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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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Forty Percent of Chinese Use Mobile Phones

The Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China reported that there were over 539 million mobile phone users in China in November 2007, an increase of 78 million compared with the number of subscribers in 2006. The reform of mobile phone roaming tariffs was part of the reason for the rapid increase.

Guangdong province took the lead with 77 million cell phone subscribers while Tibet has only 765,000 subscribers. According to People’s Daily, the number of text messages sent over cell phones exceeded 535 billion in November 2007.

Source: Ministry of Information Industry Website, January 3, 2008/People’s Daily, December 25, 2007
http://www.mii.gov.cn/art/2008/01/03/art_2001_35674.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Unwelcome Guests: Military Bombers Fly over Japanese Gas Field

According to Asahi Shimbun, on September 11 and 12, 2007, Chinese military bombers flew over a gas field in the East China Sea more than forty times. Japan‘s Self-Defense Forces’ F4 fighters scrambled to respond. At times, Chinese bombers and Japanese F4 fighters were only 5 kilometers apart. The encounters were confirmed by Taiwan‘s military sources and by the Japanese government. The gas field is Chunxiao gas field, which Japan has named ”Shirakaba,” or white birch.

Source: Asahi Shimbun, December 31, 2007
http://www.asahi.com/world/china/news/TKY200712300153.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China Enters into a Decade of Crises

According to an Observer article on December 25, 2007, starting from 2008, China is entering a 10-year period of severe crises.

The article cites the following factors:

· Short-term crisis: The skyrocketing price of resources, coupled with social inequality
· Long-term crisis: A cross-the- board recession, given the constraints of limited land resources
· Crisis of Rule by Man: The one-party political system does not produce people with integrity.
· Justice Crisis: Courts are fatally overrun with corruption.

The article concludes that hope lies with the people. One of the goals of the rights movement will be to put a referendum in the constitution.

Source: Observer Magazine, December 25, 2007. Secret China reprint http://www.secretchina.com/news/223188.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Asylum Seeker Turned Away by Taiwan

Wu Yalin, a PRC citizen who applied for political asylum with Taiwan government, was declined the application. With his Taiwan visa expiring on January 2, Wu is concerned that he will finally be repatriated to China. In 1980’s, Wu was jailed for nine years for disclosing illegal election practices. In 2007, he was sentenced to 3 years in labor camp for encouraging friends to read the Nine Commentaries on Communist Party, according to Wu. He fled to Taiwan via Hong Kong and Thailand. Beijing issued an arrest warrantee with the charge of “attempt to overthrow the government by colluding with anti-China forces.”

Source: Voice of America, January 1, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-01-01-voa21.cfm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

On U.S. Anti-Terrorism

Shortly after the September 3, 2004, hostage tragedy at a school in North Ossetia, Beslan, Russia, Xinhuanet, the official website of the state-owned Xinhua News Agency of the Chinese government, published a series of articles as “Comments From Readers,” which accused western countries, particularly the United States, of protecting terrorists under the pretext of “human rights” and blamed western countries for the hostage tragedy, where hundreds of school children were killed.

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Analyses | | |   Opinion

The Huai River: Ten Years of Cleanup with Few Results

As the Chinese leadership is busy in transforming China into an industrial powerhouse, the country’s living environment is also worsening rapidly due to increasing amounts of pollutants as a result of that development. Sixteen of the top 20 cities with the worst air according to World Bank are in China. The pollution of rivers and lakes, which are both draining vessels for waste and sources of drinking water, irrigation and food, can have potentially devastating effects. One of the most notorious examples is the Huai River Basin.

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Analyses | | |   Opinion

Bank of China’s Ongoing Scandals Corrupt Officials and Swindled Depositors Overshadow BOC’s Stock Ma

While the Bank of China (BOC) vigorously prepares to go public on overseas stock markets, it seems that more disturbing news is just around the corner. It was just a short time ago that the president of the BOC’s Kaiping branch took 4 billion yuan (US$482 million) illegally and escaped out of the country. Now the Bank of China faces another scandal. The BOC’s Tianjin branch has stolen money from its clientele. A depositor involved has been jailed and tortured for the past two years. The scandal has tainted the BOC’s image as it prepares for its initial public offering (IPO) in the U.S.
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Analyses | | |   Opinion