Chinascope – Page 874

China Politburo Member Accused of Nepotism in Violation of China’s Civil Service Law

Li Jianguo, a newly elected Chinese Communist Politburo Member and the National People’s Congress Vice Chairman, has been accused of violating China’s Civil Service Law. He promoted his nephew-in-law, Zhang Hui, from a deputy division chief to the Party Secretary of Shizhong District in Jining City in Shangdong Province, making Zhang the youngest department-level cadre, thus violating the law.

On December 16, 2012, Han Chongguang from Handan, Hebei Province posted a miniblog stating that he had just made a report, using his real name, of the alleged violation to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for investigation. "Around 5 pm on the afternoon of December 16, 2012, I published a posting on the [sina] miniblog in which I used my real name to report on Zhang Hui, who was promoted in violation of regulations. Twenty minutes later, the posting was re-posted over 1,500 times. At 5:25, the sina miniblog administrator deleted my posting. I re-posted it nine times and each time the posting was deleted.”

Li served as the Party Secretary for Shangdong Province from 2007 to 2008 before being promoted to Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress. He became a Politburo member in November 2012.

Source: China Yulun Wang, December 16 and 17, 2012
http://www.yulun55.us/article/8723.html
http://www.yulun55.com/article/8715.html

Briefings | | December 28, 2012 | Government/Politics

People’s Daily: Placing a Straitjacket on the Internet

Recently, in response to waves of online reports netizens have posted about the corruption of government officials, People’s Daily published a series of commentaries on tightening the control of speech on the Internet.

On December 23, 2012, People’s Daily published a commentary titled, “With a Bottom Line, [the Internet] Can be Healthy.” The commentary stated, “Openness does not mean a person can do whatever he likes; freedom of expression does not equate to cursing all over the place; information sharing does not mean a person can freely publish others’ private affairs and spread rumors everywhere.”

On December 24, People’s Daily published another commentary on the same subject, titled “Place the Straitjacket of the Rule of Law on the Internet World.” The author advocated, “Only by placing the straitjacket of the rule of law on the Internet, … and making the offenders bear the burden of their offense, can we possibly rein in those irresponsible rumors.”

Source: People’s Daily, December 23 and 24, 2012
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2012/1223/c1003-19983605.html
http://opinion.people.com.cn/n/2012/1224/c1003-19994325.html

Briefings | | December 28, 2012 | Government/Politics

People’s Daily: U.S. 2013 NDAA Is a Gross Violation of China’s Sovereign Rights

Xinhua published a People’s Daily commentary that assailed the United States for aligning with Japan and for its possible arms sale to Taiwan. Before Christmas, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013. The NDAA contains two amendments related to China, both of which express “the sense of Congress.” One amendment recognizes Japan’s administration of the Senkaku Islands and that the U.S.-Japan Joint Security Treaty applies to the islands if they come under attack. This “constitutes a gross violation of China’s sovereign rights and domestic affairs.” The other amendment calls for selling advanced F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Taiwan, which “amounts to a blunt interference in China’s domestic affairs.”

Source: Xinhua, December 23, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-12/23/c_114123020.htm

Briefings | | December 27, 2012 | US-China Relations

Boxun: Jiang Zemin Involved in a 1.2 Trillion Yuan Securities Fraud Case

Boxun, an online overseas Chinese news media, quoted a report from Hong Kong Cheng Ming magazine that the Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating the biggest securities fraud case in Chinese history; it amounts to over 1.2 trillion yuan (US$19 billion). Former CCP leader Jiang Zemin, Jia Qinglin, Huang Ju, Jiang Zemin’s son Jiang Mianheng, and Jiang’s nephew Wu Zhiming were all involved. The news came from a source close to Beijing’s high-level officials. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) found in December 2002 that a huge sum of money, amounting to over US$20 billion came out of China and was not claimed. Later, Liu Jinbao revealed from prison that Jiang Zemin had sent the money out because he was trying to prepare for the CCP’s 16th Congress in case of any unforeseen event. Liu Jinbao once served as the governor of the Bank of China’s Shanghai Branch.

Source: Boxun, December 22, 2012

http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2012/12/201212221155.shtml

Briefings | | December 26, 2012 | Grapevine

China Can Take Advantage of the Limitations of the U.S.

Xinhua published an article in which Huang Renwei, Vice President of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, discussed how China could improve its development by taking advantage of the the United States’ limitations. Huang observed that China’s overall strategic strength is far weaker than the United States. However, the U.S. has limitations in certain areas. It is therefore realistically possible for China to constrain the U.S. by taking advantage of these strategic limitations.

Huang listed five limitations that the U.S. has: 1) Constantly breaking the debt limit and devaluing the dollar is its biggest strategic limitation. 2) U.S. military power is on a relative decline. Due to substantial pressure from its domestic social security system, the percent of military spending in the fiscal budget is getting smaller and smaller. 3) The United States has cut science and technology spending. Insufficient funding for science and technology and for education will cause the U.S. technology advantage to weaken. 4) In 10 to 20 years time, the U.S. allies system will disintegrate. If The United States cannot provide public goods, which is their biggest need, for its allies, it will be difficult to completely control its allied countries. This will shake the United States’ position of global hegemony. 5) The United States has been using its geopolitical advantage to control the world. In the new geopolitical structure, geo-economic factors have more weight than geopolitical factor. When we put our money into Asian countries and establish an Asian network surrounding China, the geo-economy led by China will supplant the United States ability to dominate using its Asian geopolitical advantages.

Huang concluded, “If we put these five limitations together, the great advantage of the United States will face enormous constraints. By firmly taking advantage of the U.S.’s strategic limitations, China can obtain a strategic balance against the U.S. with a relatively small effort and gain longer and greater strategic opportunities (for China’s development).”

Source: Xinhua, December 20, 2012

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-12/20/c_124122632.htm

Briefings | | December 21, 2012 | US-China Relations

Guangming Daily: Stepping up Internet Control

On December 19, 2012, the state media, Guangming Daily, published a commentary titled “Establishing the Bottom Line in Applying the Rule of Law to the Internet World.” The commentary proclaimed that there is an urgent need to regulate activities on the Internet. “People use the Internet as a tool in their livelihood and in production. Activities on the Internet reflect society’s activities. The Internet cannot and should not become an empire where there is freedom but no restraint. … After all, the Internet should never be above the law. … For China, we must immediately implement the rule of law to re-enforce control over the Internet. … It is urgent that legislation be passed to regulate the Chinese Internet.”

Source: Guangming Daily reprinted by Xinhua, December 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2012-12/20/c_124121216.htm

Briefings | | December 21, 2012 | Government/Politics

Abuse of Office: Deputy Had Eight Hot Baths in one Day

According to an article in Xinhua, the abuse of office increases as the end of the year approaches. “A county in Inner Mongolia is known for its hot springs. The deputy of the county magistrate in charge of external propaganda complained to the Xinhua reporter that, when the year end is just around the corner, many government departments come to visit the county to conduct inspections. One day, he received over a dozen official guests. What most of them wanted was to experience the hot springs. He ended up having eight hot baths that day. By the end of the day, he was almost dehydrated. For the last bath, he did not even bother to change clothes. He just waited right in the tub for his guests to join him.” In another county in Inner Mongolia, a county official told the reporter that, on that day, he had four breakfasts with those visiting officials.

Source: Xinhua, December 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2012-12/20/m_124120545.htm

Briefings | | December 21, 2012 | Government/Politics

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.