Skip to content

Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

Read More ...

Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

Read More ...

Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

Read More ...

The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

Read More ...

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 | | |   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 | | |   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]

Continue reading →

Reports | | |   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 | | |   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 | | |   Government/Politics

Li Changchun Met with Iran’s President

On September 28, Li Changchun, a senior Chinese Communist official and one of the nine-member standing committee of the Politburo, met with Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in Iran’s capital city of Tehran. 
Li complimented Sino-Iranian relations, saying the “sound development in recent years was the result of joint efforts.” “There has been a continuously enhanced mutual political trust, as well as expanded cooperation in trade, culture, education, tourism, and other fields, as the traditional friendship between the two peoples has deepened.”
Li hoped to maintain high-level contacts, deepen mutual political trust, and have close bilateral exchanges between the governments, political parties, and parliaments. In international affairs, Li expressed the wish to maintain communications, safeguard regional and world peace, and defend the common interests of developing countries.
Source: Website of CCP Central Committee’s International Department
http://www.idcpc.org.cn/dongtai/100928-2.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Politburo Met on Social Conflicts

The Communist Party held its twenty-third Politburo group study on September 29, 2010, to discuss how to resolve social conflicts. At the group study, Hu Jintao urged having a deep commitment to resolving social conflict, thereby creating a favorable environment for economic development.

“We must further our understanding of the importance and urgency of properly handling situations of conflict among the people, and must, to the maximum extent, focus on stimulating social creativity, and on increasing harmonious and reducing disharmonious elements, to more proactively handle these conflicts, so as to promote scientific development and social harmony,”

Source: Xinhua, September 29, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-09/29/c_13535934.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China-Russia Joint Statement on Deepening Coordination

On September 27, 2010, China’s President Hu Jintao and Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev signed a joint statement to "deepen their strategic coordination partnership.” Both sides agreed that mutual support on core interests of state sovereignty and territory claims is an important component of China-Russian strategic cooperation.

Russia reaffirmed its support for China’s positions on Taiwan, Tibet and East Turkistan, while China affirmed its support for Russia’s effort to stabilize the Caucasus and Commonwealth of Independent States. They also agreed to jointly work on anti-terrorism issues more frequently and hold regular working sessions. The joint statement was affirmed in a statement of the importance and efficiency of the Chinese-Russia energy negotiation mechanism. Both sides agreed “to hold the same position on maintaining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization region, as well as peace and stability in Central Asia.”

Source: Xinhua, September 28, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-09/28/c_13534081.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend