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Huanqiu Editorial Tries to Nail the Southern Weekend Incident

Huanqiu (Global Times) published an editorial trying to “clarify” and put an end to the Southern Weekend incident, which started when Guangdong Propaganda Department Chief Tuo Zhen re-wrote Southern Weekend’s New Year’s editorial. 

Huanqiu’s article quoted Southern Weekend’s newly posted weibo (the Chinese equivalent of twitter) denying that Tuo Zhen changed the content of the New Year’s editorial and declaring that the rumors spread on the Internet were untrue.
The article said, “In today’s socio-political reality in China, it is not possible to have the kind of "free media"  those people demand. Development of all the media in China can only correspond to China’s reality; media reform must be part of China’s overall reform; the media will never become a ‘politically-exempt zone.’” 
The article warned, “Some outsiders try to push individual Chinese media to engage in confrontation (with the government). They are ruining these media.” 
The article concluded, “News media need to reform continually, but one thing will not change. In the grand scale, China’s news media and China’s politics must be coordinated and interactive. … China’s news media will never advance independently to a point that China’s politics cannot allow.” 
Source: Huanqiu, January 7, 2013 
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-01/3457134.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Study Times: State Enterprises Should Engage in Overseas Public Relations

Study Times published a commentary advocating that China’s centrally administered State enterprises should go international in the light of the recent global economic changes. “[These] enterprises should implement an international business strategy, step up the ‘going out’ process, actively explore overseas business, increase market share overseas, and focus on optimizing the industrial chain and value chain.” The article also stated that the allocation of resources must be based on a global expansion strategy to gradually accomplish globalization in strategy, operation, management, and culture. The commentary recommended that, in going global, State enterprises must implement measures that “through local hires, respect local customs, be immersed in the local economy, and strive to create and build a win-win situation.” The article cited the State-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO) as a success in the United States. COSCO “hired U.S. public relations firms and did a good job on anti-China Congressmen. … COSCO was removed from the ‘controlled carrier’ list [by the Federal Maritime Commission] and later was even approved to make an investment in the Port of Los Angeles.”

Source: Study Times, January 7, 2013
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2013/01/07/08/08_22.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

IHL: A Sovereignty Declaration Might Result in an “Accidental Discharge”

On January 7, 2013, the International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua News Agency, published an article in which the reporter interviewed Major General Luo Yuan on the “probability of accidental discharges” involving neighboring countries. In the interview, Luo pointed out that many neighboring countries may declare sovereignty [over islands or border areas in dispute] and “some countries are good at sneak attacks.” Luo therefore foresaw the “probability of accidental discharges” occurring in 2013. Thus, he suggested, China must get ready.

Source: International Herald Leader, January 7, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0106/145995.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Military Online: China’s Four Weapons to Deter the United States and Japan

On January 6, 2013, China Military Online published an article titled “China’s Four Weapons to Deter the United States and Japan.” According to the article, the U.S. and Japan find a powerful China to be shocking. It stated, (We in) China no longer “hide our capabilities and bide our time.” Below is a list of the four weapons.
 

  1. The Red Flag 9 air defense missile strikes fear in the U.S. "Patriot" missile system.
  2. As Georgetown University Professor Philip Carbonell warned, the Dongfeng -41′ intercontinental ballistic missiles are equipped with nuclear warheads, “enough to aim at a population of more than 50,000 U.S. cities and towns."
  3. Our nuclear submarines are equipped with the JL-2 missile, a type of killing machine that only the United States used to own.
  4. China holds the world’s leading position in quantum dot laser theory research. Our super-power solid-state laser equipment is the best in the world; it has more than 30 thousand km of effective power to destroy.

Source: China Military Online, January 7, 2013
http://jz.chinamil.com.cn/scrollnews/2013-01/07/content_5171084.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

The Epoch Times: Incidents of Censorship in China Offer Test of New Leadership

On January 8, 2013, the Epoch Times published an article titled, “Incidents of Censorship in China Offer Test of New Leadership.” At a December 4, 2013, political meeting, Party leader Xi Jinping said, “A country ruled by law should first be ruled by the constitution and lawful governance should be based on the constitution.” After the new year, two influential liberal publications, Southern Weekend and Yanhuang Chunqiu, published special editorials echoing Xi’s call for lawful governance based on the constitution. Both editorials were harshly censored.
 
In the case of Southern Weekend, provincial propaganda chief Tuo Zhen secretly re-wrote its special editorial. After the publication of the re-written editorial, the journalists from Southern Weekend went on strike. Hundreds of Chinese came to the newspaper’s offices, laying flowers and expressing solidarity with the journalists. In response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on January 4, 2013, that China upholds press freedom and “there is no news censorship in China.” On January 7, 2013, the Central Propaganda Department officials handed down three instructions: “It is an unbreakable basic principle that the Party governs the media; Tuo Zhen had nothing to do with the changes made to Southern Weekend’s New Year’s editorial; the incident involved hostile foreign forces.”

Source: The Epoch Times, January 8, 2013
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/china-news/cases-of-censorship-in-china-offer-test-of-new-leadership-333760.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: The U.S. is Mass-Selling Weapons to China’s Neighbors

Xinhua recently published an article which reviewed a number of media reports from Russia, Hong Kong, Iran, Taiwan, Japan, and Britain on U.S. arms sales in Asia. The number of fighter jets, missiles, and rockets that the U.S. will sell to China and North Korea’s neighbors is expected to increase significantly in 2013. U.S. Aerospace Industries Association, whose members include Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Northrop-Grumman, issued the same forecast. The Asian focus of the Obama administration and the increased Chinese defense budget are considered primary drivers behind this move. Experts suggested that conflicts in the South China Sea and the East Sea are fueling the U.S. arms manufacturers. Four Global Hawk unmanned aircraft worth US$1.2 billion were sold to South Korea right after North Korea’s rocket launch last month. It seems that both U.S. allies and their opposition agree that the re-balancing process in East and Southeast Asia is profiting the U.S. arms industry.
Source: Xinhua, January 5, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-01/05/c_124184314_3.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: PetroChina Investments in Iran Got Stuck

Xinhua recently reported that Iran’s Oil Ministry announced, at the end of 2012, that PetroChina “lacked the willingness” to push forward on the investments in some of its projects in Iran. The two sides have been in negotiations for over half a year and PetroChina is not moving forward. Last summer there had already been reports on PetroChina withdrawing from its investment plans. However, PetroChina officially denied any withdrawal. This new Iranian announcement is the latest development under the “shadow of U.S. sanctions.” PetroChina has recently been pulling workers out of some sea-side Iranian cities. PetroChina officials were not available to comment on the latest Iranian government announcement. After the U.S. sanctions started, all Western companies left Iran, which made the Chinese companies the primary investors in Iran’s energy industry. Restrictions and policy constraints present other barriers to PetroChina’s project schedules. PetroChina currently has four investment projects in Iran totaling over US$10 billion. 
Source: Xinhua, January 5, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2013-01/05/c_124186289.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: Ministry of Commerce Concerned about the U.S. Control of Its Exports

People’s Daily recently reported that President Obama just signed the Fiscal 2013 National Defence Authorization Act, which maintained control of satellite exports to China. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce commented that the Act bans exports, re-exports, and the launch of U.S. satellites in China, while restrictions on other countries were loosen up. He expressed deep concern regarding this issue and pointed out that the United States previously agreed to lift the ban on high-tech exports to China if they were for civilian use. The spokesperson called on the U.S. to delivery on its previously promised reform of U.S. export control policies and asked the U.S. to drop its discrimination against China. He expressed the belief that a balanced trade will benefit both countries.
Source: People’s Daily, January 5, 2013
http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2013/0105/c1004-20099348.html
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations