Chinascope – Page 711

Xi Jinping: The Nuclear Industry Is a Cornerstone of China’s National Security

When Xi Jinping spoke at the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of China’s nuclear industry, he told his audience, “The nuclear industry is a strategic high tech industry and an important cornerstone of [China’s] national security.” He further stated that China must adhere to safe and innovative development and to the use of nuclear energy for peace; it must enhance the core competitiveness of the nuclear industry and write a new chapter of glory for the nuclear industry.

Premier Li Keqiang expressed that China should carry forward the traditional, focus on the frontier, enhance the competitive advantages of the nuclear industry, promote nuclear power equipment to "go out," ensure nuclear safety, and continue to build China into a power with a strong nuclear industry.

Source: Xinhua, January 15, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-01/15/c_1114011173.htm

Briefings | | January 16, 2015 | Economy/Resources

Li Shenming: The International Financial Crisis Harbors the Revival of Socialism

In an article published in the January 2015 issue of Red Flag Manuscript (which Qiushi republished), Li Shenming, a member of 12th National People’s Congress Standing Committee and former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that the international financial crisis harbors the revival of socialism and that socialism is the inevitable result of human development.

At the beginning of the article, the author cited the theory from Marx and Engels’ "Communist Manifesto," which stated that what the bourgeoisie first produces is its own grave. The author, using that logic, concluded that, in this historical process, the deepening of the international financial crisis will harbor the revival of its direct opposite, namely, socialism.

The author tried to support his conclusion with the following statement: "The international financial crisis is a typical economic crisis of the global production, with a relative surplus and a relative lack of consumer demand. It is the crisis of the capitalist economy, its system, and its values." "The current international financial crisis, which has not bottomed out yet, cannot be resolved in a short period of time." "Technological revolution cannot save capitalism. On the contrary, it worsens the fundamental problems of capitalism."

The author continued, "At present, there are all kinds of signs indicating that, in a corner of our planet, some people are planning to continue to subvert the world and even disintegrate one or two specific large countries. The plan is to use soft power, that is, ‘color revolution’ as the pioneer and the main force, backed by military hard power. When necessary, they will not even hesitate to launch large unjust wars [to accomplish their purpose]. Based on historical experience, it can be determined that the state that plans the war will not be the first to get involved in the war. Instead, it will do everything possible to provoke other countries to fight each other, wait until others have exhausted their national power, and then harvest the final victory. The hard and soft power plan will be implemented sequentially to divide and conquer the several specific large countries and finally to achieve the goal of still dominating the globe."

The author claimed that "Lenin’s judgment of our times is not obsolete. Imperialism is war." He warned that [China] needs to guard against the U.S.-led Western world, which might use its hard power under certain conditions in order to eliminate the crisis. At the same time, [China] should be even more vigilant of the [U.S.] using "color revolution" and other soft approaches in the form of finance, ideology, and "street politics."

Source: Qiushi, January 8, 2015

http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/hqwg/2015-01/08/c_1113921889.htm

Briefings | | January 15, 2015 | Government/Politics

Real Name Registration to be Implemented for Chinese Microblogging

China’s State Internet Information Office (SIIO) held a press conference on January 13, 2015, announcing that the office will comprehensively promote the management of real identities of Internet users. The principle will be "real name registration at the back end, voluntary registration at front end." Microblogging sites such as weibo (微博) and tieba (贴吧) are all subject to enforcement.

SIIO also announced the closure of 24 websites, 9 channels (columns), and 17 microblogging accounts, with charges that they faked government agencies or the media to publish false information and/or release illegal information involving gambling and fraud. In fact, rumors about real name registration on the Internet have been circulating for a long time. In 2014, SIIO issued "Interim Provisions on the Management of Instant Communication Tools and Public Information Services. The Provisions demanded that service providers of instant communication tools follow the principle of "real name back end and voluntary front end registration," requiring users to register their accounts after verification of their real identity information. At that time, microblogging was not subject to the regulation as it belongs to social networking media and is not one of the instant communication tools. However, some Internet service providers, such as Sina Weibo (新浪微博), have tried to implement real name registration for Internet users.

Source: China News Service, January 14, 2015

http://finance.chinanews.com/it/2015/01-14/6965736.shtml

Briefings | | January 15, 2015 | Information/Technology

2014 Statistics: Smog Days Increase 70 Percent in Beijing

The China Meteorological Administration recently issued its "China Climate Bulletin 2014." According to its report, the smog situation has worsened in China. Last year, there were 61 Smog days in the area of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province, a 70 percent increase over the 36 days in the previous year. On average, the whole nation has 17.9 smog days.

Source: Caixin Online, January 12, 2015
http://datanews.caixin.com/2015-01-12/100773475.html

Briefings | | January 14, 2015 | Economy/Resources

China Sets New Trade Surplus Record in 2014

China’s General Administration of Customs reported China’s trade data for 2014. The total import and export volume was 26.43 trillion yuan (US$4.26 trillion), a 2.3 percent increase over the previous year. The trade surplus was 2.35 trillion yuan (US$379 billion), an all-time high.

Exports were 14.39 trillion yuan (US$2.32 trillion), an increase of 6.1 percent over the previous year and also an all-time high. However, the increase rate of 6.1 percent was the lowest in the past five years.

China had a 5.4 percent increase in its trade with the U.S., to 3.41 trillion yuan (US$550 billion) and an 8.9 percent increase in trade with the European Union, to 3.78 trillion yuan (US$610 billion).

Source: Caixin Online, January 13, 2015
http://datanews.caixin.com/2015-01-13/100773846.html

Briefings | | January 14, 2015 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Major Signals in Xi Jinping’s Important Speech

On January 13, Xi Jinping gave a speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Communist Party Central Committee’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Xinhua interviewed a number of scholars and published an article delineating six major signals in Xi’s speech.

Xi had stated that China should "adhere to [conduct the anti-corruption campaign] with no-exclusion areas, full coverage, and zero-tolerance; seriously punish the corrupt elements; and strive to create a political atmosphere in which [people] dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt."

The scholars that Xinhua interviewed read six signals from Xi’s speech:
1. A basic read of the situation: The situation in the anti-corruption fight remains severe and complicated. Not only did Xi make this exact statement, but he also stated that the campaign "has yet to achieve an overwhelming victory." Xi is still far from making substantive progress on seeing that officials "dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt."
2. A firm determination to keep high pressure on the campaign.
3. A straightforward attitude to correct official’s improper working styles.
4. A clear requirement emphasizing [that officials] follow the Party’s discipline and its rules.
5. A regulatory focus: to strengthen supervision of the leadership of the state-owned enterprises.
6. A permanent cure: to revise a number of important Party regulations.

Source: Xinhua, January 13, 2015
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-01/13/c_1113982665.htm

Briefings | | January 14, 2015 | Government/Politics

Global Times: High-Ranking Vietnamese Official Berates Chinese Company

Global Times recently reported that the Vietnamese Minister of Transportation went on national TV to berate the representative of a Chinese company. The company was responsible for a light rail project which caused an accident in which someone died. After that the Vietnamese government sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam and threatened to blacklist this Chinese construction company. The Vietnamese Minister asked the Chinese company to replace the Chief Executive and the Advisor on that project with Vietnamese citizens. The Vietnamese national TV report had a large number of viewers and the publicity was very damaging. The light rail project was based on a priority loan of US$300 million that China provided. The new incident has apparently cast a negative shadow on the already unfriendly relationship between China and Vietnam.

Source: Global Times, January 10, 2015

http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2015-01/5375506.html

Briefings | | January 13, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

CASS: Real Estate Purchasing Limits May Be Phased Out

China News reported that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) recently released a research report on the Chinese real estate market. The CASS Report found that an across-the-board decline was the dominant theme of the 2014 Chinese real estate market. “Continued adjustments” are expected to be the primary market trend for 2015. The current Chinese housing market suffers the problem of high inventory; at the same time demand remains low. A total of 46 city governments established policies that limit real estate purchases. As of now, only five of them still have these policies in place. The CASS Report expressed the expectation that all cities will drop these limitations within this year. More and more government administrative operations will be done via the market instead of direct government policies. In the new year, most of the real estate companies are planning to focus on reducing their inventory.

Source: China News, January 12, 2015

http://finance.chinanews.com/house/2015/01-12/6956881.shtml

Briefings | | January 13, 2015 | Economy/Resources

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.