Government/Politics - 123. page

An article that hk01.com published reported that a senior monk with China’s Buddhist Association called the Communist Party the “Living Buddha” and asked the members of the association to follow him to hand write the report from the 19th Congress. The official wechat account of the Hainan Nanhai Buddhist College published the original article and ifeng.com picked it up. However, since then, it has been deleted. According to the article, on December 10, during the session of studying key messages from the 19th Congress, the deputy director of the Hainan Buddhist Association said, “The Communist Party is the living Buddha and the reports from the 19th Congress are the modern Buddhist script.” He hand wrote the reports three times and plans to write them ten more times. The deputy director also stressed that the Buddhist monks must be patriotic, party loving, law-abiding citizens first; they must have faith in both the Buddha and the current leader of China; they also must have the image of a “patriotic Buddhist” and tell “patriotic Buddhist” stories to the public.”

Source: hk01.com, December 14, 2017
https://www.hk01.com/兩岸/141255/中國佛教協會高僧-十九大報告是當代佛經-已手抄3遍要再抄10遍

According to an article VOA published, on December 4, China’s National Constitution Day, Beijing officials stationed in Hong Kong said that, “Hong Kong must respect and agree that its political system is under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, which is defined under the constitution. Hong Kong became a part of Red China after its return and it shares the same fate with the Chinese Communist Party.” The article stated that this is the first time in the 20 years since Hong Kong’s return that Chinese officials have made such a bare and direct statement about the relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland. According to the comments from a retired professor from Hong Kong City University, Hong Kong people acknowledge themselves as Chinese and also recognize China but they don’t accept the rule of the communist party and can’t accept the statement that equates China with the Chinese Communist Party as one. He told VOA that “In Hong Kong other than a few of those establishments at the top who care for their power and interest and openly praise Beijing, most of the Hong Kong people are in fear of the communist party and don’t like what it does. Even for those in the establishment who praise Beijing, they feel concerned and unsafe that the Communist Party is invading Hong Kong and openly stating that Hong Kong is under communist party rule.”

Source: Voice of America, December 5, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/news-chinese-officials-claim-hk-part-of-red-china-20171205/4149830.html

Central News Agency reported that the Westminster School, the well-known private boarding school from England, announced that it plans to open six campuses in China by 2028. The first campus will be set up in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in 2020. It promised that it will use China’s basic education curriculum, including political ideology education courses, while incorporating curriculum from Westminster School for students in elementary and middle schools. It will then fully adopt English class requirements for high school students. These requirements will be compatible with the test standard in England. According to a report from Xinhua, Westminster School signed a contract agreement with HKMEGT, a Hong Kong education investment group. Its campus on the mainland will enroll students from 6 years old to 18 years old.

Source: Chinese News Agency, December 8, 2017
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201712080161-1.aspx

Duowei, a Beijing controlled Chinese media based overseas, published a report discussing the “High-level Dialogue between the CCP and the World’s Political Parties” that was held in Beijing. The article stated that the meeting is undoubtedly of vital importance to both China and the rest of the world. From a historical perspective, this will be a hallmark of the modernization of China’s politics. (It signals that) China has once again entered a historic period of disseminating political civilization to the outside world, (just like what took place) in the advanced and prosperous history of China in eras such as the Han and Tang Dynasties.

The article claimed, “In the phrase ‘High-level Dialogue between the CCP and the World’s Political Parties,’ the ‘Communist Party of China’ is in parallel with the ‘world’s political parties,’ indicating that this is a platform where the CCP serves as the main player to connect with global politics. The first CCP and World Dialogue was held in September 2014, when more than 60 former dignitaries, experts, and scholars from more than 30 countries participated in the conference with Chinese representatives. This time, more than 200 leaders of political parties and political organizations from more than 120 countries signed up for the conference. This is the first multilateral diplomatic event that the CCP has organized since the 19th National Congress of the CCP. It is the first time that the CCP has held high-level dialogues with all kinds of political parties in the world. It is also the most attended dialogue meeting to include the leaders of global political parties. Although the Western media have not given the event enough attention, the positive response of many countries and politicians clearly shows that the achievements of the CCP’s administration, especially in the past few years, have been recognized very widely. This will be an event that will be written into the book of world history.”

Source: Duowei, December 2, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2017-12-02/60027197.html

Deutsche Welle recently published an article reporting that Delegations of the German Industry and Commerce {which represents the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce in China} is increasingly concerned that German companies in China are facing increased pressure from the communist party to form a party branch office within the company. The party branch office in the company is also expected to expand its influence in the company’s decision making process. The German Commerce also stated that it can’t rule out the possibility that German companies may consider leaving China or seek other investment options as a result of (the pressure).

On November 24, Delegations of German Industry and Commerce published an official statement on its website which stated that the Commerce Delegation has learned of an increasing number of cases in which the Chinese Communist Party intends to expand its rights in foreign investment companies in China. The Commerce believes that the foreign companies are not obligated and there are no legal grounds to form a party branch office and that whether to form a party branch office should be decided by the company. The company should not be required or actively promote the establishment of a party branch office. However according to article 19 within the “Company Law” in China, as long as there are over three party members in a company, a party branch office can be formed. The Company Law applies to State Owned Enterprises, Foreign Investment Companies, and joint venture companies operated in China. A Huanqiu article on November 30 reported about the topic and stated that, “If China continues to force a party branch to be within German companies, to infiltrate upper management, and to interfere with the company’s decision-making policy, German companies will Leave China.”

According to the statistics that the Ministry of Organization Department published, by the end of 2016, there were communist party branch offices set up in 70 percent of the foreign companies in China. The party claims that a party branch office can “assist the company to understand the Chinese government, resolve labor disputes, and provide positive energy for the company’s growth.” A Huanqiu commentary from October also denied that there have been reported incidents of conflict between the party branch and the company’s management.

Source: Deutsche Welle, December 1, 2017
http://www.dw.com/zh/ahk别逼德国在华企业成立党支部/a-41616925?&zhongwen=simp

On November 24, the second volume publication symposium on “Xi Jinping Talks about State Administration” was held in Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) new chief of propaganda and ideology, Wang Huning, and the Minister of the Central Propaganda Department, Huang Kunming, attended the meeting. Wang Huning defined Xi Jinping Thought as “original and contemporary Chinese Marxism in the 21st century.” Wang also gave Xi Jinping Thought a certain kind of universalist aura except for stressing that it should be used to arm the CCP.

Wang praised the essay book of Xi Jinping Thought, saying it, “fully embodies China’s wisdom and China’s plan to promote the cause of building a community of shared human destiny while contributing to the cause of mankind’s peace and development and … guiding the forward direction of advancing a better future for mankind.” Wang also demanded that the “(CCP) deepen the spread of propaganda to the world and enhance the international community’s understanding of Xi Jinping’s socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.”

Source: Duowei, November 25, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2017-11-25/60025793.html

Qiushi {Seeking Truth}, the Chinese Communist Party’s theoretical periodical, published an article claiming China is the largest democratic country in the world. Below are some key points from the article:

• The West uses a “non-democratic” mark to label China’s socialist system, devaluing or even demonizing China’s political and economic system and its development achievements. As the most populous country in the world, China is the largest democracy in the world today.

• The West has no right to monopolize the standard for the “democratic state.” The essence of contemporary Western political discourse is that it is trying to establish Western democracy as the only “legitimate” form of democracy. Westerners deliberately refuse to apply the democratic form to contemporary {communist} China despite its own democratic pluralism.

• Western democracy is not as radiant as Westerners portray.

• China is steadily moving toward a new realm of people’s democracy. Socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics is the broadest, most authentic, and most effective democracy that upholds people’s fundamental interests and constantly shows its authenticity, effectiveness, and superiority.

Source: Sina, November 11, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/nd/2017-11-18/doc-ifynwnty4741795.shtml