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

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Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

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

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Chinese Ministry of Finance: Company Profits Suffer a Decline

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported, based on statistics that China’s Ministry of Finance released, that, from January to September, the profits of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) suffered a substantial decline of 8.2 percent. Among these companies, those that the central government owned saw a profit decline of 10.2 percent; those the local governments owned ones saw a decline of 2.7 percent. Among the industries that the statistics covered, petrochemical, oil, building materials, iron and steel, coal, and nonferrous metals industries were the ones seeing significant declines in profits. At the same time, China’s Producer Price Index (PPI) has been on the negative side for 43 consecutive months. The same statistics from the Ministry of Finance also showed that, for the same period of January to September, the SOEs had a total income decline of 6.1 percent. 
Source: Sina, October 21, 2015
http://finance.sina.com.cn/money/forex/20151021/194623537407.shtml
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

BBC Chinese: China Started a Nuclear Controversy with Japan at the UN

BBC Chinese recently reported that, at the United Nations General Assembly Summit on Nuclear Disarmament, China accused Japan of possessing weapon grade nuclear materials and having plans for Japan to become a nuclear power. Japan strongly denied the accusation. The Chinese representative pointed out that all it would take for Japan to become a nuclear power in a very short period of time would be a political decision, because Japan has enough stored nuclear material. However, the Japanese representative argued that the entire inventory of Japan’s nuclear materials is under the surveillance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the IAEA has confirmed that it is for peaceful use only. China has been paying attention to Japan’s nuclear capabilities for a long time now. However, it’s highly unusual for China to engage Japan publicly at the United Nations over this matter. Japan is trying to determine what China’s motivation is for making this move.
Source: BBC Chinese, October 21, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/10/151021_japan_un_china
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Iran is Adopting China’s Satellite Positioning System

China Stocks recently reported that Iran and China signed an agreement to introduce China’s Beidou Satellite Positioning System into Iran. Iran Electronics Industries (IEI), Iran’s largest electronics company, plays a key role in the country’s satellite industry. IEI held a formal ceremony for the official launch of the Beidou-based program. China will not only supply the ground stations but also construct a space data collection center. China’s Beidou Satellite Positioning System is China’s independently developed and independently run positioning system that provides all-time and all-weather precise positioning services. Currently Iran cannot obtain high precision services from the Global Positioning System (GPS) that the United States owns. The U.S. GPS system is the largest and the most widely used satellite positioning system in the world.

Source: China Stocks, October 19, 2015
http://news.cnstock.com/industry/sid_rdjj/201510/3593175.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Beijing Times: Three Initiatives Expected from the Fifth Plenary Session

China Internet Information Center published an article that Beijing Times had originally carried. According to the article, during the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee, which is taking place from October 26-29, it is expected that the current leadership will generate the following three initiatives: 1) Introduce its five-year plan. The five-year plan will be the first one introduced under the current leadership of Xi Jinping. In order to prepare for the plan, from May to July of this year, Xi visited Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Jilin provinces and hosted seminars to gather feedback from Party officials from 18 provinces and districts. 2) Launch reforms in tax, population, and environmental policy. 3)  Make personnel changes as result of the anti-corruption effort. The article stated that, since the 18th National Congress, over 100 Party officials from the provincial level, seven members of the central committee, and 11 alternate members from the central committee were placed under investigation. Therefore it is expected that replacements will be named during the session.

Source: China Internet Information Center, October 26, 2015
http://news.china.com.cn/2015-10/26/content_36886951.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China to Enforce Real Name System When Sending Express Mail

According to the China Internet Information Center, the State Post Bureau confirmed that, starting on November 1, a real-name system is required for sending express mail. This means that the sender is required to provide his or her name and the personal identification number that matches the ID card when filling out the paperwork to send something by express mail. The article said that, at the moment, the post office is not required to verify the information and the recipient is not required to provide an ID.

Source: China Internet Information Center, October 26, 2015
http://cppcc.china.com.cn/2015-10/26/content_36887416.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Ministry of Supervision: 3,490 cases of Eight Rules Violations Reported in September

Xinhua published a report on the statistics that the Ministry of Supervision compiled on the violations of the “Eight Rules” that the Political Bureau of the central administration established in order to curb the improper use of government funds. According to the Ministry’s figures, during the month of September, there were 3,490 cases of violations. The report said that 4,645 people had been involved and 3,443 people were subject to the Party’s disciplinary charge. The most common violation was the inappropriate distribution of bonuses and benefits. The misuse of government vehicles, accepting gifts, and hosting extravagant weddings and funerals ranked second. The article said that the statistics were collected from 66 central administration agencies, 111 central enterprises, and 15 central financial intuitions, as well as from 31 Production and Construction Corporations in 31 provinces and regions.

Source: Xinhua, October 25, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-10/25/c_1116931446.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Wang Qishan Highlights Party Discipline in Anti-Corruption

Top discipline inspector Wang Qishan wrote that the Party must adhere to high standards, not cross the "bottom line" of Party’s “Discipline Regulations” and promote a comprehensive systematic innovation of the Party’s governance. 

Wang, head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), made these remarks in an article he wrote for publication on People’s Daily on October 23, 2015. The article emphasized that the Discipline Regulations set forth the bottom line for all Party members. 

Wang wrote that, at present, the Party’s discipline rules use the same terminology as in the law, which makes it difficult to reflect the high standards, ideals, and faith that the Party members, especially leading cadres, must adhere to. As a result, as long as Party members do not violate the law, they are not disciplined for their corrupt behavior. “The internal rules of any organization are typically more stringent than the law. Our Party is a political organization that shoulders a sacred mission. Because of the Party’s ruling status and its role of being the vanguard, the Party discipline regulations are bound to be stricter than the law. If Party members were to retreat to the bottom line of citizens, it would lower the standards for the Party members. Then, it would be impossible to tighten the Party’s discipline governance and to demonstrate the Party’s advanced nature.” 

Source: People’s Daily, October 23, 2015 
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2015-10/23/nw.D110000renmrb_20151023_1-04.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

The Real China and the Rule of Law

[Editor:The following is a speech that Yongfeng Peng gave on October 1, 2015, at a presentation titled, “The Future of Human Rights in China.” Peng is a lawyer who practiced in China before coming to the United States. He currently works for the Human Rights Law Foundation in Washington, D.C.]

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Perspectives | | |   Opinion