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The 12th Politburo Collective Study: Xi Jinping Stresses Improving China’s Cultural Soft Power

On December 30, the Chinese Communist Party Politburo conducted the12th collective study (of 2013) on the topic of how to enhance China’s national cultural soft power. Xi Jinping presided over the study, stressing that improving China’s national cultural soft power is a matter related to the realization of the "bi-centennial" goals and China’s great rejuvenation – the China Dream.

Professor Shen Zhuanghai from Wuhan University and Professor Huang Zhijian from the National Publicity Cadre Institute gave lectures on the subject. 
Xi said that to enhance national cultural soft power, [we] should strive to spread the values of contemporary China, namely, the values of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strive to increase China’s international discourse power. 

Source: Xinhua, December 31, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-12/31/c_118788013.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Communist Party Issued Five Year Anti-Corruption Work Plan

According to Xinhua, on December 26, 2013, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued a “2013 to 2017 Work Plan to Establish a Sound System for Punishing and Preventing Corruption.” 

The Party’s notice announcing the Work Plan stated, “Moving forward with the establishment of a system to punish and prevent corruption is an important implementation of the Party’s 18th Congress and its 3rd Plenary Session. It is a major political task of the Party and the common responsibility of the whole society. … The Work Plan is an important basis that will guide the clean government and anti-corruption campaigns for the next five years.” 
The Work Plan states, “[We must] uphold that there should be no exception before the law of the country and the discipline of the Party, no matter who it is and no matter how high his rank. As long as the law of the country or the discipline of the Party is violated, [we] must conduct a thorough investigation to track it down all the way and will absolutely not tolerate it.” 
The work plan also stated that if the problems of corruption are not handled properly, “they will critically harm the Party, and even lead the Party or nation to perish." 
Source: Xinhua reprinted by People’s Daily, December 26, 2013 
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/1226/c1001-23947118.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

CRN: “610 Office” Chief Li Dongsheng Investigated

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that Li Dongsheng, Chief of the Central Leading Group of Cult Prevention and Handling (also known as the "610 Office"), and Deputy Minister of Public Safety, is currently under investigation for “severe violation of Party discipline and the law.” Li has been a long-term senior political news reporter. He served as Deputy Director of Chinese Central Television (CCTV) and Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. Li is the second “Minister-Level” official to have been investigated in the last few months. It is widely believed that this is a clear signal of a deepened anti-corruption investigation into the Party’s Politics and Legislative Affairs Committee. [Editor’s note: The 610 Office is a nationally organized governmental structure that violates human rights. It is considered the primary operational system that persecutes religious movements such as underground Christian Churches, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong. The "610 Office" has been mentioned in multiple reports published by the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission  on China (CECC), as well as by the United Nations. The name derived from the fact that it was formed on June 10, 1999, for the specific purpose of eliminating Falun Gong. In 2003, its mission expanded to include other religious groups.]
Source: China Review News, December 21, 2013.
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1029/3/6/7/102936729.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102936729&mdate=1221112036
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Guangming Daily: No Mistakes Allowed on Fundamental Issue: the Chinese Communist Party Rules China

Guangming Daily published a commentary stating that no mistakes are allowed on the understanding of the fundamental issue that the Chinese Communist Party is the ruling party in China. Therefore, China must be persistent in following the Communist Party’s leadership and its fundamental guidelines. The article reiterated a similar statement that Xi Jinping made on a number of occasions that the people should have an unshakeable belief and determination on such “fundamental issues.” The article also cited a few phenomena that could change or even subvert these fundamental issues. They include the political value system from the West, domestic social conflicts, and the tendency to alter China’s path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and instead follow a Neoliberalism ideology.

Source: Guangming Daily, December 20, 2013
http://theory.gmw.cn/2013-12/20/content_9874351.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s Central Economic Work Conference: Make Economic Progress and Maintain Social Stability

On December 10 to 13, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) held its Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the PRC, delivered a speech at the conference. The conference first gave the Chinese Communist Party credit for “continuously improving the living standards of the people” and for an “overall harmonious and stable society.” Then the conference acknowledged problems in the areas of overcapacity, food safety, rise of the macroeconomic debt level, unemployment, the deterioration of the ecological environment, tainted food and drugs, and poor public safety.

The conference emphasized that the core of the economic work, starting in 2014, will be to make progress while maintaining stability, balance economic “reform” and social “stability” and strengthen the Party’s leadership over "the comprehensive deepening reform." “The conference urged the whole Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to unite closely around the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee headed by Xi Jinping, the Party’s General Secretary.”

Source: Xinhua, December 13, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-12/13/c_125857613.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Chinese Foreign Minister: Key Directions for China’s Diplomacy in 2014

According to a December 16, 2013, article in Xinhua, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech in Beijing at a “seminar on China and the world in 2013.” Wang Yi said that in the year 2014, China will fully extend its diplomatic efforts to all areas. China will build "positive" and "healthy" relationships with major powers including the United States, Russia, and Europe, with surrounding countries, and with developing countries including Africa and Latin America.

China will actively participate in the reform of the international economic governance system and continuously improve China’s rule-making authority and the right to speak. As the host country of the CICA Summit 2014 (the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) and APEC 2014 (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), China will also vividly explain the "China’s Dream," its "peaceful rise," and its "justice ideology" to participants through forums and exhibits so as to increase China’s soft power. China will play its role by making its voice heard on Syria, Iran, and other regional hotspot issues and will strive to restart the six-party talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Source: Xinhua, December 16, 2013
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-12/16/c_118576141.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Outlook Weekly: Party Cadres Must Consciously Master Special Skills

On December 16, Xinhua carried an article which was originally published in Outlook Weekly titled "Party Cadres Must Consciously Master Special Skills." In the article, it reiterated points from the recent talks that Xi Jinping gave on various occasions on the need for Party cadres at different levels to study Marx’s original works. The article stated that China’s current situation provides sufficient proof that the Marxist philosophy works well and is still a powerful way to provide guiding principles for the Party. The article stated that the latest major decisions that the Party has made suggest that the Party is good at utilizing the Marxist philosophy. It went on, “Work hard to master Marxist philosophy as a special skill; be steadfast in the ideals and beliefs; pursue a correct political direction; improve the ability of strategic thinking and decision making and the capacity for overall control." 

Source: Xinhua, December 15, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-12/15/c_118561246.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

State Internet Information Office: Internet Media to Do Better at Bearing Social Responsibilities

On December 13, the China Internet Information Office held a conference on preventing false news reports and improving the credibility of Internet media. The conference addressed the phenomenon that certain media tend to seek news that has an effect, while falsely reporting the news. Ren Xianliang, Vice minister of the State Internet Information Office spoke at the conference. Ren stressed the importance of each Internet site implementing effective measures to standardize Internet news broadcast procedures in order to prevent false news reporting, to improve the credibility of Internet news media, and to gain the public’s trust. Representatives from news media including People’s Daily, Xinhua, China Network Television, China Radio International and commercial websites including sina, sohu, 163, qq and Baidu attended the conference.

Source: Xinhua, December 13, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-12/13/c_118552854.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics