Government/Politics - 341. page

Xu Lin, director of China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, talked about the international spread of the Chinese language in an interview with Xinhua’s publication Outlook Weekly magazine. Xu said that the international spread of the Chinese language was a national strategy. To accomplish such a great venture, it must be done through the combined efforts of various departments of the government as well as the whole society. Xu emphasizes that the most pressing issue is to improve the ability for the Chinese language to spread [beyond the country]. China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language was established in 1987. It is made up of officials from 11 departments of the State Council. Its mission is to coordinate various ministries, treat the international spread of Chinese as a national issue, and spread it in a quiet manner. The headquarters of the Confucius Institutes established later is another face of the same office.

Source: Sohu, May 5, 2008
http://news.sohu.com/20080505/n256668069.shtml

On April 29, the Judicial Department of Aba Prefecture [Aba is the second largest Tibetan ethnic group in Sichuan Province] held a lawyers’ professional training conference. All 55 practicing lawyers in the region attended the training. During the conference, the lawyers were required to be in solidarity with the Party’s Unified Plan both in thought and action, to be sober-minded about the [political] climate, and to counter-attack the Dalai clique’s separation with concrete actions.

Source: Boxun, May 4, 2008
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2008/05/200805040315.shtml

On April 27 & 28, Monk Shi Qingming from Huang Long Temple of Yunnan Province sat in a two-day qualification test seeking to be enrolled into the Chinese Communist Party School of Yunnan Province. He learned about the party school enrollment notice in February and applied for the test in April. Monk Shi said that he intends to study the systematic teachings about the Party in order to accept the party leadership, follow the Party’s policies on religious practice and be part of the development to build a “Harmonious Society”.

Source: Yunnan Daily, April 28, 2008 http://search.yndaily.com/cgi-bin/detail.exe?133200+yndaily/news_99+59673+news_99+
@NEWSITEM+nobody+0+mark+%CA%CD%C7%E5%C3%F7,//%B5%B3%D0%A3%B5%
C4%BF%BC%CA%D4,////

In a meeting with journalists on April 17 during a visit to Japan, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stated, “I emphasize that the Tibetan issue is China’s internal affair. The Chinese government has already made great efforts (in resolving the Tibet issue), communicated with the world about the situation of Tibet, and organized foreign diplomatic officials and journalist to visit Tibet. It has already confirmed through investigation that the serious criminal riot in Tibetan area is produced at the Dalai faction’s organized instigation and by the collusion of Taiwanese independence group with Tibetan Secessionists.”

Source: Boxun, April 29, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/04/200804290219.shtml

Xinhua April 25 news: Li Congjun was appointed as director of Xinhua News Agency. Li was born in September, 1949; graduated from Shandong University with doctor degree of literature in 1985. He has served as Party secretary and deputy director of Xinhua News Agency since August 2007. He was appointed as deputy minister of China Propaganda Ministry in February 2001.

Source: Xinhua, April 25, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/25/content_8050886.htm

Jens Galschiot, a Danish artist and rights activist was denied entry into Hong Kong when he arrived on April 26 to participate in peaceful protests against the Olympic torch relay and make repairs to the Pillar of Shame, a sculpture created by Jens to commemorate the June 4th, 1998 massacre in Beijing. Jens and two other members of The Color Orange, a movement using the color orange as a symbolic protest against right violations by the Chinese regime, were detained at the airport for six hours and forced to board a return flight by armed police at 11 o’clock at night.

Source:
Apple Daily, April 27, 2008 http://www.appleactionews.com/site/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20080427&sec_id=6996647&art_id=11039480
Ming Pao News, April 27, 2008
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080427/gaa1.htm

“To Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, the year 2008 is a year that is full of challenges and tests. It will determine their future as the 5th generation successors to the party. ” reported Oriental Daily, a Hong Kong based newspaper. Both Xi and Li are newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party. As the Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission, Xi is being pressed to handle the recent protest in Tibet as well as threats of boycotting the Olympics from the West. He is also tasked with managing Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Li, on the other hand, heads China’s economic development where the stock and real estate markets, as well as consumer confidence and agriculture, fall on his plate.

Source: Boxun, April 22, 2008
http://peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2008/04/200804221336.shtml