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Xinhua Published Five Commentaries on Local Government Land Sales

From March 28 to April 1, Xinhua consecutively published five commentaries against local governments on selling land to increase income. The key points of the commentaries were: (1) land-selling based local finance policies are an overdraft that’s not sustainable; (2) local governments must change the mentality of real estate speculation; (3) the entire government real estate approval process should be transparent to avoid corruption; (4) land monopoly causes vicious competition and pushes land prices up; (5) the high profit and immediate contribution to GDP (which is a major measurement of a government’s performance) discourages local government’s willingness to control housing price.

Source: Xinhua, April 4, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/house/2010-04/04/content_13297657.htm

The Next U.S. War Target

Xinhua recently republished an article by PLA Life Magazine, authored by popular military commentator, Zhang Zhaozhong, on who will be the next U.S. war target. The article started with the story that the CIA helped Saddam Hussein obtain the ruling power and pushed the war against Iran. Then, after a failed war against Iran, the U.S. tacitly agreed to Saddam’s plan to invade Kuwait as a trap. The Bushes attacked Iraq to sustain control of the region by having a pro-US government. The war in Afghanistan afterwards was to completely remove Russia’s influence and to “put a knife in China’s back.”

The author considers Obama’s peaceful look to be a “political smoke bomb.” The article looked back into U.S. history and concluded that there was no US president that never had a war. Therefore Obama will not be an exception. Zhang predicts the U.S. will not let Iran be the strongest military power in the Middle East.

Source: Xinhua, April 6, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-04/06/content_13308134.htm

Yang Huanning’s Talk at the National Video Teleconference on Political and Legislative Affairs

MPS: Anticipate and Prevent the Enemy’s Actions in China and Overseas; Prevail by Using Preemptive Strikes

The Executive Vice Minister of MPS: Yang Huanning

December 18, 2009

Since the year 2009, we have faced the new situation of China’s economy being deeply impacted by the international financial crisis, and the heavy task of maintaining social stability. We have also faced the new challenge of the complicated situation of struggling against our enemies, and new social security problems. Under the strong leadership of the CCCCP, the State Council, and various levels of local party committees and governments, the nation’s public security authorities have firmly adhered to the requirement of "maintaining growth, maintaining people’s livelihood, and maintaining stability," and focused our work around the main goal of the security tasks for the 60th anniversary of establishing the PRC. With overall coordination and planning, we have put our best effort into strictly guarding against and cracking down on the hostile forces’ sabotage activities both inside and outside of China. We have properly and quickly taken care of major massive unrest triggered by social conflict. We have focused on maintaining the social stability of Urumqi City, of the whole Xinjiang area, of Tibet, and of other Tibetan areas. We have carried out anti-crime, explosives, and gun control public security operations. We have covered more areas carrying out activities of the "Great Visit" [2] and we have comprehensively strengthened and improved social management and services. With all these, we have effectively and persistently safeguarded the country’s overall social stability, and have made new contributions in promoting steady and rapid economic growth and ensuring that people live peacefully and joyfully.

At the same time, we are clearly aware that, at present, the country is at a special historic period of socioeconomic transition and prone to frequent social conflicts. The international financial crisis is still having an effect; the world economic and political structures are undergoing profound changes; and we are still facing various foreseeable and unforeseeable risks and challenges from both inside and outside of China. The main factors that affect national security and social stability include western anti-China forces’ plots to westernize and disintegrate China, conflicts and disputes between countries, the hostile forces disruptive and sabotage activities, increasingly complex and diverse conflicts among the people, and all kinds of traditional and new public security problems. In the new year, the situation for maintaining stability won’t be easy and the pressure won’t be any less. … (We ought to) focus on the following six tasks:

First, firmly grasp the initiative in combat against the enemies.(We should) further enhance our political sensitivity and discernment; do in-depth studies to correctly understand the new changes and characteristics of the enemies; vigorously enhance intelligence work; keenly guard against and crack down on sabotage activities by domestic and foreign hostile forces, ethnic separatist forces, violent and terrorist forces, religious extremist forces, and "Falun Gong"; and strive to predict, prevent, and preempt the enemies’ actions. We should conscientiously carry out the deployment of the CCCCP; properly handle the critical relationship between current and long term issues, domestic and overseas issues, the struggle against the enemy, and conflicts among our own people; comprehensively strengthen the working mechanism and grass-roots infrastructure buildup to maintain the stability of Xinjiang and Tibet; continuously improve the ability to initiate combat, prevent attacks, and handle emergencies; and give our best effort to maintain the social stability of Xinjiang and Tibet.

Second, we must do everything possible to safeguard social stability. 1) We should thoroughly carry out the task of resolving conflicts and disputes. We should resolve problems at the roots, actively participate in the development of a social stability risk assessment system, and the "Great Mediation" [3] system, improve the early-warning mechanism of massive unrest, and focus more on accurately comprehending public opinion and timely collecting intelligence. We need to prevent the occurrence of massive social unrest at the roots. 2) We should establish and improve the mechanism for handling emergent situations. We should enhance the study of the characteristics of handling major emergent incidents and constantly improve an emergency response system that meets our needs in real situations. We should also clearly understand the command jurisdiction and procedure, and on-site processing options and requirements, so as to make sure that whenever major emergencies occur, the key leadership of the local public security authorities is able to arrive at the command position at the earliest time to coordinate available resources and take care of everything in a timely, appropriate, and efficient manner. 3) We should focus on improving on-site handling ability. … Coordinate well the handling of emergencies, taking domestic and international influences into consideration, prevail in both battlefields of the Internet and other forms of mass media, effectively strengthen the work of guiding public opinion, and properly responding to reactions both inside China and overseas. 4) Strengthen the development of support for emergent situations. Vigorously strengthen the development of special forces with a main focus on the special police unit; further enhance the abilities of the police force to provide security safeguards and emergency responses. …

Third, we should fully implement comprehensive management and control measures on public security. 1) Adhere to the “strike hard” policy to harshly crack down on all serious criminal activities. … 2) Follow the unified deployment of the Committee for the Comprehensive Management of Public Security to fix critical security issues and carry out the cleanup of places with poor public security. … 3) Focus on strengthening social security management and control measures; be determined to prevent loopholes in the areas of management and control. … 4) Build a prevention and control network based on a street-level monitoring network and actively advance a dynamic prevention and control system of public security. Promptly institutionalize societal patrols in large and medium-size cities; extend the tentacles of prevention and control to reach farther into the communities and work places, as well as residential areas inside cities, suburban areas, and the junctions of administrative regions; focus on building a dynamic and multi-dimensional prevention and control network of public security that combines manpower, equipment, and technology, and integrates both the Internet and other mass media. Strive for accomplishing the prevention and control system at the provincial, municipal, and county levels within three years, starting next year.

Fourth, we should do well in the security work for the Shanghai World Expo and the Guangzhou Asian Games. 1) Fully borrow successful experiences from the Beijing Olympics, the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, and the 11th National Games. … 2) Under the unified leadership of the CCCCP, relying closely on the local party committees and governments, widely mobilize all social forces, balance and coordinate them together, and form a security structure where the working forces includes the general Chinese people in addition to  special forces. … 3) Focus on overall prevention and control. The public security authorities in Shanghai and Guangdong should fully utilize the integrated effects of manpower, technology, and equipment; make a tight and dense social prevention and control network; strictly control hazardous materials; strictly protect key positions; strictly govern crucial hidden risks; and strictly prevent individual extreme violence, major criminal offences, and major security incidents from happening. Public security authorities in the areas surrounding Shanghai and Guangdong should keep in mind that it is a coordinated effort all over the country as on a “single chess-board,” Be actively supportive and fully cooperative, construct a solid security line of moat-like defense, have strict personal, vehicle, and goods inspections, and give your best effort to filtering out all kinds of insecure factors and blocking them from the outside. … 4) Strengthen the information and intelligence consultation system, perfect all kinds of pre-arranged work planning, improve capabilities of timely detection, proactive attacks, and preemptive strikes on enemies, resolutely prevent hostile forces and elements from creating significant damage and major incidents, resolutely prevent the occurrence of violent terrorist attacks, resolutely prevent the occurrence of major mass incidents that could impact the World Expo and the Asian Games, ensure the absolute safety of security objects and security targets, and ensure the absolute safety of the open park ceremony at the World Expo, the opening and closing ceremonies at the Asian Games, and important contests at the Asian Games. …

Fifth, further promote the “Three Basics” Project [4] and the “Three Developments.” [5] 1) Accelerate the development of information technology in public security authorities. Build a “Grand Intelligence” information system within the public security system and comprehensively promote the second stage of the “Golden Shield Project.” Strive to finish the intelligence information platform at the provincial, municipal, and county levels before the end of next year, and achieve a high degree of information sharing and a high efficiency of information linkage and applications. … 2) Vigorously strengthen the development of standardization of law enforcement procedures. … 3) Strive to build a harmonious relationship between the police and the public. … 4) Further strengthen the grass-roots development of public security work. Continue to deepen the policing strategies in residential communities and rural areas; scientifically and reasonably arrange security manpower and organize police activities; work hard to make the security offices in rural areas be the first line of defense for maintaining stability as well as the first platform for serving the people. …

Sixth, we should further strengthen and improve the public security team. 1) Thoroughly implement the policy of the party’s Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee. … Improve the team’s overall competency and performance in all aspects as well as their capabilities for completing their duties. 2) Further enhance the efforts in education and training. For next year, focus on doing a good job in running the three training classes for directors of municipal police stations, political directors of provincial and municipal public security authorities, and leaders of provincial and municipal information departments of the public security authorities. The provincial and municipal public security authorities shall give extensive training to all grass roots level police station chiefs. … 3) Further intensify supervision and management. …

Endnotes:
[1] Heilongjiang Information Net, December 28, 2009
http://www.hljic.gov.cn/xxhsd/fzygh/t20091228_473803.htm
[2] The “Great Visit” is a project launched by the Ministry of Public Security that calls for policemen nationwide to walk into the homes of individual families to solve problems or handle social conflicts. It was initially a temporary project for the period around the Chinese New Year, from the end of 2008 to March 2009. Later the MPS advised the national police force to make it a long-term mechanism. It is believed to be a channel for the MPS to collect grass-root level information from Chinese households while strengthening social control.                                   
[3] The “Great Mediation” system is a societal mediation system that the Communist Party and the central and local administration have implemented. Private individuals, administrative agencies, and judicial organs are used to guide the mediation of social conflicts.                        
[4] The “Three Basics” Project refers to: Focusing on the basic level of police forces, improving the basic infrastructure of police work, and training every policeman in basic skills.
[5] The “Three Developments” refers to: Development of information technology in the public security system; development of standard law enforcement procedures; development of a harmonious relationship between the police and the public.

NDDaily: Historic Photos Modified for Political and Artistic Reasons

On April 5, 2010, China Gate (http://www.wenxuecity.com/) reprinted a news article from NDDaily (http://www.nddaily.com/), a Chinese newspaper in China, on Zhang Dali’s historic photo exhibit called “Zhang Dali: A Second History,” which is in the Guangdong Museum of Art from March 27 to April 18, 2010: http://www.gdmoa.org/zhanlan/zhanlandangan/14/08/17604.jsp).

According to the article, Zhang’s photo exhibit presents over 130 sets of historic photos with multiple photos of the same scene. They are modified with erased figures and replaced backgrounds for political and artistic reasons. Zhang Dali said: “What we see or know is actually ‘the second history.’ The ‘first history’ was intentionally or unintentionally covered.”

Source: China Gate, April 5, 2010
http://news.wenxuecity.com/messages/201004/news-gb2312-1055733.html

People’s Daily: Russia sold 15 sets of the new S-300 missile systems to China

According to People’s Daily on April 3, 2010, “Russian Al Yilmaz Aetna’s president said that its factory has delivered 15 sets of the new S-300 missile systems to China with a contract valued at more than 2.25 billion U.S. dollars.”

The People’s Daily article reported that “The S-300 missile (NATO code-named Sam -20) covers a range of more than 150 km with a maximum flying speed at over 2 kilometers per second. … Based on information from the West, it can shoot down cruise missiles and aircraft.” The article pointed out that “the West is worried that the latest export-oriented S-300 missiles may also have “anti-stealth” capability.”

Source: People’s Daily, April 3, 2010
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/172467/11291762.html

Boxun: China’s Investment in the Balkans is for Positioning itself in International Politics.

Boxun (peacehall.com and boxun.com), an independent online Chinese news source, published an article based on information from Associated Press on April 5, 2010, titled, “Europe Exclaimed: China Swept the Entire Eastern Europe with a Trump in Hand.”1

The article reported that “the Chinese government’s approach is very simple. It just starts from economic cooperation. The trump in hand is the money.”

The article further pointed out that “China’s investment in the Balkans is not for money but for positioning itself in international politics. China sends a strong signal to the world through (its involvement) in the Balkans that … China is no longer a regional power but a real world power. China is on the way towards world hegemony. The Balkans is only a geographical location on its schedule.”

1. Ed. Note: The original article from Associated Press could be found.

Source: Boxun, April 5, 2010
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/army/2010/04/201004051101.shtml
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/army/2010/04/201004051101.shtml

Wang Cheng Asks for Stronger Asia Voice

“Asia media should strengthen communications and cooperation,” said Wang Cheng, Director of the State Council Information Office at the Asia News Network’s (ANN) 2010 annual meeting on April 9 in Beijing. ANN is a “network of national daily newspapers published in Asian cities. It was organized to provide avenues for cooperation and to optimize coverage of major news events in the region.” The Editor-in-Chief of China’s official English newspaper China Daily is on its Executive Board. 

Wang emphasized the fast growth of information technology and Internet based new media, suggesting Asia’s traditional media should catch up. In particular, Wang called for a greater voice from all Asia’s media combined. “National media should grasp the direction of regional cooperation, strengthen reporting on other Asian countries, enhance coverage of international affairs, and gain a greater voice for Asia, which should send more and have a stronger voice of its own.” 
Source: China News Service, April 9, 2010 
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/04-09/2216662.shtml

China Has Launched 36 Satellites for 14 Countries

On April 7, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), China’s flagship organization authorized by the government to provide satellite in-orbit delivery (IOD) services, commercial launch services and aerospace technology applications invited customers from countries including the United States, France, Germany,  the Philippines, and Hong Kong to the city of Xichang (which has a spaceport located about 64 km to the northwest) to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of China’s international space launch services. 

According to China News Service, to date, China has used 7 models of “Long March” rockets to launch 36 commercial satellites for 14 countries. 
Source: China News Service, April 8, 2010 
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/04-08/2212805.shtml