Chinascope – Page 1163

Chinese Internet Scale Tops the World

According to CCTV (Chinese Central Television), by the end of November, the Chinese netizen population reached 360 million – an increase of 20.8%. This number tops the globe. Meanwhile, related statistics show that, by end of June, the Chinese Internet covered 25.5% of the entire population, which is above the global average of 21.9%. The number of Chinese owned domain names reached over 16 million, among which .cn domain names are around 13 million. That makes .cn the largest country domain. According to Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Chinese broadband users passed 100 million by the end of October.

Source: Global Times, December 15, 2009
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-12/661062.html

Briefings | | December 23, 2009 | Information/Technology

Official in Deputy Minister Grade: I Cannot Afford Housing Either

Professor He Keng, who is a National People’s Congress Standing Committee member, Vice Chairman of Congress Finance and Economy Committee, and Chairman of China Statistical Society of Education, recently commented that he could not afford an apartment based on his salary. The professor pointed out that there is a bubble in the Chinese real estate market, which is primarily caused by government speculation on both land and housing. He believes that local governments and some “experts” favor the existence of the bubble, because it has brought them profit. He also believes that sooner or later the price will drop.

Source: Global Times, December 15, 2009
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-12/661145.html

Briefings | | December 23, 2009 | Economy/Resources

China Youth Daily: Dacheng County Government Voided Workers’ Shares

China Youth Daily reported on December 11, 2009 that more than 100 workers asked for the return of their invested shares but had difficulties paying the legal fees.

In 1994, a branch factory of Shangyang Cable Enterprise in Langfang City, Hebei Province requested its employees become its “shareholders.” So 286 workers invested a total of 1.03 million Yuan, with 500 Yuan per share. At that time, each worker only earned 1,000 Yuan per year. However, with the approval of the county government, the worker’s rights as shareholders were voided. In 2004 the former general manager of state-owned Shangyang Cable Enterprise, Sun Jixu, together with 23 others bought the factory and became the new shareholders. The 286 workers lost all their shares as well as their jobs.

Source: China Youth Daily, December 11, 2009
http://www.cyol.net/zqb/content/2009-12/11/content_2977921.htm

Briefings | | December 22, 2009 | Grapevine

80% of Newly Elected Academicians Are Officials

A recent Xinhua report shows that among the 35 newly elected members of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80% hold administrative positions in universities or research institutes; among the 48 new Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) members, the proportion runs as high as 85%. In China, there are few private universities and research institutes.

In 2001, a Minister of the Railroad was elected into CAE; in 2003, a Minister of Construction and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, together with some businessmen made their way into the nation’s highest body of scientists.

In recent years there have been calls to set up elections for Academicians for the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Many opposed the idea, however, seeing the rampant corruption in the education system. In an article, a scholar from Yunnan Province said, “A number of politicians have stolen the professorship. … How will such a high honor of Academicians not be tarnished by politicians?”

Source: Xinhua, December 17, 2009

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/17/content_12661657.htm

Briefings | | December 22, 2009 | Government/Politics

Li Changchun: Improve the Ideological and Political Work for the Cause of the Party

The Chinese Society of Ideological and Political Work (CSIPW), also called the Chinese Association for Culture Construction (CACC) when dealing with foreign countries, opened its ninth conference in Beijing on December 15, 2009, according to Xinhua.

Li Changchun, a Political Bureau Standing Committee member of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech, stressing that ideological and political work should constantly create new content forms and methods to deal with new situations and tasks, so as to provide a strong spiritual power and ideological guarantee for the new development of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Ideological and political work should be done to support the development of the Party. The mass media, especially the Internet, cell phones, and other communication means should be used to continuously broaden the ideological and political work channels.

Source: Xinhua, December 15, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-12/15/content_12651886.htm

Briefings | | December 22, 2009 | Government/Politics

Argentine Judge Issues Arrest Warrants; Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan charged with crimes against Falun Gong

On Dec. 17，a Judge in Argentina issued arrest warrants for two retired Chinese Communist leaders for their crime of persecuting Falun Gong.

In the historic ruling, federal court judge Octavio Araoz de Lamadrid charged former president Jiang Zemin and his Police Chief Luo Gan with crimes against humanity. Luo Gan is the former head of the "610 Office," the extra-constitutional agency that carries out the persecution.

“This is the true reality of the creation of a Chinese Gestapo with the objective of exterminating thousands of innocent people [including women, the elderly, and children] under the control, direction, supervision, and coordination of Luo Gan, the accused … .” Judge Lamadrid wrote of the 610 Office in his decision.

Source: The Epoch Times, December 19, 2009
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/26693/

Briefings | | December 21, 2009 | Government/Politics

China Acquires a U.S. Theater

On Monday December 14, China Heaven Creation officially took over the White House Theater in Branson, Missouri, the United States. “It is the very first time that a Chinese cultural enterprise successfully bought a U.S. theater, and is a major achievement of Chinese culture ‘stepping outside,’” said Xinhua.

China Heaven Creation (CHC), according to its website, was “founded in 1999 with the backing of China Travel Service HK Ltd and the approval of the Ministry of Culture. In 2005, CHC was selected by the Ministry of Culture as the National Model Base for the Culture Industry.”

Source: Xinhua, December 15, 2009

http://news.xinhuanet.com/photo/2009-12/15/content_12647177.htm

Briefings | | December 21, 2009 | Economy/Resources

China-Central Asia Natural Gas Pipeline to Fulfill Beijing’s Energy Goals

China’s Hu Jintao was in Turkmenistan on Monday December 14, attending the opening ceremonial of the launch of a natural gas pipeline that runs 1,140 miles across three Central Asia nations to the Chinese border, and into the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev, Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov, and Uzbekistan President Islom Karimov turned the valve of the pipeline with Hu.

"China gives the highest priority to cooperation between our neighbors and this pipeline is witness to the uninterrupted cooperation that continues to flourish between our nations," Hu said Monday.

The pipeline is the first major export corridor for natural gas out of the region that does not pass through Russia.

Source: China News Service, December 14, 2009

http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/12-14/2017220.shtml

Briefings | | December 21, 2009 | Economy/Resources

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.

CCP, Master of Hostage Diplomacy