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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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Xinhua Launched a Financial Information Exchange

On December 18, 2010, Xinhua News Agency held an opening ceremony to launch its financial information exchange. It is the first exchange that offers financial information worldwide. It plans to work with other global institutes to provide services on the trading of financial information, cultural innovation products, media news information, advertising, patent transfers, and business information.

Li Congjun, President of Xinhua, said, “Xinhua Financial Information Exchange … eventually will be the most influential financial information and cultural industry service center in the world.” Xu Feng, General Manager of the exchange, said its position is one of “exchanges of exchanges (including stock, commodities, and more).” “When the time is right, Xinhua will call for a World Exchange Conference.”

Sources: Xinhua, December 18, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-12/18/c_12894394.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-12/18/c_13654860.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2010-12/18/c_12893815.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

CRN: US Interference in the Korean Peninsula

China Review News (CRN) recently republished an article on the situation in the Korean Peninsula. The article complained that the U.S. and its allies ignored China’s call for resuming the Six Party Talks. At the same time, the U.S. is ramping up its military exercises. In the author’s opinion, the U.S. ultimately does not want to see a chaotic situation in the region. However, complete stability is not the U.S. goal. The author suggests that the U.S. wants to create and maintain a “less than stable situation,” so the U.S. can play the role of an “offshore balancer.” Thus, the U.S. can justify keeping a presence in the region. The article also referred to the situation in the South China Sea as part of the same strategy.

Source:China Review News, December 7, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/3/0/3/101530355.html?coluid=148&kindid=0&docid=101530355&mdate=1207001032

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: Government to Vigorously Support Domestic Documentary Movies

Xinhua recently reported that the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) decided to vigorously support, promote, and protect China-made documentary movies. Jin Delong, Deputy Chief Editor of SARFT, observed on December 7, 2010, that imported documentaries significantly stifle domestic products. Jin suggested that this area is considered an important element in the national soft-power development strategy. The government should set a better “market stage” for domestic products. Jin announced that SARFT is releasing regulations to “improve the government administration of this marketplace” and to set a cap for the number of imported documentary movies. Meanwhile, the ratio of “domestic vs. imported” programs for television broadcasting is now set to be no lower than 7:3.

Source: Xinhua, December 8, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-12/08/c_12858844.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Over One Million Took the Civil Service Exam

Xinhua reported that, on December 5, more than one million people in 46 cities all over China took the Civil Service Exam to compete for 16 thousand government jobs. This is the largest exam ever organized for government jobs. The number of people taking the exam grew from 120 thousand in 2004 to 1.41 million this month.

In the eyes of many Chinese, a government position means a relatively stable and easy work environment. However, the competition is intense; for some popular positions there are 900 applicants for each position. Although the State Bureau of Civil Service announced several times that no remedial classes would be offered, remedial courses have nevertheless become a RMB 4.2 billion business. Cheating is a big problem. 409 people were caught last year. Radio monitoring devices were used this year in Beijing to battle cheating technologies.

Source: Xinhua, December 5, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-12/05/c_12848918.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Huanqiu Editorial: Today’s Oslo Seems Like the Headquarters for an Evil Cult

[Editor’s Note: In an angry editorial, Huanqiu, an official publication of the Communist Party Central Committee, attacked the Nobel Committee and Western media for awarding Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize.

The article likens the ceremony in Oslo to an evil cult ritual and accuses the Committee of “altering the spirit of peace” and “replacing it with Western Fundamentalist ideas.” It claims that “1.3 billion Chinese people resent the Peace Prize nomination.”

The editorial drew many emotional comments that echoed its rhetoric. One reader wrote: “The ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ is a joke to fool people. A guy who invented dynamite to kill fellow human beings, and who made a fortune, created it. He (Nobel) just wanted to gain fame before his death. … The best way to handle this is to end all relations with Norway and a few other buffoon countries, except for official diplomacy, especially trade. (We should) stop importing their goods, refuse to sell them anything, and call for Chinese not to visit their countries for sightseeing and shopping.” [1]

The following is a translation of excerpts from the editorial.] [2]

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Reports | | |   Report

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Overall Life Satisfaction Declined in 2010

According to China Review News on December 17, 2010, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) "Social Blue Book" reported that both urban and rural populations in China, especially in small towns, feel their overall satisfaction with life has declined. On the same day, the People’s Bank of China announced that, in the fourth quarter, nearly 74% of residents thought prices were too high. Over 70% of residents thought that apartment prices were too high. Measurable satisfaction is at its lowest point in 11 years.

“In the first three quarters of 2010, urban residents had per capita disposable incomes of 14,334 yuan, an increase of 7.5% (over the previous year). Rural residents had per capita incomes of 4,869 yuan, an increase of 9.7%." However, "not only are the growth rates of urban and rural residents’ income much lower than the growth of revenue; they are also lower than the GDP growth rate.”

Source: China Review News, December 17, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/4/0/5/101540502.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=101540502&mdate=1217085608

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Expands Its Empire around the World

On December 16, 2010, China Review News discussed a report from Radio France Internationale (RFI) titled “China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Expands Its Empire around the World.”

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp), the biggest oil company in Asia, has purchased the American-owned Argentine subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation for $2.45 billion U.S. So far this year, China has spent $38.8 billion U.S. on mergers and acquisitions in the petrochemical energy business around the world, more than it has ever spent before on M & A in its history. “With the undisguised ambition of conquering the world, Sinopec Corp, together with two other Chinese oil companies, will form a golden triangle to establish a new network for the world’s oil distribution.”

Source: China Review News, December 16, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/3/9/4/101539497.html?coluid=59&kindid=0&docid=101539497&mdate=1216095427

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

PLA Major General Peng Guangqian: Be Ready to Deal with any New Troubles that the U.S. Creates

According to China Review News on December 17, 2010, Major General Peng Guangqian of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a Deputy Secretary-General of China’s National Security Policy Committee at the China Association of Policy Science, recently visited the headquarters of China Review News in Hong Kong.

Peng said that the U. S. is more and more of a “troublemaker” than a “peacemaker” in the Asia Pacific area. He believes that China must be vigilant and ready to deal with any new troubles the U.S. creates. “In recent years, because of the global financial crisis, the U. S. has suffered serious setbacks in its economy, its moral image, and its values." Peng said that "because it is worried about its hegemony, the U.S. has increased its involvement in the East so it can hold back China’s development."

Source: China Review News, December 17, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/3/8/8/101538847.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=101538847&mdate=1217013326
 

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations