Government/Politics - 272. page

Jinghua News recently reported that there has been s sharp drop nationwide in charitable donations. In the past couple of months, Chinese media gave extensive coverage to the “the Guo Meimei Incident,” in which large scale corruption was reported in the state-managed Chinese Red Cross. According to official statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Chinese charities received RMB 6.26 billion from March to May this year. However, after the Incident, for the period of June to August, donations dropped to RMB 0.84 billion. The sharp drop is believed to have resulted from the loss of confidence in the charity system. At the same time, individual-to-individual direct donations have risen from RMB 38.87 million to 127 million. In Shenzhen, the largest city for donations, the amount of recent donations dropped to near zero. Xu Jianzhong, a senior official of Ministry of Civil Affairs, made the observation that extensive media coverage is destroying Chinese charities.

[Ed: A Sina Weibo user, Guo Meimei, claiming she was with the Red Cross, flaunted her wealth on-line. In response, tens of thousands of Weibo users a day posted objections to the corruption involved in personal use of donated funds.]

Source: Jinghua News, August 27, 2011
http://epaper.jinghua.cn/html/2011-08/27/content_694600.htm

Red Flag Manuscript published an article on the relationship between political security and political system reform. “Political security is an important component of national security. … It is the fundamental symbol of national security and the supreme goal of China’s national interest. Only when political security is ensured, can there be the security required for China to seek and safeguard the economy, science and technology, culture, society, ecology and other areas. … The key to ensuring political security and the realistic path to success in China’s political system reform lies in expanding citizens’ participation in politics, upholding the rule of law, and increasing the level of institutionalization of participation in politics, all under the leadership of the Party.”

Source: Red Flag Manuscripts reprinted by Qiushi, August 10, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2011/201115/201108/t20110810_101108.htm

A Study Times article asks, “Why are American movies popular all over the world? Why can Japanese cartoons and South Korean TV series conquer Asia and even the world and be a national symbol? By comparison, what movie and TV culture should China develop to have its own world class products compatible with China’s status? This question has long been hotly discussed in the movie, TV, cultural and academic areas. It has even become an important topic in the political arena.”

The article says, “Art belongs to ideology and has educational implications. It can influence people ‘unconsciously’ on the psychological level. … When the audience accepts the leading characters, they also accept the values that the characters exhibit or the values the movie or TV series champion.” “Hu Jintao pointed out at the 90th Anniversary of the CCP, ‘(We) must set our eyes on promoting China’s culture to the world, establish a cultural soft power that is compatible with China’s international status, and increase China’s cultural influence on the world.’”

In conclusion, the article proposed, “In the current international political environment, culture and soft power are inseparable from the scope of political language. To create world class Chinese movies and TV series will result in being recognized by audiences around the world.”

Source: Study Times, August 15, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/08/15/09/09_25.htm

China Youth Daily published a commentary titled “China Must Walk its Own Path.” The commentary stated that, from identifying Marxism as its core to applying Marxism to China, the Communist Party has blazed a Chinese style socialist path. It pointed out that the Communist Party has done three major things and has had three major achievements. The three major things are 1) completing the new democratic revolution, national independence and people’s liberation; 2) completing the socialist revolution and establishing the socialist system; and 3) engaging in open-door reform and developing Chinese style socialism. The three major achievements are 1) blazing a Chinese style socialist path; 2) founding Chinese style socialist theory; and 3) establishing the Chinese style socialist system.

Source: China Youth Daily reprinted by Xinhua, August 15, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-08/15/c_131049185.htm

On August 15, 2011, at a State Council’s kickoff on safety issues, Zhang Dejiang, China’s Vice Premier, said that safety checks on China’s high-speed railway network must be conducted to raise the government’s credibility. “An extensive safety check has become … an urgent need in order to raise government credibility and public satisfaction.” Zhang said that if major safety threats are found during the month long inspection from now to mid September, train operations and construction should be suspended immediately.

Source: The Beijing News reprinted by People’s Online, August 17, 2011
http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/15434283.html

Red Flag Manuscript published a research paper from China’s Ministry of Agriculture that discussed the best practices in the Party’s ideological and political work in the countryside. The article stated that the victories that the Party achieved in the past were the result of taking resolving agricultural and farmers’ issues as the number one priority, adopting and implementing agricultural policies, and targeting the hearts of farmers in the Party’s ideological and political work, all of which won the support of the vast majority of farmers. The practices that have proved best include 1) always consider the farmers’ issues as the most important; 2) always tie the core task of the Party with the ideological work on farmers; 3) always treat the resolution of land problems as the foundation of the Party’s work on farmers’ issues; 4) implement the Party’s agricultural policies along with its ideological and political work.

Source: Red Flag Manuscript reprinted by Qiushi, August 10, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2011/201115/201108/t20110810_101111.htm

 Li Anji, an official with the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, wrote in Study Times that understanding Mao Zedong’s ideology on forming alliances is critical to building a harmonious society. Li addressed the issue from three perspectives: the pragmatism, the long-term vision, and the tactics of Mao’s ideology in forming alliances with non-Communist Party organizations. “Currently, the most important historical task placed in front of the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the people is to build a harmonious socialist society. To that end, the following has important theoretical and practical revelations: to sum up and learn from the rich and harmonious concepts in Mao’s united front ideology will assist us in spotting the main issue in contemporary China, coordinating the ever-widening disparity of interests of different groups, solidifying the domestic united front, building a harmonious society, creating a harmonious domestic environment for economic and social development, establishing a broad international united front, strengthening international exchange and cooperation, and creating a peaceful international environment for the rise of China.“

Source: Study Times, August 8, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/08/08/08/08_16.htm

The International Herald Leader, a publication under Xinhua, stated in a commentary that there is a need to form a cross-functional “Ministry of National Emergencies” under the State Council.

The commentary said that the existing “Command Center,” “Group of Leaders,” or “Rescue Center” in China appear to be temporary, unprofessional, and not in conformance with international standards. It named the Homeland Security Department in the U.S. and the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Russia as the models for China to follow.

“If the answer had been yes to the question about a Ministry of National Emergencies, then the current investigation of the high speed train incident could have been handled by this Ministry rather than the ‘Specialist Team’ set up by the authorities in the Ministry of Railways.” The commentary observed that, provided there was no security leakage issue, the ministry could have invited high speed train experts from countries such as Japan and Germany to conduct a joint investigation to identify the causes.

Source: Xinhua, August 5, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-08/05/c_131029052.htm