Chinascope – Page 1166

Farmers Daily: Over 300 million Chinese peasants do not have clean water to drink

According to Farmers Daily (www.farmer.com.cn) on April 9, 2010, more than 300 million people in rural areas do not have any clean drinking water. Over 60% of the substandard drinking water is the result of non-natural factors. The cancer mortality rate, which is closely related to environmental pollution, increases year by year in the rural population.

The causes of pollution in rural areas are 1) few waste and water treatment facilities; 2) chemical fertilizers and pesticides everywhere; 3) high pollution and high energy consumption industrial enterprises entering the rural areas.

Source: Farmers Daily, April 9, 2010
http://www.farmer.com.cn/gd/snwp/201004/t20100409_536442.htm

Briefings | | April 20, 2010 | Economy/Resources

CNTheory: China cannot be without an aircraft carrier forever

On April 19, 2009, www.cntheory.com, which is directly under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee Party School, published an article titled, “China cannot be without an aircraft carrier forever.”

According to the article, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said to a visiting Japanese Defense Minister in 2009, "Among the big nations only China does not have an aircraft carrier. China cannot be without an aircraft carrier forever."

The article argues that, for international strategic considerations, China must have an aircraft carrier. To maintain domestic prosperity, it must first maintain its strength overseas. Aircraft carriers are needed not only for the protection of territorial waters and coastal resources, but also for the maintenance of overseas interests and dealing with the potential threats from international hostile forces.

Source: www.cntheory.com, April 19, 2010
http://www.cntheory.com/news/XXSBRDGZ/2010/412/1041210346FD5B4169K6AH6KD06F81.html

Briefings | | April 20, 2010 | Defense/Military

Preferential Financing for Cultural Industries; Nine Agencies Issue Joint Directive

The Guidance on the Financial Support of Revitalization, Development, and Prosperity of Cultural Industries was issued on March 26 by nine central party and government agencies including the People’s Bank of China, the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Culture, State Administration of Radio Film and Television, the General Administration of Press and Publications, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.

The Guidance is the first ever macroeconomic preferential policy on financing for cultural industries. It requires the financial institutes to actively develop finance products, establish a credit rating system, and provide quality financial services oriented toward cultural industries. It proposes to develop multilevel capital markets for cultural enterprises to directly raise capital, be listed on the stock market, and issue bonds and securities. Venture capital funds, private equity funds, and insurance institutions are also encouraged to invest in or serve the industry.

Source: Xinhua, April 9, 2010

http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2010-04/09/content_13323518.htm

Briefings | | April 19, 2010 | Economy/Resources

China Scholar: U.S. Is Exporting Inflation to Contain China

In an April 13 article published on China’s official newspaper Global Times, a China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) scholar, Zhang Jiye, considered the U.S. government’s inflationary economic policy to be a measure to contain the rise of China.

“Firstly, the U.S. can use the export of ‘inflation’ and depreciation of the dollar to massively devalue China’s foreign exchange reserve, empty China’s strategic assets, and delay China’s rise. Secondly, the U.S.’s low interest and low exchange rate policy will amplify the expectation of the yuan’s appreciation, further attracting international hot money into China and exacerbating China’s stock market and housing bubbles. Thirdly, the dollar depreciation could push up commodity prices, deepen China’s inflation introduced by importation, and cause social instability.” Zhang suggested that the government unpeg the yuan from the dollar and diversify China’s foreign asset structure.

Source: Global Times, April 13, 2010

http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2010-04/775740.html

Briefings | | April 19, 2010 | US-China Relations

Global Times: Nuclear Super Powers Will Not Lead China by the Nose

China’s official Global Times published an exclusive military report on April 16, “Nuclear super powers will not lead China by the nose,” countering some media critics on China’s nuclear capacity.

“As the U.S. and Russia currently possess more than 90% of the world’s nuclear heads, they still have their absolute advantage in nuclear power. Even if they cut their nuclear heads by half, it’s just a natural thing in terms of world peace. Moreover, the U.S. and Russia only signed a treaty and have taken no real action yet. At the same time, hawks in the U.S. are crying for an even stronger nuclear capacity. Through these arguments, we find it very difficult not to develop the worry that some people in the U.S. may only be playing an old card, weakening others’ strength in exchange for its own advantage, and maintaining its own nuclear superiority by pressing other countries for nuclear disarmament.”

Source: Global Times, April 16, 2010

http://mil.huanqiu.com/Exclusive/2010-04/779903.html

Briefings | | April 19, 2010 | US-China Relations

Minister of Culture: Western Soft Power Stronger than China’s

Cai Wu, the Minister of Culture, admitted that Western soft power continues to remain stronger than that of China. He saw no fundamental change, and believed that the status quo is not comparable to China’s rising international status. He expressed that China should “expand the international influence of Chinese culture, and, at the same time, truly protect the safety of domestic culture.” To increase China’s soft power is to, among other things, “promote understanding and respect for China’s core interests.”

Source: Xinhua, April 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2010-04/09/content_13323486.htm

Briefings | | April 16, 2010 | Government/Politics

China Should Take Lead in US-China Relations

The International Herald Leader under Xinhua published an article recommending that China should follow the example of Russia and take the lead in China-US relations. “Although China now has greater room to maneuver and is taking more initiative, it is still in the mode of defensive diplomacy. At best, it has changed from ‘passive defense’ to ‘active defense.’” China cannot force the United States to work on a topic that is of concern to China in situations and through means that China is familiar with. The article concludes that China should learn from Putin and proactively create some “new topics” so that the United States will feel the need to seek us out and talk.

Source: Xinhua, April 12, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-04/12/content_13340595.htm

Briefings | | April 16, 2010 | US-China Relations

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

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.”