Chinascope – Page 698

Supreme People’s Court: Crime Is on the Rise

On March 12, 2015, at the Third Session of the twelfth National People’s Congress, Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme People’s Court, provided the Supreme People’s Court Report.

The report indicated that, in 2014, the Supreme People’s Court accepted 11,210 cases and concluded 9,882 of them, representing an increase of 1.8 percent and 1.7 percent respectively, over the figures for 2013. Local courts at all levels accepted a total of 15.651 million cases and concluded 13.797 million, an increase of 10.1 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively. For serious criminal offenses, the courts concluded 1.023 million cases and sentenced 1.184 million persons, an increase of 7.2 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. For criminal offenses involving terrorism and violence, the courts concluded 558 cases involving incitement to secession and violent terrorist attacks, and sentenced 712 persons, an increase of 14.8 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively. For homicide, robbery, kidnapping, and other serious criminal offenses, the courts concluded 248,000 cases and sentenced 304,000 persons. For drug-related crimes, the courts concluded 107,000 cases and sentenced 110,000 persons.

Source: Xinhua, March 13, 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015lh/2015-03/13/c_1114622794.htm

Briefings | | March 13, 2015 | Government/Politics

Xinhua Commentary: The [U.S.] Handicaps Its Own “Coalition against Terrorism” and Ties Its Own Hands

Xinhua International recently wrote a commentary article on U.S. anti-terrorist policies. The translation of an excerpt from the article follows:

“U.S. President Barack Obama proposed an international anti-terrorism summit, which will be held in Washington on February 18. The participants will discuss how to combat violent extremism around the world. The so-called international anti-terrorism summit is, in reality, a meeting of the union members that the United States organized and has been leading since last September. Its purpose is to oppose extremist organizations, such as ‘the Islamic State.’"

“Since the ‘9.11 incident,’ around the world, the United States has been acting as a ‘Big Brother’ of counter-terrorism. The then President George W. Bush, in the name of anti-terrorism, organized the anti-terrorism coalition, with their loyal allies as the core, and launched two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In reshaping the geopolitical map and implementing its ‘Greater Middle East Initiative,’ the U.S. war on terror has produced the ‘horror freaks [embryos]’ that have taken root in the Middle East, spreading the terrorism troubles to the world.”

“Over the past 13 years (since 9.11, which was in 2001), terrorist activities have continued worldwide, unabated. The new challenges that the global community faces in the fight against terrorism, such as the rapidly emerging ‘Islamic State,’ are directly related to the U.S. Middle East policy.”

“Compared to Bush’s anti-terror coalition, Obama’s newly established ‘anti-terrorism coalition’ appears to have gained wide ‘support.’ … However, hiding behind the fact is that this anti-terrorism coalition is not inclusive. The United States has excluded Russia, Iran, and Syria, who could play a role in the fight against the ‘Islamic State’ problem.”

“Therefore, the representativeness of the new anti-terrorist coalition has been questioned. Out of consideration for its geopolitical and global strategy, the U.S. limits the eligibility for the anti-terrorism coalition, shutting out the countries it does not like.”

“Another paradox is that, as the U.S. counter-terrorism operations are getting deeper, the terrorist threat to international security has been increasing rather than decreasing. After more than five months, the new anti-terrorism coalition has yet to come up with a clear strategic action plan in the fight against the ‘Islamic State.’ Purely on the basis of moral support or ‘giving money support,’ the aggregation may get into a fragile alliance that includes collective action problems.’"

“Terrorism is the common enemy of the world; all countries face it. To limit who is eligible to join the ‘coalition against terrorism’ results in, in fact, them tying their own hands and feet themselves. … If they blindly think about the use of force, or even have other selfish interests in the name of fighting terrorism, they will not get out the vicious cycle of ‘the more you strike, the more the terror.’”

Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2017

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-02/17/c_1114400560.htm

Briefings | | March 12, 2015 | US-China Relations

Overweight and Obesity in China

Southern Weekend reported that being overweight and obese has become a serious health issue for both adults and children in China.

In 2010, using the body mass index standards, 32.1 percent of adults and 39.8 percent of the elderly were overweight. That represented an increase from 2005 of 3 and 4.2 percentage points respectively. Currently, there are about 300 million adults who are overweight and 46 million adults who suffer from obesity.

As for young people, 12 percent of children are overweight. According to a joint survey issued by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and North Carolina University, 1.9 percent of children between 12 and 18 have diabetes. That figure is 4 times the number for U.S. youngsters. Another 27.7 million have pre-diabetes.

Source: Southern Weekend, March 10, 2015

http://www.infzm.com/content/108164

Briefings | | March 12, 2015 | Economy/Resources

CRN: Chinese Defense Budget Continues to Increase

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that China’s 2014 defense spending reached US$130 billion. This amount was the second highest in the world, after the United States. In the past several years, China’s defense spending has largely maintained a double-digit annual percentage increase in growth. According to the spokesperson for the National People’s Congress, the 2015 defense budget will have a 10 percent increase over last year. Currently, China is intensifying its investments in submarines and stealth airplanes, as well as other high-tech weaponry. Chinese President Xi Jinping has been massively rooting out corruption in the Chinese Army. As a result, it is expected that the efficiency of resource consumption will improve and the spending growth rate will drop. However, Japanese news media have been expecting a tighter relationship with China this year.

Source: China Review News, March 6, 2015

http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1036/5/0/7/103650790.html?coluid=218&kindid=11714&docid=103650790&mdate=0306095019

Briefings | | March 10, 2015 | Defense/Military

Xinhua: Sixty Percent of Western Chinese News Has the Purpose of Discrediting China

Xinhua recently reported on a press conference that Wang Qiu, a member of the National People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Director of the Central People’s Radio Station, recently held. Wang commented that 60 to 70 percent of the mainstream Western media news on China has the purpose of discrediting China. He suggested that the People’s Political Consultative Conference should enhance its propaganda overseas. He explained that, since China is still a developing country, it is normal to have “a few issues.” If everyone were to focus on these issues, then China would no longer make progress. Wang emphasized that China has made obvious improvements in the areas of the rule of law as well as in human rights. The Western media should not stay in denial (of these improvements) by just manipulating negative hypes. As for the recent corruption reports in the domestic Chinese media, Wang pointed out that it is also normal to see challenges when a country is enjoying economic growth.

Source: Xinhua, March 5, 2015

http://www.sn.xinhuanet.com/2015-03/05/c_1114524968.htm

Briefings | | March 10, 2015 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: The Party’s Leadership Is Fundamental to Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Xinhua published an article on the recent talk that Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, gave during the Third Session of the National People’s Congress. In his talk, Zhang stressed that the leadership of Chinese Communist Party is the fundamental characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He said, “In order to uphold and improve the system of the National People’s Congress, we must unswervingly adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China. We must hold a firm belief in the existing system while adopting changes to improve it.”

Source: Xinhua, March 8, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015lh/2015-03/08/c_1114562982.htm

Briefings | | March 9, 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.