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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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Olympics: Four Foreign Protesters Expelled

Four human rights activists from U.K. and U.S. were arrested and expelled from China today. On August 6 at 5:47 a.m., three men and one woman managed to hang two banners on light posts. One banner said “Tibet will be Free”; the other said “One World One Dream Free Tibet”. Per Xinhua News, police arrived within 12 minutes and arrested them.

A spoke person of the Beijing Olympics Committee said: “their behavior is unacceptable and illegal.”

The two British citizens have boarded a Frankfurt-bound plane; the two Americans were flying to San Francisco.

Source: BBC, August 7, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7540000/newsid_7544400/7544429.stm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Power Shortages Widespread

As of August 5, of all the 541 power plants in China, 219 have less than 7 days worth of coal inventory. Power shortages have occurred in provinces such as Shangxi, Henan, Hunan and Liaoning where local authorities have implemented planned blackouts. On July 29, the shortage hit 10.22 million Kilowatts in Shandong Province, close to one-third of the power requirement in the province.

The power shortage was attributed to lack of quality coal, which has forced the shutdown of some major power plants.

Industry experts fear that the shortage will spread to more provinces and regions including Jiangsu, Fujian, Hubei and Jiangxi and Chongqing. 70% of the power consumed in Beijing depends on power plants outside the Beijing region. Two of them, Shalingzi and Wangtan Power Plants have their coal inventory hovering at around a 2 day level of reserves.

Source: Xinhua, August 6, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-08/06/content_8999765.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Olympics: Internet Data Centers Ordered to Freeze

All Internet data centers throughout China were ordered to suspend work including network buildup, connection and upgrades starting from August 1, according to Nanfang Daily. Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the mandate ordering the freeze to be in effect until after August 25 when the Olympics closes. Websites closed down due to content cannot apply for re-open during the freeze.

Source: Nanfang Daily, July 30, 2008
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/epaper/nfds/content/20080730/ArticelA32002FM.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Olympics: Beijing Buses Exploded less than Two Days before the Opening

At 11 a.m. on August 6, a Route 205 bus reportedly exploded at the gate of Qinghua University. Three passengers suffered injuries. At 4:30 p.m. on the same day, a Route 10 bus exploded at Naoshikou Street near Changan Street, a famous street in Beijing that runs through Tiananmen Square.

Per photos taken by eye witness citizens, white powder was scatted everywhere. A middle aged woman suffered from a broken leg. Other injuries were not clear.

Source: EpochTimes.com, August 7, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/7/n2220344.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Photos from Beijing Street: Security Warnings and an Olympic Traffic Lane

Boxun posted a group of photos from Beijing.

One photo of a poster contains warnings to residents of the 7th district living in the apartment complex of Chinese Academy of Sciences. The photo caption states that the 7th district apartment complex is located across the street from Beijing’s National Stadium [Bird’s Nest]. Through the east side windows, residents will be able to observe the VIPs pass as they enter the stadium.  The poster reads: “On August 2, 5, 8, 24, residents in the 7th district must bring your photo ID with you. For residents with windows on the east side of the building, do not open the windows. Stay away from those windows to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”

Another photo displayed an Olympic designated traffic lane.  It took space from the regular traffic which has been ordered to be reduced to half of the regular volume. Traffic violators will be imposed with a warning and fines.

Source: Boxun, August, 5, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/08/200808050609.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Olympics: Beijing Citizen Protested in Tiananmen Square for Housing Dispute

Based on a BBC report, on Monday August 4, about 20 citizens who live near Tiananmen held a protest. They are unhappy about the unfair relocation compensation from government-backed developers.

One person said: the developer has no right to seize their properties because of the Olympics, and the citizens should not give up their rights for the Olympics.

The protesters were arrested quickly by the police.

Source:  Chine News Digest, August 5, 2008
http://www.cnd.org/my/modules/wfsection/article.php%3Farticleid=20243

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Gordan Chang: Chinese Pay More Attention to U.S. Election than Olympics

After a recent two month visit to four Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, China scholar and lawyer Gordan G. Chang gave a speech in New York on August 1. The author of The Coming Collapse of China noticed that the Chinese leaders appear to lack confidence about the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

Chang and his wife were also surprised by the lack of interest to the game among Chinese people. Many Chinese are more interested in the U.S. presidential election than the Games.

Per Chang’s observation, China’s post Olympic economic forecast is gloomy.

Source: Epoch Times, August 5, 2008
http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/5/n2216572.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: U.S. Requiring China’s Military Air Route for Civil Use Is to Slow Our Military Advance

Pertaining to a report that one U.S. senior airline official said on August 4 that China should let more military air routes give way to civil use in order to comply with the explosive increase of civil demand, Xinhua’s Global Times published an article that says, “Like other countries, China’s government has set a limit for domestic and international air routes for the sake of State security.” The article quotes the opinion of a China expert on the issue saying, “ The purpose of tje U.S. requiring China to loosen up the control of the military area in the air is consistent with its overall strategy. On the surface, it is for the benefit of ordinary Chinese people. In essence, it has the intention of restricting and slowing China’s military modernization, and occupying China’s air market at the same time.”

Source: Xinhua, August 5, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-08/05/content_8968091.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military