On November 5, 2011, over 50 scholars attended a forum in Beijing and had an in-depth discussion on how the Internet can assist China in its development of culture, how to meet Internet users’ growing demands, as well how to handle the ever increasing challenge of dealing with the new ideology and trends.

During the forum, an opening ceremony was held for the new office complex for “www.cntheory.com,” the website for the Chinese Communist Party school. The school officials hoped that the website would "further improve its contents, be persistent in giving accurate guidance on ideology and cultural trends, serve the study and research needs of various levels of party leaders and researchers, and serve the role of fostering the development of advanced socialist culture."

An analysis suggests that, by the end of first half of this year, the number of China’s Internet users reached 485 million.

Source: Xinhua, November 5, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-11/05/c_111147817.htm

On its 80th anniversary, Xinhua reported that it received 150 greetings from foreign government officials, organization leaders, and the renowned media from 70 countries and regions. Previously known as the “Red China News Agency” established on November 7, 1931, Xinhua has developed into a media group in multiple languages and media forms and has served as the official mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party.

Source: Xinhua, November 6, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-11/06/c_111148381.htm

On October 31, Study Times published an article discussing China’s cultural soft power from an international perspective. The article said that to increase national cultural soft power in the international arena while protecting national culture security, [China] must work in the following three areas. [We should] 1) Actively participate in the international cultural competition and protect the security of our ideology in the process of “going out" (expanding overseas). [We] must uphold our ideology as the core of our national culture security. Given our limited cultural communication abroad, focus more on getting our ideology across [respected] than on our success or failure in the culture industry. 2) Enhance the acceptability of our national image and foster a favorable [improve the] overseas media environment for the protection of China’s cultural sovereignty. 3) Establish the recognition of a multiplicity of cultures and promote our national culture security strategy to a new height. Champion the idea of respecting the rights of each country to choose its own social system and development path.

Source: Study Times, October 31, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/10/31/03/03_44.htm

Outlook Weekly published a commentary by a professor at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. The commentary stated, “The socialist core value system is the soul rejuvenating the country and the essence of the socialist advanced culture. It determines the direction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” The Chinese Communist Party uses Marxist values as a guide to determine the values of everything else. The core value of socialism is to liberate mankind. The four basic elements that make up the socialist core value system are the guiding principles of Marxism, the common ideals of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the national spirit and the spirit of the times, and socialist morality.”

Source: Outlook Weekly reprinted on the website of the Chinese Communist Party, October 24, 2011 http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/16002180.html

On November 1, 2011 Qiushi published an article on the recent call that the Communist Party issued at its Sixth Plenary Session of the 17th Congress, which closed on October 18, 2011, to intensify efforts to develop socialist culture. The article explained that the second decade of the twenty-first century is a critical opportunity for the development of China’s culture. More and more, culture has become the source that unites the people, the factor that improves the country’s competitiveness, and the substance that serves as a pillar for economic development. As a distinctive feature of current and future domestic and international changes, “whoever commands the high ground in cultural development will have strong cultural soft power and hence will be strategically positioned to win in the fierce international competition.”

Source: Qiushi, November 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201121/201110/t20111028_120310.htm

Two scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) wrote a commentary on what the "Occupy Wall Street” protest says about capitalism. The article said,“The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protest movement is a true manifestation of current U.S. social problems. It shows that the American government’s economic and financial policies following the financial crisis have greatly disappointed people. Ordinary American’s anger over the sluggish economy, rampant corruption, scant employment opportunities, and poor career prospects have accumulated to the point of exploding. The article also criticized the whole economic, political, and cultural systems’ crises that the American financial crisis brought about.”

In reflecting on the capitalist economic system, the article said, “The root cause of the capitalist financial system’s numerous shortcomings is that it is difficult to accomplish highly efficient national regulation in a capitalist society that is based on private ownership…” It further stated, “The capitalist private ownership system is the source of injustice in social distribution.” Regarding the capitalist political system, it said, “The ‘occupy wall street’ protest demonstrates the non-democratic and extremely hypocritical nature of the capitalist political system.” About capitalist culture, the authors commented, “American youth already shout loud slogans such as ‘We are a generation of revolution!’ ‘We need jobs! We need revolution!’ ‘Eliminate capitalism!’ These slogans have already delivered a big blow to American cultural values and will continue to deliver even bigger blows. What’s more, it proclaimed the crisis of the American culture system on the Internet.”

The article concluded, “The capitalist system is doomed and will be replaced by a more advanced social system. Let’s wait and see.”

Source : Qiushi, October 31, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/jj/jjyj/201110/t20111031_120821.htm