Government/Politics - 253. page

A forum was held in Haikou, Hainan Province, on April 7, 2012, to further develop study-type Party organizations. Liu Yunshan, the director of the Propaganda Department of the Party’s Central Committee, spoke at the forum. According to Liu, the further promotion of study-type Party organizations is a new requirement, because the Party is constantly facing emerging new situations and issues. The understanding of the urgency should be at the level of how to improve the Party’s leadership skills and mission and the development process should follow the Party’s directives and decisions.

Luo Shugang, the Deputy head of the Propaganda Department, hosted the meeting. There were 22 speakers at the forum and 140 attendees, including members of the central development of the study-type Party organization coordination team, representatives from different levels of the Party propaganda and development department, the central news media, and experts and scholars.

Source: Xinhua, April 7, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-04/07/c_111748461.htm

A posting on the blog for the People’s Daily website spoke directly, tongue in the cheek, to the media’s readers and provided them with descriptions of those who cannot become Communist officials. First are those who are talented. Such people are so outstanding that they dwarf almost everyone else. The writer pointed out that, even if you do not step on others’ toes, people will be jealous of you regardless. If you have a wealth of true knowledge, you tend to have independent thinking, which is the biggest taboo for a politician. To be a Communist official, you must forget about your conscience, justice, and principles and must be opportunistic, slick and treacherous. Second are those who are shy and are not willing to spend money. If you do not have much money and rely on your salary to support your family, you are advised to stay at home. Politics can be secretive, unpredictable, and brutally competitive. You will not survive unless you use sinister means and have the courage to face death. Finally, if you lose sight of the ultimate goal, which is personal gain, you will not be far from failure.

Source: People’s Daily website, March 27, 2012
http://bbs1.people.com.cn/postDetail.do?id=117780951&bid=1

People Daily (overseas edition) published an article to reflect Chinese scholars’ opinions on U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s recent hint that the U.S. may implement a third round of quantitative easing of monetary policy. Zhou Xiaochuan, Director of the Bank of China, asserted that the U.S. should shoulder more responsibilities and not just consider the economic needs of the U.S. [when it prints dollar bills]. The U.S. quantitative easing of monetary policy will result in capital moving into other emerging economic entities, making it more difficult for these nations to control inflation. The Vice President of Chengdu University, Zhang Qizuo, expressed the belief that the U.S. adopts the tactic of inflation and devaluing the dollar to covertly default on its debts so as to shift the risk of the U.S. debt crisis to others. This is the ultimate and biggest risk for global investors. Yu Yongding, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that China is the biggest creditor in the world. The biggest victims of U.S. currency devaluation are its creditors.

[Ed. Contrary to Chinese media reports, many Western media indicate QE3 is unlikely during an election year.]  

Source: People’s Daily, April, 4, 2012
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14549/17571541.html
Reuters, April 3, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/03/us-markets-usa-bonds-idUSBRE8320UJ20120403

On March 30, 2012, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), reprinted an article from http://www.chinareform.org.cn/ titled “The Key to Reform Is to Distinguish State-Owned Enterprises  from Public Sector Enterprises.” The article differentiates State-Owned Enterprises from Public Sector Enterprises. According to the author, state-owned enterprises refer to those enterprises in key industries (such as energy, IT, manufacturing, etc.) that, in Western free market economies, would commonly be private enterprises, while public sector enterprises refer to those in non-competitive industries which private entrepreneurs would find unprofitable. The article says public sector enterprises are common to both socialist and non-socialist countries, while the state-owned enterprises are unique to socialist countries.

According to the article, state-owned enterprises are a socialist symbol with Chinese characteristics and the economic foundation of the CCP, the ruling Party. Therefore, the CCP’s ruling position requires that it must maintain state-owned enterprises. Although China should have public sector enterprises based on the state capitalist enterprise system, just like other countries, China must keep state-owned enterprises with socialist characteristics.

The article concludes that the fundamental problem that socialist economic system reform must seriously study and resolve is how to enable state-owned enterprises and public sector enterprises to coexist and develop.

Source: Qiushi, March 30, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/jj/jjggyfz/201203/t20120330_148796.htm

On April 1, 2012, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article written by Du Qinglin, the head of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party. The title was, “Vigorously Strengthen the Development of the United Front Culture.” According to the article, the United Front includes different political parties, ethnic groups, religions, classes, and different organizations in Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas. With the cooperative political Party culture, the United Front must always follow the lead of the Chinese Communist Party. It must always adhere to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics and demonstrate the characteristics and advantages of the political system and political Party system in China.

Source: Qiushi, April 1, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2012/201207/201203/t20120329_148684.htm

Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China, wrote about Chongqing’s attempt to restore Mao’s model of control. In recent years, under the leadership of Bo Xilai, who was removed from his position this month, Chongqing launched a campaign to crack down on “black” businesses and their owners; and a movement to sing “red” songs in an attempt to revive Mao’s style of control. According to Zhang, there are two major vulnerabilities inherent in the Chongqing practice. First is that it is not economically sustainable. A number of grand government projects have been launched without considering the cost; they were funded largely with money that may have been wrongfully confiscated from “black” businesses. Neither borrowing nor advancing funds before the revenue came in has helped to ease the lack of funding. Second, Chongqing’s practices have led to increased tension, internally and externally. A Chongqing practice as implemented in one city is merely a pike fish in a carp fish pond (the entire country). If materialized nation-wide, the Chongqing practice would become a mammoth shark. Communist Party officials who previously were persecuted during the “Great Cultural Revolution” still remember Mao’s way of using political movements to purge others. “The louder the noises generated by Chonqing’s practice and the more followers it gathered throughout the country, the more apprehensive were the Communist Party officials. Not just those in Chongqing but those outside of Chongqing were equally apprehensive. Because of these two vulnerabilities, it was inevitable that Chongqing’s practices would end up in trouble.”

Source: Zhang Ming Blog at Caijing.com, March 24, 2012
http://blog.caijing.com.cn/expert_article-151368-34329.shtml

On March 26, 2012, state media Huanqiu published a commentary in an attempt to quash Internet postings about friction among the top Communist Party leaders. “Recently, certain rumors have been spreading on and off the Internet, with high visibility. Some of them even involve Changan Street (the location of the Chinese State Council) and Zhongnanhai (the headquarters of the Communist Party). These rumors are very bizarre and ridiculous, thus interfering with public opinion. Chinese society should be on the alert about this and should not let the rumor mill run without restrictions.” The commentary alleged that the rumors are quietly eroding society. “[To legitimize rumors] is, in fact, to build a publicly-accepted world outside of the current political framework and to constantly erode the authority of the current system. Once rumors are legitimized, they will become a cheap tool to disintegrate the country ideologically and politically.”

Source: Huanqiu, March 26, 2012.
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2012-03/2554859.html

On March 27, 2012, PLA Daily published an article that discussed ensuring that all PLA troops resolutely obey the orders from the CCP Central Committee, the CCP Central Military Commission, and Chairman Hu Jintao. “In this new situation, when the Party, the nation, and the world are undergoing changes, our Party faces many unprecedented new circumstances, problems, and challenges.”

“At the PLA delegation plenary session of the Fifth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress, Chairman Hu talked about solidly organizing educational activities that focus on ‘viewing politics as the priority, considering the overall situation first and being obedient, seriously sticking to political discipline and organizational discipline, and ensuring the smooth transmission and reception of military orders.”

Source: PLA Daily, March 27, 2012
http://www.chinamil.com.cn/jfjbmap/content/2012-03/27/content_1714.htm