Chinascope – Page 1220

Lessons Learned from Past Military Tasks

China should establish a new national security concept in light of development and changes in the national security situation, says a Study Times article discussing lessons learned from military operations in the past 60 years. Specifically, the new concept should reflect the security concern of being a major power in the world, and to effectively defend the national interest beyond the traditional military scope, including non-military operations, crisis defusion and response, containment of war, and playing an active role in the world.

Source: Study Times, October 12, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2976&bid=7

Briefings | | October 16, 2009 | Defense/Military

Politburo Member Urges Unity under the Party’s Leadership

The Symposium in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Council (CPPCC) concluded in Beijing on October 14, 2009. Wang Gang, Politburo member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC spoke at the closing ceremony. Wang stressed the need to effectively bring thinking and action in line with the major plan that the CPC set for the CPPCC. He called for closely following the agenda and the interests of the CPC and State under the themes of unity and democracy.

Source: Xinhua, October 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-10/14/content_12231999.htm

Briefings | | October 16, 2009 | Government/Politics

Study Times: Three Major Changes in China’s Socialism Practice

The Party went through three transformations in its understanding of socialism, says Study Times. The first change was from building a new democratic state and society to a socialist model following the Soviet Union (1949-1956). The second shift took place in 1957 with the goal of surpassing the Soviet Union (1957-1978). The third occurred in 1979 with socialism with Chinese characteristics (1979-2009). The article states, “during the ten year catastrophe of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, the State and nation suffered from an unprecedented disaster with in its extent and damages far exceeding the purge in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.”

Source: Study Times, October 5, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=1&id=2955&nid=10775&bid=3&page=1

Briefings | | October 16, 2009 | Government/Politics

China’s Large Government Workforce Paid through Fiscal Appropriations

The Qiushi Journal, publication of the Communist Party of the China Central Committee organs, reported that China has a large government workforce that is paid through fiscal appropriations. It is estimated that over 40 million people are either direct government staff or members of party organizations. The aforementioned number increases by 20% annually.

Let’s take a look at Xupu County, Hunan Province. In 2007, its local tax and income was 170 million Yuan, while salary-related spending was 280 million Yuan.

Source: Qiushi Journal, September 24, 2009
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/wz/200909/t20090924_12215.htm

Briefings | | October 15, 2009 | Economy/Resources

China Unyielding in its Internet Censorship

UUCall, the self-claimed #1 provider of IP phone service in China, went suddenly dead on October 9, 2009 and has not been revived. The company’s Website was also unavailable. UUCall recorded on Baidu that it was closed down on government orders. It was directed to temporarily stop its services to allow government inspection. Insiders suggest that the government discovered that some individuals were using the IP phones to pass on Xinjiang separatist messages.

Also, Google Docs, a document sharing service provided by Google, was suspended in China recently. Most of the people use it for work-related documents. Google Docs utilizes https protocol for file transferring. China’s Great Firewall (GFW) censorship engine is unable to monitor or apply its censorship to this protocol. Therefore, China blocked Google Docs.

Sources:
1. Radio Free Asia, October 12, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/China_internet-10122009112607.html?encoding=simplified
2. Radio Free Asia, October 13, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/wangluo-10132009095407.html

Briefings | | October 15, 2009 | Information/Technology

International Herald Leader: China Distrusted for Its Work in Africa

The International Herald Leader, a newspaper under the auspices of Xinhua, published a commentary on October 13, 2009, debunking the Western claim that China practices “neocolonialism in Africa because of its need for natural resources.”

The article stated that the Western media portrays China as a new colonialist, a “destroyer” (using cheap made-in-China goods and workers flown from China to destroy Africa’s traditional economy), and a spreader of hatred to encourage and support ethnic group cleansing. Additionally, it accused Western companies of colluding with local rebel groups because of wanting to profiteer from natural resources and block China from entering the market. It declared that China’s presence in Africa brings economic growth to Africa, which unfortunately takes years for people to realize.

According to a report from the Ministry of Commerce, there are more than 800 Chinese companies and nearly 1 million Chinese workers in Africa. They are mainly employed in infrastructure industries, such as construction and oil extraction.

Source: International Herald Leader, October 13, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-10/13/content_12221552.htm

Briefings | | October 15, 2009 | Geo-Strategic Trend

GAPP: Foreign Investment in Net Games Banned

The Chinese General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) recently announced regulations on Internet games. All types of foreign investments are banned in this market. The ban includes indirect control or investment into domestic companies. Domestic companies importing games are also regulated. Service providers are required to submit the games to the authorities for approval first.

Source: Xinhua, October 10, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2009-10/10/content_12206841.htm

Briefings | | October 14, 2009 | Information/Technology

New Media Booming in China

College students watched the online broadcast of the October 1 parade while exchanging instant messages with friends. The online broadcast recorded 500 million visits that day and the simultaneous viewers reached 2.62 million. This reflects the boom of new Internet based media. Another major branch of new media is the cell phone. China currently has 680 million cell phone users which include 155 million users who go online with their phones. Additionally, digital cable is widely spreading in cities. It’s becoming a new interactive way of communication. New Media are significantly impacting people’s lives and are becoming an important channel for citizens to speak their voices.

Source: Xinhua, October 9, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-10/09/content_12200850.htm

Briefings | | October 14, 2009 | Economy/Resources

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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