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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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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

Chinese Generals: Peaceful Rise Does Not Mean Refusal to Fight

On November 12 a forum was held at the Prime Hotel Beijing Wangfujing after a press release announced the introduction a new book, "China Is Not Afraid — New Threats to Our National Security and Our Counter Strategy." More than 50 people including five PLA generals, major media reporters, publishers, and others attended the forum and discussed the current hot issues of national defense and security. 

The author of the book is the former deputy director of the Strategy Department at the PLA Military Academy. He believes that the current U.S. policy of containing China has not changed and will not change. Mao Zedong made the statement that imperialists are "paper tigers" in order to solve the problem of fear. In the press release, the author said, "Our Party [the CCP] and our army were founded on the premise of having no fear. The Chinese army should ‘be able to fight, fight to win.’ It must have the will of fearlessness in the face of strong enemies." 

Major General Peng Guangqian commented that China’s "peaceful rise" is not to say China "refuses to fight." We have to be well prepared as, at any given time, a situation can get out of control. Major General Xiao Yusheng asserted that some Chinese people should overcome the "America-phobia” and "Japan-phobia" syndromes. 

Source: Xinhua, November 13, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2013-11/13/c_125693846.htm
Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

PLA Editorial: Resolutely Resist the “Nationalization of the Military”

On November 10, 2013, during the third session of the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily published an editorial titled, “Always Adhere to the Party’s Absolute Leadership over the Military.” 

According to the PLA Daily editorial, Xi Jinping’s met last week with PLA delegates. The editorial summarized the core of his remarks, “Always adhere to the Party’s absolute leadership over the military; always adhere to the fundamentals of the ability to fight and win the war; always adhere to the Party’s policy that the Party must tightly control the Party; and always adhere to the spirit of reform and innovation to strengthen the Party’s development.” The editorial continued, “To study diligently and to implement President Xi’s important instructions, we must first grasp the fundamental task of ensuring the Party’s absolute leadership over the military.” “Our military is the people’s army founded and led by the Party. It is the armed forces that implement the Party’s political tasks. The fundamental system of the Party’s absolute leadership is a scientific system that has been proven repeatedly in practice.” 
The editorial emphasized that, in the light of the activities of the hostile forces overseas, one must remain alert as some people lack the understanding of the Party’s absolute leadership of the military. “Under these circumstances, it is particularly important that we take "always adhering to the Party’s absolute leadership over the military" as the highest political principle to follow, as the highest political requirement to implement, and as the highest political discipline to observe.”
“[We] must unswervingly adhere to the fundamental principle and system of the Party’s absolute leadership of the military, proactively win the ideological struggle, and resolutely resist such wrong political views as "non-political and non-Party military” and “nationalization of the military.” 
Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, November 10, 2013 http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/1110/c1011-23489856.html
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

As the Top Leader of the National Security Committee, Xi Jinping Strengthens His Personal Power

At The Third Plenary Session (“Third Plenum”) of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party held in Beijing from November 9th to November 12th, 2013, the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee decided to create two state institutes, a Leading Team Supervising “Comprehensively Deepening” Economic Reform and a new National Security Committee. According to China Review News on November 13, 2013, Xi Jinping, the head of the Party and the state, may take charge of the newly created National Security Committee. Xi Jinping may also serve as the head of the Economic Reform Leading Team. If that’s the case, Xi’s personal power will be strengthened.

The Presidency of the People’s Republic of China is usually a symbolic position. If Xi Jinping chairs the National Security Committee in the name of the President, the President will assume the real power over public security, military troops, and the diplomacy.

Source: China Review News, November 13, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1028/6/1/5/102861571.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102861571&mdate=1113100553

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

“A National Security Committee Will Further Consolidate the People’s Confidence in China”

On November 13, 2013, Huanqiu, the Chinese edition of Global Times, published an editorial titled, “Now Is the Right Time to Create a National Security Committee.” The Third Plenary Session (“Third Plenum”) of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party held in Beijing from November 9th to November 12th has made the decision to establish a new state security body to handle the increase in domestic conflicts and international disputes. The new agency will include representatives from different agencies including diplomacy, military, intelligence, commerce and all major players that interact with foreign identity.

The editorial proposed calling on all of the Chinese people across the nation to show their patriotism by making contributions to safeguarding national security. It stated, “Doing nothing to harm national security should be in every citizen’s consciousness.” The editorial concluded, “We hope that the establishment of the National Security Committee will (help the Chinese government) to respond effectively to the new situation and make Chinese society, this super large machine, function more stably and safely so as to further consolidate the people’s confidence in Chinese society.”

Source: Huanqiu, November 13, 2013
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-11/4557729.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics