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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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China is Promoting the BeiDou System in Cambodia

Xinhua recently reported that the launch ceremony of a demo version of China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System was held in Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh. BeiDou, a multi-satellite global navigation system is already operational but more components are still under construction. BeiDou is a Chinese rival of the U.S. government-run Global Positioning System (GPS). Those who attended the ceremony from the Chinese side included Li Chuanrong (李传荣), an official from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Xiong Wei (熊伟), the deputy head of Cambodian Office of the state giant China Electronic Technology Group (CETC, 中国电子科技集团). The Cambodian side had one official from the Cambodian Ministry Of Industry and Handicrafts and a senior manager from Khmer First Investment Holding Group Co.
According to Xinhua, “the promotion of BeiDou in Cambodia will help push forward the progress of Cambodia in the field of information technology.” The Cambodian government gave high praise to the Chinese government and CETC for their contributions and expressed the wish for further in-depth cooperation in satellite navigation and earth observation (remote sensing) technologies.
Source: Xinhua, December 12, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-12/12/c_127298982.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: China has the Largest Number of Students Studying Abroad

Xinhua reported that from 1978 to 2013, a total of 3.06 million Chinese students studied overseas. The United Nations has ranked China as No. 1 in the world for students studying abroad. 

According to Xinhua, at the beginning of the open door policy, most Chinese students went to the United States, Japan and other developed countries. Now they are in over 100 countries. More Chinese students who have finished their studies have returned to China. In 2013, the total of such returning students reached 350,000, 30 times the number from the beginning of this century. 
China now has over 360,000 foreigners studying at over 700 universities and colleges in China. These foreign students are from more than 200 countries, compared to three countries in the 1950s. 
Source: Xinhua, December 13, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-12/13/c_1113631428.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Red Flag Manuscript: Urgent Need to Maintain Weibo Ideology Security

Red Flag Manuscript, a journal under Qiushi, published an article in its 2014 Issue No. 23 on the security of ideology on weibo (microblogging), titled, “Several Trends Must Be Corrected to Maintain Microblogging Ideological Security.”  

The article stated that in the open forum of weibo, various ideological views are in competition with one another. “Views that discredit China and deny the Party’s leadership and the socialist system have gone viral on weibo. Not only do they create a variety of discourses which include violence and rumors, but they also have had a serious impact on the mainstream socialist ideology. It has become urgent to maintain weibo’s ideology security and, in particular, to be vigilant and correct the following trends.” 
“1. To prevent being deceived by Western ideology cloaked as ‘universal values.’ 
2. To prevent being a ‘nice guy’ on major issues that are spread on weibo. 
3. To prevent hostile forces from using social emergencies to manipulate public opinion on the weibo platform. 
4. To prevent the ideological development work from being disconnected from weibo users.  
5. To prevent the privatization and marketization of weibo and other new media."   
Source: Qiushi, December 12, 2014 
http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/hqwg/2014-12/12/m_1113624984.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s Economic Roadmap for 2015

Xinhua reported that the Central Economic Work Conference, held from December 8 to 11, 2014, set new economic targets for 2015.

Xi Jinping spoke at the conference, giving an overview of the current economic situation and outlining the economic goals and tasks for 2015. Li Keqiang discussed the implementation of the economic priorities for 2015. 
Xinhua said, “Our economy still faces many difficulties and challenges. There is a strong pressure pushing the economy downward. We face growing pains from the economic structural adjustments, increasing difficulties for businesses, and a surge in some economic risks.” 
The major tasks for the economy next year are as follows: 
1. Strive to maintain steady economic growth. 
2. Actively search for and cultivate new growth points. 
3. Accelerate the transformation of the agricultural development mode. 
4. Optimize the pattern of geo-economic development. The overall strategy for regional development is to have the east lead, to develop the west, to revive the northeast, and to rise in central China. 
5. Strengthen the protection and improvement of people’s livelihoods. 
Source: Xinhua, December 11, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2014-12/11/c_1113611795.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Beijing Held Its Third World Chinese Education Conference

Xinhua recently reported that, on December 7, 2014, the Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and the China Overseas Exchange Association jointly held the Third World Chinese Education Conference in Beijing’s Great Hall. State Councilor Yang Jiechi attended the conference and met with more than 500 representatives of Chinese educational facilities from 50 countries and regions. [1] 

At the opening ceremony, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council gave awards to 1646 “outstanding overseas Chinese teachers” and 120 prominent contributors to overseas Chinese education. They also gave awards to 38 schools for being model schools. [1] 

According to a document issued by the Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council (to the Chinese Embassies and Consulates of different countries), the Chinese Embassies and Consulates in the respective countries must recommend those who receive the awards. A notice attached to the document listed conditions for receiving the awards. Among other conditions, the requirements included that the recommended awardees must agree to and support the “One China” policy and oppose “Taiwan Independence,” “Xinjiang Separation,” “Tibetan Independence,” “Falun Gong,” and the “Democracy Movement.” [2] 
Sources: 
[1] Xinhua, December 7, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2014-12/07/c_127283884.htm 
[2] Information that Chinascope acquired from an internal source

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Reform: From Business Tax to Value Added Tax

Economic Information Daily reported that real estate and construction may implement a reform from a business tax to a value added tax. 

The State Council set forth the goal that the reform from the business tax to the value added tax should be completed by the end of the 12th five plan period, which is 2011 to 2015. With one year left, the value added tax may be put in place in real estate and construction starting as early as next March. It is anticipated that the tax rate will be 11 percent. Based on preliminary estimates, analysts predict that the reduction in taxes may reach 500 billion yuan. For most companies, implementation of the valued added tax means that accounting and taxation need to be handled by two separate departments, rather than the current practice of using one department. 
Source: Economic Information Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, December 8, 2014 http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/1208/c70731-26164819.html
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Cyber Warfare Is Comparable to a Nuclear Strike

The military section of Xinhua published an article discussing the importance of cyber warfare in the future battlefield among countries. A partial translation follows: 

“Cyber warfare is a devastatingly destructive form of combat. It is related to the country’s safety and its survival. The enormous power of cyber warfare is similar to that of a nuclear strike. It can bring the entire network to a standstill, delivering a heavy blow to the central nervous system of the entire society.” 

“Military experts point out that cyberspace has risen to a level parallel to the sea, land, air, and space; it has become the ‘fifth field.’ The ability to control cyberspace has become an important part of a nation’s military power. Analysts have pointed out that, in the future, the ‘fifth field’ will become each country’s main battlefield.” 

“According to a knowledgeable expert, cyber warfare is like ‘Pandora’s box.’ One should treat a cyber war with the same vigilance as a nuclear war.” 

“Since 1991 when the U.S. used cyber warfare successfully in the Gulf War, the U.S. has never cooled down its enthusiasm for cyber warfare. From the time when the U.S. military developed the ‘Schutte’ system in order to achieve a high degree of integration of electronic warfare, cyber warfare, direct destruction, and many other means of attack, to the use of the ‘Stuxnet’ virus to sabotage Iran’s nuclear research program, the U.S. has held a ‘Cyber Storm’ exercise every two years, in order to test the U.S.’s network security and emergency response capabilities and to establish the world’s first ‘Network Warfare Command." The U.S. is moving farther and farther along on the road of cyber warfare preparations.” 
Source: Xinhua, December 9, 2014 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2014-12/09/c_127288009.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

People’s Daily Article Hints Death Penalty for Zhou Yongkang

On December 10, People’s Daily carried an article titled, "What Zhou Yongkang Did Is No Different from a ‘Traitor.’" The article mentioned a few names in the history of the Chinese Communist Party: two early leaders in the 1930’s during the civil war with the Nationalist Party and three high ranking military officials after 1949. All of the five ended in the death penalty. The Nationalists killed the early leaders; the three later officials received death sentences.
The article contrasts with a 2013 Xinhua article, months after Bo Xilai was ousted, "Chen Yun was against the death penalty for Jiang Qing: the inner Party struggle should not have bloodshed." This article hinted that there would be no death penalty for Bo. The December 10 People’s Daily article is widely regarded as hinting that Zhou will receive a "death sentence."
Source: People’s Daily reprinted on china.com.cn, December 10, 2014
http://www.china.com.cn/news/2014-12/10/content_34284242.htm
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics