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2014 Application Process for Public Servants was Launched

On October 16, 2013, the application process for public servants was launched. The total number of open positions in 2014 is 19,538, which is 1,301 lower than 2013. As of October 17, 80,000 applications had been received and had passed the employers’ verification process. Among the departments with open positions, the Administration of Taxation and Custom had the most applicants. However the most competitive position was with the State Ethnic Affairs Commission where there are 2,033 applicants applying for just two openings. The ratio is 1,017:1.

Source: People’s Daily
October 16, 2013 http://edu.people.com.cn/n/2013/1016/c1053-23219517.html
October 18, 2013 http://edu.people.com.cn/n/2013/1018/c1053-23247273.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Supreme People’s Procuratorate Published Anti-Corruption Results

According to statistics released by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate covering the period from January through August, the procuratorate offices filed over 22,617 corruption cases involving 30,938 people, up 3.6 percent from same period last year. Of those, 7,080 cases resulted from tips that came from the public, while 18,283 cases or 80.8 percent were categorized in what is called the “tigers” category. These involved sizable sums of money and officials with a high rank. The number is up by 5.7 percent from the same period last year. In addition, the statistics also showed that a total of 18,616 smaller cases, or what is called the “flies” category, were being investigated, involving a total of 3.1 trillion (US$510 billion) in embezzled money.

Back in January of 2013, Xi Jinping vowed to launch a campaign to crack down on corruption against "tigers" and "flies" at the same time. Xi insisted that there would be “no exception made when it comes to Party discipline and the law.”

Source:
China News, October 18, 2013 http://news.china.com.cn/2013-10/18/content_30329761.htm
China Network TV, January 22, 2013 http://news.cntv.cn/2013/01/22/ARTI1358835841806906.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Youth Daily: U.S. Debt Crisis Alarms China

China Youth Daily published an article, which was later republished, listing a number of warnings about the effect the U.S. debt crisis has on China: 

First, the U.S. debt ceiling dispute once again warns China not to put its debt investments in one basket or excessively concentrate on one financial product. 
Second, China’s local government debt crisis is far more worrisome than the U.S. national debt crisis. An audit notice in June [2013] showed that 36 local governments had a total debt balance that neared 3.85 trillion yuan; 16 regions had a ratio of debt to GDP that exceeded 100 percent. The highest debt ratio was as high as 219 percent. The region with the highest debt ratio was concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta region (Shanghai municipality and Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces). Their overall debt ratio was over 200 percent, without even including the local government’s debt from its implicit guarantee. 
Although the risk of a U.S. Treasury default is worrisome, it at least lets people know where the danger is. However, the debts of China’s local governments are a big mess. If the U.S. Treasury were a person forced to the edge of a cliff, at least he could see clearly that if he walked forward any further, he would fall down. Thus he could stop himself on time. Chinese local governments with debt are facing away from the cliff. They cannot see how far away the cliff is. This is much more frightening. 
Third, the governments’ budgets must be open and transparent and they must accept being monitored by the National People’s Congress. 

Source: China Youth Daily, October 16, 2013 
http://news.youth.cn/gj/201310/t20131016_4031468.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Liu Yazhou: The Internet Has Become the Main Battlefield of Ideological Struggle

Liu Yazhou, Political Commissar of the University of National Defense, published an article in the military newspaper PLA Daily calling for firm control of the battlefield of ideological struggle—the Internet. Liu started his article by quotating CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping’s statement that the Party’s ideological work is extremely important work that is related to the Party’s future and destiny. 

Liu commented, “At present, the overall situation in the ideology [battlefield] is that the West is stronger than we are and the enemy is in offense and we are in defense. The opponents have always been setting the default topic, creating trouble, and keeping us busy in our struggle to defend. If this situation continues, it is inevitable that something may go wrong. Therefore, you must strive to take the controlling position using great wisdom, great vision, and great strategy. … [We] must have counter-measures to deal with the ideological attacks emanating from all of the hostile forces from outside.” 

Liu stressed, “[We] must take control of the right to define public opinion (the opinion right). The essence of this ideological contest is the control of public opinion. Whoever owns the right to interpret and define those opinions will be able to guide the people. History shows that, for the country, the government, and the army, the ability to control the air, sea, and information is very important to winning the ‘hard battle.’ However, if one were to lose control of the opinion right, the country might already have split and the regime changed hands even before the ‘hard battle’ occurs. … Entering the new century, whoever controls the Internet, especially micro-blog resources, will have the greatest right to [control] opinions. Today’s Internet has become the main battlefield for ideological struggle. The Western hostile forces seek to advance this ‘biggest variable’ to "topple China.’” 
Liu continued, “From a regime’s perspective, to win the ideological battle, the ruling party must … occupy the moral high ground. If this is achieved, no matter how the hostile forces engage in peaceful evolution, it will be in vain.” 

Source: PLA Daily, October 15, 2013 
http://chn.chinamil.com.cn/jwjj/2013-10/15/content_5591164.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Protection of Internet Sovereignty Requires the United Nations

In a recent article in the International Herald Leader, Qing An, Director of China National Innovation and Development Strategy Research Center for Cyberspace Strategic Studies commented on Internet sovereignty. Qing stated that, to protect Internet sovereignty, countries should work with the United Nations to develop Internet rules and end Internet conflicts. 

Qing identified cyberspace as a natural extension of sovereignty. The United States is both the inventor and administrator of the Internet. Therefore, one cannot solve the problem of the U.S. control of the Internet in a short period of time. As a result of the recent scandals of Internet monitoring, the issue of Internet sovereignty has caught the attention of international communities. It is difficult to win a confrontation with the United States. Therefore, long term negotiation is a better approach to finding an acceptable solution. “Finally, [countries should] cooperate across the board and work with the United Nations to develop Internet rules and end Internet conflicts.” 

Source: International Herald Leader, October 8, 2013 
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/1008/282521.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi: We Must Have Confidence in Our Path, Our Theories, and Our System.

On October 1, 2013, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled, “Consolidate the Guiding Position of Marxism in the Ideological Field.” The article opened with a quote from CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping’s explanation of purpose of the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda and ideological work: “Propaganda and ideological work are to consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field and to consolidate the common ideological foundation shared by the whole Party and all the Chinese people when they fight together (for their goals).” The article emphasized that the more diverse ideas and thoughts circulate in society, the more (the Chinese Communist Party) should uphold and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism. However, the Marxism mentioned in the article includes not only Marxism but also Marxism-Leninism and all the “theories” promoted by the previous top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, such as Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping’s Theory, Jiang Zemin’s “Three Represents,” and Hu Jintao’s Scientific Outlook on Development.

The article criticized two different trends of anti-Marxism: 1) replacing Marxism with “universal values” and replacing the socialist system led by the CCP with the Western capitalist system model; 2) negating China’s economic reform and opening up, which is a special kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The CCP needs to pay close attention to the problem of “lack of faith.” The article said that some Party members and officials “pray to gods and to Buddha” and “believe in a Qigong Master." “Family members emigrate to foreign countries” and “deposit money in foreign countries” so as to get ready to escape China. The article concludes, “We must have confidence in our path, our theories, and our system.”  

Source: Qiushi, October 1, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2013/201319/201309/t20130927_275462.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi Advocates Red Culture to Safeguard the CCP’s Ruling Status

On September 24, 2013, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled, “Red Culture: The Chinese People’s Spiritual Backbone.”  The "red culture," according to the article, is the “advanced culture” that the Chinese Communist Party created during the process of leading the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to carry out the revolution (overthrowing the Nationalist government that the Kuomintang Party led), to build the nation (the People’s Republic of China) and to reform the country’s economy. China’s red culture originated from Marxism-Leninism and selected “excellent” traditional Chinese culture including folk culture and selected “excellent” world culture. “We can proudly announce that the Chinese Communists and the Chinese people are excellent successors and developers of mankind’s outstanding cultures.”

According to the article, the soul of the red culture is Marxism and the theme of the red culture is the socialist ideal with the Chinese characteristics, i.e., the China dream. The purpose of promoting China’s red culture is to fight against 1) the infiltration of universal values, 2) Neoliberalism that advocates complete privatization across the country, 3) "constitutional democracy" which copies the Western multiparty system and would subvert the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling status, 4) the theory of "modern civil society" that permits the set up of new political forces and opposition parties, 5) the public intellectuals’ theory which would create a legal basis and the space in public opinion for intellectual dissidents, and 6) freedom of the press which would negate the principle of the Party’s control over news reports. The article further enumerates several suggestions on how to promote China’s red culture and expand the soft power of red culture.

Source: Qiushi, September 24, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2013/201318/201309/t20130924_273805.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

On the New Requirements for Party Development Work at the Grassroots Level

Guangming Daily published an article exploring ideas on the new requirements for Party development work at the grassroots level including how to comply with the current situation while coping with new challenges resulting from social and economic development. The article suggested that, in order to cope with the constant job changes and urbanization, the grass roots Party unit can be set up as the “community based” Party unit in addition to the traditional work unit or residential association based unit. The article also emphasized the need to strengthen the Party unit’s scientific operation at the grassroots level in the new informational technology era. It stated that, currently, the Party cadres are lacking the ability to conduct grassroots work using the new media and guiding public opinion. Therefore, it urgently needs group Party cadres who can be professionally trained to manage the Party members properly, as they are constantly on the move, and who are able to utilize the Internet to host Party organizational activities.

Source: Guangming Daily, October 3, 2013
http://dangjian.gmw.cn/2013-10/03/content_9078897.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics