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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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Wen Jiabao Says No G2 Likely to Develop

China does not welcome the idea of a G2, said Premier Wen Jiaobao when meeting with U.S. President Obama on November 18, according to Xinhua. 

The state media listed three reasons for this position: firstly, China is a developing country with a huge population. It has to keep a sober mind, remembering the long journey, so as to build a modern country; secondly, China follows an independent and peaceful foreign policy by forming no alliance with any country or blocs of countries; finally, China advocates that world affairs should be collectively decided by individual countries, instead of one or two powers. 

Source: Xinhua, November 18, 2009 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-11/18/content_12485552.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Nanfang Weekend Newspaper Blanks Page to Protest Censorship of Obama Interview

According to overseas Chinese media, Nanfang Weekend newspaper blanked out half a page to protest the CCP Propaganda Department’s censorng its articles. According to Epoch Times, during his meeting with Hu Jintao on November 17, Obama requested an interview by the Nanfang Weekend, a relatively liberal state-owned newspaper. Hu arranged it. However, Li Changchun, a Jiang Zemin loyalist, and member of the Standing Committee of the CCP’s Central Committee Political Bureau, in charge of propaganda, was annoyed that Hu bypassed him. He therefore ordered that the interview not be printed. Then after pressure from the US Embassy, the interview was allowed to be printed, but with certain sections cut out. The Propaganda Department also disallowed two other articles about Obama. In protest, Nanfang printed the newspaper with half a page blanked out (the newspaper page can be seen at http://www.mitbbs.com/article2/Military/32884503_1463.jpg).

This is a rare case of a state-owned media printing a blank newspaper page in protest.

Sources:
1. The Epoch Times, November 21, 2009
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/9/11/21/n2729468.htm
2. MIT BBS, November 20, 2009
http://www.mitbbs.com/article_t/Military/32884503.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Youth Daily: Employment Termination Announced at a Professor’s Sick Bedside

China Youth Daily published a news report on November 18, 2009, on Zhang Zaiyuan, a former Wuhan University professor and an internationally renowned architect. Prof. Zhang has been suffering from a rare motor neuron disease since October 2007. On April 30, 2009, Wuhan University sent four people to his bedside to read a "Termination Certificate of the Employment Contract." He lost his position as the Dean and as professor of the Urban Design College at Wuhan University as well as his medical insurance and assigned apartment. His wife, a housewife, recently found that Wuhan University had withdrawn all the salary that he had saved from his account, a total of over 500,000 yuan. She was told that the university used it to pay his medical expenses.

Source: China Youth Daily, November 18, 2009
http://law.cyol.com/content/2009-11/18/content_2942016.htm

Briefings | | |   Grapevine

Xinhua: China and Iran Increasing Investment and Trade Cooperation

On November 20, 2009, Xinhua reported that China is Iran’s largest trading partner.  In 2008, the direct bilateral trade amounted to 27.6 billion U.S. dollars. The trade volume from January to September this year has already reached 15.4 billion U.S. dollars including 5.5 billion U.S. dollars in exports and 10.0 billion U.S. dollars in imports. 

In November 2008, China and Iran signed an “Understanding Memorandum on Sino-Iranian Investment.” From January to September this year, Iran has invested $67.0 million in China; China has invested $159 million in Iran. Iran is China’s third largest crude oil importer. In 2008, china imported 21.3 million tons of crude oil from Iran, accounting for 12% of China’s imported crude oil.

Source: Xinhua, November 20, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-11/20/content_12512183.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: Li Changchun Summarizing “Precious” Experience in Propaganda Work

People’s Daily recently published the full speech that Li Changchun gave at the Tenth Chinese Reporters Festival. Li is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party. He summarized the experience gained over the past 60 years: (1) Sticking to Party principles, always aligning with the Party Central Committee; (2) Always taking the “right public opinion guidance” as top priority; (3) Tightly combining the Party’s policies with the people’s thoughts; (4) Establishing a positive international “public opinion environment” by integrating internal and external propaganda; (5) Keeping up the reform of methods used to “occupy new battlefields” such as the Internet; (6) Enhancing and improving the Party’s control over media and making sure the media leadership is “tightly controlled” by the ones who are loyal to the Party.

Source: People’s Daily, November 9, 2009.
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1024/10338997.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Communist Party to Expand in Non-State Sector

The Chinese Communist Party issued a directive calling for all to promote the establishment of grass roots party branches in the non-state sector. Especially, party branches must be established in non-State economic organizations where there are three or more Party members. If there are fewer than three party members, the party branches may be established by affiliating with the State’s chamber of commerce, trade unions, or trade associations. The directive emphasizes the appointment of strong leaders for the Party branches in the non-State economic organizations. “Party branches in the non-State economic organizations are important areas for party building. In recent years, there have been vigorous efforts at party building in non-State economic organizations, but overall this area is still relatively weak, and the coverage of Party branches is not as wide.”

Source: Xinhua, November 16, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-11/16/content_12470825.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

US Returning to Asia: Protection of Its Economic Interests

The United States concerns in Asia center around its protecting its economic interests. An International Herald Leader article states that recent moves by the U.S. in Asia, including Obama’s visits, show that the core of U.S. policy in Asia is to protect its significant economic benefits and to maintain a political and economic order conducive to the U.S., “rather than to contain and prevail over China similar to its main goal during the Cold War, which was to contain the Soviet Union.” “Therefore, it is rather radical to equate the United States making friends in Asia with making enemies for China. The aim of US diplomacy in Asia is first to fight for its own interests, and then to guard against China.”

Source: International Herald Leader, November 16, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-11/16/content_12468543.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Study Times on Army War Doctrine Change

Study Times, a weekly newspaper published by the Party School of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), published an article on how to develop diversified mechanized infantries:

Develop new battle theories based on different battlefields: 1. Battle inside City. The army is shifting its focus from traditional mountain/hilly ground to the city as it believes that cities will be the main battle ground in the future wars. 2. Shore Landing. 3. Airborne. 4. Battle in hilly ground.

Diversify mechanized infantries: 1. Heavy mechanized infantry. 2. Light mechanized infantry. 3. Amphibious mechanized infantry. 4. Airborne mechanized infantry.

Advance equipment: 1. Wheel-based equipment (for battles inside cities). 2. Airborne equipment. 3. Digitalized (IT-based) equipment.

Improve Training: 1. Develop training base for mechanized infantry soldiers (the current training bases are designed for tank crews). 2. Develop multi-purpose training centers. 3. Adopt more simulations.

Source: Study Times, October 26, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=3008&nid=10921&bid=7&page=1

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military