Chinascope – Page 627

BBC Chinese: The U.S. Condemned China on Human Rights Lawyer Case

BBC Chinese recently reported that the United States government officially condemned the Chinese authorities for forcing human rights lawyer Zhang Kai to “plead guilty” on national TV. The U.S. pointed out that this move was against legal principles and was against China’s own constitution. Washington also urged China to take immediate action to release the lawyer and the Christians who had been arrested. Human rights lawyer Zhang Kai defended the Christians in Zhejiang Province who had joined the movement to prevent the local authorities from demolishing crosses. In 2014 and 2015, the Zhejiang government removed over 1,300 crosses and demolished over 20 churches. In the same period, they detained over 500 Christians. The Chinese authorities accused Zhang Kai of organizing several recent “illegal religious gatherings.” They arrested Zhang and forced him to “plead guilty” on national public television.

Source: BBC Chinese, February 27, 2016

http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2016/02/160227_china_church_us_condemn

Briefings | | March 1, 2016 | US-China Relations

Microblog of Chinese Real Estate Businessman Closed Due to Illegal Statements

Radio France Internationale published an article which stated that the microblog of a Chinese Real Estate businessman was recently closed because of his postings of “illegal statements.” According to the article, since Xi Jinping visited three central media on February 19 and urged all the Party and government media to show absolute loyalty to the Party, all of the media entities throughout China published articles showing their allegiance to the Party. However, Ren Zhiqiang, a real estate businessman who has over 30 million followers on his microblog site, published two postings questioning this request. He asked, “When did the people’s government change its loyalty to the Party?” He also stated, “When the media show loyalty to the Party, the people that should be represented will end up being forgotten in a corner.” These two blogs were soon deleted from the Sina website. According to the article, on Feb 22, the Qianlong website which the propaganda department of the municipal government of Beijing manages, published an article accusing Ren of spreading an “anti-party” ideology. In the next few days, a number of official media published articles criticizing Ren’s posts and questioning his motive of “placing the Party against its people.” They even called Ren the shame of 80 million Party members and said he should be expelled from the Party.

On February 25, the China Digital Times website carried an opinion article written by Cai Xia, a professor at the Central Party School. Her article covered the following three areas: about Party members’ rights to express opinions; how different opinions within the Party should be handled; and how Party members can participate in discussions and express their opinions. Cai quoted a statement that Xi Jinping made to support her position: “The Chinese Communist Party should tolerate criticism. … Those who are non-Party members should be bold enough to speak up to reflect the true voice of the people…” Cai concluded that how Ren is treated is directly correlated with whether 80 million Party members’ rights are protected.

On February 27, Guangming Daily published an article that stated that the Party School should be loyal to the Party and questioned Cai Xia on where her Party spirit is.

On February 28, Xinhua published an article quoting the spokesperson from the Central Leading Group for Internet Security and Informatiomiization office who confirmed that Ren’s microblogs on Sina and Tencent have been closed due to Ren’s “illegal public statement.”

Sources:
Radio Free International, February 26, 2016
http://cn.rfi.fr/中国/20160226-任志强“反党”事件的背后
China Digital Times, February 25, 2016
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/2016/02/党章党规保护任志强们的党员权利/
Guangming Daily, February 27, 2016
http://politics.gmw.cn/2016-02/27/content_19067472.htm
Xinhua, February 28, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-02/28/c_1118181513.htm

Briefings | | February 28, 2016 | Government/Politics

Hexun: Four Groups of People May Face Unemployment in 2016

The Hexun website published an article that discussed a recent job market report that the China Institute for Employment Research had published. Based on the report, the following four groups of people will face challenges in 2016:

1) Industries that are facing excessive cuts in industrial capacity. This includes, but is not limited to the steel, coal mining, and cement industries. The article said that in the next 2 to 3 years, one million workers from the steel and coal mine industries will lose their jobs.

2) College Graduates. According to the article, there will be a record high of 7.65 million students graduating from college in 2016, an increase of 160,000 from 2015. Estimates suggest that the number of college graduates competing in the job market may be close to 10 million, particularly if it includes 300,000 Haigui (Chinese people who have returned to mainland China after having studied abroad) as well as those who graduated in prior years but have been unable to find employment. The article noted that, if the college graduates are not willing to take a low paying blue collar job, many of them will continue struggling to find a job. However if they are willing to relocate to the central part of China more opportunities will be available for the college graduates in those regions.

3) Peasant Workers. Because of the cutbacks in the manufacturing industry on the east coast and the contraction in construction industry, many peasant workers will face unemployment. However since there will be job increase in transportation and the trucking industry, some of the peasant workers may see opportunities in those fields.

4) Retail Store Workers. In the fourth quarter of 2015, online and e-commerce grew 52 percent compared to the same period in 2014. It has affected the profitability in the retail market. As more and more stores are closing, the workers in the retail industry will suffer as well.

The article concluded that there are still many unknown situations in the 2016 job market but as manufacturing and heavy industry will take cuts, the service industry will continue to see growth.

Source: Hexun, Feb 5, 2016
http://m.hexun.com/opinion/2016-02-05/182194858.html

Briefings | | February 28, 2016 | Economy/Resources

Major General: Four Bottom Lines for the North Korean Nuclear Issue

On February 24, 2016, Luo Yuan, a retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Major General and Chinese military theorist, published an opinion article on Huanqiu, a People’s Daily publication, on the subject of North Korea’s nuclear program. He stated that China must have four bottom lines when handling North Korea.

The first is that any chaos in North Korea cannot spread to the Chinese side of the Yalu River. "Once unrest starts on the peninsula, the safety of the China-Korea border will be the first thing that is endangered. Why should China pay for the irresponsible act of someone else?"

The second is that any military action that North Korea takes cannot take place beyond the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Luo stated that the DMZ was the result of the Korean Armistice Agreement that multiple parties signed and also that North Korea’s research on and development of long-range offensive and defensive weapons and related military deployment and actions violate the Korean Armistice Agreement.

The third is that North Korea cannot have nuclear weapons. Luo stated that, although North Korea has the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, such a right cannot be abused. Countries, particularly the United States, that want North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, should compensate it for such abandonment and should resume the Agreed Framework.

The last is that any sanctions cannot be excessive and cannot harm China’s national interest.

Source: Huanqiu, February 24, 2016

http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2016-02/8592564.html

Briefings | | February 26, 2016 | Defense/Military

New Round of Anti-Corruption Inspections Launched for 2016

On February 23, 2016, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Chinese Communist Party announced that it will start its first round of 2016 inspections to look into corruption and the abuse of power. Inspection teams will be dispatched to 32 Communist Party and government departments. At the top of the list are the Publicity Department of the Communist Party, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice.

Wang Qishan, a standing member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and head of the CCDI, spoke at the kickoff of the first round of inspections. He stressed that the inspections should highlight the Party’s leadership and reinforce Party discipline. He called on inspection teams to study and understand speeches by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and “resolutely safeguard the centralized and unified leadership of the Party’s Central Committee.”

Source: The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party, February 23, 2016 http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/xwtt/201602/t20160224_74842.html

Briefings | | February 25, 2016 | Government/Politics

Phoenix: China Experts Advised to Attack Taiwan and South Korea’s THAAD Base

As the U.S. is sending more military forces and the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea, Phoenix, a Hong Kong based media with strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), reported that Chinese experts have recommended using force on Taiwan and attacking South Korea’s THAAD base to counter the U.S.’ threat of using force against North Korea.

On February 6, Phoenix interviewed Yu Yingli, an Asian Pacific expert in Shanghai. Yu said, "I think if the U.S. wants to take the unilateral path of using force, actually we in China should consider tying the Taiwan issue to the North Korean nuclear issue. If the U.S. does not want to rule out the military option on the North Korean nuclear issue, our position on Taiwan, actually, has always been that we do not rule out the option of using force."

Then on February 19, Phoenix quoted military expert Wang Yunfei as saying. "[We] should warn South Korea that, if there is conflict between China and the U.S., the THAAD base, power plant, supply base, and other related facilities in South Korea will be the first target that China’s military will take on. As these facilities are based in South Korea, South Korea should hold the U.S. responsible for the resulting losses and deaths."

Sources:
[1] Phoenix Online, February 16, 2016
http://phtv.ifeng.com/a/20160216/41551232_0.shtml
[2] Phoenix Online, February 19, 2016
http://news.ifeng.com/a/20160219/47493071_0.shtml

Briefings | | February 24, 2016 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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