Chinascope – Page 840

China Has the Highest Number of People Who Die from Overwork

Xinhua carried a news article that China Review News had originally published reporting that 600,000 people in China die from overwork or Karōshi each year, which is an average of 1,600 people a day. This number is the highest in the world and even surpasses Japan. Most of them are young professionals; they die from cardio-cerebrovascular disease symptoms. Work pressure, over-exhaustion, and stress are the main contributors to the cause of death. Close to 70 percent of the people born in the 1980s claim they feel overworked.

Source: Xinhua, July 14, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2013-07/14/c_124998901_2.htm

Briefings | | July 15, 2013 | Information/Technology

Wanda Group CEO: Build Channels to Export Chinese Culture Overseas

Huanqiu recently interviewed Wang Jianling, CEO of Wanda, who told Huanqiu that China’s ability to export its culture overseas would be very difficult without acquiring and having control of the proper channels. Wang acknowledged that acquiring AMC has enabled Wanda to take a first step into the world’s culture industry. Wanda’s goal is to reach a 20 percent market share worldwide by 2020. Wang continued, “We plan to show three to five Chinese movies in the U.S. this year. I don’t care which movies will be shown but AMC must do so. Otherwise, we will fire the management. If we have worldwide channels like this, why should we be concerned about not exporting Chinese movies to the world?” Wang also claimed that Wanda might consider investing in some influential television stations overseas or participating in the distribution of English films worldwide. “Only through this, can we make culture infiltration possible and allow our culture to go out the door,” Wang said. Wanda Group recently announced a US$1.08 billion investment in building a Wanda Hotel in London and a US$483 million purchase of UK yacht builder Sunseeker. It was back in May 2012, that Wanda announced its acquisition of AMC, a U.S. Cinema chain, for US$260 million. The purchase made Wanda the largest owner of movie theaters in the world.

Source: Xinhua, July 11, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2013-07/11/c_132525691.htm

Briefings | | July 15, 2013 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Huanqiu Editorial-: The U.S. Should Be More Honest in the Sino-U.S. Dialogue

Huanqiu published an editorial to give “suggestions” to the Chinese delegates participating in the China-U.S. dialogue. The following are excerpts from the article:

“The biggest problem in China-U.S. relations is that the U.S. appears to be frank and honest, but actually, it has a lot of hidden hypocrisy and tricks. The U.S. has many systems through which it can channel and express its demands. Congressmen, labor unions, and the media can always weigh in on the issue of Sino-US relations. Some play good cop and some others play bad cop, forming a pattern of dealing with the Chinese from multi-sides.”

“The U.S. is also good at openly posturing, trying to control the high ground through the media before the dialogue. Regarding the Internet security issues, the United States has been pretending to be a victim for several years. It has now been proven that the U.S. is the world’s most serious organizer and implementer of cyber espionage.”

“The United States is so used to hypocrisy and being bossy. The Americans even suggest that their pretense is "good faith." We must suppress how the Americans play these bad habits in front of us.”

“The Snowden [incident] is a good opportunity. We do not necessarily need to play the Snowden card in the China-U.S. strategic dialogue, but whether to play this card or not, the Chinese delegate should have the card ready in hand, applying it as a psychological pressure to the Americans.”

“We should spare no effort to dissolve the American’s strong negotiating power. China now has a capital advantage; its market capacity is developing rapidly; technological progress is gradually catching up. The equality status between China and the U.S. is already closing; and now it is time for the United States to reflect on its attitude toward China.”

“The Chinese delegate should strive to get stronger in the dialogue. There is no need to worry that it will damage China-U.S. relations. China-U.S. strategic relations are backed by a gigantic exchange of contents and are not so fragile.”

Source: Huanqiu (Globe), July 11, 2013

http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-07/4115156.html

Briefings | | July 12, 2013 | US-China Relations

Red Flag Manuscript: Solidify China through Propaganda

Xinhua reprinted a Red Manuscripts’ interview of Zhan Dexiong, a Xinhua researcher, on how to use propaganda to solidify China.

Zhan stated, “Revolution depends on two rods – the gun and the pen; these are the heirlooms of the Chinese Communist Party. Looking at the situation at home and abroad, although the political, economic, cultural, and public opinion means have undergone tremendous changes, reality tells us not only that we cannot throw these two rods away; we must greatly enhance them. It is not because of people’s subjective intent, but because the reality of the situation forces us to do so.”

Zhan also stated that the current situation is unfolding in China’s favor because the United States and Europe have been struggling with their respective political or economic crises and are helplessly watching China’s rise. "You could say that we now in a better position to push propaganda and ideological work toward a new height."

Zhan recommended that China get out of the box of the Western hegemony of discourse and build its own discourse community. He also suggested, “Through propaganda, we should make clear to the cadres and the masses what are the advantages of our democracy and the Achilles heel of the West.

Source: Red Flag Mnauscripts reprinted by Xinhua, July 11, 2013 http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-07/11/c_124994085.htm

Briefings | | July 12, 2013 | Government/Politics

Qiushi: Former Soviet Union Stopped Controlling the Armed Forces

Qiushi published a commentary on how the former Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) abandoned its role of leadership of its armed forces and the Soviet Union ended up disintegrating.

“At that time, the Soviet Communist Party discontinued its leadership of the armed forces. At the critical juncture, the armed forces simply stood by without taking any action. At the last moment, the Soviet Union collapsed instantly and the CPSU fell apart. What a profound lesson!”

According to the commentary, first, the former CPSU discarded Lenin’s principles and abolished the CPSU leadership of the military so that, in the end, the military did not follow the Party. Second, Gorbachev’s “reform and the new thinking” collapsed the ideological foundation of the CPSU’s leadership of the military. Consequently, the military did not have a unified resolve or will at the most critical moment. Lastly, the CPSU’s unrealistic military reform undermined military discipline and order and led to chaos among the military.

Source: Qiushi, July 10, 2013
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2013/201313/201307/t20130710_247739.htm

Briefings | | July 12, 2013 | Defense/Military

Drop in China’s Foreign Trade Exacerbates Fears of Economic Slowdown

On Wednesday, July 10, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) released data showing that, in June, the total value of China’s imports and exports was two trillion yuan (US$0.3 trillion), down two percent from the same month last year. The decline in exports was as high as 3.1 percent. The data was beyond analysts’ expectations. Many expected China’s exports to grow at about four percent in June. Meanwhile the imports in June also fell by a lesser amount of 0.7 percent, indicating a weakness in China’s domestic demand.

Zheng Yuesheng, an official at GAC, worries about the severe challenges that China’s foreign trade faces. He predicted more difficulties in the second half. Zheng suggested that China needs to adjust the structure of its foreign trade to protect its products in the global market.

Source: BBC Chinese, July 10, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/07/130710_china_export.shtml

Briefings | | July 11, 2013 | Economy/Resources

China Presented a Wax Statue of Kim Jong Il to North Korea

On July 9, the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the Great Man Wax Museum of China jointly organized a ceremony in Beijing in order to "present a wax statue of Comrade Kim Jong Il" to the Korean people. The North Korean delegation traveled to Beijing to receive Kim Jong Il’s wax statue. Zhang Murray, the president of the Great Man Wax Museum of China, delivered a speech at the ceremony.

Source: People’s Daily, July 10, 2013

http://world.people.com.cn/n/2013/0710/c1002-22144115.html

Briefings | | July 11, 2013 | Geo-Strategic Trend

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.