From June 8 through June 19, 2015, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent out notifications to 4 million current and former Federal employees informing them that their personal information may have been stolen. By the time FBI Director James Comey met Senators in a closed door briefing, he estimated the number of those affected to be 18 million.
Over 14 Million Drug Users in China Cause $80 Billion in Losses
On June 24, 2015, at a press conference, the State Council’s Information Office released the first-ever report on the effects of drug abuse in China in 2014. Liu Yuejin, Assistant Minister of Public Security and Deputy Director of China National Narcotics Control Commission, said that drug abuse in China for that year resulted in annual economic losses of 500 billion yuan (approximately $80.54 billion) and, in addition, as many as 49,000 deaths of registered users. He estimated that China has more than 14 million drug users, including about three million registered users.
According to Liu, there is evidence that more youths are abusing synthetic narcotics. Half of the registered users are under 35. Drug users are spreading to government employees and the variety of stronger, more addictive drugs is growing. Drug abuse has been linked to suicides, hit-and-run accidents, murders, abductions, rapes, attacking police, and other violent crimes.
Source: Legal Daily, June 24, 2015
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index/content/2015-06/24/content_6137688.htm?node=20908
People’s Daily: Be Vigilant to the Ulterior Motives behind Abe’s Statement of “Never Fight Again”
People Daily published an article commenting on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement of “never fight again” that he made when he was meeting with Chinese media for an interview.
The article said, “As soon as he returned from the G7 summit held in the German town of El Mao, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the meeting of [Japan’s] Congress to discuss the bills related to lifting the ban on the right to collective self-defense. Although he is very busy, he did not forget to arrange an interview with a Chinese media reporter.”
While answering the reporter’s questions, Abe said that Japan has deep remorse over the war and will never repeat the same mistakes. He stressed that he is willing to continue the efforts toward the development of Japan-China relations.
The article showed little trust in Abe’s statement. It said, “From the content of the answer, Abe is without doubt ‘releasing a friendly and goodwill signal.’ However, there were also critical comments that ‘the time and object of the interview was carefully arranged.’ According to a poll the media conducted on the matter, most Chinese people do not believe Abe’s position or his attitude.”
“It is not strange at all. Just a few days ago, Abe was stirring up trouble at the G7 summit, acting as Uncle Sam’s pawn, and attempting to instigate problems on the South China Sea issue. After returning home he immediately hugged Philippine President Aquino and vowed to participate in joint containment of China.”
The article furthered stated, “The world knows what is in his bones. How can he get away with a mere [statement of] ‘deep remorse’ and remove people’s doubts?
“In order finally to be able to amend the "Peace Constitution," Abe is fully implementing supporting laws and regulations for lifting the ban on collective self-defense. In his talks, he has always taken China as a target. His ‘true intention’ is known to all.”
Source: People’s Daily, June 15, 2015
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2015/0617/c1002-27170993.html
Nearly 10,000 Falun Gong Practitioners Press Criminal Charges against Jiang Zemin
According to Minghui.org (whose English version is en.minghui.org), between May 27 and June 18, the Minghui website editors received copies of criminal complaints that had been filed by 9,748 Falun Gong practitioners in China and other countries.
These 9,748 practitioners filed suit against Jiang Zemin the former head of the Chinese Communist Party. The complaints came from more than 1,400 counties and cities. They were from 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China, as well as from the United States, Canada, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. The top five provinces in China where the persecution of Falun Gong is most severe, including Hebei, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, and Shandong also saw the most practitioners filing lawsuits against Jiang.
Background: In 1999, Jiang Zemin, as head of the Chinese Communist Party, overrode other Politburo standing committee members and launched the violent suppression of Falun Gong. Over the past 16 years, the persecution has led to the deaths of many Falun Gong practitioners. More have been tortured and many families have been broken apart. Under Jiang’s personal direction, the Chinese Communist Party established an extralegal security organ, the “610 Office,” so named for having been formed on June 10, 1999. The organization’s authority overrides the police forces and the judicial system in carrying out Jiang’s directive regarding Falun Gong: to ruin their reputations, cut off their financial resources, and destroy them physically.
Chinese law allows for citizens to be plaintiffs in criminal cases, and many practitioners are now exercising that right to file criminal complaints against the former dictator.
Source: Minghui.org, June 20, 2015; En.mingui.org, June 22, 2015
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2015/6/20/311166.html
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2015/6/22/151201p.html
Global Times: S&ED Should Pave the Way for Xi Jinping’s Visit to the U.S.
Prior to this month’s China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Global Times, which is affiliated with People’s Daily, published an editorial outlining Beijing’s goals in the current round of dialogue.
To begin with, the S&ED should pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US in September. As a major event concerning Sino-US relations and the last chance for talks during a state visit within Obama’s tenure, the visit will set the tone and lay a foundation for bilateral relations in the post-Obama era.
Second, both China and the US need to cool the heated issues between the two through this high-level comprehensive dialogue. At the top of the agenda should be the South China Sea issue and cyber security.
In addition, the S&ED should be used to abate strategic mutual distrust.
Last, both countries should strive for a breakthrough in setting rules for economic cooperation.
This is the first time [from the historic perspective] that China deals with the No. 1 power in the world to manage the relations of two powers. We cannot be that certain whether how much the potential harm would be to China based on the other side’s preventative measures and "containment." Nor are we too clear whether the mistruct between China and the US is something that can be solved, or it is something that is bound to exist between major powers, and thus has to be accepted and managed. We cannot even be sure whether the US irrational reaction to China’s rise can be resolved with reasoning, or it can only be handled through compitition based on strength.
Sources: Global Times and Huanqiu.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928345.shtml
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2015-06/6743089.html
Global Times: S&ED Should Pave the Way for Xi Jinping’s Visit to the U.S.
Prior to this month’s China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Global Times, which is affiliated with People’s Daily, published an editorial outlining Beijing’s goals in the current round of dialogue.
To begin with, the S&ED should pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US in September. As a major event concerning Sino-US relations and the last chance for talks during a state visit within Obama’s tenure, the visit will set the tone and lay a foundation for bilateral relations in the post-Obama era.
Second, both China and the US need to cool the heated issues between the two through this high-level comprehensive dialogue. At the top of the agenda should be the South China Sea issue and cyber security.
In addition, the S&ED should be used to abate strategic mutual distrust.
Last, both countries should strive for a breakthrough in setting rules for economic cooperation.
This is the first time [from the historic perspective] that China deals with the No. 1 power in the world to manage the relations of two powers. We cannot be that certain whether how much the potential harm would be to China based on the other side’s preventative measures and "containment." Nor are we too clear whether the mistruct between China and the US is something that can be solved, or it is something that is bound to exist between major powers, and thus has to be accepted and managed. We cannot even be sure whether the US irrational reaction to China’s rise can be resolved with reasoning, or it can only be handled through compitition based on strength.
Sources: Global Times and Huanqiu.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928345.shtml
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2015-06/6743089.html
Global Times: S&ED Should Pave the Way for Xi Jinping’s Visit to the U.S.
Prior to this month’s China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Global Times, which is affiliated with People’s Daily, published an editorial outlining Beijing’s goals in the current round of dialogue.
To begin with, the S&ED should pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US in September. As a major event concerning Sino-US relations and the last chance for talks during a state visit within Obama’s tenure, the visit will set the tone and lay a foundation for bilateral relations in the post-Obama era.
Second, both China and the US need to cool the heated issues between the two through this high-level comprehensive dialogue. At the top of the agenda should be the South China Sea issue and cyber security.
In addition, the S&ED should be used to abate strategic mutual distrust.
Last, both countries should strive for a breakthrough in setting rules for economic cooperation.
This is the first time [from the historic perspective] that China deals with the No. 1 power in the world to manage the relations of two powers. We cannot be that certain whether how much the potential harm would be to China based on the other side’s preventative measures and "containment." Nor are we too clear whether the mistruct between China and the US is something that can be solved, or it is something that is bound to exist between major powers, and thus has to be accepted and managed. We cannot even be sure whether the US irrational reaction to China’s rise can be resolved with reasoning, or it can only be handled through compitition based on strength.
Sources: Global Times and Huanqiu.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928345.shtml
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2015-06/6743089.html
Global Times: S&ED Should Pave the Way for Xi Jinping’s Visit to the U.S.
Prior to this month’s China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Global Times, which is affiliated with People’s Daily, published an editorial outlining Beijing’s goals in the current round of dialogue.
To begin with, the S&ED should pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US in September. As a major event concerning Sino-US relations and the last chance for talks during a state visit within Obama’s tenure, the visit will set the tone and lay a foundation for bilateral relations in the post-Obama era.
Second, both China and the US need to cool the heated issues between the two through this high-level comprehensive dialogue. At the top of the agenda should be the South China Sea issue and cyber security.
In addition, the S&ED should be used to abate strategic mutual distrust.
Last, both countries should strive for a breakthrough in setting rules for economic cooperation.
This is the first time [from the historic perspective] that China deals with the No. 1 power in the world to manage the relations of two powers. We cannot be that certain whether how much the potential harm would be to China based on the other side’s preventative measures and "containment." Nor are we too clear whether the mistruct between China and the US is something that can be solved, or it is something that is bound to exist between major powers, and thus has to be accepted and managed. We cannot even be sure whether the US irrational reaction to China’s rise can be resolved with reasoning, or it can only be handled through compitition based on strength.
Sources: Global Times and Huanqiu.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928345.shtml
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2015-06/6743089.html