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Briefings - 1215. page

Hu’s online visit û a New Channel for Chinese Styled Democracy?

Hu Jintao made a surprising online visit to Qiang Guo Forum on June 20 and chatted live with Chinese cyber fans for 22 minutes. Hu’s visit was viewed as recognition from the government to take internet as a channel for people to express their voice, according to a survey conducted by China Youth Daily after Hu’s visit. Among 2874 surveyed, 71.9 percent agreed that the government has begun to seriously take on the opinions on the internet and the cyber expression has become a new avenue to realize the Chinese styled democracy. While 56.8 percent among surveyed agreed that Hu’s visit was “a historical step”, only one in two agreed that this will help to increase Chinese citizen’s participation in social affairs.

Source: China Youth Daily, June 30, 2008
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2008-06/30/content_2243141.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Girl’s Death Sparked Unrest in Guizhou Province

Over 10,000 people gathered in front of the local police station and government buildings in Weng’an County in southwest Guizhou province Saturday, June 28, to vent anger towards the local government’s cover up of an alleged rape and murder of a female student. Angry crowd torched the police station, county government building, and Civil Affairs Bureau building. 1500 anti-riot police arrived on Sunday morning and used tear gas and high voltage baton at the scene. It was reported that at least three people died, 200 people arrested including 30 middle school students, and 150 injured.

The victim, Li Shufen, was a student from Weng’an County No. 3 High School. She was found dead in a river around midnight on June 21. After the reports from the medical examiner concluding the death as “suicide,” Li’s uncle went to the county party committee to appeal but was beaten to death. Three suspects were said to be connected to the local government authority and were released within 8 hours.

Source: The Epoch Times, June 30, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/6/30/n2173202.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Thousands of Reservoirs Damaged During Sichuan Earthquake

According to the Sichuan Earthquake Relief authorities, the total of reservoirs damaged during the May 12 earthquake has reached 1,996, with an additional 193 reservoirs added June 26.  All of these reservoirs have now operated at much lower water levels. 68 of them have been completely drained out of concerns of imminent dam break and over 900 are under repairs.

Source: Xinhua, June 26, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-06/26/content_8445208.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

The Oath to Join the Party: Never Betray the Party

In an effort to keep members from abandoing the Party, the Chinese Communist Party has issued numerous publications on Party rules and regulations of membership. According to an article at the official website of Chinese Communist Party, when a new member is admitted into the Communist Party, the person must be sworn in at a ceremony where the person takes an oath. The wording of the oath has evolved over time. The first oath was adopted in late 1920. The current oath was adopted in September 1982. In spite of changes in the wording of the oath over decades, two elements remain unchanged: one shall never betray the Party and shall devote the entire life fighting for the cause of Communism.

Since December 2004 when Epoch Times published Nine Commentaries on Chinese Communist Party, over 39 millions have denounced the Chinese Communist Party.

Source: News of the Chinese Communist Party, October 30, 2007
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64162/64172/85037/85040/6451463.html
Epoch Times, http://ninecommentaries.com/

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Beijing Approves SCO’s Long Term Friendly Cooperation Treaty

On June 26, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, Thursday approved the Treaty of the Long-term Good Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation between Member Countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The 26-clause treaty is aimed to develop the region into a peaceful, cooperative, prosperous and harmonious one. It asks all signing countries to support each others on major issues regarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and development. A signing country should not join in any other alliances or groups or activities that are hostile to other signees, according to the multinational pact.SCO members include the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Source: Xinhua, June 26, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-06/26/content_8445274.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Local Governments Lead in Violations of Land Use Law

The per capita cultivated land in China is 1.38 mu, below 40% of the average in the world, said Minister of Land Resources Xu Shaoshin June 25, 2008. From 2001 to 2005, cultivation land in China decreased by 110,000,000 mu, mostly due to urban economic development. Local governments increasingly are the offenders in land uses cases, accounting for 80% of land under investigation, Xu said. For the period between 2001 and 2005, only 1% of government officials in the land use violations were disciplined and about 0.1% of violators were charged with criminal offenses.

Source: Xinhua, June 25, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2008-06/25/content_8433980.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

120,000 in Qingchuan County Lost Homes in Earthquake

120,000 residents in Qingchuan County, Sichuan, have lost means of livelihood during the May 12 earthquake, said Qingchuan County official. At the press conference of the Sichuan government, Li Haozheng, Communist Party Secretary for Qingchuan said only 5% of the buildings might be used after reinforcement and 140,000 mu of farmland were destroyed. Victims have no land to farm or foundation to re-build houses or roads to travel, as Li put it. 

Source: Xinhua, June 25, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-06/25/content_8438575.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Mainland Official Media Expected to Re-enter Taiwan

Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council is expected to pass a proposal to allow Xinhua and People’s Daily, two official news agencies from mainland China, to re-enter Taiwan and setup their correspondence stations before the end of June. The permit is for three months plus one extension. The Council is also expected to loosen up the requirements for mainland movie stars to perform in Taiwan.

Both agencies were asked to leave Taiwan in 2005 after Beijing passed the “Anti-Separation Law”. The agencies were said to have reported “biased and untruthful” news during that time.

Source: BBC, June 24, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7470000/newsid_7472000/7472094.stm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend