Report - 33. page

Strengthen the Party’s Leadership, Change Traditional Concepts, Take the Initiative, and Guide the General Public

The party’s Publicity Departments manage online media. Other relevant government departments  participate in the decision making process on any media related policies. These government departments also administer these policies. In summary, to further strengthen the party’s leadership means always to maintain the party’s leadership on the Internet.

Changing concepts: The party’s publicity departments at all levels must let go of their traditional ways of thinking about the media, and do in-depth studies of online media. They must study the characteristics of how the Internet disseminates information, its uncontrollability, and how it involves a wide range of outside parties. All of these features require the government to develop long-term, effective, and consistent strategies and guiding principles. To overcome the difficulties of managing the Internet, the key is to establish a policy, the core of which is to focus on “Shu.” “Shu” means sparse. “Shu” policy is the backbone of how the central government should deal with the Internet. “Shu” is for a long-term commitment, and is not momentary. "Shu” targets the general public.  It is not to divert, or guide a few people, but instead to target and guide the general public. In addition to establishing the “Shu” policy, the government needs to train and build up a large number of media teams. It must also build a large number of teams specifically to control the Internet. For Publicity Departments, this is as important as adhering to the traditional way.

Proactively guiding the Internet to stay in line with the party’s ideology, the party’s future plans, and the party’s overall policy: At the same time, the Party must educate the Chinese people about traditional cultural and historical achievements, feed the Chinese people with a healthy, positive and optimistic spirit, and nourish the Chinese people with advanced scientific knowledge.

Guiding the public is imperceptible. However, the guiding involves all departments, and all industries, such as education, health, culture, science, technology, and agriculture. It touches on topics of corruption, health care, social security, the wealth gap, foreign relations, and so on. The party’s Publicity Departments and other government departments must cooperate in guiding the public. Each department should be prevented from acting on its own. It is obvious that fragmentation cannot form a cohesive force. Under the overall plan of the central government, the professional sector, however, can analyze its own situation, and identify its own focus. However, the implementation of any action should be under the party’s unified organization, and be carried out progressively under the leadership of the Publicity Departments of the party.

To Create Laws and Regulations

At present, there is a big gap between China and the Western developed countries on Internet regulations. China should enact regulations based on a "Telecommunications Act," by adding content related to online media management to the "Telecommunications Act,” lawfully authorizing government departments to manage the Internet, and to create the agencies needed to implement the authorization. The content will not only define the management power of the government agencies, but will also help promote the telecommunication industry’s advantages. It also needs to amend the "Criminal Law" and "General Principles of Civil Law," to outline the rules in order to accurately locate and punish those who disseminate false news, or rumors through Internet, or that cause confusion among the public. Those who intentionally disclose serious personal, private information, or who exhibit abusive network behavior will be accused of civil or even criminal charges.

To scientifically define the terms of the Internet’s technical and functional features, and to implement a standardized language to define these features, will prevent different agencies from adopting different names for the same features. This might cause unnecessary disputes among agencies, and will prevent and help overcome confusion among departments on the same problems due to unclear and inaccurate Internet terminologies. This is in particularly urgent when it comes to so called "triple network integration," that is, the integration of the network content, network terminals, and the network.

In the legislation it must be clear that the users need to provide their real names. In many developed countries, a person uses one document for multiple activities. It is undisputable that the legislation to implement the real-name system is conducive to managing online media.

To Build Up an Internet and a Publicity System that Consists of both Full Time and Part Time Professionals

In the past when traditional media dominated the world, the party’s publicity department had already recruited a large number of full-time and part-time journalists and correspondents. They played a major role. Under the new circumstances, it is crucial to integrate the existing resources, and to establish a renovated Internet publicity team that flows from the central government, to the provincial level and to the municipal level. In addition, there are all kinds of newspapers and magazines throughout the country. There are also many Internet reporters and editors. The key elements here are to integrate all the resources, to build an Internet publicity team comprised of both full-time and part-time professionals, to proactively preempt the Internet business, and to guide the tendency of commercial media.

Investing in the Internet will ensure that all levels of government expenditures are covered, and further ensure the income of network journalists, writers, editors and moderators. A large number of young people can be recruited to work on the Internet, full-time or part time. They can be teamed up according to the function of the online media, BBS, blogs and so on. During sensitive periods, the focus can be on producing a number of influential comments, articles, and blogs.

Recruiting a part time Internet team: The Central level, the provincial level, autonomous regions and the municipal level can each have a team of part time online media workers who love this work, have a high political consciousness, and can write high quality articles. Their work should be recognized and rewarded according to their achievements.

To Strengthen the Timeliness and Accuracy of the Information Publicity, and To Increase the Transparency of the Information

A few years ago, traditional media stayed away from some most important social issues and unexpected incidents. This caused a blockage in the information flow. It also caused great damage to the government’s image and undermined the credibility of traditional media.

Timeliness will ensure the first hand release of information to public. Unlike traditional media, today, information should first be published on a Government website. The party’s news media should become the main channel and it should be the first to publish the news. This will improve the party’s prestige and reputation, and increase the credibility of the media.

To accurately report information means to follow the basic rules of the media. As for various types of news, events should define the nature of the news and/or events as long as there is certainty. Under the circumstance where there may be uncertainty, neutral language should be used to prevent there being a discrepancy between statements made before and after the event. For instance, regarding the Chongqing taxi incident, the presentation was different before and after. At first, the incident was reported as a “strike.” Later the description was changed to “recess.” There is a big difference between these two, and the impact is also different.

Transparency means to disclose information completely, not to show half, and hide half, or leave some unsaid. Such insincerity will cause doubt. The cause, the process, and the final view of the incident should be fully disclosed. The higher the transparency, the more it will be trusted. Timely and accurately disclosure of the information, with high transparency, will limit the rumors and lies to those who know them, and will limit them to the wise.

Accurately Define What Position the Communication Industry Holds, to Improve Technical Skills

The wide implementation of Internet technology: Internet users have increased like an avalanche. At the same time, the number of mobile phone users has grown explosively. All of this indicates that "networks" are now playing an extremely important role. The information age would not have occurred if neither satellites, nor wireless networks had been invented. Today, the world is connected through networks. The networks sustain every aspect of society in the world, no matter whether it is political, economic, cultural, or even military. Unfortunately, a number of leaders and decision-making departments do not seem to understand clearly the importance of today’s communication industry. They do not pay enough attention to it, do not realize that the Internet depends on telecommunications, and do not understand the characteristics of telecommunications. They do not realize the vital role of the communication industry in maintaining social stability.

Because of this, it is urgent to strengthen, and build up bureaucratic structures to manage communications, and to build a technical support team. The steps are to increase investment, accelerate research and development, increase the capability of accurately performing blockage; being able to excise complete control from all directions all day long on key issues, in key areas, and for key events, technically to be able to perform monitoring all day long; and to be concerned about the treatment of these high-tech professionals, ensuring that they maintain a decent middle or upper middle class standard of living.

Closely Relying on the General Public to Manage Online Media

Trusting the general public and relying on the general public has been the party’s secret weapon for victory. When it comes to managing online media, we must trust and rely on the masses of the people. They are the users of online media; they are also the recipients of the Internet’s consequences; they are the ones most clear on the online media’s situation.

The first step is to guide the public. The Internet should be categorized scientifically by media type, such as social science, contemporary political, literary, artistic, art, calligraphy, video, photography and all other types. Excellent blogs, posts, and good text messages should be selected; an evaluation/incentives system should be established to encourage users both spiritually and financially for excellent blogs, excellent messaging, and have these excellent messages rated and published on a regular basis; a popular list can be set up. When necessary, material rewards can be given. The best can be recruited for the professional networks workforce.

The second step is to establish a reporting system. With huge networks, tremendous numbers of people, plus the uniqueness of technical characteristics of the network, it is impossible to exercise full control by solely depending on professionals and techniques. Therefore, having masses of people involved will help to find issues in a timely manner. When they see something is wrong, they can report it immediately. Any harmful, pornographic and reactionary information then can be identified on a timely basis. This will ensure that quick actions can be taken to avoid a snowball-type "butterfly effect.” Those who report others should be rewarded both spiritually and materially.

Endnotes:
[1] Study Times (No. 08 version of 5/25/2009)
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=2669&nid=9686&bid=8&page=1

 “Some Private Enterprise Owners Violate the Rule by ‘Being an Official and Owning a Business at the Same Time’” [2]

The “Chinese Private Sector Yearbook (June 2006 – June 2008),” edited by the All China Federation of Industry and Commerce and the China Private Sector Economics Research Committee, showed that, at present, private enterprise’s enthusiasm for participation in politics is very high. However, the government prohibits officials from running a private business. Nevertheless, an investigation found out that some enterprise owners are province-level party committee members.

The All China Federation of Industry and Commerce indicated that this investigation focused on private enterprise owners’ participation in politics, and, in particular, on four party positions: being a government official, and membership in the National People’s Congress, in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and in the CCP Committee. The results showed that being a member of the National People’s Congress or the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference is the main way to participate the politics. A total of 2,101 persons held these two memberships, which was 51.5% of the total enterprise owners interviewed. Of the 1,372 CCP members interviewed who were enterprise owners, 28.3% were party representatives at different levels, 15 persons were province-level party representatives and 7 were state-level.

…

205 CCP member enterprise owners held different levels in party leadership agencies, or 14.9% of the total CCP member enterprise owners. Among them, 4 were province-level party committee members and 61 were county and township deputy party leaders.

Xinhua Net, June 1, 2004, “A China Private Enterprise Establishes Highest ‘Rank’ Party Committee” [1]

With 620 million of property, entrepreneur Wang Junyao is not a CCP member.  Nevertheless, he decided to establish a CCP Party Committee as an experiment at his company. On June 1, 2004, the Chinese Communist Party Junyao Group Limited Corporation Committee was established in China. This is the highest “rank” in the CCP party committee in the Chinese private sector.

There are 290,000 private companies in Shanghai. This was the first private enterprise with its Communist Party Committee reporting directly to the Shanghai Party Committee for Social Work.

At the inauguration ceremony, the Junyao Group Limited Chairman, 37-year-old Wang Junyao, bestowed a golden rudder on the company party committee. He said, “This symbolizes that Chinese private enterprises’ development is following the route that the party sets."

It was reported that after the CCP Junyao Committee was established, on the one hand, it had to report regularly to the Shanghai Party Committee for Social Work, actively enroll more people into the party and organize regular party activities; on the other hand it had to guide and supervise the enterprise to ensure that it did business according to the law, and did well on "participation as an executive."

…

After the 16th Session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the important "Three Represents" was written into the party constitution. More and more private entrepreneurs have initiated demands to set up party committees within their companies and accept leadership from the higher ranking party committee.

Living abroad in the US, Xue Xingfa, the chairman of the well-known private company in Harbin, the Xuanyuan Group Limited, recently established a party committee in the company. Xue Xingfa thought that the quality of the CCP members was higher and could play a role at critical times. He hopes "all of his employees can be raised to become party members."

…

In the Nanjing SVT Group Limited, 7% of its employees are CCP members, but 40% of those with a higher rank are CCP members. Chairman Yan Xiaoqun observed, “This indicates that CCP members are the nucleus that the company’s development must rely on.”

…

Wang Anshun, the Deputy Chairman of the Shanghai Party Committee said at the inauguration ceremony of the CCP Junyao Committee, “Actively building party committees in the private sector complies with the CCP Party’s Constitution and will constantly consolidate the party’s ruling foundation.”

The Speech of Tian Zhijian, member of the Shannxi Province Long County Party Committee, and the County’s Organization Minister, on Inauguration of the Long County Private Enterprise Association Party Committee [3]

 (We) must continue to pay special attention to party committee building in the private-owned enterprises. After the Private Enterprise Association Party Committee is founded, (we) must further find out the private enterprises’ actual situations in the county and the town regions. Considering their real situations, (we) divide them into different categories and do well on establishing party committees. Whenever one (private company) matures, one (party committee) will be set up; after it is set up, it will be consolidated. As soon as possible, (we) must achieve that private economic organizations with more than 50 employees have party members, the ones with more than100 employees have a party organization, and the ones with more than three party members establish party branches. (We) must adopt different kinds of establishment methods, such as independent establishment, assistant establishment, joint establishment, regional establishment and key assignment establishment etc., to build the party organization throughout the private enterprise and to eliminate "dead corners" or "blank spots." Thus, all the private enterprises that meet the requirement, and should establish party organizations, will build up their party organizations. It practically solves the problems of the enterprises that have no party member, or that have party members but no party activities. The private enterprises without party organizations could appoint liaison officers or political instructors to strengthen guidance on setting up party organizations. Regarding the newly established private enterprises, (we should ask them) to consider setting up a party organization simultaneously.

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The job of enrolling new party members must be done well. The association party committee should make a plan to generate new party members, and increase the dynamics on developing activists. The technical experts and the young outstanding people in the front lines are the key candidates for party membership. Through organizations like the Communist Youth Leagues, the unions and the Women’s Federation, the activist troop could be expanded and special candidates could be chosen. The mature and outstanding people could be enrolled promptly in the party member troop following the "16 characters" policy (Editor’s Note: it refers to the new Party member recruitment policy: stick to the standards, ensure quality, improve structure [the age, education level, work positions, etc. of the Party members], and cautiously recruit), and unceasingly pour fresh blood into the private economy party organizations.

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First, (we) must strengthen leadership and carry out responsibilities. Each related party organization must include work for establishing the party organization in  private enterprises on its agenda. The investigation and study should be carried out carefully, the plan should be laid out, and the responsibilities should be clear and to be carried into different layers. The party building connection system for private enterprises must be established and meetings for the party building work on private enterprises must be held regularly. The lessons learned can be summarized as the work goes forward. The county Industry and Commerce Bureau party organization must fulfill the substitute management responsibility and assign a special person to be responsible for this work. It must grasp the party building work in private enterprises in hand, especially the work on the Private Enterprise Association Party Committee, and keep up the work constantly.

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Third, the troops must be constructed well and keep up the work constantly. For private enterprises, the leaders of the party organizations, the party members and the people who actively want to join the party must be categorized and trained; they should be included into the integrated training plan for all the county party member cadres. The association party committee must increase the selection dynamics on the party branch secretaries in the basic units and select the outstanding party members with good political quality, strong organizing skills, understanding of management and operation and who are good at doing the staff’s ideology work, and then promptly appoint them to the party organization’s leadership posts in the private enterprises. The outstanding cadres should be chosen and transferred to strengthen the party building operating mechanism in the private enterprises. At the same time, retired party cadres are encouraged to accept party affairs work in the private enterprises. In brief, (we) must construct a troop that meets the requirement for private enterprise party building and with sufficient party affairs cadres to create the condition to do the private enterprise party building work well.

Endnotes:
[1] Xinhua Net, June1, 2004
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2004-06/01/content_1502457.htm
 [2] The Beijing News, March 27, 2009
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/news/guonei/2009/03-27/008@035403.htm
 [3] Shannxi Province Long County Organization Department
http://www.lxdj.cn/news/Article_Print.asp?ArticleID=122

Qinghai Normal University [1]

At the meeting on May 20, vice president Mao Peng passed down the key points of the Conference for Maintaining Stability in Higher Education Institutes in Qinghai Province and of the Education Bureau’s recent Notice to Stabilize College Students. At the same time, he directed and arranged the work of maintaining stability and protecting security for our university. President Mao pointed out that each college and department of our university should emphasize the work of maintaining stability and that task surpasses all other work. “June 4^th” is a sensitive period for students. All the leaders in each college and department should pay close attention to the direction of student’s thoughts, prevent and stop any actions by Falun Gong or by members of anti-revolutionary organizations outside of China to instigate students, stick to the principle of “intense inside but relaxed outside,” do well in thought-education and student guidance, keep the students alert so that there is no chance that criminals have the opportunity to take advantage of our loopholes, ensure the security and stability of the campus, and protect student’s personal rights and interests.

…

Vice president Yanwu Zhao gave assignments to work on our students from four aspects: security education for students, student employment after graduation, student management, and student activities. He pointed out that, for the aspect of security education, we need to keep intensely alert to ensure political security and stability, pay attention to Internet security, timely delete information affecting security and stability on campus, and prevent criminals from using the Internet to instigate the students politically.

The Director of the Hebei Bureau of Education Talks about the Conference on the Work for Security and Stability in Hebei Province Schools [2] 

…

First, the anti-China forces continuously create incidents using such issues as Tibet, human right and trade. All sorts of enemies have increased their intensity in order to penetrate universities and colleges. Some non-governmental organizations provide cultural influence through joint-schools, research funding, training classes, and financial aid. These have the strong characteristic of puzzling people through such disguises. The activities of Dalai gangs¹  to separate China has never stopped and has become even more severe, which directly destroys stable situations. The evil cult organization of Falun Gong has never taken a break from their destructive activities to penetrate the education system, especially universities and colleges, which we cannot ignore or take lightly. There are many big events this year: the 60^th Anniversary of the establishment of the country, the 90^th anniversary of the “May 4^th” movement, the 50^th anniversary of Tibetan democratic movement, the 20^th anniversary of the “June 4^th” political instability, and the 10^th anniversary of denouncing the evil cult organization of “Falun Gong,” etc. Those sensitive periods are more likely to become the spark to induce events of instability. 
…

All levels of educational administration departments, school leadership and all kinds of schools should further perfect the leadership and offices for maintaining stability. You should establish specific groups of leaders, where the top leader of the CCP administration department should be the No. 1 person responsible for work in stability and security, and the remaining members of the leadership team should carefully carry out the duty of “one title, two responsibilities” [ed. to be responsible not just for the day to day operational work, but also for conducting party work] and be responsible for maintaining stability and ensuring security. You should further clearly realize the management principles that “the person who manages is responsible” and “intensely manage each level of the organizations and the upper level is responsible for the lower level,” so that we can do the job well in maintaining the stability and security of the schools all together. You should further enhance the structure of the administrative organizations and work force, clearly stratify the different offices, and assign enough good staff. You should solidly enhance the training and continuously improve the quality of the work force for maintaining security and stability as a whole.

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You should further enhance the strength to create stability using high tech means. You should construct a new model for the security liability prevention system by emphasizing the function of technology to improve measures for security enhancement and security liability prevention. With the goal of improving the efficiency of liability prevention and with the principles of preventing loss and crime, you should increase necessary costs, promote and popularize the security liability prevention system using fire prevention monitoring and video monitoring, provide the relevant training and technology guidance at the same time, and gradually realize the high-tech, professionalism and modernization of security maintenance and risk prevention in schools.

…

You should solidly carry out the work of ideological education in the education system. You should persistently arm and unify the thoughts of teachers and students using the theories of Socialism with Chinese characteristics. You should carefully plan, devotedly organize, and solidly further advance the activities to study the concept of scientific development. You should take good advantage of the chance in the celebration activities of the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of the country, the 90^th anniversary of the May 4^th movement, and the 50^th anniversary of the democratic reform in Tibet, to enhance education on a large scale on the situation in the world, in the country, and of the Party and guide the teachers and students to transform their patriotic passion into the practical behavior of studying and working diligently to repay the country. You should strictly regulate and monitor important fields, including lectures and forums, school newspapers and magazines, the Internet on campus, broadcasts and TV networks, and publishers, etc. to prevent the use, destruction, and penetration by the anti-China forces from the West, the enemies in and outside of China, and the members of “Falun Gong.” You should proactively and appropriately deal with the problems emerging from the ideological field of the universities and colleges, settle the problems in the “sprouting (early)” stage inside the schools and on lower levels, and not provide channels for spreading the wrong ways of thinking and wrong notions.

Zhangwang County Government in Tengzhou, Guangdong Province [3]

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The second factor is the influence from society. When the economic situation is good, everybody can see hope; when the economic situation is not good, the already fragile ability of the people to endure hardship will be transformed or shifted, which will cause lots of social problems. At present, all kinds of existing social conflicts are on top of each other, new conflicts keep arising, and the old social conflicts are likely to show up again and affect and interact with the existing and emerging conflicts, the conflicts in the economy, and the conflicts in other fields. The current problems will be more severe, involving the use of the land, real estate, rural area finance, conflicts between the cadres and the masses, legislation and problems of mass appeal. In addition, with the development of multiple interest groups, the diversity of demands and the more and more complex mentalities of society, some of the people see unfairness and lose their mental balance. They become more and more unsatisfied with society and still have hatred toward cadres and the government. A small group of people are radical in protecting their rights but ignorant about the law. They easily engage in radical behavior and may instigate incidents to destroy the normal order of society. The third is the influence from political factors. Relatively speaking, more sensitive political periods occur this year, including the 60^th Anniversary of the establishment of the country, the 90^th anniversary of the “May 4^th” movement, the 50^th anniversary of Tibetan democratic movement, the 20^th anniversary of the “June 4^th” political instability, and the 10^th anniversary of denouncing the evil cult organization of “Falun Gong.” In addition, our province will host the 11^th National Athletic Competition, including the women’s soccer competition and Tae Kwon Do. This period is usually when lots of appeals and mass incidents happen. Some of the unresolved conflicts inside of people may happen all together. Therefore, all levels of the government and all different departments should sufficiently realize the arduousness and the long-lasting nature of maintaining social stability. When living in safety, think about the danger. Enhance the sense of hardship, crisis consciousness and responsibility consciousness. Correctly understand and scientifically analyze the conflicts and problems currently affecting social stability. Correctly handle and scientifically plan the strategies and approaches to vigorously advance maintaining peace and ensure the continuous harmony and stability of the general situation in the county.

Especially this year, different levels of the government set a higher standard for maintaining stability regarding dealing with appeals. From the province government to Zao Village, from Tengzhou City to the county and neighborhood communities, the major leaders of the government have signed the document listing goals and responsibilities. Tengzhou City has also signed an agreement with different towns and neighborhoods. It is a requirement that the number of people who go to Beijing to appeal from each county and neighborhood cannot exceed 5 out of a million people, which is very strict. According to this request, our county will be off from the target as long as one person goes to Beijing or the capital of our province to appeal. Therefore, all the government branches, villages, and departments should further enhance the sense of responsibility, increase pressure on yourselves, persist in the effort to prevent and resolve the problems appropriately, both from the surface and the roots. You should put the emphasis on grasping the source of problems for prevention, information and news filtration, using persuasion to resolve problems, controlling the development of situations, forcing implementation, aftermath coping strategies, and the prevention and the elimination of different kinds of factors leading to instability. First of all, you should enhance the ability to resolve, investigate and eliminate the conflicts. According to the requirement of finding problems early enough, making problems resolvable and controllable and well resolving the problems, you should keep searching for and investigating problems on schedule each month, do more searching and investigation before major events, do early searching and investigation before sensitive periods, collaborate in searching and investigating common problems, and specifically search for and investigate serious problems. You should investigate clearly and from all aspects for all kinds of conflicts and hidden problems, truly know the situation, be clear in mind, and have the confidence to find problems early, resolve them early, and eliminate them early. You should build up appeal portfolios. The general branch and villages should have portfolios of the situation in your village; the counties should have portfolios on the situation of your county to ensure control of appeal cases at all times. You should enhance the work to gather information through opening up a wide range of channels, sufficiently use all kinds of legal methods and measures, exhaust all the means to gather information regarding the factors affecting social stability, realize the goal of taking action whenever the other party (those who affect social stability) take action, know what is going on whenever the other party takes any action, know what will happen before the other party takes any action, know everything in your mind clearly, firmly take proactive roles and win the battle proactively.

The Main Point of Propaganda Work and Thoughts for the Zhongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2009 [4]

This year is the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of the country. All kinds of enemies will certainly take advantage of this opportunity to intensely contrive conspiracies and engage in destructive activities. For example, the Dalai gangs have claimed that they will take advantage of the 50^th anniversary of the Tibetan democratic reform to contrive activities to separate the country, the “democratic activists” are engaging in destructive activities using the 20^th anniversary of the “June 4^th” incident of instability, Dongtu (Muslims) and the evil cult organization of “Falun Gong” are also attempting to take action. Therefore, this year will have lots of major political movement and sensitive periods. Furthermore, due to the current serious economic situation, the task of maintaining stability is very heavy and has a negative influence on the stable development of universities and colleges.

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Enhance the construction and management of the Internet culture. According to Party General Secretary Jintao Hu’s talk, Enhance the Construction and Management of Internet Culture with an Inventive Spirit, and the point in the Suggestion on Enhancing the Construction and Management of Internet Culture by the CCP Central Office and the Council General’s Office, we should strengthen our effort to build up official university websites, the Red Rock Internet school, Chongqing Students Online and the websites for all work units and departments and enhance the specialization, interaction and effect of the Internet information service. We should strive to develop a healthy and beneficial Internet culture, increase and refresh the contents on the Internet, carefully plan and organize the major topics of Internet propaganda, and sing out loud the Major Theme and Rhythm on the Internet. We should strengthen the guidance on the Internet, mobilize activities for “Civilized Use of the Internet and Civilized Creation of Websites,” in depth, and frequently carry out propaganda and education on the moral application of the Internet. We should further enhance our ability to cope with the information on serious incidents and sudden incidents on the Internet. We should do well in analyzing events, clearly knowing the rationale of the events, and specifically explain the puzzles and questions for different trends of thought in society, hot topics and cultural phenomena emerging on the Internet. We should enhance supervision and management of the Internet, enhance the work to analyze, supervise and guide the information on the Internet so that we can promptly control and eliminate information that is anti-revolutionary, attacks the CCP and the government, is pornographic, gambling-related or harmful. We should enhance the structure of the Internet commenter teams, enlarge the army of Internet commentators, and strive to form a stronger party for positive propaganda on the Internet.

On April 30, 2009, Comrade Zi Xinjian, the Vice Secretary of the Committee for Work on Institutes of Higher Education in Henan Province and the Vice Director of the Department of Education in Henan Province spoke at the 2009 Conference on Student Work in Institutes of Higher Education in Henan Province [5]

IV Stability Surpasses All

This year we will happily welcome the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of the country, but it is also the 20^th anniversary of putting down the “June 4^th” incident of instability and the 10^th anniversary of denouncing the evil cult organization of Falun Gong. Our country has many major events and many events to be celebrate, however, we also face many difficulties and problems, namely, the new situation of social stability and the arduous task to maintain stability. The central government and the province committee have been highly emphasizing the work of maintaining stability and have stressed many times that, on the one hand, we need to work on the economy and on social development; and that, on the other hand, we need to work on social stability, that is, “both should be worked on, and both should be worked on very hard.” The stability in institutes of higher education is an important component of social stability. The major issue in maintaining stability in institutes is the stability of the students. The major issue to maintain student’ stability is to maintain the stability of their thoughts. All the institutes should further deepen your understanding on the importance of the work to maintain stability according to the requirements of the central government and the province committee, work on both the stability of students’ thoughts and resolving of practical problems, investigate and eliminate factors leading to instability, decisively cope with sudden events, construct long-term and effective mechanism to maintain stability and contribute to maintaining stability of the bigger society.

Security Maintenance Information for Yangtze University, [6]

On the morning of March 4, Yuanjun Zhao, the vice commissioner of the National Security Bureau of Jingzhou City, and the accompanying staff visited our university to inspect and guide the work for national security and the people’s defense network. Zaizhou Liu, the vice president of our university and the vice group leader for national security held a reception for Vice Commissioner Zhao. 

At the meeting, Commissioner Zhao analyzed the potential problems in institutes of higher education regarding national security. The major manifestation is that due to the influence of the Internet and the media outside of China, college students are relatively active in their thinking. They are not immune to the penetration of religions, as every now and then Christianity is spread on campus. Students sometimes leak information to the outside involving sensitive issues of the school; and professors who travel abroad easily attract attention from local espionage agents, since there was the incident in which they leaked important secretes in technology. When mentioning the focus for this year, Commissioner Zhao said that security maintenance for this year should focus on the three sensitive periods (the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of the country, the 20^th anniversary of putting down the “June 4^th” incident of instability, and the 10^th anniversary of denouncing Falun Gong), to solidly work on information collection and feedback, to ensure political stability in the school. Commissioner Zhao has also raised three requirements according to the relevant policies of our country: Enhance the structure of national security organizations in schools; ensure proper funding; continuously enhance the work quality of the army for political and security maintenance. Lastly, Commissioner Zhao stressed the importance of the work on national security in our schools in the recent period of time and also expressed his appreciation regarding our school’s department for maintaining security and for their close cooperation with the City Security Bureau over the years.

Endnotes:
[1] Qinghai Normal University, May 31, 2009,
http://www.qhnu.edu.cn/depart/xuegongchu/news/view.php?id=789
[2] Talk on the Conference on the Work for Security and Stability in Hebei Province Schools by Director of Hebei Bureau of Education，Website for Teachers of Physical Education, March 25, 2009
http://www.ty121.cn/xxaq/gdzd/200904/13805.html
[3] Government Website of Zhangwang County of the Tengzhou City in Shandong Province
http://www.zhangwang.gov.cn/typenews.asp?id=279
[4] Main Point of the Work on Propaganda and (Students’) Thoughts for Zhongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2009
http://www.cqupt.edu.cn/yb/yuanban/pic/重邮委9号2009年宣传思想工作要点.doc
[5] The Office for the Department of Education in Henan Province, May 5, 2009
http://hasi.haedu.gov.cn/UserFiles/File/1241494253363.doc
[6] The Security and Defense Department and the Arm Force Department of Yangtze University, April 7, 2009
http://bwc.yangtzeu.edu.cn/ShowNews.aspx?NewsID=1962

The Internet as the representative of the new media, has become a strong force to express the public’s opinion, fight against corruption and appeal for justice. A number of incidents have been exposed through the Internet. It revealed the true identity of “Tiger Zhou.” The picture of the rare breed of tiger was actually a fake. The voices of “Web surfers” were heard during the “Two Sessions.” The government dismissed the protagonists in the events of “using public money for massage therapy” and “over priced cigarettes.”  The rise of the new media is both refreshing and shocking.

Few people doubt that the Internet will continue to expand its influence and will play an increasingly important role in our country’s political and social life.

However, the management of the Internet presents a new difficult problem to deal with. Instances of pornography, fraud, and network violence are numerous, seriously polluting the network environment. Law enforcement agencies have not slackened in training and combat, but that has achieved little. Although government departments pay attention to network public opinion, and issue positive and timely responses, most responses are passive, lag behind, or play the role of firefighters. Some officials are deeply worried about the network and find it is difficult to face the surging “network of accountability storm.” In the eyes of some people, the Internet is really a great scourge. It is impervious to reason and difficult to tame. These phenomena show that the traditional management philosophy and management style have lost their roles in the virtual world. The special action of regulating the Internet’s vulgar atmosphere has aroused strong reactions. All social circles actively participate, regard it highly and have marked that a new type of model for Internet management has begun to take shape. The characteristics of this model involve using Internet principles to manage the Internet. That is, in accordance with the virtual world’s basic features and principles, letting nature take its course and guiding the matter along its course can achieve maximum effectiveness.

Managing of Network Information

The management of the Internet, in fact, is management of network information, rather than management of anything human or material.

What is the most fundamental characteristic of the virtual world? The virtual world is a kingdom of information. There is nothing except information. In that world, we can’t see the tangible or the human body. We can only see the information coming forth to transmit people’s thoughts rapidly and to develop people’s relationships. The traditional management model, which focuses on the human body and the tangible, faces frustration and difficulties here. The particular difficulty is that we are facing network information, rather than general information. The most basic characteristic of network information is anonymity. People hide their identity, background, status and reputation to express their thoughts freely and indulgently. Sometimes the thoughts are mixed with non-rational emotions, so it is difficult to judge the authenticity of the information. Another characteristic of network information is that the contents are comprehensive and the numbers are huge. It contains insights and valuable spiritual wealth, as well as pornography, violence and vulgar contents. This brings great difficulty to our management. The third characteristic of network information is its rapid dissemination. At first, net friend post messages, causing many messages to follow, bringing more large-scale views and comments. And then the messages are reproduced by the portal. People use cell phones and instant media to send messages to their friends and relatives and it ultimately leads to a hot spot of social events.

We must manage the Internet effectively and in accordance with the characteristics of the network information. The management of the human and tangible aspects should be classified and the management of network information should be classified too. Different management strategies should be adopted for each aspect. Online harmful information is divided into illegal information, false information, and vulgar information. Illegal information refers to various types of information that are specifically prohibited by the relevant state laws and regulations. False information is contrary to what is true, including disinformation, deception, distortion, etc., part of which can be classified as illegal information, but needs to be distinguished carefully. The so-called vulgar information isn’t popular information, but refers to coarse, immoral interests, and wrong value-oriented information. For the illegal information, combat should be the focus. The strength of the vast numbers of Internet users should be used to report and launch many websites to resist consciously. For the false information, the focus should be on clarification. The government and the media authorities need to take the initiative to stand up, expose the lies, and disclose the truth in a timely manner. For the vulgar information, the focus should be on guidance. The government and the media authorities need to dialog with the Internet users equally through various means, guide the direction of network opinions, and imperceptibly influence the Internet users’ thoughts.

Mobilizing the Public is the Basic Strategy for Managing the Internet.

Limited management forces can’t deal with the rapid dissemination of information when the number is astronomical. In fact, compared with general information, network information can be monitored easily, because it is in full view of the public at all times, and there are lots of piercing eyes. Regulating the Internet’s vulgar atmosphere can result in brilliant achievements, fundamentally owing to the vastness of Internet users’ reports and responses. Under the strong pressure of network opinion, the vast majority of web sites enhance their self-awareness.

In addition, full use should be made of the characteristics of the Internet, using management of the critical node, the psychology of groups and people’s thoughts, and the interaction between virtual space and the real world.

Management of the Key Nodes

The mathematician, Barabas, found that many websites only had a small number online, fewer sites had a medium number online, and very few sites had a large number online. This indicates that the network is dominated by the “many websites who have a small number online.”
 
If the key nodes that have the most extensive contacts in the network are controlled, it will be easier to control the entire network.

Therefore the emphasis of network information is the management of the key website nodes. From the view of websites, these key nodes are search engines, telecommunications network operators, and mainstream media. They provide the access services, web links and the authoritative information. If these key nodes can be controlled well, the dissemination of harmful information will be greatly reduced. The special action of regulating the Internet’s vulgar atmosphere can result in brilliant achievements, owing to focus on monitoring these key nodes on the Internet.
 
From the point of Internet users, the key to the node network is "opinion leaders." Some experienced net friends’ points of view control Internet users’ judgment, and guide the direction of network opinions. The main body of China’s Internet users is young people. They don’t have much experience, and are more vulnerable to the impact of opinion leaders. The relevant departments should consciously train the opinion leaders, and make the network opinions more rational and less impetuous.

Virtual communities are having more and more force in the real world. This will, no doubt, launch a major challenge to the administration management. Government officials at all levels should not only be the spectators, but should be the network’ participants. They should not only respond network to opinion negatively, but should be the online opinion leaders. Otherwise, they can’t be competent enough to handle their leadership role in real society. Shanghai is exploring the "double moderator, double entry” mode. Neighborhood cadres, in accordance with the rules, become the community forum co-moderator and dialogue equally with the residents of the virtual community. The original owner is taken to the real community to understand and become more familiar with the situation. Through guiding and leading the community views, the relevant departments need not adopt rigid regulations, so community management will be more effective and humane.

The Guide of Group Psychology

Network information sometimes is full of irrational and violent tendencies, and can even brew into a "network of crises." In this process, group psychology can play a major role. Once a group psychology forms, the individual will lose his reason and sense of responsibility. The individuals will be emotional, impulsive, use extreme language, and have the feature of offensiveness. Using infection and imitation will push the original speech to the extreme until it rises to the level of being out of control. The characteristic of the Internet is interactive. Interaction is two-way and multi-directional, so an emotional state can spread very fast. Because of the impulse, people lose their reason and change from an individual psychology to a group psychology.

Group psychology can be managed in the best, the second best, and the worst ways. The best way is to take preventive measures. According to the “broken window effect,” if a window has been broken, it should be repaired immediately; otherwise more windows will be broken. Because people accept this suggestion: breaking the window is allowed and you will not be subjected to discipline. On the Internet, if a message fulfills people’s expectations, and matches their dissatisfaction, people will automatically believe, go along with it, and thus give positive feedback to make it snowball, developing rapidly to an uncontrollable level. Therefore, when the harmful information just appears, there should be a keen eye to detect it and to clarify or counter-attack in order to hinder the formation of a group psychology. Relevant departments should pay close attention to dynamic network opinion and assess which negative information will reflect a certain class’ voice, if it will spread rapidly, and whether it will lead to a crisis. If the outlook is not optimistic, it will be necessary to join the mainstream of online media, disseminate the truth, spread positive public opinion and refute the wrong views.

The second choice is in the initial formation of the group psychology, when the negative sentiment is spreading, but has not yet translated into concrete action. At that time, the need is to use the French scholar Le Bounty’s three means when leaders mobilize the public: assertion, repetition and transmission. Making a simple and strong assertion is the best way to allow a certain concept to have access to people’s minds.

The worst way is intervention after the situation has expanded. At that time, a great effort will be needed to clarify the truth and also to make up for the resulting heavy losses.

The Citrus incident provides a painful lesson. Last year in Mid-October, the news of Citrus worms was disseminated widely in the community. Rumors started flying. Citrus all over the country could not be sold, and tangerine farmers suffered huge losses.
 
At present, this last situation is most prevalent for relevant departments that deal with network crises. It had already brewed into the serious consequences before the truth was clarified and the group calmed down.           
(Xiaobai Sheng/ Nanjing Audit University)

Endnotes:
[1] http://news.xinhuanet.com/theory/2009-04/27/content_11263577.htm

Safety Issues of the (Communist) Culture under the Influence of “Internet Public Opinion” [1] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, May 19, 2009

Public opinion is often expressed and spread through the Internet. It is an integrated sum of the multiple feelings, attitudes, and opinions of Internet users about all kinds of social and public affairs that they care about or that are closely related to their interests. These public opinions mainly spread through email, BBS, instant messaging, Internet news and follow-up, blogs, podcasts, wikis, and Internet surveys, as well as some social software programs. The spread of public opinion on the Internet is part of the spread of culture. It does not have regional or national borders and it has sped up the globalization of human culture. The most important feature is that by using all kinds of ways and approaches, Internet public opinion presents a different culture, different manners and customs, and different senses of value to people. It indeed opens up people’s minds. However, to some degree it also impacts peoples’ values and conduct that formed during their previous socialization. It causes inadequate adaptation of people’s minds and barriers to their actions.

…

The freedom and openness of the Internet are creating prerequisites that have never existed before for the spread of diverse culture. The closeness that the Internet has brought to all countries and people in the world is unprecedented. The free spread of Internet information has caused both integration and collision of different cultures. On the one hand, this kind of integration and collision are without any governmental control and have a positive significance. On the other hand however, they also create some degree of threat to the stability and solidarity of our country and society. Especially for those youths who have had little experience with our traditional culture, the national culture has not rooted in their minds. It is highly possible that, influenced by foreign Internet information (mainly Western ideology), our youths will not yet have immunity from it or the ability to discriminate properly. The social mentality of this specific social group is therefore threatened to some degree.

Since the spread of public opinion on the Internet is an important part of the spread of culture, in order to eliminate its influence on cultural safety at its roots, we must start spreading cultural propaganda. As the Internet is developed rapidly, it is crucial to use effective ways to spread cultural propaganda.

(1) Insist on the Strategy of Active Defense regarding the Spread of Culture. To put it in fundamental words, it is to look at the world’s cultural diversity in the right way and insist on the fundamentality of the Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. We need to utilize the Internet to spread the national culture, and strengthen the national spirit and the cohesive force of this advanced culture. We need to construct an effective system to protect culture and strengthen the force for guarding against and fighting back against the psychological warfare of western culture, expand communication among different cultures, and improve the Chinese people’s psychological endurance and the Chinese culture’s immunity. Also, at the right times and with the right global situations, such as some incidents, we should use cultural attacks to actively attack western culture in order to reduce its influence on us.

(2) Strengthen the (Communist) Party’s Controlling Force over the Spread of Culture in the Macroscopic Picture. First, we need to set clear value standards on the content of the spreading culture. Secondly, regarding the media that cultures spread with, we need to enhance the supervision over the different kinds of spreading tools, especially the Internet. We must strengthen the establishment and reinforcement of laws related to cultural spread so that we can use the laws to crack down on the illegal activities of spreading things through media such as the Internet that harm basic values and that are against common social interests. Thirdly, we need to train a politically strong troop that is proficient in its work, has great discipline, and has a correct attitude to spread cultural.

(3) Make a Great Effort to Boost the Spreading Power of Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics. In the past 30 years, as China’s overall strength has continued to grow and international prestige has continued to improve, our culture’s spreading power has improved a lot. It has almost completely spread in multiple languages, with multiple media (radio, newspapers, television, magazines, and the Internet, etc.), and has the charm of “Chinese characteristics.” This not only expands the global influence of Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, but also to some degree it improves and expands our nation’s strategic interests.

How Internet Public Opinion Spreads [2] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, May 19, 2009

(1) Interactivity. On the Internet, the Netizens in general show a strong sense of participation. During the process of commenting and giving opinions about a certain incident, there are often many Netizens participating in the discussion. Frequently, it forms an interactive environment, where opinions from two opposite sides both appear and they discuss, argue, exchange opinions, collide, and even clash. This kind of real-time interactive sharing enables different opinions to come out quickly. The discussion is able to get more complete, more in-depth, and more concentrated. As an example, in July of 2008, Yang Jia, the young man from Beijing, killed seven policemen with a knife in Shanghai, and injured 3 policemen and a security guard. Public opinion should condemn Yang Jia’s killing action and the law should strictly punish him. However, on the Internet there were quite some people justifying Yang Jia’s action. Netizens with different opinions argued very intensely over the Internet.

(2) Inaccuracy. Each Netizen as an individual experiences pressure in the real world, and this directly affects what he or she expresses on the Internet. Influenced by all kinds of factors, some of the arguments on the Internet lack reason and tend to be perceptual and emotional. Some people even take the Internet as a place to release their anger. When people have frustration in their lives in the real world, or when they have some biased views about society, they can use the Internet to express anger. Therefore, on the Internet, it tends to be voices that are more vulgar and pessimistic. For example, as the crisis of the world economy continues to expand, some companies in cities along the shores are having trouble paying their workers, and some companies have even declared bankruptcy. The real estate economy also keeps going down. Some Netizens perpetually use the Internet to spread their comments. At the same time, very often the Netizens’ moods can affect each other. Thus, the Internet public opinion is a result of the interaction of individuals’ moods as well as groups of people’s moods. Sometimes it is a reflection of the real situation. However, at other times, it causes a deviation from people’s original opinion. What we must pay attention to is that others can easily echo people’s emotional opinions, and this can therefore lead to harmful public opinions; it can be very seditious and destructive. Take the Harbin young man, Lin Songling, who six policemen killed, as a typical example. [Ed: On October 11, 2008, a surveillance video tape was posted on the Internet showing a brawl in which six plainclothes Harbin police officers beat a young man to death. It was quickly reposted on many forums. Some Netizens suspected the police had suspiciously edited it.] On the Internet, public opinion quickly expanded and the speed with which rumors spread could not have been overseen.

Netizens Gradually Take Over the Role of the Main Body in Expressing Public Opinion [3] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, May 19, 2009

The Internet in China has grown rapidly in recent years. According to the data from China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), at the end of 2008, 22.6% of people were Internet users in China. It was the first time China passed the global average, which was 21.9%. At the same time, the Chinese Netizen population reached 298 million, which stayed at the top worldwide. The Netizen population is still rapidly growing. The main body of those who participate in Internet sharing is composed of Netizens. They frequently use the Internet to spread and share media, acquire information on the Internet, participate in the interaction on the Internet, give personal opinions, and express their positions on different issues on the Internet. Studying the characteristics of the Netizens since they are the main body on the Internet and analyzing their behavior can help us realize and control the pattern of spreading Internet public opinion and make it better serve the government’s decision making.

…

The Netizens express many kinds of emotion, attitudes, and opinions. But the center of these is their political attitude.

Since the essence of people’s social political attitude is driven by their concern for their personal interests this, in turn, affects the government’s control and decision making. Therefore it has become the core content of Internet public forum discussions. The Netizens should be managed by the government and they need the government to represent their interests. On the other hand, the government must manage everything through public affairs, using specific plans, policies, laws, and working methods. Whenever these public affairs operate, they immediately touch Netizens’ interests. The Internet provides the Netizens a fast and convenient sharing media for expressing their feelings. They express these emotions, attitudes, and opinions specifically about the nation, the government, or public affairs; therefore they are reflections of the Netizens’ social political attitude.

…

The Internet public opinion expressed by the Netizens has become an important force for directing and influencing general public opinion.

Internet information can flow globally and freely. It makes “world affairs” become “things next door.” When the Netizens express their opinions, they are no longer limited by regional factors. They can easily share in real time with people thousands of miles away. The quickness, convenience, and interactivity of Internet conversations are quickly drawing Netizens from everywhere and with different voices. Eventually it will form a huge force of social public opinion, draw more attention from society and can even become a great public voice that will influence decision making. Therefore, we cannot overlook the Netizens’ influence over Internet public opinion.

…

When Netizens use the Internet, they usually follow social public affairs. There is a typical path in the development of each discussion. In many cases, it has continuity, diffusibility, and the ability of gathering a large audience. Communication about public affairs, from beginning to end, will usually last for a while. The Netizens’ Internet public opinions reflect on public affairs and will also go through a beginning, development, climax, fading, and disappearance or residual period. This makes the Netizens’ Internet actions show continuity, diffusibility, and the characteristics of being able to gather a large audience. It is these characteristics that result in some information being able to induce strong reactions, lead to high-level attention from the government, and induce lots of discussions by sectors of the community.

The Safeguard System for Reporting on Unexpected Incidents [4]
Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, May 14, 2009

Leading principle: ensure that reporting is ordered and highly efficient.

Unexpected incidents include natural disasters, accidents, public health affairs, and social security incidents. In recent years, the number of unexpected incidents in China has shown a tendency to increase. Therefore, the news media should not take unexpected incidents as something atypical. Instead, they should take the reporting of unexpected incidents as part of their everyday operations.

First, the system needs to be perfected in order to enable fast reactions to the unexpected incidents. A steering committees needs to be formed to uniformly coordinate the news interviewing groups, technical support groups, and administrative service groups. This way the number of intermediate links can be reduced to ensure the fast reporting of unexpected incidents.

Next, the discipline in reporting unexpected incidents must be very high and strict. The media needs to have specific people to keep in touch with the higher propaganda management branch and convey the direction and spirit from the branch in a timely manner, so that the degree of reporting can be controlled and public opinion can be steered correctly.

Lastly, regular meetings need to be added to the system of reporting unexpected incidents. During the period of the unexpected incidents, the steering group needs to set a time every day to have a meeting with the main people from relevant departments, so that directions from the propaganda management branch can be passed down. The meeting can help everyone to realize shortcomings in reporting and to be clear about the stresses to be reported on and the direction that later reports need to take. Within the meeting, manpower and material resources can be more reasonably arranged and the reporting time and layout can be scientifically adjusted. This ensures an ordered, strong, and highly efficient reporting of unexpected incidents.

Endnotes:
[1] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, 2009-5-19
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090519233914.html
[2] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, 2009-5-19
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090519233915.html
[3] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, 2009-5-19
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090519233911.html
[4] Chinese Academy of Social Science Newspaper, 2009-5-14
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090514233606.html

Wu said, “Maintaining the correct political direction is the essence of doing the NPC work well. To maintain the correct political direction, the most fundamental issue is that the party’s leadership persists and that China’s political system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persist, not the multi-party system of Western countries. The CCP is the core of China’s leadership and the incumbent party. Various democratic parties are the participating parties, not the incumbent party, nor the opposition party.” [1]

Wu suggested that the congress members should “fully understand the essential difference between the National People’s Congress and the parliaments in Western countries, fully understand the essential difference between the National People’s Congress and “One Government, Two Houses” and the state agencies in Western countries; fully understand the essential difference between the NPC members and the parliament members in Western countries; and improve self-consciousness and firmness in persisting on the socialist road with Chinese characteristics.” He added, “Our NPC members, NPC standing committee members and special committee members, regardless of their being communist party members, democratic party members or non-party persons, all fulfill their responsibilities according to the law under the leadership of the CCP. The NPC makes the laws and resolutions and makes decisions on the country’s major policies according to the party’s wishes and the people’s wishes. The NPC’s work guarantees that the party’s wishes becoming the nation’s will through legal proceedings, and guarantees that the candidates that the party recommends become the state’s leadership personnel through legal proceedings.” “The NPC’s various kinds of work must all benefit the reinforcement and improvement of the party leadership, benefit the consolidation of the party’s ruling status, and benefit the guarantee for the party’s leaders to lead the people and govern the nation effectively.” “The CCP is the core leadership for the enterprise of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The party leadership can only be reinforced but cannot be weakened.” [1]

The Party-run media also expressed a similar view. On March 09, 2009, the Xinhua News Agency reported that Chairman Wu Bangguo’s above expression “is the honorable reiteration on continuing the NPC system under the CCP’s leadership, and is also the dignified declaration of the firm belief that the Chinese people steadfastly walk down the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and constantly develop and improve the democratic system with Chinese characteristics.” [2]

On March 10, the Xinhua News Agency again published an article to further emphasize, “The CCP’s leadership must persist over state agencies. Different levels of government agencies, including state power agencies, administrative agencies and judicial agencies, must all accept the party’s leadership. The two-party system or the multi-party system will never be introduced, nor will the system of ‘multi-party election’ or ‘multiple parties holding office in rotation.’” [3]

On April 1, Qiushi Journal, a magazine publication by the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee Institution, published an article titled “Why the NPC System Must Persist, but We Cannot Introduce a System with the Separation of the Three Powers” by “Qiu Shi” (Autumn Stone), The article said that, “The NPC system which China carries is the people’s democratic system under the CCP’s leadership. China cannot introduce the same kind as the West. Although the capitalist countries flaunt that the ‘power belongs to people,’ in fact it is a ‘money democracy’ and capital rules. In the capitalist countries, a small number of people, relying on their strong capital, can control the democratic demands from the weak middle and lower classes. The magic of money is enough to oppress most people and to keep them silent against the despotism of capital.” (We) must clearly recognize the inherent problems and untruthfulness of bourgeois democracy.” “The NPC system assures the CCP’s leadership and ruling status. It eliminates the system of “multi-party elections” or “multiple parties holding office in rotation” in the political framework. In our country, although various state agencies hold different jobs and responsibilities, they are all under the leadership of the CCP and carry on their jobs having independent responsibilities to perform their duties.” [4] “Qiu Shi” is only a pen name. This group’s members include Yin Zhongqing, Chang Guangmin, Yang Shaohua, and Li Chuanzhu.

On April 16, the Qiushi Journal published another article under the name of “Qiu Shi,” titled "Why the Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation System under the CCP’s Leadership Must Persist, but We Cannot Carry on a Multi-Party Political System like the Westerners.” This article said that “The democratic party members and the non-party persons enter the NPC, government, the Political Consultative Conference and the judicial system to hold leadership positions and establish good cooperation and working relationships with the CCP cadres, which is the important content of our multi-party cooperation and political consultation system and is also an essential requirement for strengthening the party’s ruling ability and state power.” [5].

In order to prove the advantages of a one-party system, on May 1, 2009, Yin Zhongqing, the director of the NPC Standing Committee Research Office, wrote an article for Qiushi Journal, stating that, “The party’s leadership mainly focuses on politics, ideology and organization. Through the establishments of major policies, the proposals on legislation and the recommendations of important cadres, it carries out the ideological propaganda, party organization and party member’s functions, performs duties according to the law and implements the party’s leadership of the country and society. All levels of administrative agencies, including the state power agencies, the administrative agencies and the judicial agencies, must maintain the party’s leadership and accept the party’s leadership. The party organizations must be established within the NPC and the Standing Committee. The party organizations’ responsibility is to lead the NPC members and the Standing Committee members to fulfill the party’s leadership. Through legal proceedings, they make the party’s proposal become the nation’s will, and make the candidates recommended by the party organization become the state power leaders and carry on surveillance for them at the same time. The NPC and the standing committee are not organizations of the parties’ consultation. The democratic party members and the non-party persons enter the NPC and the standing committee through legal elections by the voters or the electoral units so they cannot conduct activities as the representatives of their parties and groups.” “We maintain the NPC system so that (we can) lift up high the flag of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics … maintain the central concentration of power and maintain the CCP’s ruling status.” [6]

There was another article in the same issue of the Qiushi Journal, “Why We Must Persist on the Road of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, but Cannot Take another Path.” It said that, “At present, the international financial crisis caused by the loan crisis in the U.S. has exposed the inherent shortcomings of the capitalist system. But socialism with Chinese characteristics actually displays “only good scenery,” unfolds the full vitality, and has attracted more and more people’s vision. In the last few years, in the overseas media and academic circles, the discussion of “Beijing mutual recognition,” the “Chinese pattern,”  “China experiences,”, and “China development path” are very exciting. China has already shown its significant and profound impact on maintaining world peace, promoting community development and impelling human cultural progress, and will continue to do so.” “In contemporary China, only the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and no other flag can, at its maximum limit, unite and abridge different social classes and different social groups’ wisdom and the strength; only the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and no other path can lead China to realize its renaissance; only the theory system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and no other principle can lead China’s development to progress.”  “During its development process, socialism must absorb all outstanding civilized achievements that humanity had created, including the civilized achievements created in capitalist society.” And it pointed out, “After passing through a long historic process, socialism will eventually defeat capitalism.” [7]

The article also said that we need to, “maintain Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological domain; maintain the CCP’s leadership over the entire country and enterprise development; maintain the consolidation of state power with the people’s democratic dictatorship; maintain the socialist road; maintain socialism’s basic economic system with domination over the public ownership system as the main system, along with communal development of many kinds of ownership systems; continue realizing and developing socialist democracy; maintain that the development achievement benefits all people; maintain social justice; gradually realize the common richness, and maintain the scientific development concept with the domination of humanity and the comprehensive coordination of sustainable development. All these above indicate that we have the reform and open policy and that (traditions from) “ancestors” have not been discarded. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is surnamed “Socialism,” but is not surnamed “Capitalism.”… “The socialist system is the lifeblood of China’s development; the socialist direction that China has developed does not allow it to be changed; China will not go down an evil path under a different banner. This did not happen in the past and will not happen in the future.” [7]

At the end, this article said, “Since the start of the reform and open policy, Chinese communists….have focused on consolidation and development of the socialist system,….have formed the overall layout for building a socialist market economy,  socialist democratic politics, socialist advanced culture and a socialist harmonious society; have formed a whole set of policy systems covering the economic, political, cultural, social, technical, and diplomatic reunification of the motherland, the party’s construction and so on, suitable with the fundamental realities of the socialist initial stage. …Only then can socialism save China.” [7].

Endnotes:
[1] NPC Standing Committee Work Report by Wu Bangguo, Chairman
http://news.sohu.com/20090309/n262686151.shtml
[2] Xinhua News Agency, March 9, 2009, “The 11th NPC Second Session Holds Second All Hands Meeting,” http://news.xinhuanet.com/misc/2009-03/09/content_10977033.htm
[3] Xinhua News Agency, March 10, 2009, “‘Two Absolute No’s’ is Country’s Foundation and People’s Wish,” by Bi Xiaozhe, http://news.xinhuanet.com/comments/2009-03/10/content_10980854.htm
[4] Qiushi Journal, April 1, 2009, “Why Must Persist the NPC System, but Cannot Introduce a System with the Separation of the Three Powers," by “Qiu Shi”, http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20090401/BIG5/qs%5E500%5E0%5E2.htm
[5] Qiushi Journal, April 16, 2009, by “Qiu Shi”, “Why Persist the Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation System under CCP’s Leadership, but Cannot Carry on a Multi-Party Political System like the West," by “Qiu Shi”, http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20090416/BIG5/qs%5E501%5E0%5E1.htm
[6] Qiushi Journal, May 1, 2009, “Persist and Improve NPC system,” by Yin Zhongqing, http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20090501/GB/qs%5E502%5E0%5E6.htm
[7] Qiushi Journal, May 1, 2009, "Why We Must Persist on the Road of Socialism with Chinese characteristics, but Cannot Take Another Path," by “Qiu Shi,” http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20090501/GB/qs%5E502%5E0%5E4.htm

With the rapid technological development of Internet information dissemination, new Internet media emerge quickly. The pattern of information dissemination in our country is changing profoundly. National security and social stability are facing a real threat and a serious challenge. Adapting to rapid dissemination of Internet information and diligently controlling the power of the Internet to lead public opinion is a significant test on our party’s ability to rule.

The Basic Situation of Internet Information Dissemination and Development

1. The Rapid growth of Internet users changes the pattern of information dissemination

The total number of Internet users in our country has surpassed 300 million people, ranking us first in the world. The popularity ratio has reached 22.6%, surpassing the world’s average rate. But compared to the developed countries (US 72.5%, Japan 73.8%), there is still a big gap and substantial potential for growth. The total number of Internet users increased by 88 million from 2007 to 2008, with daily increases of more than 240,000 people. We can foresee that in several years, the total number of Internet users will continue to grow and surpass half of the total population. The pattern of information dissemination in our country and the social life pattern would change tremendously.

2. The pattern of Internet users is changing gradually and usage is expanding to more areas

For a long time, Internet information dissemination in our country covered primarily cities, developed areas and young people. This situation is changing. In 2008, the Internet users in the countryside reached 84.6 million people, a 68.8% increase compared to 2007, much higher growth than the cities (35.6%). Internet users in the western areas grew very quickly with a growth rate of 52%, much higher than the middle areas (40.6%) and the eastern areas (39.3%). The growth rate of Internet users from the age of 10 to 19 years-old and over 40 years-old surpassed 2007, but that of other age groups has dropped. Generally speaking, the pattern of Internet users shows a growing trend from the city to the countryside, from the east to the west, and from youth to other age groups. In the near future, with the further development of campus and village networks, Internet users will continue to increase in the countryside, in Western areas and among middle school students and elementary school students. The gap between the city and countryside and the gap between different areas and age groups will reduce gradually.

3. The Expansion of web application domains has changed people’s life styles

The Internet provides all kinds of functions, including news dissemination, information search, email, instant communication, community forums, games and entertainment, electronic commerce, Internet finance and so on. The new Internet users entered the Internet world with the ability to use one or a few functions, and then gradually expanded to other application domains. With the constant development of new functions and the expansion of the application domains, people’s life styles as related to study, work and daily life are changing profoundly. At the same time, the corresponding cyber crimes have also inevitably increased. Internet security and social stability are facing new challenges.

 4. Development of the Internet improves dissemination of multimedia platforms

Traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and television stations have established their own websites. Many websites provide one platform with multimedia functions. The combination of traditional media and Internet media has become a trend, pushing the formation of multimedia platforms on the Internet. The Internet media not only disseminate words and pictures, but also disseminate audio and video. The Internet’s digital characteristic enables itself to conveniently connect with digital products, such as cell phones, digital cameras, and digital video cameras and quickly disseminate live audios and videos. If the corresponding government agencies cannot effectively manage the new media nor be able to effectively control the direction of the Internet media opinion, it might be dangerous to have things or messages out of control when significant events occur, and thus have a disastrous influence on social stability.
 
5. The rise of an Internet opinion community changes how public opinion forms
 
With its interactive nature, openness, and anonymity, the Internet has become the most active place to express political opinion and participate in politics. It forms an important platform for generating, adjusting, and spreading ideas. On the Internet, some websites, forums and blogs with clear political stances have appeared which have established both "opinion communities" that pay attention to news events and directly express their opinions, and "opinion leaders" who lead Internet public opinion. They display significant strength on public opinion and seriously influence the formation of public opinion and social stability.
 
6. The development of Internet information technology improves Internet dissemination
 
Due to the Internet’s convenience, fast dissemination and lack of supervision or approval requirements, the dissemination of Internet information is faster than traditional media. The constant improvement in Internet technology drives the constant progress on Internet information dissemination. The broad-band Internet and the mobile Internet have brought fast and convenient Internet information dissemination. By the end of 2008, broad-band Internet users reached 270 million people, 90.6% of total Internet users; mobile Internet users reached 117.6 million people, a 133.8% increase compared with 2007. With the beginning of the 3G technology era, the advantages of cell phones and notebooks will combine with the 3G mobile networks to reach individual mobile terminals. Mobility and the ease in information flow will bring speed and more convenience to Internet information dissemination. The mobile Internet users might increase dramatically and will certainly seriously impact society.
 
The Social Effect of Internet Information Dissemination

1. Internet media collects and distributes information and viewpoints, and affects society’s public opinion

Regardless of how much information content or the number of viewpoints, Internet media has surpassed traditional media and has become an important source of public opinion. After some events were disclosed on-line, they caused strong reactions among Internet users, which resulted in the resolution of some things.  For instance, it was revealed that the photo of the Southern Chinese tiger was a fake, the verdict for the case of Xu Ting’s ATM money withdrawal was revoked, the decision to hire the female cadre from the black brick kiln was overturned, the "Peek-a-boo" event was investigated, and so on. Not only positive information was distributed online. Negative information, such as hearsay, rumors and fake news were on there as well. If the Internet is not carefully managed and guided, it will have a negative influence on public opinion.

2. Internet forums stir Internet users’ emotions, which brings about social action

Web user’s true images and identities are replaced with symbols and people are anonymous on Internet forums. They may express their opinions without any concern. All kinds of concepts are collected, mixed and clash, along with harmful and negative opinions. The Internet forums become "opinion markets." The postings become "opinion advertisements." During the forum discussion, people with similar interests and viewpoints easily gather together and form their unique political group. This political group amplifies the Internet users’ opinions and becomes "group rebellion," which leads to the extreme phenomenon of public opinions leaning to one side. The Internet forum becomes the breeding ground for public opinion, and the accumulation of emotion, until social action is initiated; the transformation from hypothesized politics to realistic politics is then realized.

3. Internet communication secretly transmits messages and organizes social networks

The Internet communication (including email and instant messaging) is an important function that is both secretive and quick. Email is easy to use, fast on delivery, easy to keep, and can travel around the world with words, audio and video and so on. It can be transmitted from one to one or from one to many and it dramatically changes the way of information dissemination. While email is convenient for people, domestic and international hostile forces can also use it. In 2008, before the "March 14" incident happened, overseas Tibetans seeking independence transmitted emails with the “proposal for the Tibetan people to revolt" and Dalai’s "March 10" speech, which repeatedly instigated people.

4. The Internet has a strong search capability for related information and identifies social roles

Search engines like Baidu, Google, and Sohu have strong information retrieval functions and can instantaneously search tens of billions of homepages for related information, which brings great convenience to study, research, work, and life. In 2008, the number of search engine users reached 203 million people, an increase of 51 million people and a growth of 33.6% compared to 2007. The search engine has become a very important method for Internet surveillance. When the picture of a director of a bureau from Nanjing, smoking very expensive cigarettes, was exposed on the Internet, he was quickly identified and he got what he deserved.

5. The views spreading via blogs on the Internet will impact society’s mainstream views

Internet blogs are the fastest growing media in recent years. Writing a personal blog is forming a new cultural phenomenon. The popularization of Web2.0 "de-centralized" the information exchange in a nonlinear way, has broken the restrictions on web publishing and eliminated links among Internet users.  Now each user can be an initiator of any information stream, everyone can be a journalist, a writer, and an editor for their own publications. Not only have many websites created various types of blog channels, but there are also many special blog sites. In 2008 China had 162 million blog writers, of whom 105 million updated their blogs in the past six months. Views spread through the blogs have been and will continue to influence mainstream society’s thoughts.

6. Websites became platforms for organizing social activities

Dating sites and online communities have enabled users to organize into different groups. They offer platforms for people with similar interests to organize group activities (such as hiking), and this has greatly enriched netters’ lives. Websites also offer effective ways for people to organize collective petition activities. In February of 2009, former employees of the Guangxi banking system who were forcibly bought out used the Internet to organize a large-scale collective petition in Beijing. The organizers not only released the time of action, routes, secret codes, and back-up plan via the Internet, but also arranged interviews with foreign journalists to cover the petition. The Internet communicates information quickly, widely and efficiently, making it very convenient to organize large-scale activities.

Suggestions on Strategies to Strengthen the Establishment and Management of Internet Applications

1. Change ways of thinking, strengthen and improve the CCP’s leadership on the Internet

The Internet has become an important channel for its users to express opinions, interests and emotion. It has also become a new platform for the CCP and government to learn public opinion, pool people’s wisdom and better manage state affairs. CCP leaders of all levels should fully understand and pay great attention to the importance of the Internet. The Internet is a flat networking world; it is difficult to use the traditional bureaucratic method to manage the flat network. We should change the traditional way and establish a modern way of thinking, considering a flat strategy to manage the flat network. Our leaders should enhance Internet awareness and improve the quality of information exchange; we should learn how to utilize the Internet for our work. In particular, we must fully understand the current highly complicated and very serious situation on the Internet, enhance a sense of urgency and a sense of crisis, we must actively occupy the Internet frontier, and firmly control the initiatives on the Internet. We recommend issuing a document within the Party to provide guidelines for Internet management, unify our Party members’ thinking, strengthen and improve the CCP’s leadership on Internet control, and continuously improve our establishment, utilization and management of the Internet.

2. Speed up and perfect legislation and regulations of the Internet system

Currently China has "Computer Information Systems Security Protection Regulations," "Computer Information Network and the Internet Management Provisional Rules," the
"Electronic Signatures Law of the People’s Republic of China," and other laws and regulations. The NPC Standing Committee promulgated Decisions on Safeguarding Internet Security, the criminal laws added provisions against computer and cyber-crimes.  However, the legislation cannot keep up with the fast growth of Internet development. Our legal system is not complete; the provisions are not detailed and are difficult to execute. We need to strengthen the legislations on Internet activities based on our existing laws and regulations. Since Internet management involves many departments, we need to consolidate views of each unit and let a relatively detached department take the lead in legislative efforts. Our legislation should be based on China’s specific conditions, in order to develop and improve China’s Internet legal system with Chinese characteristics. One important principle for Internet legislation is to balance the state’s power and citizen’s civil rights. Our system should be able to refine and strengthen Internet monitoring, and control, and maintain order on the Internet, while avoiding over-regulation and restrictions of citizens’ freedom of speech on the Internet. At present, we need to particularly strengthen the protection of citizen’s civil rights, and severely punish rumors, insults, and slander on the Internet.

3. Treat the Internet as a propaganda frontier; strengthen the building of mainstream websites

We should focus our efforts on building important websites such as people.com, xinhuanet.com, CCTV.com and other major news sites. We must seize control of public opinion, be the first to release major breaking news and become the main force in guiding public opinion on the Internet. We should also excel in establishing websites for each department of the central government, publish timely authoritative information in accordance with the regulations of government information publication, and host good “online Q & A” to serve Internet users and eliminate their doubts. In addition, each level of local government should allocate resources to establish good local government websites, timely update information, and expand their impact on local society; local government websites should maintain a high degree of consistency with the Central government on politics. Each college and school should establish and manage good campus websites to meet students’ Internet access needs, attract students back from less managed off-campus Internet cafes, and educate students to use the Internet in a legal, healthy and secure way.

4. Build a good Internet opinion guidance team

Publicity departments should integrate resources and increase the size of the Internet propaganda team, improve training of existing staff and attract high-quality talent with better rewards in order to build an Internet commentator team. We need to train more influential blog/Internet writers, and have them use their posts to guide public opinion on the Internet. We should allocate our resources to different Internet media bodies; develop different teams for news websites, web forums, blogs and chat rooms, and have our propaganda guidance penetrate into every link of information flow on the Internet. Our team members must change their language and communication habits, be good at using simple and vivid net language to communicate with net users, and avoid using traditional official language and an arrogant attitude when dealing with Internet users.

5. Improve system equipment and Internet monitoring technology

We need to increase funding for Internet management technology and equipment, in order to ensure that the Internet monitoring equipment keeps up with the development of communication technologies. We should speed up our research and development, in order to break through key technologies, such as information filtering, firewall and access control technologies, identification technology, and control and detect technologies. This way we could quickly form a high technologic, fully functioning, reasonable allocated nationwide Internet monitoring network, making sure our monitoring level is the most advanced in the world. We should train and attract high tech talent for this purpose, providing them with good pay comparable to similar talent in the community, in order to make sure our Internet management technology does not fall below the level of the community. 

6. Strengthen Internet management, and nurture a favorable environment for its development

The virtual community is a reflection and microcosm of actual society, we should adhere to the principle of managing on-line and off-line at the same time. We must combine administrative measures and economic rewards to make the website responsible for its own management, guiding commercial online media to follow the rules. We should also establish and improve an incentive mechanism to encourage net users to report damaging information, and involve net users in Internet management. This could help us detect damaging information quickly and eliminate the impact efficiently. We should reward the net users who report to us. Internet management involves the departments of publicity, culture, broadcasting, communications, public security, national security and many others. We must insist on the principle of every department being in charge of their part of the responsibilities of Internet management, in order to build a unified, authoritative, coordinated and efficient management system and operational mechanism. We should strengthen communication and integrate all resources, in order to manage efficiently and create a synergistic, favorable environment for Internet development.

Endnote:
[1] Study Times, May 4, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=2625&nid=9453&bid=11&page=1

Regulations on Political Qualifications Applicable to Military Academies Enrolling Regular High School Graduates and on the Military Recruiting of Regular College Graduates [1]

(The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security and the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army)

Joint Notice No. 1 [2001] May 31, 2001

To strengthen ideological and political construction among the officers of the armed forces and based on the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Officers in Active Service, Military Service Law of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant laws and regulations, now therefore the regulations on regulations on political qualifications applicable to military academies enrolling regular high school graduates and on the military recruiting of regular college graduates are prescribed as follows:

Love the Chinese Communist Party; love the socialist motherland; love the people; love the people’s army; support the Party’s line, principles and policies; comply with the Constitution and the laws; have a clean history, be politically reliable, upright, politically correct, and of good moral character; serve the people wholeheartedly; willing to be fully dedicated to national defense with the determination to defend the motherland and people to work in peace. No one shall be enrolled and accepted if found to fall into any of the following categories:

1. Those who are dissatisfied, in word or deed, with the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist system.

2. Those who have leaked the Party, State and military’s secrets; maintain close ties with immediate family members who fled abroad or joined in espionage and reactionary organizations in foreign countries, thus being politically suspicious.

3. Those who have organized or participated, inside and outside China, in organizations that endanger national security as well as triads (identified by local public security departments); have organized or supported unlawful assemblies, marches, demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strikes, students’ strikes and other activities.

4. Those who have a prior history of imprisonment, criminal detention, control or being deprived of political rights; a prior history of re-education through labor in accordance with the law, or administrative detention; have been subject to criminal investigation, prosecution, or trials that have not closed, and crime suspects under investigation and surveillance; have been parties to litigation of civil and economic disputes yet to be resolved.

5. Those who have participated in "Falun Gong" or qigong organizations that the public security departments have identified as harmful to society; have immediate family members or other close relatives who practice Falun Gong or qigong organizations harmful to society and are core members or refuse to change and continue to adhere to the wrong position.

6. Those who have engaged in indecency, theft, robbery, fraud, gambling, smuggling, prostitution, drug addiction, production and distribution of pornographic materials and other illegal activities.

7. Those who believe in religions or have participated in the activities of religious organizations.

8. Those who have bad moral character, poor discipline and have been reprimanded for serious mistakes.

9. Those who wear tattoo designs, words, or points not due to ethnic customs and bear symbols of problematic political issues and criminal gangs.

10. Those who cannot correctly accept that their immediate family members, close relatives or other directly fostered persons were sentenced or disciplined.

11. Those whose background cannot be easily investigated due to various reasons.

It is a joint task of the military and local authorities to do well in investigating political qualifications when military academies enroll regular high school graduates and the armed forces recruit regular college graduates. We must strengthen the leadership. The military cognizant departments shall carry out well-organized implementation.  Local departments of education and public security should actively assist, cooperate closely within their duties, and check carefully to ensure the political quality of the enrollees and those accepted.

Public Announcement of Hainan on Admission Interviews for Military Academies, Public Security Schools, Schools of Riot Police and Judicial and Law Schools [2]

June 29, 2008, Examinations Bureau of Hainan Province

……

The interviewing institutions shall provide candidates who passed interviews with the “Form of Interviews, Physical Tests and Political Qualification of Public Security Higher Educational Institutions.” The candidates shall bring the forms to their high schools (graduates of priors years should go to their village or streets committee offices), local police station and city/county public security bureau for political background approval.  Candidates shall submit the completed form to the education section under the personnel division of the Political Department, the Provincial Public Security Bureau.

The political qualification process covers political behavior, obeying the law and the public morality of the candidates, their immediate family members and major social associations.

Candidates shall be politically disqualified if they committed one of the following:

Have received a criminal sentence, re-education through labor, juvenile disciplinary administration or punishment for disorderly social behavior in the past five years.

Are currently under criminal investigation and surveillance.

Have records of expulsion from school, the Communist Youth League, the Communist Party or have been written up in personnel files or more in the past three years.

Have practiced Falun Gong or other illegal organizations or groups of organized crimes.

Have a history of drug addiction.

Have immediate family members or close relatives that have received the death sentence or were sentenced for endangering State security or are serving terms for other crimes.

Have immediate family members or close relatives that are suspects currently under criminal investigation by the authorities or hard core members of Falun Gong and other illegal organizations who refuse to change their wrong positions; and other situations that are not appropriate for enrollment.

2009 Enrollment Charter for National Defense Students
Dalian Science and Industry University [3]

……

3. Admission criteria

(1) Support the party’s line, loyal to the motherland, love the military, willing to be dedicated to national defense, have not participated in any illegal social groups and organizations, have no connection with Falun Gong, meet the standards in the Regulations on Political Qualifications Applicable to Military Academies Enrolling Regular High School Graduates and Military Recruiting Regular College Graduates (Joint Notice No. 1 [2001]).

Lanzhou University: If You Want To Become a Military Officer [4]
……

4.  What are the admission criteria for candidates?

(1) Meet the standards in the Regulations on Political Qualifications Applicable to Military Academies Enrolling Regular High School Graduates and Military Recruiting Regular College Graduates, willing to be dedicated to national defense and will accept assigned posts upon graduation. The candidate, the guardian and the immediate family members have not participated in any illegal social organizations, particularly Falun Gong.

2009 Beijing Regulations on Admissions at Regular Higher Educational Institutions [5]
……

4. Anyone who falls into one of the following categories shall not be accepted:

a. Have opposed the basic principles of the Constitution or participated in cults [Editor’s Note: as the government has been extensively referring to Falun Gong as a “cult,” in the official’s language in China, “cult” has become synonymous with Falun Gong].

b. Have violated social order regulations, and been disciplined as a result, where the violations were of a serious and egregious nature.
…

2009 Heilongjiang Regulations on Admissions at Regular Higher Educational Institutions [6]
……

9. Anyone that falls into one of the following categories shall fail in the political and moral qualifications. 

a. Have opposed the basic principles of the Constitution or participated in cults.
b. Have violated social order regulations, and been disciplined as a result, where the violations were of a serious and egregious nature.
……

Endnotes:
[1] University of Science and Technology of China
http://hbjg.ustc.edu.cn/index.php?Aid=323
[2] Examinations Bureau of Hainan Province
http://ea.hainan.gov.cn/phtml/2008/06/30/1529.html
[3] Dalian University of Technology
http://recruit.dlut.edu.cn/Display.aspx?NewsID=259
[4] Lanzhou University
http://xpb.lzu.edu.cn/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=550
[5] Beijing Education Examination Authority
http://www.bjeea.cn/218425681439096832/20090402/37700.shtml
[6] Xinhua, May 20, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2009-05/20/content_11404791.htm