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Briefings - 1225. page

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

Bush’s Affirmation of Beijing Olympics Trip Placed as People’s Daily Headline

After the White House issued a statement on March 20, 2008 that U.S. President Bush will keep to his plans of attending the Beijing Olympics despite the Tibetan protests, the Chinese Communist Party newspaper The People’s Daily ran the news as a headline banner, reading “White House Spokesperson: Bush’s Plans for Attending the Beijing Olympics Unchanged” on the World section’s main page of its website. The banner remained prominently placed for three days through to March 23, 2008. Clicking on the banner brought up  the page displaying the specific article on the announcement. The news report also mentioned specifically that Bush regarded the Olympics as a sporting event and that he would not use it to publicly discuss political issues.

Source: People’s Daily, March 21, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/7026748.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily Accuses Western Media of Distorting China’s Suppression in Tibet

The Communist Party mouthpiece The People’s Daily posted an article today on its website entitled “Distorted Reports Astonishing – Where Is the Morality of Western Media?” The article quoted a commentary from Hong Kong’ pro-communist newspaper Wen Wei Pao, stating that after Lhasa incident, some Western newspapers, TV stations, and websites were full of reports of the Chinese government “suppressing” Tibetans, in which the distortion of the facts was astonishing. Some media used copy-paste, information-filtering means to mislead readers and audiences, spreading voices "demonizing China” voices. The article sharply criticized that these Western media outlets have even mixed the Olympics with these incidents and called for boycotting the Beijing Olympics.

Source: People’s Daily, March 25, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/1030/7040230.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s National Defense Technology Industry Taking on Military/Civilian Dual Functions

As the Ministry of Information Industry is being dissolved in a new wave of government reorganization, China’s national defense technology industry is receiving more attention and will go through transformation from the closed military system to a dual function of “military and civilian application.” Yu Liegui, deputy director of Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, says that the development of military and civilian combined enterprise is the key to strengthening the capability of the national defense technology industry. Yu says that China will utilize civil nuclear power, spacecrafts, airplanes, and high-tech ships to develop key technology such as third generation nuclear-electricity technology, newer generations of space shuttles, giant civil satellites, new regional jets, and large liquid gas boats.

Source: Xinhua, March 23, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-03/23/content_7841193_1.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

ChinaNews: Chinese Associations in US Denounce the Tibetan Separatists

This front page article of China News cited a report from “Qiao Bao” (“Oversea Chinese Daily”), a US-based newspaper backed by Beijing, that Chinese Associations in the DC area have expressed their “grave anger” towards “the very few” “Tibetan separatists” who committed “criminal acts” in Tibet as well as recent “terrorist attacks” on overseas Chinese consulate buildings. An official statement released by the US Fujian Fellowship Association calls for overseas Chinese to “defend the embassy and consulates of the motherland and to protect the safety of our diplomats”, according to the article. A joint statement from the Washington DC Council for Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China and the Greater DC Friends of Xinjiang Association expressed “grave anger” towards “certain Western media” for “intentional misleading reporting” on the Tibet incident and called for Western politicians “not to be cheated by Dalai clique”.

Source: China News, March 23, 2008
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/hr/mzhrxw/news/2008/03-23/1199652.shtm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: More Countries Voicing Support for China on Tibet. Sudan among the Latest

Xinhua reported today that more countries have expressed their support for China’s actions in handling the “severe and violent criminal incident” in Tibet. The governments of Sudan, Mauritius, and another eleven countries are among the latest, according to Xinhua. “A government has the responsibility to take necessary action to maintain social stability and security when facing violent incidents created by domestic separatists who are incited by foreign forces,” the report said. Xinhua also cited a statement from the government of Sudan openly expressing support of China’s “necessary actions."

Source: Xinhua, March 23, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/23/content_7840257.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Eyewitness: Tibetan Holding Knife was a Police Officer

A Thai Chinese woman who had witnessed the protests in Tibet has identified a Tibetan shown holding a knife in a picture released by the Chinese government as a policeman, according to a spokesperson for the Dalai Lama on March 18, 2008. This Thai Chinese woman was detained with other foreigners at the Bajiao Street police station on March 14, when a group of Tibetans were detained and escorted into the station. She saw one of them, a man with a knife in his hand, take off his Tibetan robe and change into a police uniform. She was later forced to leave Lhasa and went to India via Nepal. Once in India she identified the person she had seen change into a police uniform as the same person in a picture released by the Chinese government as evidence of violence during Tibetan protests. The picture was also broadcasted by the BBC.

Source: Sound of Hope, March 20, 2008
http://soundofhope.org/programs/162/88669-1.asp

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Sino-Peru Joint Press Communique Signed in Beijing

On March 20, Beijing published a Sino-Peru Joint Press Communique during the State visit of the President of Peru Alan Garcia Perez to China from March 18th to 21st. The Communique states that the Peruvian government supports the one-China policy and opposes Taiwan’s referendum on UN membership. Peru acknowledges the “market economy” status of China, with its bilateral trade volume exceeding 6 billion USD. China and Perus will engage in cooperation on mining, energy, telecommunications, electric power, and fishery. Peru highly appreciates China’s important aid. China wishes Peru’s success as host of APEC in 2008. Peru wishes China’s success as host of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Source: Xinhua, March 20, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/20/content_7829153.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend