Chinascope – Page 645

China’s Financial Institutions Are Being Investigated for Corruption

State media Huanqiu reported that Zhang Yun, president of the Agricultural Bank of China has been taken into custody because of inquiries into corruption. The Agricultural Bank of China is one of the four State-owned commercial banks. The other three banks are the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the China Construction Bank, and the Bank of China.

According to Huanqiu, those in senior management at the four State-owned commercial banks are worried because the number of whistleblowers inside the banks is surging. Following what happened at the Agricultural Bank of China, there will be more “disappearances” in other financial institutions. However, it is certain that those who “disappear” will not be able to flee China.

Huanqiu also reported that those in mid to high level management in China’s financial institutions have been warned that they cannot resign, retire, or leave China.

Starting in late October, the CCP’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) sent inspection teams to conduct investigations into corruption at the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the People’s Bank of China, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, the four State-owned commercial banks, and major insurance companies. A total of 31 financial institutions were to be investigated.

Source: Huanqiu, November 2, 2015

http://china.huanqiu.com/article/2015-11/7893276.html

Briefings | | November 5, 2015 | Government/Politics

Two Top Tigers in Tibet and Jilin, Who Were Related to Bigger Tigers, Expelled from the Party

On October 30, 2015, People’s Daily reported that the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee expelled two top “tigers” or high-ranking corrupt officials from the Party. They were Le Dake, an official from Tibet and Gu Chunli, from Jilin Province. The Party also dismissed them from their government positions for serious violations of Party discipline and state law.

Le Dake was a loyal follower of Zeng Qinghong. Zeng was the right-hand-man of Jiang Zemin, the former top leader of the CCP and China. Zeng promoted Le to be the head of the State Security Department in Tibet in 2004. Le was in that position from 2004 to 2013. In June of 2015, the Communist Party placed him under investigation for suspected corruption.

Gu Chunli is the former vice governor of Jilin Province. On August 1, 2015, Gu was taken away to be investigated for suspected corruption. Gu started his political career in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, and once served as a Shenyang Municipal Standing Committee member. Gu Chunli was then an assistant to Chen Zhenggao, the former governor of Liaoning Province and the mayor of Shenyang City, the capital of Liaoning. Chen is the current Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. The report stated that Chen used to be Bo Xilai’s assistant. Bo belonged to the faction of Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong.

Sources: People’s Daily, October 30, 2015; ON.CC, October 31, 2015; and Power Apple, October 31, 2015
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/1030/c1001-27757941.html
http://hk.on.cc/cn/bkn/cnt/news/20151030/bkncn-20151030102507847-1030_05011_001.html
https://www.powerapple.com/news/zhong-gang-tai/2015/10/31/2474363.html

Briefings | | November 5, 2015 | Government/Politics

Caixin: U.K.’s Bilateral Relationship with China Versus the U.S.’s Global Approach

Caixin, China’s leading provider of business and financial news and information, published an analysis of China’s relations with Britain as compared to its relations with the United States. In the analysis, Caixin‘s reporter, Zhang Yuanan, who is based in Washington D.C., observed the different moods across the Atlantic surrounding Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visits to the U.S. and then to Britain.

In terms of the achievements of Xi’s state visits, in Washington, both Xi and Obama announced a Fact Sheet. In London, China and the UK published a joint statement. Zhang took note of the ascending significance of fact sheets, joint statements, and joint communiques in China’s top leaders’ interactions with foreign heads of state.

At a time when Sino-British relations are entering a "golden age," Sino-U.S. relations have become more complex. Zhang held the view that Britain’s pragmatism originated from its understanding that Britain is not in a position to be openly challenging or rolling back China’s interests, while the United States is.

Zhang noted Britain’s track record in being practical in its foreign relations and pointed out the weak foundation of Sino-British relations, due to the lack of shared values. This will be especially so if China’s economy is losing steam, while the euro zone’s recovery picks up speed and the U.S. continues to boom, which would reduce Britain’s reliance on investments from China. The coming five or so years will provide enough time for Britain’s current administration to benefit from its warm relations with Beijing.

The relationship between Britain and China is primarily bilateral in nature. That Britain handles the relationship differently from the United States is not out of any fundamental difference in values, ideals, or interests between the two English-speaking countries. Zhang did not think that London’s more practical China policy, since it is not a core issue, would drive a wedge between Britain and its relations with the United States.

In contrast, the United States, as a world power, hinges its relationship with China on cooperation across regional, multilateral, and global issues. In other words, when the world becomes more chaotic, there is more room for Sino-US cooperation, which serves to offset any bilateral friction.

Source: Caixin, October 29, 2015

http://opinion.caixin.com/2015-10-29/100867877.html

Briefings | | November 4, 2015 | US-China Relations

BBC Chinese: China’s Internet Freedom Ranked Lowest in Global Report

BBC Chinese recently reported that China had the lowest score in the just-released Freedom House Annual Internet Freedom Report. The Freedom House Report is a globally respected indicator of Internet freedom. This year’s Report covered 65 countries. On a scale between 0 and 100 (100 being the worst), China scored 88, sitting at the very bottom of the list of all countries covered, after Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Ethiopia, Syria and Iran. The report scores were based on three major elements: the barriers to getting online, content restrictions, and user rights. China got the lowest score possible on user rights. The Report also mentioned major Internet events in 2015 for each country. For China, it mentioned the government authorized blocking of proxies, state-issued fake security certificates, and real-name regulations for users, as well as legal requirements allowing the government access to backend systems of infrastructure vendors (such as communications companies). The best ranked countries in the Report were Iceland, Estonia, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the United States.

Source: BBC Chinese, October 28, 2015

http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/science/2015/10/151028_china_internet_freedom

Briefings | | November 3, 2015 | Information/Technology

Li Keqiang: China-Korea Maritime Delimitation Negotiation Should Start Early

Beijing Youth Daily recently reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Seoul on October 31. Li then met with Korean President Park Geun-hye and discussed the issues of deepening the strategic partnership with Korea, connecting the economic development strategies between the two nations, helping the young generation enter the marketplace, pushing the China-Korea-Japan Free Trade Agreement, and cultural exchanges. Li especially mentioned that the two nations should get an early start on the negotiation of the maritime delimitation, which is crucial to security, law enforcement, and disaster relief efforts at sea. The two leaders also discussed the issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons. President Park supports the speeding-up of approving the China-Korea Free Trade Agreement.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily, November 1, 2015

http://epaper.ynet.com/html/2015-11/01/content_162339.htm?div=-1

Briefings | | November 3, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China: Hague PCA Rulings on South China Sea Were Invalid

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made an official statement that The Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) rulings on the South China Sea were not valid and were not binding. The Philippines government submitted the issue of the South China Sea conflict to the PCA for international arbitration in 2013. However, China held that China cannot accept unilaterally submitted cases and that the Philippines abused the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to UNCLOS, China has the freedom to choose its own dispute settlement procedure. Both the Philippines and the PCA ignored the mutual agreement between China and the Philippines to resolve conflicts via peaceful political negotiations, which the Philippines confirmed multiple times. China called for the Philippines to keep its promise and come back to the negotiating table.

Source: Sina, October 31, 2015

http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2015-10-31/doc-ifxkhchn5747717.shtml

Briefings | | November 3, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: The Quality of 90 Percent of China’s School Supplies Failed the National Standard

Xinhua published an article on the quality of China’s school supplies sold online and in stores. According to the report issued by Quality and Technology Supervision of Jiangsu Province, over 90 percent of the school supplies including pen ink, correction fluid, erasers, and homework writing paper contains toxic contents that exceed the national standard. The article said that a lack of supervision, large consumer demand, as well a lack of reinforcement of quality inspection at the manufacturing sites were the issues that affected the quality. According to the article, the complaints related to quality issues that the Consumer Association received in the first half of the year increased by 3 percent compared to the same period in 2014.

Source: Xinhua, November 1, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2015-11/01/c_1117003410.htm

Briefings | | November 2, 2015 | Information/Technology

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.