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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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Military Playing Crucial Role in the Olympics

According to Beijing Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi, the Chinese military will play a crucial role in the Beijing Olympics on issues related to construction, security, anti-terrorist operations, performances and translation services. Earlier, the Communist Party committee in the Hebei military district had listed providing security to the Olympics as one of its top five priorities for the year 2008.

Beijing Olympic Security Command Chief Tian Yixiang stated in June 2007 that the primary threats to the Games include East Turkistan terrorist groups, pro-Tibet independence groups and Falun Gong.

Sources: Xinhua, January 21, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2008-01/21/content_7463404.htm
Hebei Daily, January 14, 2008.
http://www.heb.chinanews.com.cn/news/szdt/2008-01-14/20392.shtml
Voice of America, June 29, 2007
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/archive/2007-06/w2007-06-29-voa10.cfm?CFID=28130922&CFTOKEN=57196252

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Violations of State’s Planned Parenthood Policy

According to the Gansu Provincial Population and Family Planning Work Conference 2007, 2,718 Party members who are government officials have more children than allowed under the Planned Parenthood policy. 2,191 of them have been reprimanded by the Party or received administrative disciplinary actions. In 2008, those who violate Planned Parenthood policy cannot be promoted or nominated as Party delegates and National Congress members. In 1979 The Chinese government introduced the one-child policy to curb population growth.

Source: Xinhua, March 13, 2008 http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/13/content_7785026.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Hong Kong on U.S. Human Rights Report

A Hong Kong Special Administrative Region representative commented on the U.S. report stating that although universal suffrage will not occur in 2008, gradual changes may be made for the elections of the Chief Executive and the 60-member Legislative Council.  

Universal suffrage would allow Hong Kong residents to choose their representatives independent of Beijing’s appointment. Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China since July 1, 1997.  On December 29, 2007, Beijing made it clear that it would not allow universal suffrage for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive until 2017. Similarly, it will not be until 2020 that Hong Kong’s residents may have the right to directly elect all the members of Hong Kong’s legislature. 

Source: Ming Pao, March 12, 2008
http://www.ipinews.com/htm/INews/20080312/gb31747c.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Accuses Dalai Lama of Politicizing the Olympics

On March 11, 2008, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang stated that Dalai Lama continues to distort the facts in an attempt to politicize the Beijing Olympic Games and that the attempt is unwise and will not succeed.

Qin made the remarks in response to a question at the daily briefing pertaining to the Dalai Lama’s statement on March 10, 2008 criticizing China for its tight control of Tibet in violation of human rights along with lack of freedom of speech and religion in Tibet.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 11, 2008 http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/xwfw/fyrth/t413853.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Rejects Kadeer’s claim that China fabricated Olympics Terror plots

On March 11, 2008, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang rejected the claim of an Uyghur dissident that Chinese authorities are trying to use the Olympics Games as a pretext to suppress the Uyghurs. Qin said that the dissidents are sowing discord between the Han and Uyghur people to incite ethnic conflicts and that they will not succeed. Earlier, Xinhua reported that the Uyghurs allegedly had attempted two air attacks directed at the Olympic Games.

"The real goal of the Chinese government is to organize a terrorist attack so that it can increase its crackdown on the Uyghur people," Rebiya Kadeer, the 61-year-old head of the Uyghur American Association said.

Source, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 11, 2008.
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/xwfw/fyrth/t413853.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: China will issue “2007 US Human Rights Report”

The Press Office of China’s State Council will issue a "2007 US Human Rights Report" on March 13, according to Xinhua News Agency. The release of this report, its 9th year in a row, is a direct rebuttal to "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" released by the U.S. State Department on March 11 which, according to Xinhua, slanders China’s human rights record with groundless accusations.

Source: Xinhua, March 12, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/12/content_7771221.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Chinese Nationals Attending Paralympic Games Must Submit Personal Information

Chinese nationals attending the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games must submit their photo IDs and other required personal information in order to qualify for tickets, according to an announcement made by the official Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games on March 7. The announcement stated that this procedure was put in place in order to boost security, eliminate ticket scalping, and protect the rights of legitimate ticket buyers. The announcement applies to Chinese nationals only and the required materials must be submitted in person with true and accurate information or the tickets will be revoked.

Source: Xinhua, March 7, 2008 h
http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2008-03/07/content_7739560.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Veteran Chinese Journalist Calls for Direct Elections and Freedom of Assembly

Radio Free Asia reports that Chinese veteran journalist, writer, and scholar Lin Changzhou published an open letter to top Chinese leaders through Radio Free Asia during the “Two Conferences (National People’s Congress and Political Consultative Conferences),” calling for direct elections and freedom of assembly, as well as pursuing a renaissance of national fundamental values. The 41-year-old Lin was the former deputy editor of the newspaper BEIJING DAILY MESSENGER.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 10, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/03/10/ling/

Briefings | | |   Social Stability