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China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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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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China Denies Cyber Attack Allegations

Geng Yansheng, spokesman for China’s Ministry of Defense, held a press briefing on February 20, 2013. At the briefing, he dismissed Mandiant’s report about cyber attacks emanating from China as groundless. He stated, “Chinese law prohibits any activities that undermine cyber security, including hacker attacks. The Chinese government always and resolutely cracks down on related criminal activities. The Chinese armed forces have never supported any hacking activities.”

Geng said that Mandiant’s report was groundless for several reasons. First its conclusion that the source of cyber attacks came from China was based solely on its discovery that the attacks were linked to IP addresses based in China. It is common that hacking attacks are carried out by using other people’s IP addresses. Second, the world has not developed any clear and consistent definition of cyber attacks and thus the report is without legal basis. Third, cyber attacks are transnational, anonymous, and deceptive; their sources are rather difficult to identify. Releasing irresponsible information will not help solve problems.

Geng further said that China actually is a major victim of cyber attacks. By tracing the IP addresses (of attacks in China), it was found that many of the attacks came from the United States.

Source: Xinhua, February 20, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-02/20/c_114738517.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Acknowledged Severe Pollution and “Cancer Villages”

China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection recently issued the 12th Five-Year Environment Plan for Risk Prevention and Control of Chemical Products. The Plan acknowledged that a variety of chemical substances have been detected in some Chinese rivers, lakes and coastal waters, wildlife, and human beings. Toxic and hazardous chemicals have resulted in multiple incidents of acute water and air environmental emergencies and in drinking water crises in many regions. "Cancer villages" have developed in some regions.

Earlier, some Chinese media reported on a widely circulated Google map, which displays more than 100 "cancer villages" in the country. Most of these "cancers villages" are reportedly located in the affluent eastern coastal regions, which were the first to bring in the introduced pollution-prone industries from overseas. However, with the readjustment of the industrial structure and environmental regulations, there are signs that contaminated areas and cancer villages are developing inland as well.

The report also pointed to the frequent occurrences of industrial accidents in the production of dangerous chemicals, transportation accidents, and environmental emergencies caused by illegal sewage. On January 31, 39 tons of aniline leaked from a chemical plant in Changzhi City, Hebei Province, with 8.7 tons flowing into a local river, causing a water outage in a large area in nearby Handan City.

Source: BBC Chinese, February 21, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/02/130221_china_pollution_cancer.shtml

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

A Clash of Values, Part III

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Part II of the series discussed how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) obtained its power through the barrel of a gun. The Party claimed that it represented “the people” and thus had full legitimacy to use all means possible, including dictatorship and terrorist killings, to achieve this goal. To maintain its control, justify its legitimacy, and deflect attention from people’s desire for reform, the Party shifted their focus to economic growth. Though many problems surfaced under what has come to be known as the “China model,” such as a high concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, endemic corruption, environmental problems bordering on disaster, unfairness toward foreign companies, and violent mistreatment of dissidents and minority groups, the Party has never stopped proclaiming that it is “Great, Glorious, and Correct,” and blaming others for China’s problems.

The entire Communist system was, during the formative stages of CCP governance, based on Karl Marx’s Communist theory, the bible for the Communist Parties. The CCP later expanded the base to include Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought. The CCP’s Communist ideology spread throughout China from the 1950s to the 1970s. By the end of the Cultural Revolution (1966 – 1976), however, the Communist bubble had burst. Having seen so much violence, the Chinese people no longer believed in a Communist Utopia.

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Analyses | | |   Opinion

Xinhua: Degree of Mutual Trust in Chinese Society Fell Significantly

Xinhua recently reported that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences released the latest bluebook entitled, "Chinese Social Mentality Research Report 2012-2013." The research, which involved a survey of over 1900 people, showed that the overall trust level among Chinese people fell below 60 points, which is the redline, or bottom line for trust among people. Only around twenty percent of the people surveyed suggested they might trust a stranger. The conclusions in the bluebook triggered strong responses from the Chinese public. In addition to the distrust among individuals, the research showed that the trust degree between consumers and commercial businesses has reached a low point. The trust relationship between citizens and the government, people and the police, and between patients and doctors has also worsened. Experts pointed out that the research results demonstrated clearly that the moral standard in today’s Chinese society is rapidly slipping downwards. The report called for reforms in the legal and the social systems, as well as stopping the government’s abuse of power.
Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2013-02/17/c_124352323.htm
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

South Korean Media: Signs of New North Korea Nuclear Test in Planning Stage

Xinhua recently reported that, based on information provided by South Korean media, South Korean authorities obtained intelligence indicating that North Korea is preparing for another nuclear test. Transportation activities at the same nuclear test site have been discovered and they match the pattern of the preparation work done before previous tests. Sources from the South Korean military suggested that they believe a new nuclear test is ready, pending only a political decision. The Xinhua report also mentioned an Agence France-Presse news piece suggesting that, according to a U.S. think tank, North Korea is preparing a long-range missile launch. 
Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-02/17/c_124351493.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: Russia Plans to Strengthen Relationship with China

Xinhua recently reported that Russian President Putin approved a new foreign policies framework. Traditionally a newly elected Russian president always develops a foreign policies framework as a guide for his term of service. According to an official document released on the Presidential website, developing friendly relationships with China and India is the most important direction Russia is taking. The document expressed the belief that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is having a bigger and bigger constructive impact on the Asia-Pacific region. Russia is planning to strengthen the “comprehensive strategic partnership” relationship with China. This indicates the active development of cooperation in all areas. The new policies also stated that Russia intends to cooperate with the United States in some areas, with the condition that the U.S. will not interfere with other nation’s internal affairs.
Source: Xinhua, February 17, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-02/17/c_124351244.htm
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Huanqiu Editorial: No Blockage of North Korea Even If More Nuclear Tests

On February 17, 2013, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an editorial on the Chinese regime’s attitude toward North Korea in terms of its potential 4th and 5th nuclear tests to occur within this coming year. The article said that China should reduce aid to North Korea as a reaction to its third nuclear test. “Beijing should also tell Pyongyang that we will reduce our aid to them even further if they continue to fire rockets and conduct new nuclear tests.”

However, it continued, “China will still be North Korea’s friend. This is not a hypocritical statement. It means that China will not join forces with the United States, Japan, and South Korea to enforce a sea and land blockade of North Korea. China will oppose the UN Security Council if it tries to pass any resolution with a radical approach that might threaten the North Korean regime. China is against North Korea having nuclear weapons; but China will not make a 180 degree turn in its attitude towards North Korea.”

Source: Huanqiu, February 17, 2013
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2013-02/3645628.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Leftist Website Congratulates North Korea for Its 3rd Nuclear Test

On February 13, 2013, China’s leftist website, Utopia, published an editorial titled, “Utopia Warmly Congratulates North Korea for the Success of Its Third Nuclear Test.” The article praised North Korea for “withstanding the pressure from the reactionary forces led by the United States and condemned “the evil international order maintained by the U.S. imperialists and their minions.”  The article further criticized the U.S. and the Western hostile capitalists for “trying to stifle the socialist causes in China and North Korea” and “forcing the traitor forces inside the Chinese Communist Party leadership to betray the Party and the people, a mistake similar to that made by the former Soviet Union.” According to the article, the nuclear tests in both China and North Korea were “great achievements in breaking through the imperialist’s policies of nuclear blackmail and containment.” The article said that the relationship between China and North Korea is interdependent, just like lips and teeth, and that China will continue to support North Korea no matter what happens.

However, many Chinese people, especially those in the three northeastern provinces next to North Korea, were worried about the nuclear pollution that North Korea’s nuclear test caused. They were very disappointed that the Chinese regime did not do anything to protect the Chinese residents except to issue an oral protest afterwards. In comparison, prior to the test, the Russian government evacuated those of their residents who were close to North Korea.

Source: Utopia, February 13, 2013
http://www.wyzxsd.com/article.php?id=3524
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/sy1-02142013144811.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2013/02/130214_leftist_support_korea.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend