Chinascope – Page 1280

Chinese Navy: Pentagon Making up Story about USNS Impeccable

Chinese Navy top officials stated that U.S. stories about Impeccable were untrue. Deputy Political Commissar of Chinese Navy, Wu Huayang, stated that Pentagon’s statements about Chinese vessels harassing USNS Impeccable were totally U.S. speculations. “There were no confrontations or conflicts between China and U.S. ships,” Wu was quoted by Global International Leader under Xinhua. Chinese Navy Deputy Chief of Staff, Zhang Deshun, stated that USNS Impeccable was in the economic zone of the Chinese continental shelf and was engaging in ocean surveillance with military purposes. The U.S. Pentagon said on March 9 that Chinese ships dangerously trailed and followed the U.S. surveillance ship and harrassed the U.S. crew on board USNS Impeccable on March 8 in the South China Sea .

Source: China News, March 10, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/03-10/1596401.shtml

Briefings | | March 12, 2009 | US-China Relations

7,000 Border Police Stationed as Village Cadres

A Ministry of Public Security (MPS) official recently revealed a massive dispatch of officials and police from MPS border control corps into bordering regions since early December 2008. 600,000 personnel were sent out and 7,123 police were stationed at local villages, serving as local Party chief or member of Village Committee. It’s reported that 16,112 social conflicts were solved and 449 social unrests were handled.

Source: Sina.com, March 11, 2009
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2009-03-11/043015288984s.shtml

Briefings | | March 11, 2009 | Government/Politics

Minister: 300,000 Mid-and-small-size Companies Out of Business

A sample survey shows that 7.5% of the country’s mid-and-small-size companies have gone out of business since the end of 2008, according to Li Yizhong, China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology. The percentage amounts to an estimated more than 300,000 businesses, using total of 4.3 million in year 2007. Li said that mid-and-small-size companies account for 99% of the nation’s enterprises, 80% of the total employment, and 60% of the size of the economy. Amid the current financial crisis, they are particularly hit hard.

Source: Ta Kung Pao, March 11, 2009
http://www.takungpao.com/news/09/03/11/ZM-1046497.htm

Briefings | | March 11, 2009 | Economy/Resources

Commentary: Obama Follows Bush’s Old Path

China’s state media Guangming published an article commenting Obama’s Iraq policy—“Non-Withdrawal’s Withdrawal, Non-fight’s fight, Obama Follows Bush’s Old Path.” The article was also published in other major state media and websites. The article says “Due to U.S.’s geopolitical factor in Middle East, whether it is ‘ending’ or ‘withdrawal’ from (Iraq war), U.S, has not and will not ‘responsibly end the war.’ At the same time, it will absolutely make all kinds of reasons to indirectly occupy Iraq. Therefore, Americans will forever live in illusions. This is America’s ‘always beauty’ legend. But the end of Iraq war is not an end.” The article continues, “In all, Iraq’s occupation will not be interrupted, (U.S.) will continue to control Iraq militarily, economically, and politically. Bush used lies and cheating in the past. Today’s democrats will do the same to maintain and consolidate the occupation. After 19 months, who can say the occupation will not continue?”

Source: Guangming net, March 8, 2009
http://guancha.gmw.cn/content/2009-03/08/content_895434.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-03/09/content_10972520.htm

Briefings | | March 10, 2009 | Government/Politics

Study Times: Obstacles to Military Transformation

Attachment to old munitions, vested interest groups and rigid ideology are the three obstacles to military transformation, says Study Times, the newspaper of the School of Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party. “We should be on alert and eliminate any attachment to old mechanical munitions that may block the transformation.” The article attributes the failure of the transformation efforts of Nikolay Ogarkov (Russian Military Officer) to vested interest groups in Russia who would see their positions and interest impaired as a result of changes. Finally, “the outcome will have been already determined even before the war starts between an army guided by rigid ideology and an army guided by new innovative ideology.”

Source: Study Times, March 2, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=2474&bid=7

Briefings | | March 6, 2009 | Defense/Military

Intensive Training for Top Public Security Officials Linked to Upcoming Social Unrests

About 3,080 county public security bureau directors will go through a 10 day intensive training in Beijing in the next 6 months, a first in Chinese history, said China Public Security Ministry official. Starting from Feb 28, these public security officials will be in class in 7 separate groups. The first group has 425 Directors. The instructors at the training sessions in Beijing include Vice Minister of Public Security and other top Party officials. The top public security bureau directors expressed in class discussions that their biggest headache is social unrests. 2009 will be a high season for social unrests, according to Xinhua.

Source:
Xinhua, February 27, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-02/27/content_10906810.htm
Nanfang Daily, February 26, 2009
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/nfzm/200902260135.asp

Briefings | | March 5, 2009 | Government/Politics

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized