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Government/Politics - 211. page

Beijing Cancelled the Human Rights Dialogue with Britain

On May 15, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the following complaint: "Britain recently published a so-called ‘2013 Human Rights and Democracy Report,’ irresponsibly discussing China’s political system, and groundlessly slandering and making accusations about the human rights situation in China. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the report."

At the last minute, Beijing cancelled the human rights dialogue with Britain. 

Sources: Xinhua and People’s Daily, April 15, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-04/15/c_126393809.htm
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0416/c1002-24900442.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi: Have a Clear Understanding of Western Cultural Exports

Qiushi recently published a commentary in which it called for having a clear understanding of how the West uses its cultural exports to change the countries it targets. 

It observed, “Take the United States for example. It manipulates its culture to influence the cultural values of the people in other countries, especially the decision-making elite, so that these countries adopt systems and development strategies in line with U.S. interests.” Specifically, such cultural exports have three characteristics: First, the U.S. positions itself as the advocate of freedom and democracy against autocracy. Once accepted, the West, as led by the U.S., is viewed as the defender of human rights and the symbol of freedom. Countries with different political systems are labeled as totalitarian or autocratic. Thus, the United States easily overcomes the [hurdle of] national sovereignty. The pursuit of its interests then becomes an effort to maintain fairness and justice. Second, [the United States] influences the elite in developing countries to adopt the U.S. political and economic systems [and to weaken their control over the government of their countries]. Once the elite are brainwashed into achieving American style prosperity by following the U.S. systems, these counties’ independence are severely weakened. Unknowingly, they allow the United States to lead them. Third, if the United States encounters strong resistance, it launches a "color revolution" using "freedom and democracy" as weapons to subvert the existing government and achieve its own geopolitical interests. 
Source: Qiushi, April 16, 2014 
http://www.qstheory.cn/wz/shp/201404/t20140416_340630.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Study Times: State-owned Enterprises to Change Their Political Advantage to a Competitive Advantage

Study Times published a commentary on how State-owned enterprises (SOEs) can more effectively change their political advantage into a competitive advantage. 

According to the article, the central role of the Communist Party should reflect the leadership’s role in SOEs. “From an economic perspective, the SOEs are an important economic pillar of the country. From a political perspective, the Party’s organization in SOEs is an important foundation of the ruling Party organization.” The Party organizations in the SOEs fully play the central political role showing the Party’s capabilities in leading economic development, which is also mandated by the need to solidify the Party’s rule of the country. 
The article further stated that SOEs bear different responsibilities from other types of businesses. They bear both an economic responsibility and a political and social responsibility. “SOEs should remain highly consistent with the Party’s Central Committee, consciously instill the Party’s line, principles and policies into the action of cadres and workers, and transform these Party lines, principles and policies into products, economic efficiency, and the enterprise’s development practices.” 
Source: Study Times, April 14, 2014 
http://www.studytimes.cn/shtml/xxsb/20140414/4519.shtml
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Hu Jintao Visited Hu Yaobang’s Former Residence

On April 11, days before the 25th anniversary of the death of the late Chinese Communist leader Hu Yaobang, retired Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao paid a visit of the former residence of Hu Yaobang in the town of Liuyang in Hunan Province.

In the 1980s Hu Yaobang was one of the main leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. When Mao Zedong was the paramount leader of China, Hu was viewed as open minded and rectified many miscarriages of justice. In 1987, Hu was accused of being ineffective in opposing capitalist liberalization and senior Party heavy weights forced him to resign. Hu died on April 15, 1989. His death inspired tens of thousands of students in Tiananmen Square to give their condolences, which then evolved into the 1989 student movement, followed by the June 4th massacre.

Hu Yaobang once promoted Hu Jintao, the retired Party secretary at the 18th Congress, to the top position at the Chinese Communist Youth League, a communist organization for young people.

On Friday morning, accompanied by officials in Hunan province, Hu Jintao visited the former residence of Hu Yaobang and his museum, staying there for an hour. It is reported that President Hu Jintao visited the statue of Hu Yaobang and bowed to Hu Yaobang to pay tribute. Hunan authorities have kept the news from the public.

Source: Voice of America, April 12, 2014
http://www.voachinese.com/content/hujintao-huyaobang-20140412/1891916.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily Overseas Edition: Xi Jinping Explained Why Western-Style Democracy Is Wrong for China

On April 3, 2014, People’s Daily Overseas Edition published an article acclaiming Xi Jinping’s "Socialism Is the Only Way’ speech given in Belgium on April 1, 2014. In his speech, Xi explained that the Chinese people had “experimented with constitutional monarchy, imperial restoration, parliamentarianism, a multi-party system, and presidential government, yet nothing really worked.” “Finally, China took the path of socialism.”

The article further elaborated on Xi’s statement and explained why the Chinese Communist Party must be the only state power in China. According to the article, there is no democracy that is not class bound. Multi-party competition and free elections are games for wealthy people. The article concluded, “We should cherish our existing political system. We cannot irresponsibly conduct "political reform through trial and error."

Source: People’s Daily Overseas Edition, April 3, 2014
http://opinion.haiwainet.cn/n/2014/0403/c353596-20489564.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

What Differences Exist between China’s International Partnerships?

The concept of "partnership" started after the Cold War. China has adopted the name "partnership" to define the bilateral relations. Since 1997 to 1998, China has established partnerships with Russia, the United States, France, and the E.U. Of the 172 countries with which China has diplomatic relations, China has established a formal partnership with 54 of them. Since China implemented a policy of non-alliance, there is no higher position in China’s diplomatic system than the "partnership" bilateral relationship. 

Based on the closeness and intensity of the relationship, China’s "partners" can generally be divided into: Partners, comprehensive partners, strategic (cooperation) partners and the comprehensive strategic (cooperation) partners. "Comprehensive" refers to the broader areas of cooperation, including political, economic, cultural, and military. "Strategic" means a higher level of cooperation and there are common grounds in the overall situation and the country’s core interests. Partnership can be between two countries. It can also be between China and an international organization. 
Partnership between China and the E.U. belongs to comprehensive strategic partnership. The China–U.S. "partnership" is limited to the economy, [only simple partners]. Compared to the United States, China uses a unique word to describe the China-Russia "partnership," which is "comprehensive strategic collaborative partnership." China does not use such a title for other countries. China and Japan have not had "partnership" relations until today. 

Source: People’s Daily, March 31, 2014 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0331/c1002-24778739.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi: China’s Socialism and Its Global significance

Qiushi published an article on the rise of China and its significance for the world. The article stated that China has promised that it will never seek hegemony or compete with the West for the “center.” In the 20th century, the West failed to dominate the world with the Western model. The West cannot do it in the 21st century either. China has proven this point with its own development. "The success of China’s way is the success of socialism. …  The rise of China shows that world socialism has a strong vitality and there is hope for its revival. … Therefore, we are engaged in socialism rather than anything else. This should be very clear. We should be righteous and cannot avoid this point. … As long as a socialist China exists, there is hope that world socialism will revive.” 

Source: Qiushi, April 4, 2014 
http://www.qstheory.cn/gj/zgwj/201404/t20140402_336604.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Guangming Daily: Create a New Generation Internet for Safety Control

On March 27, 2014, Guangming Daily published an article on how to strengthen Internet control in order to ensure the safety of China’s national Internet and its information. The article first blamed the United States for systematic spying on the Internet, giving the “Prism” incident as an example.

According to the article, China urgently needs to elevate the Internet Information safety issue to the national strategic level. To be specific, China must plan and design the national information Internet at the top-level of the government and create a new generation of Internet that the government can control completely. The article listed several ways to achieve this goal.

Source: Guangming Daily, March 27, 2014
http://epaper.gmw.cn/gmrb/html/2014-03/27/nw.D110000gmrb_20140327_1-16.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics