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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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Expert: How to Stop Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Organ Harvesting

The Independent People’s Tribunal in London pronounced its verdict on June 17, saying that the CCP is still conducting organ harvesting from dissidents, especially the Falun Gong practitioners and the Uyghurs. The Epoch Times interviewed Ethan Gutmann, founder of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC) on how to stop the CCP’s organ harvesting.

Gutmann believes that there is ample evidence of the CCP’s organ harvesting. What the world needs now is action. “Will (the People’s Tribunal verdict) mean that more countries will prohibit their citizens from going to China for an organ transplant? “I hope so,” said Gutmann. Will this mean more countries will stand up to oppose the CCP’s actions? “I very much hope so.” The London Tribunal has pointed out that if you trade with the CCP, you are trading with a criminal state. I hope the verdict will cause the world to cut ties with the Chinese doctors who conduct organ transplants.”

Gutmann explained what cutting ties means: Chinese doctors doing organ transplants are not welcome at Western conferences and cannot publish articles in Western medical magazines, receive Western training, or buy equipment. Western medicine companies should stop clinical trials in China.

Gutmann believes that cutting ties is the most powerful means that the West can use.

He also pointed out that cutting ties would mean the CCP will lose a lot of money which is what the CCP really cares about. “If the Western pharmaceutical industry wants people to buy medicine from China, people must first have a high confidence in China’s medical system. If people lose that confidence because of the organ harvesting, the CCP’s ability to make money will be impacted dramatically.”

Source: Epoch Times, June 30, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/6/29/n11354404.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

China’s Companies Are Facing Credit Default Challenges

The 21st Century Business Herald reported that 96 businesses suffered credit defaults for a total valuation of 66.8 billion yuan (US$ 9.7 billion) in the first six months of 2019, a 263 percent increase from the same period in 2018.

Some analysts think this is the continuation of the credit default wave outburst from the second half of last year, which reached 100 billion yuan in that period.

CITIC Securities analyst Lv Pin warned about the increasing risk of credit defaults in the coming months, since companies are facing more difficulties in getting new money to pay back their debts. “The speed of credit defaults in the second half of this year may increase for the following reasons: First, the market is re-assessing (downgrading) the credit rating of many institutions. Second, the market is tightening the requirements for securing properties when issuing loans to companies that have a low credit rating. Third, the special ways of issuing bonds in the past may no longer continue, which will make bond issuance harder.”

Source: 21st Century Business Herald, July 2
https://m.21jingji.com/article/20190702/c28db078ab114f9ff3a7938acae0ec7f.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Taiwan Professor: The CCP’s Sharp Power Is Reaching Taiwan’s Local Radio Stations

Professor Hong-zen Wang of National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, wrote an article to alarm people that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) infiltration in Taiwan has reached local radio stations that broadcast in the Taiwanese language.

In Taiwan, major radio stations speak mandarin, the official language. Some smaller local stations broadcast in Taiwanese, the main local language. Hosts of these stations normally have audience members call in to order songs to play. Most of the songs that are ordered are in Taiwanese, while some are in Mandarin. Usually the old songs are from before the 1980s because the people who call in tend to be in their 50’s or older and they became used to listening to the radio and listening to those songs when they were younger.

However, in the past six months, Professor Wang has been hearing newer Mandarin songs. They are songs from the mainland and he is not familiar with them at all. One song said “riding a train to Lhasa” (the song portrayed the Tibetan people as having a good life under the CCP’s leadership). Professor Wang questioned why any Taiwanese would listen to this song or agree with the message, though the host claimed that someone asked for it.

A radio host mentioned on his radio program that he had a work experience exchange with radio hosts in Shanghai and found out that radio hosts in the mainland spend only an hour on the radio program and that the rest of the time involves administrative work. (Professor Wang was surprised that this kind of exchange took place.)

The author pointed out, “This is a real case in which the CCP’s sharp power has invaded in Taiwan; it is similar to social media brainwashing. It starts with non-political activities and then will exercise its influence when it is time to vote. Establishing and growing a social media group takes two to three years to do, but taking over the Taiwanese radio stations is much faster. All the CCP needs to do is to buy the board of directors (of the stations). Then the CCP inherits a group of loyal listeners. The scariest thing is that we don’t even know how this change actually happened.”

Source: Voice Tank, June 11, 2019
https://www.voicettank.org/single-post/2019/06/11/061101

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

New Plan from Hong Kong: Withdraw Cash from Bank of China

RFI reported that protesters in Hong Kong have called for a new action this weekend: withdraw cash from the Bank of China.

As the anti-extradition bill movement continues in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong people raised “Five Major Requests” for the response of the authorities.
1. Remove the extradition bill;
2. Retract the “riot” declaration;
3. Investigate the police accountability in firing at people (on June 12);
4. Do not prosecute protesters; and
5. Carrie Lam should resign.

Some protesters called for an action to target Chinese banks to apply pressure to Beijing.

The plan was passed among people via an Internet platform Telegram. On Twitter, the plan is called “Everyone to Withdraw Cash: Send the Bank of China Back to China.” The announcement requests the Hong Kong government respond to each and every item of the “five major requests” by 6 p.m. on Friday July 12. Otherwise, it calls for everyone to take their money out of the Bank of China.

The announcement pointed out that withdrawing money does not break the law and should not be investigated or result in arrest. Nor should the authorities go after anyone after the event is settled. Withdrawal will start on the morning of July 13. The location will be announced on the TG channel on the evening of July 12. If there is no announcement, people should go to Bank of China’s branches near their homes.

Source: RFI, July 8, 2019
http://cn.rfi.fr/港澳台/20190708-香港反送中新计划全民到中国银行取钱测试其压力

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Digital Times: Junior Student Informants Model in Elementary Schools

China Digital Times published an article about the “junior student informants” model in elementary schools in China. The article posted a picture with a group of elementary school students holding a banner which reads, “‘Junior Student Informants’ Patriot Education Summer Session.” The name of the school on the banner is Xi’an Gaoxing No 1 Elementary School Eastern District Class of 2C4.

The article referenced a similar junior student informant model in Shen Zhen which had previously been reported and which the public criticized widely. People are concerned that it is a twisted education model to reward children for learning to be informants at such a young age. It will make them unable to develop friendships properly and to deal with personal privacy in real life. It will also cause isolation and conflicts among them. It is the teachers’ responsibility to understand their students, but not through a “student informants” model. Therefore, the model and the program it represents need to be stopped.

According to the report, in Nan Shan Qian Hai elementary school in Shen Zhen, in addition to study, the student informants are responsible for completing the “hidden” tasks that their teacher assigns. Their tasks include observing emotional and psychological changes in the students around them and then providing this “intelligence” to the teacher on a regular basis every week so that the teacher can understand the mental state of the students in time. The “intelligence” they have collected includes dating among classmates, absent-mindedness, and being distracted; students who lack parental care, deliberately missing school to attract the attention of their parents; poor family economic conditions, lack of confidence, lack of interest in communicating with others, making up nicknames for other students and other such tasks.

Source: China Digital Times, July 3, 2019

【旧闻】晶报 | 那些潜伏在校园里的“小小情报员”

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s Ministry of Commerce Admitted Manufacturers Are Moving Out of China

Well-known Chinese news site Sohu recently reported that multiple senior leadership team members of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce jointly held a press conference on July 2. The Ministry admitted that industrial players and even supply chains are moving out of China. However, they suggested that it is normal for companies to move in and out as their globalization priorities change. It is understandable that places with lower costs may attract some companies to move out of China. One cannot simply conclude that this is a direct result of the China-US trade friction, since there are many causes. In the press conference, the Ministry also mentioned that its focal points for work this year are to “stabilize foreign trade” and to “stabilize foreign investments.” The Ministry is currently “cleaning up” existing regulations in preparation for the new Foreign Investment Law to take effect next January.

Source: Sohu, July 2, 2019
http://www.sohu.com/a/324264713_115479

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources US-China Relations

Global Times: The “Employment Boom” in the West Hides Trouble

Global Times recently published a commentary on the obvious improvements made in reducing unemployment in the West. The article suggested that, although the industrialized countries in the West, especial the United States, enjoyed a so-called “full employment” in the past couple of years, yet many potential issues are moving towards crisis. The commentary says the major tax cut may have boosted the economy but that force is weakening, especially when the budget deficit continues to grow. In the meantime, the labor participation rate remains flat or even worse in the West. Trade friction on the global level also poses a threat to economic growth. The Brexit uncertainty is a good example of the factors that may slow down global growth, which will, in turn, slow down employment. The author concluded that it is much harder to sustain an employment boom in countries like the United States. How long the current state can last is highly questionable.

Source: Global Times, July 6, 2019
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/hqpl/2019-07/15099065.html?agt=15422

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations