Chinascope – Page 1079

Sinopec Completes Acquisition of Occidental’s Argentine Unit

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), Asia’s largest refiner, completed its acquisition of Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s Argentine oil and gas unit for $2.45 billion. The acquisition agreement was signed on December 10, 2010. This purchase gives Sinopec an interest in 23 production and exploration concessions in Santa Cruz, Mendoza, and Chubut provinces. According to Sinopec Groups, in 2010, petroleum production had reached 15 million barrels with natural gas sales hitting 14 billion cubic feet.

Source: Xinhua, February 23, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/23/c_121114769.htm

Briefings | | February 24, 2011 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Developing Inner-Party Grassroots Democracy: Problems and Prospects

[Editor’s Note: Ms. Zhang Jinming is a Deputy Party Secretary of Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. In 1999, as a District Party Secretary, she organized China’s first direct election of a township administrator. After surviving the controversy that resulted from this experiment, China’s media made Ms. Zhang a celebrity and she received several promotions. [1] The following are excerpts from Ms. Zhang latest article in Study Times. The author lists the problems of China’s Inner-Party democracy. As a pioneer of grassroots democracy, Ms. Zhang’s observations reveal some fundamental flaws and contradictions in the Party’s theory and reality.] [2]

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Reports | | February 23, 2011 | Report

China Acts to Implement Social Control

Echoing Hu Jintao’s important speech on social control given on February 19, Chinese media reported on a series of actions taken to implement social control.

Xinhua reported that Beijing is implementing a grid-style social service and control model. Since 2007, each building has had an informant assigned to it. Ten thousand safety and stability specialists and thirty thousand public servants are participating in social control. Guangming reported that the Supreme Court published “Opinion on Further Strengthening Root-level Court Development under the New Situation.” The document calls for the development of a risk evaluation mechanism for major sensitive cases. The Political Department of the Public Security Ministry published “Ideological and Political Work Guidelines for Root-level Public Security Organizations.” It sets the standards and guidelines for the ideological and political work done in public security organizations.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, February 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/18/c_121098674.htm
2. Guangming Online, February 20, 2011
http://politics.gmw.cn/2011-02/20/content_1630096.htm
3. Public Security Ministry Website, February 17, 2011
http://www.mps.gov.cn/n16/n1237/n1342/n803715/2693580.html

Briefings | | February 23, 2011 | Government/Politics

State Council Releases Regulations on Foreign Acquisitions Review System

On February 12, 2011, Xinhua reported that the General Office of the State Council sent out a notice about establishing the National Security Review and Approval System for Foreign Acquisitions of Chinese Companies. A multi-ministry joint committee will be created to administer the review process. The notice encompassed the System’s scope, content, working mechanism, and procedures. The national security review mainly covers companies that foreign investors may actually control. The fields the companies will deal with will include military, key agriculture products, critical energy and resources, important infrastructure, important transportation, key technology, and heavy equipment. The State Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce are the leading agencies on the operational front. These regulations apply to investors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The process of reviewing the acquisition of financial companies will be regulated separately.

Source: Xinhua, February 12, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/12/c_121070713.htm

Briefings | | February 23, 2011 | Economy/Resources

Special Projects Initiated for Strategic Leading Technologies

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently announced that, in 2011, special projects will be initiated in six to eight strategic leading technologies such as advanced nuclear fission, energy, and space science. These initiatives are aligned with the CAS Road-map to 2050 and are a part of the “Innovation 2020” plan. The goal of these initiatives is to make breakthroughs in each of these areas and to stimulate technological as well as industrial innovations. With a goal of completion in ten years, “Innovation 2020” is designed to enter the global cutting edge of strategic technology, build a high-end talent pool, and establish innovative platforms. It is planned that, by the end of 2020, China will be the world leader in all mainstream scientific fields, such as chemistry, physics, and mathematics.

Source: Guangming online, February 15, 2011
http://tech.gmw.cn/2011-02/15/content_1612333.htm

Briefings | | February 23, 2011 | Information/Technology

Hu Jintao Gave a Speech on Controlling Society

On February 19, 2011, the Conference on Social Management and Innovation was held at the CCP’s Central Party School. Top leaders from the central and provincial government attended the conference. Hu Jintao gave a speech at the opening ceremony. Hu stressed the importance of social management and outlined eight points for society’s future direction: 1. Improve the Party’s leadership and formalize social management work. 2. Improve the Party and government-led mechanisms to protect people’s rights. 3. Improve the management of transients and special populations and create a national database to cover every individual in China. 4. Improve the basic social management and service system. 5. Improve the public safety system. 6. Improve social management in private companies. 7. Improve Internet management and establish a mechanism to lead public opinion on the Internet. 8. Strengthen education in socialist ideology.

All of the nine members of the Politburo standing committee, all other Politburo members, and top CCP officials in central and provincial authorities attended the opening ceremony.

Source: CCP News Online, February 19, 2011
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/13958405.html

Briefings | | February 21, 2011 | Government/Politics

CCP’s Politburo Met to Set Strategy on Middle East Reporting

Boxun.com, an overseas Chinese language website, reported that the CCP’s Politburo held a meeting to set strategy on reporting the Middle East’s democracy movement. “Some Politburo members in Beijing had an informal meeting the day after Mubarak stepped down. They set new rules and education goals for the military, the armed police, and the police. The focus was on ‘propaganda:’ to stop the media from freely posting reports, comments, and discussions about Egypt and the region; to strengthen the cleanup and management of blogs and forums; to require local media to use only Xinhua’s articles on the Middle East; to control the media’s tone and direct it to find that the ‘U.S. is behind the scenes;’ and to prepare to shut down certain Internet functions.” The CCP’s Propaganda Department’s directive also added “to reduce the reporting of local ‘sensitive events.’”

[Editor’s Notes: Boxun.com called for a public protest in 13 Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai for February 20, 2011. Boxun’s website has since been under severe attack and unable to function normally. This article can be found on Google cache or other websites that republished it.]

Source: Boxun, February 18, 2011
news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/02/201102182219.shtml

Google cache ULR:

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showthread.php?t=701302

Briefings | | February 21, 2011 | Grapevine

China Again Hiked the Bank Reserve Ratio but Refused Fast Renminbi Appreciation

On February 18, 2011, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced that it will increase the bank reserve ratio by 0.50% on February 24. This is the second reserve ratio hike this year and the eighth since the start of 2010. With this rate hike, PBOC expects to keep 350 billion yuan in the banking system from entering circulation.

China, however, refused to allow significant appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar. On February 17, 2011, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the central bank, said in Paris that “(China) has never paid special attention to external pressure for the Renminbi’s appreciation. The Chinese government will decide the pace on its own.”

Sources:
1. Xinhua, February 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2011-02/18/c_121098458.htm
2. Xinhua, February 19, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2011-02/19/c_121099068.htm

Briefings | | February 21, 2011 | Economy/Resources

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.”

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