Since September 28, 2016, a pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper Sing Pao Daily News, has published a series of critical commentaries on its cover-page on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials in charge of the city. Interestingly, it noted that all the criticized officials, Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the top official responsible for Hong Kong and Macau affairs; Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive; and Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong are members of Jiang Zemin’s faction. The commentaries openly named Jiang Zemin, the former General Secretary of the CCP, as managing Zhang Dejiang “behind the scenes.” The article is an indication of the waning influence of Jiang’s faction and the increasing power of present leader Xi Jinping, and also presents a glimpse of the factional strife within the top CCP leadership.
Attorney’s Treatment Gives Hint of Jiang Zemin’s Fate
<Editor’s Note: Zheng Enchong (鄭恩寵) is an attorney from Shanghai. He represented or advised around 500 families who received little or no compensation from the authorities when they were evicted from their homes during the urban redevelopment of Shanghai.>
In 2003, a group of those residents tried to file a lawsuit against the authorities because they did not receive adequate compensation, alleging the officials were corrupt. The officials involved included former Shanghai Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chief Huang Ju (黃菊), then Shanghai Party Chief Chen Liangyu (陳良宇), and then Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng (韓正). Zheng Enchong also claimed that sons of former CCP top leader Jiang Zemin (江澤民) were involved and were extremely corrupt.
Why Kim Jong-un is not Afraid of China’s Sanctions
Well-known Chinese online military news site Folk Military recently posted a commentary analyzing why North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un is not worried about China’s sanctions under the UN resolution. The Chinese government sponsors Folk Military. This commentary is the first government-backed article that has publicly criticized Kim Jong-un and has not been removed based on government censorship. The author expressed the belief that Kim is still overwhelmed by the false impression of domestic political control established over generations of dictatorship. Furthermore, China has largely provided life support for North Korea and the Chinese supply hasn’t really been cut. However, the article warned that the current attitude Kim is displaying against China is endangering his support from China and the Chinese leadership. Chinese President Xi Jinping especially may not be willing to give him too much time to wake up.
Source: Folk Military, September 24, 2016
http://www.folkw.cn/a/20160924/4177.html
Global Times: South Korean Experts Suggested Restrictions for the Jeju Visa-Free System
Global Times recently reported that South Korean experts have suggested adding a Chinese Visitor Quota restriction to the current Jeju Visa-Free system. Jeju is a South Korean island that established a 30-day visa-free policy allowing the entry of people from a vast majority of the countries in the world. The policy has brought a large number of visitors to the island since 2002. Around 99 percent of the visitors are from China. However, in recent years, the crime rate involving Chinese visitors has suffered a rapid increase. At the same time, cases of illegally staying beyond the permitted period have increased as well. More and more people around South Korea are calling for placing restrictions on the visa-free policy. In addition to the quota restriction, the Jeju government has also planned to introduce tougher identity checks as well as the requirement, in some cases, of having local residents be escorts.
Source: Global Times, September 27, 2016
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2016-09/9490586.html
Hong Kong’s Pro-Beijing Sing Pao Daily News Strongly Criticized NPC Chairman Zhang Dejiang
Ahead of the second anniversary of the September 28 “Occupy Central Movement” (also known as the “Umbrella Movement”), Hong Kong’s pro-China Sing Pao Daily News published an astonishing front page commentary criticizing the National People’s Congress (NPC) Chairman Zhang Dejiang for sabotaging Hong Kong. The newspaper was referring to the August 31, 2014, NPC decision, which misjudged Hong Kong’s public sentiment and initiated the policy that eventually led to the 79-day occupation of Admiralty, Mong Kok, and Causeway Bay. While the movement had the goal of allowing every individual voter to vote directly for the Chief Executive of the city, Zhang Dejiang made the decision on August 31, 2014, to refuse the call for a “real election.” The article was titled, “Zhang Dejiang’s Fatal Blow; the ‘8.31’ Decision Led to the Occupation Incident.”
Xinhua: Telecommunication Scams Have Grown 20 to 30 Percent per Year
According to an article that Xinhua published on October 2, the statistics that the public security bureau released reveal that telecommunication scam cases have grown 20 to 30 percent each year in China. In 2015 there were 590,000 reported telecommunication scam cases, which resulted in financial losses of 222 trillion yuan (US$33.45 trillion). Most of the cases involve scams such as claiming lottery numbers; tax refunds or rebate benefits; unsecured bank accounts, and court orders. Some of those who commit such scams have moved overseas and now operate in such foreign countries as Laos, Taiwan, or Indonesia.
Source: Xinhua, October 2, 2016 http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2016-10/02/c_129309678.htm
RFA: Chief Executive of Hong Kong Upset with Apple Daily for Disclosing Corruption Allegations
Radio Free Asia reported that Leung Chun-ying, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong recently had his lawyer send a letter to Apple Daily claiming that the paper incorrectly reported Leung’s alleged corruption cases and that the report affected his right to stand for reelection next year. Leung demanded Apple Daily to withdraw the news report and issue an apology. In the article, RFA published interviews with a couple candidates regarding Leung’s claim. One Hong Kong resident said that as a news media, Apple Daily has the right to expose Leung’s financial dealings. A dissident from An Hui Province said that, as a public figure, Leung is subject to media exposure and, furthermore, Leung is clearly using his power to threaten the media and freedom of the press. As to the rumor that Leung is an underground communist Party member, he felt that the chief executive was never publicly elected. Rather, he was chosen from a close circle that Beijing monitored. It is, therefore, an unfortunate, sad, and hopeless situation for the democracy in Hong Kong. The article continued with the observation that Leung chose the violent suppression of the “Occupy Central” movement in Hong Kong, which just further proves his close ties with the mainland. Therefore it is obvious that people do not want him to win re-election.
Source: Radio Free Asia, October 1, 2016 http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/ql1-10012016124437.html
Xinhua: Main Stream Media Have Played Important Role in Guiding Trending Social Topics
On September 30, Xinhua published an article which stated that, in the 2016 report on government work, media coverage had been raised to the level of strategic importance. Therefore, the article continued, it can be considered a challenge and opportunity for main stream media in the Internet era when people participate more actively in public affairs. The article praised the official media outlets especially the central media stations such as Xinhua and said that they have been keeping up with the new media forms and have been playing an influential role in guiding the trending topics in society. According to the article, main stream media should effectively play an authoritative and professional role in order to be more interactive and to bridge the gap between the people and the government.
Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/yuqing/2016-09/30/c_129308276.htm