On April 1, Qiushi, the official theoretical journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published Xi Jinping’s speech from 2013 given to the new members of the Central Committee, the most powerful 200 some communists in China. Other mouthpiece media such as People’s Daily and Xinhua News Agency also carried the speech in high profile.

In the speech, Xi emphasized what the so-called Socialism with Chinese characteristics is. “It is socialism and not other kinds (of “isms”). The basic principles of scientific socialism cannot be lost. If they are lost, it is not socialism.”

Xi also mentioned two historical periods. The first period usually refers to 1949 to 1978, when China was, for the most part, under Mao Zedong’ reign. The second period, 1979 through the present, refers to the post-Mao era of China. “It is necessary to evaluate the historical period before the reform and opening up correctly. (We should) not deny the historical period before the reform and opening up using the historical period afterwards, nor should we use the historical period after the reform and opening up to deny the historical period before the reform and opening up.”

The last section of the speech was on the two ideologies: socialism versus capitalism. “Facts have repeatedly told us that Marx and Engels’ analysis of the basic contradictions in the capitalist society is not outdated. The historical materialistic view that capitalism is inevitably dying and socialism is inevitably winning is not outdated. This is an irreversible general trend in the development of history, but the path is tortuous. The eventual demise of capitalism and the ultimate victory of socialism must be a long historical process. We must profoundly understand the self-adjusting ability of capitalist society, fully estimate the reality of the long-term advantage of Western developed countries in the economy, science, and military, and conscientiously prepare for all aspects of long-term cooperation and battles between the two social systems.”

Source: Qiushi, April 1, 2019
http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/qs/2019-04/01/c_1124307480.htm

Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA) reported that Jiang Yanyong, a retired PLA physician, recently sent a letter to Xi Jinping requesting Xi to vindicate the June 4th student movement. In 1989, Jiang participated in the rescue of the victims of the Tiananmen incident and has been supporting the cause since then. During the SARS period in 2003, he was the first one to disclose the serious epidemic in mainland China.

On March 25, Hong Kong Cable i-CABLE News Channel broadcast an exclusive interview with Jiang Yanyong. Jiang called for the Chinese authorities to take the initiative to resolve the June 4th issue, give an accurate assessment of the incident, and minimize the social impact.

Jiang Yanyong is 87-years-old. He was the dean of the General Hospital of the PLA 301. He was forced to retire in 1993 because he refused to support the crackdown involving the Tiananmen incident. Jiang retired as a major general. Along with Bao Tong, the secretary for Zhao Ziyang, Jiang is considered a party liberal. For many years, Jiang Yanyong has written to the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party in a number of different forms, asking to vindicate June 4th. The suspicion is that, as a result, he was barred from leaving the country. However, he still believes that his advocacy is based on respect for human life. In addition to his support for the June 4th movement, Jiang is known for the disclosure of the truth about SARS in Beijing in 2003. It was Jiang’s interview with Time Magazine that forced the Chinese officials to disclose the situation of SARS prevention and control work in China. Jiang told the media that he must speak the truth. Although it is hard to do, after having been through so many political movements in the past fifty years, he must insist on telling the truth.

Source: China News Agency, March 26, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201903260118.aspx

On March 29, the Chinese Football Association announced the “Interim Provisions on the Management of Naturalized Players.” The provisions clarified the regulations covering the transfer, registration, participation in games, follow-up services, and management of the naturalized foreign players. The regulations require that naturalized players should accept, “traditional culture education,” understand Chinese history and national conditions, learn Chinese, recognize the national flag and the national emblem, and sing the national anthem. The party organization of the club must also conduct party history and basic education for the players. The club shall appoint a person to be responsible to monitor the players on their opinions, life, training, and playing condition, and submit a written report to the Chinese Football Association every month.

Many Chinese fans have reacted strongly to these regulations. Some have lodged the criticism that the purpose is not to find a player with good technique, but to find player who is obedient. There are also fans who sarcastically said that in order to play football, they must first learn to be a patriotic person who loves the party and they must study politics before they can be naturalized. Some people said that imposing the party organization’s education is indeed a bit overdone.

Source: Voice of America, March 30, 2019
https://www.voachinese.com/a/Foreign-Soccer-Players-In-China-Are-Required-To-Be-Taught-CCP-History-20190330/4854898.html

Xu Zhangrun, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, published a number of articles last year criticizing Xi Jinping’s totalitarian political control and asked the authorities to re-construct the constitution, restore the president’s term limit, and “vindicate the June 4th incident.” Radio Free Asia (RFA) has learned that Professor Xu was recently stripped off all duties, prohibited from teaching and counseling students, and stopped from conducting scientific research activities. The relevant department of Tsinghua University may investigate his visits to Japan and the UK last year.

Xu Zhangrun, 57, is a professor at Tsinghua University Law School, serves as the director of the Center for the Rule of Law and Human Rights at Tsinghua University, and is a special researcher at the Tianze Economic Research Institute. Last year, he criticized Xi Jinping for unconstitutional abolition of the term limit for the presidency. Bao Tong, a Chinese dissident, called on the authorities not to silence Xu Zhangrun.

Currently news of Xu Zhangrun’s dismissal and suspension has been spreading continuously on the Internet. Chinese writer Zhang Yihe is calling for the solidarity of the intellectual community to step up and show support for Professor Xu. RFA stated that due to this sensitive timing before the “June 4th Anniversary,” it can’t be ruled out that the intellectuals in China could take joint action on the incident.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 25, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/scholar-03252019090019.html?encoding=simplified

Recently, the Communist Youth League Central Committee (CYLCC) launched a big-data credit app in partnership with the State-owned Tsinghua Unigroup. People with good scores can enjoy preferential treatment in education and employment. Analysts believe this is another attempt to control young people’s behavior.

The app is called Unictown. It is available for free download at the Apple Store. Each user of the app receives a credit score between 350 and 800. The user may be entitled to tuition discounts or preferential treatment in job hunting.

Citing the South China Morning Post, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that, unlike the three credit rating companies in the United States, Unictown gathers and analyses a huge amount of non-economic and non-financial data. Academic publications, inventions, and volunteer activities may increase the user’s rating, while cheating on exams and plagiarism may lower his rating.

Analysts believe that this is nothing but the digitalized version of the personnel files that the Chinese Government has on everyone in China which follow a citizen all of his life. Online postings critical of the Chinese Government will likely lead Unictown users to have lower credit scores.

Unictown is said to be one of the products in the China Youth Credit Management (CY Credit) system that CYLCC and Tsinghua Unigroup have established. CY Credit is expected to cover all Chinese between the ages of 18 and 45, estimated at around 460 million.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 25, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/meiti/xql-03252019104215.html