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China Issued 2012 Energy Policy White Paper

On October 24, 2012, China’s State Council Information Office issued the “2012 Energy Policy White Paper.” The White Paper gave an overview of the current status of energy development, the challenges that China faces, and a road-map to develop a new type of energy, while promoting collaboration with other countries.

According to the White Paper, by 2015, China plans to increase non-fossil energy production to 11.4 percent of its total energy consumption. At the same time, it plans to reduce domestic energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 16 percent and 17 percent respectively compared to 2010. It will continue its energy reform by developing new energy and renewable energy sources. It also calls for collaboration from the countries around the world to promote sustainable energy and to protect the world energy market, while also ensuring price stability, safety, and a smooth supply chain system.

Source: Xinhua, October 24, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-10/24/c_113483986.htm

Xinhua: Over 83,000 Party Officials Return Illegally Obtained Money

On October 22, 2012, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), released information about officials who returned money they had previously obtained illegally. According to the release, the Party issued an anti-corruption guide in January 2010. Since that time, 83,195 Party officials voluntarily returned cash, securities, and bonds worth over 771 million yuan (about U.S.$123 million) to Party authorities. The release said that, in addition to the amount that was returned, the Party disciplinary commission also reported that it had confiscated 392 million yuan of illegal gains. During the same period of time, the Party’s disciplinary committee investigated and punished more than 3,500 Party officials in a bid to crack down on corruption inside the Party. Since January 2011, “more than 1 million government officials above division level reported their personal matters to higher authorities; of those, 100% of those at the mid-level of management reported personal matters.”

Source: Xinhua, October 23, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/yuqing/2012-10/23/c_123857808.htm

Three Gorges Dam Project Is an Unexploded Powder Keg

On October 19, 2012, China Gate reprinted an article from another source titled “The Truth is Getting Closer: The Three Gorges Dam Project Is an Unexploded Powder Keg.” The article gave a comprehensive description of the dangers related to the Three Gorges Dam Project. It also pointed out that the Three Gorges Project has not achieved flood control; nor has it produced the navigation benefits the State Council claimed it would. Its only achievement is power generation.

Source: China Gate, October 19, 2012
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2012/10/19/2040930.html

Boxun: A CCP Official’s Story about Organ Harvesting in China

On July 27, 2012, Boxun published an article that a Discipline Inspection Cadre of the Chinese Communist Party had submitted. The CCP official wrote about how he had found out about the forced organ harvesting business in one small city in China. To his surprise, the entire court system in the city, including the court, prison, detention center and doctors were involved in harvesting organs from prisoners. In the end, the CCP Provincial Discipline Inspection Cadre decided to arrest the court president only, but let all the others who had been involved in the organ harvesting business go home without any punishment.

Source: Boxun, July 27, 2012
http://www.boxun.com/news/gb/yuanqing/2012/07/201207270511.shtml

The Chinese Communist Party to Amend Its Party Constitution at the 18th National Congress

On October 22, 2012, China Review News published an article saying that, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee held by Hu Jintao, the CCP plans to amend the Party Constitution at its 18th National Congress on Nov. 8, 2012.

The article did not say what the amendment to the Party Constitution will be. The issue of Mao Zedong’s thoughts was not mentioned in the article.

Source: China Review News, October 22, 2012
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1022/7/6/8/102276803.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=102276803&mdate=1022173247

Xinhua: Upper Management’s Largest Wage 4553 Times Greater than that of Lowest Worker

Xinhua recently reported that, based on a report released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, upper management income in some industries has grown very rapidly. According to the report, the highest wage received by upper management is 4533 times more than the wage of the lowest grade worker. Based on the national labor union’s research, 23.4 percent of workers have not received a pay raise in the past five years. The biggest gaps in wages exist in the large scale state-owned companies, especially those with monopoly powers. Experts suggested that the government needs to regulate itself better and to truly consider the interests of the general public. They also called for closing the loopholes in the personal income tax system. 
Source: Xinhua, October 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/comments/2012-10/20/c_113435946.htm

Xinhua: Chinese Currency Exchange Rate Reached Record Highs

on October 19, 2012, Xinhua reported that the rate of exchange of China’s RMB to the U.S. Dollar hit record highs for the past six consecutive days. China’s central bank released the interbank foreign exchange market’s central parity rate at RMB 6.3021 to USD $1 on October 18. It is widely believed that the primary cause of this increase is that the U.S. Dollar weakened after the Federal Reserve kicked off QE3. Another possible cause is the RMB appreciation pressure from China’s neighboring countries. Experts are worried about the negative impact this round of RMB appreciation has had on China’s exports. However the RMB futures market also demonstrated an expectation that the RMB will be devalued in the long run. This means the probability of a major RMB fluctuation is unlikely. 
Source: Xinhua, October 19, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/finance/2012-10/19/c_123842468.htm

CRN: China’s Natural Gas Consumption increased by 400 Percent in Ten Years

China Review News (CRN) reported that recent research showed that China is the fourth largest country in the world in the consumption of natural gas. In 2011, China consumed 130 billion cubic meters of natural gas. That was four times the volume of the level in the year 2000. According to the research, China’s consumption may double in the period from 2011 to 2015. Next to the United States, China is the second largest natural gas consumer among all member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Based on China National Petroleum Corporation’s (CNPC) estimate, China will need 350 billion cubic meters by the year 2020. China is becoming one of the largest natural gas importers in the world; a quarter of its demand relies on imports. The research report expressed the belief that the increased demand for imported natural gas is only accelerating. 
Source: China Review News, October 19, 2012
http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1022/7/4/0/102274067.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=102274067&mdate=1019174636