Report - 40. page

A recent issue of Qiu Shi Magazine published an article by Wang Gengnian, manager of China’s International Broadcasting Station and the editor-in-chief of the publication. This article is helpful to understand the foreign strategy of the Chinese official broadcasting station. Below is the translation of the article [1].

General Secretary Hu Jintao in the 2008 National Propaganda Ideological Work Conference emphasized to pay special attention to strengthen the foreign propaganda as the overall national development strategy mission, to form the strength of foreign dissemination to match the level of our country’s economic and social development and international standing, and to let China’s voice and information spread further. International broadcasting is an important field of public opinion and an important part of foreign dissemination. Strengthening the construction of the modern international broadcast system; powerfully strengthening foreign broadcast propaganda; enhancing the influence and competitive ability in foreign broadcasting; serving well the reform and open policy and modernization; and promoting bigger contribution to the motherland reunification, world peace, and the progress of humanity are the international broadcasting’s overall and strategic tasks.

Since the reform and open policy, our county’s economic and social development has obtained a magnificent achievement. However, compared with our country’s international standing and international influence enhancing day by day, the strength of our foreign dissemination is still insufficient. The pattern of world consensus of “the West is stronger and we are weaker” has not changed fundamentally. In the last 10 years, America and other Western countries using broadcast, satellite TV, Internet, and other emerging media have established a multi-dimensional surrounding net. In our country’s peripheral locality, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, British BBC, Voice of Germany, France International Broadcasting Station, and Japanese NHK have set up several dozens of relay stations and hundreds of frequency channels to broadcast to our country. Facing all sorts of challenges, the standing and function of strengthening our country’s foreign propaganda work appear more important.

China’s International Broadcasting Station is an organization that specially undertakes the duty of international broadcasting. In 66 years of development, it has made great achievements. However, compared with the world-famous international dissemination organizations, China’s International Broadcasting Station still has a long way to go. First, along with the change in the development and dissemination pattern of the media environment, new media technology based on the Internet [is growing by] leaps and bounds.
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The world’s main international broadcasting media have made a strategy adjustment as a goal of developing new media. In the situation of the day-by-day high-tech, who controls the newest media methods, whose information will disseminate quickly and broadly, and who influences and controls power, will be stronger. Overall, China’s International Broadcasting Station that specifically undertakes the foreign propaganda task is stronger in the traditional media but weaker in the new pattern of media. It is stronger in the channel dissemination but weaker in the multimedia dissemination. Only if we speed up new media development and walk the synthesis media development path, can we meet the rapid development needs of the international media dissemination model. Second, entering the 21st century, international broadcasting has entered a development period that has online broadcasting of new media as the main method. After 66 years of development, China’s International Broadcasting Station has almost reached the development level of British Broadcasting Corporation, Voice of America, and a few other world main international media in terms of the broadcasting languages, time periods, broadcasting target rates, and other measures. However, there is a big disparity in the launch retransmission, the service constitution, the human resources, the ground coverage, the funds safeguards, and the technical support, and so on. Speaking overall, our country’s foreign broadcasting cannot meet the needs of the new round of competition with the world’s main international broadcasting media.

The Central Party Committee headed by the general secretary, Comrade Hu Jintao, highly values our country’s foreign broadcast work. In 2004, when Li Changchun and Liu Yunshang inspected China’s International Broadcasting Station, they emphasized that we should surround the goal of enhancing China’s international voice. Through “two hands grasp and two legs walk,” on one hand pays special attention to radio broadcasting, and on the other hand pays special attention to online broadcasting, and quickly establishes the modern international broadcasting system. During the celebration of China’s International Broadcasting Station’s 65 years of establishment, the general secretary, Hu Jintao, pointed out in the written comment, “actively constructing a modern international broadcasting system, unceasingly enhancing our country’s foreign broadcasting quality and level, diligently establishing a bridge of friendship that promotes the mutual understanding between Chinese people and people in other countries, and building a harmonious and friendly world consensus environment for a well-off society.” This symbolizes a new historical period, and our country’s international broadcast has an explicit developmental strategy and goal.

According to the Central Party Committee’s strategic plan and the world’s main media development situation, and based on China’s international broadcasting reality, we have formulated “China’s International Broadcasting Station ‘11.5’ Development Plan Summary.” We will strive to form a bare-bones modern international broadcasting system by 2010. We will catch up on the whole or partially reach the level of the BBC and Voice of America in services, new media development, equipment level, frequency quantity, broadcasting time periods, abroad grounding, abroad stationed organization, audience feedback,
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human resources, funds safeguards, research standards, and other important measures. We will build a new media entity combining radio broadcasting, online broadcasting, and multimedia broadcasting, and play a vital role in the competition for world consensus. Presently, we begin with several important aspects, actively advance the modern international broadcasting system construction, and promote the core competitive ability of China’s international broadcasting.

Complete the transition from the sole media to comprehensive media. In transnational and cross-culture information dissemination, the sole media production and transmission platform can no longer comply with the trend of the media development globalization. Currently, the world’s main international broadcasting media are all comprehensive media, and the sole media of the radio, TV, or newspaper is rare. They have all established multimedia information sharing platforms, through the coordination of all kinds of media to share the resources and therefore reduce the dissemination cost. China’s International Broadcasting Station has the sound, audio, network, newspaper, and publication media intelligence, and initially formed a comprehensive media form from first to fifth media means to cover the newspaper, broadcasting, television, the network, the new media, and so on. But for various reasons, the comprehensive influence and competitive abilities need the enhancement of the newspaper, magazine, and television. We must learn from the world’s main international broadcast development direction, fully display the language and the superiority of talented persons, adjust the foreign dissemination work, build the multi-ways and broad coverage for the foreign dissemination network, expand the dissemination space, and gradually form a multimedia development pattern to enhance the overall effect of the international broadcasting. The pattern is centered by the new media services and based on television, newspaper, publication, and magazine business with a reasonable structure, complete classification, disposition science, and smooth operation.

Complete the transformation from the traditional media to the modern media. Coordinate the development of traditional media and modern media, utilizing new and high technologies, especially digital and network technologies, to upgrade traditional media and develop modern media. Based on wireless radio, in worldwide important countries and regions, setup English, Chinese, and multilingual global radio broadcasting by the end of the “11.5” period (2004), and build a good audience of English, Chinese, and local official languages listeners. Based on the frame of online radio, by using the Internet’s features of high-speed, borderless, big-capacity, and openness, develop “International Online” into our country’s online broadcasting center to foreign countries, become the important means and new tools of participating in international media competition. As the direction of new media development, from the high point of controlling cultural communication, mastering ideological propaganda in the information age, use new and high technologies to create new ways of cultural communication, make great efforts to develop new media enterprises based on online radio, TV, cell-phone broadcasting, cell-phone TV, actively control the new media technologies, make more efforts to develop and produce new media contents and programs, establish a united multimedia platform, actively broaden new frontlines of propaganda to foreign countries, accelerate the building of a rapid and broad cultural broadcasting system, and constantly enhance the effectiveness of the new media propaganda to foreign countries.
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Complete the transformation from the overseas broadcasting to the international media. International media is an audience-oriented mode, and such a model is obviously very different from our self-oriented overseas broadcasting model. In international media, from the reality of China’s social development, close to the foreign audience’s need of China’s information, close to the foreign audience’s way of thinking, insist on the media notion of “China’s perspective, worldwide view, and humankind’s point of view.”

The so-called “China’s perspective” is to use Deng Xiaoping’s Theory and “Three Represents” as the guide, thoroughly carry on the Scientific Development View, closely staying with the big picture of the Party’s work, 100 percent carry out the strategic decision of the Central Committee, show the core values of socialism from the media propaganda, broadcast the thoughts and spirits that are good to the might of the country, rising of the nation, happiness of the people, and social harmony.

The so-called worldwide view is from the global angle and view to objectively introduce all aspects of China to the world, introduce the ideas and practice of our Party’s Work-for-the-People, Work-for-the-Public, the great achievement of our country’s reform and openness, and socialist modern construction; introduce the peaceful development road, policy and proposal to push to build a harmonious world, introduce the long history and richness of Chinese culture, win the acceptance and understanding of China by the international society.

The so-called humankind’s point of view is to carry on the international broadcast from the standpoint of all of human society, respect and accept cultural differences; respect the values, political attitudes, religious beliefs, living ways, and thinking traditions of different countries, races, and regions.

Establish the broadcast ideology of for-the-audience, care-for-the-audience, understand-the-audience, guide-the-audience; based on the need, reform the programs’ format, optimize programs’ structure, adjust programs’ editing and arrangements, enhance targeting of the programs, increase the attractiveness of the programs; follow the foreign audience’s way of thinking and learning, use international common practice and easy-to-accept languages to foreigners, increase the attractiveness of overseas broadcasting, work hard to combine the targeted audience with China’s view of propaganda, constantly enlarge the international clout of greater China’s culture in the globalization and information ages.

(Author: Manger and Editor-in-Chief of the China’s International Broadcasting Station)

Endnote:
1. Qiushi Magazine，May 1, 2008
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20080501/GB/qs%5E478%5E0%5E6.htm

More than 30,000 foreign journalists are expected to enter China during the August 2008 Olympics Games.  This presents a challenge to the CCP, known for its stringent media control.  The CCP, from the central authorities to the local governments, has started to prepare for the media challenge.  Below is a translation of an article from Xinahua Net (Zhejiang Channel) ) [1].

Promote Friendliness to the Foreign Media While Enhancing Self-Capabilities

The Jianggan District Party Committee Center organized a special seminar to enhance the strategies and skills of dealing with the media for the leading cadres. On April 16, Zhang Baogui, Deputy Director of the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department, lectured at a special seminar presided over by Zheng Guilan, Member and Propaganda Chief of the Center. All attendees watched the informational film, “Beware of the Political Scheme Under The Olympic Flag (The Five Interlocking Rings).”

Zhang gave an overview of three aspects:  “The policy changes that relaxed restrictions on foreign media interviews, [the goal of] treating them with kindness, [and] dealing with them squarely and skillfully.”  He pointed out that the new policy relaxes the requirements for foreign press-correspondents to come to China, relaxes the control of foreign reporters on their interviews and relaxes the feasibility of foreign reporters to employ local Chinese citizens.  The policy also simplifies the screening procedures for foreign reporters and their equipment.  These changes of the policy, allows each local government to make full use of foreign media for our own propaganda, but also subjects us to “the trouble making" of these [reporters].  Especially during the period of the Olympics Games, more than 30,000 foreign correspondents will be coming to China.  Although these reporters are coming for the Olympics, we cannot exclude the possibility that some western hostile influences will be sneaking in and seizing the opportunity to link China’s social problems with the Olympics, to politicize the Olympics and to cause social unrest.  Local officials should be prepared to deal with these situations.

He emphasized that local authorities should implement the policy of improving media relations while recognizing that media relations is like “a marriage of cooperation between information client and the competitor.”   Second, they should also follow the news dissemination rule; namely, guarantee the authority, authenticity and effect of the information. Third, they should learn to make use of the media to direct public opinions according to information from the government.  When dealing with sudden incidents, the government should act according to "The Five Rapids" and "The Five Avoiders." "The Five Rapids" are to establish  a media control organization, to appoint a media spokesperson, to set up a local news center for foreign media  to conduct interviews, to standardize official releases to the media and to follow the information in media and the internet rapidly. "The Five Avoiders” are to avoid passive propaganda, falling into reporter’s question traps, being angered by reporters, refusing reporter’s inquiries and getting into direct conflicts with the press.
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Deputy Director Zhang’s lecture was very well received.

Participants of the seminar included the core members of the Jianggan District Committee, leaders of various units at the levels of communities, towns, news spokespersons, propaganda committee members, news liaison officers and so on.  (Source: Jianggan Government Net)

Endnote：
[1] Xinhua, April 17, 2008
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.zj.xinhua.org/df/2008-04/17/content_13007931.htm

It is an article published on the website of Dajun Center for Economic Observation and Study based in Beijing. In the article, the author lists future risks posed to China. The conclusion of the article points out, “China has three-key major risks. First, the blind spot in China’s political wisdom is expanding; second, China lacks a system to make plans to handle risks; third, China lacks the ability of flexible and dynamic management.” [1]

Like all other countries, China is also facing many risks.  It’s only that different countries face different risks on account of each of their own conditions. As a whole, the world is a place full of risks. The history of all countries tells us however many risks there are, however many opportunities there are. The key is how to foresee, understand and manage the risks. I believe, the unpredictable risks are often deeply hidden under a safe and smooth surface, thus becoming a blind spot of human wisdom in this society. Therefore, usually we have no way to detect that trap right in front of us beforehand. From this perspective, the only approach for risk prevention is to try to minimize the blind spot, and try our best to turn risk into an opportunity for the development of the society.

The only approach to manage risks is to exert one’s utmost effort to do our best today and will be able to handle what may happen tomorrow.

China’s Major Political Risks Are:

1.    The Blind Spot in Our Political Wisdom.  For this risk lies in a place where it is   beyond our political wisdom, it is the biggest as well as the most dangerous one.  That’s why I list it as the primary risk. The only way to resolve the issue of the blind spot in our political wisdom is to train us ourselves to use the diverse- parallel-logic pattern, characterized by a divergent-logic system and the closed-
circle reasoning. Its key is the programmed-logic and verification.
 
2.    The multitudes of different theories have imposed a sweeping threat to the Mao ideology.  The loss of the spiritual elements among the majority of people has brought tremendous risk to China’s political system. Such a risk is the most serious internal trauma to the Chinese political stability, for what it has brought about is the deterioration of the fundamental values in the society; as a result, people are at lost as to by what standard they should make choices.  Please note that Mao’s ideology is not only an ideology, it is also a methodology and theory of knowledge. In addition, it is spiritual; that is, it is the spiritual belief of the Chinese people; it is the spiritual destiny of the people in China.
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3.    All kinds of overseas forces infiltrate into China by setting up different types of foundations. On one hand, they sponsor their respective spokespersons to advocate their political ideologies; on the other hand, they infiltrate into all levels in the society, with a direct or an indirect impact on political decision making or planning.

4.    All antagonist forces at home and abroad launch a series of activities to separate China.

5.    Officials are generally corrupted; the people, cruelly oppressed; complaints and hatred accumulating with emotional conflicts from all over the land;

6.    The political power, turned into capitalists, and the new elite with private assets lead to the systematic problems for the Central government to tackle;

7.    The gap between the rich and the poor has widened. The differences between the different regions have also come to an extreme;

8.    Conflicts between the capitalists and the labor force;

As a matter of fact, the economic risks listed below should also be categorized as part of political risks, because the economic problems are all political problems at a fundamental level when we look at it as a domestic issue. In the eyes of the international community, foreign powers would view these problems as their opportunity to gain interests, as a result of hegemony ideology.
 

9.    Risks in financial industry;

10. Long-term risks brought about by enterprises purchased by foreign funds;

11. Spokespersons for domestic and foreign capitalists lobby and infiltrate decision-makers, influencing or misleading the decision-making;

12.    Risks in stock market;

13.    Risks in real estate market;

14.     Concerted actions of groups with common interests;
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15.  The “Taiwan Independence” force strives to make Taiwan a member of the U.N. and advocates public vote. If the Mainland government does not take a clear and firm stance, Taiwan people will likely get into an irrational state. Therefore, Chinese government must take a clear and decisive stance towards those who advocates “Taiwan Independence,” leaving them no room for negotiation, confining Taiwan people into a rational scope. At the same time, we are informing the U.S. government that any supportive act, assisting Taiwan gain independence will have a serious consequence. This is because Chinese people will duly punish those who support “Taiwan Independence” to defend our dignity. If we do not resolve the Taiwan issue well, the adversary forces in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Tibet, and Xinjiang, will all use their wild imagination to make troubles, bringing disaster to our society.

16. There is only conflict between the U.S. and China; there is no friendship to speak of between us, for the U.S. society is operated under the rules depicted by businessmen. How much gain there would be is the only criterion the U.S. society uses to make decisions. Social justice and moral values are the cards the U.S. plays only when it tries to gain profits when dealing with international issues. Therefore, the U.S. will not stay silent when China is making rapid progress, simply because it wants to maintain its position as the sole hegemony, so as to gain more profits in the international community. The weakest point of the U.S. lies in its interests. In order to achieve its goal in attaining interests, the U.S. can resort to any means. It is only a matter of by what means and to what extent the Americans would go, based on their judgment of the price they need to pay and the interests they can gain. Therefore, in terms of the relationship between the U.S. and China, if we fail to fully take advantage of its weakness and simply sacrifice the interests on our part, the Americans would go ahead and take more advantage from us.

I believe that Mao took the right approach in dealing with Sino-U.S. relationship. He said, “You hammer down a nail at my vital point (Mao is referring to Taiwan,) I strangle your weak point and never loosen my hand.” His right strategy led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China, as well as Americans learning to dance the “loyalty” steps. (Translator’s note: The “loyalty dance” is a dance showing absolute loyalty to Mao.)

Today’s world is full of competitions in science and technology.  It is said: The country that has the key technology will be the superpower and gain more interests. It is an indisputable fact that no one can change it. If we are determined to change our current situation, the only path is to improve the research in science and technology, mastering more key techniques. China has taken a detour in decision-making in science and technology; as a result, we lag far behind international society. We must stay alert not to make the same mistakes again.
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The second competition is cultural. The key element of culture is the spirit of majorities. That is, only if the culture represents the desire and aspiration of the majority of people in the world, can it be competitive in the international communities. It will have the power to attract and unite more people. The failure of the U.S. is a result of its constant pursue of more interests. Democracy and freedom is only a card the U.S. plays to gain interests. China is very weak in being creative and innovative in cultural development. Inside China, our culture lacks the power to unite all Chinese citizens; outside China, our culture is not attractive enough. It is caused by the loss of spiritual elements among the majority of people and they only pursue sensational satisfaction and utilitarianism.

Therefore, China must change this status as soon as possible, striving to become a leading power and a strong nation in cultural innovation.
 

We have listed a number of risks. In actuality, China has three-key major risks. First, the blind spot in China’s political wisdom is expanding; second, China lacks a system to make plans to handle risks; third, China lacks the ability of flexible and dynamic management. The key to making efficient plans to handle risks is the high-level unison and synchronization. The only way to achieve this is holding responsible persons liable.

After the Communist Party took power, China’s history has shown us that without a system to hold officials liable for their conducts, these officials who live in an environment wherein the majority of people have lost their spiritual pursuit, will not have any sense of responsibility. For example, Chinese officials refuse to be subjected to any supervisory control; it is a manifestation of their strong tendency to shift responsibilities and unwillingness to fulfill their job responsibilities.

The reason for China’s lack of the ability of flexible and dynamic management is the blind spot in our wisdom. We fail to realize the key to management is to satisfy the aspiration and pursuit of majority of people; we fail to see that social conflicts are the inner driving force for societal development; we fail to see that the best approach to solve the conflicts is not to suppress or repress these conflicts, but to solve these problems in a democratic system, building a platform for people from all levels of society to appeal for their rights peacefully. Democracy is not only a spiritual belief. It is also the best way to govern a society.

Endnote:
[1] Prepared by Tian Zhongguo of the Dajun Center for Economic Observation and Study, Beijing, on February 18, 2008, (http://www.dajun.com.cn/minjzk.htm)

Editor’s Note: Published in New York, “Beijing Spring” is a Chinese monthly magazine founded in June, 1993. Its goal is to promote human rights, democracy and social justice in China. In September 2006, Mr. Lu Gengsong wrote an article titled “China’s Armed Police and Nationalization of the Police Force,” which gives a detailed analysis of China’s police system. Mr. Lu, a member of China’s Democratic Party in Zhejiang Province, has written a number of articles to examine China’s political system as a freelance writer. In August 2007, Public Security Bureau in Hangzhou City (capital city of Zhejiang Province) arrested him. In January 2008, local procuratorial authorities accused him of “inciting the subversion of state power.” The following is the translation of Mr. Lu’s article “China’s Armed Police and Nationalization of the Police Force.” [1]

In December last year (2005), Chinese authorities in Guangdong Province dispatched massive armed police force to suppress farmers in Shanwei Village, resulting in the death and missing of several dozen people. This year, authorities in Zhejiang Province dispatched armed police to suppress Christians in Xiaoshan City on July 29. On August 2, as a group of people from Xiangyin County of Hunan Province appealed to city government for local officials embezzling the compensation for their reallocation, local government again dispatched massive armed police to suppress these petitioners. It was said that the armed police shot and killed more than 100 petitioners on the spot. So, what kind of force is China’s armed police? What role does it play in China’s political arena?

De Facto “Schutzstaffel”

On June 21, 2005, the People’s Armed Police (PAP) held its First National Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress. The CCP Committee that came into being as a result of the Congress was a humongous organization:

– The Secretary General of the CCP Committee of PAP:
  Sui Mingtai, the Political Commissar of the PAP Headquarters

– The Deputy Secretary General of the CCP Committee of PAP:
  Wu Shuangzhan, Commander-in-Chief of the PAP

– All Deputy Commanders-in-Chief, Deputy Political Commissar, Chief of Staff, Director  
   of Political Department, and Director of Logistic Department are members of the 
   Standing Committee of the CCP Committee of the PAP.
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– Commanders-in-Chief and Political Commissars of the PAP Corps in all Provinces, 
  Autonomous Regions, and major Municipalities are members of the CCP Committee of 
  the PAP.

– Commanders and Political Commissars of the PAP Mobile Divisions are members of  
   the CCP Committee of the PAP.

– Commanders and Political Commissars of the PAP Corps under Xinjiang Construction
   Corps are members of the CCP Committee of the PAP.

With more than 100 members, the PAP’s CCP Committee is the largest CCP committee, only second to the CCP’s Central Committee. The PAP’s CCP Committee is under direct leadership of Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of CCP Central Committee, secretariat of CCP Central Committee, Minister of Public Security as well as the First Political Commissar of the PAP. He is also the First Secretary of the PAP’s CCP Committee. It is quite thought-provoking. The PAP had been under the dual leadership of State Council and CCP’s Central Military Committee (CMC). For a long time, there had never been a CCP Committee set up within the PAP. Why did Hu Jintao decide to establish the CCP Committee – what’s more, a humongous one, last year? It is not difficult to see that it has some important hidden political message in the decision.

On July 16, 1999, the PAP launched a political campaign called “Striving to Be Loyal Defenders for the CCP and the People.” Jiang Zemin, then Party Chief, wrote an inscription for the campaign: “Be Loyal Defender for the CCP and the People Forever.”

Since Hu Jintao came into power, he repeatedly emphasized “to build the PAP to be a politically reliable, solid, civilized armed force; to train the PAP officers and the soldiers to be loyal defenders of the Party and the people.” At the PAP’s First National Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress last year, Zhou Yongkang, then Minister of Public Security, the First Secretary of the PAP’s CCP Committee, and the First Political Commissar of the PAP, stressed “to truly construct the PAP to be a politically reliable, solid, civilized armed force that strengthen the ruling position of the Party, defend the national security and social stability.” Chief Commander Wu Shuangzhan and Political Commissar Sui Mingtai published an article at Qiushi magazine [2], stating that “only by building the PAP to be a politically reliable, solid, civilized armed force, by training the PAP officers and the soldiers to be loyal defenders of the Party and the people, can we handle our enemies at ease wherever they are making troubles for us, and effectively strike them hard no matter how they change tactics to sabotage us.” In this article, Wu Shuangzhan and Sui Mingtai expressively identified groups such as Taiwan’s pro-independence group, Tibetan independence movement, East Turkistan movement (Uyghur independence), Chinese democratic activists, and Falun Gong group as enemy forces and instructed the PAP to “handle with ease” and “strike with efficiency.” As a matter of fact, added onto their enemy list are human rights defenders for farmers who lost their land and involuntary early retired workers, as well as religious activists who have not been sanctioned by the government.
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Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao require the PAP to “be loyal defenders for the CCP and the people forever.” Leaving alone the fact that they put the CCP in front of the people, the word “people” itself is a mere pretense. As proven by the 85-year history of the CCP, the Party and the people have always been as incompatible as water and fire. They never were and will never be a unity. Therefore, this requirement can only be interpreted as to “be a loyal defender for the CCP forever.” When Zhou Yongkang spoke of the three major tasks of the armed police as “to strengthen the ruling position of the CCP, to defend the national security, and maintain social stability,” only the first task “to strengthen the ruling position of the CCP” is for real. It is a deceiving propaganda to mislead the officers and soldiers in the armed police force so that they would follow the CCP blindly and sacrifice their lives for the CCP. When Hu Jintao came into power, he initiated a training class for high-ranking officers in the PAP studying the important ideology of “Three Represents,” at which he proposed that the PAP must do well in two “historical tasks,” i.e., “competent to conquer the enemy” and “never change the nature [of the PAP].”

What does the two “tasks” mean? Why did Hu raise these issues at such a high level as “historical?” Being able to conquer the enemy means the PAP is competent and able to fight at the front line; while “never changing the nature” means it is always conforming to the Central CCP Committee in ideology and political goals; in other words, the PAP must strictly follow the leadership of the CCP under all circumstances.

From the above instructions, we can see that the regime now exerts tighter control over the PAP than Peoples’ Liberation Army and normal police (Public Security). On the other hand, the PAP is most loyal to the CCP, as the loyalty is determined by the nature of the PAP. As the function of PLA is to defend the country when foreign invasion occurs, army officers and soldiers understand that army is part of the government branch. Police or Public Security are dealing with civilians on daily basis. Most of the police types, such as public transportation police, criminal justice police and domicile registration enforcement police, are serving the society. The only exceptions are the “State Security” and “610 Office”, which are running dogs of the CCP. The PAP is an armed force for domestic issues. It has the function of both an army and the police. This is a force without which the totalitarian regime cannot live. Some people compare the PAP to the ancient “palace guards” or “royal army”; some compared it to gendarmerie in certain countries; while most people believe it is quite right to compare the PAP to Nazi German’s Schutzstaffel.

The Predecessor of the PAP: The CCP’s Political Protection Squadron

The establishment of the PAP can be traced back to the 1930s. Following the Soviet Union’s Cheka organization, the CCP formed Guard Battalion, Guard Regiment, Security Regiment, Security Corps, Protection Corps, Protection Troop, Guard Troop, Political Protection Troop, and Traitor-Eliminating Regiment. These organizations mainly carried out the tasks including guarding the military and political heads of the CCP, protecting CCP’s political and military organizations, assassinations, guarding criminals, and maintaining local social security. At that time, these organizations had the combined functions of public security, state security, and armed police. Deng Fa, Kang Sheng and Li Kenong all had served as the heads of this terrorist organization. Even the veteran CCP members would feel frightened upon hearing their names. On August 31, 1949, the CCP Central Military Commission (CMC) ordered to establish the Central Corps of Chinese People’s Public Security under the Minister of Public Security, with the role of guarding the security of Central CCP Committee, Central Government and Beijing. At the same time, in large cities, units such as Public Security General Corps, Public Security Corps, General Pickets Corps were formed by People’s Liberation Army soldiers. At provincial and county level, Guard Battalion, Guard Company, Public Security Corps, Guard Troops and Law Enforcement Troops had been established. Railroad Armed Police Force was formed along the railroad. Most of these armed forces were under the jurisdiction of Public Security authorities at different levels; some belonged to the military system. Among them, the Central Corps of Chinese People’s Public Security was the predecessor of the PAP.
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The Common Platform passed at the First Plenary Session of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference included a Stipulation on Establishing a Centralized Army for People’s Republic of China: People’s Liberation Army and People’s Public Security Force. In December 1949, a Plan to Consolidate the People’s Public Security Armed Forces at All Levels was made at the First National Conference on Public Security. From January to May of 1950, all public security armed forces were reorganized to Chinese People’s Public Security Army (CPPSA), under the jurisdictions of public security authorities at all levels. CPPSA was composed of the Central Corps of Chinese People’s Public Security (including two divisions and one regiment), three public security divisions, twelve Public Security General Corps, one General Pickets Corps, one Guard Regiment, three provincial Public Security Regiments, and several Public Security Corps, Squadrons, and Troops. During the period, the central public security authorities started to build border administrative authorities and armed forces.

After that, the names and governance of the public security armed forces underwent various changes. (Changes such as: In 1951, CMC decided to reorganize the border forces and local Public Security Forces into Public Security Forces of PLA, under the jurisdiction of CMC; in 1955, the Ministry of Defense reorganized the army and renamed the Public Security Forces of PLA into PLA’s Public Security Corps (PSC). After this reorganization, the Public Security Armed Forces at county level were under the jurisdiction of local Public Security authorities and renamed as the People’s Armed Police. The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) established Armed Police Bureau; departments of Public Security at provincial level established the Armed Police Section, basically the same structure as before 1952. In 1957, the CCP’s Central Committee decided to rename PLA’s PSC to Chinese People’s Public Security Army (CPPSA). In 1958, the CCP’s Central Committee and CMC decided to reorganize the CPPSA into the People’s Armed Police. In 1963, the CCP’s Central Committee approved Luo Ruiqing’s [3] “Report on Renaming the People’s Armed Police to Public Security Army”, and decided to recover the name of CPPSA. The organizational system and jurisdictional relationship remained unchanged, i.e. under dual leadership of the military system and public security.)

At the eve of the Great Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong ordered to eliminate the whole CPPSA, make it part of PLA. The headquarters of the CPPSA were rearranged to become the headquarters of Second Artillery Corps under PLA. The national Public Security armed forces were rearranged to independent divisions, regiments, battalions, companies, and squadrons, under the jurisdictions of provincial military districts or metropolitan garrisons. On July 31, 1979, CCP’s Central Committee approved Wu Lanfu’s [4] Report at National Border Defense Working Conference by building a uniform border defense armed police force. On June 19, 1982, according to “A ‘Report to request Instructions on Administration of the People’s Armed Police Force’ from the CCP Committee of MPS approved by CCP’s Central Committee”, the People’s Armed Police were restructured, incorporating PLA’s local Internal Guard Service to be under the MPS together with Border Defense Armed Police Force, and Fire Fighters. On April 5, 1983, the PAP was formally established in Beijing. The PAP headquarters was located inside the MPS. The PAP Corps were set up under Department of Public Security at provincial level. The PAP Divisions were set up under Bureau of Public Security at city level. At county level, the PAP Groups or Squadrons were set up under the Section of Public Security.
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What’s the most complicated is the governing system for the PAP, which is under direct leadership of the State Council and CMC, while at the same time subject to the local administrations and commands of the Party committee, local government, and public security authorities at different levels. First, the PAP is under the paramount leadership of CCP; second, it is under dual leadership of the State Council and CMC; third, it is subject to the jurisdiction of Political and Law Committee of CCP; fourth, it has to follow the orders from Party committees, local government, and public security authorities at different levels; finally, the PAP troops at lower levels is under the command of the PAP offices at higher levels. In March 1995, the State Council and CMC made a major adjustment to the governing system of the PAP. Under the new governing system, the State Council and CMC carry the role of overall leadership and administration over the PAP, assisted by Pubic Security authorities at different levels. This adjustment strengthened the CMC’s control of the PAP. In December 1996, CMC promoted the official rank of the PAP from Deputy Military Region level to Military Region level. During the years between 1995 and 1999, CMC promoted the PAP Corps at a provincial level up to the level of deputy army commander level.

One can see from the evolution of the PAP that the names of the PAP have been changed among “Public Security Forces,” “Public Security Army,” and “Armed Police”, while the naming the PLA and Public Security have been relatively stable. The frequent changes were because of the unique nature of the PAP. A normal government only needs an army to fight invaders and a police force to maintain social order. There is no need to maintain the armed police force that has both the function of an army and that of a police force. However, as the CCP seized power by violence, they fear that such a regime can also be overthrown by others by violence, as history has repeatedly proven. As the CCP wants to govern the country forever, it has to resort to violence. Although the CCP has a gigantic army force, an army can not be casually dispatched, especially by local officials. In all other countries, as the Chinese saying goes, the government “trains an army for a thousand days but use it for an hour.” To the contrary, the CCP has to “maintain an army for a thousand days and use it for a thousand days.”  The PAP officers and soldiers ridicule themselves for being used for “a thousand days.” It is precisely the most prominent characteristic of China’s Armed Police. Without this characteristic, there would be no need to maintain such an armed force.

(To be continued)

Endnotes:
[1] Beijing Spring, September 2006
http://beijingspring.com/bj2/2006/200/2006831161416
[2] Qiushi magazine, the official mouthpiece publication of CCP’s Central Committee.
[3] Luo Ruiqing, then Deputy Minister of Defense, member of Standing Committee of CCP’s Central Military Committee, Secretary-general of CMC, and Chief of General Staff.
[4] Wu Lanfu, then head of United Front Work Department of CCP’s Central Committee

Piracy of intellectual assets has been one of the biggest dissensions in the field of commercial trading between the United States and China. Many U.S. products, especially those of patented intellectual properties, get pirated in China, which have led to great losses for American merchants. Although the United States government frequently condemns China on this issue, the government of China does not give any apologies. Whenever facing this kind of criticism, the Chinese government usually responds in the following way: “If you say I am not good, I will just say that you are not good either.” It uses this against criticism of China’s human rights issues from the United States, as well as when the U.S. Department of Defense published the report on China’s military situation. Below is an article from Globe, a magazine under the Xinhua News Agency. The article points out that, “as the biggest producer and exporter for audio and video products, the United States is facing even greater challenges from copyright infringement than any other country.” [1]

The Institute for Policy Innovation of the United States published a report recently. According to the report, “each year, copyright piracy from motion pictures, sound recordings, business and entertainment software and video games costs the U.S. economy $58.0 billion in total output, costs American workers 373,375 jobs and $16.3 billion in earnings, and costs federal, state, and local governments $2.6 billion in tax revenue … The study found, among other things, that these IP (intellectual property) industries are the most important growth drivers in the U.S. economy, contributing nearly 40 percent of the growth achieved by all U.S. private industry and nearly 60 percent of the growth of U.S. exportable products.” [2]

As the biggest producer and exporter for audio and video products, the United States is facing even greater challenges from copyright infringement than any other country.

The Pirate Party of the United States Founded

A reporter of Globe recently had a phone interview with Seth Oster, the spokesman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). He was participating in an anti-piracy event hosted by the MPAA. Oster said that the U.S. movie market occupies more than one third of the world movie market; due to great impact of piracy on the movie market and the fact that the United States has the biggest consumer market for family entertainment, one indeed can say that the United States suffers the most from copyright piracy.
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For all the markets where piracy plays a role, the markets of motion pictures and sound recordings have the worst situations. In 2005, the MPAA, an association composed of six big movie producers of Hollywood, did a large-scale investigation. It showed that the U.S. movie market had lost $6.1 billion dollars to global piracy [in 2005]. Among this, $3.8 billion came from pirated CDs and DVDs, and $2.3 billion came from illegal transmissions and downloads on the Internet.

In terms of geographic locations, the loss of $1.3 billion happened in the United States, which is higher than the $1.2 billion of the Asia-Pacific region, which was considered the catastrophe region by Hollywood.

In the past several years, the severe piracy activities in the United States have forced the MPAA to ally with law-enforcement branches and strengthen cracking down on piracy.

Oster told the reporter that although the U.S. laws strictly protect intellectual property and the law-enforcement branches spare no efforts in cracking down on piracy activities, as an “investment” that has low cost and fast profits, piracy still attracts many people who are willing to take the risk. Oster said that the development of consumer electronics and disc duplication technology have lowered the technical barrier by a lot. According to estimates, a pirate needs only about $1000 to make a mother disc for a movie and then can duplicate on a large scale. Recently in major cities, there have also been criminal gangs and organizations involved in production and circulation processes, especially some minority groups that have close relationships with international markets. Some criminal organizations even use the profits gained from selling pirated CDs in the drug market, firearms trading, human trafficking, and other criminal activities.

There was something interesting that was related to this. The Pirate Party of the United States has recently formally declared to be founded. This is the first political party in United States that has the political aim of opposing copyrights. After its establishment, it immediately accused a number of media organizations, including the MPAA, of limiting technology development and restraining individual citizens’ freedom.

“They put strict limitations on common Americans, utilize fake files to attack P2P sharing networks, and use political tools to modify the laws and make political bribes.”— From the Pirate Party’s proclamation.[3]
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Black Chains on the Streets

In big cities such as Los Angeles and New York, the degree of severity of selling pirated DVDs is no less than in any Asian cities. It is especially bad in places where concentrated minorities reside, because these are the dead spots for law enforcement by police.

A pirated DVD of a new movie costs $5 on the street. It is even lower than a ticket for the movie theater. It is much cheaper than the genuine version that comes out 2 months later, which costs about $20. Even in a medium size city such as Washington, D.C., there are also a number of fixed spots that sell pirated DVDs.

What U.S. officials hate the most are underground black markets, but there is not much they can do. In these black markets, the main and popular items are those counterfeit items of famous brands and pirated digital audio and video products. Most mimicries of famous brand products, such as Louis Vuitton purses, a famous French brand, come from New York markets and then flow into third-world countries. Pirated DVDs are usually duplicated in underground shelters with large-scale duplication equipment.

New York City and Los Angeles can be recognized as headquarters of black markets for counterfeit items. Along the roads near Hollywood, there are vendors all around. They put the goods over rugs on the ground, and there are thousands of tourists from around the world attracted to these places.

An insider told the reporter that according to what he has found out, there is a very big underground factory in Los Angeles for making pirated products. The boss of the factory is extremely powerful; he can obtain the mother disc simultaneously as a new movie is played the first time in the theaters, and within one night, tens of thousands of DVDs will be transported to other cities and even other countries.

The reporter of Globe also got to know from the MPAA that due to the improved protection schemes for preventing piracy, right now the main method for obtaining the source of the new movies is using hand-held video cameras to directly record the movies that are playing for the first time in the theaters. This method does not produce perfect quality DVDs, but it is very common today on the U.S. black market. In order to avoid strict security measures in the theaters in major cities, the pirate organizations even send people to small towns to record new movies. Oster, the spokesman of the MPAA, said that in the past year, there are people all over the United States that were arrested for secretly recording movies using video cameras.
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According to U.S. laws, infringing copyrights is a federal felony. However, since September 11, the law-enforcement branches, such as the FBI, have been putting their main focus on anti-terrorism. Therefore, to some degree the strength against piracy has declined. This is thought to be the reason for the overflow of pirated products.

However, in 2005, some law-enforcement personnel creatively attempted to relate piracy and terrorism. For instance, a police officer in Los Angeles who is responsible for investigations of intellectual property said in Congress while he was testifying that some members from terrorist organizations have likely been involved in piracy activities. This has caught the attention of the congressional representatives concerning the increasing severity of piracy.

As the piracy situation is getting worse and worse in the United States, the MPAA and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), who have been focusing a lot more on anti-piracy internationally, are forced to put more attention on the United States. Currently, events for raising awareness on copyright issues have been widely launched to consumers. The consumers are informed that if one buys a pirated product, it is supporting criminal organizations and being a part of them.

Around Christmas and New Year of 2007, the MPAA and the RIAA started a campaign against pirated movie DVDs and music CDs. The campaign was all across America, including Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and other major cities. The two associations not only sent representatives to help police to trace the source and destination of the pirated audio and video products, but also to call for staying away from pirated products, thus attempting to drive the illegal pirates out of the markets.

However, as Internet usage becomes more and more common, illegal downloads on the Internet are gradually replacing illegal duplication of movie DVDs and music CDs, and becoming the major form of piracy. Due to the private and anonymous character of the Internet, Hollywood will be facing an even greater challenge from pirates.

Endnotes:
[1] Globe Magazine Issue 6, March 15, 2008.
[2] This report can be accessed in the following link:
http://www.ipi.org/ipi/IPIPublications.nsf/PublicationLookupFullTextPDF/02DA0B4B44F2AE9286257369005ACB57/$File/CopyrightPiracy.pdf?OpenElement
[3] Translator and copyeditor could not find this quote in the Pirate Party’s declaration.

As seen in the loud protests before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, many Chinese have truly demonstrated anti-US sentiment and nationalism both in China and abroad. For the Western world, an increasingly powerful China is also an increasingly expanding and arrogant nation. Since the future leaders of China are among them, this is an issue that will have an influence on world peace. The following is an article from the International Herald Leader [1], a newspaper under the Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese official media.

Five years ago, the International Herald Leader published an article that claimed that Internet nationalism had opened a new page in Chinese nationalism. Five years later, in the spring of 2008, Chinese Internet nationalism completed a real evolution in virtual space.

Immediately after the serious violent incident in Lhasa on March 14, some websites were created to criticize the Western media’s biased and distorted reports, calling people to go to the streets, using their flesh bodies to defend the Olympic torch. In March, with the help of the Internet, in China and abroad, tens of thousands of ordinary Chinese coincidentally showed the world what the true public opinion of the Chinese nation really is. Some western media have had to admit that "the outburst of China’s nationalism is not from top to down," but it also a reflection of a prevalent "new patriotism" among the Chinese people.

About five years ago, International Herald Leader wrote an article, asserting that Internet nationalism had opened a new chapter in Chinese nationalism, predicting, "Internet nationalism is a new starting point, not an ending point." This music chapter was played again this spring, with three new "precedents;" it confirmed the former prediction. Chinese Internet nationalism has completed its real evolution in virtual space, and has blown the horn to march forward.

Three new precedents

After the March 14 incident in Lhasa, a considerable number of Western media blatantly distorted the truth. They completely showed their sinister intentions and their attitude of arrogance. At the same time this also demonstrated their poor methods. In their report, the police from Nepal and India became Chinese police and emergency vehicles became China’s vehicle to ship prisoners. The liars used such a simple way to deceive the public. Thus Chinese Internet users in China immediately brought out the truth.

The Western media, which has a monopoly on television, newspapers and other traditional media, did not realize that the Internet’s subversive impact on traditional media occurs not only in Europe and the United States, but also in China. This time, due to the rise of Chinese nationalism, this revolutionary means of using the Internet as a media and communications tool created three new "precedents” in Chinese Internet nationalism.
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First, the broad geographic is unprecedented. From Beijing to San Francisco, from London to Paris, in such a short period of time, the Chinese around the world combined their resources and not only broke through the Western mainstream media’s language barrier, but also successfully launched a large-scale counterattack. They exposed the lies of the Western media, and immersed those waving the rag a few call ”Tibet independence” amidst an ocean of people waving the five-star Chinese flag. The Internet, as a low-cost communications tool, played a decisive role. Without the help of the Internet, it would have been inconceivable to get so many overseas Chinese to act together.

Secondly, the amount of agreement was unprecedented. Earlier, Chinese in China and overseas, could all feel they were separated by territory and by administrative power. Although the subjects of Chinese people’s attention are similar, their views are quite different. The cursing and fighting on the Internet has become a common phenomenon in Chinese forums worldwide. But this time, the voices of Chinese all over the word were shockingly similar. This indicates that, for the issues that involve the fundamental interests of a country or nation, the Chinese people are capable of reaching a high degree of consensus.

Third, the significant effect is unprecedented. The anti-US sentiment and nationalism of Chinese in China and overseas, were fully displayed. Although not all western media that lied were compelled to change their attitude as a result of pressure from Chinese Internet users, and even fewer apologized, still to be able to have the western media bow to Chinese people’s opinions is itself a landmark since Chinese Internet nationalism was formed. With the nature of Internet’s nature, the Chinese Internet users supervise the western media. This represents a model for a vulnerable nation breaking through the western soft language hegemony.

Endnotes:
[1] International Herald Leader, April 15, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/15/content_7979309.htm

Chinese citizens’ reactions to western media reports on Tibetan issues have surprised many western people. Chinese people’s global protests of western media and western governments reflect the Chinese government’s long-term influence. During this movement, the official state-run media attack from China along with the criticism of individual top officials from Europe and the U.S. encouraged Chinese citizens’ sentiments of nationalism and boosted anti-American feelings. Below is an article from the Xinhua website criticizing Paula Dobriansky, the U.S. Undersecretary of State [1]

The Washington Post on Monday, April 21, published an article titled “The Way Forward in Tibet” by Paula J. Dobriansky, the Undersecretary of State for democracy and global affairs in the U.S. State Department, and her capacity was specifically labeled at the end of the article as the “U.S. special coordinator for Tibetan issues.”

First of all, her role as a coordinator invites some questions. Common knowledge tells us that a coordinator has to be accepted or approved by both parties in a dispute, whereas the capacity of Dobriansky here is the outcome imposed by the U.S. government, a third party from the outside, and the Chinese government has never recognized her as she has wishfully imagined or thought of.

Secondly, as a coordinator, one should keep to an uninhibited, impartial and just stance, whereas Dobriansky not only listens to and believes in one side, but openly shields one party and blames the other party, without any fairness to speak of.

Thirdly, a coordinator should have an in-depth understanding and make rather extensive studies on the problems that are to be dealt with. If one has a smattering of hearsay knowledge, makes frivolous comments and talks a lot of nonsense, he or she will make himself or herself a laughing stock. Apparently, Dobriansky has made such a ridiculous error.

Then, let us first look at her knowledge of Tibet. By relying solely on, or basing herself on, distorted reports from a few Western media and briefing reports from the U.S. embassies and consulates, she citied the March 14 Lhasa incident as “peaceful protests” and demanded for China to release people. How could you demand this so harshly, if it is not out of an ill intention? So many video scenes recorded by both Chinese and foreign cameramen obviously show “Tibetan independence” protestors setting fire to stalls, attacking schools, killing or hacking to injure innocent civilians, and how can such obvious violence be said to be “peaceful protests” or demonstrations?
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Moreover, the riots in Tibet are caused by a few “Tibetan independence” protestors with an aim to capitalize on Beijing’s summer Olympic Games to divide China and seek Tibetan independence at the very instigation of the Dalai Lama. Even the Western media have not made any denial of this evidence.

Paula J. Dobriansky, however, alleged in her article that “underlying these tragic events is China’s long-standing repression of religious, cultural and other freedoms for the Tibetan people.” She is simply telling a bare-faced lie!

Any people who have been to Tibet or those with the slightest interest in Tibet know that the Lamaseries and Buddhist temples across the region are resounding with the chanting of Buddhist sutras and the freedom of Tibetans in their religious belief has never been subjected to government interference. The Chinese central government has, on a couple of occasions, made huge appropriations for overhauling or repairing temples and Lamaseries, preserving cultural relics, or sifting classic Tibetan works; these are facts there for all to see. Why does Dobriansky turn a blind eye to all these things? And is this the little, pitiful Tibet-related knowledge the so-called coordinator possesses on Tibetan issues?

Both Dobriansky and the U.S. Congress have honored the Dalai Lama as a “man of peace” who has advocated a “middle way” that embraces “autonomy for Tibet” within China and “rejects seeking independence” and they even said he “has publicly come out strongly against the violence” and “indicated his support for holding the Olympic Games in Beijing.” A host of ironclad facts so far unveiled have long proven that the Dalai Lama is a man who never means what he says. He utters beautiful, high-sounding words before the scene on one hand and, on the other hand, he masterminds violence behind the scene. So, it is not inappropriate to depict him as the most hypocritical person in the world.

It was reported that Dobriansky attended the fifth “International Tibet Support Groups Conference” in Brussels in May 2007. It was at this conference that the “Tibet independence” organization adopted a strategic plan as well as the related plan of action to take the Olympic Games in Beijing as the main target of assaults in the coming 15 months, and the commander to organize such “Tibetan independence” activities sits right there inside of the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C..

Does the “special coordinator for Tibetan issues” who had been at that conference really not know any moves of the Dalai clique to sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games? She still cites that “he is supportive of the Olympic Games in Beijing”? Is this “coordinator” cheating herself or deceiving others?

Endnotes:
People’s Daily, April 23, 2008
[1] http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/23/content_8032052.htm; (original Chinese article)
[2] http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/91342/6397699.htm

On March 25, 2008, Chen Liangyu, the former Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Secretary was sentenced to 18 years in prison, marking the end of the long lasting Shanghai social security fund investigation. People are still speculating on its impact and the turmoil it has caused to party’s top level; it is obvious that this case deals not merely with financial fraud but rather with the power struggle within the party. The following is a description of the verdicts that some of the individuals imprisoned in the Shanghai social security scandal received. [1]

According to an analysis done by some Hong Kong media, the conviction of Chen Liangyu, the former Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Secretary, of 18 years in prison for bribery and the conviction of Chen Xitong, the former Beijing municipal party committee Secretary of 16 years in prison for embezzlement are both indeed "political crimes" and should not be viewed simply as crimes of bribery and corruption.

According to those media reports, the CCP is accustomed to using financial fraud charges or personal scandals as a cover for the political motive behind the matter.

Among those who were linked to the Shanghai Social Security fund scandal in 2006, were Chen Liangyu, 20 other local high-ranking officials, and prominent figures from the business circle allegedly involved.

Due to scale of the case, the defendants were split up and sent to three different locations in Shanghai, Jilin, and Anhui Provinces for trial.

The most recent verdict was on April 7 in Jilin Province when Zhang Rongkun was sentenced to 19 years in prison and 1.3 billion yuan of personal assets were confiscated. The verdict was viewed as a benchmark for Chen Liangyu’s sentence.

Zheng Enchong, a prominent Shanghai rights lawyer stated that, "this (Shanghai Social Security fund scandal) is the result of a power struggle within the party." He said, "Jiang Zemin is Chen Liangyu’s big brother. Jiang was aware of Chen’s misconduct as early as when Chen was the party secretary for the Shanghai Huangpu district all the way until he was promoted to the position of Municipal Party Committee Secretary. Jiang hand picked and promoted Chen. The current circumstances suggest that the CCP high level authorities only wanted to use Chen Liangyu’s trial to call an end to the investigation."

Zheng Enchong said, "There is an internal agreement that no one will expose anything that is related to Jiang Zemin and Huang Ju."

Zheng continuted, "I am extremely disappointed! On Chen Liangyu’s case, we have waited for a total of ten years for this date! More than 200 people have been persecuted to death and more than 2,000 people are still imprisoned. This day has finally come."

According to the number released by the National Audit Office last month, the Shanghai Social Security Fund scandal involved 33.9 billion yuan, which is higher than the original estimate of 480 million yuan.
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Endnote:
[1] The Epoch Times，April 13, 2008.
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/4/13/n2080475.htm