Chinascope – Page 814

Xinhua Commentary: Japan-U.S. Alliance Is Moving Farther and Farther down a Dangerous Road

Xinhua published a commentary on the "2 +2" meeting of Japan and the U.S. held in Tokyo on October 3, 2013. The article said, “Japan and the U.S. expressed that they will cooperate in space and cyber-space, as well as in other new strategic areas and will complete the revision of the Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines before the end of 2014. In addition, the United States welcomed the Japanese government’s amendment of its interpretation of the Constitution on collective self-defense, the implementation of its national security strategy, and the increase in its defense budget. One can see that Japan and the U.S. are intending to further strengthen defense cooperation and enhance the level of military integration. This indicates that the Japan-U.S. alliance is moving farther and farther down a dangerous road.”

The commentary continued, “Needless to say, following the revision of the Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines, the Japanese self-defense force (SDF) and the U.S. military will further implement military integration. SDF and the U.S. military will enhance cooperation in joint training, intelligence sharing, joint use of bases, and in other traditional areas. The scope of the Japan-U.S. alliance will also be expanded to new strategic areas in cyber-attacks and space cooperation. This means that the Japan-U.S. alliance will be greatly expanded both in depth and breadth.

“The Abe regime has been seeking a major breakthrough in defense. … In this context, that the United States is adding fuel to the flames makes one wonder about its [ulterior] motives.

“… Japan and the U.S. not only have not abandoned the Cold War mentality; on the contrary, they continue to strengthen military alliances, posing threats to regional peace and stability. This cannot help but cause people in the world and the Asia-Pacific region to be on high alert.”

Source: Xinhua, October 3, 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-10/03/c_117592230.htm

Briefings | | October 10, 2013 | US-China Relations

Actual Economic Growth Was Lower Than Forecast

21st Century Business Herald reported that local governments have revised downward the forecasts of their economic growth. One reason is that the targets were set too high. Shanghai was the only one that had the same target rate as the national forecast of 7.5 percent. All other regions had much higher targets.

Although local governments sped up their investments earlier in the year, the actual growth has been lower than expected due to capacity surplus and weak demand. For example, Sichuan Province and Shanxi Province reported that the target growth rates of 11 percent and 12.5 percent respectively have been revised downward to 10 percent and 11.3 percent. For Beijing and Hebei Province, the original goals were 8 percent and 9 percent. In the first half of the year, the two economies reported growth of 7.7 percent and 8.7 percent.

Beijing municipal government has requested that the Beijing People’s Congress reduce the growth rate from 8 percent to 7.5 percent. An official of a provincial government stated, “We submitted a report recommending a downward revision of the economic growth rate for this year.”

Source: 21st Century Business Herald reprinted by i, October 8, 2013 http://finance.sina.com/bg/chinamkt/sinacn/20131008/1641875281.html

Briefings | | October 10, 2013 | Economy/Resources

Qiushi: We Must Have Confidence in Our Path, Our Theories, and Our System.

On October 1, 2013, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled, “Consolidate the Guiding Position of Marxism in the Ideological Field.” The article opened with a quote from CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping’s explanation of purpose of the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda and ideological work: “Propaganda and ideological work are to consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field and to consolidate the common ideological foundation shared by the whole Party and all the Chinese people when they fight together (for their goals).” The article emphasized that the more diverse ideas and thoughts circulate in society, the more (the Chinese Communist Party) should uphold and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism. However, the Marxism mentioned in the article includes not only Marxism but also Marxism-Leninism and all the “theories” promoted by the previous top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, such as Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping’s Theory, Jiang Zemin’s “Three Represents,” and Hu Jintao’s Scientific Outlook on Development.

The article criticized two different trends of anti-Marxism: 1) replacing Marxism with “universal values” and replacing the socialist system led by the CCP with the Western capitalist system model; 2) negating China’s economic reform and opening up, which is a special kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The CCP needs to pay close attention to the problem of “lack of faith.” The article said that some Party members and officials “pray to gods and to Buddha” and “believe in a Qigong Master." “Family members emigrate to foreign countries” and “deposit money in foreign countries” so as to get ready to escape China. The article concludes, “We must have confidence in our path, our theories, and our system.”

Source: Qiushi, October 1, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2013/201319/201309/t20130927_275462.htm

Briefings | | October 9, 2013 | Government/Politics

Qiushi Advocates Red Culture to Safeguard the CCP’s Ruling Status

On September 24, 2013, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled, “Red Culture: The Chinese People’s Spiritual Backbone.” The "red culture," according to the article, is the “advanced culture” that the Chinese Communist Party created during the process of leading the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to carry out the revolution (overthrowing the Nationalist government that the Kuomintang Party led), to build the nation (the People’s Republic of China) and to reform the country’s economy. China’s red culture originated from Marxism-Leninism and selected “excellent” traditional Chinese culture including folk culture and selected “excellent” world culture. “We can proudly announce that the Chinese Communists and the Chinese people are excellent successors and developers of mankind’s outstanding cultures.”

According to the article, the soul of the red culture is Marxism and the theme of the red culture is the socialist ideal with the Chinese characteristics, i.e., the China dream. The purpose of promoting China’s red culture is to fight against 1) the infiltration of universal values, 2) Neoliberalism that advocates complete privatization across the country, 3) "constitutional democracy" which copies the Western multiparty system and would subvert the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling status, 4) the theory of "modern civil society" that permits the set up of new political forces and opposition parties, 5) the public intellectuals’ theory which would create a legal basis and the space in public opinion for intellectual dissidents, and 6) freedom of the press which would negate the principle of the Party’s control over news reports. The article further enumerates several suggestions on how to promote China’s red culture and expand the soft power of red culture.

Source: Qiushi, September 24, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2013/201318/201309/t20130924_273805.htm

Briefings | | October 9, 2013 | Government/Politics

Xinhua: Government Cracked Down on Illegal Mobile News Apps

Xinhua recently reported that the National Internet Information Office has been cracking down on some mobile news apps such as “ZAKER News Reader” and “Bee News." The Office has required that these mobile apps be removed from the market and report back to the authorities to confirm their legal compliance status. The key accusation against these mobile news clients was “offering news services without proper government certification.” The National Internet Information Office provided more details, suggesting that these news apps distributed “inappropriate information that may have endangered adolescent health” and that they disrupted “the orderly dissemination of online news.” According to several Chinese laws governing Internet information services, all Chinese Internet news providers must register with and get certified by the corresponding government administrative office which regulates and manages Iinternet information content.

Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2013-09/30/c_117577860.htm

Briefings | | October 8, 2013 | Information/Technology

Housing Prices Rose for 16 Consecutive months; Beijing Had the Highest Increase

Guangming Daily carried an article stating that, according to the statistics published by the China Index Academy, in September 2013, the average increase in housing prices for 100 cities in China was 10,554 yuan (US$1,724) per square meter, up 1.07 percent from August. According to the article, this was 16th consecutive month that saw an increase. The average increase in 10 large cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, was 18,179 yuan (US$2,930) per square meter, up 13 percent compared to the same period last year. The article stated that, of those 10 cities, Beijing had the highest increase. It also pointed out that, while the housing prices for the first tier cities kept increasing, the prices in third and fourth tier cities have remained relatively stable and are not expected to see much fluctuation in the future..

Source: Guangming Daily, October 2, 2013
http://politics.gmw.cn/2013-10/02/content_9076291.htm

Briefings | | October 7, 2013 | Economy/Resources

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.