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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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LTN: Chinese Job Market Faces a Cold Winter

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that the Chinese job market faces a very disappointing atmosphere. The national entry exam for government positions is posting only half the number of government jobs compared to last year’s number. Financial organizations and brokerage companies are enacting a hiring freeze across-the-board. The massive Chinese real estate sector is hiring nearly zero new staff. For example, the nation’s largest builder Wan Ke is hiring only 10 people in Beijing. The rapidly growing technology sector is also significantly reducing new hires. Some companies are even reducing the size of their current workforce. Well-known high-tech companies such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Huawei are all reducing their positions for new college graduates. Tencent, NetEase, and Didi Carsharing (funded by Apple) are all laying off current staff. The entire Chinese job market is apparently declining.

Source: LTN, October 24, 2018
http://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/2590178

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Social Stability

China Has A Natural Gas Supply Gap of over 20 Billion Cubic Meters

Jiemian News, the online news site under the Shanghai United Media Group, recently reported that, for the upcoming winter and spring, China is expecting a natural gas supply gap of 22.8 billion cubic meters. Shanghai United Media Group was established in 2013 through the merger of two large government owned newspaper groups, Jiefang Daily and Wenhui–Xinmin United Press. Just the market share that China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) controls will see a year-over-year demand increase of 32.4 percent. The 5 billion cubic meters of gas supply gap China suffered last winter and spring already has created a major “gas shortage.” To ease the situation, the three largest Chinese natural gas suppliers (CNPC, SINOPEC and CNOOC) expanded their total capacity by 10 billion cubic meters. Among those with the highest increase in demand are industrial fuel gas, city consumer gas, and electricity power generation gas. Some analysts, however, are not very much concerned because the Chinese government has since drastically changed the policy of switching from coal to natural gas.

Source: Jiemian News, October 23, 2018
https://www.jiemian.com/article/2560174.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

SINOPEC and CNPC Did not Order November Iranian Oil

The official website of the China Shipping Services (CNSS), an organization under China’s Ministry of Transportation, recently published an article that stated China’s two largest state-owned oil refiners – China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC) and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) – halted ordering the November Iranian oil. Anonymous sources said the two refiners were concerned about the U.S. sanctions and were uncertain about whether China can get an exemption or not. One of the top officials from these two companies suggested that the risk is “higher than the reduction of the supply level.” Neither of the two companies was willing to confirm the news nor was the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Kunlun Bank, which CNPC controls, has informed its customers that it is no longer accepting RMB payments from Iran. In August, Kunlun Bank had already quietly stopped accepting Iranian Euro payments. Nearly all oil transactions between China and Iran went through Kunlun Bank. However, China Shipping Services’ tracking system shows that six out of the nine Iranian November oil tanker ships still have planned destinations in China. India’s import level from Iran also remains unchanged.

Source: CNSS, October 26, 2018
http://www.cnss.com.cn/html/2018/currentevents_1026/318759.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

China to Build First Permanent Airport in Antarctica

Science and Technology Daily, an official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, quoted someone familiar with the matter on Sunday and reported that the Chinese government plans to build the first permanent airport in Antarctica within a few years in order to receive tourists and researchers regularly.

“The infrastructure will include the runway and a terminal building. According to the plan, the airport will be built in a selected place. It will take several years before the airport is built.” he said. The source said that the airport will be built directly on the glacier covering the surface of Antarctica.

The source also said that as early as 2009 and 2010, Chinese experts built two runways dedicated to emergency landings and refueling for fixed-wing aircraft. One of them was three kilometers west of the Chinese Kunlun Station in Antarctica. He said that China has a more and more urgent need to build a regular airport at the other end of the earth.

Experts believe that, to this end, China needs to negotiate regular flight issues with countries that can provide support for temporary landings. China’s polar plane, “Snow Eagle 601,” which will fly such a long route, will be forced to stop midway for technical support, fuel, or handling bad weather.

Source: Sputnik News, October 29, 2018
http://sputniknews.cn/china/201810291026682591/

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Lack of Capital Investment Makes Development of New Drugs Difficult

Science and Technology Daily published an article on the challenges that China faces in new drug research and development. The long development cycle, the high investment that is required, and the high failure rate are cited as the three major points of difficulty in the development of new drugs, especially in clinical trials. The article reported that the lack of a long-term investment mechanism, especially the imperfection of the capital market, has made the research and development as well as the marketing of new drugs problematic. Most of the small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies rely on self-raised funds for R&D. The R&D investment accounts for 4 to 8 percent of the total sales while some investments could be as high or higher than 20 percent. Also, pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to invest due to the imperfect intellectual property protection system. Investors fear either the high risks or the lack of focus in new drug research and development.

The article stated that fundamentally solving the difficulties in the research and development of new drugs in China requires the progress and maturation of China’s pharmaceutical industry at all levels, including the improvement of the company’s own research and development capabilities, the improvement of the regulatory system, a real understanding of the long-term, high-risk new drug development, and long-term capital market support.

Source: Science and Technology Daily, October 29, 2018
http://www.stdaily.com/index/kejixinwen/2018-10/29/content_724931.shtml

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Guangzhou Metro Enabled Facial Recognition, Real-name Authentication, Upgraded Inspection of Carry-on Items, and Body Scanning

On October 26, China News reported that, starting on October 26, Guangzhou Metro has enabled facial recognition and real-name authentication, as well as upgrades in the security inspection of personal carry-on items and body scanners at multiple sites. It includes using Artificial Intelligence to identify dangerous goods, light wave security inspection channels, and facial recognition. Passengers need to download the official APP of the Guangzhou Metro in advance for real-name authentication and face collection, and enable the “Smart Security” function. The “face scanner” can be authenticated through the security check channel. The article claimed that, after the security check channel is activated, it can be implemented without the need for security personnel.

According to Radio Free Asia, the First Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security of China developed these facial recognition systems that pioneered in Guangzhou. They have been tested for many years. Two years ago, it was reported that “Facial Recognition Technology” has been used in anti-terrorism operations. This technology is a dynamic identification system that recognizes the identity of five people every second. The recognition speed is 200 milliseconds each time. The facial recognition system that the institute developed is called “Future-oriented.” It has high accuracy and builds functional identity management in the network world. An official said that, “facial recognition” technology is only needed when national security and public safety are involved, so it is expected that the “facial recognition system” will be used in the future in airports, subways, bus stations, and railway stations.

Last year, the Chinese authorities launched the “Skynet” monitoring system in urban regions and “Project Dazzling Snow” in rural areas. The tens of millions of monitoring probes cover almost all corners of China and are called “the most advanced monitoring system in the world.” The netizens teased that the official is treating the city like a prison. According to reports, the First Institute of the Ministry of Public Security of China was named the “national team for network security.” It conducted research on facial recognition testing technology as early as 2002. In the same year, it carried out regular evaluations of facial recognition products and created the application model for facial recognition in China.

Sources:
1. China News, October 26, 2018
http://www.chinanews.com/sh/2018/10-26/8660955.shtml
2. Radio Free Asia, October 26, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-10262018094621.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Young People Are Lined Up to Make Wills

Although making wills is considered taboo in traditional Chinese culture, people in China have now lined up to make wills, possibly due to an awakening awareness of their private property rights. Hong Kong’s Asia Times reported that making a will appears to be trendy in China. Over 7,500 seniors have appointments with the China Will Registration Center in Beijing. Some of them have to wait for one year for their appointment. Meanwhile there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of young people over 30 years old making wills. The situation of their parents may be the reason for these young people to make a will. More and more young people designate parents as beneficiaries. They think it is better to leave assets such as real estate to parents than to leave them to others. In addition, another reason for young people to make wills is the high intensity of work pressure. They worry that, once they die from the stress at work, they have no guarantee to whom their property will be left.

Source: Sina.Com, October 27, 2018
https://news.sina.com.cn/o/2018-10-27/doc-ihmxrkzx4235846.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

New African Swine Fever Outbreak in Zhejiang Province

On October 22, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that, in the city of Taizhou in Zhejiang Province, a new African swine fever broke out on October 21.

At 17:00 on October 21, the Ministry of Agriculture received a report from the China Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center. The Zhejiang Provincial Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention submitted samples to the China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, where it was diagnosed as African swine fever.

The sample that tested positive was from a breeding professional cooperative in Sanmen County in Taizhou City, in Zhejiang Province. The cooperative had 2,280 live pigs; 56 had died from the disease.

After the outbreak, the local authorities culled the pigs and conducted harmless treatment, disinfection, and other measures.

Sanmen County is located in the northern part of Taizhou City. Back in August, Yueqing, a city south of Taizhou was also confirmed to have had an outbreak of African swine fever.

Source: Central News Agency, October 22, 2018
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201810220257.aspx

Briefings | | |   Social Stability