Chinascope – Page 895

People’s Daily on the Growth and Benefits of Confucius Institutes around the World

Qiushi Theory carried an article, that People’s Daily had originally published, on the expansion of the Confucius Institute project around the world. The article claimed that Confucius Institutes offer many benefits. One example is that they “enable foreigners to understand China without bias and hostility.” According to the article, the Confucius Institute project has not only bridged the gap between China and the rest of the world; a member of the Austrian parliament commented that it has also become a “China Affairs consultant” for the Austrian government.

As of July 2012, there were 387 Confucius Institutes and 509 Confucius Classes established in 108 countries and regions. The number of Confucius Institutes is expected to reach 500 by 2015. In the meantime, according to the article, the project also faces challenges in teacher resource and materials shortages.

Source: Qiushi Theory, August 10, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/yw/201208/t20120810_175109.htm

Briefings | | August 13, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Migrants Work Close to 55 Hours Per Week

On August 6, 2012, the National Population and Family Planning Commission of China released China’s 2012 Migrant Population Development Report. According to the report, the migrant population reached 230 million in 2011, accounting for 17 percent of the national population. Migrant worker’s average age was 28. In 2011, no more than 30 percent of the entire migrant workers population had insurance. Migrant worker’s insurance includes pensions, medical care, disability, unemployment, maternity, and funds for housing. Seventy-two percent of migrants either rent or share housing with others.

According to the report, China’s migrant workers work an average of 54.6 hours per week, far surpassing the standard 40 hour work week stipulated in China’s Labor Law. Only 51.3 percent of migrant workers have a fixed-term labor contract.

Source: The Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, August 7, 2012
http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2012-08/07/content_2199409.htm

Briefings | | August 10, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Politburo Requires Police Chiefs to Exchange Posts

Huanqiu reported that local police chiefs at the provincial, regional, and city levels, who participated in a recent campaign to exchange their posts, have reported to their new positions in different regions. Li Yuanchao, Politburo member and head of the Communist Party Organization Department, stated that “pursuant to the requirement of the Party’s Central Committee, gradually, all police departments will be headed by those from outside the region in which they serve.” The the Communist Party’s Central Committee initiated the post-exchange campaign in order to strength national public security in a bid to prevent corruption and promote upright police enforcement.

Source: Huanqiu, August 2, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/politics/2012-08/2980271.html

Briefings | | August 10, 2012 | Government/Politics

Expert: U.S. and Japanese Reconnaissance Aircraft Will Be Vulnerable If They Come Close to China

Major General Yin Zhuo, Director of the Experts Committee on Naval Information, made a guest appearance at the Powerful Nation Forum sponsored by People’s Daily. He exchanged ideas with Chinese Internet users about the plan that Japan and the United States have for their joint defense and how the plan relates to China’s national security. In talking about the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft that Japan and the U.S. use to monitor China’s marine activities, Yin said that the United States and Japan’s reconnaissance activities are a big threat to China during peacetime, but, when they come close to China during wartime, they will be vulnerable.

Source: People’s Daily, August 8, 2012
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2012/0808/c1011-18698296.html

Briefings | | August 10, 2012 | US-China Relations

Chinese Scholar: Navy Needs 3-5 Carrier Battle Groups

In an article published on Globe Magazine, a publication under the official Xinhua News Agency, Wang Haiyun, a major-general, former diplomat, and scholar at a government think tank on China-Russian relations, proposed to equip the Chinese navy with three to five carrier battle groups.

“Considering its degree of modernization and oceanic combat capability, the Chinese navy can only be called a ‘near-shore navy’ and ‘offshore navy,’ which can only meet the needs of the coastline and offshore defense. In order to maintain the security of three million square kilometers of sea territory effectively, we must build a more powerful navy.”

“Over the years, the United States, Japan, and other countries have subjected our country to strategic containment. In the past two years, the U.S. has announced a high-profile ‘return to the Asia-Pacific’ by building an alliance system of our neighboring countries with a focus on the oceans. Japan was also eager to organize a ‘value based alliance’ as the vanguard of the U.S. Facing this relatively serious maritime security threat, to deal with the challenges, stabilize the peripheral security environment, and break the US-Japan containment, we must concentrate on the ocean.”

“Another related problem is: with economic development and the rising scale of imports of resources and energy and exports of all kinds of goods, we must place an ever growing reliance on our maritime transport and our ability to secure our maritime transport. With the instability of a few countries at the global choke-points of maritime transport, if China does not have the military capability of sea deterrence and handling emergent events, it will be difficult to avoid being subject to the blackmail of certain countries.”

“As a world power with a growing global interest and responsibility, we need to push for an early start to the construction of the ‘deep blue navy.’ It is essential to build, as quickly as possible, several modern aircraft carrier battle groups with comprehensive combat capability. Neither oceanic territory defense nor military power delivery can be achieved without these aircraft carrier battle groups. As for the number, with our vast ocean territory and difficulties in carrying out our responsibilities as a global power, we cannot do without three to five aircraft carrier battle groups.”

Source: Globe Magazine, July 31, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/globe/2012-07/31/c_131737507.htm

Briefings | | August 9, 2012 | Defense/Military

Xinhua: Clinton’s Trip to Africa Was to Sow Discord

Xinhua published a commentary on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Africa. According to the commentary, during her speech in Senegal, Secretary Clinton implied that China is only interested in Africa for its natural resources. The commentary declared that her statement was untrue and that the Western countries are the ones that plunder Africa for its resources. It went on to state that the motive for her trip was to sow discord between China and African nations, to discredit China-Africa cooperation, and to restrain China’s influence in Africa.

Source: Xinhua, August 3, 2012 reprinted by cnfol.com, August 6, 2012
http://gold.cnfol.com/120806/171,1988,12930479,00.shtml

Briefings | | August 9, 2012 | US-China Relations

Huanqiu Editorial: Americans Better Be Clear that the South China Sea Is Not the Caribbean

Huanqiu (The Global Times, a publication under Xinhua) published an editorial following the U.S. State Department’s statement that publicly criticized China’s establishment of Sansha City and its creation of a new garrison in the South China Sea. The article stated, “It is well within China’s expectation that the U.S. is more and more obviously adopting a biased policy on the South China Sea issue that favors the Philippines and Vietnam. When the Philippines and Vietnam are more active, the U.S. remains relatively ‘neutral.’ When the Chinese take a little initiative, the U.S. immediately gives up its ‘neutral’ stand and jumps right in to ‘balance’ China. In general, the attitude of the U.S. follows such a pattern.”

The article commented, “It is a fact that the U.S. is influential in the South China Sea, but it is also obvious that the U.S. cannot do what it wants. The Philippines and Vietnam has been very provocative and presumptuous toward China recently. It has already seen the potential impact of the United States. The era when the U.S. can blow up a storm in the South China Sea just by giving a mere hint is actually almost over.”

“The U.S. now openly condemns China’s establishment of Sansha City. It no longer has much influence. The U.S. may come up with sharper criticism in the future, but this will gradually be no more than trash talk. The actual impact (of the U.S.) on the South China Sea is decreasing.”

The article warned, “The South China Sea is not the Caribbean. Americans should be sober minded.”

Source: Huanqiu, August 6, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2012-08/2990673.html
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-08/06/c_123537467.htm

Briefings | | August 9, 2012 | US-China Relations

Study Times on Regulating Microblogs in China

On August 6, 2012, Study Times published an article discussing the challenges brought about by microblogs and the strategies the authorities should use to deal with microblogs in the event of a crisis. In China, 96% of Internet users know how use microblogs to check and release information and to post comments about large and sudden incidents. The article suggested strategies to strengthen crisis management and deal with the effects of microblogs in the event of a crisis:

Constantly collect information on the Internet and submit the feedback to the relevant departments quickly so as to resolve any microblog crisis at the initial stage.
The government should release authoritative news in a timely manner, using touching language, following the principle of "quickly report the facts, cautiously report the reasons, and then release follow-up information later.”
Guide and regulate public opinion by spreading filtered and selected views.
Stop any “rumors” from spreading and use law enforcement to regulate the Internet effectively.

Source: Study Times, August 6, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/08/06/05/05_34.htm

Briefings | | August 8, 2012 | Information/Technology

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.

CCP, Master of Hostage Diplomacy