According to China Economic Net, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China is continuing its efforts to clean up and rectify private tech companies. MIIT announced that 43 APPs still have problems of rectification not being thorough, using technical means to counter rectification, and the same problem not being rectified consistently in different regions.
China Economic Network reporters found that many mainstream apps such as WeChat, Aichiyi, Ctrip, have an issue of where to go are on the list. Among them, tech company Tencent alone has four apps involved – Tencent video, enterprise WeChat, Tencent map and WeChat. The problems of 43 APPS are still in “violation of illegal use of call contacts and geographical location permissions,” “harassing users with open screen pop-ups,” and other persistent APP violations. MIIT demanded that rectification of the APPs listed be completed by August 25.
Source: China Economic Net, August 18, 2021
http://www.ce.cn/cysc/tech/gd2012/202108/18/t20210818_36821191.shtml
Government/Politics - 55. page
Xi Jinping Calls for Wealth Redistribution and Common Prosperity
On August 17, Xi Jinping, in his keynote speech at the tenth meeting of the Central Finance and Economics Committee, highlighted the need to redistribute wealth and strengthen the “regulation and management” of high-income earners.
After cracking down on Chinese technology giants, financial companies, and the after-school training industry, the CCP is now targeting “high-income earners.”
According to the People’s Daily, Xi told the CCP leadership that there must be a mechanism to redistribute wealth, to promote “social equality,” to establish basic system arrangements for the coordination of primary distribution, redistribution, and third-time distribution; to intensify efforts and to improve the accuracy in taxation, social security, transfer payments, and related areas.; … to rationally regulate high income; ban illegal income; … and to promote social equality.”
It is necessary to “strengthen the regulation and adjustment of high incomes, …, rationally regulate excessively high incomes, and encourage high-income groups and enterprises to return more to the society. We must clean up and standardize unreasonable income, rectify the order of income distribution, and resolutely ban illegal income.”
Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” is regarded as the key for the CCP to maintain its power. “The meeting emphasized that common prosperity is the prosperity of all people, ‘not the prosperity of a few people.’ We must take the promotion of common prosperity for all the people as the focal point for seeking happiness for the people, and constantly consolidate the foundation of the Party’s long-term governance.”
At this meeting, the CCP did not provide specifics on the criteria for “high-income earners.” Xi Jinping’s focus on wealth redistribution is closely related to the broader economic goals of the CCP. In recent months, in the name of curbing financial risks, protecting the economy, and fighting corruption, the CCP has issued a number of regulations and directives against industries such as technology, finance, and education. Xi Jinping’s redistributing wealth and realizing “common prosperity” is believed to be behind the CCP’s latest regulatory crackdown on these industries.
Source: People’s Daily, August 18, 2021.
http://jhsjk.people.cn/article/32197470?isindex=1
China Closes China-Foreign Education Institutions and Programs
On August 14, China’s Ministry of Education approved the termination of 286 China-foreign cooperative education institutions and programs at the undergraduate level and above.
The list includes the London Metropolitan University, New York University, and other well-known universities that have been cooperating with China in running schools. The majority of the closed projects involve disciplines of engineering, economics, language, art, and the social sciences. These include undergraduate education programs in information engineering, automation, and other areas that were jointly organized by the Harbin University of Science and Technology; the London Metropolitan University; and master’s degree programs in China Social Service Management jointly organized by the East China University of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and others.
Late last month, China published a plethora of regulations in a sweeping overhaul that bans companies that teach the school curriculum from making a profit, raising capital, or going public.
Companies that teach school subjects can no longer accept foreign investments. In addition, publicly listed firms will no longer be allowed to raise capital in any stock markets to invest in businesses that teach classroom subjects. Outright acquisitions are now off-limits. Vacation and weekend tutoring related to the school syllabus are also forbidden.
Sources:
Sina.com, August 11, 2021
https://news.sina.com.cn/o/2021-08-11/doc-ikqcfncc2289112.shtml
Sina.com, July 25, 2021
https://finance.sina.com.cn/china/2021-07-25/doc-ikqciyzk7469579.shtml
RSF Concerned over RTHK’s Partnership with Chinese Statement
On August 9, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, announced that Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) will establish a long-term partnership with the Chinese state media “China Media Group (CMG).” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement on August 11 expressing concerns that RTHK will become China’s political propaganda outlet in Hong Kong.
Cédric Alviani, head of the RSF East Asia bureau, said in the statement that the “Hong Kong government, which has already censored an overwhelming amount of contents and imposed a talk-show hosted by Chief Executive Lam, will find in this partnership a perfect pretext to force RTHK to distribute Chinese propaganda contents.” Alviani denounced that “increased interference from the Hong Kong government against RTHK’s editorial freedom is a blatant violation of freedom of the press despite the principle being enshrined in the Basic Law.”
In its statement, RSF stated that the radio stations in Hong Kong have suffered from harassment and censorship which has intensified since Patrick Li, the new Director of Broadcasting, took office on March 1. A number of programs have been suspended and hundreds of old films have been removed from RTHK’s online archive. Social media accounts have also been censored. Carrie Lam even personally hosted a show to promote the subject of the unpopular election reform.
RSF pointed out that China Central Radio and Television (CMG) is known as “Voice of China,” and it has national television stations (CCTV, China Global Television Network) and domestic and foreign radio stations (Central People’s Broadcasting Station and China Radio International) under its umbrella. These media must compulsorily broadcast the content of the Chinese Communist Party’s political propaganda in accordance with communist China’s law.
In 2019, RSF published a separate report titled, “China’s Pursuit of a New World Media Order.” It exposed Beijing’s strategic plan to control foreign information and its threat to global press freedom.
Sources:
1. Central News Agency, August 11, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202108110140.aspx
2. European Country of Origin Information Network, August 11, 2021
https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2058088.html
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“Xi Jinping Thoughts” A Required Course in Shanghai Elementary and Secondary Schools
On August 3, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission issued the “Shanghai Elementary and Secondary School Curriculum Plan for the 2021 School Year.” The Plan specifies that the elementary school version of “Xi Jinping’s Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” will be taught in the first semester of the 3rd and the 5th grades. The middle school version will be taught in the third semester of junior high school; and the high school version will be taught in the first semester of senior high school. The course is mandatory. Each course is to be taught for one hour per week.
The notice emphasized that the city’s primary and secondary schools should not use the original or modified version of foreign teaching materials without getting approval from the city’s educational authorities. At the same time, the notice requires that the “revolutionary culture and the socialist culture” be incorporated into the whole process of primary and secondary education.
Source: Central News Agency, August 7, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202108070070.aspx
CCP’s Central Propaganda Department Launches Campaign against Fake News
The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) is China’s government agency in charge of news media and all publication platforms. On August 3, SAPPRFT published an article reporting that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Central Propaganda Department recently held a teleconference on launching a special campaign against news extortion and fake news. The special campaign includes a focus on cracking down on news agencies and their personnel who use “illegal news activities, online communication platforms, public accounts that use illegal news activities, and social organizations and individuals who use illegal news activities.”
Ten CCP and government agencies, including the Central Propaganda Department, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration of Market Supervision, SAPPRFT, and the All-China Journalists Association jointly organized he campaign.
Political scientist Chen Daoyin told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the campaign is related to the upcoming politically sensitive period before the 20th CCP National Congress next year. “The Politburo believes that the current domestic and international situation is complicated and severe, and that the economy has yet recovered and become balanced. In addition, this is a sensitive period before the 20th National Congress. It is the CCP’s usual practice to eliminate all the noises and ensure that only the voice of the Party is heard, so as to achieve unity of thought and the authority of the Party.”
Source: Central News Agency, August 5, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202108050263.aspx
The Complicated Relationships in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Epoch Times published a report analyzing the work relationship of China’s newly appointed Ambassador to the U.S. Qing Gang with top diplomats in China. Duowei, a media close to Jiang Zemin’s group, stated that Qin has “the trust and appreciation of Xi Jinping” and that he “can have direct access to the White House at critical moments.” This means that he has “direct access to Xi Jinping.” This also means that those in the White House would like to talk to him as he can bring Xi’s message to them.
According to Hong Kong media, there are many groups in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The larger cliques include the Beijing Foreign Studies University clique, the Beijing International Studies University clique (with Foreign Minister Wang Yi as the clique leader), the Beijing Language and Culture University clique, the Shanghai International Studies University clique, the China Foreign Affairs University clique, the University of International Relations clique, the Beijing University clique, the Fudan University clique, and others as well. Qing Gang was from the University of International Relations, so this clique may gain more influence now; but other cliques may balance or counteract some of them.
What is even more complicated is the diplomacy leadership. Xi is said to “guide the diplomacy work directly.” Wang Huning, a Standing Committee Member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo, might be the man behind the diplomatic scene. The next person is Yang Jiechi, CCP Politburo Member and Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Work Committee. Next is Wang Yi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. After Wang, it is Qi Yu (齐玉), Party Secretary of the CCP Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then there are the Deputy Ministers. Since Qing Gang can access Xi directly, how he will work with these leaders above him is yet to be seen.
Source: Epoch Times, July 31, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/7/31/n13129795.htm