Skip to content

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

Read More ...

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 Eighth Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum Held from May 22 to May 24

From May 22 to May 24, 2011, senior official representatives from China and Arab countries attended the Eighth Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum. Assistant Foreign Minister Saif Muqqadam al Buainain, the Chairman of the Arab side of the meeting, “highly commended” all elements of the Arab-Chinese partnership. He said, “The Forum has become a milestone in the advancement of Arab-Chinese relations, as it provides an appropriate framework and designs effective mechanisms for dialogue and collective action, based on a solid foundation of equality and mutual benefits and interests.” 

So far, the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum, established in January 2004, has held four ministerial conferences and seven senior official level conferences. It has 11 cooperation mechanisms which cover political, economic, cultural, and other fields.

Source: Xinhua, May 23, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-05/23/c_121445068.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Baidu and Chinese Government Sued in New York

BBC Chinese News reported that, on May 18, 2011, eight New York residents filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government and China’s biggest search engine vendor Baidu for blocking pro-democracy Internet content. The suit asks for US$16 million in damages. It is believed that this is the first time a lawsuit against a company has also included the Chinese government. Chinese spokesperson Jiang Yu commented on the lawsuit, saying that the Chinese government follows worldwide common rules to manage the Internet and foreign courts do not have jurisdiction over this matter. Baidu, a NASDAQ-100 index company, proactively filters “sensitive words” based on the Chinese government’s requirements. China also blocks popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: BBC Chinese, May 19, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2011/05/110519_baidu_lawsuit.shtml

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

RMB Internationalization Faces Limitations

China Review News (CRN) republished a State Information Center (SIC) article on constraints to the process of internationalizing China’s currency, the RMB. The article suggested that this process will be a long one and is constrained by four main limitations: 1) the limitation of the economic development model and structure; 2) the limitation on the degree of the Chinese central bank’s independent decision making power; 3) the limitation of the international financial market’s conditions; 4) the limitation of the cross-border money exchange mechanism. The article expressed the belief that RMB internationalization is an important symbol of China’s movement toward becoming a strong financial power. However, the journey ahead requires heavy work on building a monetary system.

Source: China Review News, May 20, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1016/9/9/5/101699564.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=101699564&mdate=0520063632

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Potential Security Issue with Chinese Foreign Assets

A recent Xinhua article discussed the security of China’s foreign assets. With the Chinese government’s “Going Out” strategy, many Chinese companies’ sped up their international investment process, resulting in large overseas assets. By the end of 2009, the total amount exceeded 4 trillion yuan. The recent Libyan situation highlighted the issue of the security of these assets. Although the workers returned home, the investment and assets there remain unprotected. Experts suggest that international investments involve two types of risks. One is market risks, such as price changes; the other is non-market related, such as government regulations and terrorist attacks. Many Chinese companies “rushed out” without proper preparation, such as insurance. The article called for improved risk management.

Source: Xinhua, May 21, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-05/21/c_121442871.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Ministry of Health Issues Emergency Response Plan on Poisoning Incidents

On May 20, 2011, the Ministry of Health issued an “Emergency Response Plan on Poisoning Incidents.” The plan’s purpose is to “effectively control sudden incidents of poisoning and any damage they may cause, and to minimize the hazardous impact on public health.” 

The plan requires that all levels of the health authorities be equipped with emergency response equipment, schedule periodic professional trainings and drills, and establish an expert team that can issue warnings, recommend preparation, assess the severity of incidents, and advise on response measures. The plan also classifies the poisoning incidents by the extent and scope of the damage, and calls for setting up a real time monitoring and reporting mechanism. Health authorities at county-and-above levels are required to carry out a risk assessment of the damages that poisonous materials and poisoning incidents cause to public health .

Source: Xinhua, May 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/health/2011-05/20/c_121440343.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Guarding Stability, Top Priority for Beijing’s Armed Police

Liu Qi, a Politburo member and the Communist Party’s chief of Beijing, watched the military exercises performed by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) in Beijing. Liu urged the PAP to “carefully study the situation and characteristics of maintaining stability in the capital, and vigorously step up training and readiness.” 

Liu pointed out a few “outstanding issues” in social harmony and “multiple factors” that affect stability. “Creating a stable environment to welcome the CCP’s 90th anniversary and ensuring a successful 18th National Congress of the CCP” are PAP’s top political priorities.

Source: Beijing Daily, May 21, 2011
http://bjrb.bjd.com.cn/html/2011-05/21/content_403673.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Grassroots Party Secretaries Trained to Improve Social Management Skills

Starting on May 18, 2011, in Beijing, over 120 nationwide Communist Party chiefs at the grassroots level – counties, villages, street neighborhoods, and communities – attended a training session on social management. Senior Party cadres were invited to give talks on policies and share experiences. Li Yuanchao, a Politburo member and head of the CCP’s Organization Department, emphasized that the focus of social management is being placed at the local level and that grassroots Party secretaries are required to improve their social management skills and demonstrate leadership roles in grassroots social organizations.

Source: Xinhua, May 19, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-05/19/c_13882817.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Xinhua Opens New Office in NYC’s Times Square

On May 19, 2011, the North American regional headquarter of the Xinhua News Agency celebrated the launch of its new office in Manhattan’s Times Square, in a bid to step onto the stage of world-class media. Zhou Xisheng, Xinhua’s vice president, said, “The launch of our North American regional headquarters will play an active role in increasing Xinhua’s abilities in international news transmission and enhance the influence of its international reports.” Currently, Xinhua employs some 16,000 people, with more than 30 domestic bureaus and over 140 overseas. It has seven bureaus in the United States and three in Canada. 

Ambassador Peng Keyu of the Chinese Consulate-general in New York, Tom Gallo of the U.S. State Department Office of Foreign Missions, and Steve Orlins, the President of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations,  were among nearly 100 guests at the ceremony.

Source: Xinhua, May 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-05/20/c_121438523.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend