Government/Politics - 286. page

On November 11, 2010, at a national conference on local legislation, Wang Zhaoguo, Vice Secretary General of the National People’s Congress, spoke about the legal system in China. “What laws need to be promulgated, what laws are not needed, the specific content of the legal system–all of these must be based on the needs of socialism, the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the reality of the current primary stage of socialism, and the fundamental will and long term interests of the people.”

Source: Qiushi, November 15, 2010
http://www.qstheory.cn/zywz/201011/t20101115_56548.htm

Qiushi, a journal of the Chinese Communist Party, published a theoretical article about political thought education. The article stressed that political thought education is a political advantage of the CCP and of socialist countries; it is the major avenue to spread the CCP’s theory and policies, to fortify and expand socialist mainstream ideology, and to provide the spiritual force for economic and social development. In the current profoundly changing international and domestic situation, and with the area of ideology facing complicated situations, it is important to utilize political thought education to help people to “distinguish the four major dichotomies.” The four major dichotomies are: Marxism versus anti-Marxism; a mixed economy that is led by Chinese-style socialist public ownership on the one hand, and an economic order that is dominated by either private capital or total state ownership on the other; democracy under socialism with Chinese characteristics versus Western capitalist democracy; and socialist thought and culture versus feudal and corrupt capitalist ideas and culture.

The editor added a note saying that “distinguishing the four major dichotomies” manifests the fundamental requirement of socialist ideology.

Source: Qiushi Journal, November 9, 2010　
http://www.qstheory.cn/zz/zgtsshzyll/201011/t20101109_56052.htm

Xinhua was authorized to publish “The Opinion on Strengthening and Improving the Development of the Urban Community Residential Committee,” which was jointly issued by the General Office of the Central Committee of the CCP and the General Office of the State Council on November 9. This directive stressed that such a committee is the CCP’s basic organization in the city and called for great efforts from Party organizations at all levels to develop it. The directive also emphasized the important role that the residential committee plays in maintaining social stability.

Such a committee will be strictly under the Party’s leadership. The concomitant Party committee members are suggested to be “democratically” elected as the heads of the residential committee. The residential committee will have 5-9 staff members. The city-level government will provide the financing for both the staff salaries and for operations. It will also provide annual training in Party ideology for the head of the committee and training for other members every two years. The provincial Party committee will meet regularly to discuss residential committee development work and the city, county, and district Party secretaries will be directly responsible for the development work.

Source: Xinhua, November 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/09/c_12755666.htm

Xinhua reported that the Communist Party Central Committee’s United Front Work Department held a seven-day training on October 27 in Beijing to train provincial level leaders who are not Party members. The objective of the training was to study and implement the spirit of the 5th plenary session of the 17th National Congress of the Party. Du Qinglin, head of the United Front Work Department, spoke at the opening. “It is the primary political responsibility of United Front members, especially leading cadres who are not Party members, to study and implement the spirit of the 5th plenary session of the 17th National Congress of the Party.” Du called upon the non-Party member leaders to “fully carry out their important mission and be clear on their dual role …”

Source: Xinhua, October 27, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/27/c_12708497.htm

Wang Weiguang, Executive Vice President of the China Academy of Social Sciences, published on Qiushi that the financial crisis validates socialism and Marxism. “Looking back to the 1980s and 90s, socialism was at an unprecedented low, and anti-socialist and anti-Communist Party views were widespread. Neo-liberalism then emerged and was promoted by Western capitalists all over the place. Now, 20 years later, this international financial crisis, on the one hand, gave an unprecedented blow to capitalism and led to the bankruptcy of neo-liberalism, challenging the capitalist ideology. On the other hand, socialism with Chinese characteristics succeeded in open-door reform and survived the financial risk; socialism rebounded from the bottom. This has provided a most favorable environment to develop socialism and Marxism and to strengthen the ideological work of the Party.”

Source: Qiushi, November 1, 2010
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2010/201021/201010/t20101030_54281.htm

Qiushi Journal, a publication of the CCP Central Committee, published an article that claims that the Party’s losing control over its media was what triggered the USSR’s collapse. The article said that “media reform” in the USSR was the reason more and more media abandoned their Party loyalty and shunned the Party’s leadership.

“Negative information (about the Communist Party) flooded the news under the name of ‘openness.’” Also, a foreign ideology invasion flourished. The USSR’s media reform thus caused a cycle of “news reform – the media opening up – the entrance of foreign forces – exposure of the negative side – the accumulation of public unhappiness – an inability to counter the assault – a complete loss of media control – a loss of power.”

The article concluded that it is critical for the CCP to control the media and not to open the media to private ownership.

Source: Qiushi Journal, November 1, 2010
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2010/201021/201010/t20101030_54269.htm

On October 26, 2010, Xinhua published a high-profile article titled “Steadily and Actively Push Forward Political Reform following the Correct Political Direction.” People’s Daily Online posted it on October 27. It was the lead article on both People’s Daily Online and Xinhua for an extended period. Xinhua later published another article, on October 30, to explain that the article first published on the 26th was of the highest priority. The author’s name is a pseudonym, but represents the Politburo of the CCP. The purpose of the article is to clarify ideology to all CCP members.

The article set the direction for political system reform in China. It explained that the “correct political direction” means “unswervingly adhering to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.” “When we promote political restructuring (or political reform), we must stick to our own way. We must not copy the Western political system model. We will not allow multi-party elections and will not have a separation of powers among three state entities.”

Sources:
Xinhua, October 26, 2010 and October 30, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/26/c_12704284.htm
http://forum.home.news.cn/detail/79741282/1.html

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) issued the 2010 National Competitiveness Blue Book in Beijing on October 25. The Blue Book delineates China’s strategic goals in national competitiveness. They are: By 2020, China’s national competitiveness will reach the leading countries of the world and rank among the top five countries in G20. By 2030, China’s comprehensive competitiveness will be behind only the U.S. and the E.U. By 2050, China will become the second strongest country in the world, surpassed only by the United States.

Source: Southern Metropolitan Daily: October 26, 2010
http://nf.nfdaily.cn/nfdsb/content/2010-10/26/content_17021179.htm