Chinascope – Page 1110

Chinese Minister of Commerce: Pushing for a Strong Trade Power Status

The Chinese Minister of Commerce, Chen Deming, recently published an article suggesting China should push forward to become a “strong trade power,” as well as a large investor. Chen believes the financial crisis significantly changed the world order. Opportunities and risks coexist.

He suggested that China should focus on five areas: (1) emphasizing improvement in comprehensive economic efficiency; (2) balancing the “go out” and the “bring in” strategies to realize the conversion from “product export” to “capital export”; (3) optimizing regional economic development; (4) enhancing global strategic planning; (5) improving policies, rules and protection in international trade.

Source: China News Net, September 29, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/2010/09-30/2564861.shtml

Briefings | | October 5, 2010 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Chinese Embassy Held ‘Chinese Culture Year’ Press Conference in Italy

The Chinese Embassy in Italy held a press conference on October 1 in Rome announcing “Chinese Culture Year” in Italy. The coordinator on the Italian side suggested that the project will “present today’s China.” Italy had an “Italian Culture Year” campaign in 1996, and this Chinese announcement marked the start of a similar initiative. The “Year” begins in October 2010 and ends in September 2011. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is expected to attend the opening ceremony scheduled for October 7. Multiple activities are planned to take place in 10 cities including Rome, Florence and Milan.

Source: Xinhua, October 1, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/01/c_12626369.htm

Briefings | | October 5, 2010 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: ISPs Required to Participate in Stopping Leaks of State Secrets

On October 1, the newly revised “Guarding State Secrets Law” took effect. The new law prohibits passing state secrets over the Internet, other public networks, or through unsecured cable or wireless communication. When a Public Security Bureau, the National Security Agency, or a prosecutory body conducts an investigation into a leak of state secrets, the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other service providers for public networks must cooperate with investigation into the leak. They must stop immediately when they find anyone passing a state secret over the media, save the record, and report it to the Public Security Bureau, National Security Agency, or other security agency. Then they must delete the information per the related the government body’s request.

Source: Xinhua, October 1, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/01/c_13538923.htm

Briefings | | October 4, 2010 | Government/Politics

Half of the Pneumoconiosis Patients in China Are Coal Workers

As early as 2006, the China Coal Miner Pneumoconiosis Treatment Foundation reported that pneumoconiosis [1] patients in China accounted for 50% of the total pneumoconiosis patients around the world. Out of all the Chinese pneumoconiosis patients, 50% of them were coal workers.

Four years later, on September 30, 2010, China News Service (CNS) reported that "according to incomplete statistics, cases of pneumoconiosis in the coal industry account for about 50% of the total number of those in China with pneumoconiosis." The statement was made by Zhao Tiechui, Deputy Director of China’s State Administration of Work Safety.

[1] A person with pneumoconiosis has damage to the lungs, caused by years of exposure to some type of dust, such as coal, silica or asbestos. There is no cure.

Source: China Coal Miner Pneumoconiosis Treatment Foundation, 2006
http://www.cfbjjh.org.cn/mtbd.asp
China News Service (CNS), September 30, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2010/09-30/2566948.shtml

Briefings | | October 4, 2010 | Economy/Resources

Community Party Organizations Established for Migrant Party Members

According to Xinhua, a Communist Party Branch Committee of the Guangdong-Dazhou Chamber of Commerce was established in Guangzhou Province on September 28 for migrant Party members who are from Dazhou City, Sichuan Province. This is the first time an inner city, city-level Party organization has been set up inside a Chamber of Commerce in Guangdong.

In order to meet the requirement of the CPC Central Committee for establishing Party organizations among new social groups, the Dazhou City Party Committee and Dazhou Municipal Government in Sichuan Province have already founded 1 Chinese Communist Party Committee, 8 Party branches, 2 Party Youth Leagues, 2 birth-control organizations for the enforcement of China’s one-child policy among migrant people, and 2 government controlled workers’ unions for the Dazhou migrants in Guangdong Province.

Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/30/c_12624406.htm

Briefings | | October 4, 2010 | Government/Politics

Private Security Company Makes 20 Million a Year Intercepting Petitioners

[Editor’s Note: In China, where officials are rewarded or punished based on their ability to “maintain social stability,” a private security company created a new business to help the government keep citizens from going to Beijing to file grievances with the central government. That company, Beijing An-Yuan-Ding Security and Prevention Technical Service, Ltd, made over 21 million yuan in profit (US$3 million) in 2008. It employed 3,000 security personnel to work with provincial governments to stop, detain, and return petitioners to their hometowns. Traditionally, this kind of job belonged to the police, but in recent years, the government has been outsourcing it to private companies. After recent negative news reports, such as the one that follows, the government took action against this company. People’s Daily reports that Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau officials detained Zhang Jun, chairman of An-yuan-ding Security Service Company, and Zhang Jie, general manager of the company, for “illegally detaining people and illegal business operation.”[1] It is a modern day saga of “private police” and “black jails” right in China’s capital. The following is an abridged version of a recent news report that circulated in China’s official media.] [2]

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Reports | | October 3, 2010 | Report

Hurun Report: Chinese Billionaires Number More than 5,000

In a recent interview, Rupert Hoogewerf, the founder of China’s Hurun Report, a famous list of wealthy Chinese, estimated the number of Chinese billionaires to be over 5,000.

The calculation is based on official statistics that count 1,393 individuals as having personal assets of 1 billion yuan ($0.15 billion US). Hoogewerf believes that the those who are excluded from the official count generally number about twice those who are included, or around 3,000 people. Adding the two numbers together, the richest group may well be above 5,000.

Hoogewerf said that their wealth mainly comes from real estate, manufacturing, IT, medicine, and retail business. The average age of wealthy Chinese is only 51 years old.

Source: China News Service, September 30, 2010

http://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/2010/09-30/2566310.shtml

Briefings | | October 1, 2010 | Economy/Resources

Wu Bangguo to Publish Article Stressing China Is a Developing Country

Wu Bangguo, a high-ranking Chinese official and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, will publish an article in the upcoming issue of Qiushi Journal, the core publication of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. The article, titled “Fully Understand the Characteristics of China’s Development Stage,” will emphasize that China is still a developing country.

“As a matter of fact, China is still at the preliminary stage of socialism and will be for a long time. China remains the largest developing country in the world. This is our conclusion based on basic national conditions.”

This article, added to the current number of official pieces, implies that China is not rich enough to shoulder the international responsibilities that Western governments want to impose.

Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2010

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-09/30/c_12622468.htm

Briefings | | October 1, 2010 | Government/Politics

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.