Chinascope – Page 625

Bangladesh Cancelled the Deepwater Port Development Project with China

Xinhua recently reported that Bangladesh quietly cancelled the development project of the deepwater port Resona Diaz in Cox’s Bazar. China had been planning to do the project. However, as the relationship between Bangladesh and India has shown gradual improvement, India developed an interest in building Bangladesh’s newest deepwater port Yap Hong Kong. From India’s viewpoint, the Chinese plan for Resona Diaz was just another strategic step to constrain India. The official reason for the cancellation of the Resona Diaz project was lack of commercial feasibility. However, the Japanese-funded Motor Er Bali Port is only 25 miles away. It is obvious that Japan and India cast a shadow over the cancellation of the Chinese project. The Yap Hong Kong port is located at the southwest corner of Bangladesh, which is much closer to India. This development project involves a seven-year plan. In addition to Indian companies, the Bangladesh government also invited Chinese companies to join in the construction.

Source: Xinhua, February 9, 2016

http://www.cankaoxiaoxi.com/china/20160209/1073838.shtml

Briefings | | February 15, 2016 | Geo-Strategic Trend

BBC Chinese: U.S.-Korean Missile Defense System Threatens China

BBC Chinese recently reported that Wang Yi, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the United States to give up its plan to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea. Wang suggested that the system would be a “threat” to China’s national security and it would be “way beyond the need” for defending South Korea. After North Korea’s long range missile test earlier this month, the United States and South Korea announced a joint plan to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Both China and Russia complained some time back that the THAAD radar system can penetrate deep into the two countries. The U.S. and South Korea said the the purpose of the THAAD system is to protect South Korea from the threat of the North. It is not against China or any other countries. However, Wang insisted that the United States should reconsider the decision since the THAAD coverage is very wide and even “an average person” can tell that the system does more than just protect South Korea.

Source: BBC Chinese, February 12, 2016

http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2016/02/160212_us_skorea_china_missile

Briefings | | February 15, 2016 | US-China Relations

Universities to Launch Patriotic Campaign with Theme of Always Follow the Party

According to Xinhua, China’s Ministry of Education has issued a directive asking Chinese schools to re-enforce patriotic education using innovative methods such as the new media.

In the directive, the Ministry of Education declared that schools at all levels must creatively carry out the patriotic campaign with a focus on the new media on the Internet. Schools are required to integrate the patriotic spirit into curriculum standards, textbooks, and exams and evaluations at the primary and secondary levels and in higher education; and also into morals, Chinese, history, geography, physical education, arts and other endeavors.

The directive calls for launching special campaigns in universities with the themes of “I love my motherland” and “Always follow the Party.”

Source: Xinhua, February 9, 2016

http://news.xinhuanet.com/2016-02/09/c_1118016897.htm

Briefings | | February 11, 2016 | Government/Politics

Former People’s Daily Deputy Chief Editor Criticizes Media Control

As a commentary on February 2, Hong Kong Phoenix published some quotes from the book Huangpuping: Where Should China’s Reform Head? The book’s author is Zhou Ruijin. Zhou wrote a series of commentaries on continuing the opening up and reform in order to promote Deng Xiaoping’s reform in the 1990s. He used the pen name "Huangpuping" (皇甫平). "Huangpuping" in Chinese is a homonym for "commentary from Shanghai." He was later promoted to Deputy Chief Editor of People’s Daily.

The Phoenix article criticized the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) propaganda work. "There are now some (bad) signs in our ideology work. We need to watch out for being "right" [too liberal], but most importantly, we should prevent being "left" [too rigid in Communist ideology]."

"We suggest ‘no debate’ in the field of ideology." "Protecting netizens’ rights to freedom of expression will, for sure, help our next round of development."

"Some cadres in the Party’s propaganda management department manage media as if they are managing a timetable for trains. They implant the administrative management approach into media management, directly intervening in the form and process of news reporting."

"During society’s transformation period, it is normal that there are different opinions and discussions in the field of ideology. We can only guide them, but not suppress them. Citizen’s freedom of speech, as defined by the Constitution, should be protected. The era of uniformity in media reporting is gone."

Source: Phoenix Online, February 2, 2016
http://i.ifeng.com/news/sharenews.f?aid=105897369&url_type=39&object_type=webpage&pos=1&fresh=1

Briefings | | February 10, 2016 | Government/Politics

CCDI Quoted Xi as Requiring Politburo Members to Follow Political Rules

Starting this year, Xi Jinping has been communicating that officials must follow political rules. On February 6, the CCDI website published some of Xi Jinping’s quotes. Xi has commented that top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must also follow the "Party’s discipline and rules."

"Comrade Deng Xiaoping once said, ‘In China, who has the potential to make big mistakes? It is the CCP.’ Then in the Party, who has the potential to make a big mistake? I think it is the top officials."

"High-level cadres must have political sense, a sense of the big-picture, and a sense of responsibility. … They should absolutely not implement only partially or modify the Central Committee’s policies; absolutely not create their own ways to respond to the Central Committee’s policies; and absolutely not make [improper] comments about the Central Committee’s policies. In any situation, they should obey the Party’s discipline strictly and they should safeguard the Central Committee’s authority."

"How should we manage the Party strictly? We should start with the Politburo. … The whole Party is watching the Politburo. Whatever we ask the whole Party to do, the Politburo must do it first."

Source: CCDI website, February 6, 2016
http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/yw/201601/t20160126_73475.html

Briefings | | February 10, 2016 | Government/Politics

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mentioned the Taiwan “President”

Taiwan’s China News Agency (CNA) reported that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website used the term "Taiwan ‘President’" for the first time.

A news reporter asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson whether the mainland government supported the cyber-attack from mainland China on "Taiwan ‘President’" Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook page. The Ministry spokesperson denied it.

The CNA article stated that the interesting thing was that the official transcript published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website used the term "Taiwan ‘President.’"

"The Mainland government has long been cautious about words related to Taiwan’s sovereignty. Taking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an example, it always used ‘Taiwan Leader’ or ‘Leader of the Taiwan Region’ to describe the President of the Republic of China. Even when a news reporter used ‘President’ in his question, the term ‘President’ would not appear in the official transcripts." [Editor’s note: the Republic of China is the governing authority over Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China is the governing authority over mainland China.]

As of February 9, the official transcript still had the term, "Taiwan ‘President.’"

Sources:
[1] Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, February 5, 2016
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/fyrbt_673021/t1338806.shtml
[2] CNA, February 5, 2016
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201602050351-1.aspx

Briefings | | February 10, 2016 | Geo-Strategic Trend

92 Chinese Cities Suffered from Heavy Air Pollution on Lunar New Year’s Eve

Reports from the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) have indicated that fireworks and adverse weather conditions intensified the air pollution in China during the Lunar New Year’s Eve. An official from the Ministry said that from the 2016 Lunar New Year’s Eve until New Year’s day, among the 338 cities that implemented the new air quality standards, 67 cities had good air quality. The remaining 271 cities were below par. Of these, 92 were reported to be heavily polluted.

Heavy air pollution is distributed mainly along the Yangtze River, in Beijing and the surrounding areas, the Northeast region, the Sichuan Basin, and the North China Plain. The primary pollutants, except for PM10 in a few cities, are PM2.5. The number of heavily polluted cities increased by 54 in comparison with last year. The average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were 148 and 210 micrograms/cubic meter respectively, an increase of 27.6 percent and 23.5 percent each from last year. [Editors note: PM2.5 is particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less.]

Source: Xinhua News, February 8, 2016

http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2016-02/08/c_1118015119.htm

Briefings | | February 9, 2016 | Economy/Resources

Global Times: Park Geun-hye Received Happy Birthday Greetings from China

Global Times recently reported that South Korean President Park Geun-hye celebrated her 64th birthday on February 2. She received a greetings letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi hand-wrote the letter himself. The two presidents have been exchanging birthday greetings letters every year since they took power. The latest letter from Xi was shortly after the North Korean nuclear test. In the letter Xi also invited Park Geun-hye to visit China and attend the APEC leadership summit. Xi and Park developed a good relationship about ten years ago, in 2005, when Park was the South Korean opposition party leader and Xi was the Party Committee Secretary of Zhejiang Province. President Park Geun-hye also received birthday presents from her Chinese grass-roots fan club as well. The club has 23,000 members across China.

Source: Global Times, February 2, 2016

http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2016-02/8487834.html

Briefings | | February 9, 2016 | Geo-Strategic Trend

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.