Chinascope – Page 1102

Senior Military Officer Discusses Joint Military Exercises with Foreign Military Forces

Major General Qian Lihua, Director of the Foreign Liaison Office of the Chinese military, commented on China’s joint exercises with foreign military forces. Of the 44 joint exercises the Chinese military has conducted with foreign military forces, 32 of them took place within the past five years. According to Qian, over 20 Chinese military institutions of higher learning have established sister relationships with foreign military institutions. Over several hundred Chinese military experts and professors have visited foreign military institutions. 1,200 young Chinese officers have received training in close to 100 foreign military academies in over 30 countries.

Source: Xinhua, November 30, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-11/30/c_12830863_2.htm

Briefings | | December 2, 2010 | Defense/Military

Global Times’ Survey: The U.S. Is the Cause of the Korean Peninsula Crisis

In a public survey conducted by the Global Times in China from November 26 to 28, 2010, almost 60% of survey respondents saw the U.S. as the main cause of the crises in the Korean Peninsula and 60% believed that China should maintain its special relationship with North Korea.

The survey was conducted in seven large cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. When asked, “What does North Korea represent to China,” 44.7% chose “a strategic defense line for China” and another 43.2% checked “China’s ally." Regarding North Korea’s bombing of South Korea, 56.7% chose “(the issue is) too complex to comment on," while 22.4% checked “North Korea was forced to do so." When asked, “Which country is the cause of the continued crises in the Korean Peninsula," 55.6% said the U.S. and 10% chose South Korea, while only 9% checked North Korea.

Source: Global Times, November 29, 2010
http://mil.huanqiu.com/china/2010-11/1299649.html

Briefings | | December 1, 2010 | US-China Relations

The People’s Daily Publishes Five Commentaries on Stabilizing Prices in China

From November 22 to 26, 2010, the People’s Daily published five commentaries, one per day, on stabilizing prices in China. These commentaries echoed the State Council’s “Notice on the Protection of the General Price Level and the Stability of the Basic Livelihood of the Masses” that was issued on November 20. These articles stressed that China is able to control prices and that “the reason for rising farm product prices is that some bad people stockpiled farm products to increase prices."

Source: People’s Daily Online, November 28, 2010
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/13334957.html

Briefings | | December 1, 2010 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: China Publishes Rules on Registering Foreign Firm’s Representative Office

According to Xinhua, on November 25, 2010, China published "Regulations on the Registration of Foreign Companies’ Representative Offices (as opposed to subsidiaries) in China." The regulations, which go into effect March 1, 2011, include rules on registration, establishment, cancellation of registration, and legal responsibilities of the representative offices of foreign companies. According to the regulations, such representative offices may only conduct non-business activities, including market surveys, product display and promotion, and liaising on behalf of their parent companies on product sales, customer service, and procurement and investment in China. The regulations also apply to the representative offices that companies from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan set up in Mainland China.

The representative offices must not conduct activities that endanger China’s state security or social benefits. Offices violating the rules face up to a 500,000 yuan fine.

Source: Xinhua, November 26, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/26/c_12817789.htm

Briefings | | December 1, 2010 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: Hong Kong Plays an Important Role in Internationalizing the RMB

Tsang Chun-wah, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong S.A.R. government, recently commented that 75% of the cross-border RMB settlements are made through Hong Kong. In the first half of this year, cross-border RMB settlements reached a total of RMB 67 billion. Tsang believes that Hong Kong will play a more and more important role in the process of internationalizing the RMB. He suggested that the Chinese economy is bringing Hong Kong new potential as a global growth leader. Hong Kong is becoming a very good place to raise capital. In the future, Tsang believes, one of the areas Hong Kong plans to focus on is RMB offshore transactions.

Source: Xinhua, November 16, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/16/c_12779545.htm

Briefings | | November 30, 2010 | Economy/Resources

People’s Daily: Using Culture to Increase China’s Soft Power

People’s Daily recently published an article by Jiang Jianguo, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP). The article called for culture system reform in order to increase the nation’s soft power, which should match China’s current economic and international status. The author pointed out that the U.S. commands 43% of the world’s “culture market.” The E.U. holds 34%. The Asia-Pacific region only holds 19% (Japan 10%, Korea 5%, China and the other nations 4%). It is believed that China’s international influence is very weak. The article suggests establishing a strategy to use culture to improve China’s “cultural soft power.” The article identified the key principle as “ensuring the Party tightly maintains control over the culture industry.”

Source: People’s Daily Online, November 22, 2010
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/30178/13279140.html

Briefings | | November 30, 2010 | Government/Politics

CRN: Two Deeper Reasons for the U.S. to Attack the RMB Exchange Rate

China Review News (CRN) recently republished an article from Shanghai based Wen Hui Daily on the U.S. “currency war” against China. The article indicated that there are two “deeper” reasons behind the U.S. strategy: (1) pushing the RMB exchange rate higher will serve to suppress China’s rise as a world power; (2) Obama is using China as a scapegoat for his losses in the recent mid-term elections. The article suggested that the U.S. strategy is to remain the sole leader of the world, and China is now seen as a “serious challenge” to the status quo. The article’s author believes that, as the biggest currency manipulator in the world market, the United States’ attitude towards China is “the devil calling sin bad.”

Source: China Review News, November 25, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/1/6/1/101516177.html?coluid=148&kindid=0&docid=101516177&mdate=1125004421

Briefings | | November 30, 2010 | US-China Relations

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.