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Briefings - 1195. page

China Faces Grim Agriculture and Grain Production

At a national agriculture and grain production telephone conference, the State Council announced ten “important” measures to step up the support of the sector. Increase of the agricultural output is believed to be the key to alleviating the galloping inflation, the “most outstanding” problem in the economy. According to Premier Wen Jiabao, 2008 is a “grim” year for China’s agriculture and grain production, due to natural disasters and adverse climate.

Source: Xinhua, March 27, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-03/27/content_7870258.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

PLA’s Modernized R & D System In Place

At a joint meeting of several Ministries and Agencies overseeing science and education, a senior official claimed that a modernized national defense scientific research system has emerged. Sun Yanlai, Deputy Chief of Bureau of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, depicted the national defense science and technology industry as a network composing of nearly 300 core military institutions, 90 plus key laboratories, and 7 research universities. He added that the number of defense technologies patents grows at an annual rate of over 46 percent over the past three years. The newly developed technologies include 1 million kilowatt-class nuclear power plant, large geostationary satellite platform, new regional jets, new generation of large-scale carrier rockets, super tanker, design and construction of liquefied natural gas ship.

Source: Xinhua, March 28, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-03/28/content_7872502.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Government Think Tank: Patriotic Education of Tibetan Monks is Successful

China began patriotic education of Tibetan monks in 1996 and the education has been very successful, said Zheng Tui, Director of the Institute of Religious Studies under the China Tibetan Studies Center, in a press conference on March 26, 2008. Zheng stated, “to give monks this kind of education mainly is because of the long term interference from Dalai Lama with Tibetan’s construction. On one hand, it educates the monks. On the other, it helps resist the infiltration by handful foreign separatists into monks.” The patriotic education program not only improves the education level of monks but also increases their patriotic awareness, said Zheng. From his personal experience in the temples, he found such education “very successful.”

Source: Xinhua, March 26, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/26/content_7864207.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Tibet: Xinhua Claims Support from Chinese Students Studying in Canada

Global Times, a newspaper under the State Xinhua, continues to criticize western media for “false and distorted” news reporting of the Tibetan protests. On March 25, 2008, Global Times states, “the overseas Chinese are in unprecedented unison, firmly standing side by side with the motherland, and proactively seek to bring out the truth of Tibet to rebut the vilification of the western media in a reasonable and lawful manner in spite of obstructions.” It states that local government in Toronto, Canada, denied the application for permit by some overseas Chinese students to hold anti-"Tibet independence" activities.

Source: Global Times, reprinted by Sina.com March 25, 2008
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-03-25/145515221706.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Tibet: Media in China Republishes Overseas Chinese Editorial Critical of U.S. Congressmen

China News reprinted in full text an editorial from China Press, an overseas Chinese newspaper based in the United States. The editorial is titled “Be on Alert: Anti-China Working Hand in Hand with Anti-Olympics Campaign.” The editorial states, “Tibet is moving toward unprecedented prosperity along with the rise of China.” The editorial is critical of “the leading advocate in the U.S. Congress for Taiwan Independence” who has called for boycott of the Olympics. It also disapproves that “someone hurried to meet with Dalai Lama to strategize how to internationalize the Tibet issue.”

Source: China News, March 26, 2008
http://www.chinanews.com/olympic/news/2008/03-26/1203172.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Bangladesh Hosts Expo on Chinese Universities

On March 25th, the Third China Educational Expo was held in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The participants came from 19 universities in China including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The aim of the exhibit was to assist Bangladeshis in further understanding the current system of college education in China and how they might attend universities in China for their college education.

Source: Xinhua, March 25, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/25/content_7857270.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Iraqi Merchants Seek Direct Sales Channels with Inland Provinces

During the 2008 China Chongqing Expo, buyers from Iraq issued over 100 purchase orders for automobiles, electrical appliances, food, housing construction equipment, and consumable products, totaling US$1 billion. Many are trying to establish direct sales channels with local businesses to cut back costs of having a middle man.  Daily consumable products topped all the categories of the orders placed.

Source: People’s Daily, March 25, 2008 http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2008-03/25/content_48322437.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Hundreds of Retirees in Heilongjiang Contiue Protests on Overdue Benefits

On the morning of March 25, the second day of the protest, over 300 retirees from Ha Er Bin Insulation Material Factory in Heilongjiang province continued to gather in front of the Electric Motor Factory to demand the settlement of their overdue winter benefits package. The two-day protest was held in rainy and cold weather conditions. No factory officials came out to speak to the protesters.

Source: Chinese Human Rights Defenders, March 25, 2008 http://crd-net.org/Article/Class71/200803/20080325175518_8185.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability