Government/Politics - 254. page

On April 19, 2012, the Associated Press quoted from overseas-based Chinese websites and political insiders that Zhou Yongkang, one of nine members of the Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, is also under heavy scrutiny and could face a reckoning as part of the recent scandal unraveling around the ousting of Bo Xilai, a Politburo member and former Party chief of Chongqing.

"Zhou, 72, is widely reported to have been the only leading official to have argued against last week’s striking decision to suspend Bo’s membership in the 25-seat Politburo – a step that effectively ended the political career of one of China’s most ambitious and high-profile politicians."

"Since then, Zhou has made tearful self-criticisms to President Hu Jintao and former leader Jiang Zemin, his political mentor, according to the U.S.-based Chinese-language dissident news site Boxun.com, which has been reporting accurately on the Bo scandal. Despite that, Zhou is now under some form of secretive investigation by the Party’s disciplinary body," it said.

Source: Associated Press, April 19, 2012
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2012/04/19/probe_of_security_boss_could_widen_china_scandal/

Study Times, the theoretical journal of the Communist Party, published an article that attempted to correct “misconceptions” that Chinese scholars and government officials have about soft power. The article said that 90 percent of the publications related to culture (in China) have used the term "soft power." However, many people have described the term purely from the academic perspective and have missed its ideological meaning. The author pointed out that this misconception has had a negative impact on the development of China’s soft power; if it is not corrected, it could affect the direction of the development of Chinese style socialist culture.

The article asserted that the United States wants to dissolve the belief, confidence, and trust of Chinese Communist officials with a butter knife (of soft power) in order to change the Chinese Communist leaders’ Marxist beliefs … and eventually make them completely accept Western values and cultural thought. The 6th Plenary Session of the 17th Communist Congress proposed to develop a powerful nation with a socialist culture. The key is to develop the socialist core value system so as to fight against the infiltration of the western hostile forces and prevent a repeat of the tragedy that took place in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe .

Source: Study times, April 16, 2012 http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/04/16/16/16_36.htm

On April 16, 2012, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article  by Liu Yazhou, Political Commissar of the PLA’s National Defense University, regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces. In the article, Liu emphasized Hu Jintao’s leadership over the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Liu stated: “In conclusion, (we) must adhere to the Party’s absolute leadership over the army in the whole process of ‘viewing politics as the priority, acting from the point of view of the overall situation, and maintaining discipline’ (following Hu Jintao’s instructions); all of our actions must firmly abide by the commands issued by the CCP Central Committee, the CCP Central Military Commission, and Chairman Hu.”

Source: Qiushi, April 16, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2012/201208/201204/t20120412_150779.htm

Xinhua circulated an article that Premier Wen Jiabao originally wrote for Qiushi Journal. In the article, Wen wrote about the directives issued for 2012 on anti-corruption work. The article gave credit to the government for its achievements in reform and anti-corruption work. It stressed that 2012 will be the last year for this government and no government body should slack off in executing the anti-corruption plans and policies that the central administration has issued. Wen also asked all levels to take responsibility and to physically carry out the plans.

Source: Xinhua, April 15, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-04/15/c_111781693.htm

Xinhua reprinted an article originally from People’s Daily that called for strict compliance with the Party’s policies and maintaining the Party’s advancement and purity. It said that only then will the Party be able to “fulfill its historic mission and gain the trust of the people."

The article asked Party members to follow and safeguard the Party’s rules and regulations, saying, “Today, the situations around the world, nation, and Party are going through drastic changes and the ‘four tests’ and ‘four dangers’ are clearly presented right in front of every Party member." "The more powerful and the higher the position one is in, the more necessary it is for one to discipline himself."

[Editor’s note: During his July 1, 2010, speech commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao spoke of the "four tests" and "four dangers" that the Party is facing. The four tests are tests in governing the country, implementing the reform and opening-up policy, developing the market economy, and dealing with the external environment; the four dangers are the dangers of lost vitality, insufficient capacity, alienation from the people, and rampant corruption.]

Source: Xinhua, April 15, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-04/15/c_111780679.htm

On April 12, 2012, the Chinese Communist Party website reprinted an article from the official Chongqing Daily newspaper, which reported on a Chongqing Municipal Council meeting. At the meeting, Zhang Dejiang, the Chongqing Party Secretary, who is also Vice Premier of the State Council and a member of the Party’s Politburo, urged political allegiance to Hu Jintao. The article stated, “The meeting attendees agreed that Bo’s action (his involvement in the death of Neil Heywood) seriously violated the Party’s discipline and severely damaged the image of our Party and the country. It is very shocking.” That they did not mention the word "comrade" has been viewed as an indication that disciplinary action is anticipated. A day earlier, when reporting the Party’s decision to remove Bo from the Politburo and to start an investigation, Xinhua repeatedly addressed Bo as Comrade Bo Xilai (indicating he had not yet been expelled from the Party).

Sources:
Chongqing Daily reprinted at the Communist Party website, April 12, 2012
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/17632810.html
Xinhua, April 11, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/video/2012-04/11/c_122962106.htm

On April 11, 2012, People’s Daily published a commentary titled “Firmly Support the CCP Central Committee’s Decision.” The article praised the CCP Central Committee headed by “Comrade Hu Jintao as the general secretary” for making the “resolute decision” regarding an investigation of former Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai for serious disciplinary offenses. On Tuesday April 10, Bo Xilai was removed from the CCP Politburo and his wife, Gu Kailai, is being investigated for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

The article concluded, “We must consciously keep our thoughts in line with the CCP Central Committee and closely unite around the CCP Central Committee headed by Comrade Hu Jintao as the general secretary.”

Source: People’s Daily, April 11, 2012
http://opinion.people.com.cn/GB/17621326.html

On April 11, 2012, People’s Daily published an article titled “Some of Our Corrupt Officials Have Secretly Obtained Foreign Citizenship or Dual Nationality." According to the article, some corrupt officials have transferred illicit money and goods out of China and even, through a variety of relationships, secretly obtained foreign citizenship or dual nationality.

The article applauds the anti-corruption decision and progress made by the CCP Central Committee led by “Comrade Hu Jintao as the general secretary,” and also suggested that ordinary people use the Internet to expose corrupt officials’ wrongful acts.

Source: People’s Daily, April 11, 2012
http://leaders.people.com.cn/GB/17622867.html