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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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Over 100 Million Agricultural Workers Now in Non-Agricultural Sectors

Economic reforms in the past 30 years have moved over one third of farmers to non-agricultural jobs, said Xinhua on October 9, 2008 citing a recent survey of National Trade Union. There are about over 100 million farmers now working in the non-agricultural sectors. As of June 2008, 65 million of them are trade union members. The total trade union members amount to 209 million.

Source:
Xinhua, October 9, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/09/content_10172030.htm
Xinhua, October 8, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/08/content_10166647.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Deutsche Welle Dismissed Chinese Division’s Deputy Chief

On September 24, Germany’s government-funded international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) revoked Zhang Danhong’s official title as the deputy chief of its Chinese division after her public defense for Beijing’s human rights policy and Internet censorship.

Four days before the Beijing Olympics, Zhang hailed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) practice of article three of Universal Declaration of Human Rights unmatched by any other political force. She also likened Beijing’s blocking of Falun Gong and Tibetan movement websites to Germany’s restriction on child pornography or right-wing extremist sites. She has since been taken off the air by DW.

On September 16, eight Chinese-German scholars wrote to the Parliament of Germany for an investigation of Beijing’s infiltration into DW. Days later, Autorenkreis der Bundesrepublik, a well-known writers association, sent a joint letter of 58 writers, including 2002 Nobel Laureate in Literature Imre Kertesz, criticizing the “serious structure problems” within the broadcaster and calling for a thorough checkup of possible CCP members in its Chinese operation.

DW, a.k.a. “German Waves,” is similar to international broadcasters such as the BBC World Service, Radio Canada International, Voice of America, and Radio France Internationale. Zhang remains in DW as an editor and resumes as an anchor of a radio program.

Source: The Epoch Times, September 26, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/9/26/n2275894.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Ministry of Health: Over 10,000 Children Remain Hospitalized

Following the criticism from the World Health Organization on lack of updates on hospitalized children caused by tainted milk powder, China’s Ministry of Health released a set of data on October 8, first time since the last update on September 22. The data from October 8 disclosed that hospitalized children were 10,666, with 8 in serious condition and 36,144 being dismissed. On October 8 alone, hospitalized children were 539 and 2067 were dismissed.

Source: BBC, October 8, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7660000/newsid_7660200/7660231.stm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

More Chinese Made Melamine Contaminated Food Found in Japan

Japan reported two more types of China made food products containing Melamine.  It reported on October 8 that they have found Melamine in the frozen Takoyaki or Frozen Poulp Squid imported from Long Wei Seafood Company in Fuqing of Fujian Province. Skim milk power was used as the raw material which contained up to 1.1 ppm of Melamine.

In addition to tainted Takoyaki and tainted dumplings which caused over 170 people ill in February of this year in Japan, on October 2, Japan also reported Melamine found in Egg Custard Tart imported from China which contains 1.4 ppm of Melamine.

Source:
The Epoch Times, October 8, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/10/8/n2289592.htm
Now News, October 2, 2008
http://www.nownews.com/2008/10/02/334-2344183.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Home Electric Appliances Industry Facing Critical Challenges

China’s home electric appliances industry is facing critical challenges as it sees large drop in production, sales, and export volume, Xinhua quoted Huo Dufang, President of China Household Electrical Appliances Association. “Some electric appliances such as Refrigerator, Air Conditioning, and Microwave had negative growth in the last two to three months” Huo said.

Due to the negative impact by world’s economy and currency factor, for the month of July, refrigerator production was 4.36 million units, down 14.3 percent from prior year; Freezer was 880,000 units and down 12.8 percent; Microwave down 6.55 percent. Total industry output was 408.3 billion yuan in the first seven months, down 10 points in growth rate compared with last year. Industry’s export volume was also hit hard by appreciation in yuan and weakened US dollars. A number of products including electric fan, electric heater, and microwave had negative growth of 21 percent, 11.9 percent, 2.1 percent in export volume respectively.

Source: Xinhua, October 7, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/07/content_10159790.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China’s Ambitious Supercomputer Plan in 2010

On September 16, China’s first high performance supercomputer Shuguang 5000A came off the assembly line in Tianjin. Shuguang 5000A made China the world’s No. 2 country after U.S. to have independently designed and produced supercomputer with computing speed over 100 trillion times per second.

Tianjin based Dawning Information Industry Co., Ltd, Shuguang 5000A’s manufacturer is planning to develop supercomputer with computing speed over 1000 trillion times per second by 2010, according to Xinhua. The company was set up in 1995, with the R&D supports from Chinese Academy of Science and National Research Center for Intelligence Computing System (国家智能计算机研究开发中心).

Source: Xinhua, October 7, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/07/content_10159871.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Africans in Beijing for Developing Confucius Institutes

On Tuesday October 7, a group of officials and educators from China and African countries were in Beijing to attend the Conference on African Confucius Institutes Development. Zhou Ji, the Education Minister, told the conference that, "We have given full support to the African side in establishing the institutes and improving teaching."

The Chinese government had allocated more than 3 million U.S. dollars to help establish institutes in Africa. They employed more than 20 language teachers and had about 30,000 textbooks, publications, audio and video programs. Ten of the 21 planned Confucius Institutes in 13 African countries have already opened. They are jointly run by African and Chinese colleges with support from the Chinese government.

China began to set up Confucius Institutes abroad in 2004. To date, 271 Confucius Institutes have been founded in 77 countries and regions.

Source: Xinhua, October 7, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/07/content_10159634.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend