Government/Politics - 279. page

On March 1, 2011, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) published its World Socialist Yellow Book. The book attributes China’s economic success to its own development model. It points out that China will neither accept any forms of foreign intervention nor export its development model or value system.

On the same day, CASS released a new book "Ju An Si Wei (Preparing for Danger in Times of Safety) – Recollections on the 20-Year Anniversary of the Collapse of the Russian Communist Party." The book concludes that the root cause of the collapse of the Russian Communist Party was not the Russian socialist system, but rather the corruption within the the Russian Communists. It pointed out that during the late 1970s and the early 1980s, corruption went uncurbed and reached an alarming level, resulting in an “elite class” that gained absolute control over the army, Party, and government organs at both the central and local levels.

Source: China News, March 1, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/03-01/2875689.shtml

From February 21 to 23, 2011, more than 200 Communist Party spokespersons from across the country met in Beijing for the first time for a three-day intensive training course to learn how to handle the media. The topics covered included “understanding the responsibilities of a Party spokesperson, how to better explain the Party’s policies and major decisions to the public, and the best way to present China’s ruling party to the world. …” The Party’s International Communications Office and the State Council Information Office sponsored the training. As of the end of 2010, the 13 departments under the Central Committee of the Party and Party committees at provincial levels had spokespersons in place. “2011 is the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party, the first year of the twelfth five-year plan, and the year when the Party secretaries at the provincial, municipal, county, and township levels will change. This will provide sufficient press content to the Party spokespersons.”

Source: Xinhua, March 1, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-03/01/c_121136112.htm

Zhou Yongkang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, Party Secretary of the CCP Central Political and Legislative Committee, and Director of the CCP Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security, called on all Party committees and government organs at various levels do a good job in maintaining public order and stability so as to ensure the smooth convocation of the “two sessions,” the annual Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on March 3, 2011, and the National People’s Congress on March 5, 2011. Zhou made the call on February 25, 2011, at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee for the Comprehensive Management of Public Security. He requested that everyone in the national system of the Comprehensive Management of Public Security conscientiously study and follow the speech that Hu Jintao gave on social control on February 19, 2011.

Source: People’s Daily, February 25, 2011
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1024/14009093.html

From February 21 to 23, 2011, spokespersons from the CCP Committee and their working team members gathered in Beijing to attend a training course. It was the first course of its kind organized by the International Communications Office of the CCP Central Committee and the State Council Information Office. The purpose was to train CCP spokespersons on handling issues such as how to organize a press conference, how to respond to reporters’ questions, and what to learn from Western governments’ press conferences on events that occur unexpectedly.

Source: Xinhua, February, 23, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-02/23/c_121115226.htm

On January 24, 2011, Wu Bangguo, a member of the Politburo standing committee, spoke at a national conference on the Chinese style legal system. Qiushi published his speech on February 1, 2011. The highlights of his speech also appeared in a People’s Daily editorial on February 21, 2011. “Based on China’s national conditions, [we] solemnly declare that we will not engage in a multi-party political system or in diversity of the guiding ideology. We will not pursue the ‘separation of powers’ and the bicameral system, or engage in federalism or privatization of property.”

Sources:
Qiushi, February 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201103/201101/t20110128_64951.htm
People’s Daily, February 21, 2011
http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/13963415.html

Echoing Hu Jintao’s important speech on social control given on February 19, Chinese media reported on a series of actions taken to implement social control.

Xinhua reported that Beijing is implementing a grid-style social service and control model. Since 2007, each building has had an informant assigned to it. Ten thousand safety and stability specialists and thirty thousand public servants are participating in social control. Guangming reported that the Supreme Court published “Opinion on Further Strengthening Root-level Court Development under the New Situation.” The document calls for the development of a risk evaluation mechanism for major sensitive cases. The Political Department of the Public Security Ministry published “Ideological and Political Work Guidelines for Root-level Public Security Organizations.” It sets the standards and guidelines for the ideological and political work done in public security organizations.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, February 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/18/c_121098674.htm
2. Guangming Online, February 20, 2011
http://politics.gmw.cn/2011-02/20/content_1630096.htm
3. Public Security Ministry Website, February 17, 2011
http://www.mps.gov.cn/n16/n1237/n1342/n803715/2693580.html

On February 19, 2011, the Conference on Social Management and Innovation was held at the CCP’s Central Party School. Top leaders from the central and provincial government attended the conference. Hu Jintao gave a speech at the opening ceremony. Hu stressed the importance of social management and outlined eight points for society’s future direction: 1. Improve the Party’s leadership and formalize social management work. 2. Improve the Party and government-led mechanisms to protect people’s rights. 3. Improve the management of transients and special populations and create a national database to cover every individual in China. 4. Improve the basic social management and service system. 5. Improve the public safety system. 6. Improve social management in private companies. 7. Improve Internet management and establish a mechanism to lead public opinion on the Internet. 8. Strengthen education in socialist ideology.

All of the nine members of the Politburo standing committee, all other Politburo members, and top CCP officials in central and provincial authorities attended the opening ceremony.

Source: CCP News Online, February 19, 2011
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/13958405.html