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Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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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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Tension between Population and Resources will Remain

The Director of the Chinese National Population and Family Planning Commission recently suggested in a forum that, for a long period of time, the tension among the Chinese population, natural resources and the environment will remain. On one hand, a stable low birth rate ensures a preferred “population environment” for the long run; on the other hand, too high or too low a growth rate will break the balance of a healthy social development. With the current population growth trend, the Chinese population is having an annual net growth of 8 million people. It is projected that the number will peak at 1.5 billion in 2033. The solution to balancing the population and resources is believed to be speeding up the adjustment of the development model.

Source Xinhua, July 16, 2010
http://jjckb.xinhuanet.com/xwjc/2010-07/16/content_238043.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Four Obstacles for Remodeling the Chinese Economy

Xinhua recently republished an article by Economic Information Daily that discussed the reason that China could not adjust to the right track of an economic development model. The author of the original article is the well-known Chinese economist Wu Jinglian. Wu believes there are four primary obstacles to the reform: (1) various levels of the government still control some important powers over resource allocation; (2) GDP growth is still the primary indicator for measuring of government performance; (3) the financial situation of the government is heavily connected to the growth of material products; (4) market power is very much constrained in terms of resource configurations.

Source: Xinhua, July 16, 2010
http://jjckb.xinhuanet.com/xwjc/2010-07/16/content_238046.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: China Should Not Explicitly State the Specifics of Its Core National Interests

On August 1, 2010, Xinhua published an article by Han Xudong, a professor from the Strategy Department of the PLA National Defense University, saying that currently it is not appropriate for China to explicitly state what China’s “Core National Interests” are for the following three reasons:

  1. “Our military capability is not as good as America’s military capability in many respects. Publicly identifying our core national interests will place our diplomatic work and the uses of the armed forces in a passive position.” 
  2. “China does not have the power to protect all of its core national interests yet.”
  3. “As China integrates into the international community, the collision of various interests between China and other countries must increase. Thus, China must protect China’s national interests rather than just its core national interests.”

Source: Xinhua, August 1, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-08/01/content_13947214.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Review News: The PLA Navy Conducts a Live-Ammunition Exercise in the South China Sea

According to China Review News (http://www.chinareviewnews.com), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy conducted a live-ammunition training exercise in the South China Sea on July 26, 2010. The main destroyers of the three PLA Navy fleets, i.e., the North China Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea Fleets, participated in the exercise.

Since the news of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier coming to the Yellow Sea was released, the PLA has conducted several exercises. According to Liu Jiang-Ping, a famous Chinese military expert, the frequency and intensity of all of the exercises surpassed those done in the past.

Liu pointed out that the Chinese military has improved its capabilities in long-distance mobility, striking deep inside the enemy, and in combined arms combat operations in these military exercises in the coastal waters. This shows the PLA’s determination in resisting the enemy outside of its national borders and territorial waters.

Source: China Review News, July 30, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1013/9/7/3/101397327.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=101397327&mdate=0730091515

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

International Herald Leader: China Should Curb the U.S. Marine Threat

International Herald Leader, a Xinhua newspaper, published an article on August 2, 2010, regarding that the USS George Washington aircraft carrier was not (at that time) heading to the Yellow Sea, and that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared, “The United States’ has a national interest in the territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea.”

According to the article, “When talking about future maritime relations with other countries, China must first consider the Chinese Navy’s continuous development in accordance with the rules for the development of the naval forces of the world’s naval powers. That is to say, China cannot and it is impossible to slow down the development of its own naval forces because of the diplomatic concerns of other countries, not to mention that it would be conducting ‘self-inflicted mutilation.’”

“China should reject the U.S. attempt to link maritime security issues with issues of U.S. concern in terms of China-U.S. relations.”

Source: International Herald Leader, August 2, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-08/02/content_13952534.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

The Quality of Discourse: The Key to Improving China’s Discourse Right

[Editor’s Note: In its effort to bolster China’s image, Beijing faces a dilemma. Despite its impressive economic growth and burgeoning military spending, few countries subscribe to its values. The Communist government realizes that it has to strive for more and stronger “discourse right” in order to be recognized as a true world power.

In his article, “Red Flag Manuscripts,” Professor Zhang Zhizhou of the International Relations Institute at Beijing Foreign Language University provides his observations and insights. He suggests that China’s current effort to gain international discourse rights falls short of its goal, and is based merely on “increasing the propaganda sound volume and widening communication channels.” He believes China needs to improve the quality of its message. The article asks some open-ended questions that are difficult to answer within China’s political environment.

The following is a translation of excerpts from the article] [1]

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Reports | | |   Report

State-Owned Enterprises Under Tighter Control

The Communist Party issued a new regulation that requires unanimous consent in the corporate governance of state-owned enterprises. Decisions on major matters are defined to include the appointment of key executives. Large projects and investments must be unanimously approved by the Party leadership and the Board of the enterprise, said a statement released by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the General Office of the State Council. Programming development strategies, filing for bankruptcy, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, transfers of ownership, and overseas investment are also subject to such “collective decision making practices,” said the statement.

Source: People’s Daily, July 16, 2010
http://npc.people.com.cn/GB/12161327.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Huanqiu: the Optimal Strategy of the Chinese Aircraft Carrier

The best approach for Chinese aircraft carriers is to break up any disputes, rather than “directly” partake in the process, according to a Huanqiu editorial.  

“Aircraft carriers cannot help solve the maritime security problems for China. A dozen of them would not do, let alone the rumored five or six. “ 
 

“We must be clear that it is unrealistic over a very long period of time to bring about the turning point of ‘China strong, U.S weak’ in the Pacific by building aircraft carriers. It is equally unrealistic to bring about a pro-China Asia by intimidating neighbors through a growing military force.”

Source: Huanqiu, July 30, 2010
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-07/971779.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military