Government/Politics - 135. page

Xinhua recently published an unusual commentary which discussed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “deep thinking” on traditional Chinese culture. The commentary explained that the great traditional Chinese culture is one of the critical sources of the philosophy that fed into Xi’s governing practices. The article mentioned that Xi has emphasized the importance of the Chinese culture numerous times in speeches delivered in China as well as overseas. Each speech included ideas “deeply rooted in the Chinese culture.” In Communist Party Politburo meetings, Xi pointed out the significant importance of continuing this heritage of the great culture. He mentioned it in the Forum on Literature and Art Work and in the 80^th Anniversary Celebration of the Central Party School. The article concluded that the answer to China’s problems can only be found on Chinese soil. {Editor’s note: Xinhua commentaries typically promote communism, socialism and other Communist Party related theories such as Marxism and the teachings of Lenin and Stalin. During the Culture Revolution, the Communist Party largely demolished traditional culture.}

Source: Xinhua, May 29, 2017
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-05/29/c_1121054808.htm

On June 1, VOA carried an article reporting that Facebook recently apologized to a customer who submitted a request to post his own camera effects platform, which was associated with the June 4th student movement in Tiananmen. According to the article, the designer was from Hong Kong and works for the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union. On May 26, 24 hours after its submission, Facebook rejected the initial camera effects platform design that contained words “End Dictatorial Rule; Vindicate June 4th.” The reason Facebook gave was that it “undermined, threatened, or attacked a certain individual, race, or group.” The author then changed the design to “Never Forget June 4th” and added a candle but still didn’t get approval. Finally the author published the incident on his Facebook page. He then quickly received a response from the Hong Kong media. On May 29, Facebook replied back to the request and approved the first design. On May 30, it followed with the approval of the second design.

Facebook estimates that there are 4.4 million Facebook users in Hong Kong. They account for 50 percent of the population, but Facebook has been banned on the mainland since 2009. Recently Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook expressed an interest in re-entering the China market. The article stated that people who care about Chinese affairs wish that the reported incident was simply an isolated case. They do not want to see Facebook losing its ground and exercising control over those contents that contain criticism of the Chinese government simply in order to please Beijing.

Source: Voice of America, June 1, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/facebook-tributes-spark-suspicion-of-censorship-ahead-of-june-4th-anniversary/3882175.html

On May 28, 2017, Duowei reported that Mainland China is now building its own model for social management. The Singapore model was previously the model that “the Chinese mainland officials used for training,” but the use of that model has been weakening.

Recently, the Hong Kong newspaper, the South China Morning Post  published an article titled, “Has China developed to the stage that it no longer needs Singapore as an example?” Singapore had always been the primary overseas training ground for Chinese officials. It was a “key pillar” to support the bilateral relations of both countries; however, now the role of the Lion City seems to be changing.

Political observers said that the “overseas” training program for government officials from mainland China, which started in the Deng Xiaoping era, has been implemented for more than 20 years. The change in the world’s political and economic landscape today has led Beijing to believe that “the Chinese model is the world’s real development direction.” China spares no effort in “trying to be an example for the rest of the world.” Feeling good about itself, China has undergone dramatic psychological changes in how it views the outside world.

Source: Duowei, May 28, 2017
http://china.dwnews.com/news/2017-05-28/59817444.html

Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the National People’s Congress stated on May 28, that Hong Kong will not have a separation of powers and that Beijing should place it under tighter control.

Zhang said that Hong Kong’s political system under the Basic Law “is not a separation of powers, nor is it legislation-driven or judiciary-driven. Rather it is an administration-driven (system) with the Chief Executive as the core.” The power relation between the central government and Hong Kong is “the relationship of authorizing and being authorized, but not one of split powers. “Under no circumstance should (anyone) fight over the central government’s power In the name of a high degree of autonomy.”

Zhang also criticized Hong Kong separatists.

Pro-democracy people in Hong Kong expressed their upset with Zhang’s claim. They stressed that Hong Kong has long been following a separation of powers and that is the foundation of Hong Kong’s success. They also questioned whether the Communist regime wants to implement “Beijingers rule Hong Kong” instead of “Hong Kongese rule Hong Kong.”

Source: Apple Daily
http://hkm.appledaily.com/detail.php?guid=20036207&category_guid=4104&category=daily&issue=20170528

When responding to reporters, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Keng announced that China is extremely dissatisfied with the G7 summit’s joint statement on the East China Sea and the South China Sea issues. He said that the G7 summit is dictating to China (on what to do) in the name of international law.

Lu said, “We hope that the Group of Seven and the foreign countries will recognize the situation and abide by their commitments not to take sides on controversial issues; fully respect the efforts that the countries in the region make to control disputes; stop issuing irresponsible remarks; and play a constructive role in the peace and stability in the region.

Source: People’s Daily, May 28, 2017
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0528/c1002-29305675.html

Tianjin’s Working Committee on Non-Public Economic Organizations and Social Organizations recently held a meeting to launch an effort to set up the (Communist Party’s) Political Commissar position in all non-public organizations and social organizations.

“The meeting emphasized that creating the Political Commissar position is a political task designed to enhance the Communist Party’s presence in social organizations. It requested that organizations that are real business entities complete this task by the end of June and all other organizations complete it by the end of this year.”

Tianjin Attorney offices plan to complete it by May 20. In 2016, there were 5,918 attorneys and 678 attorney offices in Tianjin. 2,038 attorneys were Communist Party members.

Many people expressed disapproval of this news. Beijing human rights attorney Cheng Hai said, “It cannot last. What will the Political Commissar manage? People’s minds? Attorneys are supposed to follow the law and be responsible to the law (but not to the Political Commissar).”

A citizen in Guizhou Province commented, “The law obeys the Party. (This move) clarifies the relationship between the law and the Party.”

Sources:
1. Peoples’ Daily, May 13, 2017
http://tj.people.com.cn/n2/2017/0513/c375366-30177346.html
2. China.com, May 19, 2017
http://news.china.com/domestic/945/20170519/30545130_all.html#page_2
3. Epoch Times, May 19, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/5/19/n9162824.htm

Two U.S. China experts, Bill Bishop {author of the Sinocism Newsletter (http://sinocism.com/)} and Joseph Fewsmith {author or editor of eight books on China}, have predicted that Xi Jinping is likely to target Zeng Qinghong in his anti-corruption campaign.

They were also asked about their views on Guo Weigui, a Chinese tycoon who moved to the U.S. and has kept releasing information about the corruption of top officials. Guo has repeatedly mentioned that he has a good connection with “old cadres.”

Bill Bishop said that he thought Beijing felt there was someone behind Guo Wengui. “Very likely they believe (in my view) that it is Zeng Qinghong.”

Joseph Fewsmith stated that if there will be another top-ranking tiger to fall in China, Zeng Qinghong is the most likely candidate.

Zeng Qinghong was the right-hand of former Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin. He served as Vice President of China and, previously, as a Politburo Standing Committee member.

Source: Radio Free Asia, May 18, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/Guo-05182017100120.html