Government/Politics - 311. page

On September 11, Ye Xiaowen, Party Secretary and Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, was promoted to First Vice President and Party Secretary of the Central Institute of Socialism (CIS). Ye’s promotion is a result of his firm party-line stand, loyal implementation of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) policies in religious works, and political acumen – especially on major issues (Ed – implementing the CCP’s suppression polices against Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners).

(Ed – The State Administration for Religious Affairs is the CCP’s (atheist) organization to manage all religious groups. The CIS is the party school that develops party officials for minority democratic parties in China. The President of CIS is normally a figurehead and from a minority party. The First Vice President is a CCP member who ensures that CIS is following the CCP’s directives. CIS also uses the name of “Chinese Culture College” when dealing with people overseas.)

Source:
1. State Administration for Religious Affairs website,
http://www.sara.gov.cn/GB/xwzx/xwfb/cc97226d-9e81-1122-841d-93180af1bb1a.html
2. Wikipedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%AE%E7%A4%BE%E4%BC%9A%E4%B8%BB%E4%B9%89%E5%AD%A6%E9%99%A2

Boxun News republished an article from the Hong Kong-based Open Magazine, quoting political insiders in Beijing that Xi Jinping has recently requested the Politburo Standing Committee in writing that he prefers to work in a province instead of Beijing.  This indicates that he does not want to be the next leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi was internally selected as the successor to Hu Jintao at the 17th CPC’s National Congress. He is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and the Vice President of China. Open mentioned a few reasons why Xi was afraid of taking the top position: fierce competition, brutal retaliation against losers, and an unsolvable mess left behind by Jiang and Hu. (Ed – Chinascope could not verify the accuracy of this report)

Source: Boxun News, September 22, 2009
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2009/09/200909220909.shtml

In Fusui County of Guangxi, the local Party school is using cell phone text messaging to delivery “Party education messages” to party members to improve the frequency of education and management activities. The Party branch in Fusui is trying to establish a “Party Member Text Messaging Education Network.” For the members without cell phones, those living nearby who do have phones will be considered “distribution centers” to dispatch messages. Since 2008, the county party branch has sent 2,718 text messages to 4,136 party members.

Source: Xinhua, September 18, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/18/content_12075007.htm

According to an article published by Xinhua, the CCP’s grass roots expansion effort can be summarized in the following four stages:

1) From 1949 to the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee in 1978 – expanded in villages, corporations, community districts, organizations, schools, and so on.

2) From the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee in 1978 to the 13th National Congress in 1987 – restored the damage caused by the Cultural Revolution and reestablished the party organizational structure.

3) From the 13th National Congress to the 16th National Congress in 2002 – further expanded under the socialist market economy system.

4) From the 16th National Congress in 2002 until now – strengthened party member development.

The article claimed that by the end of 2008, there were over 3.71 million party organizations established at the grass roots level, 3.5 million more than in 1949. Party members have reached 75.9 million, up by 71.4 million, crossing various age groups and educational backgrounds.

Source: Xinhua, September 26, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/26/content_12114209.htm

Following the completion of the 4th Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee of the CCP, People’s Daily published a commentary on the Party’s new direction to “construct a study-oriented party.” It listed Marxism, especially socialism with Chinese characteristics, as the field that should take priority. It asks party leaders to study and practice the socialist value system so as to be firm in their beliefs and stance, be clear-minded, and thoroughly follow through with the party’s directions and guidelines.

Source: Xinhua, September 25, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/25/content_12112141.htm

Xinhua published a number of interviews with minority democratic party leaders. All of them praised the cooperative relationship and achievements under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.

Source: Xinhua

“In this Period of Reform the Democratic Party Should Show its Strength and Play its Role.” – Interview with Shang Guowei, President of Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party;
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/27/content_12118224.htm

“With a Loyal Heart” – Interview with Cheng Changzhi, Chairman of China Democratic National Construction Association
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/26/content_12114342.htm

“Much Can be Accomplished During the Best Time” – Interview with Jiang Shusheng, China Democratic League
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/25/content_12112110.htm

“The New China Created the Most Glorious Era in Chinese History" – Interview with Zhou Tienong, Chairman of Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/25/content_12112361.htm

According to Xinhua, there are more and more “Internet News Spokespersons” represented by the local governments and departments. Government officials must not only learn “how to deal with the media” but also learn how to directly deal with the large population of Internet users and with public opinion.

Cao Yi, the Guiyang Municipal Government’s first “Internet News Spokesman” and the city government’s Deputy General Secretary, said that the announcement of authoritative information through the Internet is to enable the government to contact the netizens in “Zero Distance.” The establishment of “the Internet News Spokesperson” system aims at releasing authoritative information in a timely manner and guiding public opinions in the right direction.

Source: Xinhua, September 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/14/content_12050998.htm

The Chinese government stated last month that a “Zero Rejection” policy would be implemented, i.e., that upon an interview or inquiry request made by a foreign media, responses must be given within 24 hours. However, according the the BBC, this is not the reality that Michael Bristow, a BBC reporter stationed in Beijing, discovered.

The BBC office in Beijing issued 10 questions and inquiries to different Chinese government departments, such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Commerce, the Baoji City government, the Lhasa local government in Tibet and the Beijing Municipal Government. However, all the questions were kicked back and forth without any answers being given.

Source: BBC Chinese, September 18, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_8260000/newsid_8263900/8263912.stm