Chinascope – Page 892

The Epoch Times: Incidents of Censorship in China Offer Test of New Leadership

On January 8, 2013, the Epoch Times published an article titled, “Incidents of Censorship in China Offer Test of New Leadership.” At a December 4, 2013, political meeting, Party leader Xi Jinping said, “A country ruled by law should first be ruled by the constitution and lawful governance should be based on the constitution.” After the new year, two influential liberal publications, Southern Weekend and Yanhuang Chunqiu, published special editorials echoing Xi’s call for lawful governance based on the constitution. Both editorials were harshly censored.

In the case of Southern Weekend, provincial propaganda chief Tuo Zhen secretly re-wrote its special editorial. After the publication of the re-written editorial, the journalists from Southern Weekend went on strike. Hundreds of Chinese came to the newspaper’s offices, laying flowers and expressing solidarity with the journalists. In response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on January 4, 2013, that China upholds press freedom and “there is no news censorship in China.” On January 7, 2013, the Central Propaganda Department officials handed down three instructions: “It is an unbreakable basic principle that the Party governs the media; Tuo Zhen had nothing to do with the changes made to Southern Weekend’s New Year’s editorial; the incident involved hostile foreign forces.”

Source: The Epoch Times, January 8, 2013
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/china-news/cases-of-censorship-in-china-offer-test-of-new-leadership-333760.html

Briefings | | January 9, 2013 | Government/Politics

China Military Online: China’s Four Weapons to Deter the United States and Japan

On January 6, 2013, China Military Online published an article titled “China’s Four Weapons to Deter the United States and Japan.” According to the article, the U.S. and Japan find a powerful China to be shocking. It stated, (We in) China no longer “hide our capabilities and bide our time.” Below is a list of the four weapons.

The Red Flag 9 air defense missile strikes fear in the U.S. "Patriot" missile system.
As Georgetown University Professor Philip Carbonell warned, the Dongfeng -41′ intercontinental ballistic missiles are equipped with nuclear warheads, “enough to aim at a population of more than 50,000 U.S. cities and towns."
Our nuclear submarines are equipped with the JL-2 missile, a type of killing machine that only the United States used to own.
China holds the world’s leading position in quantum dot laser theory research. Our super-power solid-state laser equipment is the best in the world; it has more than 30 thousand km of effective power to destroy.

Source: China Military Online, January 7, 2013
http://jz.chinamil.com.cn/scrollnews/2013-01/07/content_5171084.htm

Briefings | | January 9, 2013 | Defense/Military

IHL: A Sovereignty Declaration Might Result in an “Accidental Discharge”

On January 7, 2013, the International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua News Agency, published an article in which the reporter interviewed Major General Luo Yuan on the “probability of accidental discharges” involving neighboring countries. In the interview, Luo pointed out that many neighboring countries may declare sovereignty [over islands or border areas in dispute] and “some countries are good at sneak attacks.” Luo therefore foresaw the “probability of accidental discharges” occurring in 2013. Thus, he suggested, China must get ready.

Source: International Herald Leader, January 7, 2013
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2013/0106/145995.shtml

Briefings | | January 9, 2013 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: The U.S. is Mass-Selling Weapons to China’s Neighbors

Xinhua recently published an article which reviewed a number of media reports from Russia, Hong Kong, Iran, Taiwan, Japan, and Britain on U.S. arms sales in Asia. The number of fighter jets, missiles, and rockets that the U.S. will sell to China and North Korea’s neighbors is expected to increase significantly in 2013. U.S. Aerospace Industries Association, whose members include Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Northrop-Grumman, issued the same forecast. The Asian focus of the Obama administration and the increased Chinese defense budget are considered primary drivers behind this move. Experts suggested that conflicts in the South China Sea and the East Sea are fueling the U.S. arms manufacturers. Four Global Hawk unmanned aircraft worth US$1.2 billion were sold to South Korea right after North Korea’s rocket launch last month. It seems that both U.S. allies and their opposition agree that the re-balancing process in East and Southeast Asia is profiting the U.S. arms industry.

Source: Xinhua, January 5, 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-01/05/c_124184314_3.htm

Briefings | | January 8, 2013 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: PetroChina Investments in Iran Got Stuck

Xinhua recently reported that Iran’s Oil Ministry announced, at the end of 2012, that PetroChina “lacked the willingness” to push forward on the investments in some of its projects in Iran. The two sides have been in negotiations for over half a year and PetroChina is not moving forward. Last summer there had already been reports on PetroChina withdrawing from its investment plans. However, PetroChina officially denied any withdrawal. This new Iranian announcement is the latest development under the “shadow of U.S. sanctions.” PetroChina has recently been pulling workers out of some sea-side Iranian cities. PetroChina officials were not available to comment on the latest Iranian government announcement. After the U.S. sanctions started, all Western companies left Iran, which made the Chinese companies the primary investors in Iran’s energy industry. Restrictions and policy constraints present other barriers to PetroChina’s project schedules. PetroChina currently has four investment projects in Iran totaling over US$10 billion.

Source: Xinhua, January 5, 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2013-01/05/c_124186289.htm

Briefings | | January 8, 2013 | Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: Ministry of Commerce Concerned about the U.S. Control of Its Exports

People’s Daily recently reported that President Obama just signed the Fiscal 2013 National Defence Authorization Act, which maintained control of satellite exports to China. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce commented that the Act bans exports, re-exports, and the launch of U.S. satellites in China, while restrictions on other countries were loosen up. He expressed deep concern regarding this issue and pointed out that the United States previously agreed to lift the ban on high-tech exports to China if they were for civilian use. The spokesperson called on the U.S. to delivery on its previously promised reform of U.S. export control policies and asked the U.S. to drop its discrimination against China. He expressed the belief that a balanced trade will benefit both countries.

Source: People’s Daily, January 5, 2013

http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2013/0105/c1004-20099348.html

Briefings | | January 8, 2013 | US-China Relations

Xi Jinping: the Party Must Adhere to Socialism

On January 5, 2013, the Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping reiterated the Party’s determination to adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He stressed that the issue matters for the success or failure of the cause of the future of the Chinese Communist Party. And the Chinese Communist Party must unswervingly adhere to the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

After 1978, Deng Xiaoping began to replace the Mao era socialism featured by “class struggles” with one centered around opening-up and reform. Many people believe there is a fundamental difference between Deng’s socialism and Mao’s socialism. Xi Jinping also stressed that one can neither use the historical period after the reform and opening-up to negate the historical period before the reform and opening-up, nor use the earlier period to negate the later period of reform and opening-up. "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is socialism and not any other doctrine. The basic principles of scientific socialism cannot be abandoned; otherwise it’s not socialism."

Source: Xinhua, January 7, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-01/07/c_124196084.htm

Briefings | | January 7, 2013 | Government/Politics

27 Percent of China’s Billionaires Have Emigrated

China’s International Migration Report (2012) was released in December 2012. The report showed that in China, among business owners with personal assets of more than one billion yuan (US$160 million), 27 percent have emigrated, and 47 percent are considering emigration. In the past three years, at least 17 billion yuan ($US2.7 billion) of capital has flown abroad.

The Blue Book shows that the emigration of the wealthy reflects, to a certain extent, the problem of capital flight. Some people transferred their "gray income" overseas to achieve tax avoidance and also to evade prosecution in accordance with the national laws. This capital flight has led to a huge loss of the nation’s wealth.

Source: Xinhua, January 6, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2013-01/06/c_124191693.htm

Briefings | | January 7, 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.