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Police Brutality during Interrogations Declined 87 Percent

State media are reporting that, according to the Ministry of Public Security statistics, brutality against suspects during police interrogations has declined by 87 percent. Guo Shengkun, the Minister of Public Security, said “Over 90 percent of the police stations have completed upgrading the functional areas. Case handling, reception, office work, and living quarters are now in separated areas. The case-handling area has installed electronic surveillance. All suspects are now handled in the case-handling area and the entire interrogation of suspects is now videotaped.” “According to the Ministry of Public Security, brutality against suspects during police interrogation has declined by 87 percent.”

Numerous comments have been posted online.

“How did they know the number of interrogations in which police used brutal methods to extract confessions? Did they count and keep records on these abuses?”

“The report is untrue. A lot of incidents are not recorded.”

“Ah. Now I know. It used to be 100 percent.”

“Isn’t it true that the law prohibits the use of brutality to extract confessions? How come they now say that such brutality has declined? I am lost.”

“So in 17 percent of the cases, the police still beat people up to get a confession?”

Sources:
People’s Daily, June 27, 2013
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/0627/c1001-21985534.html
Sina.com blog
http://comment5.news.sina.com.cn/comment/skin/default.html?channel=gn&newsid=1-1-27513471

State Media: The Moral Decline of the United States

One of China’s state media, the International Herald Leader, published a commentary stating that morality in the United States has been declining, particularly since September 11, 2001, although there are still “righteous people” stepping forward.
 
“The United States asks others to abide by international law, while the U.S. itself has repeatedly violated international law. Recently, however, a series of events occurred, indicating that there are righteous people in the United States who come forward.”

The commentary cited Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden. “The fact that Manning disclosed how the U.S. has violated a large number of U.S. laws and the laws of other countries undoubtedly demonstrates that the U.S. system is in a serious moral decline. Likewise, in his daily work, former CIA [sic] employee Snowden also became extremely unhappy with the U.S. government’s abuse of power, excessive monitoring of its own citizens, and vigorous violations of the cyber security of other countries. He has been exposing such acts of the U.S. government so that other countries not only understand how fragile their own cyber network is, but also understand how the U.S. government plays the thief who cries ‘stop thief,’ and to what extent its morality has degenerated.”

Source: International Herald Leader, June 24, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0624/228922.shtml

Xi Jinping Seeks Unity and Discipline among Politburo Members

Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday, June 25, that, at a special meeting of the Politburo, the Chinese Communist Party’s chairman Xi Jinping said, "To see whether the Politburo is strong or not and whether the Politburo members are strong or not, one has to look first at whether they are politically strong or not. To strengthen the work of the Politburo, we must give top priority to ideological and political development."

Xi urged the Politburo to "strengthen the study of Marxist theory, in particular, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the thoughts of the ‘Three Represents,’ and the scientific concept of development, so as to grasp the scientific world view and methodology, be equipped with ideological weaponry, remain firm with the ideals and faith, and strengthen political sensitivity and discrimination," in order "to understand correctly and to firmly safeguard the bigger picture of the Party and the state, of reform, development, and stability, of the Party’s leadership and the security of the socialist regime, and of the unity of the Party and the whole nation."

He also asked the Politburo members to play an exemplary role in "strictly disciplining their relatives and staff members, refraining from abusing power, and not seeking personal privileges."

Source: BBC Chinese, June 25, 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/06/130625_xijinping_speech.shtml

Xi Jinping Strips the Amnesty Privilege from Politburo Members in the Anti-Corruption Campaign

An article, originally published by a Hong Kong monthly magazine QianShao, is being spread widely on the Internet. The article speculates that former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang might be the targeted “big tiger” in Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign. China’s State media reported that Zhou’s crony, former secretary Guo Yongxiang, is being investigated. 

The article reports, “at an expanded meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee, Xi Jinping said that he drafted an anti-corruption proposal together with Premier Li Keqiang. The proposal requires that anti-corruption actions must target “Tigers” [high-level, heavy-weight officials]. Xi also defined "big tiger" and upgraded it to the level of a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.” 
“Meanwhile, Xi proposed to abolish the internal rule that ‘no investigation should be initiated on a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.’ Instead, Politburo Standing Committee members, whether incumbent or retired, must accept a criminal investigation as long as the evidence is solid and it has had a negative influence at home and abroad.” 
Source: Wenxuecity, June 25, 2013 
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2013/06/25/2476767.html

China: U.S. Remarks about Snowden Leaving Hong Kong Are Unacceptable to China

At a briefing given by China’s Foreign Ministry on June 25, 2013, government spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the accusation that the United States made about China allowing Edward Snowden to depart from Hong Kong is groundless and not acceptable to China.
 
“The Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR) Government has handled this case entirely in accordance with applicable law, which is beyond reproach, and should be respected by all parties. For the United States to question whether the Hong Kong SAR Government is acting in accordance with the law does not make sense. The U.S. accusation about China’s central government is groundless and is unacceptable to China."

Hua stated, “Even today, the U.S. still makes these remarks, which really puzzles people. I’d like to advise these people to look at themselves in a mirror, reflect, and take care of their own situation first.” When asked about reports that the U.S. is investigating whether Snowden is a spy for China, Hua said, "[T]his is nonsense and extremely irresponsible."

Source: Xinhua, June 25, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-06/25/c_116286549.htm

Chinese Scholar: China Needs to Reform Its Entire Financial System Completely

On June 24, 2013, Securities Daily published an article titled “(China) Needs to Reform Its Entire Financial System Completely.” According to the article, in recent years, China’s capital assets reserve has been increasing too fast. China has become the country with the largest currency reserve in the world. As of late last year, China’s broad money (M2) balance was 97.42 trillion Chinese yuan, 1.5 times that of the United States’ M2 and close to a quarter of total global money supply. By the end of May 2013, China’s broad measure of money supply (M2) reached 104.21 trillion yuan. However, the effect of increasing loans to stimulate the economy is getting worse as domestic enterprises are facing high costs and a sluggish external demand from overseas.

China has separated its financial system from the real economy for years. A bubble has been growing in the virtual economy as China’s commercial banks have been loaning money to large enterprises that have the government’s backing. On the other hand, the private SMEs (small and medium enterprises) that do not no have such backing and collateral have to rely on the private lending market, a “shadow” lending market that charges high interest rates. Burdened with such high interest loans, the SMEs have a low return on investment and are thus declining.

Source: Securities Daily, June 24, 2013
http://zqrb.ccstock.cn/html/2013-06/24/content_362891.htm

Tightened Measures against Fraud on the College Entrance Exam Sparked Riot in China

Students and parents besieged proctors at a high school in Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province on June 8, 2013, because of tightened anti-cheating measures on the College Entrance Exam. The parents were protesting unjust treatment on the national college entrance exam, “Why is it that official’s children are allowed to cheat, but our children cannot cheat?” The proctors confiscated cell phones, set up wireless jammers that blocked cell phone and other signals, and frisked the students. Some male teachers were said to have "groped the girls’ chests.” The strict regulations angered many students and parents, who stormed the school after the exam ended. Several hundred students and their parents surrounded the school in protest, beating teachers, smashing the principal’s car, and ripping the school’s doors off their hinges. After the exam, a student’s parent beat the proctor who had confiscated that student’s cell phone.

Fraud on the College Entrance Examination is rampant in Zhongxiang and many places in China. Many of the local school officials, teachers, parents, and students are all involved in the fraud. Therefore, proctors from other cities were sent to Zhongxiang this year to tighten measures against cheating.

Source: China Gate, The Epoch Times, Education News, June 10 and June 19, 2013
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2013/06/19/2465348.html 
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/100661-college-entrance-exam-becomes-battleground-in-china/
http://www.educationnews.org/international-uk/anti-cheating-measures-on-college-entrance-exam-spark-riot-in-china/

Xi Jinping Requires the PLA to Oppose Formalism, Bureaucracy, Hedonism, and Extravagance

On June 21, 2013, China Review News published a report on Xi Jingping’s recent instructions to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regarding the Party’s mass line education practice activities. Xi stressed the requirement that the PLA must oppose formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance in the army. The PLA must be absolutely reliable and obey Xi’s commands.

Source: China Review News, June 21 & 22, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1025/9/3/2/102593285.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102593285&mdate=0621225026
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1025/9/3/6/102593645.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102593645&mdate=0622090053