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Five Street Children Died in a Dumpster

On November 20, 2012, The Beijing News reported that five boys were found dead in a dumpster in Bijie, Guizhou Province. An elderly woman, a rubbish collector, discovered the bodies. Beijing News said that the boys had apparently taken refuge from the cold by staying in the dumpster; they burned charcoal in order to keep warm. The preliminary cause of the deaths was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Several dozen policemen sealed off the funeral home to which the bodies were transported. Three or four days earlier, the boys had been seen in rags looking for food and rotten wood they could burn to keep warm.

[Editor’s Note: It was later confirmed that the boys were between 9 and 13; all belonged to the same extended Tao family. They were the sons of three brothers who are poor. Ironically, two are garbage collectors in another city. Li Yuanlong, the reporter who broke the story about the boys’ deaths, disappeared after the police forced him into a vehicle.]

Sources:
The Beijing News, November 20, 2012
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2012/11/20/234677.html
Radio Free Asia, November 22, 2012
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/boys-11222012152908.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Huanqiu: China Has to Get Used to the U.S. Diplomatic Activities in Southeast Asia

On November 20, 2012, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an article commenting on U.S. President Obama’s 6-hour visit to Burma. The article said that the Chinese Foreign Ministry is fully confident that China-Burma relations will deepen. “For the greater national interest, Burma is opening to the West. Even an elementary school pupil can see the foolishness of replacing China with the West. The IQ of the Burma leaders will not be so low, whether it is the current leader or ‘the democracy icon’ Aung San Suu Kyi, who is widely supported to be the future leader.”

The article concluded, “The United States has been engaged in big diplomatic activities in Southeast Asia. China has to get used to it. If we think too much, we are looking for trouble.”

Source: Huanqiu, November 20, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2012-11/3292142.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Will Never Take the Evil Road of the Western Multi-Party System

On November 20, 2012, People’s Daily’s Hebei edition republished an article from China Economic Weekly written by the former editor-in-chief of People’s Daily’s Overseas Edition, Zhanguo Shu, who is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, titled, “China Will Never Take the Evil Road of the Western Multi-Party System.”

Zhanguo cited Hu Jintao in his article, “Unswervingly holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must not take the old path that is closed and rigid; nor must we take the evil road of changing flags and banners.” Zhangguo explained that the evil road is that of Western parliamentary democracy and the multi-party system.
 
Source: People’s Daily, November 20, 2012
http://he.people.com.cn/n/2012/1120/c337249-17742793.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xi Jinping: The Party Leaders Must Consciously Safeguard the CCP Central Committee’s Authority

On November 19, 2012, Xinhua published an article by Xi Jingping, China’s new general secretary of the CCP Central Committee, titled “Study the Party Constitution Seriously and Strictly Abide by the Party Constitution.” Xi said that Party leaders are required to “take the lead in implementing the Party’s political discipline, consciously safeguard the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee’s authority, enforce work procedures, carry out orders, and ensure that the CCP Central Committee’s decrees are passed down smoothly.”

The newly amended CCP Constitution incorporated Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Jiang Zemin’s Three Represents, and Hu Jintao’s Scientific Outlook on Development into its guiding ideology.

Source: Xinhua, November 19, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/18cpcnc/2012-11/19/c_113722461.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Beidou System Accuracy Will Surpass GPS

Xinhua recently reported on the new developments related to the Chinese global positioning system named Beidou. Based on the comments made by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the accuracy of the Beidou system’s 10-meter services has already reached the same level as the U.S. GPS system. With the enhancements that are planned, the Beidou system will soon offer better accuracy than the GPS system. It is also expected that the price of the Beidou commercial chip will drop sharply in the near future. As of October 25, the Beidou system included a network of sixteen satellites, which cover all of China and the surrounding regions. The era of commercialized Beidou applications has arrived. The domestic market size of the satellite positioning system is expected to reach RMB 200 billion yuan. 
Source: Xinhua, November 18, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2012-11/18/c_123966005.htm
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

China News: Number of Half or Fully Shutdown Companies Reached a 3-Year High

China News recently reported on research results that the China Entrepreneurs Survey System (CESS) had released. The CESS is a research institute jointly established by the Development Research Center of the State Council, the National Bureau of Statistics, and four other government agencies. According to the research, 23.1 percent of the company owners surveyed claimed that, at the time of the survey, their companies were either “shutdown” or “semi-shutdown.” This number is the highest in three years. The key reasons cited for the situation were a decline in orders, inventory pressure, and dropping prices. The health of privately owned companies was worse than for those that were state-owned. Most of the troubled companies were small to medium sized ones. Over a quarter of the companies expressed the belief that their inventory level was “higher than usual.” Half of the companies suffered a “lower than usual” order level. Most of the troubled companies were in mining, chemical fiber, non-ferrous metals, general equipment, and automobile and other transportation equipment industries. 
Source: China News, November 17, 2012
http://finance.chinanews.com/cj/2012/11-17/4336528.shtml
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

People’s Daily: China’s Dependence on Foreign Oil Will Reach 60%

People’s Daily recently reported on the First China International Petroleum Trade Conference. According to experts attending the conference, China’s oil consumption is expected to increase to half a billion tons in 2013. Meanwhile, China’s dependence on foreign oil will reach 60 percent next year. China is currently the primary source of demand for global oil market growth. In the year 2002, China became the second largest oil consuming country in the world (after the United States). According to experts, in the next five years, China’s oil imports will maintain a growth rate of eight percent annually, while the average annual growth rate for global oil consumption will remain at 1.2 percent. The decline of oil imports in North America and the geopolitical situation in the Middle East will be the two main factors that will impact the international oil market the most. However, more than half of China’s foreign oil supply comes from the Middle East. This adds a lot of uncertainty to China’s energy safety. 
Source: People’s Daily, November 15, 2012
http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2012/1115/c1004-19594376.html
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Displays the FB-6A: China Made Version of Avenger Air Defense System

At the 9th Airshow held in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation displayed a variety of missile systems, including the FB-6A, an air defense system claimed to be similar to the U.S. Avenger Air Defense System, but with better missile defense capability.

According to Zong Wenbo, Vice Dean of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the missile used on the FB-6A has better air defense capability than the Stinger Missile used on the Avenger Air Defense System. Its price is reasonable and suitable for large volume export. The system has been used in military exercises and can provide air defense capability for the field army.

Source: China Review News, November 17, 2012
http://www.zhgpl.com/crn-webapp/doc/docDetailCreate.jsp?coluid=4&kindid=16&docid=102306077&mdate=1117112223

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military