Government/Politics - 226. page

On March 12, 2013, the Hong Kong English newspaper South China Morning Post posted the following question on “Today’s Poll” on its website: “Given the option, would Hong Kongers vote to return to being a British overseas territory?”  By March 16, several thousand people had voted. The results showed that 91 percent voted yes. Since Saturday March 16, that vote has been the most popular topic on the newspaper’s website. It has generated heated discussions and many commentaries in other social media websites as well.

Some readers’ feedback was that they did not like the poll. Some thought the poll was biased, as the majority of the newspaper’s readers are the 600,000 Hong Kong residents who hold passports issued by Western countries or they are foreigners who live in Hong Kong. Some commented that the results will shock the government of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Beijing.

The South China Morning Post has over 100,000 readers each week. It just introduced the new edition at the end of August 2012.

Source: BBC Chinese, March 16, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/03/130316_scmp_poll.shtml

On March 12, Yu Zhengsheng, the 4th ranking member of the 18th Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee and the new Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), gave a speech at the closing meeting of the first session of the CPPCC. He said, "We should comprehensively and accurately study and understand the bright theme, spiritual essence, and strategic planning of the 18th Congress of the Party; comprehensively and accurately study and understand the series of important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping; and continuously deepen our understanding of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, its theoretical framework, and social system. We must unswervingly adhere to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, uphold and improve the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, and firmly take the path of socialistic political development with Chinese characteristics. We should never copy the Western political system, always maintain a firm and correct political direction, and consolidate the common ideological and political foundation of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference."

Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013lh/2013-03/12/c_114995349.htm

BBC Chinese published a report that discussed the statements that two Chinese leaders made during the recent National People’s Congress. Wang Yang, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, attended the meeting held by the delegates of the National People’s Congress from An Hui Province. Wang praised the development China has made in recent years and attributed China’s success to the system and path that it has adopted. Wang said that China is developing rapidly and peacefully; he said the Western world is concerned about it and has used a number of methods in an attempt to slow down China’s growth. On March 8, Wu Bangguo, the departing Chairman and Party Secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, asserted that China will consistently adopt the system that is represented by its people and will not follow the political model of the Western world. In 2009, Wu also denied the possibility that China would ever allow multiple parties.

Source: BBC Chinese, March 8, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/03/130308_china_politics_wangyang.shtml

Recently, the “China Dream” has become a very hot phrase in China’s media. A Xinhua article goes so far as to say that "the China dream should also be the world dream.” 

On February 25, 2013, Huang Jiefu, China’s Vice Minister of Health, spoke at a conference where he stated that China is the only country that systematically uses organs from executed prisoners.

According to Beijing Youth Daily, Huang stated, “For a long time, China has relied on executed prisoners as a primary source for organ transplants. Although the law provides that prisoners on death row may ‘voluntarily donate organs,’ there are loopholes in the implementation of the law. China is the only country in the world that systematically uses the organs of executed prisoners. This is not commensurate with China’s status as a major political power and a civilized country. Because an organ donation system has not been established at the national level, the organ transplantation industry has had many problems. The international hostile forces exaggerate this matter (the use of organs from executed prisoners), and attack our country’s human rights and civilization. They react negatively to all the reports about organ transplants in China and their principle is not to accept, nor publish, nor cooperate …”

Source: Beijing Youth Daily reprinted by Legal Daily, February 26, 2013                                       http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index/content/2013-02/26/content_4223855.htm?node=20908

On February 21, 2013, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an editorial explaining why China does not have true friends. According to the article, the relationship between countries is based on “the pursuit of common interests.” Once their core interests conflict with each other, the relationship between two countries will become indifferent or they may even be hostile to each other. “Because the United States is the only super power in the world, some countries have chosen to become its allies and hold its ‘thick legs.’” The editorial observed that, as China becomes more and more powerful, those that choose to be hostile to China will gradually lose their future.

Source: Huanqiu, February 21, 2013
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-02/3661084.html

The Central Politburo held a meeting on February 23, 2013, in which they discussed the draft restructuring plan of the state council. The participants at the meeting also agreed to have the Second Plenary Session of the Party’s 18th Central committee on February 26 to 28. It was reported that the central committee will provide a list of recommended candidates to be the leaders of government agencies as well as candidates for the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Source: Xinhua, February 23, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-02/23/c_114777310.htm

Geng Yansheng, spokesman for China’s Ministry of Defense, held a press briefing on February 20, 2013. At the briefing, he dismissed Mandiant’s report about cyber attacks emanating from China as groundless. He stated, “Chinese law prohibits any activities that undermine cyber security, including hacker attacks. The Chinese government always and resolutely cracks down on related criminal activities. The Chinese armed forces have never supported any hacking activities.”

Geng said that Mandiant’s report was groundless for several reasons. First its conclusion that the source of cyber attacks came from China was based solely on its discovery that the attacks were linked to IP addresses based in China. It is common that hacking attacks are carried out by using other people’s IP addresses. Second, the world has not developed any clear and consistent definition of cyber attacks and thus the report is without legal basis. Third, cyber attacks are transnational, anonymous, and deceptive; their sources are rather difficult to identify. Releasing irresponsible information will not help solve problems.

Geng further said that China actually is a major victim of cyber attacks. By tracing the IP addresses (of attacks in China), it was found that many of the attacks came from the United States.

Source: Xinhua, February 20, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-02/20/c_114738517.htm