Chinascope – Page 638

South Korean Newspaper: Cancellation of North Korean Performance Could Impact Relations with China

The South Korean daily newspaper JoongAng Ilbo was among the first to report the cancellation of well publicized North Korean performances scheduled for the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing from Dec. 12 to 14. Two North Korean troupes, the Moranbong Band and the State Merited Chorus, were scheduled to perform. However, on December 12 they suddenly cancelled.

Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s paramount leader, selected the members of the Moranbong Band. Its performance was supposed to restore relations between North Korea and China. The unexpected cancellation could negatively impact relations between Beijing and Pyongyang. China’s official Xinhua News Agency cited "communication issues at the working level" as the cause.

A Chinese official in charge of North Korean issues, who watched the rehearsal, gave JoongAng Ilbo his take on the term "working level." He said the Moranbong Band had numerous missile launching images in its backdrop. The Chinese noticed this on December 11. Since Kim gave a speech last Thursday about his country’s development of a hydrogen bomb, the Chinese believed the backdrop was a problem, and asked that the images be removed. The North Koreans could have refused. JoongAng Ilbo acknowledged in the report that this was an unconfirmed interpretation.

Another Chinese official told the newspaper, "It was not the Chinese side that cancelled the performances." This could be corroborated in Xinhua‘s report which indicated that China is "ready to continue to work with [North Korea] to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in culture and in all other areas."

Sources: JoongAng Ilbo, December 14, 2015

http://chinese.joins.com/gb/article.do?method=detail&art_id=144869

Xinhua News Agency, December 12, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-12/12/c_1117441343.htm

Briefings | | December 14, 2015 | Grapevine

Xi Jinping’s Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepens Reforms

On December 9, 2015, the Communist Party’s Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms held its 19th monthly meeting. The Central Leading Group was established in November 2013, during the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, as a policy formulation and implementation body in charge of "Comprehensively Deepening Reforms."

As the group leader, Xi Jinping presides over all monthly meetings. The deputy group leaders, Li Keqiang, Liu Yunshan, Zhang Gaoli, and all members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo are in attendance. Sometimes those heading relevant government ministries or Party departments may be invited to sit in. Local representatives are rarely invited.

Since its establishment, the Central Leading Group has reviewed 102 documents. They average five per meeting (ranging from three to 10). During 2015, the Central Leading Group reviewed a total of 65 documents, doubling the number of documents reviewed in 2014.

A quarter of the 102 documents reviewed related to democracy and law reform. This topic was discussed at 13 of the 19 meetings. Other hot topics discussed included economic reform, ecological civilization reform, as well as discipline and inspection reform.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily reprinted by Xinhua, December 14, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2015-12/14/c_128526958.htm

Briefings | | December 14, 2015 | Government/Politics

People’s Forum: How to Understand “Improper Comments on Party Central’ Decisions”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) published new Party Disciplinary Regulations on October 21, 2015. They included a new violation item: "妄议中央." This term refers to officials who make improper comments to, or criticize, Party Central’ decisions.

People’s Forum, a subsidiary under People’s Daily, published an article to explain this regulation. The article claimed that Party members are still allowed to have individual opinions which can be different from the Party’s position and they can express them through proper channels. This disciplinary item aims to prevent officials from making improper comments or criticizing the Party Central’s key decisions in a public format, such as on the Internet, radio, television, newspapers, publications, speeches, forums, or conferences.

The article then gave five examples of fallen officials who committed this violation:

1. Zhou Benshun, the former Party Secretary of Hebei Province, made statements opposing the Party Central’s position on major issues.

2. Yu Yuanhui, the former Party Secretary of Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said in a lecture to Nanning Party members, "Some Party cadres, when being investigated for disciplinary violations, confessed within a couple of days. They lack the backbone and willpower [to oppose the investigation]."

3. Zhao Shaolin, the former Chief of Staff of Jiangsu Party Committee discussed the function of the Agriculture Bureau with another official. Zhao claimed that the bureau should be eliminated because it does not offer officials real power or profits (gain from corruption).

4. Shen Peiping, the former Deputy Governor of Yunnan Province, told people who reported to him that the state’s assets had been stolen, "Even if you get the state’s assets back, you have to hand them over to the government. Why should you care?" He also instructed the officials in the legal system, "For those people reporting this case, (you) must find a way to sentence them with a crime, regardless of whether they are guilty."

5. Guo Zhenggang, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Major General and son of Guo Boxiong (the former Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission who was taken down earlier this year), made comments about the Party Central’s anti-corruption campaign, "The Anti-corruption (campaign) is just a formality. Making a show at the surface is good enough."

Source: People’s Forum, December 14, 2015
http://politics.rmlt.com.cn/2015/1214/411506.shtml

Briefings | | December 14, 2015 | Government/Politics

BBC Chinese: U.S. DMG Group Moves to Aquire Taiwanese EBC TV

BBC Chinese recently reported that U.S. based DMG Group made an investment of US$600 million as the last step in acquiring the Taiwan based Eastern Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (EBC). Combined with earlier investments, DMG now owns over eighty percent of the EBC stock. EBC is one of the most influential cable and satellite TV companies in Taiwan. In 1993, U.S. citizen Dan Mintz and two Chinese citizens, Xiao Wenge and Wu Bing, founded the DMG Group. Xiao’s father is a former general in the Chinese Army. The first movie DMG invested in was named “Founding of the Republic.” The Chinese government officially backed the movie as a means of celebrating its 60th National Day. Current Taiwanese laws do not allow Mainland China to invest in the Taiwanese satellite and broadcasting industry. The DMG acquisition triggered a heated debate in Taiwan on the background of this deal. The deal still requires approval from two Taiwanese regulatory authorities: the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, as well as the National Communications Commission (NCC). EBC expects the deal can be completed in Spring 2016.

Source: BBC Chinese, December 11, 2015

http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/12/151211_taiwan_ebc_us_dmg

Briefings | | December 14, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: U.S. Deploys P-8 in Singapore to Expand the Scope of Monitoring in South China Sea

According to a report from People’s Daily, on December 7 to 14, [2015], the United States deployed the P-8A "Poseidon" anti-submarine patrol aircraft in Singapore for the first time. In an interview, military expert Yin Zhuo told CCTV‘s "Asia Today" that the U.S. deployment of the P-8A in Singapore would allow it to control a wide range in the South China Sea and it could take the opportunity to sell more P-8As and win over the neighboring countries in the South China Sea to deal jointly with China. China’s Foreign Ministry responded that the U.S.’s action of strengthening its military deployment and promoting regional militarization does not comply with the common and long-term interests of the countries in the [related] region. China’s Defense Ministry Information Office also said that China will pay close attention to developments related to the issue and hopes that bilateral defense cooperation is conducive to regional peace and stability, rather than the reverse.

People’s Daily noted that the process of the P-8A’s gradual deployment has been almost simultaneous with the Obama administration’s service of the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy.

By the end of 2013, six P-8As arrived at Japan’s Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. Japan became the first overseas deployment of the P-8A patrol aircraft. The U.S. and Singapore’s decision on December 7 means that, in addition to Japan and the Philippines, the U.S. military’s P-8A now has one more deployment location in the Western Pacific.

Yin Zhuo said, "A long time ago, the United States had plans to deploy military forces in Singapore and has never given up its plans." The U.S., using the excuse of anti-terrorism and stabilizing the South China Sea, has deployed a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) at Singapore’s Changi base. To control the Strait of Malacca over a larger range, surface ships alone are not enough. The United States needs to deploy the P-8A patrol aircraft in Singapore.

Source: People’s Daily, December 9, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/1209/c1011-27905654.html

Briefings | | December 11, 2015 | US-China Relations

Anti-corruption in Central State Organs

December 9, 2015 marks the one-year anniversary of the website hotline of the Communist Party Discipline Inspection Committee for Central State Organs (http://zygjjg.12388.gov.cn/).

The hotline is for the public to report acts of corruption that the Party members that serve in the central state organs have committed. During its first year, it received 4,924 complaints, averaging 400 a month. The complaints implicated 54 state organs, six senior leaders of the minister rank or above, 48 department heads, 17 division chiefs, and 13 lower level officials.

The Communist Party Central State Discipline Inspection Committee has jurisdiction over close to 100 central state organs under the National People’s Congress (NPC), and five organs that the NPC created: the Presidency of China, the State Council, the Central Military Commission, the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

Source: People’s Daily, December 10, 2015

http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/1210/c1001-27909288.html

Briefings | | December 11, 2015 | Government/Politics

Caixin Blog: Why Do We Need a Truth Commission?

On November 30, 2015, Caixin, a media that is closely related with Xi Jinping’s leadership camp, published an introductory article in its blog section titled, “Why Do We Need a Truth Commission?” The writer of the article is a former public policy reporter from Caixin Media. The article talked about sensitive messages such as the investigation of a dictatorship’s crimes in terms of human rights violations, and the criminal trials of the human rights violators.

The article explained “Why We Need a Truth Commission?” It said, “In many cases, a Truth Commission, on behalf of a country, actively reflects on the crimes the country committed in its history. The Truth Commission responds to questions, doubts and petitions related to these crimes, holds the criminals accountable, compensates the victims, and even starts political reform.” “Some Truth Commissions conduct special investigations on important cases; they may even clearly point out the perpetrator’s name(s), or openly publicize the name(s) of the government leader(s) of the country who at that time, were responsible for the crimes.”

“In China today, many taboos on historical topics have still not been lifted. As a whole generation is getting older and older, more and more people want to reflect on, confess, and redress the atrocities perpetrated in the repeated political movements after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. After some scholars and media introduced the concept of a Truth Commission, the concept has quietly entered the public view.”

Source: Caixin, November 30, 2015
http://lanfang.blog.caixin.com/archives/137223

Briefings | | December 10, 2015 | Government/Politics

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.