Government/Politics - 147. page

On October 10, the Chinese Military Commission held a special meeting in Beijing, with Xi Jinping’s approval, to study and implement measures to eliminate completely any residual influence of [the sacked former vice chairmen of the military commission] Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou and to clean up the political environment in the military. The top leaders of all major military units and relevant departments of the military commission attended the meeting.

PLA Daily published a commentary article on the issue the following day. The article said that what Guo and Xu had done serious damage to the military. The impact is widespread and deep. The article indicated that even two years after Guo and Xu’s removal, there is still more clean-up work to be done. The article said, “… [The clean-up work] has made major progress in the past two years. … However, it is not up to the standards that Chairman Xi and the Central Military Commission have set; not enough has been done to meet the needs of building a strong military and to meet the army’s expectations. It is still not sufficient to eliminate the deep level impact on thought, politics, organizations, and ethics. Concepts, ways of thinking, and the working model, which need to be in line with the new system, have not been fully established. The problem of discipline being violated has also occurred from time to time.”

The article emphasized, “To completely and thoroughly eliminate Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou’s poisonous influence is a serious political task in order to further promote political developments in the new situation, to ensure pure and reliable military loyalty, to deepen anti-corruption, and to promote strict and comprehensive administration in the military.”

Source : PLA Daily, October 11, 2016
http://www.81.cn/jfjbmap/content/2016-10/11/content_158578.htm

Well-known Hong Kong pro-mainland newspaper Sing Pao published another astonishing commentary implicating Zhang Dejiang, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC). In recent days, Sing Pao has published a series of unusual commentaries, which analysts widely regard as a strong political signal from the top Chinese leadership. This latest commentary held Zhang responsible for the recent shocking Liaoning Election Bribery Case that involved 523 provincial Congressmen and 45 national Congressmen in corruption accusations. The case resulted in the Liaoning provincial legislative branch being unable to function. The commentary also pointed out, for the first time, that Zhang Dejiang is under former President Jiang Zemin’s “protection umbrella.” This “umbrella” is actually the reason Zhang has not had to face the consequences for his failures. In the end, the author said that he felt “grateful” that the Central Discipline Inspection Commission (CDIC) is still there to take care of these corrupt activities. He also called for a reform of the National People’s Congress.

Source: Sing Pao, October 3, 2016
http://www.singpao.com.hk/index.php?fi=news1&id=4988

Since September 28, 2016, a pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper Sing Pao Daily News, has published a series of critical commentaries on its cover-page on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials in charge of the city. Interestingly, it noted that all the criticized officials, Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the top official responsible for Hong Kong and Macau affairs; Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive; and Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong are members of Jiang Zemin’s faction. The commentaries openly named Jiang Zemin, the former General Secretary of the CCP, as managing Zhang Dejiang “behind the scenes.” The article is an indication of the waning influence of Jiang’s faction and the increasing power of present leader Xi Jinping, and also presents a glimpse of the factional strife within the top CCP leadership.

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Ahead of the second anniversary of the September 28 “Occupy Central Movement” (also known as the “Umbrella Movement”), Hong Kong’s pro-China Sing Pao Daily News published an astonishing front page commentary criticizing the National People’s Congress (NPC) Chairman Zhang Dejiang for sabotaging Hong Kong. The newspaper was referring to the August 31, 2014, NPC decision, which misjudged Hong Kong’s public sentiment and initiated the policy that eventually led to the 79-day occupation of Admiralty, Mong Kok, and Causeway Bay. While the movement had the goal of allowing every individual voter to vote directly for the Chief Executive of the city, Zhang Dejiang made the decision on August 31, 2014, to refuse the call for a “real election.” The article was titled, “Zhang Dejiang’s Fatal Blow; the ‘8.31’ Decision Led to the Occupation Incident.”

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Radio Free Asia reported that Leung Chun-ying, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong recently had his lawyer send a letter to Apple Daily claiming that the paper incorrectly reported Leung’s alleged corruption cases and that the report affected his right to stand for reelection next year. Leung demanded Apple Daily to withdraw the news report and issue an apology. In the article, RFA published interviews with a couple candidates regarding Leung’s claim. One Hong Kong resident said that as a news media, Apple Daily has the right to expose Leung’s financial dealings. A dissident from An Hui Province said that, as a public figure, Leung is subject to media exposure and, furthermore, Leung is clearly using his power to threaten the media and freedom of the press. As to the rumor that Leung is an underground communist Party member, he felt that the chief executive was never publicly elected. Rather, he was chosen from a close circle that Beijing monitored. It is, therefore, an unfortunate, sad, and hopeless situation for the democracy in Hong Kong. The article continued with the observation that Leung chose the violent suppression of the “Occupy Central” movement in Hong Kong, which just further proves his close ties with the mainland. Therefore it is obvious that people do not want him to win re-election.

Source: Radio Free Asia, October 1, 2016                                                                                   http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/ql1-10012016124437.html

On September 30, Xinhua published an article which stated that, in the 2016 report on government work, media coverage had been raised to the level of strategic importance. Therefore, the article continued, it can be considered a challenge and opportunity for main stream media in the Internet era when people participate more actively in public affairs. The article praised the official media outlets especially the central media stations such as Xinhua and said that they have been keeping up with the new media forms and have been playing an influential role in guiding the trending topics in society. According to the article, main stream media should effectively play an authoritative and professional role in order to be more interactive and to bridge the gap between the people and the government.

Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/yuqing/2016-09/30/c_129308276.htm

On September 20, 2016, Caixin, China’s leading provider of business and financial news and information, published a special report titled, “Chen Guangbiao: ‘No. One Philanthropist’ or ‘No. One Crook?'”

Caixin, which is considered to have reliable sources from within the CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, revealed in the report that Chen has to make himself available to authorities at any moment to cooperate with the investigation of Ling Jihua, former director of the CCP Central Commission General Office. In reporting on Chen’s business and political circles, Caixin disclosed his connection with Li Dongsheng, who was removed from his position as deputy minister of Public Security and as director of the office of the Central Leading Group on Dealing with Heretical Religions, due to corruption.

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