Epoch Times published an article in which it reported that Beijing has been extending its control over Foreign Companies in China. It now requires that these companies allow party branch offices to be established within the company and is pushing to grant operational decision making power to the party’s branch office. According to the statistics disclosed during the media conference at the 19th National Congress on the subject of the “party’s development and exercise of strict self-governance in every respect,” by the end of 2016, Chinese Communist Party branch offices had been established in 93.2 percent of 147,000 State Owned Enterprises; 67.9 percent of 2.7 million private companies, and 70 percent of 100,600 foreign companies in China. The article quoted the comments that several China scholars gave. They stated that the party organization might act like a union but its real purpose is to control and supervise how the company operates. One scholar told Epoch Times that, “The party can’t trust anyone. It must have its own people to do supervision. Therefore it must build a party organization everywhere even including temples and religious organizations.” The article also quoted a Reuters news article stating that top management from over 12 European companies gathered in Beijing at the end of July to discuss their concerns about how the party tried to influence the company’s day to day operations. One company manager disclosed that they received political pressure to modify the joint venture contract to include language that allowed the party to have decision making rights in company operations and investment decisions. According to Epoch Times, having the party organization manage the company is in conflict with the theory of a market economy and will eventually force private companies in China to lose their international competitive advantage.

Sources:
1. Epoch Times, October 22, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/10/22/n9758229.htm
2. China.com, October 19, 2017
http://www.china.com.cn/19da/2017-10/19/content_41758149.htm

According to an article the Epoch Times published, prior to the 19th National Congress, an internal order was issued within the Public Security Bureau to conduct “door to door” visits to Falun Gong adherents to collect their personal information, take videos, or photo or monitor their activities. The action started in February of 2017 and took place in over 28 provinces and cities. Some of the Falun Gong adherents ended up being “kidnapped,” their houses were searched illegally, they were arrested, or they were sent to brainwashing sessions. Some were tortured to death, and some were forced to flee China. The article stated that the actions were contradictory to what Xi Jinping has been advocating according to the “rule by law” and his effort in cleaning up the judiciary system. It observed that the Public Security Bureau was still carrying out the orders that Jiang Zemin issued to the 610 office (a security agency named for the date of its formation on June 10, 1999, established specifically for the purpose of coordinating and implementing the persecution of Falun Gong). That agency is still operating and is following the policy that Jiang used his influence to initiate.

Source: Epoch Times, October 21, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/10/21/n9757224.htm

The following is a summary of Apple Daily/United Morning Post’s observations on Xi Jinping’s report at the 19th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress:

Reading the full text, the first impression is that it is trying to de-personalize (downplay) the names of Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and even Deng Xiaoping {from the CCP’s chapters}. The reports of the recent Party congresses have constantly mentioned Deng Xiaoping Theory, the three represents, and the scientific concept of development. However, Xi almost failed to mention the names of Jiang and Hu in his report. He only mentioned the three represents and scientific development once. Even Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping’s names only appeared once.

On the contrary, “socialism” and “people” were mentioned 146 and 202 times respectively. These two words in the political context of the Chinese Communist Party have special implications with a deep mark of Mao Zedong’s brand. During the Cultural Revolution, they appeared frequently together with Mao Zedong Thought, great leaders, and class struggle in the CCP’s mouthpiece and documents. Xi’s report repeatedly mentioned Marx (19 times), which was also rare in the past Party Congress report.

Second, Xi Jinping spent more than half of the report describing how the past five years’ commitments got fully implemented and at the same time depicting the beautiful landscape of future development — the “new utopia” for the CCP and the Chinese people.

Strangely, Xi Jinping achievement that he is most proud of — anti-corruption  — was not discussed much in the report; it was only mentioned seven times. Xi talked more about his strict rule of the rectification of the party. Perhaps, he did not want to let Wang Qishan {Xi’s chief assistant in the anti-corruption campaign} grab the limelight or perhaps anti-corruption has caused dissatisfaction within the party and thus talking about anti-corruption too much was not appropriate.

Source: Wenxuecity (republication of Apply Daily/United Morning Post), October 18, 2017
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2017/10/18/6670555.html