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Xinhua Explains the Reasons for Sharp Price Increases in China

On November 22, 2010, Xinhua published an analytical article explaining why prices, especially food prices, have been increasing sharply in China. Below are the key points:

China has excess currency. China’s banking system has made 17 trillion yuan in RMB loans since 2008. The broad money supply is approaching 70 trillion yuan. The excess currency in the market leads to excess purchasing power that needs to find investment opportunities. However, the real estate market is now regulated; the stock market is in the recovery stage; and the RMB’s appreciation limits capital outflow.

In addition, the prices of agricultural products have increased in the international market. The prices of bulk raw materials have also increased. This is the result of the United States’ monetary policy and in particular, the second round of quantitative easing, and also from other countries’ loose monetary policies.

Source: Xinhua, November 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-11/22/c_13616725.htm

The CCP Achieves 100% Coverage of Law Firms in China

People’s Daily Online published an article on November 26, 2010, reporting that, on November 25, 2010, the Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and Ministry of Justice announced that the Chinese Communist Party had achieved 100% coverage of all of the law firms in China. 

By June 2009, 3,895 of the 14,741 law firms in China had their own Party branches (26%) and 8105 law firms had joint Party branches (55%). Regarding the law firms without any Party members (19%), political instructors and coordinators had been assigned to build up the Party’s presence in each of them.

Source: People’s Daily Online, November 22, 2010
http://qh.people.com.cn/GB/182778/13326203.html

China and Russia Challenge the U.S. Dollar’s Leading Position in International Trade

Chinese and Russian leaders announced on November 23, 2010,  that both China and Russia will use their national currencies to settle bilateral trade.

On November 27, 2010, China Review News predicted that "the U.S. dollar’s hegemony will collapse” when the U.S. fails to find a new “myth” to maintain its economic model that profits from increasing debts. “It is the U.S. dollar’s hegemony that has forced China and Russian to use their national currencies to settle their bilateral trade. Of course, the move that China and Russia took is a challenge to the U.S. dollar’s hegemony, though it cannot immediately end the U.S. dollar’s hegemony.”

On November 23, 2010, China Daily, on the other hand, said that the move did not directly challenge the U.S. dollar.

Sources:
China Review News, November 27, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/1/9/1/101519126.html?coluid=148&kindid=0&docid=101519126&mdate=1127000659
China Daily, November 23, 2010
http://www.china-daily.org/China-News/Bilateral-trade-between-China-and-Russia-will-be-settled-in-national-currency/

Expanding the Chinese Communist Party within Foreign-Owned Enterprises in Beijing

[Editor’s Note: The following is an article from Qianxian magazine, an official publication of Beijing’s CCP Committee. The article explores the mechanisms used to set up a CCP organization inside a foreign-owned enterprise (FOE) in Beijing and shows some figures. For example, “The general Party branch in Siemens, China, which initially had one Party branch with 50 Party members, has developed into nine branches with nearly 300 members.” The author is the Party Secretary of the CCP Committee of the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau.] [1]

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The Chinese People Cannot Be Fooled

[Editor’s note: After the 5th Plenum of the 17th Communist Party of China Central Committee in mid October 2010, the Chinese official media intensified its criticism of Western democracy. The following abridged article explicitly criticized America’s multiparty politics, human rights and the separation of powers as being “fictitious” and “not achievable.” The author wrote, “When (China) develops its own democratic politics, it must not follow the Western path.” “If China adopts multiparty politics or federalism, China will fall into chaos and be ruined.” [1] The identity of the author, Wang Xuefei, is not known. Some bloggers think it may be a pen name. The article generated strong reactions in China; online polls allowed readers to cast “support” or “opposition” to the article. According to one source, an online poll conducted by sina.com registered 2,000 negative votes and 350 favorable votes. In another poll on ifeng.com, more than 10,000 people voiced their disapproval, and no one supported it. The poll results from both sina and ifeng were erased the next day along with readers’ comments. [2] The article’s strong rhetoric and the people’s reaction underscored the Communist Party’s diminishing ability to influence and guide public opinion.]

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Party Official Urges Lawyers to Support the Party

Politburo Standing Member Zhou Yongkang urged lawyers to follow the Party line. He made a speech at a national conference of lawyers in Beijing on November 22, 2010, emphasizing that [lawyers] should diligently study recent Party directives for lawyers. "[Lawyers] must uphold the legal system of Chinese style socialism, … uphold the Party’s leadership over lawyers actions, deepen education in the socialist rule by law, and ensure that lawyers follow the socialist direction."

Source: Xinhua, November 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-11/22/c_13617186.htm

Study Times: Lessons for State Owned Companies to Learn from the Financial Crisis

A recent Study Times article summarizes lessons that state-owned companies should learn from the financial crisis, highlighting the role of state control:
 
1. The State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) must fulfill its obligations as regulator.
2. SASAC must lead and dominate during the election of the board of directors.
3. SASAC must further research and improve board governance and the evaluation of board members.
4. SASAC should further clarify the criteria used in appointing board members.
5. SASAC should balance between the political core role of the Party and modern corporate governance.
6. SASAC should strengthen the training and quality of board members.

Source: Study Times, November 15, 2020
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/11/15/08/08_62.htm

The State Is Getting Richer While the Poor Get Poorer

Study Times published a article on the topic of Chinese citizen’s tax burden: "During recent years, tax revenues have drastically increased, growing faster than the GDP. Further, the GDP has grown faster than residents’ income from wages and salaries. This shows that, by distributing the nation’s wealth, the state’s share of that wealth has been increasing through its leveraging of the taxing mechanism."

Source: Study Times, November 22, 2010
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/11/22/12/12_40.htm