Government/Politics - 278. page

Xinhua recently published a review of the new book, Preparing for Danger in Times of Safety, 20 Years after the Disintegration of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, written by Li Shengming, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. In the book, the author summarized the five reasons for the Soviet Union’s collapse: 1) Negating the Party’s leaders and the Party’s history; 2) Betraying Marxism and Leninism and losing the correct theoretical guidance; 3) Corrupt personal conduct of the Party members, who cut themselves off from the masses; 4) Appointing Party cadres in serious violation of Marxism and Leninism; 5) Serious betrayal of the Marxist principle of Party development and changing the Party’s color. 

Source: Xinhua, March 24, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-03/24/c_121228155.htm

Communist Youth League (CYL) is the youth movement run by the Chinese Communist Party for youth between 14 and 28, while Young Pioneers (YP) is for kids under 14. Very few Chinese people grow up without once being a member of either CYL or YP. Recently the national headquarters of both movements issued a notice, requiring all CYL and YP organizations to launch education campaigns with a theme of “studying the Party’s history, getting familiar with the Party, and following the Party’s lead,” as 2011 is the 90’s anniversary of the establishment of CCP. 

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently announced its plan in the coming five years to strengthen Marxist studies. It includes setting up 16 more Marxist theoretical research groups in the current 14 research institutions, establishing five new Marxist research centers, funding for the project of “Excerpts on Special Topics of Marxist Classical Writers,” and adding Marxism sections in 31 academic journals to introduce most current research.

Source: Guangming Daily, March 17, 2011
http://theory.gmw.cn/2011-03/17/content_1725162.htm

On March 16, 2011, the Shanxi Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) issued a notice that it would launch an “Internet Red Scout” campaign to protect the image of the Party and the government. The notice states that the Shanxi SASAC will mobilize the Communist Youth League members to gather and report the online postings that say anything negative about the Party or the government, and particularly the Party leaders of Shanxi and its State-owned enterprises. These “Red Scouts “must rebut these comments and use ‘red’ to overcome ‘black.’”

“The campaign will start on March 31, 2011. Each volunteer must post at the minimum one rebuttal per week. The web-page of the posting will be saved electronically in a timely manner and be submitted to the Communist Youth League committee one level up.”

Source: China News Service, March 16, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/03-16/2911248.shtml

China News Net recently reported from Beijing that the CCP Central Organization Department, the CCP Central Propaganda Department, the Central Party Literature Research Center, the Central Party History Research Center, the Ministry of Education, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League jointly issued a notice requiring a nationwide educational movement to study the history of the Chinese Communist Party. The notice suggested various channels to push the movement. The movement is considered an “important task in developing the socialist core value system.” It is also considered a method to “unify the nation’s mentality.” Year 2011 is the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

Source: China News Net, February 20, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/02-20/2855217.shtml

An opinion piece appearing in the overseas edition of People’s Daily accuses some people of having “ulterior motives” in using the Internet to instigate “street politics” in China. The article says, “Since the end of last year, some countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been in turmoil and people have suffered from catastrophes. While the world is seeking ways to resolve the Middle East problem, some people with ulterior motives, both inside and outside of China, are plotting to bring trouble to China. They disseminate their conspiracy through the Internet to instigate ‘street politics,’ for the purpose of sending China into chaos.” The article emphasizes that China is not the Middle East, and that anyone who wants to transmit the turmoil from the Middle East to China is doomed. 

Source: People’s Daily, March 10, 2011
http://opinion.people.com.cn/GB/40604/14103923.html

Chongqing Satellite Television (CQTV), a “red channel,” based in Chongqing city, and famous for broadcasting revolutionary movies and Communist cultural programs that remind the audience of the Mao Zengdong era before the 1970s, will no longer have any commercial ads and will receive government sponsorship.

“If Capitalist countries, when propagandizing their mission and providing social services, can assure a TV channel free from commercials, why can’t we?” asked the city mayor, Huang Qifan, referring to Japan’s NHK and the UK’s BBC.

CQTV’s 2010 advertising revenue was 300 million yuan (US$45.8 million). To make up for the loss, the city government will cover half and have 11 other local TV channels and the Chongqing Broadcasting Group cover the other half.

Source: China News Service, March 4, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/03-04/2885625.shtml