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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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People’s Daily: The Internet Has Kidnapped Real Society to Some Extent

On August 29, 2013, People’s Daily published an article titled, “The Internet Has Kidnapped Real Society to Some Extent.” According to the article, negative emotions, group anger, rumors, grandstanding, … and the chaotic Internet environment are somewhat like a ‘pressure cooker’ of society’s emotions. Any public event could detonate it and lead to serious consequences in the real society.” "Group emotions circulated online may turn into a group incident in the real world; any celebrity online may gain practical benefits offline. Gradually, the online world has kidnapped real world to some extent and has become the fission core of the trend of the entire society’s emotions and public opinions." 
Source: People’s Daily, August 29, 2013
http://js.people.com.cn/html/2013/08/29/252272.html
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

BBC Chinese: China and Kazakhstan Signed Large Oil Deal

BBC Chinese recently reported that, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan, PetroChina and KazMunaiGas signed an oil and gas supply agreement valued at US$30 billion. The deal includes selling China an 8.33 percent ownership interest in the Kashagan Oilfield, which is worth US$5 billion. The agreement also covers that China will help Kazakhstan build an oil refinery by providing a US$3 billion loan. Kashagan Oilfield, discovered in the past 50 years, is the world’s largest oilfield. Its current mineable scale is at nine to thirteen billion barrels. The Chinese purchase of the oilfield share stopped the competition from India. China has been involved in the Kazakhstan oil industry for many years now. Kazakhstan is a neighboring country of China. It is five times the size of France with a population of only seventeen million. 
Source: BBC Chinese, September 7, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/world/2013/09/130907_china_kazakhstan_oil.shtml
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: BRICS Countries Establish Emergency Reserve

According to Xinhua, at a recent G20 press conference, Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of the Chinese central bank, discussed the BRICS countries establishing a shared reserve fund. He expressed the belief that such a reserve arrangement represents a major milestone that would also contribute to global financial stability. Zhou suggested that the reserve is an important development in terms of “tangible” cooperation between the BRICS countries as it offers a much better capability to defend against “external shocks.” Zhou revealed that the new reserve arrangement involves a multi-nation currency cooperation based on the currency exchange mechanism. The initial scale of the reserve is US$100 billion with China holding the largest share. Zhou also discussed the negative impact of the U.S. exit strategy from its Quantitative Easing (QE) program. The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Goldman Sachs was first to use the term.
Source: Xinhua, September 6, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-09/06/c_117253284.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Global Times: Xi Jinping Chatted with Shinzo Abe at G20

Global Times recently reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping had a “quick chat” with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the VIP Lounge before the G20 summit started. Xi explained the Chinese principles on the relationship with Japan and pointed out that the relationship is currently suffering “serious difficulties.” Xi said he did not want to see this happening and that China is willing to push the strategic relationship forward based on the original four political documents signed at the time the formal China-Japan relationship was established. Abe said that he was very hopeful seeing President Xi at the G20 and that Japan was eager to improve the relationship between the two countries. 
Source: Global Times, September 5, 2013
http://world.huanqiu.com/regions/2013-09/4327924.html
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Consumes 10 Trillion Bottles of Intravenous Drugs Each Year, the Largest in the World

In the Chinese medical field, since the economic benefits from Intravenous (I.V.) drugs are much greater than from oral medication, I.V. drugs are overused. China has become the country that consumes the largest amount of IV drugs in the world. Experts have warned about the side effects of over usage.

According to China’s official site, statistics show that, in 2011, China consumed over 10 trillion bottles of I.V. drugs. That is the equivalent to eight bottles per person and is much higher than the international average of 2.5 to 3.3. One of the key contributing factors is that patients tend to rely heavily on I.V. drugs. In additon, it is due to the fact that hospitals, doctors, and drug companies receive a higher economic return on I.V. drugs.

Reports indicate that over 390,000 people die from improper use of I.V. drugs each year. Among those, 200,000 die from allergic reactions after I.V. treatment. Estimates are that at least 100,000 people have died after receiving I.V. treatment.

Experts warned that overuse of I.V. drugs will cause harm to the human body and that the body will develop a resistance to drugs.

Source:
Radio Free Asia, September 8, 2013
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/11-09082013170303.html
Xinhua, September 8, 2013
http://www.hb.xinhuanet.com/2013-09/08/c_117277436.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Sale of High Priced Items Slow as Mid-Autumn Festival Approaches

As China’s Mid-Autumn festival is approaching, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection recently issued a notice to be strict in prohibiting the use of public funds for luxury gifts, food, and entertainment. Reports indicate that the market for high priced moon cake, mitten crab, cigarettes, and alcohol has been slow this year. Some food vendors have complained about the slow moving inventory and some expect that sales may be down as much as 10 percent compared to last year.

Source: People’s Daily, September 8, 2013
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0908/c1001-22843015.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua Commentary Calls for Gaining Control of Discourse Right

Xinhua published a commentary on the discourse right stating that the discourse right is a key indicator of a country’s soft power. It is a critical aspect in formulating ideology work. According to the commentary, gaining the discourse right in the media battlefield should be established as an important goal for ideology work. The commentary also quoted Xi Jinping’s speech given on August 19. Xi emphasized that Marxist ideology is the foundation for the Party and (the Party) should be proactive when dealing with key issues and take control in formulating the Party’s ideology work.

Source: Xinhua, September 7, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-09/07/c_117270185.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua Questions Obama for the Use of Force against Syria

A Xinhua article questioned five issues related to the “Obama War” against Syria. 

“First, how can the United States confirm that the Syrian government forces used chemical weapons (CW)? There are, at present, very divergent views on who on earth used the chemical weapons. U.S. Secretary of State Kerry announced with ‘conviction’ that Bashar was behind the scenes and instigated the CW attack. However Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the United States neither had geographic coordinates and names, nor sufficient evidence from extracted samples. The U.N. Secretary-General Office of the Spokesman also said that the United Nations investigation team is the only organization that has the ability to carry out an investigation impartially and credibly. A U.S. news website said that the Syrian opposition has admitted that the ‘chemical weapons incident’ was caused by their own mishandling while processing chemical weapons. With so many different conclusions, what evidence does U.S. have to demonstrate that its own conclusion is the most credible? 
“Second, who gave the U.S. the right to place a ‘red line’ on Syria? 

“Third, did the United States violate international law in order to wage war against Syria? … In the absence of a U.N. Security Council authorization, is the U.S. military action against Syria also a violation of international law and should it be punished also? 
“Fourth, is the U.S. military action against Syria really to protect civilians? 

“Finally, why does the U.S. insist on using force while ignoring the opposition from all sides? 
“In a word, the United States, with its ‘warm heart,’ insisting on the use of force against Syria is by no means to protect civilians or to defend the dignity of international law. It has very vicious ulterior motives. Obama wants to use force to change the situation in Syria, to install a pro-American regime, and to pave the way to ultimately solve the Iranian nuclear issue.” 

Source: Xinhua, September 4, 2013 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-09/04/c_125311802.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations