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Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

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Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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Rural Villages Disappearing and Farmland Abandoned across China

On October 29, 2011, Radio Free Asia published an article based on China’s official media reports regarding the rapidly declining rural population in China. From 2005 to 2009, China lost over 7000 rural village committees each year. An average of 20 administrative villages disappeared each day. Due to the large numbers of the rural laborers migrating to cities, the problem of abandoned arable farmland is very serious, affecting the stability and security of the country’s agriculture and food supply.

China’s farmers do not own the land they work on. On behalf of the state, local authorities can take away their farmland legally or illegally, at any time. According China’s Ministry of Land and Resources, in the first three quarters of this year alone, local authorities across China took away 37,000 farms for other illegal uses, an increase of more than 4% compared to the same period last year, .

As the authorities grab more and more farmland, farmers have lost interest in farming. They simply do not know when developers will confiscate their land in order to sell it. Besides, Chinese farmers cannot make much money or even lose money from farming due to the fact that the prices for seeds, pesticides, and utilities are increasing so rapidly.

Source: Radio Free Asia, October 29, 2011
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jz-10292011003613.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

About Half of China’s Multimillionaires Seek to Emigrate Overseas

On October 30, 2011, China Gate published a news report originally from Guangzhou Daily titled “About Half of China’s Multimillionaires Seek to Emigrate Overseas. What Do They Fear?”

More than half of China’s families who are worth over 10 million Yuan (US $1,579,957.17) have either emigrated abroad already, are in the process of applying, or are considering leaving China for a better life and for a better education for their children.

According to the “2011 China Private Wealth Management White Paper” recently released by the Hoogewerf Research Institute and China Bank’s Private Banking Group, one-third of wealthy Chinese already have assets overseas and almost 30% of the wealthy Chinese who currently do not have any assets overseas are planning to invest abroad within the next 3 years, mainly for their children’s education and for the purpose of emigration.  Among China’s multimillionaires, 14 percent have already emigrated or applied for emigration and 46 percent are considering emigrating overseas.

Source: China Gate, October 30, 2011
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2011/10/30/1516473.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Globe: Cloud Computing Will Control Future Wars

Globe, a magazine under Xinhua News Agency, recently published an article that painted a picture of how future wars will be fought. The battlefields, whether on land and sea or in the air and in space, would be integrated and the different army branches would have to blend into each other to form a unified force. It would require extremely powerful computing capabilities and models. The author thought that cloud computing would be the most suitable to handle the functions for central command. Cloud computing offers the best model for information and resource sharing, which translates into better coordination, as well as a competitive advantage. The article also pointed out that cloud computing is very useful for simulating wars for training purposes, which is especially helpful for countries that cannot constantly deploy their military in real wars like the United States does.

Source: Xinhua, October 25, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2011-10/25/c_131211905.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua: Strategic Memo Signed between China and the Gates Foundation

On October 26, 2011, in Seattle, Washington the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The two parties decided to cooperate in the fields of modern agriculture and global health. The plan includes developing high quality and low cost agricultural plants and animals, as well as bio-medicines and vaccines – to be used in China and in developing countries that lack natural resources, such as in South Asia and Africa. This is the first time for the Ministry of Science and Technology to work with an international NGO on a large scale in these fields. Bill Gates commented on the initiative, saying that China can play a key role in fostering innovation to reduce hunger and poverty, especially in today’s tough global economic environment. It was agreed that both sides will make monetary and labor contributions.

Source: Xinhua: October 27, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-10/27/c_122202204.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

VOA: China Passed Law Defining Terrorism, Terrorist Organization

Voice of America (VOA) reported on October 29 that the China’s National People’s Congress recently passed a law defining “terrorism” and “terrorist organization.” During its draft stage, legal professionals, as well as the general public, widely questioned this law. They expressed concern that the government would, potentially, use this law to suppress human rights and political opposition. It was believed that this law expanded the scope of [what the government considered as] terrorism and introduced the possibility that the Criminal Law would be abused. Famous Chinese human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong, commenting in a VOA interview, suggested that the basic idea behind this new law is to help “maintain stability.” Mr. Jiang believed that the government introduced this law after suffering “extreme anxiety” over the issue of social stability. Singapore anti-terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna told Associated Press that China designed the new law to make it easier to obtain intelligence from the West.

Source: Voice of America, October 29, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20111029-New-Definition-of-Terrorism-132848558.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Li Changchun Calls for Forging Cultural Soft Power to Protect China’s Cultural Security

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo and the Propaganda Chief of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, elaborated on the “Decisions by the CCP Central Committee regarding Further Promoting Reform and Development of the Cultural System,” which passed on October 18 during the Sixth Plenary Session of 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Li addressed the issue of “strengthening the country’s soft power by developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics” and called for “forging cultural soft power in order to protect China’s cultural security.” Li said, “China must continuously expand its international cultural influence in order to forge its soft power, which will be compatible with its international image and protect China’s cultural security.” According to Li, culture is a key measure of a nation’s overall power. Whoever takes the lead and possesses strong cultural soft power will gain the advantage in the world’s competition.

Source: China News Service, October 27, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/10-27/3419185.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Shanghai Establishes Oversea’s Cultural Promotion Centers in Australia and Canada

The “Xin Jing Shan Chinese School” in Melbourne Australia and the “Jia Hua School” in Montreal Canada are the two Chinese schools in foreign countries that have been named as “Shanghai Oversea’s Cultural Promotion Centers,” the first in China. According to Cui Minghua, director of the Oversea’s Chinese Affairs Office in Shanghai, the Oversea’s Cultural Promotion Center will increase China’s cultural influence in the world and provide assistance to schools and agencies with programs such as exchange students, teachers, cooperation between schools, and sharing teaching resources. The Center will work with the existing 39 Chinese education sites in Shanghai to promote education and cultural exchanges between Shanghai and overseas Chinese education centers.

The “Xin Jing Shan Chinese School” in Melbourne was formed in 1992 and has 9 school districts with 4,000 students and 200 teachers. It is the largest Chinese schools in Australia. “Jia Hua School,” the top Chinese school in Montreal, was formed in 1994. It has 2,000 students and the most comprehensive Chinese teaching curriculum in the Eastern Canadian region.

Source: Xinhua, October 27, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-10/27/c_111129078.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

The Shortest Lived Road In Yunnan Province Collapsed Again

"Xin Shan Road" is in Xinping Yi and the Dai Autonomous County in Yunnan Province. Cyber fans jokingly call it the “shortest lived road.” In June of 2011, the second day after its completion, Xin Shan road collapsed killing 2 people and injuring 2. On October 25, Xin shan Road collapsed again. The size of the site is 4,500 square meters. The left side of the road was buried under 7 meters of collapsed debris. The local transportation department blamed the collapses on the unstable road structure and the rainy season. It has been reported that traffic will resume on Xin Shan Road on October 26, after intensive repair work.

Source: Xinhua, October 26, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2011-10/26/c_111125944.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology