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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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Sinopec Signs MOU with Saudi Aramco

The Sinopec Group announced on March 16, 2011, that it had signed a partnership MOU with Saudi Aramco to jointly develop a world class deep-processing refinery at Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. The Sinopec Group will hold a 37.5% stake, and Saudi Aramco a 62.5% stake in the project. The refinery plans to start operation in 2014. Su Shulin, Sinopec’s general manager, said that the joint venture will deepen the strategic partnership between the two companies and diversify Sinopec’s sources of energy outside China.

Source: Xinhua, March 16, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-03/16/c_13782256.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Wen Jiabao Denies that the Private Sector Is Declining

On March 14, 2011, after the closing of the Fourth Session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao told Chinese and foreign reporters at a press conference that “there is no instance where state-owned enterprises are advancing while private ones are declining.” He supported his statement by enumerating two State Council papers issued in 2005 and 2010 respectively, although he acknowledged that “implementation was inadequate.” At the same time, Wen emphasized “although the percentage of the state-owned economy is lower, it still holds the country’s economic lifeline.” Days earlier, on March 10, 2011, Wu Bangguo, Chair of National People’s Congress, had emphasized in his report that China will never adopt privatization of the economy.

Source: China News Service, March 14, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/cj/2011/03-14/2904086.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Shanxi Government to Launch “Internet Red Scout” Campaign to Rebut Criticism of the Party

On March 16, 2011, the Shanxi Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) issued a notice that it would launch an “Internet Red Scout” campaign to protect the image of the Party and the government. The notice states that the Shanxi SASAC will mobilize the Communist Youth League members to gather and report the online postings that say anything negative about the Party or the government, and particularly the Party leaders of Shanxi and its State-owned enterprises. These “Red Scouts “must rebut these comments and use ‘red’ to overcome ‘black.’”

“The campaign will start on March 31, 2011. Each volunteer must post at the minimum one rebuttal per week. The web-page of the posting will be saved electronically in a timely manner and be submitted to the Communist Youth League committee one level up.”

Source: China News Service, March 16, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/03-16/2911248.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Study Times Article Suggests Measures for Guiding Public Opinion

An article appearing on Study Times, the official newspaper of the CCP Central Party School, suggested measures for the authorities to use to direct public opinion on the Internet: 1) Release the official voice at the earliest time so as to guide public opinion. 2) For officials: act as ordinary users and participate in cyber communications. 3) Build a “politically strong” “news propaganda troop” – bloggers, twitters, commentators – who will be the opinion leaders in the online world. At the same time, the author suggested that it is imperative for the government to “collect, monitor, analyze, access, and take advantage of Internet public opinion.”

Source: Study Times, March 14, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/03/14/16/16_32.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Hu Jintao Told PLA to Speed up Military Preparedness

At a National People’s Congress meeting on March 12, 2011, Hu Jintao, head of the Chinese Communist Party and Chair of the Central Military Committee, told a delegation of the People’s Liberation Army to “enhance the sense of opportunity, sense of urgency, and sense of historic mission. … Speed up military preparedness, resolutely safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security, and interests, and resolutely safeguard the current important period of strategic opportunity for China’s development.” Hu also reemphasized the Party’s absolute leadership over the army, “(We) must constantly equip the officers and soldiers with socialist theories with Chinese characteristics, so as to ensure that all military personnel remain ideologically and politically alert and firm. (We) must unswervingly uphold the fundamental principles of the Party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces.”

Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-03/12/c_121179796.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

440,000 Chinese Students Studying Abroad

According to a UNESCO report, since 2000, the population of students studying abroad has grown by 75%; the number increased from 2.96 million in 2008 to 3.43 million in 2009. Chinese students studying abroad, as many as 440,000, are important players in the global higher education market. The U.S. is the destination for the largest number of students from around the world, hosting around 700,000. Their annual contribution to the U.S. economy amounts to US$20 billion. Chinese students, overtaking Indians and South Koreans, have now become the largest group of foreign students in the U.S. Meanwhile, in the coming years, China is planning to attract 500,000 foreign students to study in its country.


Source: China News Service, March 12, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/lxsh/2011/03-12/2901354.shtml
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Using the New Media to Enhance China’s Soft Power

The recently published “Blue Book: The 2010 Research Report on Chinese Culture’s Soft Power” focuses on the point that China’s “new media” are becoming new distribution channels for the nation’s soft power. The Blue Book suggests that the distribution environment and methods for promoting the national image and China’s core values have changed in the 21st century. Compared to the traditional one-way media such as TV, the radio, and newspapers, the new media promote two-way communication. It is considered a new development in the field of public diplomacy. The report calls for advancing a Chinese new media platform in order to export Chinese values and political views and to improve China’s international status.

Source: Xinhua, February 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/18/c_121098302.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Six Agencies Jointly Require Nationwide Education in the Communist Party’s History

China News Net recently reported from Beijing that the CCP Central Organization Department, the CCP Central Propaganda Department, the Central Party Literature Research Center, the Central Party History Research Center, the Ministry of Education, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League jointly issued a notice requiring a nationwide educational movement to study the history of the Chinese Communist Party. The notice suggested various channels to push the movement. The movement is considered an “important task in developing the socialist core value system.” It is also considered a method to “unify the nation’s mentality.” Year 2011 is the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

Source: China News Net, February 20, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2011/02-20/2855217.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics