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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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CRN: Chinese Military Unmanned Aircraft Deployed Nationwide

China Review News (CRN) recently published a report commenting on remarks that a Chinese general made. The general suggested that China would continue to send unmanned aircraft to certain areas with the full confidence of self-protection. The comment was made in response to the Japanese threat of shooting down Chinese unmanned aircraft. The report went further into an investigation on China’s actual capabilities in the area of unmanned aircraft and found that the Chinese military has completed deploying fleets of unmanned aircraft to all seven military regions. These unmanned aircraft fleets are composed of different types of unmanned aircraft that play different roles such as intelligence gathering, command control, and precise attack. The Chinese unmanned aircraft can now carry out all-weather and long-range military missions. The report also mentioned that the Chinese military is aiming to reach the same advanced level that the U.S. unmanned aircraft enjoy. 
Source: China Review News, November 14, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1028/6/5/9/102865972.html?coluid=4&kindid=18&docid=102865972&mdate=1114172715
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

By 2025 China Will Be the Number One Lung Cancer Nation in the World

The China North-South Lung Cancer Summit was held in Beijing on November 15 and 16. Statistics reported at the summit show that that lung cancer has become the number one cancer in China. By 2025, it is expected that China will have 1 million lung cancer patients, which will be the highest in the world. The statistics also showed that, out of 1.1 billion cigarette smokers in the world, 350 million of those are in China. Among those who are age 15 and above, 33.5 percent are smokers. One million people in China die from cigarette related diseases every year. While, at present, this accounts for 22.7 percent of the people who die from cancer, the number is growing by 26.9 percent every year. Lung cancer is said to be the highest among male patients.

[Editor’s note: According to the World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRF), at present, Hungary has the highest rate of lung cancer per 100,000 of population, followed by French Polynesia and the United States.]
 
Source: Xinhua, November 17, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/tech/2013-11/17/c_118170600.htm
The WCRF,
http://www.wcrf.org/cancer_statistics/data_specific_cancers/lung_cancer_statistics.php

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Chinese Consumers Account for 47 Percent of the World’s Luxury Goods Market

The China Luxury Goods marketing Research Agency recently issued the "China’s Luxury Goods Consumption Report," which contained information on China’s spending on luxury goods. China has the largest number of luxury goods consumers in the world. These consumers have spent an estimated US$102 trillion on luxury goods in 2013, which accounts for 47 percent of the total worldwide luxury goods market. China’s total luxury goods purchases included domestic as well as foreign purchases. In 2013, China’s domestic luxury goods purchases are expected to show growth of three percent. Chinese tourists also drove the overseas luxury goods spending market. Price differences between the domestic and foreign market and the appreciation of the Chinese yuan are cited as the reasons. Reports indicate that, even though the Chinese people’s luxury goods consumption continues to grow, the rate of increase has slowed down compared to prior years.

Source: Guangming Daily, November 15, 2013
http://economy.gmw.cn/2013-11/15/content_9495500.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Chinese Consumers Favor the iPhone 5C

According to a report from Di Xing Tong, China’s largest cell phone chain store, since the iPhone 5S and 5C were introduced in China on September 20, the ratio of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C phones purchases in China has been 3.68:1 compared to 2:23:1, which is the ratio in the overseas markets. The report indicated that the reason Chinese consumers favored the 5S over the 5C, even though their quality is comparable, is that the 5S is considered to be more upscale. They are therefore less likely to be attracted to the cheaper version of the iPhone5C.

Source: Guangming Daily, November 15, 2013
http://it.gmw.cn/2013-11/15/content_9495124.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

More Party Officials with Ties to Jiang Zemin under Investigation

On November 14, Xinhua reprinted a China News Weekly report that in less than a year since Xi Jinping came to power in the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, 11 high ranking provincial officials and department heads have been put under investigation on corruption charges. The number doubled the average of 5.8 officials per year in the past five years. From 2008 through 2012, there were four, eight, six, seven, and four officials, respectively, at provincial or department level who were investigated.

[Editor’s Note: According to Asia Times, in one example, the CCP removed Ji Jianye, the mayor or Nanjing from office accusing him of "economic crimes," a euphemism for corruption. That article pointed out that "some analysts speak instead of a settling of scores within the Party, since Ji is very close to former President Jiang Zemin." Another source observed that almost all of these 11 officials have close ties to former President Jiang Zemin.] 
Source: China News Weekly reprinted by Xinhua, November 14, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-11/14/c_118138823.htm
Asia News, "Nanjing mayor arrested on corruption charges,"
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/China,-Nanjing-mayor-arrested-on-corruption-charges-29299.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

CRN: State Security Committee Reflects Chinese Political System Reform

The Third Plenary session of the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party just ended on November 12. China Review News published a commentary on the new State Security Committee that the Congrss established. 

The commentary stated that the establishment of the new State Security Committee represents a significant deviation from the Chinese political system. There is a common misunderstanding among China scholars about the Chinese political system. They look at the People’s Congress, but fail to understand that the People’s Congress is the highest political authority under the leadership of the Communist Party. Because of this misunderstanding, they tend to recommend that any decisions that the Communist Party makes should go through the existing political system to implement its agenda. “That is not true. … The Chinese Communist Party is not independent of the State apparatus; it is an important part of the State authority. In other words, the Chinese Communist Party is the core of the State apparatus as well as the leadership of the State authority.“ Without understanding this, one can hardly understand the role that the Communist Party plays in China’s political affairs. 
The commentary observed that the establishment of the State Security Committee not only enables the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary to lead the State apparatus directly; it also resolved the issue of coordination among State departments. 
 “The establishment of the State Security Committee marks a major change taking place in the Chinese constitutional system. The Chinese Communist Party’s leadership over State power will be further strengthened, the country’s political structure will be more perfect, and China’s President will change from a figurehead of the State to the country’s highest decision-maker.” 

Source: China Review News, November 15, 2013 
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1028/6/3/7/102863748.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102863748&mdate=1115005457

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China’s State Media Comments on U.S. and Japan’s Aid to Philippines

China’s state media Huanqiu (Global Times) published an article commenting on the U.S. and Japan’s aid to the Philippines as a result of typhoon Haiyan. 

The article said, “The nation that had brought great military suffering to the Asian countries sent its Self Defense Forces (SDF) to the Philippines, which could be called ‘the largest overseas deployment of troops after World War II.’" The article, citing other international media reports, stated that the political implications of the disaster relief assistance to the Philippines are becoming increasingly clear. That the U.S. and Japan employ large-scale military forces for the disaster relief to the Philippines shows obvious political motivation. 
The article quoted the Russian Lenta News Network, which said that the United States acting, on such a large scale and with such fanfare [for the assistance], demonstrates the special relationship between the United States and the Philippines. The United States takes Japan as the "unsinkable" aircraft carrier. Now the Philippines has become a major ally of the United States. The two countries take advantage of each other to counterbalance China. Being very active in the rescue efforts, the U.S. is all for its own geopolitical interests. 
The article also implied, by quoting Japanese foreign critic Timberland Naoto’s comment, that, on the surface, Abe’s sending the SDF is to contribute to world peace and development, but the real purpose is to contain China. [Even in] the typhoon disaster, the emergency aid also reflected the reality of international politics. 
Academy of Social Sciences researcher Zhou Qi told the Global Times that Japan’s high-profile involvement with a helicopter carrier is surprising.　　 

Source: Huanqiu, November 15, 2013 
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2013/1115/c1002-23552524.html 
http://world.huanqiu.com/exclusive/2013-11/4566316.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

PetroChina Buys Petrobras’s Peru Unit

On November 13, PetroChina Company Limited (PetroChina), China’s biggest oil producer and the listed arm of the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), announced a deal to acquire Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras’s Peruvian oil and gas assets. PetroChina will buy all of the 145 million stock shares of Petrobras Energia Peru S.A., which has three oil and gas fields in Peru, at a premium price of $2.6 billion, considering Energia Peru S.A.’s total asset of $1.42 billion, with a 2012 operating income of $0.6 billion and net income of $102 million.

Petrobras Energia Peru S.A.’s three oil and gas fields currently produce about 800,000 metric tons of oil equivalent per year, according to PetroChina. Experts shared the view that, when compared to Africa and the Middle East, there is less political risk buying assets in South America.

PetroChina’s 2012 domestic and overseas production totaled 278 million metric tons of oil equivalent, or 761,600 metric tons per day. In mid-March this year, PetroChina took over the Mozambique oil and gas lots under the Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni at $4.2 billion, as the company’s largest overseas acquisition. CNPC is also expected to buy U.S. oil and gas company ConocoPhillips’ Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan at an expected price of $5 billion.

Source: Xinhua, November 14, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-11/14/c_125699990.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources