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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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HK Mingpao: It Appears China Is Constructing Its Third Aircraft Carrier

Mingpao, one of the primary Hong Kong newspapers, recently reported that, according to satellite pictures, China is currently constructing a third aircraft carrier in Shanghai. China may equip this carrier with an ejection system. The Chinese official news media mentioned the possibility of constructing a third aircraft carrier last year. However, no further details were released after that. The latest satellite pictures now show that a large ship is being built at the Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard, where multiple new workshops have also recently been constructed. Massive lifters were identified, as well as a large number of prebuilt components. Based on the sizes of the shown components, the new ship will be larger than the second aircraft carrier that is currently in sea trials. It’s unclear if the new ship has nuclear power. Anonymous sources suggested that the new carrier will not be nuclear-powered, but it will deploy electromagnetic ejection technology. The Chinese Ministry of Defense refused to comment.

Source: Mingpao, May 8, 2019
https://bit.ly/2E1I42K

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

CCP Hires a Canadian Lobbyist Firm to Promote Its Viewpoints

The South China Morning Post reported that Beijing has hired a Canadian lobbyist firm and that the staff members of that firm have been promoting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) viewpoint without identifying their association with Beijing.

The Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto hired Solstice Public Affairs as its lobbyist last August. This hiring is special because it is the first federal lobbyist that China has engaged. “No other country appears to have engaged a private firm to provide such services in Canada. Diplomats typically undertake such services.”

Karen Woods (whose Chinese name is Wen Lin), a Senior Associate at Solstice, is also a co-founder of the Canadian Chinese Political Affairs Committee (CCPAC). Since the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, she has been appearing on TV and publishing lengthy pieces in Canadian newspapers.

Her 750-word opinion piece on The Toronto Star on December 18, 2018, stated, “[The] Huawei case has generated a dark cloud which is shrouding the psyche of many Chinese-Canadians.” She warned of a “new wave of ‘Sino-phobia,’” and grimly concluded that “in a West rebuilt on Cold War ideologies and McCarthyism, there is likely to be little space for Chinese-Canadians.”

In February 2019, Karen Woods and three other representatives of her CCPAC published another Huawei-themed op-ed in the National Post and associated publications, as an open letter to “Uncle Xi” Jinping. It contended that Chinese President Xi’s anger at Meng’s arrest was understandable but misplaced, and that if China wanted to “win over the hearts and minds of the West,” it should release Canadian detainees Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who are widely believed to have been arrested in retaliation.

Some people have pointed out that Wood’s views represented those of the CCP. However, she did not disclose her lobbying firm’s connection to Beijing when she published those articles.

The South China Morning Post believed that the “behavior of Solstice and its staff blurred the lines between outright lobbying, journalism, and private activism. In ways both crude and subtle, they have attacked critics and propelled viewpoints that often uphold Beijing’s talking points and interests on a range of subjects.”

Solstice hired Woods partly on the strength of her Chinese community activism, said Brockwell, a veteran political lobbyist who is Woods’ senior at Solstice. Woods and Brockwell have appeared together at Chinese consular functions in Toronto, including the welcoming ceremony for the new Consul-General, Han Tao, last August.

During his interview with the South China Morning Post, Brockwell said repeatedly, and in multiple contexts, that Karen Woods did indeed work for the Chinese consulate, although her op-ed articles were not part of that work. He acknowledged that articles that the Solstice staff wrote in their private capacities served simultaneously as “client development.”

Source: South China Morning Post, April 18, 2019
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3006638/how-chinas-canadian-lobbyists-blurred-lines-pr-journalism-and

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

CNA: Ministry Of Education Says to Rectify False Inflated Employment Rate of College Graduates

The Central News Agency reported that Chinese colleges and universities like to advertise that their graduates have a high employment rate, but many of the employment rates they report are false. The Chinese Ministry of Education recently issued a notice which disallowed universities from forcing graduates to sign employment agreements. In addition, they cannot withhold students’ diplomas because of their refusal.

Beijing News reported that the Chinese Ministry of Education stated that some colleges and universities require all graduates to sign an employment agreement or provide employment certificates, telling them that the employment certification will serve as a condition for a thesis defense or a diploma. This has seriously violated the rights of graduates. The Ministry also directed that, in the future, all schools must set up tip lines to prevent such fraud, and that the officials will also improve the verification mechanism.

This provision reflects the old problem of the false employment rates that Chinese universities report. A review of past reports from the mainland media reveals that the schools have managed to make the employment data of the graduates look nice when they face the pressure of employment, when new students are enrolling, or when cuts of certain programs are proposed. Some graduating students reported that the school stipulates that an employment agreement and a labor contract must be returned to the school by the end of May to prove that they have been employed. Some schools require that students must sign an agreement with the school and with the employer before they leave school. Although it is not a real labor contract, students are inexplicably considered “employed.”

This year, the number of graduates from colleges and universities in China reached 8.34 million. They are currently at the peak time for graduates to be signing employment contracts.

Source: Central News Agency, May 11, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201905110112.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily: China Launched Satellite to Influence Bolivia’s Telecommunications

People’s Daily reported that the first communication satellite Túpac Katari that China launched has affected the role that Bolivia plays in its ability to broadcast such issues as education and tele-medicine. The article quoted Ivan Sambra, the director of the Bolivian Space Agency, who said that from January to April 2019, the commercial services provided by Bolivia brought about US$ 8 million in economic income to the Bolivian government. Over the past five years, the satellite has helped Bolivia accumulate more than $100 million in revenue.

On December 21, 2013, Túpac Katari was successfully launched at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, making Bolivia the sixth country in Latin America to have satellites after Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. The satellite was named after the national hero of Bolivia’s 18th century anti-colonial ruler. The China Academy of Space Technology which is affiliated with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation developed it. It used the Dongfanghong-4 satellite platform with a design life of 15 years. Túpac Katari provides coverage for at least 26 radio stations and 30 local TV channels for the Bolivian people free of charge. At present, the utilization rate of the satellite has reached 70 percent. According to the plan of the Bolivian Space Agency, by the end of this year, Túpac Katari will be running at full capacity. It is reported that the service scope of Túpac Katari has also extended to Colombia.

Ivan Sambra also stated that in the future, Bolivia will also launch a second satellite for Earth observation, and China will be the preferred partner.

Source: People’s Daily, May 11, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/11/nw.D110000renmrb_20190511_4-03.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Times: Top Ten Mainland Export Categories Impacted by the New Tariffs

Major Taiwanese newspaper China Times recently published an article with an analysis of the Mainland China export categories that would be most impacted by the newly raised tariff rate (from 10 percent to 25 percent). The estimates were based on the ITC (United States International Trade Commission) 2018 statistics. The top ten categories (in terms of export value) are: electronic communications equipment (US$19.1 billion), computer circuit boards (US$12.5 billion), processing components (US$5.6 billion), metal furniture (except chairs, US$4.1 billion), computer parts (US$3.1 billion), wooden furniture (US$2.9 billion), static converters (US$2.7 billion), plastic flooring (US$2.5 billion), wooden framed seats (US$2.5 billion), and auto parts (US$2.3 billion). In the meantime, undisclosed sources expressed the belief that the Chinese counter-tariffs will most likely include US exports in the following categories: chemical products, agricultural products, whisky, and soybeans. The Trump administration has already started the preparations for the additional tariffs against the rest of all Chinese goods.

Source: China Times, May 10, 2019
https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20190510002119-260410?chdtv

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources US-China Relations

China Mobile Denied after Eight Years of Waiting

Well-known Chinese news site Sohu recently reported that the U.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) unanimously rejected the application that China Mobile submitted in 2011 for it to become a communications service provider. The excuse was still the old-fashioned national security concern. In fact, in July of 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce had already recommended that the FCC refuse China Mobile’s application. The FCC Chairman pointed out that China Mobile was owned by the Chinese government and it could collect U.S. intelligence for the Chinese government. He identified this as an unacceptable risk. However, in 2011, the China Mobile application only filed for the service scope of international telecommunications, instead of U.S. domestic communications. The U.S. government has since been dragging its feet on the review and approval process. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the matter and recommended that the U.S. government give up its Cold War mentality. It appears that this latest development is yet further evidence that shows the Trump administration is trying to make China’s entry into the U.S. market harder.

Source: Sohu, May 10, 2019
http://www.sohu.com/a/313048474_115479

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

Beijing Daily: 4th Cross-Strait Media Summit Held in Beijing; Media Told to Promote Development of Cross-strait Relations

Xinhua reported that Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, spoke during the 4th Cross-Strait Media Summit held in Beijing. Wang Yang reiterated the key messages that were expressed in Xi Jinping’s speech at the 40th anniversary of the publication of the “Taiwan Compatriots.” Xi made some major policy proposals such as adhering to the “1992 Consensus,” exploring the “two systems” for Taiwan, and enriching the practice of peaceful reunification. Wang also stated that it is unreliable to engage in “Taiwan independence” and rely on foreign forces. He stated that the pattern of cross-strait relations is developing and it is impossible for anyone to block it. The cross-strait media bear the social responsibility of safeguarding and promoting the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

In the speech that Liu Jieyi, Director of the Central Taiwan Affairs Office and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council gave, Liu quoted Xi’s speech given on January 2 during the 40th anniversary of the publication of the “Taiwan Compatriots” as well. Liu further stated that cross-strait media workers are participants and promoters of the development of cross-strait relations. The media shall “reflect the voices and demands of the people on both sides of the strait to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, to guide Taiwan compatriots to think about their status and role in national rejuvenation, and constantly to consolidate the foundation of public opinion. The media must resolutely oppose Taiwan independence.”

The Beijing Daily Newspaper Group organized the media summit and the Want Want China Times Media Group from Taiwan co-hosted it. Close to 70 news media were present at the summit.

Source: Beijing Daily Group, May 11, 2019
http://www.bjd.com.cn/jx/toutiao/201905/11/t20190511_11101030.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xi Jinping’s National Public Security Conference

A Radio France International article commented on the national public security (police) conference that was held in Beijing on May 7th and 8th. “This was actually a very rare meeting. Not only was it the first time that Xi Jinping, as the head of Chinese Communist Party (CCP). called for such as meeting, but it was also the first time in 16 years for senior CCP officials to hold such a meeting. The timing was the moment when the Sino – US (trade) negotiations were on the brink of breaking down.”

“At the beginning of the year at a study session of the first secretaries of the provincial CCP committees, Xi Jinping delivered a speech on the prevention of major risks. He used the ‘black swan’ and ‘gray rhinoceros’ as a metaphor to warn of unforeseen events that may occur in China. Later, in his interpretation of Xi Jinping’s speech, Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, issued serious warnings about preventing the worse-case scenario.”

“The public security (police) organs have always been the most powerful dictatorship tools for the CCP on the issue of how to prevent major risks. This may be an important consideration for Xi Jinping to have convened the 21st National Public Security Work Conference in China, especially at the critical juncture of Sino-US trade negotiations. Either a successful or an unsuccessful negotiation could trigger unexpected incidents.”

“Why did Xi Jinping choose to hold a public security conference at this point in time? In addition to the Sino-US trade war, some analysts believe it may have something to do with many ‘risky’ anniversaries this year. In the Internet era, a situation could occur unexpectedly and news could spread rapidly. Being is in a state of high nervousness; the authorities may be concerned about danger developing after even the slightest incident.”

Source: Radio France International, May 10, 2019
http://rfi.my/40×8.T

Briefings | | |   Social Stability