Chinascope – Page 692

BBC Chinese: Google Rejected CNNIC Issued Web Certificates

BBC Chinese recently reported that Google announced on April 1 that it will no longer trust the certificates that the CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center) issues. The decision means that Google’s popular web browser Chrome will no longer recognize the web sites that carry CNNIC certificates, which are meant to provide proof that the site can be trusted. Chrome will instead issue a security warning to the users and recommend that they not open the web page. CNNIC then issued a statement calling Google’s move, “difficult to understand and accept.” Google officially explained that the decision was based on the fact that CNNIC allowed the Egyptian company, MCS Holdings, to issue unauthorized certificates for a number of Google domains (in short, a domain is an identifier for a computer on the network). This left users and websites vulnerable for hackers to conduct “man-in-the-middle” attacks (the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other). After learning of Google’s announcement, both Microsoft and Mozilla also revoked CNNIC certificates. Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla are the top three browsers in the world.

Source: BBC Chinese, April 2, 2015

http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/04/150402_china_google_internet

Briefings | | April 7, 2015 | Information/Technology

People’s Daily: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Commented on U.S. Planes Landing in Taiwan

People’s Daily recently reported that, on April 1, two U.S. military airplanes landed at Tainan Airport in South Taiwan due to a technical emergency. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, later commented at a press conference that China had made a solemn representation to the U.S. government, asking the United States to be prudent and properly handle the relevant issues in order to avoid similar incidents in the future. According to Taiwanese media, two of the U.S. Navy’s F-18 fighter jets made a request of the Taiwanese air traffic authorities that they make an emergency landing. Later, after obtaining permission, they landed at a local air force base. Taiwanese military officials said that the U.S. Navy will send out repairmen in the future. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not explain the reasoning behind their statement.

Source: People’s Daily, April 2, 2015

http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/0402/c70731-26792112.html

Briefings | | April 7, 2015 | Defense/Military

Ministry of Education Named Seven Most Corrupt Areas in Colleges and Universities

China Review News published an article on the recently held 2015 Ministry of Education video conference on the “development of the Party’s conduct and of an honest and clean government.” The anti-corruption effort in colleges and universities will be its key focus in 2015. Among the seven areas that have the most serious corruption, the article named building construction and purchasing as the top two. In addition, corruption has also been reported in such areas as admission, accounting, research funding, school-managed enterprises, and academic dishonesty.

The article named a few college officials who had recently been taken down from their posts. They include the party secretary of Jining Medical University, the Principal of Nanchang University, the Party secretary from Ling Jing University and several others. It also mentioned that Renmin University was reported as having committed 49 counts of violations including in the area of student admissions. The result was that 47 people will be going through legal proceedings, 114 have received the Party’s disciplinary fine, and 14 received verbal warnings.

Source: China Review News, April 5, 2015
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1036/9/7/1/103697173.html?coluid=241&kindid=13578&docid=103697173&mdate=0405094523

Briefings | | April 6, 2015 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: Minimum Wage Increased in 11 Provinces and Cities

According to an article published on Xinhua, 11 provinces and cities announced a minimum wage increase starting in April. The provinces and cities are Guangdong, Hunan, Hainan, Tibet, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Shandong, Shanxi, Beijing, Shanghai, and Gansu. Among the cities, the monthly minimum wage (in yuan) in Beijing went from 1,560 (US$254) to 1,720 (US$280); 1,820 (US$296) to 2,020 (US$329) in Shanghai; 1,680 (US$273) to 1,850 (US$301) in Tianjin; and in Gansu Province it went from 1,350 (US$220) to 1,470 (US$239). The article said that Shenzhen has the highest monthly minimum wage at 2,030 (US$330) yuan while Beijing has the highest hourly minimum wage at 18.7 yuan (US$3.04). In addition the statistics that the National Trade Union released showed that the rate of increase decreased in the period from 2011 to 2014. The increases were 22 percent, 20 percent, 17 percent, and 14 percent respectively in those years. The rate of increase is expected to be around 10 percent in 2015.

Source: Xinhua, April 3, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2015-04/03/c_127653903.htm

Briefings | | April 6, 2015 | Economy/Resources

China: Rule of Law or Rule by the Party?

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Since becoming the new leader of China in late 2012, Xi Jinping has publically advocated “依法治国,” which Chinese and Western media have often translated as the “rule of law.” However, many legal scholars and professionals, as well as observers familiar with Chinese political history, are skeptical that the country will be successful in reforming its legal system. The reason is simple: for a country controlled by the Communist Party, it is the Party, not the law, that rules the country.

Then, why does Xi Jinping, such a savvy and ambitious politician, keep talking about the rule of law?

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Analyses | | April 5, 2015 | Opinion

People’s Daily: U.S. Speculation on China’s ASAT Missile Exposed U.S. Combat System’s Fatal Flaw

People’s Daily reported on a CCTV interview of Chinese military experts who commented on U.S. officials’ public statements on China’s anti-satellite missiles.

The report said, “On March 25, U.S. media stated that there are two Chinese anti-satellite missiles that can hit satellites that are in high orbits. Cecil Haney, the Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, said that, in future conflicts, the United States needs to be prepared for satellite attacks. The U.S. media also pointed out that with 12 Chinese anti-satellite missiles, there could be a severe limit to the U.S. military’s long-range operations, such as its defense of Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.”

“Military expert Du Wenlong responded, during an interview with CCTV, that the U.S. amplifies the China threat, [in order to] find excuses to finance more funds to develop its strategic advantage in space. At the same time, the U.S.’ remarks also exposed a fatal flaw in the American combat system. If the U.S. military reconnaissance and early warning system fails completely, its combat capabilities may return to the ‘Stone Age.’"

Source: People’s Daily, March, 27, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0327/c1011-26760351.html

Briefings | | April 3, 2015 | US-China Relations

Outlook Weekly: Four Groups That Resist Reform

Outlook Weekly published a commentary stating that Xi Jinping views four groups as being resistant to reform.

The first resistance group consists of strong special interests that interfere with or "misread" the top-level design of reform.

The second resistance group consists of departments and local governments that, in the implementation of the reforms, selectively implement the decisions of the central government that support their own local interests.

The third group is the grassroots cadres who “grab feathers from a flying goose.” They seize any opportunity for private gain and harbor fear and resentment. This “last mile” often becomes the bottleneck that breeds more “flies.”

The fourth group of resistance is public opinion. Any major government initiative is a social hot topic that gathers public opinion that supports opposition to it.

Source: Outlook Weekly reprinted by China Review News, April 2, 2015

http://hk.crntt.com/crn-webapp/touch/detail.jsp?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=103693340

Briefings | | April 3, 2015 | Government/Politics

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.