China is implementing a nationwide, cross-province, cross-autonomous-region, and cross-municipality control of radio transmissions.
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
Over 430 directors of the Party’s local organization departments from throughout China are gathering in Beijing for 4 days of intensive training. Senior leaders of the Organization Department of the Party’s Central Committee are responsible for the lectures. From September through November 2009, eight such training sessions were held. “After a recess of 9 months, a new round of training began. Such a short recess is rare.” In early 2010, the Organization Department of the Central Committee issued a directive that mandates annual training for local directors.
Source: News of the Chinese Communist Party, August 30, 2010
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/164113/12574039.html
On August 31, 2010, the CCP Central Organization Department, Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security, and State Administration of Civil Service jointly organized an oath ceremony for new public service officials of the central government. More than 1,000 public service officials took the oath: “To support the leadership of the CCP; to protect national security, honor, and interests; …” They will each participate in one of 11 training sessions from July to September. The training’s main contents include: the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics and other public service topics.
Source: Xinhua, August 31, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-08/31/c_12503922.htm
In a recent State Council working conference, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao required officials at all government levels to establish the concept of the rule of law and to strictly follow the Constitution and other laws. He emphasized that the biggest danger the current government now faces is corruption, and concluded that the result of it is ineffectiveness in the execution of laws and regulations.
Wen listed four points in his speech at the conference, mainly talking about openness and the democratic processes. The conference included officials in charge of the central government all the way down to the county level. Lawmakers and the court system also sent representatives to the conference.
Source: China Review News, August 27, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1014/2/8/6/101428676.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=101428676&mdate=0827203114