Epoch Times recently reported that the students, including elementary and kindergartner students, in China are required to memorize the “core socialist values” which consist of 12 values in 24 Chinese characters. They were introduced during 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. Whether the students are able to memorize the characters has become one of the measures for whether a city qualifies for a “civilized city” award. According to the article, the officials from local school districts in Shanghai, Shanxi, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Yunnan provinces visit the school or call students at home to conduct random tests on students. The reporter, in conducting phone interviews with some students and parents in China, was told that the students do not totally understand what it means but they must memorize the words. One parent told Epoch Times that it was brainwashing and that the party was using it to shift people’s attention away from other social issues. Another parent said it was ironic that the students were taught to mix the concept of “Party,” “Country,” and “People” together at a very young age. A China expert told Epoch Times that this type of “one party propaganda” is unprecedented in Chinese history, which has traditional values that focus on loyalty, benevolence, filialness, and justice. The party’s Publicity, Education, and Culture Department has completely destroyed humanity and China’s traditional values. Since 1949, the brainwashing has never stopped,” The article also listed online comments which criticize the practice of forcing students to memorize “core socialist values.”

Source: Epoch Times, September 22, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/17/9/22/n9659102.htm

According to an article that Hong Kong Mingbao published, it was decided during a recent Central Politburo meeting that, at the upcoming 19th National Congress, the party’s constitution will be revised and amended to include Xi Jinping thought. Following Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, Xi will become the third Chinese party leader who will have his thoughts written into the party’s constitution. The article reported the source as saying that Xi’s speech to the provincial level party leaders on July 26 will be the basis for his report at the 19th National Congress. His speech on July 26 can be summarized as follows: “in order to gain control in the fast paced era and to win during the new and grand battle, we must adhere to the basic principles of Marxism; we must apply a broader perspective and more long-term vision to think about and grasp the future development of the country when dealing with a series of major strategic issues; we must continue to expand new horizons and come up with a new theoretical understanding.”

Source: Mingbao, September 19, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20170919/s00013/1505758172573

According to an article published on the BioDiscovery.com website, foreign pharmaceutical companies have been changing their strategies in China and some are pulling out of China. GE CTC recently announced that it will no longer conduct pharmaceutical research and development in China. The work will be picked by the company’s two other research centers in Niskayuna, New York and Bangalore, India. GE has 150 research labs in China. Over 3,000 research positions will be impacted. Meanwhile, GSK, a British pharmaceutical company headquartered in Brentford, London will adjust its strategy in China. In the next two years, it will close the plant in Suzhou Jiangsu Province and change the manufacturing plant in Tianjing from a prescription drug manufacturing plant to a manufacturer of tablets only. On September 8, Eli Lilly announced that it will close its research lab in Shanghai, the first research lab in an Asia Pacific country, while also reorganizing its marketing strategy. It will impact 3500 jobs worldwide and will be completed by December 31, 2017.

The reasons for the foreign pharmaceutical companies undergoing changes in China are partly due to competition from domestic pharmaceutical companies in China. In addition, according to an article that the Epoch Times published, both AmCham China and the European chamber of Commerce indicated that the investment climate in China has deteriorated in recent years. The top three reasons for foreign companies to leave China are increases in the cost of labor, changes in the company’s strategic advantage, and concerns over China’s regulatory policies. Whereas the third reason ranked 5th last year, it made the top three this year. For example, some companies expressed fear that the new Internet security policy has increased China’s ability to control company’s private data and impose further restriction on foreign companies. Moreover, foreign companies are also becoming the subject of the influence of the party’s ideology. According to a report from Reuters in August, the Chinese partners of some foreign companies have insisted that those who are party members should be promoted to the company’s management level. It also requires that the company allocate operating funds for the party’s branch office, or even requires that the chairman of the board must be the same person as the company’s party secretary. It means that once the party organization becomes part of the company, it will have direct power over the company’s operating policies, human resources, and its strategic development policy. The practice since 2001, soon after China joined the WTO, has been that when the party organization’s involvement started in private companies in China, they would be required to “make recommendations” regarding the company’s regular operations.

Source:
Biodiscovery.com, September 15, 2017
http://www.biodiscover.com/news/politics/726032.html
Epoch Times, September 22, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/17/9/22/n9660159.htm

Apply Daily published a commentary stating that Xi Jinping has started to remove princelings {descendants of prominent and influential senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials} from power. A discussion of the contents of the commentary follows.

“The princelings are rare to see among the newly elected representatives of the Communist Party’s 19th National Congress. They are not only rare in the civil section and state-owned enterprises, but also in the military. Several high-profile princelings in the military have either retired or been pushed aside, including Mao Xinyu (grandson of former CCP head Mao Zedong), Liu Yuan (son of former President Liu Shaoqi), Liu Xiaojiang (son-in-law of former CCP General Secretary Hu Yaobang), Zhang Haiyang (son of former Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Zhen), Liu Yazhou (son-in-law of former President Li Xiannian), Zhu Heping (grandson of former Marshall Zhu De).”

“Obviously this is Xi’s arrangement.”

The article went on to explain that the princelings, many of whom appear to have a high-profile civilian or military rank, are normally not in the key posts. Also, they have been split among many smaller groups due to the CCP’s intense in-fighting, whether among themselves or inherited from their parents.

They are likely to interfere in the administration’s policies. In 2005, Zhu De’s grandson Zhu Chenghu claimed that, if the U.S. were to interfere in China-Taiwan affairs, then  China “is prepared to sacrifice all cities on the east side of Xi’an” to have a nuclear war with the U.S. Another grandson of Zhu De, Zhu Heping, stated that China may have a military fight with Japan to gain the control of the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyudao Islands in China).

While the princelings may not have contributed big achievements, they can create big trouble for Xi Jinping due to their political status and their influence over the business world. Therefore, Xi has had to restrict them.

Source: Apple Daily, September 15, 2017
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20170915/20153339

Since Xi Jinping assumed power, he has mentioned and promoted traditional Chinese culture in a number of places. This is a deviation from the Communist Party’s approach which in the past has been to denounce, suppress, and even attempt the complete destruction of traditional Chinese culture.

Recently, Chinese Central Television (CCTV) broadcasted a six episode CCTV program, The Diplomacy of a Big Country. The first episode quoted Xi’s desire to keep traditional Chinese Culture.

“Xi Jinping: (Since) I became the President of the country, a number of retired officials have said to me, ‘What should the Chinese leader do? It is not to lose China’s 5,000 years of culture and civilization. It should also be passed down in your hands.’”

Source: CCTV, August 28, 2017
http://m.news.cctv.com/2017/08/28/ARTIVzGmfqhlkUslnKqCsVFB170828.shtml