Chinascope – Page 503

China’s Domestically Manufactured Mainline Aircraft C919 Acquired More Orders

China’s financial news network, A Finance, recently reported that China’s state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) just landed a new contract to sell 30 C919 aircraft. This new deal enabled COMAC’s C919 sales record to reach 815. COMAC is the company formed to realize China’s strategic goal of domestically designing and manufacturing mainline large-capacity commercial passenger aircraft. C919 directly competes with the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. COMAC currently has contracts from 28 buyers globally, most of whom are Chinese organizations. The C919 project was part of a national effort to develop domestic high-end manufacturing equipment and products to compete eventually in the global high-end industrial market.

Source: A Finance, February 26, 2018
http://www.afinance.cn/new/cjxw/201802/2019852.html

Briefings | | March 5, 2018 | Economy/Resources

Russian Energy Expert: Power of Siberia Natural Gas Pipeline Project Was a Costly Mistake

According to an article that Radio Free Asia published, Mikhail Krutikhin, a Russian expert with 25 years of experience in the energy field, recently stated that the Power of Siberia, the natural gas pipeline under construction in Eastern Siberia, represents the complete failure of Putin’s Asia policy. Krutikhin’s comments indicated that, as Beijing is abandoning Russia as a supplier of natural gas and has turned to the U.S. for natural gas imports, the official project launch date in May of 2019, would be postponed. Even if it weren’t postponed, the total volume would be less than the original projection. Power of Siberia, which is worth US$4 billion is a natural gas project for which an agreement was signed in May 2014. Due to Beijing’s lack of trust, Putin didn’t build a pipeline that directly connected to the pipeline from China but rather built a pipeline for China that was part of the pipeline that expands around the Russia-China border connecting to Vladivostok. Unlike what was officially communicated, the current project has two pipelines. One of them has a source of natural gas which is almost depleted and the other one does not even have a customer. The timing, however, is ironic in that, just when the Siberia natural gas pipeline project was about to be completed, the U.S. succeeded in its shale oil technology and China turned to the U.S. for its natural gas, which increased its domestic natural gas supply. The article stated that, meanwhile, oil prices have continued to be weak, which means that Russia may not be able to recover its investment on this project.

Source: Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/lxy-02282018130955.html

Briefings | | March 5, 2018 | Geo-Strategic Trend

RFA: Xinhua Got in Trouble for How It Handled “Term Limit Elimination” Reports

RFA reported that, based on a news report from Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily, Xinhua published an urgent news announcement on February 25 about the “Central Committee’s recommendation to eliminate term limits.” At first it was in English. The Chinese version was published one hour later. The way Xinhua handled this news were reported to be a “political mistake” because it caused media hype and speculation in the Western media, as well as discussions in overseas social media. People were fired because of it. A China News Agency source claimed that they were directed “not to report the verbal directions they had been given; they must ensure ‘stability’ and ‘not allow foreign countries to use them as discussion topics.'”

Source: Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/XQL-02282018025328.html

Briefings | | March 5, 2018 | Government/Politics

Sina.com: The Village Mafia Comes Packaged in a New Outfit

Recently, the central administration issued a notice to launch a crackdown on the local corrupt mafia officials. A posting on Sina.com, provided examples of how local mafia officials monopolize public resources such as the reservoir, the forests, slaughter houses, the farm markets, and the local village transportation route. The article reported that these local mafia officials use their power, violence, and money to advance their own agendas. They are just like the characters in “The Godfather.” They are well mannered, wearing brand name outfits, and operating behind the scenes.

The following are two examples included in the article. A village Mafioso was a well-known bully in 1990 and a drug user who had previously been imprisoned. He went to a southern China region and came back as an entrepreneur. He established close ties with a few of the village officials and gained favorable treatment on the sale of some farm land. No one in the village was brave enough to stand up to him. Another example is a village committee director who had been imprisoned a number of times. He managed to open a few arcades. In 2012, he was “elected” to the position of village committee director, with the help of his “brothers.” He drives a Ferrari and lets other local officials be his business partners and invest in his projects. He is bully, a businessman, and a village official, all in one. The article reported that the locals fear the local mafia force more than they fear the officials because these mafia officials are violent and have power, money, and political connections.

Source: Sina.com, February 28, 2018
http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/2018-02-28/doc-ifyrztfz5199470.shtml

Briefings | | March 5, 2018 | Social Stability

China Promotes Confucius Institutes to Serve Its Diplomacy in Major Countries

On the afternoon of January 23, Xi Jinping, leader of the leading group for deepening the overall reform of the central government, presided over the second meeting of the leading group and delivered an important speech. The meeting passed a number of “resolutions,” or “documents.” One of them was, “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Reform and Development of Confucius Institutes.”

The resolution pointed out that the promotion of the reform and development of Confucius Institutes should center on the building of a powerful socialist country with Chinese characteristics, serving China’s major powers diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, deepening the reform and innovation, improving the institutional mechanisms, optimizing the distribution structure, strengthening the building efforts, and improving the quality of education, so as to let the (Confucius Institutes) become an important force of communication between China and foreign countries.

Source: People’s Daily, January 23, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0123/c1024-29782294.html

Briefings | | March 1, 2018 | Government/Politics US-China Relations

Duowei: China’s State Media Comments on U.S. Sanctions Proposal against North Korea

Duowei reported that, after the U.S. Treasury Department recently announced its program to institute, “the largest sanctions against the DPRK in history,” the Chinese government media (Xinhua) published an article commenting that the sanctions that the United States imposed are inappropriate and that the United States has the aim of safeguarding Washington’s dominance over the Korean Peninsula issue. However, the unilateral strengthening of sanctions will only make the situation more complicated and cause negative effects.

This is the (Xinhua) issue: The article, entitled “The Heaviest Sanctions in History, which the United States Imposed, Are Not Appropriate,” points out that since the start of this year, North Korea and South Korea have taken the opportunity of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to resume a dialogue, to seek cooperation; as a result the situation has seen a rare easing. However, the “long-arm” sanctions that the United States has imposed, have shown the U.S.’s always arrogant attitude and have also shown how the United States is playing an inharmonious and destructive role. The article mentions that it is incontrovertible that Washington’s intensification of sanctions on the ebb of the peninsula tensions will have a negative effect on the situation on the peninsula. Strengthening sanctions is inconsistent with the UN Security Council’s resolution to promote the fundamental spirit of peace talks and cannot close the differences between the two countries as a prerequisite for dialogue and appeal. The commentary pointed out: Not only does North Korea not accept the aggressive posture of the United States, but it also will not solve any substantive issue.

Source: Duowei, February 24, 2018
http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2018-02-24/60042188.html

Briefings | | March 1, 2018 | Government/Politics US-China Relations

RFA: Formal Twitter Software Engineer Pressed to Spy while Visiting China

According to an article Radio Free Asia published, the Chinese Public Security Bureau asked a formal Twitter software engineer, while he was visiting his family, to provide twitter code technology in order to monitor twitter contents. Fearing for his safety, on February 22, the formal Twitter employee tweeted several times using the @eddiex account before and after his meeting with the bureau officers and asked his friends to let more people know about his situation. The tweets showed that the Public Security Bureau told him that the type of meeting is a routine meeting that applies to all who have studied and worked in the U.S. They expressed interest in his work experience at Twitter and the coding technology and asked for his cooperation for the sake of “China’s national interest.” The software engineer turned down the requests and said he needs to consult his lawyer. He suspected that he was followed the entire time during his visit in China. Some of his tweets were since deleted. He also turned down an interview with Radio Free Asia and hoped to move beyond the whole situation peacefully. The RFA article reported that it is likely that he and his family could be under tremendous pressure from the Chinese authorities.

Source: Radio Free Asia, February 23, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/twitter-02232018073132.html

Briefings | | February 27, 2018 | Government/Politics

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.”

The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.