Chinascope – Page 377

Malaysian Student Association Criticized Police for Acting for the CCP

Suara Siswa UM is a coalition of student associations at the University of Malaysia. This group includes UMANY, Demokrat UM, and Angkatan Mahasiswa UM. The organization recently criticized the police for intervening in their academic activities in order to please the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The university allows students’ associations to approve certain academic activities. In November, UMANY approved Professor Ho Ming-sho of National Taiwan University, to give an academic lecture on the topic of, “Reflections on Hong Kong and the Taiwan Social Movement. However, the political police of Malaysia questioned the organization and threatened the event.

UMANY approved Dr. Wu Ruiren, a researcher at Academia Sinica (the National Academy of the Republic of China) to conduct another speech event in later November. The topic was the impact of nationalism in China. The university rejected the organization’s facility application.

Suara Siswa UM felt that the political policing was due to the fact that these topics touched the politics of Hong Kong and Taiwan and thus got on the CCP’s nerves.

UMANY President Liao Yanghong said, “China has more and more influence over Malaysia. They don’t like any external statement or discussion on China’s politics which does not follow the CCP’s position. They have indirectly interfered with our society many times.”

He also pointed out that UMANY’s events related to Hong Kong, from June to now, including both gathering to support the Hong Kong people as well as speeches by people from Hong Kong, were suppressed.

Suara Siswa UM criticized the police for intervening in students’ academic activities and asked why they seemed to take action on behalf of the CCP but did nothing to protect the Malaysians’ freedom of speech and academic freedom under the Constitution.

Source: Epoch Times, December 7, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/7/n11707414.htm

Briefings | | December 15, 2019 | Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Revised Code of Conduct for Chinese Journalists

On December 15, Xinhua News Agency, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, published the newly revised Code of Professional Ethics for Chinese Journalists. Among others items, the Code proposes that journalists arm their minds with Xi Jinping’s “Ideology of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era,” and always keep in mind the mission of journalism of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Code also proposed strengthening the concept of the rule of law; abiding by the Constitution, laws, and regulations; and effectively safeguarding national political security, cultural security, and social stability; as well as adhering to the Party’s discipline in journalism.

The Code proposed the cultivation a global and international vision so as to “vividly tell China stories, stories of the Chinese Communist Party, stories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and stories of the Chinese people,” so that “the world would understand China better.”

Source: People’s Daily, December 16, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-12/16/nw.D110000renmrb_20191216_4-04.htm

Briefings | | December 15, 2019 | Government/Politics

CNA: Chinese Government Recommended Purchasing Air Purifiers

Primary Taiwanese news agency, the Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) just issued its official guide on health protection given the prevailing air pollution conditions. Currently the smog-based air pollution has triggered warnings in 55 cities across China. The NHC guide advised that office spaces, indoor sports areas and schools should be equipped with air purifiers. It recommended closing windows during smog days and using air purifiers to reduce the PM2.5 level. However NHC did not mention how public school classroom air purifiers would be funded. Studies over the past several years showed that each classroom will require two purifiers. Due to high purifier acquisition cost and high electricity cost for daily operations, so far only the city of Beijing has subsidized the schools for part of the cost. Very few schools standardized the equipment but they are usually funded by donations from the students’ parents. After a time, some schools have even removed purifiers to maintain fairness among the classes. The media suggested that the government should establish a set of criteria on how air purifiers should be deployed in schools. Based on data that the Ministry of Environmental Protection released, this winter Northern China has had low wind speeds and higher temperatures. This may lead to longer-lasting smog days with a wider regional coverage. PM2.5 particles are air pollutants with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, small enough to invade even the smallest airways. These particles generally come from activities that burn fossil fuels, such as traffic, smelting, and metal processing.

Source: CNA, December 11, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201912110072.aspx

Briefings | | December 15, 2019 | Government/Politics Social Stability

Retired Taiwan General Sentenced for Receiving Political Donation from CCP’s Contact in Hong Kong

The Taipei Court sentenced Luo Wen-shan, a retired Lieutenant General, to 2.5 years in prison for violating the Political Donation Law.

In the past, Luo has served the Administrative Deputy Minister of National Defense and the Deputy Commander of the Joint Logistics Headquarters.

He was charged with receiving political donations from Hong Kong businessman Hui Chi-Ming amounting to a total of HK $2 million (US $255,500).

Hui immigrated to Hong Kong from Guangdong Province in the late 1980s and chairs the Hong Kong Hoifu Energy Group and Sino Union Petroleum & Chemical International. As a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, Hui has met with several of the Chinese Communist Party’s top leaders, including Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Hu Jintao, and Wen Jiabao. On multiple occasions, he has also led China’s delegation to visit other countries.

Luo also received HK $137,500 (US $17,563) from Ho Biu, another Hongkonger in August 2012.

Luo claimed that the money from Hui and from Ho was used to pay for the Presidential campaign advertisements for Ma Ying-jeou during the Taiwan elections and the cost of Hui’s meeting with Ma Ying-jeou and Lien Chan. Ma was the former Taiwan President and the Kuomintang Chairman. Lien also served as the Kuomintang Chairman and former Taiwan Premier.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 3, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/tw-court-12032019134226.html?encoding=simplified

Briefings | | December 13, 2019 | Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China to Ban Live Webcasts; Three Minutes Minimum Delay Required

The Chinese authorities issued a directive in August last year requiring real name registration for live webcasts. Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced a series of regulations including a ban on live web broadcasts and other restrictions upon online video programs. The Notice said, “live Internet broadcasts should take the form of delayed broadcasts, with a minimum delay of three minutes. Performance organizers and online broadcast companies should formulate live broadcast management procedures and emergency contingency plans, and arrange special personnel to conduct real time review of the contents and of Internet users’ comments. Any problem should be dealt with in a timely manner and the video materials should to be kept for at least 60 days for inspection.”

Chinese authorities’ surveillance of online video programs has become increasingly harsh. It is believed that the new media has mostly exposed the major and small incidents that the authorities have attempted to cover up.

The consultation period for the aforementioned Notice will end on December 22. In August last year, six national level agencies in China, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the State Administration of Radio and Television, issued a “Notice on Strengthening the Management of Webcasting Services.” The notice requires the implementation of the real-name registration system, stringent management of online program anchors, the establishment of a blacklist for anchors, and improvement of the monitoring, review, and disposal of illegal and harmful contents. The notice also requires the online live broadcasters to cooperate with the authorities and provide the necessary documents, materials, and data.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 11, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/ql1-12112019043530.html

Briefings | | December 13, 2019 | Information/Technology

Former Canadian Legislative Assembly Member Revealed He Was Detained at China’s Airport

Richard T. Lee served as a Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2017. He recently revealed that, four years ago, the Chinese authorities detained him for eight hours at the Shanghai airport. He and his wife had gone there for a vacation. Chinese officials confiscated and searched his business phone, cancelled his visa, and forced him to fly back from China immediately.

Mr. Lee and his wife had gone to Shanghai at the end of 2015 to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. After they arrived in Shanghai, Chinese authorities separated them. Mr. Lee was kept in a room. Two Chinese officials took away his personal phone and his business phone. They demanded his password, which he eventually gave them. The Chinese officials looked at his emails, including the emails that were in his BC Legislative Assembly account.

Those officials didn’t make a specific charge against him, but they claimed that his actions had “endangered China’s state security.” Mr. Lee asked to talk to the Canadian Consulate in Shanghai and Canada’s Ambassador in China, but his request was denied.

Finally, the Chinese officials returned his phones and asked that he and his wife leave China immediately.

Mr. Lee said that he had openly supported Taiwan independence and democracy in Hong Kong. He believed that was what angered Beijing. “I attended the candle light event in front of China’s Vancouver Consulate on June Fourth every year (the day of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre). Many times the Chinese consulate staff warned me not to go there. China’s then Consul General Liu Fei at Vancouver asked me not to attend the event in 2017.”

Mr. Lee was serving as the Deputy Speaker of the BC Legislative Assembly when the incident occurred. He said that he didn’t publicize this case then as he did not want to damage the Canadian-China relationship.

Source: Radio France International, November 30, 2019
http://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20191130-加拿大华裔前议员自揭四年前在中国机场曾被不正当拘留

Briefings | | December 12, 2019 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Official Observes How Over-exploitation Led to Serious Pollution of the Yellow River

Lian Yu, deputy chief of a bureau at the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and the Environment, which oversees the Yellow River’s ecology, stated, in an recent interview with a Beijing based local newspaper, that the Yellow River has ecological problems such as excessive exploitation of water resources and the pollution of rivers and lakes. Among the problems are that the utilization ratio of water resources of the Yellow River reaches more than 80 percent and that the low-water period can last more than 85 percent of the days, far exceeding the alert levels for most rivers.

Lian Yu believes that, in addition to excessive water use, other factors that contribute to the Yellow River pollution include coal and petroleum extraction and coal chemical and metal smelting plants scattered alongside the watershed. High water consumption, heavy pollution, and a high dependence on energy resources are factors that characterize these industries. The rudimentary industrial technology, the small scale of business operations, and the poor pollution control capabilities have contributed to the deterioration.

In the past 30 years, the fish population in the Yellow River watershed has decreased by about half. Among them, indigenous and endangered fish species have decreased by about 60 percent. Lian Yu believes that reservoirs and hydropower stations in the upstream and its tributaries pose a great threat to the habitats of these species. In addition, compared with the 1980s, the wetland area in the Yellow River watershed decreased by 16 percent and other lake wetlands, swamp wetlands, and estuary wetlands decreased by 25 percent, 21 percent, and 40 percent, respectively.

Source: Central News Agency, December 11, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201912110145.aspx

Briefings | | December 11, 2019 | Economy/Resources

China Cleans up School Library Books — by Burning Them

In late October, the library in Zhenyuan County in China’s northwestern Gansu Province burned some 60 books. The photo of the book burning scene spread widely online and received public attention. The book burning incident resulted from a directive that the Chinese Ministry of Education issued in October. The “Notice on Launching a Special Campaign to Examine and Cleanse Books in Nationwide Elementary and Middle School Libraries” requires schools to conduct a self-examination of books in accordance with the “cleanup standards.” The “clean-up standards,” were attached to the notice. They stated that the books to be cleansed should include “illegal books,” “inappropriate books,” and “books with a poor appearance so they are not worthy of preservation.”

Hu Ping, an overseas independent scholar overseas, believes the burning of the books reflects the CCP’s control over the people’s ideology, which also includes actions such as cleaning online postings and college informants. Hu told the BBC that book censorship is not new to mainland China. The books stored in libraries have already been screened. However, under the existing mechanism of censorship, the book burning reflects the current regime’s dramatic leaning toward the left.

Source: BBC Chinese, December 11, 2019
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-50727670

Briefings | | December 11, 2019 | Government/Politics

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”