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Government/Politics - 220. page

People’s Daily: Thirty Provinces Released GDP Growth Rates Higher than the National Average

People’s Daily recently reported that all but one province (Qinghai Province) had released their official GDP growth rates for the first half of 2013. All of these 30 provinces recorded a growth rate higher than the national GDP growth rate of 7.6 percent. Most of the provinces suffered a slower rate than last year’s. Among the 30 provinces, Guangdong Province had the highest GDP level and Jiangsu Province and Shandong Province followed as the second and the third, respectively. These three provinces accounted for one third of the national GDP. The report suggested that, in addition to the possibility that numbers were forged, statistical calculation differences could have resulted in incorrect financial reports as well. Experts expressed the belief that, despite the questionable accuracy, the numbers still showed a clear slowdown in the Chinese economy; nor has there been any sign of a rebound occurring anytime soon. It is important to promote structural reform and to encourage consumer spending and private sector investments.
Source: People’s Daily, July 29, 2013
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0729/c1001-22355973.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Notice Issued to Stop Constructing New Government Office Buildings

At the end of July, the General Office of the State Council issued a notice prohibiting all levels of government from constructing new office buildings, regardless of any justifications or reasons they might have. It requested that the projects that have been approved but have not started construction should stop. The notice also required that the Party cadres evacuate and return the office space that is over the standard. The notice is the 11th one the central administration has issued since 1988 on restricting the construction of excess office space and the third notice since March 2013 under the new administration. However none of them have been strictly enforced.

According to the auditing results that Zhejiang Province disclosed, in the first half of 2009, out of ten provincial government units audited, six had failed the audit. The highest average space per person was 220.2 square meters (2,370 square feet). On April 20, 2012, the National Audit Office’s audit results disclosed that, of the new government offices built in 2011 in Shan Tai County of Sichuan Province, 10 offices on the seventh floor had private bathrooms. The largest space was 66 square meters (710 square feet), exceeding the standard set for county level officials by 6.3 times.

Source: Xinhua, August 4, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-08/04/c_116800252.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s Research and Development Funds Misused

On August 1, 2013, People’s Daily reprinted a report from Guangdong Yangcheng Evening News (Yangcheng Wanbao) stating that a major share of the nation’s R&D funds is used for conferences and travel. 

At a press conference, Wang Dong, Deputy Mayor of Guangzhou, reported, “Of all national scientific and technology research and development funds, only about 40 percent is truly spent on R&D. The remaining 60 percent is spent on conferences, travel, and other matters.”  

The remarks were made in response to earlier reports. Guangzhou officials in charge of R&D had been investigated due to corruption charges. Wang responded, “So many incidents have occurred in this field. It must have something to do with our system.” Wang stated that governments at all levels in China have spent large amounts of funds on R&D. As most Chinese enterprises do not conduct independent R&D, there is an urgent need for reform to assure that the R&D funds are used effectively. 

Source: Guangdong Yangcheng Evening News (Yangcheng Wanbao) reprinted by People’s Daily, August 1, 2013 http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0801/c1001-22414743.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: In Chaos China, Would be Worse Off than the Former Soviet Union

On August 1, 2013, Xinhua published a commentary stating that, if China were to fall into chaos, it would be worse off than the former Soviet Union. The commentary compared China today to the former Soviet Union on the eve of collapse. It accused Internet bloggers of “spreading rumors every day, fabricating negative social news, creating an apocalyptic scene of China’s imminent collapse, denigrating the existing socialist system, and promoting the European and American capitalist and constitutional model.” It also blamed the Internet bloggers for inciting hatred toward the government to trigger social unrest in China.

“Then let’s look at the situation after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which went through unrest, to see if the Russian people have reached the shore of happiness with universal values.” 

“Today the Russian people have really awakened to the fact that democracy, as depicted by Europe and the United States, deceived them, only to lose everything they once had. This means that Russia has moved from a major power to a second or third class economy that plays only a small role in the world.” The commentary predicted that China would be several times worse off than Russia. The socialist system is not the best, “but it is definitely better than what Europe and the United States would impose on China. At least we now move forward in development. This is the awakening of the Chinese!” 
Source: Xinhua, August 1, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-08/01/c_116766533.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Military Officer: Strong Military Dream is the Guarantee to Ensure the Realization of China Dream

In Beijing on July 30, 2013, The Central Propaganda Department, the Work Committee for Offices Directly under the Central Government, the State Organs Work Committee of the Central Government, the Ministry of Education, the PLA General Political Department, and the Beijing Municipal Party Committee jointly held the third report on education series on socialism with Chinese characteristics and the China dream. Bi Jingjing, Vice President of National Defense University, gave a report titled "A Strong Army Dream: The Powerful Guarantee to Ensure the Realization of the China Dream." 

The report pointed out that the dream of a powerful nation and a strong military dream are closely related and support each other. A dream of a powerful nation harbors a dream of a strong military; a dream of a strong military provides support for the dream of a powerful nation. Without a strong military, national security and development cannot be guaranteed. At present, the more advanced the economic and social development, the more urgent is the security need and the more urgent it is to strengthen the military. Therefore, we must seize the opportunity, meet the challenge, and accelerate the modernization of China’s national defense and the armed forces so as to provide strong power for the realization of the China dream.  

Source: People’s Daily, July 31, 2013
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0731/c1026-22394690.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: The Economic Slowdown Must Not Exceed a Tolerable Bottom Line

On July 30, 2013, the CCP Central Committee Political Bureau met and discussed the direction of China’s economy. Based on that discussion, Xinhua published an article, also on July 30, 2013, suggesting that China’s economy is in a “ridge climbing” period (like climbing a steep and difficult slope). Therefore, it is important to “ensure the economy runs within reasonable parameters.”

The article stated that the goal is to “stabilize the people’s mind.” China must not let the economy fluctuate up and down. The economic slowdown must not exceed a tolerable bottom line. The stability-oriented macro-policies do not allow any big adjustments. The government is the final decision maker in terms of macro-policies, micro-policies, and social policies so as to build a stable economic and social development system in China.

Source: Xinhua, July 30, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-07/30/c_116746038.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily: China’s Dream Is a Dream to Establish a New Fair and Rational International Order

On July 29, 2013, People’s Daily published an article titled, “The China Dream’s Significance for the World.”  The article explained that the China dream has multiple perspectives. At the end of the article, it concluded:

“China’s dream is a dream to establish a new fair and rational international order. In today’s world, the old, unfair, and irrational international order has not fundamentally changed; it is a major cause of local turbulence in the world.”

Source: People’s Daily, July 29, 2013
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2013/0729/c1003-22355697.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily: Ministry of Commerce Responded to the Idea of Foreign Investments Fleeing China

People’s Daily recently reported that China’s Ministry of Commerce suggested that the so called “phenomenon” of foreign investments fleeing China for Southeast Asia is just a few OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) factories leaving for neighboring countries. The minor scale does not constitute a trend. However the Chinese government does recommend that investors move to the Western region inside China where they can realize the same benefits. Starting with the end of year 2011, the actual foreign investment level has been on the decline. Observers expressed the belief that investors were moving their money to Southeast Asia where they found the lower labor costs more attractive. The government found there was a 9.18 percent decline in the number of new companies founded based on foreign investment. As an answer to this decline, in the first half of this year, the Chinese government simplified the process of approving foreign investments.  
Source: People’s Daily, July 27, 2013
http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2013/0727/c1004-22346039.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics