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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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Xinhua: Washington Still Hanging on a Cliff

Xinhua quoted Hong Kong Wen Wei Po’s article, reporting that in the U.S., there are many companies like General Motors and Citibank that are in trouble, indicating the U.S. economy is still struggling, far from what the Washington officials claim “U.S. economy has reached the bottom.” “No wonder Obama’s hair has turned grey after taking office.”

GM’s stock went down to $1.09 per share on May 12. It was taken out of the Dow Jones Index and listed as junk stock. Citibank also went below $1 and was taken out of the Dow Jones Index. According to Bloomberg, in May 2000, the combined market value of GM and Ford was $100 billion, 50 times the market value of the  Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) Group. At the beginning of 2009, SAIC’s market value is more than Renminbi 40 billion yuan ($6 billion), more than the combined value of GM and Ford.

Source: Xinhua, May 22, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-05/22/content_11418440.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

CASS: China’s Modernization Should Surpass the Western Model

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) published an article titled “China’s ‘Modernization’ Should Surpass the Western Model.” The article said China is facing three major problems: the gap between rich and poor, great deterioration of the environment, and people becoming consumption machines and pursuing materialism.

The article argued that neither giving up modernization nor simply following the Western model will resolve these problems. Instead, it argued the Sinicization of Marxism is the “third option” and pointed out that the research of Sinicization of Marxism is aimed at finding a way out for China. The author reminded people about two trends in China: one is the Sinicization of Marxism and the other one is to rethink and go back to the traditional Chinese culture. The concepts of “scientific outlook on development,” “people foremost,” and “harmonious society” contain a new development model and cultural form.

Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, May 12 2009
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090512233283.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

International Herald Leader: China Is not the Leader of the World Yet

International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua, published an article by Zhang Jie, Director of the Department of Security and Foreign Relations, Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Science. Zhang argued that it is not the “G2” era yet. As to leading and affecting the global affairs, U.S. still has the dominant power and does not want to have an equal share with China. China has a low per capita GDP and does not have the capability to lead the world on many areas including technology advancement, innovation and cultural influence. China should still exercise a big country’s responsibility though it’s not the leader. [1]

On the same day, International Herald Leader also published another article arguing that the meaning of “G2” has been shifted. The concepts of “Chimerica” and “G2” were created with the focus on economy. But “G2” was later transformed to mean that both U.S. and China jointly manage the global affairs, thus becoming a form of “China Threat” to both U.S. and other countries. [2]

Sources:
[1] International Herald Leader, May 26, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-05/26/content_11435934.htm
[2] International Herald Leader, May 26, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-05/26/content_11435900.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Emergency News Control Mechanism

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences News published an article on May 14 regarding how to control news reports on emergency affairs. The article defined the scope of “emergency affairs” as natural disasters, accidents, public health incidents and public safety incidents.

The article suggested that the government should establish organizational units to “lead” the reporting effort. All media should establish dedicated channels to the government and the Party’s leading units to gauge the reporting effort in order to “correctly” guide the public opinion. The article’s suggested mechanism also requires recurring coordination meetings to ensure “correct” directions are followed and all resources can be managed centrally and effectively.

Source: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences News, May 14, 2009.
http://www.cass.net.cn/file/20090514233606.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Xinhua: Tough Reform – The Grand Household Registration System

Xinhua News republished an article on Feb. 13, 2008, about the reform of the Household Registration System. During the past 50 years, the system restricted the farmers from freedom of residence and migration and thus established a big gap between cities and rural areas. The upcoming reform focuses on how to grant national treatment to China’s own farmers. This unfair system facilitated the rapid industrialization of the cities at the cost of a large amount of individuals living in rural areas. Due to the huge size of the population impacted, the grand reform is becoming one of the hardest tasks in front of the government.

Source: Xinhua Net, Feb. 13, 2008.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-02/13/content_7598072.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Study Times: Attach Great Importance to National Strategic Research

Study Times, a magazine by CCP Central Party School, recently published an article on the importance and urgency of enhancing research efforts of national strategic issues. The article indicated that wide, systematic and deep researches on economics development strategies, political development strategies, culture development strategies and social development strategies are urgently needed today.

The article drilled down to sub-strategies and relationships between the above mentioned major strategic areas. It also suggested that the government should establish National Strategic Research Institute, which should: (1) Gather experienced scholars specialized in various areas to learn from advanced countries; (2) Hold high level training classes for high ranking government officials to enhance strategic thinking; (3) Establish post-doctoral stations to ensure continued supply of talents; (4) Construct National Strategic Information System; (5) Publish National Strategic Research and Consulting Magazine to facilitate communications.

Source: Study Times, May 18, 2009.
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2651&bid=6

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Pro-China Taiwanese Businessman Bought Out Media Giants in Taiwan and Hong Kong

In November 2008, Cai Yan Ming (Tsai Eng-meng), CEO of WantWant Holding Group reshaped Taiwan’s media landscape by buying the media entities operated under Taiwan media giant “China Times Media Group” which include “China Times,” “Commercial Times," “China Times Weekly,” “CTI Television” and “China Television." Three months later, Cai bought out Asia Television in Hong Kong.

Cai ranked number nine in Forbes richest people in Taiwan and is the founder of Wantwant Holding Group with business investments in food, real estate, restaurant and hospital businesses in mainland China. Cai’s recent shift into the media industry has drawn suspicion as to whether the source of the funding is linked to the mainland. Cai is said to have close ties with the mainland as he was seen with Chen Yunling, chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits during his unpopular visit to Taiwan last November.

Source: Epoch Times Magazine
http://www.secretchina.com/news/292956.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

20,000 College Graduates to be Assigned Village Leadership Positions

The Organization Department of the CCP Central Committee announced that in the next five years, it will select 20,000 college graduates each year and send them to the countryside to take village leadership positions, 80 percent of them must be party members and have a four-year college degree.

Source: Xinhua, May 22, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-05/22/content_11415899.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability