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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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Chinese Media Releases Nuclear Missile Launching Photos, a Warning to US and Japan

On July 5th, 2014, People’s Daily and China Gate republished an article, along with photos from the military section of Huanqiu [Editor’s note: the original article cannot be found] titled “The Second Artillery Forces Launched Nuclear Missile on Road Mobile, a Strong Warning to the U.S. and Japan.” The photos showed a live field drill of the PLA Second Artillery Forces, with the operation of the Dongfeng 31 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launching device, on road mobile.

The article said, “The goal of the PLA Second Artillery Forces is very clear. … It demonstrates its capability of winning battles in regional conflicts and of stopping U.S. intervention. These missiles are aimed primarily at external forces.”

Source: People’s Daily and China Gate, July 05, 2014
http://sc.people.com.cn/n/2014/0705/c345167-21587146.html
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2014/07/05/3408952.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

China News: Microsoft Responded to the Rumor of an Office Ban

China News recently reported that there was a widespread rumor in the Chinese market that some Chinese government branches had stopped using Microsoft Office and switched to a domestic alternative. This was in light of the fact that recently, the Microsoft Windows 8 product had been officially banned in the government procurement system. Microsoft China responded to this rumor on July 1 by telling reporters seeking clarification that, “as of now,” the Microsoft Office product remains on the normal Chinese government procurement list. Microsoft did not receive any notification from the Chinese government regarding the removal of the Office product. However it won’t be a surprise if the government is beginning to phase out foreign information products in favor of domestic options, especially when information security is becoming more and more of a concern. According to the largest domestic office software competitor, Kingsoft, their company enjoyed a 47 percent increase in office software revenue last year, mainly due to government support as well as sales to large domestic companies and financial organizations.   
Source: China News, July 1, 2014
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2014/07-01/6335627.shtml
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Xinhua: The Vietnamese Are Prepared for War

Xinhua recently reported on comments that Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, made at a gathering of his voters on Vietnam’s relationship with China. When asked what Vietnam should do if forced into a war, Nguyen replied, “We should get ready for all possibilities.” At the same time, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung instructed the government to prepare for the “tough economic situation” that may result from the “challenging relationship with China.” Not long ago, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang also stated that Vietnam would like to take legal actions against China. It is very clear now that all three of the top leaders in the Vietnamese political system have expressed their strong position in the conflict with China. The Vietnamese government has called for an independent economy and an international trade position. It also asked the people to have a “clear understanding of the position of the United States.”
Source: Xinhua, July 3, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2014-07/03/c_126705376.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

BBC Chinese: Hong Kong’s July 1 Parade Mobilized Over Half a Million People

BBC Chinese reported on July 1 Hong Kong local time that, according to the organizer, this year, over 510,000 protesters participated in Hong Kong’s annual parade. The parade is held annually each July 1 to commemorate the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover in 1997. Hong Kong had just completed an unofficial referendum on the issue of how the city’s chief executive should be elected. Over 780,000 legal residents cast their “votes,” which did not favor of the government’s plan for future elections. The July 1 parade set a record in terms of the number of participants. The pro-Beijing Hong Kong government holds that only the Nominating Committee, instead of the voters, can choose the candidates for the city’s chief executive [Specifically, it will only allow candidates who "love China."] The protesters, however, hold the position that the voters should be able to nominate candidates. In accordance with certain rules, the Nominating Committee would then confirm them. Hong Kong has a population of seven million people.
Source: BBC Chinese, July 1, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/07/140701_hongkong_marching_july.shtml
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Underground Electronics Recycling Sites Annual Production Close to 100 Billion Yuan

Guangming Daily recently published an article on electronics recycling. According to the article, there is an underground electronics recycling chain that covers an area from Beijing and Hebei to Guangdong Province. Its high profitability propels an annual production that is close to 100 billion yuan (US$16 billion). Meanwhile, the officially registered recycling companies lack sufficient business and their recycling processing lines sit idle. Xiejia Village, which is located 6 kilometers (4 miles) north of Beijing, is the largest electronics recycling center in the Beijing area. From there, most of the electronic boards go to Guiyu County in Shantou City, Guangdong Province while home appliances containing plastic, aluminum, and copper go to Shi Jia Zhuang Village in Shi Jia Zhuang City, Hebei Province. According to the article, a manager from Huaxin Green Spring Environmental Development Company stated the reason that the underground recycling centers are more profitable than the officially registered recycling sites. He said their company makes almost zero profit after paying for the costs and the taxes on their profit. However the unregulated underground recycling sites often do not adopt proper environmental measures and they use a process that causes serious air, water, and soil pollution. According to statistics, between 50 million and 80 million electronic appliances and electronic productions are scrapped each year in China; the number is expected to exceed 160 million by 2015. The article stated that how the electronic waste can be recycled properly and how the recycling industry is managed have become major issues.

Source: Guangming Daily, July 4, 2014
http://tech.gmw.cn/2014-07/04/content_11837397.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Party Organization Department’s Report on the Process for Selecting Candidates for Party Cadres

The Party Construction Research Center, which is part of the Organization Department, recently published a research report showing the results of a survey that was conducted in 2013. It was based on 3,045 questionnaires collected from 16 provinces and districts. The topic was improving the credibility of the process for selecting candidates for Party cadres. Those surveyed expressed the following concerns regarding the selection process: the leader has the final say; the election process is simply a formality; illegitimate practices are often serious; and the evaluation criteria lack accuracy.

Source: People’s Daily, July 6, 2014
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2014/0706/c1003-25243492.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Global Times: Radio Free Asia Collaborates with East Turkestan to Promote Anti-China Ideology

Xinhua carried an article which was originally published in Global Times. The article named a few western media and stated that they assisted the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, spread rumors, and ultimately promoted violent ideology in China. The article also mentioned that the social media in the West such as YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, Google, and Twitter also contain programs that circulate separatist ideology. The majority of the article’s contents listed evidence proving how Radio Free Asia used its coverage of the history, culture, and current situation in East Turkestan to demonstrate its true intention of promoting “anti-China and separatist ideology.” The article said that Radio Free Asia receives funding from the U.S. government. Its voice has become the outlet for East Turkestan separatism. In addition to Radio Free Asia, the article also named Voice of America and BBC Chinese, claiming they use their Uyghur language programs to instigate violence. As for Radio France International and Deutsche Welle, the article said that, due to a shortage of funding and out of concern for upsetting China, the media in European countries are unlikely to have Uyghur language programs. However, Deutsche Welle’s Chinese language program is obviously biased when it covers the violent crimes that East Turkestan commits in China.

Source: Xinhua, July 5, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-07/05/c_1111468669.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Energy

A Chinese Academy of Social Science report, "World Energy and the Outlook for China, 2013 – 2014" made an assessment that China’s dependence on foreign energy will go up from the current 9 percent to 11 percent in 2015 and 26 percent in 2020. 
Oil. At present, the three largest countries from which China imports oil are Saudi Arabia, Angola, and Iran. Several years ago, in 2010, imports from these three countries accounted for 40 percent of the total oil imports. Geographically, the Middle East accounted for 50.1 percent of total Chinese oil imports, Africa 30.2 percent, followed by Latin America, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Southeast Asia. Dependence on foreign oil is expected to grow from 55 percent in 2011 to 60 percent in 2015.
Iron ore. China is the world’s largest importer of iron ore. Its total imports of up to 440 million tons in 2008 accounted for 52 percent of the world’s seaborne iron ore. The sources are concentrated in a few countries: Australia, Brazil, and India.
Natural gas. More than 80 percent of China’s natural gas imports are from Australia. The dependence on foreign natural gas will increase from 19 percent today to 35 percent by 2015, and 40 percent by 2020.
Copper ore. China currently accounts for 17 percent of global copper consumption. It is the world’s largest consumer of copper and importer of copper concentrate.
Bauxite. Chinese bauxite resources are not scarce, but in recent years the country launched a large number of electrolytic aluminum projects, resulting in a surge in consumption. China is becoming a net exporter of bauxite.
Coal. Since 2002, Chinese coal imports have increased rapidly. In 2011, China surpassed Japan to become the world’s largest coal importer. The major coal exporters to China include South Africa, the USA, Canada, Colombia, Australia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Russia.
Source: Guangming Daily, July 3, 2014
http://theory.gmw.cn/2014-07/03/content_11821154.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources