Chinascope – Page 733

People’s Daily: China Comments on Discontinuation of Confucius Institute at University of Chicago

People’s Daily recently reported that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded in a press conference to the question of whether the closure of the Confucius Institute at the University of Chicago will become an obstacle in China’s effort to enhance its “soft power.” The Ministry’s spokesperson stated that all U.S. Confucius Institutes were established based on voluntary applications from U.S. universities. The voluntary applications requested “support and help” with teaching materials and teachers. The Institutes have never imposed anything on the universities and could not be a threat to academic freedom or to the reputation of the universities.

[Editor’s note: On October 1, Pennsylvania State University discontinued its contract with the Confucius Institute. The Toronto District School Board, the largest district school board in Canada, also voted against the renewal of its contract with the Confucius Institute.]

Source: People’s Daily, September 29, 2014

http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/0929/c1002-25762461.html

Briefings | | October 7, 2014 | US-China Relations

Xinhua: Hefty Import Tariffs Drive Chinese People to Shop Overseas

Xinhua published an article stating that the hefty import tariffs imposed on mid to high end products and the fact that tax free product development lags behind have caused the growth in the number of Chinese people shopping overseas. The article said that the trend does not help to improve China’s domestic consumption; nor does it ease domestic economic pressure. The article stated that, among 20 luxury consumable goods, the prices on the Mainland are 45 percent higher than Hong Kong, 51 percent higher than the US and 72 percent higher than France. The result is that, during the current week long national holidays, the number of Chinese people shopping overseas has increased dramatically. The statistics showed that Chinese people spend an average of 20,000 yuan (US$3,255) overseas on each trip with 58 percent of their spending going toward shopping.

Source: Xinhua, October 5, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-10/05/c_127065170.htm

Briefings | | October 6, 2014 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Western Media and Western Forces Are Behind the Occupy Central Movement

On October 4, Xinhua published an article that accused a few western media of carrying articles that had a biased view in that they promoted the democratic concept and called the “occupy central movement” in Hong Kong “The Umbrella Revolution.” The article named the U.S. government for being the “Western force” that upholds the “occupy central” movement in Hong Kong by guiding the media and providing financial assistance. The article further stated that the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong backs the Hong Kong American Center, which is under Hong Kong Chinese University. In March of this year, the center organized a workshop training for college students to become leaders in the occupy central movement. Toward the end, the article stated that the color revolutions in Egypt, Thailand, Libya, and Ukraine received assistance from the outside world but still ended up having domestic chaos and social turmoil. It questioned what the western media are trying to accomplish when some of them even call occupy central the “Hong Kong Spring.”

Source: Xinhua, October 4, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/gangao/2014-10/04/c_1112713984.htm

Briefings | | October 6, 2014 | Government/Politics

Guangming Daily: The Party’s “Mass line” Campaign Should Focus on the Countryside

Guangming Daily carried an article on the on-going Party’s "mass line" campaign, stating that the countryside should be the main focus of the activity. The article said that the Party cadres in the countryside should work on three key components. They should close the gap between themselves and the people, build interpersonal relations with the people, and improve their self-discipline. The article also required that the Party cadres in the countryside should practice how to work with the mass public in the countryside and handle conflicts and pressure to ensure social stability.

According to English CCTV, China’s leaders launched the "mass line" initiative in June 2013 in order to boost ties between CCP officials, Party members, and the people. At the same time they were to clean up four undesirable work styles – formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance.

Source: Guangming Daily, September 30, 2014
http://dangjian.gmw.cn/2014-09/30/content_13405897.htm
English CCTV
http://english.cntv.cn/special/cpcmassline/homepage/index.shtml

Briefings | | October 6, 2014 | Government/Politics

Zhang Zhaozhong: To Suppress China, America Nominates Japanese Descendant as Pacific Commander

CCTV recently interviewed Chinese military expert, Zhang Zhaozhong. During the interview, Zhang commented on the U.S. nomination of "Japanese" Admiral Harris as the next commander of the Pacific Command. Zhang expressed the belief that the U.S. had suppressing China in mind when nominating Harris.

Zhang Zhaozhong stated that China is the only country that is able to challenge the United States, but the two countries are more than 10,000 kilometers apart. If the United States wants to intervene in East Asia, it must rely on the first island chain and rely on its "little partner" on the front line. The United States hopes to "kill [others] with a borrowed knife" and achieve its goal to suppressing [China] through Japan and other countries using the Diaoyu Islands and other issues.

Zhang added, "Harris will not necessarily favor the Japanese because of their Japanese identity, but [we should] understand the intention of the United States’ move. Harris has a Japanese background. He is also an expert in East Asian issues. The United States certainly had the thought of using him to suppress China."

[Editor’s note: Admiral Harris was born in Japan and raised in Tennessee and Florida.]

Source: People’s Daily, September 29, 2014

http://military.people.com.cn/n/2014/0928/c1011-25753922.html

Briefings | | October 3, 2014 | US-China Relations

People’s Daily: China’s Energy Consumption Remains High

On October 2, 2014, People’s Daily reported that China continues to consume the largest amount of the world’s energy.

In the past 10 years, the consumption has surged rapidly. In 2010, China became the No. 1 consumer of energy in the world. The consumption increased from 1.5 billion metric tons in 2001 to 3.7 billion metric tons in 2013. The annual increase has averaged 190 million metric tons or an eight percent growth rate.

China’s share of total global energy consumption went up from less than 11 percent early the 2000s to 22 percent today. From 2002 to 2012, China’s energy consumption increase accounted for 58 percent of the entire world growth of energy consumption.

China’s energy supplies mainly rely on domestic coal and imported oil. Domestic coal dominates the energy structure, causing severe environment pollution.

Source: People’s Daily, October 2, 2014

http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/1002/c1001-25772362.html

Briefings | | October 3, 2014 | Economy/Resources

People’s Daily: China Will Not Change Its Policy towards Hong Kong

On October 2, People’s Daily published an editorial on its front page stating that the Communist Party has not and will not change its basic policy towards Hong Kong.

According to the editorial, “The August 31 decision that the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress made has unchallengeable legal status. Anyone who respects the ‘one country, two systems’ framework and the Basic Law, should respect and abide by this decision.”

“The activities of ’Occupy Central’ are in flagrant breach of the law. They have caused serious traffic congestion and are disturbing the social order, placing minority political aspirations above the law.”

“The central government fully trusts Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and is very satisfied with his work. The central government will continue its firm support for the SAR Government of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to govern Hong Kong in accordance with law, and give its strong support to the SAR police to deal with illegal activities in accordance with law.”

Source: People’s Daily, October 2, 2014

http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2014-10/02/nw.D110000renmrb_20141002_5-01.htm

Briefings | | October 3, 2014 | Government/Politics

People’s Daily (Oversea Edition): Asking the U.S. for Help When in Trouble Involves a Misconception

People’s Daily (Oversea edition) published an article commenting on the remarks that U.S. President Obama made when the CBS program, "60 Minutes," interviewed him on September 28. Obama stated that the United States is an indispensable nation and that people will ask the U.S., not Beijing and not Russia, for help when they are in trouble.

The article said, "President Obama’s remarks give people the following impression. There are too many troubles in the world. If we have trouble, our first thought is to make a phone call to the U.S. for help. Only the United States has the ability to help us deal with the trouble."

"The world indeed has a lot of trouble. However, we have to ask, ‘Where did these troubles come from?’ Obama is unwilling to admit that the United States itself created a lot of the trouble in the world."

"In this world, some countries have indeed asked the U.S. for help. However, many times, there is really nothing good that can be said about the United States ‘help.’ The Iraqi government invited the United States to help fight the ‘Islamic State.’ The Afghan government wants the United States to help deal with the Taliban. If we just take a look at the past and the present situation of these anti-government forces and their relationship with the U.S.’ intervention in the state affairs in these countries, we will see the obvious track record of how the U.S. makes trouble first and then helps clean up the trouble."

"Therefore, very often, the situation is not ‘getting help from the U.S. when having trouble.’ It is the United States that has created the trouble."　　

Source: People’s Daily, October 1, 2014

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-10/01/c_127057186.htm

Briefings | | October 2, 2014 | US-China Relations

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.