Government/Politics - 280. page

Phoenix Weekly, a magazine owned by Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong based pro-Beijing satellite TV network, recently reported that the Chinese central government is planning to enlarge the training program designed for Hong Kong and Macau public officials. The officials included in the program will be drawn from most of the branches of the Hong Kong government, from transportation to the police. Traditionally, when Hong Kong was under British rule, Hong Kong government officials received their training in Britain. After the 1997 handover, the Chinese government realized that the mindset of the Hong Kong government officials did not favor the Chinese government. Due to the fact that Hong Kong passed the political reform bill and the general election countdown has started, the central government decided to adjust the training strategy and speed up the “Return of the Mindset” project.

Source: Phoenix Weekly, February 11, 2011
http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2011_02/11/4619003_0.shtml

China continues its campaign to develop the Chinese Communist Party organizations down to the grassroots level of society. According to Xinhua on February 11, 2011, each and every village in Guizhou Province has built a venue of at least 90 square meters for holding village-level Chinese Communist Party activities.

People’s Daily Online reported on February 10, 2011, that Guangxi Province has conducted more than 441,000 training classes for rural Party members in the past 5 years. On average, each Party member has attended 13 training sessions on political theory plus one or two sessions on practical techniques. The on-going Party member trainings further strengthen the majority of rural Party members’ belief in the CCP and “constantly enhance the creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness of the Party organizations in rural areas.”

Sources: Xinhua, February 11, 2011 and People’s Daily Online, February 10, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2011-02/11/c_121065055.htm
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/14562/1a3888563.html

On February 8, Hu Jintao, Chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC), approved the revised Work Regulations of the Chinese Communist Military Committee, said to be “an important measure to strengthen the Party buildup in the military and regulate the work of Party commissions at various levels.” It “firmly establishes the Concept of Scientific Development as the important guiding principle in national defense and in developing the army.” The revised regulations “further solidifies and strengthens the guidelines and requirements for addressing both new situations and problems that face military Party commissions at various levels, and the responsibilities and decision making process of military Party commissions …”

Source: Xinhua, February 8, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-02/08/c_13722260.htm

People’s Daily, overseas edition, published an article titled China’s Diplomacy, the Rise of an Awakening Lion. The article states, “The rise needs power and we have the power.” It cites the annual growth rate of 8%, the fact that China is the second largest economy in the world, its technology and military power, China’s regular presence at major international summits, and its 331 Confucius Institutes throughout the world. It asks, “Why is China receiving so much attention now? It is because of its ever-increasing power. … Today, we have a different relationship with the world and the West: we are no longer left to their tender mercies. Instead we have slowly risen are becoming their equal.”

Source: People’s Daily, February 8, 2011
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/57506/13871773.html

The National Bureau of Corruption Prevention of China announced that it made a “significant achievement” last year in preventing officials from using public funds to make overseas trips. “Compared to the average from the three years from 2006 to 2008, the number of government tourist groups going abroad, the number of person-trips involved, and public funds used for this purpose in 2010 registered a decline of 47.1%, 43.9%, and 32.6% respectively.”

However, a local newspaper, Beijing News, pointed out that, compared to 2009 figures, the above three measures actually increased by 1.9% for tourist groups, 1.6% for person-trips, and 5% for public funds.

Sources: Xinhua and Beijing News, February 4 and 6, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/04/c_121050638.htm
http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2011-02/06/content_198562.htm?div=-1

In an article published on February 1, 2011, the CCP Central Committee journal Qiushi explained the leadership mechanism in China’s education system – the school president assumes overall responsibility under the leadership of the Party committee.

“First, the Party committee is the core of the school’s leadership and is responsible for the school’s direction. Second, the school president is a university’s or a college’s legal representative, and is in charge of the school’s teaching, research, and other administrative functions under the leadership of the school Party committee. Third, the school Party committee shall be accorded collective leadership, and must support the school president in exercising power independently.”

Sources: Qiushi, Feburary 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201103/201101/t20110128_64923.htm

In 1989, Chinese Communist Central Committee passed a resolution to implement the president responsibility system under the direction of the Party Committee in all institutions of higher learning (colleges and universities). Over the last 20 years, the system has ensured the socialist direction of China’s institutions of higher learning. … This system must be continued.

There are problems in implementing the policy. In practice, some people have arbitrarily separated the “Party’s leadership” and the “president responsibility.” Some people have even questioned the necessity of the system.

Due to the above issues, the Organization Department and Education Working Committee of the CCP Jiangsu Provincial Committee has clarified that “The Party Committee’s function is to make decisions and set policy, and the president’s task is to execute those decisions.

Source: Qiushi, February, 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201103/201101/t20110128_64923.htm

According to Xinhua, on January 28, 2011, the Chinese government-approved religious organizations, which are under the CCP’s direct leadership and belong to China’s five major “religions,” held a forum on “Advocating Religious Harmony” in Beijing.

The “religious leaders” attended the forum and delivered speeches. They were from the Buddhist Association of China, the China Taoist Association, the China Islamic Association, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church of China, the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches of China, and the China Christian Council. The forum published “The Joint Declaration Advocating Religious Harmony,” which states that “religious harmony is very significant in developing a harmonious socialist society and building a harmonious world together.” 

Source: Xinhua, January 28, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-01/28/c_121037089.htm