The Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee (CCCCP) plans to employ 20,000 new college graduates each year for five years from 2008, working as cadres at the village level within the political hierarchy. According to The People’s Daily, the purpose is to “strengthen the construction of grass-root organizations, cultivate educated leaders for building socialistic new villages, and build up reserves for Party and government cadres.” In principle, the candidates should be CCP members or excellent Communist Youth League (CYL) cadres. The starting positions include Assistant to Village Party Secretary, Assistant to Director of Village Committee, or Village CYL Secretary.

Source: People’s Daily, April 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/17/content_7993652.htm

According to Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA), 10,000 plus foreign students will have to leave China during the Summer Olympics. Several universities in Beijing and foreign diplomats have confirmed that all foreign students will not be allowed to stay during the months of July and August, even though they may not have completed their studies. One spokesperson from Beijing University was quoted as saying that “there is no exception, as this is an order from above.” The ban also includes week-long summer classes. DAAD or the German Academic Exchange Services in Beijing also warned incoming visiting scholars. Foreign students will not be able to come back until after September 17, when the 2008 Paralympics will have finished. However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to confirm this news.

Source: Deutsche Welle, Chinese, April 17, 2008
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3273472,00.html

China will never engage in multi-party rule, the separation of powers or a bicameral legislature system, said Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress on March 19, 2008 at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress.

In discussing the difference between a Chinese socialist system and a western democratic system, Wu further stated, “The Chinese Communist Party is the core of leadership as the ruling party. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, democratic parties participate in State affairs and cooperate with the Communist Party. They are not opposition parties.” “Our National People’s Congress is the organ of State power handling State and social affairs under the Communist Party.”

Source: Qiushi, April 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/16/content_7986835.htm

The State Administration for Grain has sent a team to Anhui Province to investigate a recent story that the grain stock from local storage facilities has gone missing missing, prompting speculations of possible corruption charges. Grain reserves are stored and subsidized by the government at local storage facilities but the actual stock may have been inflated by the local officials in order to receive extra subsidized compensation. Meanwhile, recent soaring grain prices have led to illegal selling of reserve stocks for "double profits". Amid fears of the worst grain shortage in two decades, the report caused grave concerns among government officials that this practice may be widespread. The annual nationwide auditing of the grain storage by the State Administration for Grain has been underway six months earlier than the normal August/September season.

Source: Xinhua, April 15, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/15/content_7978862.htm

There have always been “a few” international politicians “cheering tirelessly”, either openly or from behind-the-scenes, for the Dalai Lama with an ulterior-motive to use the issue of Tibet to “contain China,” according to a Xinhua article from April 15, 2008.  Among them, singled out by the article, were two US congress representatives, Nancy Pelosi and Thomas Lantos, and two EU Parliament members, Edward McMillan-Scott (Vice-President) and Thomas Mann (President of the Tibet Intergroup). Pelosi, a “longtime hard-line China basher”, and Lantos, the key figure of the Human Rights Caucus Group, have been “the best and the most reliable friends” of the Dalai Lama in the US Congress. Together with other senior members and a special lobby group, “International Campaign for Tibet", they have been the main force “stirring up trouble” to interfere in China’s internal affairs on Tibet. The Dalai Lama Clique also has many “high ranking friends” in the EU Parliament that have been “openly” supporting the “Tibetan Separatists” and are calling for EU leaders to boycott the Beijing Olympic which “has angered” the Chinese people. The “right wing” political forces were also mentioned by the article as supporters of the Dalai clique.

Source: Xinhua, April 15, 2008

http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2008-04/15/content_7978106.htm