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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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CRN: Bank Deposit-Reserve Ratio Increased Again

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, announced that, starting November 16, 2010, the RMB Deposit-Reserve Ratio increased by 0.5% to 17.5%. This is the fourth time this ratio was adjusted this year. Analysts believe it is very likely the central bank will raise interest rates in a few months. Based on some estimates, every 0.5% increase freezes RMB 350 billion. Since the ratio adjustment does not ease the high inflation situation, this move is recognized as a sign of a new round of interest rate increases. China’s central bank blames the recent issuance of U.S. Dollars for China’s inflation, calling it “imported inflation.” It was also promised that “hot money” would be strictly controlled.

Source: China Review News, November 11, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1015/0/0/7/101500716.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=101500716&mdate=1111080113

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

CBN: East Asian Foreign Exchange Reserve Will Begin Operations

China Business Network (CBN) recently reported that the East Asia 10+3 Group (the Association of South East Asian Nations plus China, Japan, and Korea) will establish an organization to run the East Asian Foreign Exchange Reserve. The 10+3 Leaders Conference, held at the end of October, made it clear that this process needs to speed up. The new organization will be called the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO). The primary mission of AMRO includes: (1) studying regional economics, and (2) clarifying the mechanism behind the usage of the Foreign Exchange Reserve.

It has not yet been decided who will lead this new organization. There have been several rounds of negotiations on the ratio of shares that each of the parties should hold. The primary competition is between China and Japan. Singapore was selected to be site of AMRO’s physical location.

Source: China Business Network, November 17, 2010
http://www.yicai.com/news/2010/11/602258.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Will Further Control the Dissemination of Information on the Internet

Xinhua reported that, on November 11, 2010, China’s Internet Security Protection Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security and the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau held a joint meeting on Strike Hard actions on Internet control.

An official from the Internet Security Protection Bureau said that the momentum of large-scale dissemination of harmful information has been effectively curbed because of the ongoing Strike Hard actions that the public security departments conducted. However, some sites, especially the medium and small websites in the IDC (Internet Data Center), still have illegal and harmful information on them.

The Public Security Departments will further increase the strength of the Strike Hard actions and establish a harmonious Internet environment.

Source: Xinhua, November 11, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/11/c_12764689.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

China’s Tianhe-1A, the World’s Fastest Supercomputer, Uses a U.S. Company’s Processors

On November 15, 2010, Xinhua reported that, on November 14, www.top500.org ranked China’s supercomputer Tianhe-1A (Milky Way – 1A) as the world’s fastest supercomputer. Tianhe-1A set a new performance record of 2.57 petaflops, having surpassed the former number one supercomputer, the U.S. ‘Jaguar,’ which has a performance record of 1.75 petaflops.

“Tianhe-1A” mainly uses processors that a U.S. company produced.

Source: Xinhua, November 15, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/15/c_12773791.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Liu Yunshan at Asian Games: Create an Atmosphere that Fosters Good Public Opinion

According to Xinhua, on November 12, 2010, Liu Yunshan, the Director of the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, examined the news coverage work that the Asian Games’ main media center and the news propaganda command center had done.

Liu stressed the need to make an effort to create an atmosphere that fosters good public opinion, “a Passionate Grand Games, and a Harmonious Asia”.

Source: Xinhua, November 17, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-11/12/c_12768461.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Advocate Political Reform in the Right Political Direction

[Editor’s Note: Shortly after China’s 5th Plenum of the 17th Party Congress, from October 21 to November 1, the Party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, published five high profile articles by Zheng Qingyuan. According to one Chinese blogger, the name Zheng Qingyuan is probably a pen name for the Politburo writing team, and these articles represent the consensus of the Party’s inner circle [1]. The following report is a translation of excerpts from the third Zheng Qingyuan article, which focuses on China’s political reform. The author denies that China’s political reform seriously lags behind its economic reform. According to the author, the purpose of China’s political reform is to uphold the “Party’s leadership.” China has no interest in the Western system of “multi party politics or a separation of power into three branches of government.”] [2]

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Reports | | |   Report

World News Journal: U.S. Grabs the Leading Role at APEC to Unseat China as the Regional Leader

The major agenda of the 2010 APEC CEO Summit held in Japan on November 13 and 14 was to promote the formation of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). The final memorandum of the summit included the Pan-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP). TPP was not a hotly followed topic until the U.S. developed its “meticulous involvement.”

The U.S. has strategic intentions for being involved in TPP. On the one hand, the U.S. can use TPP to fulfill its plan for the “Asian Pacific free trade region” and ensure its leading position in free investment in Asian Pacific trade. On the other hand, the U.S. can further expand its goal of having a bilateral trade agreement in East Asia, thus dividing cooperative efforts in East Asia.

Qian Liwei, a scholar at the American Institute of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the World News Journal reporter, “With the U.S. returning to Asia, China’s leading regional cooperation in Asia is undoubtedly its biggest threat. Therefore, the U.S. will interfere with the progress of trade in East Asia. It’s like China is a developer while the U.S. is a destroyer. The U.S. wants Japan and some Southeast Asian countries to be on its side, forming a new regional network.”

Source: World News Journal, November 16, 2010
http://gb.cri.cn/27824/2010/11/16/5311s3056805.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: World’s Big Mining Countries Welcome China’s Investment and Cooperation

Xinhua reported on the 2010 China Mining Congress and Expo that was held in Tianjin from November 16-18. More than 4,000 government officials, experts, and top administrative leaders of financial institutions from over 50 countries gathered at the conference. Senior government officials from the world’s big mining countries in Canada, South Africa, and Australia spoke at the opening ceremony and said that (their countries) welcome China’s investment. At the same time, they expect that their mining industries will increase communication and exchanges with China.

Source: Xinhua, November 17, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/17/c_12786880.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources