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Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rejects U.N.Torture Accusations

In responding to the recently published conclusions by the UN Committee Against Torture where China was reported to have a “large number of torture cases”, Qin Gang, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the claims calling them false accusations. “A few individuals in the ‘Committee Against Torture’ used unverified or fake sources to purposefully politicize the entire process. They have added a large amount of slandering facts and false accusations which we are completely against.” Qin said, “we will continue to be firmly devoted in protecting human rights. We are also willing to engage in international cooperation which will be based on equal rights and mutal respect so as to promote developments in the human rights field."

Source: People’s Daily, November 23, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/BIG5/8212/9491/113836/8389641.html

Shanghai Rights Lawyer Openly Renounces Membership in Communist Party youth organizations

On November 20, Zheng Enchong, a prominent Shanghai rights lawyer made an open speech to quit the Communist Party young pioneers and youth league. Zheng said he wanted to publicly make the announcement because it was the fourth anniversary of the book “Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party” being published. Zheng also recognized that since the book was published, there have been 45 million Chinese people who have renounced their membership in the Chinese Communist Party [and related youth organizations].

In his speech, Zheng said that he was inspired to quit the party because he found himself being misled by four big lies made by the Chinese leaders. The latest taxi driver strikes in Chongqing and Sanya as well as the social unrest in Longnan Gansu Province have demonstrated that Chinese people have regained the conscience to fight for their rights. He believes that China’s only hope is to have peaceful elections.

It was four years ago in September of 2005, two months after he was released from prison that Zheng read the book called the “Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party”. He asked his friend to use a fake name to quit from party organs (the youth league and young pioneers) for him. The recording of Zheng’s announcement was aired during a rally to celebrate 45 million Chinese people quitting the Chinese Communist Party and related organizations held in Hong Kong on November 23, 2008.

Source:

The Epoch Times, November 20, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/11/20/n2335631.htm

Sound of Hope, November 23, 2008
http://soundofhope.org/programs/162/111255-1.asp

775,000 Compete for 13,500 Civil Service Job Openings

775,000 applicants will be competing for 13,500 job openings for civil servants, Xinhua reported. The annual Civil Service Exam will be held on November 30, 2008. Only 1.75 % of the applicants will be offered a government job. The increase in the number of applicants shows the tight job market for college graduates, said Yang Shiqiu, Vice-Minister of Human Resources and Social Security.

Interviews and exams on specialties will be held March 15, 2009. The hiring will be completed by June 2009. It was announced earlier that non-B hepatitis carriers are eligible for the exam.

Source: Xinhua, November 19, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-11/19/content_10382481.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2008-11/18/content_10376387.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-11/18/content_10377224.htm

China Faces Soil Erosion over 40% of Its Territory

A three-year government expedition survey shows soil erosion of 3,569,200 square kilometers. This includes water erosion of 1,612,200 square kilometers and wind erosion of 1,957,000 square kilometers. The ramifications of soil erosion on China’s economic and social development are “far-reaching and even irreversible.” The three-year survey was the largest since 1949 with over 800 participants traveling 140,000 kilometers (315 counties) and analyzing nearly 200,000 questionnaires.

Source: Xinhua, November 20, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-11/20/content_10389295.htm

Close to Twenty Thousand Party Officials Fled China with Billions of Funds Since Mid 90s

The Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate’s Office announced that Party officials fleeing China have reached between 16,000 to 18,000 since the mid-1990s taking over 800 billion Yuan overseas. The money was primarily  misappropriated from major projects such as land development, tax revenue, loans from financial institutions, funds allocated for government expenditures and national economic programs.

In the past 30 years, the Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate has prosecuted over 16,000 cases of corruption and bribery. The Beijing Municipal People’s Prosecutor’s Office was established in January 1951 and closed down in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution. It was reopened in July 1978.

Source: Xinhua, November 9, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-11/09/content_10329946.htm

Private Arms Dealers Emerging in China

Arms production and sales have been solely controlled by the military system in China. But the situation is about to change now. Over 100 private enterprises entered the production and sale of military arms, according to a report by PLA Daily. Wang Baohe, from Shaanxi, is probably the first such private “arms dealer.” Wang developed a light wheeled tank which became a key piece of equipment for the Chinese engineer battalion of the U.N. peace-keeping missions it has joined. It also exported the tanks to eight countries through financial aid programs. Wang could start the business because the “Directives of PLA Arms Purchase” issued in October 2002 proposed to establish a coordinated army and civil arm production system.

Source: PLA Daily, November 20, 2008 http://www.chinamil.com.cn/site1/xwpdxw/2008-11/20/content_1555026.htm

Henan to Enforce Governmental Reporting of Emergent Events

On November 17, Henan provincial government issues the Notice of Doing A Better Job Reporting Unanticipated Incidents. The Notice specified that when an unexpected event occurs in the future, local authorities ought to in the first time provide information in writing to the provincial Office of Emergency Management. If a written report is impossible due to special circumstances, do an oral report, followed up with a written report. If the first report is incomplete, a follow-up report is required.

The provincial Office of Emergency Management ought to timely report to relevant leadership officials in the provincial government. In case of urgent situations, the Office can simultaneously report to several relevant leaders; for major incidents, it must immediately report to key leaders.

It is reported that Henan Province will strictly implement the regulation by hold accountable personnel who cause damage or major consequences due to late report, underreport, or no report.

Source: Xinhua, November 19, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-11/19/content_10378387.htm

Third Quarter Housing Sales Slide Sharply

As China’s central bank’s Nov. 18 monetary policy report reveals, the third quarter housing market continues to plunge. The year-over-year decline of housing sales in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou are 55.8%, 41.1%, 46.2% and 25.9%, respectively. The nationwide commodity housing sales over the first three quarters this year is 0.4 billion sq meters, 14.9% lower than the same period last year. Total sales revenue is 1.6 trillion yuan (234 billion dollars), only 85% of the same period last year.

The report states the main reason for the drop of real estate transactions as the fast climbing the housing price in the period before. With the economic prospect turning volatile and tumbling stock market, buyers have changed their expectation of future income and trend of housing price. The real estate is a pillar industry of the economy as a major engine for steel, construction materials, and household appliance manufactures.

Source: Beijing Evening News, November 18, 2008
http://www.ben.com.cn/fzcq/fcqc/200811/t20081118_491621.htm