Xinhua recently published an unusual commentary which discussed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “deep thinking” on traditional Chinese culture. The commentary explained that the great traditional Chinese culture is one of the critical sources of the philosophy that fed into Xi’s governing practices. The article mentioned that Xi has emphasized the importance of the Chinese culture numerous times in speeches delivered in China as well as overseas. Each speech included ideas “deeply rooted in the Chinese culture.” In Communist Party Politburo meetings, Xi pointed out the significant importance of continuing this heritage of the great culture. He mentioned it in the Forum on Literature and Art Work and in the 80^th Anniversary Celebration of the Central Party School. The article concluded that the answer to China’s problems can only be found on Chinese soil. {Editor’s note: Xinhua commentaries typically promote communism, socialism and other Communist Party related theories such as Marxism and the teachings of Lenin and Stalin. During the Culture Revolution, the Communist Party largely demolished traditional culture.}

Source: Xinhua, May 29, 2017
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-05/29/c_1121054808.htm

On June 1, VOA carried an article reporting that Facebook recently apologized to a customer who submitted a request to post his own camera effects platform, which was associated with the June 4th student movement in Tiananmen. According to the article, the designer was from Hong Kong and works for the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union. On May 26, 24 hours after its submission, Facebook rejected the initial camera effects platform design that contained words “End Dictatorial Rule; Vindicate June 4th.” The reason Facebook gave was that it “undermined, threatened, or attacked a certain individual, race, or group.” The author then changed the design to “Never Forget June 4th” and added a candle but still didn’t get approval. Finally the author published the incident on his Facebook page. He then quickly received a response from the Hong Kong media. On May 29, Facebook replied back to the request and approved the first design. On May 30, it followed with the approval of the second design.

Facebook estimates that there are 4.4 million Facebook users in Hong Kong. They account for 50 percent of the population, but Facebook has been banned on the mainland since 2009. Recently Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook expressed an interest in re-entering the China market. The article stated that people who care about Chinese affairs wish that the reported incident was simply an isolated case. They do not want to see Facebook losing its ground and exercising control over those contents that contain criticism of the Chinese government simply in order to please Beijing.

Source: Voice of America, June 1, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/facebook-tributes-spark-suspicion-of-censorship-ahead-of-june-4th-anniversary/3882175.html

On May 28, 2017, Duowei reported that Mainland China is now building its own model for social management. The Singapore model was previously the model that “the Chinese mainland officials used for training,” but the use of that model has been weakening.

Recently, the Hong Kong newspaper, the South China Morning Post  published an article titled, “Has China developed to the stage that it no longer needs Singapore as an example?” Singapore had always been the primary overseas training ground for Chinese officials. It was a “key pillar” to support the bilateral relations of both countries; however, now the role of the Lion City seems to be changing.

Political observers said that the “overseas” training program for government officials from mainland China, which started in the Deng Xiaoping era, has been implemented for more than 20 years. The change in the world’s political and economic landscape today has led Beijing to believe that “the Chinese model is the world’s real development direction.” China spares no effort in “trying to be an example for the rest of the world.” Feeling good about itself, China has undergone dramatic psychological changes in how it views the outside world.

Source: Duowei, May 28, 2017
http://china.dwnews.com/news/2017-05-28/59817444.html

Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the National People’s Congress stated on May 28, that Hong Kong will not have a separation of powers and that Beijing should place it under tighter control.

Zhang said that Hong Kong’s political system under the Basic Law “is not a separation of powers, nor is it legislation-driven or judiciary-driven. Rather it is an administration-driven (system) with the Chief Executive as the core.” The power relation between the central government and Hong Kong is “the relationship of authorizing and being authorized, but not one of split powers. “Under no circumstance should (anyone) fight over the central government’s power In the name of a high degree of autonomy.”

Zhang also criticized Hong Kong separatists.

Pro-democracy people in Hong Kong expressed their upset with Zhang’s claim. They stressed that Hong Kong has long been following a separation of powers and that is the foundation of Hong Kong’s success. They also questioned whether the Communist regime wants to implement “Beijingers rule Hong Kong” instead of “Hong Kongese rule Hong Kong.”

Source: Apple Daily
http://hkm.appledaily.com/detail.php?guid=20036207&category_guid=4104&category=daily&issue=20170528