Skip to content

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

Read More ...

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

Read More ...

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

Read More ...

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

Read More ...

China Backs Zhu for IMF Deputy Director

International Finance News, a daily newspaper under the Chinese state media’s People’s Daily, recently published a commentary on the current process of reshuffling the leadership team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The article focuses on the possibility of China taking a Deputy Managing Director (DMD) seat, assuming there is no chance China can actually win the Managing Director (MD) position. Zhu Min, former deputy managing director of China’s central bank, is currently the IMF’s Special Assistant to the Managing Director. The author of the commentary argued that Zhu has a good chance of becoming the First Deputy Managing Director, given the background of Chinese power and support from the emerging developing countries, such as Brazil. The author believes the leading candidate for the MD position, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, may support this idea in exchange for Chinese support of her MD candidacy.

Source: International Finance News, June 16, 2011
http://paper.people.com.cn/gjjrb/html/2011-06/16/content_847227.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Exports Trains to Developed EU Country

Xinhua recently reported that, for the first time, China is exporting cargo railway trains to a developed European country. Jinan Railway Vehicles Equipment Co. Ltd., under the wings of China Northern Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry Group (CNR), signed a contract with the France’s Atir-Rail upon the provision of 20 ammonia gas tankers and 20 liquefied gas tankers for the French company. According to CNR, entering the EU and the US market has been a long-time strategic consideration. The state-owned CNR is one of the largest rail transportation equipment manufacturers in China and currently holds half of the Chinese domestic market. It is exporting products to more than 50 countries.

Source: Xinhua, June 13, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-06/13/c_121529875.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

A Million CCP Members in Anhui Swore Loyalty to the Party

On June 15, at a local Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery in Hefei, the capital city of the Anhui Province in eastern China, over 1,000 Chinese Communist Party members in provincial government agencies and military organs re-chanted their oath and swore loyalty to the Party. It is part of the campaign taking place at all levels of CCP organizations in the province, with the theme of “a million CCP members refresh the oath made when joining the Party and memorialize revolutionary martyrs.”

Source: Xinhua, June 15, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-06/15/c_121540864.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Economic Weekly: Why Have Europeans always controlled the IMF?

China Economic Weekly carried a commentary questioning why Europeans has always controlled the IMF and whether it is a “world organization” or a “European organization.” It suggested that having members from developing countries on the management team of the IMF would be consistent with its legitimacy. The article refers to a statement made by IMF Executive Directors representing BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in May demanding “adequate representation of emerging market and developing members in the Fund’s management.”

As to the successor to the head of the IMF, the article points to the U.S., who is the biggest stockholder of the IMF, and said that the US has been controlling IMF operations behind the scenes but with no intention to fight for the title. However, “the US is unlikely to support any candidates outside of the European countries because it does not want to go against the European countries." The article quoted a number of people, including Amado Boudou, Minister of the Economy of Argentina, and Angel Gurría of OECO, who stated that it is time to break tradition and have someone other than a European hold the position.

Source: China Economic Weekly, June 13, 2011
http://www.ceweekly.cn/html/Article/20110613397335060.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China News Service: FBI Persecutes U.S. Political Dissidents

China News Service reprinted a report from Taiwan’s Central News Agency on the FBI’s recent nationwide anti-terrorist investigation targeting prominent activists for their political views. The article said, “The targets are those who have sharply criticized U.S. Middle East and South American foreign policy. They denied any connection with terrorists. Those investigated expressed concern that U.S. government uses post-9/11 anti-terrorism as an excuse to target them because they hold different political views. Those subpoenaed include office clerks, educators, and lesbian couples with young children. A Chicago lawyer Michael Deutsch said they are ‘public non-violent activists with long, distinguished careers in public service, including teachers, union organizers, and antiwar and community leaders.’” “Several activists under investigation and their lawyers said that they believe the indictments would come any time, so they have fought back, decrying the inquiry as a threat to their First Amendment rights.” 

The original English source can be traced to a Washington Post news report “Activists cry foul over FBI probe,” that was published on June 13, 2011.

Source:
China News Service, June 15, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gj/2011/06-15/3112361.shtml
Washington Post, June 13, 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/activists-cry-foul-over-fbi-probe/2011/06/09/AGPRskTH_story.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Qiushi: Unswervingly Uphold the Party’s Absolute Leadership over the Army

Li Jinai, a member of the Central Military Commission and chief of the General Political Department of the PLA, published an article in the Party’s top publication Qiushi, reemphasizing the absolute leadership of the Party over the army. “The Party’s absolute control of the army is a fundamental principle of the army’s development and the eternal soul of the army.” Li slammed the voice of “nationalization of the military,” calling it an “attack on the fundamental principle and system of the Party’s absolute control of the army, with a goal of breaking the army away from the Party’s leadership, overthrowing the ruling status of the CCP, and overthrowing socialism with Chinese characteristics.” 

The idea of “nationalization of the military” calls for a western style relationship between the military and political party, where the army is led by the government instead of any political party. In recent years, it has been under heavy attack by official media.

Source: Qiushi, June 16, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201112/201106/t20110615_87256.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

CCP’s Propaganda Eye on the Young Generation

As the CCP’s 90th anniversary approaches, books and videos glorifying the CCP’s history have been flooding bookstores. A noteworthy phenomenon is that all the products target the young generation born in the “80s” and “90s,” and are tailored to their taste. Li Zhongjie, deputy director of the Party’s History Research Centre, announced that “the website of CCP history” that recently opened on June 8 is very suitable for a young audience. The announcement signals that the CCP is following the market’s requirements to describe history from the young generation’s perspective so as to attract them to the Party. Movies and TV series of the same themes also feature popular young stars, which boosts the ratings.

Source: China News Service, June 13, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/hb/2011/06-13/3106863.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua Comments on U.S. Shadow Internet Endeavor

A Xinhua article commented on the New York Times report that the U.S. plans to invest US$70 million to develop a "shadow" Internet system and a “communication network of mobile phones” to help the opposition in Iran, Syria, and Libya avoid Internet censorship. The article said, “The U.S. spares no effort to develop such techniques. Its purpose is nothing but to have American values infiltrate other countries. … In the past decades, the U.S. spread its values mainly through broadcasters such as ‘Voice of America,’ ‘Radio Free Europe,’ and ‘Radio Free Asia.’ With the Internet boom, the U.S. has obviously moved the main battlefield of ideology to cyberspace.” 

The article called the U.S. a powerful country with, hacking technology. “Although always advocating ‘Internet freedom,’ the U.S. controls all of the 13 root servers of the world Internet. Various countries in the world have repeatedly requested that the U.S. move control over the root servers to the U.N. or other international organizations, so as to effectively ensure the freedom and security of the Internet. The U.S. has always ignored them. People cannot help asking: is it Internet freedom or the freedom to infiltrate, sabotage, and attack other countries that interests the U.S.?

Source: Xinhua, June 15, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-06/15/c_121535850.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend