Skip to content

Briefings - 1248. page

Record High Investment in Beijing Olympics

According to Hong Kong based Ming Pao News, the current amount of money invested in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games has reached a record high of 28 billion RMB or $3.8 billion. The number is 2.2 times the figure estimated in 2001 when Beijing was bidding to host the event, compared to $1.5 billion for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and $2.4 billion for the Athens Olympics in 2004. As the construction of some stadiums and other facilities are not finally completed, the total amount invested is expected to be even higher than the current level.

Source: Asia Times, January 22, 2008
http://www.atchinese.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45188&Itemid=110

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Thousands Sign Letter Calling for Hu Jia and Gao Zhisheng’s Unconditional Release

Thousands of Chinese citizens signed a joint letter and published it on Boxun (an overseas Chinese news website) today calling for the unconditional release of Chinese human rights activists Hu Jia and Gao Zhisheng. The letter says that Hu Jia and Gao Zhisheng are regarded as China’s spine. Chinese citizens view them as China’s hope and honor them for their work. They choose to uphold human conscience and justice. As an example of his kindness, Hu Jia sent several dozen winter coats to petitioners in Beijing on Christmas Eve. But the Chinese police arrested Hu using the charge “instigating the overthrow of state power.” His wife and one-month-old daughter were placed under house arrest.

Source:
Boxun, January 22, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/pubvp/2008/01/200801220309.shtml
Chinascope, January 21, 2008
http://chinascope.org/main/content/view/653/92/

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Man Beaten to Death; Causing Massive Calls to Abolish City Inspectors

On January 7, 2008, in Tianmen City, Hubei Province, dozens of Municipal Law Enforcement officers known as chengguan beat Wei Wenhua to death. He was the manager of a water resources construction company in Tianmen, Hubei and had used his mobile phone camera to film the officers in a violent clash with protestors.

The public in Tianmen, Hubei Province has been in an uproar following the death, earlier this month, of a local resident (Wei Wenhua) due to a violent beating by city inspectors (quasi-police like government officers responsible for city regulation enforcement). The media and Internet forums have been inundated with discussions about the legitimacy of city inspectors. One article in the latest issue of Southern Weekend called for the total abolishon of city inspectors. The article is titled “It’s High Time to Abolish City Inspectors.” It has been widely circulated on China’s Internet and has been the subject of many heated debates.

Source: Southern Weekend, January 17, 2008
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/ZM/20080117/fzpl/200801170141.asp
Chinascope, January 17, 2008
http://chinascope.org/main/content/view/626/92/

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Open Letter Calls for Prosecution of the Shanghai Gang

On January 19, in his third open letter to the top leaders of China, Kong Qiang, a government employee from Shandong Province and the owner of “China Shenzheng Net,” a rights advocate website, called for the immediate legal prosecution of Jiang Zemin and his gang, also known as the “Shanghai Gang.” Kong said, “Otherwise, we will never be able to face either the people in China, or the people around the world.”

In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times, a news media based in New York, Kong disclosed that through his activities as a human rights advocate, he has come across substantial evidence against the Shanghai Gang and feels that he can no longer be silent.

Kong is 39 years old and works for the Administration of Industry and Commerce in the Qubu Municipality in Shangdong Province. He founded Shenzheng net in July 2005. The website has been shut down repeatedly due to his disclosing sensitive inside information about the Shanghai Gang. Kong has received numerous threats that he will be fired from his work and sent to a mental hospital. He previously published two other open letters, on December 6 and 24 in 2007.

Source: The Epoch Times, January 19, 2008
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/8/1/21/n1984358.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Xinhua: The U.S. is Struggling under Globalization; the View of a Declining US is on the Rise

Xinhua carried an article from The Global Times entitled “The U.S. is Struggling under Globalization; the View of a ‘Declining US’ is on the Rise.” The article starts with the following remarks: “2007 marks the year of the U.S.’ decline.” “The U.S. is following in the footsteps of the former Roman Empire.”

The article cites the following as sufficient proof that the U.S. is going the way of unavoidable decline: Domestically, the U.S. is unable to cope with the domestic sub-prime crisis and the depressed economy. Internationally, the U.S. is unable to defeat Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda. Politically, the U.S. has no solution for Iran’s defiance. Economically, the U.S. is unable to control the price of oil. On the military front, Iraq and Afghanistan are a big mess.

The article also cites articles from the Economist, Financial Times, Der Spiegel, and Focus magazine to support these views. Finally, the article quotes comments by Jin Canrong, a professor at the School of International Studies and School of Public Administration of Renmin University. Jin said that the U.S.’ inability to adjust in the globalization environment has weakened its global influence. He continued, “The U.S. has begun to adjust its policies, but not its self-centered mentality. Any real fundamental change will require time and many lessons.”

Source: Xinhua, January 18, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-01/18/content_7447982.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Existing System Criticized for its Effect on the Art Community

In an interview with Nanfang Weekend, Wu Guanzhong, a prominent 89-year-old contemporary painter spoke out against various issues in the art community. He said that the commercialized education system erodes the quality of education. Teachers’ evaluation process is a waste of time and money; it is full of personal connections and not effective. He is calling for closing the state-owned art associations and institutions, saying they have become corrupt and unproductive. “Events organized by these places are just like the prostitution industry, which is purely money driven.” Wu said, “The art community has been politicized. The artworks are way overpriced and the Art centers only collect junk artwork.” He concluded that there are all sorts of issues in the art community, including education, facility, contest, and market. “The existing system is the cause of it all.” Wu said he is speaking the truth and wants to speak up more when he is able.

Source: Nanfang Weekend, January 9, 2008
http://www.infzm.com/culture/whtt/200801/t20080109_34385_1.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Xinhua Accuses VOA of Maliciously Distorting Facts

On May 5, 2007, Xinhua, the Chinese Communist official news agency, issued a statement accusing Voice of America of maliciously distorting facts about Xinhua’s September 10, 2006 regulation "Measures for Administering the Release of News and Information in China by Foreign News Agencies." In an article published on May 1, 2007 Voice of America reported on this regulation and commented, according to Xinhua, that this regulation "restricts the development of foreign media."

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations