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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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People’s Daily Opinion Article: Why the West Keeps Misinterpreting China

People’s Daily carried an opinion article about why the West, headed by the United States, keeps misinterpreting China. The article mentioned that the China Collapse theory has recently surfaced. The theory is not new, as all kinds of theories about China have been expressed. The article then focused on analyzing why the West keeps misinterpreting China. It mentioned three reasons.

The first is the orientation of Western research. The article stated that the U.S., as the base for the worldwide study of China, places the main focus of its research on China studies on China’s negative side, including rights movements; human and ethnic rights; conflicts in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan; mass protests; and social conflicts. The article claimed that the U.S. does so because (these issues) make it easier for scholars to apply for research funding. Therefore China studies in the U.S. often lack a certain independence. At the same time, the media also portray China in a way that is not accurate.

The second is that the West has a cold war mentality. The article stated that China studies in the U.S. have not gone beyond the cold war mentality. The research topics are chosen in order to identify and create internal conflicts in other countries. This then enables the U.S. to find an excuse to interfere.

The third is an inability to predict future development. The article said that there have been many incorrect predictions about China. The U.S. applies its own standard to judge and lead China, which has resulted in its being both disappointed and frustrated.

Source: People’s Daily, April 29, 2015
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2015/0429/c1003-26920774.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Xinhua: Is the U.S.’s Perverse Eavesdropping Addiction Curable?

Xinhua published a commentary regarding the surveillance wiretapping that U.S. intelligence agencies have been conducting. A report that Snowden’s exposed document revealed that the United States and New Zealand intelligence agencies have cooperated in monitoring the Chinese Consulate General’s diplomatic communications in Auckland is what triggered the commentary. Below is an excerpt from the publication: 

“U.S. intelligence agencies have become addicted to and pervasive in engaging in wiretaps; it does not matter what regions and venues are involved. The latest disclosure has only added another footnote to the world’s largest hacking empire’s hidden secret.” “Snowden’s exposed evidence proves that China is one of the main targets of U.S. illegal wiretapping and eavesdropping; it covers national government leaders, research institutions, universities, and enterprises.” 

“The reason that America is so interested and so unscrupulous in ‘wiretapping’ China is simply to steal intelligence and master all that it can about China’s trends. The reason for the ‘eavesdropping addiction,’ is that the U.S. still hopes to ‘safeguard national security.’ It is to keep America’s leading position in the field of global diplomacy, the economy, science, and technology, and always be aware of those areas in which China is making rapid progress. ‘It is because of fear that China will surpass the U.S. to become the world’s superpower.’" “What is more ridiculous is that the United States, for many years, has been crying ‘stop thief’ [as a thief], and has been using ‘Chinese spies and hacking attacks’ as a continual excuse to put pressure on China. In fact, the United States is the perverse example of ‘a wiretapping addict’ and ‘the hacking empire.’" 
“Overseas, the United States’ intelligence-gathering behavior has repeatedly crossed the bottom line of what can be tolerated. In the United States, monitoring has sparked controversy over violations of citizens’ privacy. However, the U.S. authorities do not seem to intend to stop. After the 2013 wiretapping scandal, U.S. President Barack Obama refused to apologize. Instead, he argued that the American government has maintained a good balance in safeguarding national security and the protection of citizens’ privacy.” 
“Thus, although the United States has lost the moral high ground, it still insists on talking with high-sounding rhetoric. The U.S. has neither given a reasonable ‘antidote’ to hacking, eavesdropping, and surveillance; nor does it intend to take the initiative to cure its ‘eavesdropping addiction.’" 

Source: Xinhua, April 20, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-04/20/c_1115031026.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

China Tightens Internet Censorship by Interviewing Internet Companies

On April 28, 2015, the China National Internet Information Office issued the “Working Regulations on Interviewing Internet News Information Services,” which will be effective on June 1, 2015.

“Interviewing” refers to State and local Internet information offices meeting with Internet companies to issue warnings, point out problems, and order corrections. 
Ten circumstances may warrant an "interview" of the head or editor-in-chief of an Internet company. Examples include: if the company fails in timely handling of complaints from citizens; rakes in illegitimate gains through editing, publishing, reprinting, or deleting news and information; violates domain name regulations; or fails in the timely handling of illegal information or timely implementation of monitoring measures. 
The interview records will be included in the annual inspection records. Failure to comply with a request for corrections made during the interview may lead to a closedown of the business, revocation of the business license, and heavy fines. 
Source: Xinhua, April 28, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-04/28/c_127742441.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Showing a Good Gesture to Japan? Can’t Obama Adhere to Some Moral Bottom Line?

Xinhua published an article commenting on how Obama’s treated Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the U.S.  

The article stated, “Facing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while full of Smiles and with the big ‘gift’ of strengthening Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation, U.S. President Barack Obama also seemed ‘drunk.’ On the historical issue, Obama tolerates Abe without any principles and has abandoned even the most basic moral bottom line.” 
The article continued, “The war Abe is reluctant to face up to also caused great harm to the United States. The Pacific War started with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. military suffered heavy casualties and also experienced Japan’s inhuman acts.” 
“Faced with all this, Obama has chosen silence. At a joint news conference on the 28th following the Japan-U.S. summit talks, even while in the presence of Obama, Abe still sang the same old tune in answering the question about whether he would issue an apology for Japan’s history of aggression and for the ‘comfort women’ issue, saying that he was ‘extremely pained,’ but he avoided apologizing. Isn’t the American government always the self-proclaimed standard-bearer of human rights values? To such acts brazenly challenging the bottom line of human rights and human conscience, Obama was reluctant to express a just stance openly and resolutely in front of the public. Wasn’t lifting the ban on Japan’s military forces while being unwilling to completely correct the errors of history also a potential threat to the United States? On what basis of shared values was strengthening the alliance between the two countries actually built?” 
The article questioned, “Not adhering to principles in the cardinal problem of history, abandoning the moral bottom line, but continuing to loosen control over the Japanese military forces – is this Obama’s diplomatic legacy based on the ‘Asia-Pacific strategy’ at its core?” 
Source: Xinhua, April 29, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-04/29/c_127748174.htm
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: Where is This Three-way Relationship Going?

People’s Daily issued a special editorial about Abe’s trip to the United States. According to the editorial, in international affairs, the Sino-US relationship carries more weight than the US-Japan relationship. The Sino-US relationship goes beyond a bilateral relationship and has a global impact, while the Sino-Japan relationship has a regional impact. 

“In the foreseeable future, Sino-US competition and cooperation will coexist. Strategic competition will not suffocate pragmatic cooperation. Japan does not have much room between itself and China in which to further its own gain. The extent to which the United States has strategic restraint over Japan remains largely dependent on the development of the Sino-US relationship. China cannot make the United States ignore its alliance with Japan and take sides with China. In the competition of comprehensive national strength between China and Japan, the United States uses Japan as a ‘pawn’ in its China strategy but it cannot change the trend and path of China’s rise.” 
Source: People’s Daily (overseas edition) reprinted by Qiushi, April 28, 2014. http://www.qstheory.cn/freely/2015-04/28/c_1115113512.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Became Australia’s Largest Foreign Investor

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, last year, China surpassed the United States to become Australia’s largest foreign investor. The investments, however, were concentrated mainly in real estate. As the Chinese anti-corruption movement deepened, Chinese investments in Australia also sped up. According to the latest report that the Australian Foreign Investment Review Bureau (FIRB) released, half of the approved Chinese investments last year (around US$22.1 billion) were for real estate. Chinese investments took a 17 percent share of all foreign investments in Australia. Australian real estate market experts expressed the belief that the demand of the investors from China and other Asian countries is still on the rise. If the Australian dollar depreciates more, Australian real estate will become even more attractive to Chinese buyers.

Source: Sina, April 30, 2015
http://finance.sina.com.cn/money/forex/whqqscgd/20150430/184922086629.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Qiushi: Control the Internet û Stop Criticism of the Government and Better Lead Public Opinion

Qiushi published an article stating that it has become a common phenomenon on the Internet to criticize the government and the Communist Party. "Negative viewpoints spread quickly over the Internet. People even make fun of those who love China and love the Party. Some have even become the pawns of the Western hostile forces to demonize China."

The article suggested the following measures to control Internet: 

1. View the Internet as a national strategic resource. Move State-owned Enterprises into the Internet media industry and invest in new Internet technologies such as digital news and big data. This will enable better control of the Internet market and thus better lead public opinion. 
2. Eradicate the worship of Western values and establish confidence in China. First, rationally expose how false Western democracy and freedom really are; second, show people how China has progressed; and third, guide the key people who have substantial influence over the Internet toward the right direction. 
3. Use technology to establish a better Internet environment so that the positive opinions can become more widespread. 
4. Hold the Internet media companies liable. Punish those who put page hits and economic gain above the nation’s political security. Severely punish those sites that openly violate the law, promote Western ideology, or spread political rumors. 
5. Guide the youth netizens. First, teach students the Internet ideology struggle as part of their school’s political education; second, throughout society, develop the number of education programs that teach netizens to identify and avoid poisonous materials.
Source: Qiushi, April 23, 2015
http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/hqwg/2015-04/23/c_1115069690.htm
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the “One Belt, One Road” Strategy

China Review News republished an article that Chinese economist Xian Langping wrote discussing China’s rise. Xian stated that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and China’s "One Belt, One Road" strategy are tightly integrated to support China’s continued economic growth and its international influence.

Xian explained that, on October 24, 2014, China and 20 other countries, including India and Singapore, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the AIIB. These 20 countries share some commonalities: first, they are China’s neighbors; second, they are in the "One Belt, One Road" zone; and third, they are cooperating or have the intention to cooperate with China to build high-speed railways.

China’s "One Belt, One Road" strategy is to build roads and railways to connect the countries in the zone. It will create economic growth opportunities (e.g. the export of high-speed railway system and construction materials) for China and will also expand international trade (so that China can export more goods to these countries).

Even though the contributions of the AIIB member countries are based on their GDPs and in theory, the U.S. can have the loudest voice if it joins, Xian believes that the U.S. will not join. To him, the bank was created to serve infrastructure development; more specifically, high-speed rail construction. China has a big advantage in this field. If the U.S. were to make any contribution, it would only benefit China.

Source: China Review News, April 26, 2015
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1037/2/6/7/103726773.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=103726773&mdate=0426080715

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources