Government/Politics - 270. page

An internal source who wished to remain nameless for security reasons has revealed information about the content of a conference the Chinese Communist Party Committee Propaganda Department of Hubei Province held on September 18, 2011, at the East Lake Hotel in Wuhan City. At the conference, the head of the Hubei Province Propaganda Department expressed his serious concern about some content on the mass media. Postings on Internet websites and blogs showed people’s distrust of Chinese authorities. “Recently, there has been an ideological shift in Internet information, which has started to shake our Party’s ruling status. The Propaganda Department head stated that, especially with the dissemination of the anti-censorship software that was developed in the U.S., a trend of disbelief  (in the CCP among the Chinese people) has developed.”

Therefore, the Propaganda Department directed every town, township, and district to take action and pay great attention to the Internet information dissemination problem. Nearly 100 representatives across Hubei Province attended the conference.

Source: Internal Source, September 24, 2011
China Scope

Qiushi published an article that advocates enforcing a requirement that, as a means of fostering loyalty, students at institutions of higher education in China must take courses on Communist Party history. “The Party history materials can enrich the content of ideological and political education.” Such courses, according to the article, will help students establish a firm belief in communism, patriotism, nationalism, and revolutionary traditions.

Source: Qiushi, September 22, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2011/201118/201109/t20110922_112018.htm

An article in Qiushi Theory published on September 17, 2011, discussed a seminar that the Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the National Party Construction Research Center held prior to July 1, 2011, to memorialize the Party’s 90th anniversary. The seminar included a review of Xi Jinping and Li Yuanchao’s latest speeches. It also covered the following four major topics: the Party’s major achievements and lessons learned over the past 90 years; Party development in the new environment; ways to improve the Party’s scientific development; and experiences and lessons learned from the ruling parties of overseas countries.

The seminar addressed a lesson learned from the collapse of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries: that economic and political reforms should be adjusted according to a nation’s internal affairs and cannot blindly follow in another country’s footsteps. The seminar also emphasized that lessons can be learned from the recent political crises in the mid-East and north African countries, and concluded, “We should be on guard against the propaganda from the Western enemy forces when dealing with ‘Color Revolutions’ and must firmly resist different forms of interference.” 

Source: Qiushi Theory, September 17, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zywz/201109/t20110917_110705.htm

Qiushi Theory carried an article originally from Beijing Daily that laid out the drawbacks of the capitalist system while listing the positive features of the Chinese style socialist system. It concluded that the socialist system has a stronger vitality and demonstrates significant advantages to the world.”

The article suggested that the capitalist’s over-protect their capitalist interests, private and personal interests result in an over emphasis on the free market, the multi-party system of administration, and personal values. It attributed the economic crisis around the world to “the greed of capital and its lack of control.” It also faulted the capital system because the protection of personal interests results in a lack of ability to bring about a common agreement. “When it comes to making key social, political and economic decisions, capitalism lacks centralized power.” Lastly, according to the article, the capitalist system lacks a long term strategy and consistent growth.

As to the advantages of the Chinese style socialist system, the article noted first that “the common goal is to get rich together.” The various social classes are the consistent driving force for the nation’s development power. Second, the system carries “incomparable advantages in social mobilization and resource collection because Chinese style capitalism adheres to democratic centralism.” Third, the system is reliable and stable with long term goals. Fourth, the system is based on the clear understanding of each developmental stage and is constantly undergoing social reform.

Source: Qiushi Theory September 16, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201118/201109/t20110914_110033.htm

On September 6, 2011, China issued the “China’s Peaceful Development” white paper. On September 8, Qiushi Journal published an article on the significance of the white paper. It tells the U.S. and other "hostile" countries not to interfere with China’s Core Interests. China’s white paper defines China’s core interests as: national sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, national unity, the stabilization of the political system defined by the Constitution (Ed: the Chinese Communist Party’s reign), and the basic protection of sustainable economic development.

The Qiushi article praised the white paper as a clear declaration. “For many years, the U.S.-led Western countries have viewed socialist China as a thorn in their side and tried in every way to topple China. Their desire to destroy China has never died. Politically, they promote ‘democracy, freedom, and human rights’ and develop Tibetan separatists, Xinjiang separatists, and ‘democracy activists’; economically, they pressure for renminbi appreciation and attempt to stop China’s economic growth; militarily, they drag Japan, India, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries to form an anti-China C-circle. Defining our national core interests is to tell the U.S. and other Western countries: Don’t touch my cheese!”

The Qiushi article pointed out that China is prepared to go to war to defend itself, saying, “(In its wars) China fights the invaders furiously. … The white paper unmistakably warned a number of countries: the increasingly strong Chinese people will never tolerate anyone’s attempt to damage China’s core interests.”

The white paper itself declared that “China conducts a defensive defense policy.” “China faces complex and non-traditional challenges and is threatened by separatist and terrorist forces. Defense modernization is a legitimate security requirement for China. … China’s defense spending is reasonable and appropriate. It matches the need to safeguard our national security.”

Sources:
1. Qiushi Journal, September 6, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zywz/201109/t20110906_108413.htm
2. Qiushi Journal, September 8, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/lg/rpzm/gj/201109/t20110908_108915.htm

A video about how the government trains spokespersons and Internet commentators was posted on the Internet. The Internet commentators are commonly known as 五毛黨 (the 50 cents party, or 50 centers), because they are paid 0.5 yuan for every article they post on the Internet to praise the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and denigrate those the CCP opposes." The video reported that, on September 8, the Xishui County Party Propaganda Department in Hubei Province provided a training session for all government spokespersons and Internet commentators in the county to prepare them “to actively respond to sudden public events and correctly guide public opinion.” The propaganda department stressed that “the Internet has become a major battlefield in the war of ideologies.” It requested that the “governments’ spokespersons and Internet commentators continuously increase their sense of responsibility and mission” and improve their capabilities in five areas: “to make sure the Party and the government maintain a positive image, to manage their work, to handle sudden events, to guide public opinion and public relations, and to use and manage the Internet.”

Source:
1. Youmaker.com, September 15, 2011
http://www.youmaker.com/video/svb5-f784c018d27d4a4ea31337044d0e46f5001.html

On September 9, 2011, Huanqiu, the Chinese edition of Global Times, published an article titled “The Loss of Media Control in the Soviet Union Accelerated the Death of the Soviet Communist Party.” The author, Zhu Jidong, is executive director of the World Socialism Research Center, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Zhu blamed Mikhail Gorbachev for abolishing media censorship and inviting Western media into the Soviet Union.

“As the Soviet Union’s media surrendered themselves to the West, the people (of the Soviet Union) gradually lost both their trust in the Party and the country and their faith in socialism. In just two years, from January 1989 to January 1991, over 2.9 million Soviet Communist Party members denounced the Party. Relinquishing leadership over the media resulted in the loss of control that destroyed the foundation of Soviet ideology, did away with the Soviet Union’s core value system and idealistic beliefs, and accelerated the death of the Soviet Communist Party.”

Source: Huanqiu, September 9, 2011
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2011-09/1990652.html

Cai Wu, the head of China’s Ministry of Culture, wrote an article discussing the direction of China’s cultural development in the 12th five-year-plan, following Hu Jintao’s comments on cultural development from his speech at the CCP’s 90th anniversary. Hu said that “[China must] continue to vehemently promote great cultural development and prosperity, and unshakably develop advanced Socialist culture.” Cai said, “To promote China’s culture to ‘go out [overseas]’ [so as to] elevate China’s soft power, is an important strategic task related to the overall national plan. … During the 12th five-year-plan, (China) must emphatically enhance the unique role of culture in the national strategy of foreign work; improve cultural relations with other countries and important international organizations; enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation with neighboring countries and local organizations; increase cultural aid to foreign countries; actively participate in international cultural affairs; increase the speeches and discourse.”

“(Specifically), using China’s overseas culture as the starting point, (China should) expand globally, increase the scale, establish a comprehensive platform, and espouse the overall development of overseas cultural facilities. (China should also) diligently develop cultural exchange projects, meticulously organize a national cultural year, Chinese culture festivals, a culture week, a ‘Happy Spring Festival,’ and other big brand name activities; enhance international dialogue in the areas of culture and ideology; … increase China’s voice in the international academic world; use great effort to increase foreign cultural trade; promote more culture products and services; promote ‘going out’ at a faster pace; speed up the creation of competitive cultural brand names with our own intellectual properties; release more iconic culture products with Chinese features; and increase China’s competitiveness in the world culture market.”

Source: Qiushi, September 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201117/201108/t20110830_106476.htm