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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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Li Keqiang Criticizes Burdensome Bureaucracy

At the Executive Meeting of China’s State Council on April 15, Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang criticized some ministries and local governments for having burdensome bureaucratic processes and called for an immediate streamlining of the process and for speeding up decentralization. 

Li observed, "The policies that were discussed and approved at the State Council executive meeting that the Minsters attended have been held up so that several division chiefs can do ‘quality control.’" He then asked, "Isn’t this procedure upside down?” "You, ministers, were at the meeting and did not present any disagreement. Now you need to have several division chiefs do ‘quality control?’" “It took more than a year for the central government to come up with these policies. Now it takes another year to go through all of these procedures. Isn’t this absurd?"  
Li said that to overcome this "chronic illness," it would first be necessary to accelerate the transformation of government functions so that they decentralize. Second, the participants should be proactive and pay close attention to policy implementation. 
Source: Xinhua, April 15, 2015 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-04/15/c_1114982674.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Li Keqiang: Downward Pressure Continues and Greater Difficulties Lie Ahead

On April 14, 2015, Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang met with some academicians, experts, and business leaders to hear their recommendations on the Chinese economy. During the meeting he stated, “Downward pressure on China’s economy continues to increase.” The country “must prepare to face bigger economic difficulties and challenges.”  

It was the second time within five days that Li expressed grave concern about the Chinese economy. On April 12, Li made similar remarks about China’s economy when he was inspecting the northeast region. “I used to work in the northeast and can be considered as being half northeasterner, so I don’t have to be too polite. Your [economic] statistics indeed make me worry.” 
 Source: People’s Daily, April 14, 2015, and April 12, 2015 
http://cpc.people.com.cn/n/2015/0415/c64094-26846242.html http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/0412/c1024-26831938.html
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Mingpao: Police System to Access Extensive Personal Information on National Database

On April 14, 2015, Mingpao in Hong Kong published an article introducing details on China’s new 21 regulations on social stability maintenance, especially commenting on the “One ID Card System.”
“A resident identity card in China will not only record the holder’s name, address, and date of birth; it will also link to his or her credit cards, hotel occupancy records, and records of travel via aircraft, trains, and high-speed rail trips. It will also record social insurance and other private information. It is called the “One Card for All.” All of the information recorded in the ID card will be linked to the national public security system’s internal database and will be available for thousands of police officers nationwide. They will be able to access the database to check on anyone at any time. One part of the content in the 21 regulations was called "Advice on Strengthening the Social Security Protection System." The General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the General Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China recently issued the policies to establish the system. 
In addition, the 21 regulations emphasized that the overall TV monitoring system coverage will increase in public places. Under the new stability maintenance policies, the authorities will be able to watch Mainland Chinese citizen’s very closely. 
Source: Mingpao, April 14, 2015
http://tinyurl.com/oucuq4g
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Caixin: Who Is the “Big Tiger” That the CCDI Talked About?

On its own website on February 25, 2015, the CCP’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) published an article titled, "Problems with the Lifestyle of the Qing Dynasty’s ‘Naked Official’ Prince Qing." The article stated that Prince Qing (庆亲王) was the culprit who, in the late Qing Dynasty, created an extensive corrupt environment. He took huge bribes, sold official positions for money, put all his money in foreign banks, and kept bribing the actual ruler Empress Dowager Cixi. The whole nation followed his example. CCDI didn’t say who, in its eyes, todays "Prince Qing" is.

The term "Naked Official" (裸官, sometimes written as "luo guan" based on its Chinese pronunciation) used in the article refers to officials who save their money overseas and may also have their family members migrate overseas, while only they themselves remain in China at their official post. The article stated that Prince Qing was a "naked official."

On March 24, 2015, Caixin, which is said to have a close relationship with Wang Qishan the head of the CCDI, published an article in English titled, "Who Is Prince Qing?" This article stated that Zeng Qinghong is most likely the "Prince Qing" that CCDI mentioned in its article. It stated, "Who is the Prince Qing of the current anti-corruption campaign? Speculation is rife that Zeng Qinghong, former vice president and close adviser to ex-president Jiang Zemin, fits the bill, especially because his name contains the same character for Qing."

It also stated that back then Cixi "relied more on blood lineage" to rule the country. "Today the princelings tout their ‘red gene’ to justify their entitlement to power, status and wealth. The parallel does not escape notice." Again, this indicates that Zeng Qinghong, who is a princeling, fits the bill well.

The interpretation of some media was that Empress Dowager Cixi stood for Jiang Zemin.

Caixin didn’t publish a Chinese version of this article.

Sources:
1. CCDI Website, February 25, 2015
http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/yw/201502/t20150215_51495.html
2. Caixin Online, March 24, 2015
http://english.caixin.com/2015-03-24/100794229.html
3. Eurasia Review, March 25, 2015
http://www.eurasiareview.com/25032015-china-xi-jinpings-anti-corruption-drive-to-net-more-tigers-analysis/

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: China to Establish One ID Card System to Document Each Citizen’s Daily Life Information

Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the General Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued 21 regulations designed to strengthen the social security protection system. According to the new policies, China will establish a nationwide “automated security monitoring system” using “new Internet & networking technology, extensive data, cloud computing, intelligent sensing, remote sensing, satellite positioning, and geographic information systems.”

China will establish “One ID Card System” which will require each citizen to use his real name in his daily life activities. Citizens’ ID numbers will be the only unique code that connects them to the national population basic information database. In that database, the government will document all of each citizen’s personal information and daily activities.

Source: Xinhua, April 13, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-04/13/c_1114955339.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Global Times: U.S. Processor Export Ban Gave China an Opportunity

Global Times recently reported that the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a ban on exporting two models of Intel’s Xeon CPU (Central Processing Unit) chips to four of the Chinese supercomputer centers, citing their possible use in nuclear research, which might threaten U.S. national security. China currently holds the championship in the world’s supercomputer speed race, which the United States apparently experiences as a “pain point.” Although the ban will cause some temporary upgrade issues for the Chinese supercomputers, this has also offered China an opportunity to improve its own processor technologies and to allow the Chinese computing industry, finally, to gain independence. I addition, some Chinese industrial leaders have called for establishing new laws to punish those nations that have issued this type of single-sided ban. 
Source: Global Times, April 12, 2015
http://world.huanqiu.com/hot/2015-04/6164221.html
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

A Large Wave of Government Officials Seen Leaving the Public Sector

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that a large number of people who serve in government positions are looking for jobs in the private sector. As an example, in a three week period, a Beijing-based online job site saw over ten thousand government officials posting their resumes looking for private sector positions. The actual number of government officials accepting private sector offers saw a year-over-year increase of 34 percent. Many analysts marked the recent anti-corruption movement as the top reason for this new wave of job movements. The “gray income” outside the normal government payroll has shrunk significantly. Many government officials saw an instant decline in personal income. As a result, the government job positions suddenly became less attractive. These new job movements are mainly in the industries of real estate, e-commerce, and finance. China has seen this type of wave twice already. The first time was at the beginning of The Reform led by Deng Xiaoping and the second wave was during 2002 to 2003, when China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Source: Sina, April 8, 2015
http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/chn/chnpolitics/chinapress/20150408/08556581564.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: State Council Introduced New Policies to Rescue the Economy

Xinhua recently reported that the Chinese State Council Executive Meeting held on April 8 came up with three new policies to “rescue” the real economy of China. The policies include restricting the government fees that companies have to pay, reducing electricity prices, and lowering the natural resource tax rate on iron ore. Experts widely expected that China’s first quarter GDP growth rate would decline. The second quarter is also facing serious challenges. The State Council’s latest move is considered a much needed life-saving shot for the economy, especially the real economy. Su Jianxiang, Deputy Director of the Economic Research Center of Beijing University, suggested that these new policies will focus on pumping oxygen into the supply side of the economy. Not long ago, the State Council approved a proposal to allow the Social Security Funds to enter the stock market, which has the primary purpose of rescuing the economy on the demand side. The iron ore resource tax rate was cut by 60 percent, which surprised many experts in the industry.
Source: Xinhua, April 9, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2015-04/09/c_127670266.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources