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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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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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Heightened Security for September 3

According to Beijing Public Security, in preparation for China’s commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 3, the police have launched a citywide security campaign that involves 850,000 people throughout the city’s various districts. During the parade, the leaders of the Communist Party will review the troops. 

Starting from August 20, the 850,000 participants in the security campaign will be wearing red armbands and stand as guards along Beijing’s main streets, in different communities, in shopping malls, and in other public places. The security requirements include patrols on every street or alley, guards at designated key locations, and lookouts at government buildings, shopping malls, stores, and markets. 
Source: People’s Public Security Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, August 20, 2015, http://society.people.com.cn/n/2015/0820/c136657-27492645.html
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

PLA Daily Editorial: Be Ready to Fight at All Times

PLA Daily published an editorial article re-emphasizing the importance of building a strong army and being ready to fight at all times. The article was also posted on all the major state media and military websites. 

The article stated, “Today, although the smoke of war has dispersed, the ghosts of militarism still linger. Some Japanese political organizations and politicians go against the tide of history and against peace and justice; they selectively forget the disaster they brought to another country but they always remember their own ‘misfortunate.’ They resolutely deny the barbaric crimes of the Japanese invasion, insist on paying tribute to their war criminals, forcibly lift the ban on collective self-defense, openly distort historical facts, trample on the human conscience, and undermine the post-war international order.” 

The article stressed in bold font that, “Through these phenomena, we can easily see that Japanese militarism’s desire to eliminate China has never died, that is has refused to recognize the defeat in that war, and that it has secretly been gathering strength in an attempt to stage a comeback. Without vigilance and precautionary measures, there is still the risk of a repeat of this tragedy of history.” 
“At present, China is at the critical juncture of becoming big and strong. Some Western countries are unwilling to see the rise of China, doing everything possible to contain and suppress China, repeatedly squeezing China’s strategy for development, and bringing the focus of international strategic competition toward the Asia-Pacific region. Thus the likelihood of disturbances and war taking place on our doorstep has increased.” 

Source: PLA Daily, August 18, 2015 
http://www.81.net/pinglunjingxuan/2015/0QL391H015.html 
http://jz.chinamil.com.cn/gd/2015-08/17/content_6634141.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua: Out of Control Explosions û Investigation into Ruihai International Logistics

On August 19, 2015, Xinhua published an investigative article on Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics, which is where the huge chemical explosions occurred on August 12, 2015. According to Xinhua, the real owners of the company are the board chairperson Yu Xuewei, who is a former executive of Sinochem Tianjin Co., Ltd., and the associate board chairperson Dong Shexuan, who is son of the former director of the Public Security Bureau of Tianjin Port. The Ruihai Company obtained a hazardous chemicals business license and used personal connections to pass all evaluations including fire and environment safety evaluations.

According to Ruihai’s environmental report, Ruihai distributed 130 survey questionnaires to the residents in the neighborhood and 128 residents replied “yes” to the hazardous chemical warehouse. However, [it was later determined that] residents living nearby had never seen the questionnaires and nobody was aware that there was a hazardous chemical warehouse in the neighborhood. Yu Xuewei, the Ruihai board chairperson, said that he had not participated in the environmental survey. None of the other safety assessment reports on Ruihai have yet been disclosed to the public.

Source: Xinhua, August 19, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2015-08/19/c_1116305131.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Railway Cargo Volume Continues to Slide

On August 18, 2015, the China National Development and Reform Commission released statistics on railway cargo volume. Railway cargo volume is one of the three major economic indicators reportedly used by Li Keqiang, current Premier, to measure China’s economy. The other two indicators are electricity consumption and the loans that banks disburse.

According to the statistics, from January to July, railway cargo volume was down by 10.2 percent, year on year, with a total of 1.98 billion metric tons. The Railway Freight Ton-Kilometers (RFTK) decreased by 11.8 percent, totaling 1,396.5 billion ton-kilometers. In July alone, railway cargo volume declined by 10.9 percent and RFTK dropped by 14.4 percent, year on year. The China National Development and Reform Commission attributed the continued slide to the weak transport demand for coal, metallurgy, mine construction materials, and other major bulk materials. 

Similarly, the statistics released in July showed that, in the first six months of 2015, railway cargo volume was down 10.1 percent, year on year, totaling 1.7 billion metric tons. The RFTK was down to 1,205 billion ton-kilometers, a reduction of 11.4 percent year on year. 
Sources: China National Development and Reform Commission, August 18, 2015 and July 24, 2015 http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/jjxsfx/201508/t20150818_745402.html http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/jjxsfx/201507/t20150724_742728.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

3,000 Tons of Toxic Chemicals Stored at Warehouse in Tianjin before Explosions

According to Caixin, a total of 3,000 tons of hazardous chemicals were stored in the warehouse in Tianjin where two deadly explosions occurred on August 12, 2015. Niu Yueguang, deputy director of the fire department of the Ministry of Public Security, said on China Central Television on August 17, 2015, that the chemicals included 700 tons of sodium cyanide, 800 tons of ammonium nitrate, and 500 tons of potassium nitrate.

Source: Caixin, August 17, 2015
http://china.caixin.com/2015-08-17/100840756.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Chinese Government to “Safeguard the Air Quality” for WWII Commemoration

China’s commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will take place on September 3. Two weeks before the event, high attention is being paid to the air quality around the Beijing area.
On August 17, a meeting involving Communist officials in Northern China was held to arrange the tasks of "safeguarding the air quality." The head of the Chinese Communist Party of Beijing City, Guo Jinlong; the Minister of Environmental Protection, Chen Jining; the Beijing Mayor, Wang Anshun; the Governor of Hebei Province, Zhang Qingwei, as well as the personnel-in-charge from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and Henan all attended the meeting.
At the meeting, Guo said that "safeguarding air quality for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II is an important political task entrusted by the Party and the State Council." Chen said that "good air quality directly matters for the success of the activities; it also matters for the honor of the Capital."
Source: China Youth, August 18, 2015
http://news.youth.cn/gn/201508/t20150818_7017361.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua Questions U.S. Cooperation in China’s Anti-Graft Campaign

In response to the New York Times report on August 16 that the Obama administration ordered the Chinese law enforcement personnel who are in the country for the "Fox Hunt" operation to return home immediately, Xinhua News Agency published an op-ed questioning whether the U.S. is siding with the corrupt officials that Beijing is seeking. 

Xinhua cited the 1997 China-US Joint Statement which led to the establishment of a joint liaison group for law enforcement cooperation, composed of representatives of the relevant agencies from both governments. Under this mechanism, a former Bank of China manager, Yu Zhendong, involved in embezzling and money laundering nearly US$500 million was extradited from the U.S. back to China in 2004. 
Xinhua‘s op-ed added that in April 2015, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson met Chinese Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun in Beijing and they agreed to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement.
Xinhua‘s op-ed concluded, "While we do not expect the U.S.to go out of its way to help, we will not agree to any man-made barriers set up to impede anti-corruption cooperation. 
Source: xinhuanet.com, August 17, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-08/17/c_128136845.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Daily: Is the United States Trying to Fight a “Cyber Cold War”?

Following The New York Times report that the U.S. may take action to retaliate against China for hacking the information of 20 million U.S. government employees, China Daily interviewed Chinese scholars on cyber security to discuss what it means to China. 

Shen Yi, Deputy Director of the Cyberspace Governance Research Institute at Fudan University, thought that this incident was different from the previous Sino-U.S. "cyber disputes." It seems to be "very serious." He said that for the U.S. to upgrade the “accusation" to “threatening” may suggest that a Sino-U.S. cyberwar could be imminent. 
Shen said, "The United States always wants to replicate the dialogue experience gained in arms sanctions, nuclear disarmament, and other issues with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, as well as with Russia after the Cold War. In doing so, it hopes to use pressure to force China to enter into negotiations passively and to accept the outcome of negotiations when the U.S. is completely in control of the topics." Shen suggested that China should take action and not let the rhythm of the United States be the controlling factor. 
Although the Sino-U.S cyber security incidents have arrived at the “critical point” of an "imminent war," Shen Yi believed that, on the other hand, this is a good thing for the Chinese side. It forces China to move forward faster, better, and more effectively with the national strategy of cyber security. 

Zuo Xiaodong, Vice President of the China Information Security Institute, also said that the escalation of cyber security incidents between the two countries is a serious and dangerous signal to China. The escalation suggests that China should strengthen the development of infrastructure in tracking, tracing, and reacting to foreign attacks. It is also very urgent. 
Source: China Daily, August 3, 2015 
http://china.chinadaily.com.cn/2015-08/03/content_21488123.htm 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-08/03/c_128088613.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations