Government/Politics - 319. page

After Science magazine published an article “Seismology: A human trigger for the great quake of Sichuan?” (January 16, 2009 edition), China Daily interviewed a scholar of the China Engineering Academy, Chen Houqun, to rebut the point of the Science article, that Zipingpu Dam contributed to the earthquake.

BBC Chinese then pointed out that there are many obvious loopholes in Chen’s rebuttal and listed those loopholes in detail. It also pointed out that there are several indications that the Chinese government was aware of the earthquake and had taken certain actions to prepare for it, including releasing the water from Zipingpu Dam, which can be concluded from Chen’s statement, as well. But the Chinese government didn’t announce the earthquake to the public and continues to deny its awareness.

Source: BBC Chinese, April 1, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7970000/newsid_7976600/7976693.stm

A salesperson at a high-end restaurant in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, told the reporter that, not including drinks, a standard meal for costs at least 300 to 400 yuan for one person and 3,000 to 5,000 yuan for a typical group.  He said, “Our business is good. The economic crisis has not impacted us in any way.” Most customers have a high social status, and many are party and government officials.

Government vehicles are widely known to be used privately China.  A driver who works for the Zhengzhou Municipal Authorities Affairs department reported that only about one third of their use is for government business; one third is for private use; the rest is for their own private businesses.

It one example in Shanxi’s Jincheng City, 66 government vehicles were sighted at high-end entertainment facilities. Many had license plates belonging to government agencies or the county-level people’s congress. Nine were police vehicles.

The State Secretary for The Prevention of Corruption, Ma Wen, said, “We have repeatedly emphasized this problem of ‘dining’ at the government’s expense.  Despite arrests, the overall result is not satisfactory. Chinese people have a tradition of inviting friends and colleagues to restaurants. A number of cadres take dining on public funds for granted.

Despite the economy going downhill, corrupt government officials always find ways to keep themselves well fed and entertained, and the taxpayers get to pay for everything. 

Source: China News, March 30, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/03-30/1624243.shtml

At the Ethics of Organ Transplantation Conference (EOTC) at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas on March 28, 2009, world renowned Canadian human rights attorney David Matas gave a presentation on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) practice of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit.

Medical experts attending the conference were shocked and angered by Matas’ findings. Many expressed that organ harvesting should not be used as a weapon of killing and that doctors who had carried out the organ transplants were committing crimes. The attendees felt that transplant doctors carrying out forced organ harvesting on the Falun Gong practitioners in China had brought a great shame to the organ transplant field, and these experts stated that the US should stop training Chinese doctors and transferring their transplant techniques to Chinese doctors. Some indicated that they would put the case of the CCP’s ongoing live organ harvesting into text books. Some EOTC experts stated they would call for Congress to stop the CCP’s crime.

Source: The Epoch Times, March 9, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/30/n2479217.htm

The Epoch Times and the Chinese BBC have both coverd the story of a ten-month research study by the Munk Center for International Studies in Toronto, CA. The research reports that in the past two years, a Chinese spy network dubbed "GhostNet" has invaded 1,295 computers in 103 countries, including government agencies. These agencies include foreign affairs ministries, embassies and consulates, international organizations, news agencies, and NGOs. According to the report, there’s a "covert, difficult-to-detect and elaborate cyber-espionage system capable of taking full control of affected systems" that leads back to China.

Researchers at the Oxford University, UK also reported that these Chinese hackers have gathered information for the Chinese police to enable them continue their crackdown in Tibet.

While not claiming absolute proof, their newly-released report "Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network" says "circumstantial evidence" strongly suggests "this set of high profile targets has been exploited by the Chinese state for military and strategic-intelligence purposes." The Chinese Embassy in London denied any involvement and claimed the reports to be propaganda issuing from the Tibetan Government in Exile.

Source: The Epoch Times, March 31, 2009
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/9/3/31/n2479769.htm
Source: BBC Chinese, March 30, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7970000/newsid_7973200/7973223.stm
Source: NetworkWorld, April 1, 2009
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/040109-cyber-espionage.html?page=1

Xinhua posted on its website an article from The People’s Daily (overseas edition) titled “Why Does France Always Have Mass Strikes?” The article starts, “Widespread strikes, just like delicious wine and luxury products, are one of France’s ‘local specialties.’ [Note: The article refers to strikes in France on March 19, 2009.] So what has caused such a large scale strike? The article states that “it had to start with Sarkozy’s ‘Reform France’ project. As a person who likes to show-off and behave eccentrically, ‘emotional president’ Sarkozy always acts on his own will and in his own way, even in political affairs. After taking office, Sarkozy has started social welfare reform that emphasizes extending working hours, increasing medical fees and decreasing welfare, disregarding opposition from many other sides. … Even at a time of economic crisis with an ever increasing number of jobless workers, Sarkozy insists on his way and continues the reform. Obviously this has angered the French people.” The article concludes that “If conflict from both sides gets worse, one can foresee that in this nation where strikes are a ‘local specialty,’ what awaits Sarkozy will be larger scale strikes, a more difficult situation to handle, and a more perilous political career.”

Source: Xinhua, March 25, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-03/25/content_11067019.htm

The academic corruption case in Zhe Jiang University struck China. With more and more dark news being unveiled, it seems that a national trend is forming by which the nation’s large academic investments are embezzled by corrupt individuals.
 
With millions in hand, a research group in Zhe Jiang University produced twenty fake theses and the university has so far offered no explanation. 
 

A growing number of such scandals have been reported in recent years. According to the China Society and Technology Association, due to poor administration, only 40% of its funding was actually spent on activities related to its projects.

Source: The Sun News, March 19, 2009
http://www.secretchina.com/news/285252.html

Following the intensive training of 3000 top Public Security Bureau officers, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate recently called for an intensive training session for 3000 general procurators from the district level. The training started on February 26 and will end before 2010. Cao Jianming, Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, calls the training an unprecedented event of historic significance.

There are over 3000 district procuratorates nationwide which accounts for 80 percent of the total.

Source: Xinhua, March 3, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-03/03/content_10932555.htm

Qiushi, a magazine under Xinhua News Agency, published an article titled “Why Must (China) Persist Marxism as the Guiding Principle in Ideology and Cannot Have Multi-Polar Principles?” The article says, “Marxism as the guiding principle in China was not determined by any individual’s or party’s will. It was a choice by the history and the people. Without Marxism, there is no new China, there is no China-style socialist. Under any circumstance, (China) must persist Marxism as the guiding principle.” The article emphasizes that “under the leadership of the Central (Communist) Party surrounding Hu Jintao, as long as we persist Marxist principle and continue to innovate in the economic reform and modernization, Marxism will have more sparkling life in China, and its leading position in ideology will be unshakable.”

Source: Xinhua, March 16, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2009-03/16/content_11021088.htm