China’s Vice Minister of Health, Huang Jiefu, announced that China will set up a voluntary organ donation program and, within two years, will be able to reduce its reliance on organs from executed prisoners. “China has become a major country in organ transplants, second to the United States. However, China has a ‘soft rib’ – long term reliance on organs donated by executed prisoners,” Huang said.

Huang acknowledged that “there are some deep issues relating to organ transplants that are yet to be resolved, including confusion about organ sources, a lack of donated organs, an illegal organ trade, and transplant tourism.”

Huang stated, “The Party’s Central Committee is determined that China, as a major political and civilized power, will change this situation.”

[Editor’s Note: Several sources have reported that a large number of organs have been harvested secretly, with security forces and military-medical personnel conducting the operations. While the Ministry of Health announced it will reduce its reliance on organs from executed prisoners, it has no authority over operations that take place in military hospitals.]

Source: Southern Metropolis Daily (Nanfang Dushi), November 22, 2012
http://epaper.oeeee.com/A/html/2012-11/22/content_1758753.htm

On November 19, 2012, Xinhua published an article by Xi Jingping, China’s new general secretary of the CCP Central Committee, titled “Study the Party Constitution Seriously and Strictly Abide by the Party Constitution.” Xi said that Party leaders are required to “take the lead in implementing the Party’s political discipline, consciously safeguard the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee’s authority, enforce work procedures, carry out orders, and ensure that the CCP Central Committee’s decrees are passed down smoothly.”

The newly amended CCP Constitution incorporated Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Jiang Zemin’s Three Represents, and Hu Jintao’s Scientific Outlook on Development into its guiding ideology.

Source: Xinhua, November 19, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/18cpcnc/2012-11/19/c_113722461.htm

On November 20, 2012, People’s Daily’s Hebei edition republished an article from China Economic Weekly written by the former editor-in-chief of People’s Daily’s Overseas Edition, Zhanguo Shu, who is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, titled, “China Will Never Take the Evil Road of the Western Multi-Party System.”

Zhanguo cited Hu Jintao in his article, “Unswervingly holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must not take the old path that is closed and rigid; nor must we take the evil road of changing flags and banners.” Zhangguo explained that the evil road is that of Western parliamentary democracy and the multi-party system.
 
Source: People’s Daily, November 20, 2012
http://he.people.com.cn/n/2012/1120/c337249-17742793.html