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Sharp Increases in Housing Prices Attributed to Dominance of State-Owned Enterprises

The state’s intervention in the market, China’s “invisible hand,” is putting pressure on private sector real estate developers, while encouraging a state monopoly in the real estate market. This leaves little hope for housing prices to fall, says China Youth Daily

Tightening bank credit lines, coupled with the rejection of second offerings in the stock market, are dramatically narrowing the financing sources available to local real estate developers. 

On the other hand, State-owned enterprises are expanding rapidly and their monopoly has become obvious.
 

China Youth Daily further suggests, “Obviously, when a monopoly exists, it will be much easier for the central government to reap benefits from this market. Therefore, falling housing prices, which is what people foresee, will never materialize.” 

Source: China Youth Daily, September 21, 2010
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2010-09/21/content_3416171.htm

Study Times: Internet Becoming a Tool for Party Building

Study Times,a weekly newspaper published by the Party School of the CCP, urges local Party branches to take on the challenge of using the Internet for Party building. The paper suggested that the Internet can be a tool for Party propaganda.  For example, the Party branch in Tongxin County, Guizhou Province, invites Party members, wherever they are throughout the country, to have access to a training platform on a Party Building Website and to select the Party courses that would benefit them the most.  The call is out for the Internet to become a “platform leading and influencing factor for mainstream ideology.”  In Dongwan County, Guangdong Province, 12 online Party branches were established to track and connect Party members. Everyone is asked to participate in the online Party study program.

Source: Study Times, September 20, 2010
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2010/09/20/01/01_26.htm

People’s Daily on China’s Strategy for Intellectuals

At the beginning of September 2010, People’s Daily published a series of articles on “China’s Strategy for Intellectuals.” On September 18, 2010, People’s Daily and the Research Center of “Three Represents,” which is attached to Remin University of China, co-sponsored a forum called “Revival of Great Power – Strategy for Intellectuals” to discuss the concept, values, features and standards of a “strategy for intellectuals.” Over 60 individuals attended the forum, including representatives of the History Research Center of the Party, the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the China National School of Administration, the State Council Research Office and other State’s departments, as well as representatives of State media.

Source: People’s Daily, September 20, 2010
http://theory.people.com.cn/GB1279163.html

China Responsibility” Pronouncement Unsound

[Editor’s note: In this Xinhua commentary, influential Chinese scholars (Xinhua writers Cao Xiaofan and Gu Ye) complained about the Western media’s latest pronouncement about China: “It’s China’s responsibility.” This comment has become the focus of intense interest ever since China surpassed Japan to become the world’s number two economy. Some Chinese scholars believe that holding China “responsible” is a “trap” for China. They believe that this recent pronouncement is more subtle and potentially more damaging than earlier, more inflammatory descriptors propagated by the West, such as “The China threat” and “China’s imminent collapse.” The following is a translation of the Xinhua article] [1]

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Continuing Escalation of the Sino-Japan Conflict

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on September 21, that it would be “inappropriate” for Wen Jiabao to meet Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan in New York when Wen visits the United Nations. This is a continuation of the escalation of the Sino-Japan conflict following Japan’s September 7 arrest and subsequent detention of the captain of a Chinese trawler near the Diaoyu Islands (called the Senkaku islands in Japan). Early on September 19, China suspended all contact with Japan at the level of Minister and above.

In China, patriotic fervor has been stirred up in an anti-Japan campaign. The Japanese Consulate in Guangzhou said that, on September 9, some Chinese threw beer bottles into the consulate. On September 18, there was a protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. That day marked the anniversary of Japan’s invasion of China in 1931. The number of police present at the site was several times that of the protestors, but they didn’t take any action to stop the protest. The protestors shouted, “Down with the Japanese! Kick the U.S. out of Asia! Kick the U.S. back to the U.S. …”

Source:
1. Reuters, September 21, 2010
http://cn.reuters.com/article/cnMktNews/idCNnCN132143920100921
2. Xinhua, September 19, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/19/c_12587473.htm
3. Mingpao, September 16, 2010
http://inews.mingpao.com/htm/INews/20100916/ca41525i.htm
4. Boxun, September 18, 2010
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/09/201009181144.shtml

International Herald Leader: Including the Diaoyu Islands in Diplomatic Discussions

The International Herald Leader published an article by Lin Xiaoguang, a professor at the CCP Central Party School, stating that in the past China has been soft in claiming sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands (called the Senkaku Islands in Japan), but that it is now time to include its claim in its formal diplomatic agenda with Japan. Lin argued that China’s former strategy of “putting aside disputes and jointly developing” didn’t work. Taking the issue to international court won’t work either. So the best way is to include it in the Sino-Japan East Sea Diplomatic Discussion. This will restrict Japan from taking actual control of the island on its own, and will also avoid the shocking effect on the Sino-Japan relationship from any emergent incident.

Source: International Herald Leader, September 20, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-09/20/c_13521094.htm

China Signed Oil Refinery Deal with Russia

China and Russia started a joint oil refinery project in Tianjin, China, on September 21. China National Petroleum Corp. owns this project, with a 51% share of the joint venture, and Russia’s OAO Rosneft has a 49% share. The two companies agreed to invest 30 billion Yuan ($5 billion) to build a 13 million tons-a-year (260,000 barrels-a-day) refinery.

Source: Xinhua, September 21, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/21/c_12595893.htm

Guangzhou Daily: Kitchen Knife Buyers Must Register

According to a draft by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, during the Asian Games, all buyers of kitchen knives and large fruit knives will have to register with their National ID. The registration process also requires that the purpose of the purchase must be entered. Some parts of Guangzhou City have been monitoring the trail of this new policy for some time now. Sellers must comply with the policy as well. Only those authorized by the government can sell kitchen knives. The Public Security Bureau has been sending officers to do random inspections of seller sites. How the knives are carried is also regulated. When appearing in public places, knife owners are required to wrap the knives so that they “cannot hurt other people.”

Source: Guangzhou Daily, September 14, 2010
http://gzdaily.dayoo.com/html/2010-09/14/content_1128532.htm