/content_10134219.htm

Briefings | | October 2, 2008 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China to Launch Small Space Station in 2010-2011

Tiangong 1 is a "target vehicle" of China, which is planned to be launched after Shenzhou 7 and before Shenzhou 8. According to China National Space Administration (CNSA), it will be an eight ton "space laboratory module", and it is planned that Shenzhou 8, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10 will dock with Tiangong 1 in two years (which is also its lifespan in design) after the launching of the latter to form China’s first space station.

Source: The Beijing News, September 30, 2008
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/guonei/2008/09-30/008@015548.htm

Briefings | | September 30, 2008 | Defense/Military

China Business Post Closed for Reporting Bank Malpractice

On September 29, Paris based journalist rights organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned Beijing government’s three-month ban of a financial publication because of its report on poor management of assets of Changde, Hunan office of Agriculture Bank of China. The China Business Post sells 400,000 copies weekly. According to the publication’s website, the violation is “a regulation that bans the media from publishing an investigation into an event in a province other than that in which it is licensed.”

RSF called for an end of the ban and the media censorship of reports of toxic milk scandals. It also revealed authorities in July prevented an investigation into the toxic milk coming out so as not to tarnish China’s image before the Olympics.

Source: BBC Chinese, September 30, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7640000/newsid_7644000/7644028.stm
Reporters Without Borders, September 29, 2008
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28764

Briefings | | September 30, 2008 | Information/Technology

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