Government/Politics - 286. page

Study Times, a weekly newspaper published by the Party School of the CCP, published an article by Zhang Yanxin, member of the CCP’s Hebei Province Standing Committee and Political Commissar of the Hebei Provincial Military District, outlining the policies for the CCP to ensure political stability during the economic transition period. Zhang argued that ideology is the foundation of political stability. The CCP should speed up the development of the socialist core value system and insist on Marxism’s unified leadership position.

Zhang also listed problems in economic development, law enforcement, social justice, and corruption in the party, and argued for improvement in these areas.

Zhang further stated that the military is the sword for stability. “The PLA is an armed group to carry out the party’s political tasks and a strong pillar of the people’s democratic dictatorship. In any situation and at any time, it is the important force and strong guarantee for maintaining national political stability.”

Source: Study Times, September 13, 2010
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/09/13/11/11_38.htm

The EU Foreign Ministers Conference in Brussels ended on September 9. The ministers did not reach a common understanding on lifting the embargo. France generally supports lifting it, but it believed a wide agreement is needed before action can be taken. Luxemburg’s Foreign Minister was disappointed about the situation and believed the EU could impose some condition in return for the lift, such as asking China to sign the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. Other conditions noted in a document obtained by AFP are improving the relationship with Taiwan and pardoning those arrested in the Tiananmen Incident.
 

The EU arms embargo was put in place after the 1989 Tiananmen Incident. For the past several years, the EU has been reviewing this policy, but with no concrete results.

Source: Radio France International, September 12, 2010
http://www.chinese.rfi.fr/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD/20100912-%E6%AC%A7%E7%9B%9F%E5%9C%A8%E8%A7%A3%E9%99%A4%E5%AF%B9%E5%8D%8E%E6%AD%A6%E5%99%A8%E7%A6%81%E8%BF%90%E4%B8%8A%E5%88%86%E6%AD%A7%E4%BE%9D%E6%97%A7

China is implementing a nationwide, cross-province, cross-autonomous-region, and cross-municipality control of radio transmissions.  

The State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly published the "Regulations for Radio Control," which will become effective on November 1, 2010.  

According to the regulations, which consist of 13 articles, during the period of radio control, organizations and individuals having, using, or managing radio stations, radio transmission equipment, and non-radio-equipment radiating radio waves must follow the orders and directives.  

The military electromagnetic frequency spectrum control authority is responsible for implementation of the regulations. Various government entities are required to assist with the implementation.  

Penalties for any violation of the regulations range from shutdown to revocation of license, forfeiture of equipment, and criminal penalties.

Source: Xinhua, September 6, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/06/c_13481181.htm

At the 30th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone on September 6, Hu Jintao discussed persisting in reform. Hu stressed that, amid the complicated international environment and challenging internal missions about reform, development, and stability, the country must persist on the socialist path with Chinese characteristics, persist in the socialism theory with Chinese characteristics, and persist in reform. Hu stated (the necessity of) resolutely deepening reforms and advancing reforms in the economic system, political system, cultural system, and social system.

[Ed: Wen Jiabao stressed political reform in Shenzhen on August 21 (http://chinascope.org/main/content/view/2849/81/). Hu’s speech was widely awaited to see if it would echo Wen’s appeal. In Hu’s speech, political reform was only touched lightly and set in the context of being under the CCP’s leadership. How much Hu is going to do remains to be seen.]

Source: China Review News, September 7, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1014/3/8/8/101438816.html?coluid=1&kindid=0&docid=101438816&mdate=0907092338

China News Net reported that Cai Wu, the Chinese Minister of Culture, recently suggested there has been no fundamental change in China’s weak position in the “Soft Power Competition.” He believes that cultural soft power is becoming an important aspect of international competition. Western culture is aggressively penetrating developing countries. The recent world financial crisis is introducing more thoughts on development models, and China’s soft power position does not live up to China’s international status as a world power. He suggested that the Chinese government should push for a change.

Source: China News Net, August 30, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2010/08-30/2499702.shtml

Chinascope has been informed that on Baidu, the heavily censored Internet search engine, users can find extensive information about Falun Gong practitioners’ lawsuits against Jiang Zemin. When searching regarding the Spanish National Court’s indictment of Jiang Zemin and other CCP officials for persecuting Falun Gong, internet surfers used the search terms "the lawsuit against Jiang in Spain" (西班牙诉江); Baidu returned 450,000 results. When searching for “the lawsuit against Jiang in Argentina" (阿根廷诉江), a lawsuit which resulted in an arrest warrant for Jiang Zemin sent through INTERPOL by an Argentine judge, Baidu returned 179,000 results. In an initial scan of the articles, many were found to have quotes directly from Falun Gong practitioners.

With an extremely tightly controlled media, Baidu’s loosening up of information on lawsuits against Jiang is very likely to have complicated political maneuvering behind it.

Source: Reader’s feedback. September 3, 2010