Chen Baosheng, China’s Education Minister, wrote an article discussing the ideological control the Chinese Communist Party maintains in the school education system in order to guard against the penetration of “hostile forces.” Below are some of the statements from the article:

“Ideological work is extremely important work for the [Chinese Communist] Party. On the education front, the ideological work is the core to strengthen the Party’s leadership in education.” “From the social point of view, many mistakes on ideological issues originate on the education front. … The education system is the forefront of the Party’s ideological work. The hostile forces’ top choice for penetration is also our education system, the school campus. The general secretary said that winning young people will win the future. The same is also true: to sabotage your future, the first step is to mess up your schools. The struggle is very intense in the forefront battlefield.”

“The educational front is the unique front of our Party’s ideological work. The status and role of this unique front in the ideological work is irreplaceable.  … The reason why the education front has such a unique, irreplaceable role in ideological work is that if a problem occurs, it is system wide and fatal. Therefore, in the ideological work of the education front, disruptive problems are not allowed to occur. This place is also where disruptive problems have the highest possibility of occurring.”

Source: Sina, December 10, 2016
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/nd/2016-12-10/doc-ifxypipt0847554.shtml

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be held in Beijing in the autumn of next year. Some overseas media have reported that, recently, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the Preparatory Group for the 19th National Congress issued a preliminary draft for the reform of the state, government, army, and judicial systems. In addition to serving in the deputy position in the high-level central government, the governor of a province, mayors, and also non-Party members, will also be able to serve as the president of the Supreme Court or the Supreme Procuratorate, as well as to hold positions of deputy army rank or above in the military.

Source: Duowei News, December 5, 2016
http://china.dwnews.com/news/2016-12-05/59786311.html

Hong Kong Sing Pao Daily News published an article predicting that, after Hong Kong Chief Leung Chun Ying’s announcement that he will not run for re-election, Zhang Xiaoming, director of the [Hong Kong] Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government, will become the next target to be removed [from a leadership position in Hong Kong]. The article said that replacement of leadership in the Liaison Office is in sight. Zhang Xiaoming will be “severely punished.”

The article added that Leung was advised not to run in the election for the next HK chief executive, which means that the central government core [led by Xi Jinping] is going to crack down on the careerists who have been using Hong Kong to make trouble and will re-steer the direction of Hong Kong’s administration. The article predicted that Zhang Xiaoming, the director of the Liaison Office will be the next target to be removed [because] he failed to do the work of being a “Liaison” in Hong Kong; he only engaged in gangs, and violence.” “The Central Government Rules of (Official) Conduct and Public Engagement [Xi’s 8 Rules]”

The article related that the central government core leadership’s dismissal of Leung Chun Ying is a cut on Zhang Dejiang’s head; it is thus an indication that a clean-up of the Liaison Office is in sight.

Source: Sing Pao Daily News [Hong Kong], December 11, 2016
http://www.singpao.com.hk/index.php?fi=news1&id=13525

Radio France Internationale (RFI) recently reported that, since October, both Chinese Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo and his first deputy Dou Yupei have been under investigation. The corruption charges might involve over 200 billion RMB (US$29.4 billion) in the National Welfare Lottery area alone. Some reports also mentioned that Li Liguo has eleven mistresses as well as twelve passports, none of which was used before he was caught. Li Liguo is the first sitting cabinet member put under investigation in recent years. This large amount of money triggered widespread criticism among Chinese netizens online – some even questioned whether the Lottery actually generated random number. Investigators discovered tens of billions under Li’s name in Chinese currency as well as in U.S. Dollars, Euros, British Pounds, Australian Dollars and Swiss Francs. He also owns five real estate properties in five major Chinese cities, in addition to another 15 properties for his mistresses. The National Welfare Lottery was under direct management of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The Lottery operates in over 30 provinces. In the past, the Ministry had also been accused of misappropriating natural disaster relief funds that had been accumulated from donations.

Source: Radio France Internationale, December 4, 2016
http://rfi.my/2h8G3Is