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China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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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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Qiushi Magazine: China Stays Firm on Socialism

Qiushi magazine published an article in its 9th issue on May 1 titled: "Why China Must Take the Path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics as Its Only Solution." The article claims that "the path of socialism was a historic decision made by the Chinese people." "Socialist guidance for China’s development can never be allowed to be altered. China did not alter its socialist path in the past, nor will it do so in the future.”

Source: Xinhua, April 30, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2009-04/30/content_11289588.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Study Times: Land Rights to Keep Farmers Out of Cities

Study Times reported on April 27, 2009, that allowing farmers to keep some land would help prevent farmers from migrating to major cities, a situation that could result in social unrest. According to Study Times, the International fianancial crisis is harming Chinese agriculture in four areas. It is pushing down agricultural product prices; there are fewer jobs for migrant workers; agricultural exports are decllining; and the tough times make it difficult to develop small town businesses and processing shops for agricultural products. The article concludes, “Allowing farmers to retain some land rights and to migrate between urban and rural areas would help prevent a concentration of farmers without land in major cities, which would result in serious social problems.”

Source: Study Times, April 27, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2597&bid=1

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Study Times: New Strategy: Media to Go Global

The Party’s publication Study Times summarizes highlights of the recent guidelines that China’s General Administration of Press and Publications in China issued on April 6, 2009, to "further facilitate deepening reform of the press and publishing system." One, separate for-profit media companies from public interest media groups; two, encourage initial public offerings by media companies; three, acknowledge private publishing companies; and four, encourage media companies to go global.

Source: Study Times, April 27, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2602&bid=6

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Physicians among the Worst When It Comes to Integrity at Work

A recent public survey indicates what people perceive to be the professions most lacking integrity in China. In order, starting from the worst are: physicians (74.2%), police (57.8%), teachers (51.5), lawyers (48.4%), and civil servants (47.8%), followed by journalists (37.6%), accountants (30.7%), scholars (20.3%), and social workers, listed at the bottom at 10.9%.

73% of the people believe the main reason for the slipping moral standards is the strong pursuit of personal gain, self-interest and neglect of the importance of professional conduct.  52.4% of those surveyed think such a phenomenon is caused by lack of legal regulation and an environment in which the public voice has no influence. 52.3% believe that the entire society’s moral decline is what has caused such unprofessional conduct. 41.9% of the people believe it is because the public has little idea what professional integrity means.

Among all of those surveyed, 82.4% think the worst situation of all is when physicians lose their moral code.

Source: China Youth Online, April 28, 2009
http://zqb.cyol.com/content/2009-04/28/content_2642546.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Security Heightens In Beijing As The 60th Anniversary Approaches

Beijing has ruled since 1949 and is nervous about its upcoming 60th anniversary. The city is requiring that secured be tighten up, and will take every measure necessary to prevent anything that the party doesn’t like from happening, including handling those giving petitions for their cases to designated agencies.

Source: China News, April 28, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/04-28/1667131.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Media Industry Grows Even in a Bad Economy

Although it has been affected by the global economic crisis, nonetheless, China’s media industry has grown to a record high in recent years, with expenditures exceeding 420 billion yuan in 2008, double the number in 2004.  Despite the decline in the economy that has resulted in obvious difficulties in the media industry, China still expects a gradual increase, possibly reaching 530 billion yuan in 2010.

Source: China News, April 27, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/kong/news/2009/04-27/1666331.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Loses 160 Thousand Acres of Cultivated Land Annually Due to Soil Erosion

China News reported that on April 12, 2008, Chen Lei, the Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources said that China lost more than eight million acres of cultivated land due to soil erosion in the past fifty years, averaging an annual loss of 160 thousand acres.

Chen Lei said that the northwest region loses one centimeter of surface soil every year. In some parts of northeast China, which has always had rich soil, the depth of cultivated soil has decreased from one meter to less than twenty centimeters. 77% of the land in northern China has less than 30 centimeters of surface soil.

Soil erosion not only destroys soil resources, but it is also a main factor for pollution. China’s scientists estimate that soil erosion creates economic loss of 2.25% of the GDP. The environmental damage is immeasurable.

Source: China News, April 12, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/04-12/1642204.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Why Foreign Investments “Flee” China?

International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua, published an article reporting that it became popular for foreign business invested in China to take their money and run away, abandoning their companies or factories in China and without filing for bankruptcy.

There are reasons for foreign investors to choose the “flee” strategy instead of a normal exit process. First, China has a lengthy process for foreign companies to terminate business in China. The bankruptcy process lasts 65 to 165 days. Some local governments even drag it to six months or a year. Second, China’s law requires the company to bear “unlimited liability” for its debt even after it declares bankruptcy.

“(If it is) easy to enter but hard to exit, (it) is definitely not a good investment environment.” said a Japanese trade promoter in Beijing.

Source, International Herald Leader, April 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-04/24/content_11248230.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources