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Qiushi: The Unity of Developing the Socialist System and Improving the National Governance Systems

Qiushi reported on a speech that Xi Jinping recently gave at the opening ceremony of the Seminar for Major Provincial Leaders to Study the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee. In his speech, Xi stated that "[We] must fully understand the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reforms. It is a unity of two sentences: Improve and develop the Socialist system with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of national governance systems and governance capacity."

The Qiushi article discussed how to understand Xi’s statement. It explained the "unity" or the "same goal" of developing the social system and improving governance system: the CCP "should, via improving and developing the Socialist system with Chinese characteristics, implement the institutionalization, standardization, and procedures of governing the Party, the nation, and social affairs," and also "via building up the national governance system, develop the Socialist system with Chinese characteristics."

It further elaborated on the "national governance culture" and affirmed its importance in applying Marxist theory and the "correct political viewpoint and value system" to guide the national governance system.  

Source: Qiushi Online, June 15, 2014
http://www.qstheory.cn/bwtj/2014-06/15/c_1111149821.htm

China Has Developed Invisibility Film Superior to Any Current Radar Stealth Coating in the World

On June 17, 2014, China Review News reported that China has successfully developed an invisibility cloak called the SH6 infrared radar stealth composite film, which can cover up objects and shield them from radar detection. It is superior to any other current radar stealth coating in the world. The invisibility film will enhance China’s military combat effectiveness. A national defense patent has been submitted for the invisibility film.

Source: China Review News, June 17, 2014
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1032/4/1/1/103241120.html?coluid=4&kindid=18&docid=103241120&mdate=0617080947

Qiushi: Closely Watch Out for Ideology Security on the Internet

On June 15, 2014, Qiushi Theory, a political theory periodical that is published by the Chinese Communist Party Central Party School and the CCP Central Committee, reprinted an article from “Chinese Social Sciences Today” titled “Closely Watch Out for Ideology Security on Internet.” According to the article, maintaining the security of ideology on the Internet is as important as maintaining the security of technical information. Some Western countries have been promoting Western ideology and [the Western] political system on Internet, which is a “War without Smoke.” Thus, China cannot secure its national political system if it does not control the ideology circulating on the Internet. 

Source: Qiushi Theory, June 15, 2014
http://www.qstheory.cn/bwtj/2014-06/15/c_1111148848.htm  

Over 300 Cities Suffered Sharp Declines in Land Sales

National Business Daily, a Shanghai based business newspaper, recently reported that local government land sales suffered a major decline in the month of May. According to a report that the China Index Research Institute released, for over 300 cities across China, the number of government land transactions in May declined 45 percent compared to the same period last year. The total sales amount for these transactions fell 38 percent. The total land area accounted for in these transactions fell 49 percent. Experts said that they expect a further decline in the housing market in the coming months. Many government land auctions closed with no deals made or the sales made were at the opening prices. The sales decline occurred across all tiers of Chinese cities regardless of city sizes. In addition to losses in land sales, local governments’ housing related tax income is also seeing a sharp decline. Many local governments in China rely heavily on the housing market for funds for public spending and for providing guarantees to loans to the government. Many economists expressed their worries about government’ debts and called for adjustments to the local industrial structure to create more sources of income.
Source: National Business Daily, June 9, 2014
http://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2014-06-09/839878.html

People’s Daily: China Construction Bank to be the First RMB Settlement Bank in Britain

People’s Daily recently reported that China’s second largest bank, the China Construction Bank (CCB), has been authorized to be the official settlement bank for the Chinese currency (RMB) in London. This move improved the competitiveness of Great Britain as one of the main offshore exchange centers for the RMB and fixed a financial infrastructure issue in Britain. It is unusual that CCB’s strongest competitor, the Bank of China, did not obtain this authorization. London has been working hard to defend its role as the primary RMB exchange center outside Asia. London is facing tough competition from Frankfurt and Luxembourg. This new settlement arrangement could reduce the risks for those who tend to use RMB as a payment method outside China. It may also ease the process for Chinese companies planning to invest in Europe. 
Source: People’s Daily, June 13, 2014
http://ccnews.people.com.cn/n/2014/0613/c141677-25144462.html

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Foreign Countries Should Not Interfere in Hong Kong Affairs

BBC Chinese recently reported that Hua Chunying, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned that Hong Kong affairs are internal to China and other countries better stop their interference. Since Beijing published the White Paper on Hong Kong on June 10 (Editor’s note: See Chinascopes briefing from June 11 at: http://chinascope.org/main/content/view/6404/81/), both the U.S. and the British consulates have criticized the policies explained or laid out in the White Paper. When the press asked Hua to comment on the US/UK reactions, she advised, “They should read the White Paper more carefully and contribute more to Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.” The U.S. State Department commented that the United States expected China to keep the promises it made in the Hong Kong Basic Law. The well-respected Hong Kong Bar Association later issued an announcement clarifying that the White Paper is “incorrect” in stating that Hong Kong judges and judicial officers are part of the executive branch that “rules” Hong Kong.
Source: BBC Chinese, June 12, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/06/140612_china_hk_us_uk.shtml

Farming Industry under Pressure with Climbing Labor Rates of Peasant Workers

Xinhua recently published an article on the pressure the farming industry in China faces. According to the article, the cost of labor for peasant workers on the outskirts of Beijing grew 89.7 percent over the last five years. The farming industry in the area is under pressure to save labor costs and to improve the efficiency of its farm equipment. The article said that even though more and more farmers are using agriculture machinery, there are still tasks that require a large number of peasant workers, especially skilled laborers. Farming experts also suggested that the government should provide the farmers and the peasant workers with more farm subsidies to help ease the pressure.

Source: Xinhua, June 15, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2014-06/15/c_1111149829.htm

Chinese Scholar: Current Education System Does Not Nurture Student Creativity

China Youth Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Youth League of China, published an article about Chinese students’ lack of aptitude for innovation. The paper interviewed the Chinese scholar, Zhang Xueji, director of the research center at the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing. Zhang stated that more and more Chinese students are losing interest in innovation. When compared to college and graduate students in the U.S., they lag far behind in creativity skills.

Zhang told China Youth Daily that the talent for innovation is the scarcest resource for a country. Zhang listed a number of reasons that caused the lack of innovation consciousness and ability in the academic field of research in China. First, the transmissive style of teaching does not nurture an interest in creativity. Second, the existing assessment of the scientific and technological achievement process also needs to be changed. Zhang said that the system shouldn’t emphasize whether a research paper that a graduate student publishes during his graduate education meets a quota, but rather, whether the quality of the paper meets the requirement. This emphasis has resulted in a lack of original research projects. A third factor that Zhang brought up is the lack of trust between research fellows working for a company and those research fellows working for the college. The fact that both sides are afraid of potential risks presents a barrier to their ability to collaborate.

Source: China Youth Daily, June 15, 2014
http://qclz.youth.cn/lzrs/201406/t20140615_5366719.htm