Government/Politics - 351. page

The Public Security Bureau of Xifeng County, Liaoning Province, initiated a criminal investigation of a reporter from The Legal Daily for her “negative” report published on January 1, 2008, about the Party Secretary of the County. On January 4, 2008, the Xifeng police were dispatched to Beijing with a warrant for her arrest.

Zhu Wenna, a seasoned reporter of The Legal Daily, was advised by her employer on the afternoon of January 4, 2008, to go into hiding because 4 policemen from Xifeng County were looking for her. The police left Beijing on January 6, 2008, without Zhu Wenna.

Members of the media were appalled at the government’s bully tactics to silence the voices against local government and Party officials’ corruption and abuse of power.

The Legal Daily is a state-owned newspaper under the supervision of the China’s Ministry of Justice. The Legal Daily is the “mouthpiece of the Party” on political and legal developments, as its website states.

Source: Xinhua, January 8, 2008. 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2008-01/08/content_7382566.htm

“The Cultural Revolution was a ten-year-upheaval that brought tremendous defeat and loss to the party, the country and the people. China has lagged behind because of it. Only through the open door policy can China catch up and be equal with the rest of the world.” Hu spoke at a meeting held on December 17 in the Central Party School. Hu’s speech aimed at weakening the growing force that has been criticizing the open door policy due to the various social issues brought about since its inception 30 years ago. His speech further emphasized the direction of "following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." Among the four generations of party top leaders, Hu is the only one who has openly shown his intolerance of the Cultural Revolution. His position is unlike that of his predecessors.

Source: The Dong-a Ilbo, Korea, January 2, 3008
http://china.donga.com/gb/srv/service.php3?bicode=060000&biid=2008010241398

Radio Free Asia reported on January 7, 2008, that according to a notice issued by the China Central Organization Ministry and the Public Security Ministry, migrant residents are required to register their political identity (i.e., whether they are members of the Chinese Communist Party or the Party’s associated organizations) along with their application for temporary resident status. The notice asks that all related departments and organizations take care of the migrant Party members.

According to independent analysts Zhu Jianguo and Chen Yongmiao from Shenzhen (southern China), such tactics are a way of using sthe Party’s old-fashioned methods to try to control the migrant population. Chen believes that such control will not have any effect because nowadays being a Party member has a very negative connotation. When people call one’s name, they call the whole family are “Communists.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, January 7, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/07/immigrants/

Radio Free Asia reports on January 7, 2007, that in a notice issued by China Central Organization Ministry and Public Security Ministry, migrant residents are required to register their political identity (i.e., whether they are members of Chinese Communist Party or the Party’s associated organization) along with their application for temporary resident status. The notice asks that all related department and organizations take care of the migrant Party members.

According to independent analysts Zhu Jianguo and Chen Yongmiao from Sunzhen (southern China), such tactics is a way of trying to control the migrant population with the Party’s old-fashioned method. Chen believes that such control will not have any effect because nowadays being a Party member has a very negative connotation. When people call one’s name, they call the whole family are “Communists.” 

Source: Radio Free Asia, January 7, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/07/immigrants/

A new labor law, intended to improve the rights of Chinese workers, took effect on January 1, 2008. The law, which includes measures that set standards for wages, mandatory contracts and severance pay, aims to improve protection for employees’ legal rights, and toughen the punishment for government officials who abuse their office.

The real question is whether the new laws will be enforced, how they will be enforced, and against whom they will be enforced.

Source: People’s Daily, December 29/2007 Wall Street Journal, January 2, 2007
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2007/07/chinas_new_labor_law_enforceme_1.html

Wu Yalin, a PRC citizen who applied for political asylum with Taiwan government, was declined the application. With his Taiwan visa expiring on January 2, Wu is concerned that he will finally be repatriated to China. In 1980’s, Wu was jailed for nine years for disclosing illegal election practices. In 2007, he was sentenced to 3 years in labor camp for encouraging friends to read the Nine Commentaries on Communist Party, according to Wu. He fled to Taiwan via Hong Kong and Thailand. Beijing issued an arrest warrantee with the charge of “attempt to overthrow the government by colluding with anti-China forces.”

Source: Voice of America, January 1, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-01-01-voa21.cfm

On New Year’s Day of 2008, China’s state media Xinhua posted a slogan, “2008, the World Belongs to China” as the headline on its website’s World Report section. The slogan was later changed to “2008, the World Expects that China Appear in Perfect Form.” On the same page, the website published two articles that predict that the United States will slide downhill. One, quoted as “by Japanese media,” bears the title, “The American Era Is Ending.” The other one, quoted from Financial Times, is titled “The Era of U.S. Dollar’s Dominance No Longer Exists.”

Source: Xinhuanet, January 1, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-01/01/content_7347547.htm

On December 27, the University of Utah accepted 23 officials from Hainan Province. In a week they will depart for a year and half long program resulting in an Executive Master’s in Public Administration (EMPA). As part of their five year training plan which will consist of 18 programs launched by Hainan Province, these officials were selected to receive advanced study so that they will obtain “leadership and executive ability; strategic and global vision; and financial management skills under the market economic environment,” said Wei Liucheng, the provincial party secretary of Hainan.

Source: Xinhua News Agency, December 30, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2007-12/30/content_7339313.htm