Chinascope – Page 795

Xi Jinping Calls for Cleaning up Corrupt Officials – the Black Sheep in the Family

At the recent annual work conference on political and legal affairs in Beijing, President Xi Jinping called on China’s judges and law enforcement officials to clean out corruption from their own ranks. The remarks were made amid a wide-ranging probe into leaders in charge of China’s political and legal affairs.

Xi stressed that political and legal affairs must follow the leadership of the Party and correctly handle the relationship between the Party’s policies and the law of the country. “[We must] achieve the situation in which the Party promulgates, enforces and abides by the law.” Xi also emphasized that the fundamental task of political and legal affairs is to maintain social stability.

He pointed out that the core value of political and legal affairs is to promote social fairness and justice. “Political and legal workforces should have the courage to take responsibility and, in the face of unhealthy trends, dare to show their sword. [We] must exercise the most resolute will and take the most decisive actions to eliminate corruption in the political and legal sector, and resolutely clean up the black sheep in the family [the trouble-making sheep in the flock].”

Source: Xinhua, January 9, 2014

http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2014-01/09/c_125977855.htm

Briefings | | January 10, 2014 | Government/Politics

Chinese Academician: China Must Develop Its Cyber Warfare Forces

Wu Jiangxing, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former president of the PLA Information Engineering University, recently attended a grand interview program of "academicians talking about strengthening the military." Wu called for the establishment of a Chinese cyber frontier defense army as an imminent task.

Cyberspace has become the fifth biggest battlefield after land, sea, air, and space. The United States has established a cyber warfare force and regards cyber warfare forces as a major component in safeguarding national security. Wu Jiangxing said that the nature of cyber warfare forces is the same as other armed forces. The purpose of "cyber warfare forces is, first, to defend cyberspace; secondly it should develop counter measures."

Wu said that, at present, China is just beginning to explore how to protect its national information technology facilities. Compared to the massive and frequent nationwide actions of "Cyber Storm" exercises that the United States held in recent years, China falls far behind both in scale and in technical levels. Wu proposed that China must cultivate the concept of a cyber frontier defense; innovatively develop and change the current rules of the game using revolutionary technology; and allow China to develop more effective means and equipment to defend the country’s cyberspace frontier.

Source: Xinhua, January 7, 2014

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2014-01/07/c_125948370.htm

Briefings | | January 9, 2014 | Defense/Military

Outlook: Five New Trends in the International Arena

Outlook News Weekly, a publication under Xinhua disseminated an article on international trends in which it reviewed 2013 and foretold developments in 2014. The article stated that there are five new trends in the international strategic situation.

First, there appear to be new changes in the international power play. The United States as super power saw its advantages reduced as it is beleaguered by domestic and international problems. China, the European Union, and Russia are now the second tier players, with Japan, India, and Brazil being the third tier players.

Second, bilateral relationships between three pairs of countries are taking shape. The United States wrestles with the Russians, the United States plays games with China, and China and Japan are in a contest with each other.

Third, multiple countries on the two continents of the Middle East/North Africa, and the Asian Pacific are engaged in complex chess games.

Fourth, old and new challenges in the arena of international security are intertwined and growing in tandem. The traditional security issues of maritime territorial disputes have led to an arms race in Asia. The U.S. and Russia are competing in R&D for strategic advantages in the ocean, in space, and in nuclear energy. The non-traditional challenges include cyber security, terrorism, climate, and ecological changes.

Fifth, China is proactively engaging in diplomacy with confidence.

Source: Outlook News Weekly, January 6, 2014

http://www.lwgcw.com/NewsShow.aspx?newsId=34103

Briefings | | January 9, 2014 | Government/Politics

China Foresees the Negative Impact of Asia-Pacific Regional Trade Negotiations on China’s Exports

On January 8, 2014, China Review News Agency published an article on how to deal with a new round of Asia-Pacific regional trade negotiations. As China is not one of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership [TPP] countries (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam), China is worried about the negative impact of the TPP on China’s exports to those countries. Therefore, China will make a good effort to make up the loss in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade negotiations. RCEP is a Freed Trade Agreement among Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

Asia-Pacific countries do not really trust China, which may have a negative effect on China’s economics. According to the article, in order to avoid such a negative impact, China should take the following actions:

Support the WTO reform and make the multilateral trading activity operate within the framework of the WTO;
Actively promote the eventual establishment of the Asia-Pacific free trade zone;
Promote frequent communication among Asia-Pacific countries during the APEC summit next year when China is the host;
Conduct domestic economic reform in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, the Shenzhen Qianhai Experiment area, and other reform testing regions;
Get ready to deal with any negative impact from the changes in the future Asian-Pacific trade rules and further promote the domestic reform of state-owned enterprises.

Source: China Review News Agency, January 8, 2014
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1029/6/7/1/102967142.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=102967142&mdate=0108075139

Briefings | | January 8, 2014 | Government/Politics

China’s Minister of Public Security: Resolutely Resist the Infiltration of Western Ideology

Guo Shengkun, China’s Minister of Public Security, recently published an article on People’s Daily calling for firm resistance to ideological infiltration from the Western anti-China forces. Chinese Review News Agency reprinted the article on January 3, 2014. According to the article, China has over 2 million police. Public security departments at all levels must “take resolute action to protect the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership, safeguard the people’s democratic dictatorship, and defend the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.” The article particularly called for “resolute resistance to the ideological infiltration from Western anti-China forces” in order to “ensure national security and social stability.” Therefore, systematic Internet control and a crackdown on “Internet slander, Internet fraud, and other online criminal activities” will continue.

Source: Chinese Review News Agency, January 3, 2013
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1029/5/7/8/102957811.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102957811&mdate=0103091923

Briefings | | January 8, 2014 | Government/Politics

People’s Daily: National Conference of Publicity Ministers Held in Beijing

People’s Daily recently reported that the National Conference of Publicity Ministers was held in Beijing. Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party Politburo chaired the Conference. Liu delivered a speech calling for full compliance and implementation of the “spirit” of the Party’s past three most important conferences as well as the essence of the Secretary General Xi Jinping’s speeches. Liu insisted on the continuation of publicity work to spread Marxism, Mao’s Philosophy, the Deng Xiaoping Theory, Jiang Zemin’s “Three Represents,” as well as Hu Jintao’s Scientific Social Development Viewpoint. Liu also emphasized the importance of continuing to push having confidence in the Party’s path, its theory, and the socialist system. He especially mentioned the importance of “guiding public opinion” and “better control over the Internet based media.”

Source: People’s Daily, January 4, 2014

http://cpc.people.com.cn/BIG5/n/2014/0104/c64094-24021659.html

Briefings | | January 7, 2014 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: Chinese Real Estate Buyers Are Second Largest Group in the U.S.

Xinhua recently reported that Chinese real estate buyers spent US$12.3 billion in one year in the U.S. real estate market, becoming the second largest international buyer group after the Canadians. For example, a private Chinese investor spent US$725 million to acquire One Chase Manhattan Plaza, a 60-story office building located in downtown Manhattan. Facing the New York Federal Reserve building, it was built by David Rockefeller and has been used by JP Morgan Chase since 1961. The continuous appreciation of the Chinese currency is making real estate in New York and San Francisco look cheap. Chinese investors are also pouring money into stocks, bonds, trust certificates, intellectual property and patents. However the article also reminded the readers that the last time a Japanese investor bought the Rockefeller Center, it ended with a miserable loss and “in tears.”

Source: Xinhua, January 5, 2014

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2014-01/05/c_118831948.htm

Briefings | | January 7, 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.