Chinascope – Page 642

Wenhua China

By Weiguang Zhong

There used to be a “Wenhua China” (文化中國). Western scholars such as John King Fairbank have observed and described it. I would like to re-raise the issue and take a look at how China evolved from that to a modern state, a politics-centric state, and later a Party-centric state.

I hope this article can offer people a new angle to re-look at China and re-think its future.

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Analyses | | December 7, 2015 | Opinion

U.S. Assisted in the Return of Former Government Official to China

On December 5, the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced that Huang Yurong, the former Party Chief of the Henan Provincial Highway Administration, turned herself in at the Beijing Airport after 13 years of living as a fugitive in the United States.

CCDI said Huang chose to return to China to face corruption charges because an anti-corruption special task force under the Central Commission, which the China Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supported, had been instrumental in persuading her.

The announcement cited U.S. assistance that had been given during the process. “In December 2014, the Anti-Corruption Working Group of the Sino-U.S. Law Enforcement Cooperation Liaison Group identified Huang Yurong as a priority for Sino-U.S. cooperation. The two sides joined forces and carried out joint investigations to obtain evidence and other related work.”

Huang is accused of having abused her position to embezzle funds and take bribes. She fled to the U.S. in August 2002.

Source: Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party, December 5, 2015 http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/xwtt/201512/t20151204_69611.html

Briefings | | December 7, 2015 | Government/Politics

Caixin: Chinese Manufacturing PMI Remains Below 50

Well-known Chinese financial site Caixin recently released its official Chinese Manufacturing PMI index number for November, which was 48.6. Caixin PMI was formerly known as HSBC PMI, which was a well-respected economic indicator monitored globally by financial institutions. The Caixin PMI has been below 50 for nine consecutive months. According to Caixin Think Tank Chief Economist He Fan, the index saw a slight increase from last month, but the total new business sub-index under the Caixin Manufacturing PMI is still showing a continued decline. Further analysis demonstrated that a weak domestic demand was the primary cause of the shrinking new business number. In November, the employment level in manufacturing continued to decrease. Manufacturers are reducing their procurement activities as well. In the meantime, the National Bureau of Statistics released the government’s official Manufacturing PMI number: 49.6. This number is typically higher than its Caixin counterpart. PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) is an indicator of financial activity reflecting purchasing managers’ acquisition of goods and services. A PMI number below 50 typically reflects a decline.

Source: Caixin, December 1, 2015

http://pmi.caixin.com/2015-12-01/100880027.html

Briefings | | December 7, 2015 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Carry Anti-Corruption Campaign All the Way to the End

Xinhua published an editorial commemorating the third anniversary of Xi Jinping’s Eight Rules established at a Communist Party Politburo meeting on December 4, 2012. The rules were established to curtail corruption among Communist Party members and government officials.

The Eight Rules include travelling with a smaller entourage, having no welcome banner, no red carpet, no ribbon cutting ceremony, and no grand reception. Also Politburo members must comply with the rules themselves before requiring others to do so. The latest statistics show that, from December 2012 until the end of October 2015, the Party handled 104,934 cases of violations which involved 138,867 individuals. 55,289 of them were subjected to the Party’s disciplinary rules. Xinhua stated, “Such efforts and achievements have far exceeded many people’s expectations.”

According to Xinhua, it was because of the worries that corruption would destroy the Party that the Party’s leadership started from themselves and persevered in the anti-corruption campaign.

Source: Xinhua, December 3, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-12/03/c_128496721.htm

Briefings | | December 4, 2015 | Government/Politics

Xi Jinping: China-Africa Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership

On December 4, 2015, at the opening of the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Johannesburg, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to elevate “the new type of the China-Africa strategic partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.” The comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership will be based on five principles: political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation, culture exchanges and mutual learning, mutual assistance on security, and cooperation and solidarity in international affairs.

Xi indicated that in the next three years, China will implement cooperation programs with Africa in the following ten areas: industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade and investment, poverty reduction, public health, culture, and peace and security.

Source: Xinhua, December 4, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-12/04/c_1117362945.htm

Briefings | | December 4, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Guangming Daily: Obama’s “Political Legacy” Insecure

Source: Guangming Daily, December 1, 2015 U.S. President Barack Obama’s term will end in 2016. He hoped to leave the U.S. climate policy, particularly the global agreement on emissions made at the climate summit in Paris, as his "political legacy." A Guangming Daily article asked whether this might be just an empty wish.

The article stated, “Although Obama is sparing no effort to promote America’s new emission reduction targets, opposition from the U.S. Congress continues unabated and may make Obama’s climate policy short-lived. Most Republicans voted against the Obama administration’s unilateral action on climate change issues. Many members of Congress even questioned whether human actions are responsible for global warming. Some media commentators believe that Obama can certainly use his administrative veto, temporarily excluding resistance from Congress, so that the new emission reduction measures can be implemented within his term of office. However, the U.S. Constitution requires that Congress must pass any Contracting Act in order to become a law. Otherwise once Obama leaves office, the next president will have the right to deny Obama’s climate policy, making the agreement reached at the climate summit in Paris an empty letter in the United States.”

Sources: Guangming Daily and Xinhua, December 1, 2015

http://gmrb3.wap.gmw.cn/gmrb/html/2015-12/01/content_310138.htm?div=-1

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-12/01/c_128485485.htm

Briefings | | December 3, 2015 | US-China Relations

21 Percent of Listed State-Owned Enterprises Are in the Red

This year’s statistics show that, for the first three quarters of this year, 67 out of the 306 or just over 21 percent of listed state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were in the red. The top 10 of these SOEs showed losses totaling 13.524 billion yuan ($US2.11 billion). Some expect that, in order to reduce their losses in the fourth quarter, these SOEs may sell their assets or obtain government subsidies.

The top loser for the first three quarters was Sinopec Oilfield Service Corporation, with a loss of 2 billion yuan (US$.31 billion), followed by SGIS Songshan Co. Ltd. which was 1.783 billion yuan (US$.28 billion) in the red.

As for the sectors of industry affected, nonferrous metal companies constituted one-third of the losers while coal mining companies accounted for about 20 percent of those in the red.

Most listed SOEs receive government subsidies. If such subsidies were excluded from the net profit, 74 SOEs (or about 24 percent) would be in the red for the first three quarters this year instead of 67.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, December 2, 2015 http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2015/1202/c1004-27879158.html

Briefings | | December 3, 2015 | Economy/Resources

VOA: Lawyer Insists that Journalist Is Not Guilty

Gao Yu, an independent journalist who faced charges of leaking state secrets, has had her sentence cut short from seven years to five years, and will be allowed to serve it outside of prison.

Voice of America interviewed Gao’s lawyer Shang Baojun over the phone for details of the second trial which ended on Thursday.

Shang insisted that defense lawyers maintained that [this case] did not have clear facts presented, and lacked evidence; the verdict should be changed to "not guilty."

Shang added that given that Gao is in her 70’s, and she has health problems, as her defense lawyer, he took comfort in the fact that her reduced term will be served outside of prison.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the court decided to change Gao’s sentence after "she confessed her crimes, pleaded guilty, and repented her wrongdoing during the second trial."

Sources: Voice of America, November 26, 2015
http://www.voachinese.com/media/video/voaweishi-20151126-voaconnects-gao-yu/3074715.html
Xinhua News Agency, November 26, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2015-11/26/c_1117274878.htm

Briefings | | December 1, 2015 | Government/Politics

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

Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”