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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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Qiushi: Summarizing the 2010 International Situation and China’s Diplomacy

On New Year’s Day, Qiushi published an article by the director of the China Institute of International Affairs that summarized the international situation in politics, the economy, and security in 2010. The article pointed out that one of the main features of the 2010 international situation was the significant progress in world multi-polarization. The U.S. obviously feels incompetent and has to adjust its strategy. The U.S. strengthened its involvement in the South China Sea, utilizing every possible opportunity to create divisions between China and the Southeast Asian countries. China is very active in diplomacy and has skillfully handled this complicated situation.

Source: Qiushi, January 1, 2011.
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/zxdk/2011/201101/201012/t20101228_60716.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Poverty Lies behind the Rising Consumption of Luxury Goods

Behind the increase in luxury brands, China’s manufacturing industry is silently creating poverty, said Twenty-first Century. Per Goldman Sachs, China is becoming the second largest consumer of luxury goods. With consumption in 2010 at $6.5 billion, luxury goods scored the fastest growth three years in a row. The Ministry of Commerce predicts that, by 2014, China will become the largest market for luxury goods in the world, accounting for 23% of the market share. However, “this may be a blessing for luxury brand names, but not for improving China’s domestic demand,” said the article. “Residential consumption in GDP spending has been on the decline every year, while government consumption is rising consistently. … Booming luxury consumption now has become a symbol of the gap between the rich and poor, and of sluggish domestic demand. It is very worrisome.”

Source: Twenty-first Century, December 30, 2010
http://www.21cbh.com/HTML/2010-12-30/yNMDAwMDIxMzcyNQ.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Communist Party History Is Now Online

Since January 1, 2011, China’s major portal and news websites have been running a special column, "Today in Party History," as part of the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). “Today in Party History" will systematically publish the Party’s milestone events compiled by the Party History Research Center under the CCP Central Committee, with the goal “to further affirm the confidence and determination to follow the Chinese-style socialist path.” It appears on the CCP official website, www.cpcnews.cn, and other major portal websites such as xinhuanet.com and sina.com.cn.

Source: Guangming Daily, January 2, 2011
http://politics.gmw.cn/2011-01/02/content_1515019.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Qiushi: Using the Internet as a Tool to Spread Marxism

Qiushi published an article discussing how the Internet can be used as a tool to popularize Marxism. “Whenever information on Marxist theory is published on the Internet, it can appear instantly across the country and around the world. … It can be presented in the form of text, audio, image, and video. … Thus it enhances the appeal of education and arouses the audience’s interest in learning more [about Marxism].” The 4th plenary session of the 17th Congress of the Communist Party called for action to “sinicize, modernize, and popularize Marxism.”

Source: Qiushi, December 29, 2010
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/wh/whsy/201012/t20101229_60834.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Focusing on a National Security Strategic Chain

PLA Daily published an article that Qiushi Journal later republished stating that China should focus on its national security strategic chain, which is composed of strategic resources, strategic industries, and strategic capabilities. “We should better utilize the resources in our nation to serve our national security and development purpose.” “(We should) construct a stable strategic resources security system (in the world) and increase our strategic resource reserve.” “International cooperation is the best way to obtain a supply of stable strategic resources, but we should never give up the option of using abnormal means to safeguard the security of our strategic resources.”

“Our military capability is the backbone of our national strategic capabilities.” “Our military capability should extend to wherever our national interests reach.” “It is critical to have our military capability reflect our national strategic status and interests."

Source: PLA Daily, December 23, 2010
http://www.chinamil.com.cn/jfjbmap/content/2010-12/23/content_46682.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua: Commentary on China’s Future Development

Xinhua published a commentary about the outlook for China’s future. Though the article was written with many glorious words, it stated, "The next five to ten years is not only a critical period for our country in terms of constructing a wealthy society; it is also a tough period in terms of overcoming escalating problems and increasing difficulties. Under the new situation, short term and long term problems in economic development intertwine, structural and systemic problems coexist, and internal and international problems interact, making it urgent to transform the economic development model and hard to improve people’s living standards and maintain social stability.”

The article mentioned several economic development directions: adopting a proactive fiscal policy and a stable monetary policy, expediting the realignment of the nation’s economic structure, stabilizing food prices (as a significant goal), improving economic development’s sustainability and the capacity of self-stimulus (ed: instead of relying on outside, or government stimuli), and increasing the quality and efficiency of economic development.

Source: Xinhua, January 2, 2011
http://cnstock.xinhuanet.com/index/gdbb/201012/1077104.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily Online: Internationalizing Chinese Literature

People’s Daily Online published an article about promoting Chinese literature to the world. The article advocated that “Chinese literature should have worldwide significance” and “as our economy has achieved great success, (Chinese) literature should have a worldwide view.”

The article suggested that creating literature needs innovation. “The first innovation is the concept of our national literature.” “(We should) absorb multi-dimensional cultural nutrition from the world” to create literature for the world. “The second is to establish confidence in our national literature.” “The third innovation is to create a new format for our national literature.”

Source: People’s Daily Online, December 31, 2010
http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/87423/13627724.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Global Times: The Regional Security Situation and China’s Countermeasures

Global Times, under the Chinese state daily news Renmin, recently published an introductory article on the research report “2010: The Regional Security Situation and China’s Countermeasures“ by the Pacific Research Institute of the China Academy of Social Sciences. The bottom line of the report is that, from northwest to southwest, neighboring regions are relatively stable, while from northeast to southeast they are problematic. The biggest change identified was the U.S. return to Asia. The biggest issue identified was the potential formation of a US-Japan-Korea military alliance. The biggest source of security threats identified was sea-based conflict.

Source: Global Times, December 21, 2010
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-12/1360188.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend