Chinascope – Page 1073

CASS to Beef up Marxist Studies

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently announced its plan in the coming five years to strengthen Marxist studies. It includes setting up 16 more Marxist theoretical research groups in the current 14 research institutions, establishing five new Marxist research centers, funding for the project of “Excerpts on Special Topics of Marxist Classical Writers,” and adding Marxism sections in 31 academic journals to introduce most current research.

Source: Guangming Daily, March 17, 2011
http://theory.gmw.cn/2011-03/17/content_1725162.htm

Briefings | | March 18, 2011 | Government/Politics

Scholar Cautions against Chinese Media’s Warm Reception toward Locke Nomination

A scholar with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in a Global Times article that the Chinese media should not give too much feverish attention to Obama’s nomination of Gary Locke as the upcoming U.S. ambassador to China. The article argues that “the nomination may be regarded as a friendly gesture to China, but Locke is a third generation immigrant, born and raised in the U.S. He represents the interests of the U.S. We should never have a wrong perception. Of course, he has been influenced by the Chinese culture; it’s easier for him to understand how Chinese deal with people and handle issues. Seeing such a familiar Chinese face, we should still keep a ‘sober’ mind.” The author enumerated several past ambassadors who were very familiar with China, but in the end, it was U.S. interests that determined China-U.S. relations.

Source: Global Times, carried by Xinhua, March 11, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-03/11/c_121175320.htm

Briefings | | March 18, 2011 | US-China Relations

Obama’s Nomination of Gary Locke Is a Trick

A Professor from Tongji University in Shanghai published an article in Global Times commenting on Obama’s nomination of Gary Locke as the next U.S. ambassador to China. He believes that it is a terrific American trick. “Americans never cared about whether they understood Chinese issues or not. … Gary Locke said that the China-U.S. relationship is ‘one of the most important and most complicated diplomatic, economic, and strategic relationships the U.S. has.’ In layman’s language it means: politically, the two countries are competitors, or even enemies, whereas economically they are interdependent. Obama ascribed (the appointment) to two points: ‘striving to solve the global security issue’ and ‘creating opportunities for American corporations and American labor.’ How to solve ‘global security issue?’ Specifically, Chinese should stay within the confines delimited by the Americans. Don’t get into the Taiwan issue, support North Korea, or mess around in the South China Sea. As for ‘expanding opportunities for Americans,’ it is … to let 1.3 billion hardworking Chinese support 200 million Americans’ comfortable and noble lifestyle. In Americans’ minds, this is the essence of the China-U.S. relationship.”

Source: Global Times, March 18, 2011
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2011-03/1570898.html

Briefings | | March 18, 2011 | US-China Relations

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 | | March 17, 2011 | 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 | | March 17, 2011 | 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 | | March 17, 2011 | 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 | | March 16, 2011 | 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 | | March 16, 2011 | Defense/Military

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

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

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

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