Chinascope – Page 1213

U.S.- Indian Policy Targets China

The International Herald Leader under Xinhua reported, when commenting on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s announcement of a “US-India 3.0” relationship, that government think tanks have published that the U.S. is improving its relationship with India in order to contain China, .

The article of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences states, “The China factor is very obvious” in the 2005 ‘New Framework in the India-U.S. Defense Relationship’ between the United States and India. “Both countries feel an inexplicable but obvious insecurity toward the growth of China.” The article cites U.S. media on China’s building a nuclear submarine in Sanya, Hainan, Indian and western media on China’s involvement in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, and on Chinese naval ships escorting merchant ships in the Indian Ocean earlier this year.

Source: International Herald Leader, June 22, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-06/22/content_11580302.htm

Briefings | | July 6, 2009 | US-China Relations

China Warns against US Protectionism

Xinhua observed that the United States is increasing trade friction with its recent WTO case against China over its export restrictions on raw materials. It is the first case during the Obama administration and the European Union is joining the United States in the action, noted Xinhua.

"As the two largest trading nations, it is normal to have trade friction. However, a series of trade frictions will damage bilateral trade relations." "Although a trade war would be a lose-lose for all, still, China should not allow the United States continue to discriminate against Chinese products."

Source: Xinhua, June 25, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2009-06/25/content_11596474.htm

Briefings | | July 6, 2009 | US-China Relations

Ming Pao: China’s Tax and Spending Dilemma

Hong Kong based Ming Pao reported on June 28 that the latest Chinese statistics showed the government has less income from tax but is spending more. The government’s official response is to reduce spending on car purchases, receptions, officials’ visits (tours) of other countries, and construction of government buildings. However, given the massive corruption in China, it is impossible to control the government’s spending. The other option is to increase taxes, but that also presents big challenges, as the government promised the public that it would reduce the tax burden to stimulate the economy’s growth. Therefore, the government is trapped.

Source: Ming Pao, June 28, 2009
http://specials.mingpao.com/cfm/News.cfm?SpecialsID=20&News=8a449547606c739b9a24c44c2ebb40919b1dd5c4a23f11a0a804595d2eb7

Briefings | | July 2, 2009 | Government/Politics

Outlook: The Balance between Defending the National Interest and Maintaining Area Stability

Outlook published an article stating that China should seek to highly unify its strategies of defending the national interest while maintaining area stability when dealing with its neighboring countries.

It listed China’s strategic security environment and development opportunities as: China is adjacent to many counties, some of which are large countries and many of which have nuclear weapons; in the ocean, China is surrounded by several countries along the first island chain and the second island chain; neighboring countries and regions are concerned about China’s rise; and western countries set up international rules on ocean rights that do not favor the developing countries.

“Equally important, the first twenty years of the 21st century is the strategic opportunity era for China. That means that China needs to seek at least twenty years of having a peaceful environment to develop and strengthen itself, to establish its competitive advantage in the areas of the economy, politics, culture, diplomacy, and the military. Then China can better defend its own interests.”

Source: Outlook, June 22, 2009
http://news.sohu.com/20090622/n264682762.shtml

Briefings | | July 2, 2009 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Washington Times: The U.S. Should Confront China’s Duplicity

The Washington Times published an article by James Lyons, a retired U.S. Navy Admiral, and former commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, stating that “the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has developed an extremely devious strategy to challenge U.S. strategic interest not only in the Western Pacific, but also globally.” China has built networks with countries such as North Korea, Burma, Iran, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen – to mention but a few – all of which are hostile to the United States and other democracies. China is behind all of North Korea’s moves. China has been supplying nuclear technologies to other countries, and China has been using Iran as a proxy to support the Taliban, where China provides weapons and ammunition to Iran, which are then passed to Shi’ite militias and the Taliban. Lyons argued that the U.S. should tell China to reverse its nuclear and missile proliferation policy and should also take other measures to confront China’s duplicity.

Source: Washington Times, June 21, 2009
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/21/confront-chinas-duplicity/print/

Briefings | | July 2, 2009 | US-China Relations

Not Guilty – Rights Lawyers Defending Falun Gong

Ten years ago, on July 20, 1999, the State’s Ministry of Civil Affairs declared Falun Gong and the Falun Dafa Research Society to be illegal, thus starting the persecution that has continued unabated to the present time. In spite of the State’s high-pressure tactics, a growing number of rights lawyers in China have stepped forward to provide a not-guilty defense in court.

Continue reading →

Analyses | | July 1, 2009 | Opinion

What is Green Dam Damming?

Recent news reports revealed that the Chinese government has mandated that every PC sold in China must include a censorship program called Green Dam beginning July 1. Several computer experts from the Computer Science and Engineering Division at The University of Michigan conducted an investigation of the software and published their research Analysis of the Green Dam Censorware System on the Internet (http://www.cse.umich.edu/~jhalderm/pub/gd/).

Continue reading →

Analyses | | July 1, 2009 | Opinion

University Admissions Policy Discriminates Against Falun Gong and Political Nonconformists

Regulations on Political Qualifications Applicable to Military Academies Enrolling Regular High School Graduates and on the Military Recruiting of Regular College Graduates [1]

(The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security and the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army)

Joint Notice No. 1 [2001] May 31, 2001

To strengthen ideological and political construction among the officers of the armed forces and based on the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Officers in Active Service, Military Service Law of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant laws and regulations, now therefore the regulations on regulations on political qualifications applicable to military academies enrolling regular high school graduates and on the military recruiting of regular college graduates are prescribed as follows:

Love the Chinese Communist Party; love the socialist motherland; love the people; love the people’s army; support the Party’s line, principles and policies; comply with the Constitution and the laws; have a clean history, be politically reliable, upright, politically correct, and of good moral character; serve the people wholeheartedly; willing to be fully dedicated to national defense with the determination to defend the motherland and people to work in peace. No one shall be enrolled and accepted if found to fall into any of the following categories:

1. Those who are dissatisfied, in word or deed, with the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist system.

2. Those who have leaked the Party, State and military’s secrets; maintain close ties with immediate family members who fled abroad or joined in espionage and reactionary organizations in foreign countries, thus being politically suspicious.

3. Those who have organized or participated, inside and outside China, in organizations that endanger national security as well as triads (identified by local public security departments); have organized or supported unlawful assemblies, marches, demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strikes, students’ strikes and other activities.

4. Those who have a prior history of imprisonment, criminal detention, control or being deprived of political rights; a prior history of re-education through labor in accordance with the law, or administrative detention; have been subject to criminal investigation, prosecution, or trials that have not closed, and crime suspects under investigation and surveillance; have been parties to litigation of civil and economic disputes yet to be resolved.

5. Those who have participated in "Falun Gong" or qigong organizations that the public security departments have identified as harmful to society; have immediate family members or other close relatives who practice Falun Gong or qigong organizations harmful to society and are core members or refuse to change and continue to adhere to the wrong position.

6. Those who have engaged in indecency, theft, robbery, fraud, gambling, smuggling, prostitution, drug addiction, production and distribution of pornographic materials and other illegal activities.

7. Those who believe in religions or have participated in the activities of religious organizations.

8. Those who have bad moral character, poor discipline and have been reprimanded for serious mistakes.

9. Those who wear tattoo designs, words, or points not due to ethnic customs and bear symbols of problematic political issues and criminal gangs.

10. Those who cannot correctly accept that their immediate family members, close relatives or other directly fostered persons were sentenced or disciplined.

11. Those whose background cannot be easily investigated due to various reasons.

It is a joint task of the military and local authorities to do well in investigating political qualifications when military academies enroll regular high school graduates and the armed forces recruit regular college graduates. We must strengthen the leadership. The military cognizant departments shall carry out well-organized implementation. Local departments of education and public security should actively assist, cooperate closely within their duties, and check carefully to ensure the political quality of the enrollees and those accepted.

Public Announcement of Hainan on Admission Interviews for Military Academies, Public Security Schools, Schools of Riot Police and Judicial and Law Schools [2]

June 29, 2008, Examinations Bureau of Hainan Province

……

The interviewing institutions shall provide candidates who passed interviews with the “Form of Interviews, Physical Tests and Political Qualification of Public Security Higher Educational Institutions.” The candidates shall bring the forms to their high schools (graduates of priors years should go to their village or streets committee offices), local police station and city/county public security bureau for political background approval. Candidates shall submit the completed form to the education section under the personnel division of the Political Department, the Provincial Public Security Bureau.

The political qualification process covers political behavior, obeying the law and the public morality of the candidates, their immediate family members and major social associations.

Candidates shall be politically disqualified if they committed one of the following:

Have received a criminal sentence, re-education through labor, juvenile disciplinary administration or punishment for disorderly social behavior in the past five years.

Are currently under criminal investigation and surveillance.

Have records of expulsion from school, the Communist Youth League, the Communist Party or have been written up in personnel files or more in the past three years.

Have practiced Falun Gong or other illegal organizations or groups of organized crimes.

Have a history of drug addiction.

Have immediate family members or close relatives that have received the death sentence or were sentenced for endangering State security or are serving terms for other crimes.

Have immediate family members or close relatives that are suspects currently under criminal investigation by the authorities or hard core members of Falun Gong and other illegal organizations who refuse to change their wrong positions; and other situations that are not appropriate for enrollment.

2009 Enrollment Charter for National Defense Students
Dalian Science and Industry University [3]

……

3. Admission criteria

(1) Support the party’s line, loyal to the motherland, love the military, willing to be dedicated to national defense, have not participated in any illegal social groups and organizations, have no connection with Falun Gong, meet the standards in the Regulations on Political Qualifications Applicable to Military Academies Enrolling Regular High School Graduates and Military Recruiting Regular College Graduates (Joint Notice No. 1 [2001]).

Lanzhou University: If You Want To Become a Military Officer [4]
……

4. What are the admission criteria for candidates?

(1) Meet the standards in the Regulations on Political Qualifications Applicable to Military Academies Enrolling Regular High School Graduates and Military Recruiting Regular College Graduates, willing to be dedicated to national defense and will accept assigned posts upon graduation. The candidate, the guardian and the immediate family members have not participated in any illegal social organizations, particularly Falun Gong.

2009 Beijing Regulations on Admissions at Regular Higher Educational Institutions [5]
……

4. Anyone who falls into one of the following categories shall not be accepted:

a. Have opposed the basic principles of the Constitution or participated in cults [Editor’s Note: as the government has been extensively referring to Falun Gong as a “cult,” in the official’s language in China, “cult” has become synonymous with Falun Gong].

b. Have violated social order regulations, and been disciplined as a result, where the violations were of a serious and egregious nature.
…

2009 Heilongjiang Regulations on Admissions at Regular Higher Educational Institutions [6]
……

9. Anyone that falls into one of the following categories shall fail in the political and moral qualifications.

a. Have opposed the basic principles of the Constitution or participated in cults.
b. Have violated social order regulations, and been disciplined as a result, where the violations were of a serious and egregious nature.
……

Endnotes:
[1] University of Science and Technology of China
http://hbjg.ustc.edu.cn/index.php?Aid=323
[2] Examinations Bureau of Hainan Province
http://ea.hainan.gov.cn/phtml/2008/06/30/1529.html
[3] Dalian University of Technology
http://recruit.dlut.edu.cn/Display.aspx?NewsID=259
[4] Lanzhou University
http://xpb.lzu.edu.cn/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=550
[5] Beijing Education Examination Authority
http://www.bjeea.cn/218425681439096832/20090402/37700.shtml
[6] Xinhua, May 20, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2009-05/20/content_11404791.htm

Reports | | July 1, 2009 | Report

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