Government/Politics - 184. page

As the dispute between Guo Wengui and Hu Shuli continues [as discussed in recent briefings], analysts are discussing who is the back-up behind each of them. Ma Jian, former vice minister of state security, used to be a back-up who supported Guo Wengui. Ma Jian’s top leader was Zeng Qinghong, who is former top leader Jiang Zemin’s top advisor. Hu Shuli has been close to Wang Qishan, who is in charge of the CCP Central Commission for Discipline. Hu’s Caixin media outlet has been viewed as a media outlet that is assisting current top leader Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign. Does this mean that a big fight may be going on between Zeng Qinghong and Wang Qishan?

Sources: Duowei, China Gate and Epoch Times, March 30 – April 1, 2015
http://china.dwnews.com/news/2015-04-01/59644856.html
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2015/03/30/4146179.html
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/15/4/1/n4401839.htm

Although a number of Chinese media outlets exposed Guo Wengui’s “power play” that enabled him to accumulate a fortune, when Guo decided to fight back, he just chose Caixin’s editor-in-chief, Hu Shuli, as the sole target. On March 29, 2015, Guo Wengui published an open letter to Hu Shuli on his own company website denying all accusations related to a plot. He then stated that, according to Boxun, Hu has an illegitimate child. According to Global Times, Guo’s letter, which had been posted Sunday on Guo’s company Pangu Plaza’s official Weibo, had been taken down by Monday. In response, Caixin’s legal team decided to file lawsuits in Hong Kong against Guo Wengui, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, Apple Daily, and the media outlets involved in disseminating Guo’s slander.

According to the Epoch Times on October 22, 2013, Hu Shuli has played a key supportive role in Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign since the beginning of 2013. “The liberal magazine that she founded, Caixin, has acted as a weather vane on the political direction of the top leadership. It has posted lengthy and detailed investigative reports regularly presaging the Party authorities’ vigorous action against officials and factions caught in the crosshairs of the new campaign.”

Source: Caixin, Boxun, Global Times, the Epoch Times
http://www.caixin.com/2015-03-31/100796597.html
http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2015/03/201503300910.shtml#.VRyoi2dgi3M
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/914712.shtml
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/325285-chinas-most-dangerous-woman-knows-which-way-the-wind-blows/

For a week, several Chinese media outlets, including Caixin and Finance.QQ, have published lengthy investigative reports on the shady dealings that real estate developer, Guo Wengui, has used to accumulate a fortune. Guo has complicated relationships with Chinese Communist Party officials, including former vice minister of state security Ma Jian. Ma is presently under investigation during the nation-wide anticorruption movement that leader of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping started.  

Back in 2006, in order to get a development authorization for some Olympic park land in Beijing, Guo Wengui conspired with Ma Jian in a plot that removed Beijing’s former vice mayor Liu Zhihua from office. They used “a 60-minute video of Liu engaging in under-the-table dealings and extra-marital affairs.” According to Caixin, “Several sources said that Ma, then assistant to the minister of state security, helped Guo get the video of Liu.” Liu had refused to help Guo get the development permit he needed to build the Pangu Plaza by the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium in Beijing. “The fight over the Olympic park land proved Guo had a successful partnership with officials like Ma, a strategy he repeatedly used to build his fortune in the following years.”

Sources: Caixin and Finance QQ, March 24 – 30
http://china.caixin.com/2015-03-30/100796183.html
http://weekly.caixin.com/2015-03-27/100795235.html
http://finance.qq.com/original/lenjing/gwg0324.html
http://finance.qq.com/original/lenjing/wlht.html

Xinhua reported that, recently, while attending training courses at the Party school in Beijing, the Party secretary and the principals from a number of universities held a forum. Liu Yunshan, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, spoke at the forum. Liu emphasized that colleges and universities need to provide an education that follows “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Colleges and universities should conduct work on political and ideology education among students and faculty members while further promoting the development of the work of the Party.

Source: Xinhua, March 28, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-03/28/c_1114795079.htm

Hong Kong-based Wenweipo reported that the police interrupted the Jinniu District’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province and arrested both reporters and staff members.

Some discussion has gone back and forth recently between Beijing and the Dalai Lama as to whether he will reincarnate after he passes away. Since last year, the Dalai Lama has expressed several times that the decision is up to the Tibetan people and he might not reincarnate if they feel it is not relevant. Beijing, however, has criticized his decision as "a betrayal to the country (China) and a betrayal of Tibetan Buddhism."

Tibetan Buddhism follows the "Living Buddha Reincarnation" system. When the current Dalai Lama leaves this world, his soul comes back to life through a young child. Traditionally, the Tibetan government and the Dalai Lama’s close followers search and identify the child. Then the Central Government (China) acknowledges the child officially as the Dalai Lama. These days, the Dalai Lama has expressed that he does not want any person or power, including China, to choose his successor out of "political motivation."

After the Dalai Lama expressed his desire to cease the reincarnation process, on December 18, 2014, Zhu Weiqun, Director of Religion of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former Deputy Minister of the CCP’s United Front Work Department, criticized the Dalai Lama for this "double betrayal." He stated, "Only the Central Government can decide the existence or abolition of the Dalai Lama system. It is not something that the 14th Dalai Lama can decide."

Again, on March 11, 2015, at the national conference of the CPPCC, Zhu again blamed the Dalai Lama for the "double betrayal." He said the Dalai Lama was "irresponsible" and "showed no respect toward religion and the country (China)."

On March 23, 2015, Creaders.net published an article titled “Xi Jinping Narrowly Escaped Assassination Attempts Several Times and Is Ready for the Worst.” It seems that the original news report from http://hk.on.cc/cn/ is no longer available. According to the article, Xi Jinping, the current General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and the President of the People’s Republic of China, has suffered 6 assassination attempts. Assassins hired internally within the Party have made such attempts from around the period of the 18th CCP National Congress from November 8 to 14, 2012, when he took power, up until the present day. To prepare for the worst, prior to August 1, 2014, Xi wrote a letter to the Central Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and proposed that a five-regent team be established and ready for a power transition just in case. Li Keqiang, China’s current Premier of the State Council, was proposed as the head of the “Backup” leadership. Xi has also reshuffled the Central Security Bureau that is in charge of his personal safety, which confirms that he did not fully trust the original members of the security bureau.

Since Xi Jinping assumed power, he has carried out a powerful anti-corruption campaign within the Chinese Communist Party. Those whose powers and interests have been taken away, or who are still in danger, will not wait without a fight. After having taken down Zhou Yongkang and Xu Caihou, two important tigers from Jiang Zemin’s faction, Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has entered a critical stage. He still needs to face directly the "ultimate big tiger," Jiang Zemin, the retired top leader of the CCP, and his close allies.

Sources: Creaders.net & Epoch Times, March 23, 2015
http://news.creaders.net/china/2015/03/23/1506954.html
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/15/3/24/n4394830.htm

Xinhua reported that analysts at official think tanks have commented on the new terms that the Supreme People’s Court has used in accusing disgraced top cadres Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, and others of engaging in political activities "not approved" by the Communist Party. These analysts pointed out that, when compared with the common term "unapproved activities,” the objective of "political activities not approved by the Party" is more sinister and serious, and that resolute opposition [to such activities] reflects the Party’s implementation of tighter control.