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70 Percent of Recent Global Times Front Page Editorials Target the U.S.

As the 2019 coronavirus epidemic continues its worldwide rampage, China’s official media has concentrated on criticizing the United States. Data collected by a Wechat account, a popular Chinese social media platform, shows that 70 percent of the front page editorials of Global Times, a daily tabloid newspaper under the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper, with a focus on international issues, recently have been  targeting U.S.

According to its May 17 posting, the account, “yuguisuibi” by name, found that among the recent 40 Global Times’ daily front page editorials, titles of 29 articles carry the words “the United States.” The proportion is as high as 72.5 percent. The figure was, however, only 18, or 45 percent, out of 40 editorials over the same time period last year.

Among other titles, the wording “global” shows 3 times, “World” 4 times, and “G20” twice. In addition, “Britain” appeared once due to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s infection.

Source: Central News Agency, May 18, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202005180030.aspx

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Dairy Product Companies’ Stock Prices Plunge Due to Latest Baby Milk Powder Scandal

On May 15, BBC Chinese reported that at least five children in Hunan Province, after drinking a protein beverage that is said to be suitable for babies, became “big headed dolls” with deformed skulls. They even beat their heads abnormally. Chinese authorities said on Thursday that the relevant merchants are suspected of “fraud” and will be severely punished. It was recommended these babies were  to drink a type of special medical milk powder. It was supposed to be for babies who are allergic to ordinary formula milk powder or are suffering from special diseases. In reality, the milk was no different from a protein drink. The false advertising led to malnutrition among the babies.

Sina reported on May 16 that the share price of a number of dairy product companies in China dropped. Among them, Flying Crane International Inc. (中国飞鹤) suffered the largest impact. Its stock price fell 10.22 percent, a loss of HKD 16 billion (US$2 billion).

Source:
BBC Chinese, May 15, 2020
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-52673203
Sina, May 16, 2020
https://finance.sina.cn/stock/relnews/hk/2020-05-16/detail-iircuyvi3407796.d.html?vt=4&cid=76524

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Hong Kong Police Force Recruitment Ads at Overseas Universities Are Faced with Protests from Hong Kong Students

Recently, the Hong Kong Police Force issued recruitment advertisements at universities in Australia but they were met with protests from the Hong Kong students studying in Australia. The students, who consider the Hong Kong Police Force to be a criminal organization, were outraged that the Hong Kong Police Force could even post job advertisements at Australia’s top universities.

SBS World News reported that the Hong Kong Police Force put up two job postings for Trainee Inspector on the career page of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia. The job location is Hong Kong, with a monthly salary of 47,690 Hong Kong dollars (US$6,152).

Hong Kong students in Australia started making online protests immediately after the ads were posted. The Facebook group “NSW HongKongers” issued a joint petition on social media, asking the two universities to delete the Hong Kong police recruitment advertisements. NSW HongKongers also wrote a Facebook post and stated. “Similar recruitment advertisements have appeared on university websites all around the world. Many Hong Kong people believe that the Hong Kong police are working hard to recruit new forces from overseas students. In the past year, Hong Kong Police applicants decreased by 50 percent and more than 450 active police officers have opted out of the police force. The government has yet to respond to the Hong Kong people’s “five major demands.” The once highly respected Hong Kong Police Force has become just a branch of the CCP and will not truly serve Hong Kong and its people. Anyone with a conscience will not be willing to join. “Currently, after the students’ protests, the job postings were taken down from the university’s career opportunity pages.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the website of McMaster University, a public university in Ontario, Canada, has also published recruitment advertisements for the Hong Kong police. The recruitment advertisements there have also been withdrawn due to student protests.

Per information on the Website of the Hong Kong Police Force, the trainee inspector is the lowest inspector rank among the ranks of the Hong Kong police.

How Hong Kong police handled the large-scale demonstrations last year was widely criticized. Amnesty International alleged that police officers detained, beat and tortured arrested persons arbitrarily and used excessive force. The survey data showed that Hong Kong people’s confidence in the police has dropped to a record low.

Source: Secret China, May 17, 2020
https://www.secretchina.com/news/gb/2020/05/17/933510.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Cancels Entrance Exam for Foreign Students amid Concerns over Brainwashing

Undergraduate programs in a few top universities in China are canceling their entrance exams for foreign students. Parents of domestic students feel angry; others believe that, as Beijing’s Confucius Institute program faces growing resistance overseas, this is a way to work around to the brainwashing of foreign kids.

In early May, Peking University posted on its website a “Notice on the Adjustment of the Undergraduate Entrance Examination Program for International Students in 2020.” It had an explanation that remote interviews, instead of written exams, would be used to admit students, citing concerns about the ongoing epidemic. A few top tier universities, including Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, and Shanghai Jiaotong University, copied the practice.

Chinese netizens are angry. While Chinese kids have to take a tough college entrance examination, why is it so easy for foreign students to go to a good university? Ms. Zhu told Radio Free Asia (RFA), “As prestigious universities in China, they should give priority to Chinese kids. It is a shame for the Chinese Communist Party to do this.”

Shi Dajun, a Chinese education scholar, believes this policy has everything to do with the resistance that Confucius Institutes (CIs) have received in recent years. “Not only Tsinghua Peking University, but many schools are exempting admission exams for foreign students. After the CIs have been defeated abroad, this is a new direction.”

Mr. Cai, a retired professor from Lanzhou University, told RFA that it may be a strategic measure to attract foreign students, so that China’s totalitarian ideas can be planted in the minds of young Westerners. China provides students in Africa and countries along the “Belt and Road” an annual stipend of 300,000 yuan (US$42,000). “This is a way to bring up a whole pro-China generation and lay a good foundation for friendly relations with these countries. One can say that the state spares no expense in this regard, and is doing something we cannot see.”

Shi Daijun added, “Originally, Beijing wished to use the Confucius Institute to push the patriotic education abroad, as a way to brainwash foreigners. The brainwashing of Chinese people is now almost done. They feel it more urgent to brainwash foreign young people.”

According to the Ministry of Education, the budget for foreign students in China in 2019 was 3.92 billion yuan (US$ 0.55 billion), an increase of 18.1 percent over 2018.

Source: Radio Free Asia, May 11, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/ql-05112020060257.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

“Wuhan Pneumonia” and Academic Freedom in Taiwan

On April 10, a student from mainland China, who was attending the Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan, wrote to the university authorities to protest that his professor mentioned the “Wuhan pneumonia caused by the covid-19 virus” in class. He pressed the charge of discrimination. Ming-Wei Chao, the associate professor from the Department of Bioscience Technology, apologized in class and said, “As a professor of the Republic of China, I will not discriminate against the students.” The university, four days later, asked professor Chao to issue another apology for the using the wording “the Republic of China.”

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan’s cabinet-level agency handling the cross-strait relations, stepped in and launched an investigation. MAC emphasized that institutions of higher education can allow neither self-censorship and interference of teachers’ freedom in conducting lectures, nor measures that hurt the dignity of the nation. MAC said it will work with the Ministry of Education to find out the facts and adopt appropriate administrative actions to safeguard academic freedom.

Source: Central News Agency, May 11, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202005110296.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Former Head of China’s Air Carrier Program Is under Investigation

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the disciplinary arm of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made an announcement at midnight on May 12 that Hu Wenming, former chairman and Party branch secretary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), is now under investigation for “being suspected of serious violations of discipline and the law.” Mainland Chinese media reported that Hu’s work experience includes the construction of equipment for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), in particular. He was the head of research for the development of China’s first domestically made aircraft carrier Shandong.

CSIC, a key PLA naval institution, undertakes the tasks of research, design and production of air carriers, nuclear submarines and other naval weaponry. The probe gave rise to widespread concerns whether he was involved in leaking state secrets and how this case is related the sacking of his former deputy.

In July 2019, the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate Court sentenced Sun Bo, CSIC’s former general manager and Hu’s deputy, to 12 years for bribery and abuse of power as an employee of a state-owned company. As the evidence of his crimes involved “state secrets,” Sun was not tried publicly. Hong Kong based the South China Morning Post, quoting unnamed sources, disclosed that Sun might face a death sentence for his involvement in leaking confidential documents on China’s first domestically produced air carrier to foreign intelligence agencies.

The wechat account of Beijing Youth Daily reported that Hu, who retired in 2019, had also worked at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco), and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), covering the weapons and equipment construction for the land, sea and air forces. Hu also participated in the production of the Chengdu J-10 fighter and the Comac C919 aircraft.

Source: Central News Agency, May 13, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202005130057.aspx

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

As Movie Industry Suffers Major Setback due to COVID 19, Administration Exerts More Influence

Radio Free Asia reported that China’s film and television industry suffered a significant setback due to COVID 19. The latest data shows that, since the beginning of this year, more than 6,600 film and television companies have closed their doors. The box office revenue will show a loss of 30 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) this year. Some analysts believe that the central administration could use the opportunity to intensify censorship on the contents of the creations in the film and television industry, making it drift away and become distant from the rest of the world.

On April 29, Wang Xiaohui, executive vice minister of the Central Publicity Department, gave the film and television industry directives to produce films using the following three major themes: showing a moderately prosperous society, the 100th anniversary of the party, and the anti-epidemic effort which promotes positive energy. Wang said that the government will increase the support to the industry, actively coordinate the effort to reduce rent payments, provide loan discounts, and support the purchase and distribution of movie tickets.

On May 7, three video websites, Tencent Video, iQiyi, and Youku, together with six other film and television companies, jointly released an industry rescue proposal and vowed that the industry will produce contents that are “in line with party policy and provide audiences with products that document the lively life and great moments in this era.”

According to the comment quoted in the article, since the central administration has the ability to provide the funding, it now has more leverage to influence the content of the narratives for the movies that are being produced.

Source: Radio Free Asia, May 8, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/jt-05082020101405.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

A Chinese University Professor Disciplined for Criticizing Karl Marx

Yu Linqi, a history professor at Harbin Normal University in the northeast province of Heilongjiang, was recently named and shamed for criticizing Karl Marx, the German philosopher whose theory is viewed as the founding ideology of Communist China. On Thursday May 7, the university responded by launching an investigation.

What put Yu at the center of the incident was his comments on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. He stated, “Why should the (Chinese Communist) Party’s admission oath include ‘never betray the Party’? The Communist Party is not a gang, and its pursuit is not self-interest. It should be a democratic, open and modern political party. One can apply to join the Party when its ideas and policies match his wishes and ideals. Once they don’t match, one can choose to quit, oppose, or even betray. It is irresponsible to blindly follow (the party).” Yu also mentioned that the world’s most successful abettor is (Karl) Marx.

The 50 Cent Army, Internet posters and commentators hired by Chinese authorities to flood social media with pro-government comments, made Yu a target and they fired a barrage of criticism and personal attacks at him.

In the past three years, there have been at least 10 cases of university professors being punished for their speech, including Tsinghua University law professor Xu Zhangrun.

Source: Radio Free Asia, May 8, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-05082020060328.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics