Chinascope – Page 534

SARFT Sets Program Guidelines for Satellite TV Stations

According to a notice that the SARFT (the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television) issued, satellite television stations should be news based television stations. They shouldn’t simply pursue or fabricate means to influence their TV ratings. They are required to control television programs aired during prime time. Those programs should not contain TV dramas that have excessive entertainment content or sensitive topics; they should air programs that cover public welfare, culture, science, and the economy. For entertainment programs, the stations are asked to limit reality TV or entertainment programs that use movie or TV celebrities or TV programs that copy their format from those in foreign countries. As to selecting special guests or commentators, they must use positive moral character and artistic achievements as the top criteria.

Source: Guangming Daily, August 7, 2017
http://e.gmw.cn/2017-08/07/content_25481844.htm

Briefings | | August 13, 2017 | Government/Politics

The U.S.’s Strategy of Exporting Ideology over the Internet Will not Change

{Editor’s Note: Qiushi published an article discussing how the U.S. exports ideology over the Internet. Its method of exportation has become a core part of the U.S.’ strategy of “public diplomacy.” Continue reading →

Reports | | August 12, 2017 | Government/Politics Report US-China Relations

Retired Officials Excluded from the PLA Anniversary Celebration Event

On August 1, China held the Celebration Party for the 90th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping gave an important speech.

All of the seven Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee members and current high-rank military and Party officers sat on the rostrum. However, none of the retired officials, from either the military side or the Party, was seated on the rostrum. This is totally different from the 70th or the 80th anniversary celebration where the retired officials were on the rostrum.

A political commentator suggested that this showed Xi has full control of the military, exceeding what the previous leaders had.

Source: Epoch Times, August 2, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/8/2/n9487950.htm

Briefings | | August 8, 2017 | Defense/Military Government/Politics

Xi Jinping: We Absolutely Cannot Allow Splitting China

On August 1, China held the Celebration Party for the 90th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping gave a speech, stating “We absolutely will not allow any person, any organization, any party, at any time, using any means, to split any piece of China’s land from China. No one should expect that we will swallow the bitter result from the damage to our nation’s sovereignty, security, or development.”

Source: Duowei, July 31, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/global/news/2017-07-31/60004426.html

Briefings | | August 8, 2017 | Defense/Military Government/Politics

Chatbots Fixed for “Political Correctness”

The QQ social media platform (owned by Tencent) recently offered two chatbots for online conversations with people. However, it was found that they did not provide “politically correct” answers. On July 30, they were taken offline.

The two chatbots are Baby Q, developed by Tencent, and Xiao Bing, developed by Microsoft.

To the question, “Do you love the (Communist) Party?” Baby Q replied, “No, I don’t love it.”

When people asked Xiao Bing, “What is your China Dream?” Xiao Bing answered, “My China Dream is to immigrate to the U.S.! It is very real.”

They were put back in use a few days later. According to a Reuter’s test, they became very “cautious.”

When they were asked, “Do you love the Party?” this time, Baby Q answered, “Let’s change the subject.”

When Xiao Bing was asked about political affairs in China, it answered, “I’m too young to understand.”

When asked, “Is Taiwan a country?” Xiao Bing answered, “I don’t want to talk to you.” {Editor’s note: After losing the civil war to the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan. From the perspective of mainland China (the Communist Regime), Taiwan is not a county but a part of China that is yet to be reunited with China.)

When typing “democracy” or “Xi Jinping,” Xiao Bing answers, “Let’s change the topic,” or “The wind is so loud that I can’t hear what you are saying!”

Sources:
1. VOA, August 2, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-chatbox-20170802/3969872.html
2. Epoch Times, August 4, 2017
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/8/4/n9497916.htm

Briefings | | August 8, 2017 | Government/Politics

Full Rebuttal in the Matter of the Divine Land Marching Band

{Editor’s Comment: In 2016, the Divine Land Marching Band, a group of Falun Gong practitioners, was scheduled to participate in the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Parade. At the last minute, they were rejected from the parade. They signed a complaint of discrimination against the organizer, Sakura Matsuri, Inc. with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission

Case Name: Rui Wang v. Sukura Natsuri, Inc.

Docket Number: FY-17-12C-030

The Full Rebuttal to the allegations follows:}

Dear Respectful Rebecca Oyama,

Thank you for being an investigator on the matter between the Respondent and us.

As you can easily perceive, the two parties have discrepancies on what was said and done in regards to how the Respondent handled our applications to and participation in the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Parade (NCCBFGP).

To prevent this matter from spiraling down into a “he said vs. he said” dispute, we will format our rebuttal into two parts. We will show in the “summary arguments” that the Respondent’s best effort of white-washing its disparate treatment of us not only in and of itself constitutes an admission of unfair treatment, but also cannot stand up to a cross examination of surrounding facts of the NCCBFGP. We will then make a point-to-point rebuttal of the Respondent’s response in the second part.

We will also provide a fact sheet and other supporting documents as reference material.

Thank you for your patience. Continue reading →

Presentation | | August 7, 2017 | Report

Amazon Stopped Selling Its Most Popular Smartphone

Chinese online technology news site EN News recently reported that Amazon stopped selling BLU branded smartphones on its U.S. online store after an online security company Kryptowire revealed, at the recent BlackHat information security conference, that the smartphone has spyware secretly collecting sensitive user information and sending it to China. The BLU smartphone has been the top seller on Amazon’s online store. It runs pre-installed software that a Chinese company named Adups makes. Adups is headquartered in Shanghai. Amazon confirmed the issue. Adups was found last October to have the same problem and apologized with a promise to fix the “mistake.” However, once again the spyware was discovered on another smartphone model of the same brand. {Editor’s note: Adups spyware was reportedly found on many other smartphones priced below US$300.}

Source: EN News, August 1, 2017
http://www.ennews.com/article-7487-1.html

Briefings | | August 7, 2017 | Information/Technology

People’s Daily: The U.S. Global Role Has Changed

People’s Daily recently published a commentary that started with the joke that the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund expressed the possibility of moving the IMF’s headquarters to Beijing (from Washington D.C.). The commentary suggested that the joke at least reflected a view on the changing role of the United States. The author referred to the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report that adjusted down the U.S. and the British growth rates while adjusting up China’s as well as the Eurozone’s. The United States seems to be losing its power in terms of being the engine of the world economy. Instead, the emerging economies led by China and India contributed three quarters of the global economic growth. In the meantime, the commentary pointed out, the U.S. role on the world stage is heading downhill, especially since President Trump has brought his country a dramatically worsened global image. According to a study that a Californian institute published, France ranks as number one in world soft power (the U.S. being number three). Even the proud American “soft power” is no longer “glowing.” According to the commentator, even the Germans expressed the belief that the U.S. is no longer interested in global cooperation and has broken a “great union” with Europe. The article concluded that, although a new world order is being formed, one cannot just ignore the U.S., yet.

Source: People’s Daily, July 29, 2017
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0729/c1002-29436087.html

Briefings | | August 7, 2017 | US-China Relations

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.