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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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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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CCP, Master of Hostage Diplomacy

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Deputy Chief of Overseas Affairs Office on Promoting Chinese Language Teaching

Zhao Yang, the deputy chief of the Office of Overseas Affairs (OOA) under the State Council, talked to Xinhua after attending the 7th Annual Conference of The Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS) in Chicago on December 13 and 14.

Zhao mentioned four measures to be taken by OOA for promoting overseas Chinese language teaching. First, strengthen the communication and cooperation between Chinese communities and local governments; second, advance the role of Joint Conference of State Overseas Chinese Language Education Work, adding governmental support to language education; third, OOA is to launch degree programs to train overseas teachers of Chinese language; fourth, OOA will selectively build a batch of “Chinese Education Model Schools” and offer key support in textbooks and teacher’s training.

Source: Xinhua, December 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2008-12/16/content_10513693.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily Website Launches Operation in Japan

On December 16, 2008, www.people.com.cn, the website of Chinese government’s official newspaper the People’s Daily, started a kabushiki kaisha (public corporation) in Tokyo Japan, marking the first step in the agency’s overseas expansion.

The Japanese subsidiary operates a Japanese language version of the newspaper’s website (http://j.people.com.cn/) and the Japan channel of the paper (http://japan.people.com.cn). The former focuses on reporting China-related news to the general public in Japan, as its production and technology center is moving from Beijing to Tokyo. The latter, concentrating on reporting Japan-related news to people in China, is the only domestic news portal that specializes in Japan and the Sino-Japanese relationship.

Source: Xinhua, December 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2008-12/16/content_10515261.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Russia and China Try to Breakthrough Stalemate of Arms Cooperation

Russia and China are determined to breakthrough the stalled situation of arms cooperation in air force during the 13th Conference of Russia and China’s United Commission of Military Technology Cooperation on December 11, 2008. Russia and China’s military technology cooperation in the area of air force equipment  has stalled for the past couple of years. The conference will discuss the issue of Russia manufacturing Russian airplanes in China and how to expand the cooperation in this area, including gaining permission to manufacture Su-27 and Su-30 in China and receiving service after the sale.

Source: Xinhua, December 11, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-12/11/content_10487989.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Issues Social Blue Book for 2009

On December 15, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences issued the Social Blue Book for 2009 and held a forum to report the overall situation of Chinese society, analyzing the country’s current situation and also predicting the hot issues for 2009. The book revealed that seeing doctors and employment are the most prominent issues. It also said that the current jobless rate of college graduates is over 12 percent, three times the registered jobless rate.

Source: people.com.cn, December 16, 2008 
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/8523717.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

School Teachers Strike in Chongqing Spreading to Larger Areas

Following a strike by school teachers in Yongchuan District and Jijiang County in the Chongqing Municipality in October, similar strikes are spreading to many other districts and counties including Jiangjin, Qianjiang, Hechuan, Jijiang, Zijiang, Youyang, and so on, involving tens of thousands of school teachers. The teachers are asking for payments that they were promised. In Qianjiang, 2,000 teachers gathered in front of a government building to protest. In addition, retired teachers have also joined the protest to support the strike.

Source: The Epoch Times, December 16, 2008
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/8/12/16/n2364617.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Xinhua Rebuts Charter 08; 95 Percent of Comments “Harmonized”

Xinhua published an article on December 12 to state that the Chinese Communist Party is trying hard to resist the law of the rise and fall of political power by persisting in reform and opening-up. It is observed that the article was meant as rebuttal to the Charter 08 that pushes for more freedom. As of December 14, 2008, Chinese citizens left 5,054 comments on the Xinhua article at Soho viewers bulletin. Only 227 of them, which are in support of the Xinhua article, are available for viewing. According to analysts, the remaining 95% comments have been “harmonized” by China’s Internet authorities because the comments did not follow the Party line.

Source: Chinascope original
Participation (Canyu), December 13, 2008
http://www.canyu.org/n4529c6.aspx
Xinhua, December 12, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-12/12/content_10495824_1.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Rights Lawyer: Persecution of Falun Gong is Result of Abuse of Power Rights

Lawyer Li Heping argued in court that practicing Falun Gong is lawful under Chinese law and that the persecution of Falun Gong is the result of the abuse of power, Falun Gong’s Minghui website reported. In an interview with Minghui, Li stated that Falun Gong is a belief system and is allowed by the Chinese law. “China’s Constitution allows freedom of religion and belief. That means that activities related to religion and belief such as spreading the beliefs and engaging in other beliefs-related activities are lawful.” Li, a business lawyer, has been active in rights movement in China in recent years.

Source: Minghui.org, December 11, 2008
http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/12/11/191419.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Mainland China Falun Gong Held Largest Internet Experience Sharing Conference

Over 530 papers written by Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China were published during an Internet experience sharing conference held from November 1 through December 8 2008, Falun Gong Minghui website reported. The published papers were selected out of tens of thousands submissions. Minghui said that this is largest experience sharing conference of Mainland China Falun Gong practitioners since the persecution started in 1999.

Source: Minghui.org, December 8, 2008
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/12/8/191310.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability