Chinascope – Page 1075

Ministry of Culture Closed Down 130,000 Black Internet CafÚs in Past Six Years

According to its 2010 Annual Report on China’s Internet Café Market, the Chinese Ministry of Culture closed down 130,000 Internet cafés in the past six years, “maximally squeezing their living space, effectively regulating the market order (for their services), and clearing obstacles to the healthy development of Internet cafes.” “In 2010 alone, the government received more than 20,000 charges against Internet cafes, initiated investigation of more than 30,000 cases, transferred 833 cases to judicial authorities, and closed 28,000 cases. The Ministry also issued 36,000 correctional orders, 69,000 warnings, 6,999 orders to close down the business, and suspended 83 licenses. It levied fines of 88.39 million yuan (US$13.47 million) and confiscated 0.39 million yuan (US$60,000) of illegal income.” The industry’s 2010 revenue was 7.71 million yuan (US$1.17 million), 12.96 percent down from the level in 2009.

The report stated that its 2011 goal is to maintain the current market size while advancing franchise operations, stepping up law enforcement by increasing the penalties, and building Internet café associations.

Source: Xinhua, March 17, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-03/17/c_13784383.htm

Briefings | | March 21, 2011 | Information/Technology

Overseas Chinese Media Echo Beijing’s Version of Social Stability

Xinhua recently quoted a few overseas Chinese media as saying that the overseas Chinese population calls for “fighting to safeguard the motherland’s stability and harmony.” They include Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao (《联合早报》), U.S. based Chicago China News and Digest (《芝加哥华语论坛》), Japan’s Chubun (《中文导报》) and European News or Nouvelles d’Europe (《欧洲时报》) in France.

Source: Xinhua, March 15, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-03/15/c_13780316.htm

Briefings | | March 21, 2011 | Geo-Strategic Trend

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

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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