Government/Politics – Page 188

Xi Jinping’s Overall Strategy for the Communist Party to Rule China

On January 29, 2015, the Communist Party website published an article supporting Xi Jinping’s December 2014 speech and the 2015 New Year’s greetings on building a moderately prosperous society throughout China, comprehensively deepening reforms, comprehensively promoting the rule of law, and fully tightening the Party’s discipline. The article stated that this is the high-level overall strategy for the Communist Party to rule China.

According to the article, “building a moderately prosperous society” is the goal and “deepening reforms” is the driver to reach the goal. “Promoting the rule of law” provides the legal framework for reaching the goal. “Tightening the Party’s discipline” is the organizational measure and the control mechanism to ensure that the goal will be reached. The article stated that the history and the people in China have chosen the Communist Party as the ruling party in China, and that under the current circumstance in China, there is not a single political force that can replace the Communist Party.

Source: The Communist Party of China website, January 29, 2015 http://theory.people.com.cn/n/2015/0129/c40531-26474275.html

Briefings | | February 2, 2015 | Government/Politics

Guangming Daily: Western Values Shall Not Be Allowed in College Textbooks

On January 31, 2015, Guangming Daily published a commentary rebutting criticism of the remarks China’s Minister of Education made about Western values in Chinese universities.

Recently, Yuan Guiren, the Minister of Education, remarked that no Western values shall be put in any classroom textbooks. According to the commentary, “Although most people applauded and praised the remarks, some deliberately misinterpreted, distorted, and even attacked him.”

“A few university faculty members openly approve of the anti-Party and anti-socialist forces. Foreign hostile forces engage in ideological penetration among college teachers and students. Some university leaders, to a great extent, ignore ideological work. Leaders and teachers at other universities keep silent to protect themselves, and do not ‘show their swords,’ thus … losing ground. … We must fully recognize the importance and urgency of ideological work. “

According to the commentary, “In today’s China, ‘Western values’ mainly refers to erroneous ideas from the Western capitalist world. It especially refers to the erroneous doctrines of political thought and Western political values such as constitutional democracy, ‘universal values,’ civil society, and neo-liberalism … of the Western capitalist countries as represented by the United States."

Source: Guangming Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, January 2015

http://theory.gmw.cn/2015-01/31/content_14701183.htm

Briefings | | February 2, 2015 | Government/Politics

Anti-Corruption Rules Apply to Every Corner of China; No Safety Net Can Protect Corrupt Officials

On January 26, 2015, Beijing Times, a newspaper under People’s Daily, published an article stating the purpose of the rule of law, which is to unite the people. At the Fifth Plenary Session of the CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection held in Beijing on January 12 -14, 2015, Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary, repeatedly stressed tightening party discipline and regulations, political rules, political regulations, and government laws and regulations. According to the article, a few years ago, some Party members and officials, overtly or covertly, opposed the leadership of the CCP Central Committee. No decrees or policies could be sent out from behind the walls of Zhongnanhai, which is the central headquarters for the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council (Central government) of the People’s Republic of China. Corrupt officials organized gangs and cliques, including an “Oil Gang,” a “Secretary Gang,” and a “Shanxi Gang.” A big tiger was sitting behind the gangs. On many important occasions, Xi Jinping has condemned this phenomenon severely.

From a grand perspective, the rules and regulations apply to every corner [of China] with full coverage. The Party will continue to investigate and punish corrupt officials seriously with no restrictions and zero tolerance. When Zhou Yongkang, Xu Caihou, Ling jihua, and Su Rong were arrested, the anti-corruption campaign broke through some old “bad rules,” such as that retired officials were not in danger of being investigated and members of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee would not be punished. There were forbidden areas, special areas, and blind areas that the anti-corruption campaign had to avoid. The current righteous rules and regulations demonstrate that whoever gets involved in corruption will certainly be investigated and punished even when they think they have “umbrellas” or “safety nets” to protect them.

The article concluded, “Those who do not follow the rules, break the rules, or do nothing because of their fear will be investigated. Those who follow the rules and are willing to do something will be used.” The purpose is to unite the people.

Source: Beijing Times, January 26, 2015
http://epaper.jinghua.cn/html/2015-01/26/content_164499.htm

Briefings | | January 29, 2015 | Government/Politics

Qiushi: Establishing Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council recently issued a joint directive (the Directive) on establishing think tanks with Chinese characteristics.

Qiushi published a commentary about the Chinese characteristics of these think tanks. It stated that the Directive handles well the relationship between the development of think tanks and political sensitivity. For example, as a matter of basic principles, the Directive emphasized the leadership of the Party, thus laying the political and legal bottom line for the think tanks. The think tanks will be the research consulting entities that focus on strategic issues and public policy for the purpose of assisting the Party and the government in their decision-making process. The think tanks should make a priority of their social responsibility and ensure that they abide by the law and regulations. According to the commentary, the guidelines in the Directive promote the development of the think tanks and do not blindly follow some so-called "knowledge" and "judgment” about how to develop think tanks.

Source: Qiushi, January 27, 2015

http://www.qstheory.cn/tjyd/2015-01/27/c_1114138726.htm

Full Text of the Directive

http://news.xinhuanet.com/zgjx/2015-01/21/c_133934292.htm

Briefings | | January 29, 2015 | Government/Politics

Military Parade on the 70th Anniversary of Anti-Fascist War Shows the Knife to Corrupt Officials

On Sep 3, 2015, China will hold a military parade to observe the 70th anniversary of the Anti-Fascist War. It is the first military parade to be staged other than on China’s National Day (October 1) and the first since President Xi Jinping took office in 2012. It is the first time that China will invite foreign leaders to attend a grand military parade; Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend.

On January 27, 2015, China Review News published an article analyzing the political considerations behind the decision to hold such a grand parade as it breaks the convention of having a big military parade every 10 years on National Day. According to the article, there are four purposes in holding this parade. First, it displays China’s military might; second, it deters Japan; third, it enhances the Chinese people’s sense of pride and confidence by showing off the Chinese army’s morale and armaments; finally, it tells corrupt officials that the army, which is “the handle of a knife,” in addition to two other “handles of knives,” which are the Chinese Communist Party’s disciplinary inspections system and its political and legal system, is in the hands of the Party and the people.
On January 20, 2015, when Xi spoke to the Political and Legal Affairs Committee meeting, he said, “Nurture a legal corps loyal to the party, loyal to the country, loyal to the people, and loyal to the law. Ensure that the handle of the knife is firmly in the hands of the Party and the people.”

Source: China Review News, January 27, 2015
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1035/9/2/9/103592959.html?coluid=4&kindid=18&docid=103592959&mdate=0127100910

Briefings | | January 28, 2015 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: Politburo Passed the National Security Strategy Outline

Xinhua recently reported that the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party met on January 23 and reviewed the reports from the Party branches in the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired the meeting. The Politburo also discussed the domestic and international challenges to China’s national security. It passed the proposed National Security Strategy Outline, which has the goals of improving the socialist system, enhancing the national administrative structure, and modernizing China’s governing capabilities. The cornerstone of the national security strategy is the leadership role of the Chinese Communist Party. The Outline insisted on centralization, efficiency, and high authority as the core leadership principles for national security. The meeting also discussed the outcome of the recent anti-corruption campaign and called for continued enhancements to the political system.

Source: Xinhua, January 23, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-01/23/c_1114112093.htm

Briefings | | January 27, 2015 | Government/Politics

In 2014, the Chinese Military Investigated 16 Major Corrupt Officials above the Corps Level

On January 15, Chinese Military authorities announced the major corruption cases investigated in 2014 which involved those above the army corps level. The list of 16 officials follows.

Wang Minggui, former Political Commissar of the Air Defense Forces Command Academy; Fang Wenping, former Commander of the Shanxi Province Military Region; Jin Wei, Deputy Political Commissar of the Tibet Military Region; Ye Wanyong, former Political Commissar of the Sichuan Province Military Region; Yang Jinshan, Deputy Commander of the Chengdu Military Region; Zhang Qiqin, Former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Jinan Military Region; Fu Linguo, Deputy Chief of the General Logistics Command; Xu Caihou, former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission; Liu Zheng, Deputy Minister of the General Logistics Department; Dai Weimin, Vice President of Nanjing Academy of Political Science; Gao Xiaoyan, Deputy Political Commissar of the PLA Information Engineering University; Ma Xiangdong, of the Political Department of Nanjing Academy of Political Science; Zhang Daixin, Deputy Commander of the Heilongjiang Provincial Military Region; Fan Changmi, Deputy Political Commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region; Yu Daqing, Deputy Political Commissar of the Second Artillery Corps; and Chen Qiang, Deputy Army Chief of the 96301 Military Troops.

Source: People’s Daily, January 15, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0115/c1011-26393184.html

Briefings | | January 23, 2015 | Government/Politics

Qiushi: China Must Develop its Own Discourse System

On January 21, 2015, Qiushi published a commentary that advocated that China develop a comprehensive, thorough, and strong discourse system.

“We must strengthen [China’s] discourse system by cultivating a comprehensive, thorough, and strong discourse system. The term ‘comprehensive’ means that we should be able to use our own words to explain fully China’s achievements, its problems, and its future; the term ‘thorough’ means that we should explain the issues of concern clearly to everyone so that ordinary people and foreigners can understand them; the term ‘strong’ means that we must have a strong response to the challenge of Western discourse. The West accuses China of strong discourse. Those pro-Western forces in China also use strong but shallow western discourse. We need to fight back forcefully.”

The commentary stated that Maoist ideology, Deng Xiaoping theory, “the three represents,” the scientific outlook on development and Xi Jinping’s important speeches are all part of the Chinese discourse system.

The commentary expressed the belief that, without its own discourse system, China could be fooled by Western discourse. Citing the destruction of the former Soviet Union, it stated that, in that year, armed to the teeth, Germany and France failed to destroy the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. However, the United States, using Western discourse, played such a role in the development of the Soviet Union’s mistakes and errors, that it destroyed them. The lesson we must bear in mind is not to let the Western discourse fool us. “We must bear this lesson in mind and not be fooled by Western discourse.”

Source: Qiushi, January 21, 2015

http://www.qstheory.cn/tjyd/2015-01/21/c_1114068621.htm