Chinascope – Page 712

Xinhua: Li Ka-Shing Is Restructuring His Assets

Xinhua recently reported that Li Ka-Shing, the wealthiest person in Hong Kong, announced on the 9th that his two flagship companies (Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa) are being restructured to form two new companies to cover real-estate and non-real-estate businesses. The plan involves re-organizing Li Ka-Shing’s assets, which are valued at approximately HK$1 trillion (around US$129 billion). According to the numbers that Forbes released in March 2014, Li ranked number 20 in the list of the world’s wealthiest people. The most remarkable move in this re-organization is that the new companies will be registered in the Cayman Islands instead of Hong Kong, where the previous companies were registered. Analysts expressed their concerns on this registration choice since Mr. Li previously made a promise that his companies would always be registered in Hong Kong. Li argued in his announcement that the new companies will still be traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange just as they have been. In recent years, Li Ka-Shing has been moving out of the Chinese Mainland market and has been making a large number of investments in Europe and Canada. The latest development triggered a widespread discussion as to whether this means that assets valued in RMB (the Chinese currency) now face increasingly higher risks.

Source: Xinhua, January 10, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2015-01/10/c_1113948866.htm

Briefings | | January 13, 2015 | Economy/Resources

CCDI Teams Co-locate with Key Party and Government Offices

On January 12, 2015, Xinhua reported that the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has sent teams to co-locate with key Party and government offices.

So far CCDI teams have co-located with 59 departments under the Party’s Central Committee, State level organizations, ministries under the State Council, the People’s Supreme Court, the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, the People’s Daily, and the State Grid Corporation of China.

According to Xinhua, “CCDI teams co-locating with government organizations is an important part of CCDI work. This work will only be strengthened and not weakened. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Central United Front Work Department, the National People’s Congress organs, the General Office of the State Council, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference are the central nerve of the Party and State governance system, with centralized power and status. This makes it even more important to strengthen overall supervision. In December 2014, the central government decided that CCDI will send working teams to these seven units. This means that, before the Party discipline and the law of the land, no special organs or individuals will lack oversight.”

CCDI teams will be sent to co-locate with over 80 additional Party and government offices.

Source: Xinhua, January 12, 2015 http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-01/12/c_1113953913.htm

Briefings | | January 12, 2015 | Government/Politics

Land Reform Guideline Issued; the Land Remains State-Owned

Jinghua Times reported that the Ministry of Land and Resources has issued new guidelines on land reform, indicating that the reform of China’s rural land system is about to enter a pilot phase.

According to the Ministry of Land and Resources, the guidelines on the eminent domain of rural land reform apply to the narrow scope of land acquisition, standardizing the eminent domain records, improving the mechanism for the mediation of disputes, publishing comprehensive public land acquisition information, and perfecting the mechanisms that are reasonable and standard in providing farmers with a number of means of protection.　

The Ministry of Land and Resources indicated that, regardless of rural land system reform, the land remains State-owned.

Source: Jinghua Times reprinted by Huanqiu, January 12, 2015

http://finance.huanqiu.com/hongguan/2015-01/5382272_2.html

Briefings | | January 12, 2015 | Government/Politics

First China-CELAC Forum Ministerial Meeting Concludes in Beijing

The first ministerial meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) concluded in Beijing on January 9 with the announcement that the forum’s next meeting will be held in Chile in 2018.

The two-day meeting, co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Costa Rican counterpart, Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, passed three documents: the Beijing Declaration, a five-year cooperation plan, and the regulations for the China-CELAC forum. China and CELAC have also reached a consensus on deepening political mutual trust, expanding cooperation, and promoting development of the forum. Wang said that President Xi Jinping’s remarks at the opening ceremony will guide the development of the China-CELAC forum. Gonzalez said that the historical meeting has launched overall cooperation between China and the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region, which will build a closer CELAC-China relationship.

Source: Xinhua, January 9, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2015-01/09/c_1113939483.htm

Briefings | | January 11, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: Japan Strengthens Naval Blockade over China

On January 7, People’s Daily reported on the Japanese government’s plan to strengthen its defense forces. In response to China’s growing naval power, Japan will officially launch its 2015 plan for the Southwest area. In an interview with CCTV, military experts said that the reason for the Japanese to launch this program is out of consideration of Abe’s policy and domestic economic situation. The plan for the defense program is to increase Japan’s defense deployment in the Southwest and its ability to control the sea and air. [As a result], the possibility of misfires between China and Japan will increase.

Yang Bojiang, the Director of the Institute of Japan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Japan has two reasons for launching its National Defense Program. The first is that Abe’s policy requires it. Abe has been implementing Japan’s "full normalization." Japan has made significant changes in its defense concepts, relevant policies, institutional settings, military deployment, and procurement of weapons systems. The second is that Japan is not optimistic about its current economic situation. It needs to use this program to handle its internal contradictions.

In recent years, the Japanese have continued to strengthen their efforts to develop a naval blockade against China. Du Wenlong, a researcher at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, noted that China has an urgent need for naval training. In the future, China’s underwater submarines and its surface or air combat fighter fleet will all pass through the first island chain. Japan also has military deployment in these areas and does not rule out the deployment of an air defense weapons system in the future. As a result, Japan will increase its frequency and its capacity to monitor and interfere with Chinese ships and planes. In response, China will carry out counter measures, causing friction and conflict. The scope and intensity of the friction will increase.

Source: People’s Daily: January 7, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0107/c1011-26339168.html

Briefings | | January 9, 2015 | Geo-Strategic Trend

“Fox Hunt 2014” Campaign Captured 680 Economic Fugitives

On January 8, 2015, China’s Public Security Ministry held a press conference to announce that, as of December 31, 2014, the "Fox Hunt 2014" campaign had captured 680 economic fugitives. The ministry launched the campaign in July 2014 in order to catch corrupt Party officials living abroad and to confiscate their ill-gotten gains.

The number of 680 captured fugitives is four and half times the number captured in 2013. Of the 680, 290 were arrested and 390 surrendered.

As for the confiscated funds, the money involved for 208 of the fugitives was over 10 million yuan (US$1.61 million). The amount involved for another 74 was over 100 million yuan (US$16.09 million). Of the 680, 117 had been hiding overseas for over 10 years and 196 for over five years. The longest period of time involved was 22 years.

During the "Fox Hunt 2014" campaign, the Ministry of Public Security requested assistance from more than 90 countries and regions, sent out more than 70 special teams and made arrests in over 69 countries and regions. The Ministry of Public Security also dispatched a total of 14 working groups to supervise operations in key regions.

Source: Jinghua Times reprinted by People’s Daily, January 9, 2015 http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2015/0109/c1001-26354684.html

Briefings | | January 9, 2015 | Government/Politics

Zhu Chenghu: China Must Improve Its Ability to Handle Information Warfare

On January 6, 2015, People’s Daily reported on the "2015 China High-level Forum on International Affairs" held at the Institute of International Relations at Renmin University of China on January 3, 2015. Major General Zhu Chenghu, a professor from the National Defense University of China, gave a speech on the topic of "the contemporary military trends in the world and China’s military diplomacy." Zhu said that future wars will be more localized because of informationization. Therefore, China must improve the ability of its soldiers to handle an information war. Faced with enormous pressure on maritime security, China must also develop naval forces to safeguard China’s maritime interests.

Zhu stated that, although the United States has never acknowledged its strategic goal of containing China, the United States strengthens its military deployment surrounding China, shifts its strategic center to the Asia-Pacific region, conducts high intensity and close surveillance of China, holds large-scale military exercises in waters near China, divides the relations between China and other countries, has created a TPP around China, and excludes China from the TPP. "All these actions have demonstrated that it is trying to contain China." General Zhu said, "Although China has said that we do not challenge the leadership of the United States position, I want to tell our American friends that China’s challenges to you are inevitable and unavoidable. China’s development is bound to challenge the U.S. leadership."

Zhu said that, faced with the United States and other countries’ future changes in warfare and adjustments in military strategy, China must strengthen its construction and development of military weapons and equipment. In military construction, China must increase military investment to ensure financial support, improve the ability of officers and soldiers to manage information warfare, and improve the combat capability of military troops and equipment. On weapons development, [China must] strengthen the development of information infrastructure and information equipment, strengthen the development of forces in space, strengthen the strategic development of both nuclear and ordinary, offensive and defensive capabilities, and strengthen the construction of naval equipment.

Zhu further said that in recent years, China has been paying attention to the sea. It is partly because China is facing tremendous pressure in the area of maritime security that China must protect its maritime rights from other countries’ aggression. At the same time, it is due to the fact that China’s economic development is more dependent on the oceans than ever. However, China is still far behind the West in the development of maritime power. To safeguard the interests of our oceans, the only way is to advance [China’s] maritime power.

At the end of his speech, Zhu said that military diplomacy sometimes has the function of solving tough issues with a small effort. Often, its role in resolving a number of the issues that our country faces in external security cannot be replaced with national or money diplomacy. With the advances of China’s power, military diplomacy will play a greater role in the country’s overall diplomacy.

Source: People’s Daily: January 6, 2015

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/0106/c1011-26336440.html

Briefings | | January 8, 2015 | US-China Relations

PLA Military Training Includes Political Education and Following the Party’s Commands

On January 7, 2015, Xinhua reported that, as approved by Xi Jinping, the People’s Liberation Army issued a guideline on the 2015 political education campaign for the new generation of the revolutionary military.

The guideline required further study of Xi Jinping’s speeches on strengthening and improving political education in the military, implementing the rule of law, deepening military reform, and fighting against corruption, among other things. The guideline called for enhanced trust and loyalty in the Party’s Central Committee and in President Xi.

The 2015 campaign will center on four topics: political beliefs in the Party and following the commands of the Party; the military capability to win a war; bravery and sacrifice; and good character. The four-topic training is to be completed in the first six months of 2015.

Source: Xinhua, January 7, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2015-01/07/c_1113915170.htm

Briefings | | January 8, 2015 | Defense/Military

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.