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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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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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Bilateral Trade between China and Afghanistan Up 44 Percent In the First Half of 2021

According to CCTV, on August 26, during a regular press conference, the Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said that, in 2020, bilateral trade between China and Afghanistan reached 550 million U.S. dollars. From January to June this year, bilateral trade between China and Afghanistan reached US$310 million, up 44 percent year over year. By the end of June, China had invested US$430 million in Afghanistan.

Source: Sina, August 26, 2021
https://mil.news.sina.com.cn/2021-08-26/doc-ikqcfncc5135561.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Cyberspace Administration Cracks Down on Tech Companies and Financial Self-Media Accounts

On August 27, China’s Cyberspace Administration issued two orders in a row targeting tech companies and online financial self-media accounts.

The first order was a draft version of a regulation that bans the tech companies from using an algorithm to block content, push recommendations or manipulate the ranking order of a top search list. The experts suggested that these restrictive measures will have a major impact on the growth and profitability of these tech companies.

The second order aimed at effectively curbing the online dissemination of financial information by clamping down on online self-media accounts to keep them from illegally publishing financial related information. The self-media mainly refers to those independent accounts on Chinese social media that are not officially registered but can publish their original content. The order listed eight types of violations including arbitrarily making a distorted interpretation of the official policies and predicting a gloomy future for the Chinese economy and financial market; irresponsibly posting news and commentaries from overseas; spreading rumors and false information; manipulating the official economic and financial news reports; acting as a “black mouth” which refers to the commentators who post comments that disturb the social order; using negative information to threaten, intimidate, or blackmail the relevant party for financial benefits; hype negative social events to incite emotion, anxiety and panic; or fraudulent use of the name of state officials or experts to open up a financial column.

On Saturday, China’s largest social media platforms WeChat, TikTok, Sina Weibo and Kuaishou quickly issued statements stating that they will comply with the requirement and clean up any violations.

Source: Voice of America, August 28, 2021
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-cracks-down-on-harmful-financial-news-20210828/6076166.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Hong Kong Seeks to Amend Film Censorship Bill

The Hong Kong government recently announced that it has submitted an amendment of the 2021 Film Censorship Bill to the Legislative Council. The amendment contains requirements for the film inspectors to determine whether the release of films they inspect will be detrimental to national security. It also empowers the Chief Secretary of Administration to revoke any previously issued approval if the inspectors believe that the release of certain films violates national security.

One senior Hong Kong director who wants to remain anonymous told the Central News Agency that it takes more than just a director to make a film. When they assessed whether to make a film in the past, they mainly focused on the box office revenue and audience reaction. Now, however, from the directors to the production companies, they must consider political issues too. Politics will be above everything, including the original creation and any business concerns. It is also hard to figure out where the red line is, that is, whether it violates national security.

Source: Central News Agency, August 29, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202108290055.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Ministry of Education: Politics, Chinese and History Classes in Primary and Secondary Schools Shall Include the Study of (Communist) Party History

On August 24th, the Ministry of Education held the first press conference of the 2021 Education Golden Autumn Series to introduce the curriculum materials for the overall planning of major themes in education. The Ministry of Education issued the “Guide to Including the Revolutionary Tradition in the Curriculum Materials of the Primary and Secondary Schools.” The guide affirmed that classes in primary and secondary schools should include the contents of the revolutionary tradition and the history of the (Communist) Party. The guide clearly requires that the three major subjects of Politics, Chinese Language, and History as focus subjects shall include education about China’s revolutionary tradition and selectively integrate the content in Art classes (for example, music and the fine arts.), and organically consolidate the education into other subjects, achieving full coverage.”

Source: Sina, August 24, 2021
https://k.sina.com.cn/article_7517400647_1c0126e4705901a3vl.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Guide to Include Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for the New Era in “All Released Curriculum and Teaching Materials”

The Ministry of Education held a press conference on the 24th to introduce the “Curriculum Guide to Include Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era,” which the National Textbook Committee recently issued.

Han Zhen, a member of the National Textbook Committee, said at the press conference that this is to incorporate the latest achievements of Marxism in China into the curriculum materials of all levels and types of schools. The “Guide” clearly requires that Xi Jinping’s thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era be fully integrated into the curriculum materials. It should cover basic education, vocational education, higher education and different types of courses. It should also cover national, local and school-based courses and be integrated into philosophy, the social sciences and natural sciences; and be incorporated into every aspect and the whole process of ideological and moral education, cultural knowledge education, and social practice education to ensure that Xi Jinping’s thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era are cohesive and progressive in all course materials of universities, middle schools and primary schools.

Source: People’s Daily, August 24, 2021
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2021/0824/c1001-32205655.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

The CCP’s Propaganda Media Teaches U.S. Children about Critical Race Theory

The Mythinformed Tweeter reported that the China Global Television Network (CGTN), owned by the China Central Television (CCTV) has produced a cartoon to teach American children about Critical Race Theory. The cartoon said, “Racism is passed down from generation to generation.” It also has a scene showing a white boy telling a black boy, “You can’t be Spider-Man, you are black.” About that statement, in an article from Epoch Times a netizen points out, “The CCP did not even do its research, as the person portraying Spider-Man in the latest Spider-Man movie, Miles Morales, is in fact black.” Neither did CCTV explain how Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United Sates.

The U.S. government has designated CGTN as one of six “foreign missions” in the United States operated by the Chinese government, to warn the Americans that the content from the broadcasts is controlled by the CCP.

Source:
1. The Epoch Times, August 25, 2021
https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/chinese-regimes-english-language-broadcaster-makes-cartoon-targeting-american-kids-promotes-critical-race-theory_3965308.html
2. Mythinformed Account on Tweeter

 

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Renmin University Professor Wang Yiwei: The Taliban Are China’s Good Brothers, “Demonized by the United States”

According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA), Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin (People’s) University of China, recently made a stunning statement on video and on social media, claiming that the Taliban are just like the “PLA.” “In the past they were demonized by the United States, but they are China’s good brothers.” The statement stirred up a big controversy over the Internet. Wang later deleted the videos and social media containing the messages.

In addition, the Chinese internet and self-media platforms are spreading controversial statements such as, “The Taliban is the choice of the Afghan people” and “(It is a) war for the national liberation of Afghanistan.” Some articles that questioned the statements or which opposed the Taliban were deleted from WeChat. For example, two articles, “Is the Taliban ‘the Choice of the Afghan People?’” and “Afghan Students Have been Subjected to Internet Bullies for Making Anti-Taliban Statements” have been deleted.

Source: RFA, August 25, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/zhuanlan/wangluoboyi/iwar-08252021163156.htmlwo

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics US-China Relations

China Expert: CCP’s Secret Agenda behind Its Crackdown on Chinese Companies

Recently, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has taken a large number of actions to crack down on Chinese companies in such businesses as tutoring, Internet, and food delivery. During an interview with the Epoch Times, Cheng Xiaonong, an expert on China issues, offered his views on Beijing’s secret agenda.

Cheng thinks Beijing is carrying out an agenda which he identifies as, “leaving the virtual business to return to real industry” (脱虚向实), without openly announcing it. The sectors that Beijing cracked down on are in the area of services, but not in the manufacturing industries which Beijing really wants to promote. China has a labor shortage for manufacturing jobs despite its having  increased salaries. The number of China’s peasants who took manufacturing jobs in 2020 was 78 million, a drop of 10 million from 2016. Cheng estimated that China will lose 20 million peasant workers by 2025. The tutoring business employs 10 million workers (many of whom have college degrees) and the food delivery business also employs 10 million. Beijing might want to cut those areas to drive more people toward manufacturing jobs. (Editor’s note: Beijing has also started a wave of converting universities to vocational schools to produce more high-skilled technicians).

Cheng also thinks that the CCP has a secret agenda to decouple itself from the U.S. It wants to reduce China’s dependency on U.S. technology, the U.S. market, and the U.S. dollar. Therefore, it dares to beat those Chinese companies listed on different U.S. stock markets and see their stock prices falling. It no longer cares what Wall Street and the American investors think of China anymore.

Source: Epoch Times, August 25, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/8/25/n13185466.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources US-China Relations