Information/Technology - 85. page

Dr. Qi Faren, who is the former Chief Architect of the Chinese Manned Space Operations Project and an Academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recently announced that, in the year 2014, China will launch high-thrust rockets that can carry 20 tons of weight. Today, China can only send a few tons of cargo into outer space. High-thrust rockets have difficulty with land transportation due to their large size.

He also suggested that next year, China will send the 6-docking-port core portion of the Tiangong-1 space station into orbit and will launch Shenzhou Eight, Nine and Ten spaceships to dock with it. The plan is to complete the Chinese space station’s construction before the year 2020.

Source: Guangming, July 5, 2010
http://www.gmw.cn/content/2010-07/15/content_1180292.htm

Xinhua recently published a report suggesting that China is becoming the victim of U.S. fictitious claims about evil sources of Internet attacks. The U.S. organization Medius Research published a report earlier on Chinese Internet spies and U.S. national security and pointed out that Hainan Province in China is the biggest source of attacks. The Xinhua report called this conclusion a lie and said it is very hard to trace true internet IP sources. Also, the Xinhua report quoted data from various sources such as some Symantec reports to prove that the U.S. is the largest source of all Internet attacks. It was concluded in the report that this is another example of thr U.S. taking advantage of its Internet monopoly position to interfere with other countries’ internal affairs.

Source: Xinhua, July 14, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-07/14/c_12332718.htm

On July 5, 2010, Xinhua published an article titled “China CNC: Adapts itself to the BBC, CNN Stage.” China’s Xinhua News Agency launched its English language TV service, CNC World on July 1, 2010, broadcasting English news programs 24 hours a day for overseas audiences. The Xinhua article restates that an important mission of “the red press” Xinhua is to be “the mouthpiece, ears and eyes of the Party and the people”.

“CNC’s branching out represents Chinese media’s moves onto the international stage. Its birth is not completely for business competition, but more for the purpose of disseminating China’s own voice to the entire world.”

CNC board chairman Wu Jincai said that the U.S.’s CBS and the U.S. News Corporation will be the two cornerstones to support the growth of CNC.

Source: Xinhua, July 05, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-07/05/content_13810436.htm

China’s New Media Development Report (2010), a.k.a. China’s New Media Blue Book, published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, criticizes the political function of Twitter and Facebook. The report states that social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter are used by western intelligence agencies to overthrow other governments. In particular, it accuses Facebook of being the “cluster point” for Uyghur separatists, who colluded with overseas organizations in the 7.5 Urumchi riot last year. The report asks for immediate regulation, as Facebook plans to enter the China market this year.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 7, 2010
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/she-07072010152725.html

Starting on July 1, the Interim Administrative Regulations of Internet Trade and Related Services will be enforced. The State Administration of Industry and Commerce is planning a full screening of all online trade entities to establish an “Internet economy registry.” The State Administration is asking all local branches to implement the screening and build a database of the number, scale, distribution and categories of all trade platforms in corresponding local regions. This is becoming the focal point of work in local administrations. The Interim Administrative Regulations were announced and went into effect on June 1, 2010.

Source: Xinhua, June 29, 2010
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2010-06/29/c_12278765.htm

ChinaMil Net recently republished an article by PLA Daily introducing the Bei Dou System – China’s self-developed GPS system. The report is based on information provided by Dr. Qi Faren, who is the former Chief Architect and Designer of the Chinese Manned Space Operations Project, director of the Aerospace College of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, an Academician for the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and an Academician for the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The report covered the architecture of the Bei Dou System, the satellite launching illustration, and a comparison of the four primary GPS systems in the world. The Bei Dou System is entirely based on Chinese intellectual property. By 2012, the system will cover the Asia-Pacific areas. Global coverage with more than 30 satellites is expected by 2020. The bi-directional short messaging capability is believed to be superior to the unidirectional US GPS system.

Source: ChinaMil Net, June 24, 2010
http://chn.chinamil.com.cn/xwpdxw/2010-06/24/content_4245192.htm

The Information Office of the State Council of China issued a white paper on June 8, stating that Chinese citizens, in accordance with law, enjoy full freedom of expression on the Internet.  

Gao Hongming, a rights activist, sought to define that freedom and the lack of it.

According to Gao, Chinese netizens may praise the Party, Chinese style socialism, and totalitarianism, critique artists, scientists, doctors, academia and athletes, and criticize general civil servants’ misconduct on corruption and the abuse of power. They may comment on major domestic and international events that the Party doesn’t care about and speak out about food, lodging, sickness, hatch/match/dispatch, and local community gossip, among other things.

Gao found that Chinese netizens don’t have the freedom to speak against the Party, Chinese style socialism, and totalitarianism, or comment negatively on Party leaders, or artists, writers and celebrities that support the Party. They can’t criticize institutional corruption and deficiencies or disagree when the media follows the Party line and government policies. Assembly and associating as well as demonstrating or protesting on the Internet are forbidden. These are just a few of the forbidden topics and situations.

Source: Boxun, June 16, 2010
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/06/201006110719.shtml