Chinascope – Page 915

China Issues Three White Books Regarding the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands

On September 25, 2012, while the tension between China and Japan over the sovereignty dispute on the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands continues to escalate, Beijing’s State Council Information Office issued three White Books. They include:

The Diaoyu Islands Are China’s Permanent Territory [1]

The United States and Japan’s Private Deal over the Diaoyu Islands Is Illegal and Invalid [2]

China Will Resolutely Fight to Safeguard the Sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands [3]

Sources: Xinhua, September 25, 2012

[1] http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-09/25/c_113202983.htm

[2] http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-09/25/c_113203118.htm

[3] http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-09/25/c_113203773.htm

Briefings | | September 28, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Influence in Africa Continues

To date, China has launched 31 Confucius Institutes and five Confucius Classrooms in 26 African countries. Some have incorporated the Chinese language into a system in which students receive an academic degree or college credits.

In the past two years, China has provided 5,710 government scholarships to African countries. It plans to implement the “African Talent Project.” Over the next three years, China will train 30,000 professionals in different fields and provide 18,000 government scholarships, as well as offer job training and support.

In recent years, China has been advancing into Africa by means of the economy and culture and continues to increase its influence in the continent. Through 2011, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for the third consecutive year. The trade volume between the two countries has reached a record $166.3 billion. As many as 2000 Chinese companies have made direct investments in Africa, totaling $14.7 billion.

Source: BBC Chinese, September 26, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/09/120926_china_africa.shtml

Briefings | | September 27, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Political and Legislative Affairs Committee Calls for Maintaining Party’s Leadership

On September 23 and 24, 2012, the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee held a forum in Fuzhou in Fujian Province. Wang Lequan, Deputy Chair of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee spoke at the meeting. Wang stressed that all levels of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee should maintain the same level of understanding that the central administration has on ideology, politics, and action. He discussed the need to summarize the lessons learned over the past years on improving the political and legislative team and on further strengthening the team‘s development work in ideology, organization, behavior, and structure. Wang further emphasized that, while facing an increased workload and complicated social environment, the Political and Legislative Affairs team should sustain the test of steadiness, loyalty, justice, and integrity.

Leaders from the central agencies of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee as well as leaders from the 13 Political and Legislative Affairs Committees at the provincial and municipal levels attended the meeting.

Source: Xinhua, September 24, 2012

http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-09/24/c_113191328.htm

Briefings | | September 27, 2012 | Government/Politics

Guangming Daily: Overseas Chinese Held Forum to Defend Diaoyu Island

The website of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party carried an article that Guangming Daily had originally published. According to the article, on September 23, 2012, the “Cross Strait Forum on Current Affairs” (大华府两岸时事论坛) held a forum in Washington DC on “Defending the Diaoyu Islands.” Those at the forum protested strongly against the Japanese government for taking over China’s Diaoyu Islands illegally. A number of political columnists, professors, and artists spoke at the forum, calling for solidarity among the overseas Chinese to safeguard China’s sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.

Source: The United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party, September 25, 2012 http://www.zytzb.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/tzb2010/S2012/201209/731837.html

Briefings | | September 27, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Huge Highway Liabilities Relate to Years of ‘Great Leap Forward’ Development

On September 25, 2012, People’s Daily published an article related to the nation’s highways asking, “How can highways survive with over one hundred billion yuan in highway liabilities?” The liabilities of the 19 listed highway companies amounted to 124.79 billion yuan (US$19.8 billion) for the first half-year of 2012, compared to 105.33 billion yuan (US$16.72 billion) for the same period last year.

On August 2, 2012, China’s State Council announced a plan to lift road tolls for passenger cars taking the highways during major Chinese holidays in order to promote tourism and related industries. At present, the listed highway companies are affected because they have little other income except toll revenue. They have entered into a cycle of “over charge tolls, build more highways, borrow more money, and build more highways.”

Source: People’s Daily, September 25, 2012
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2012/0925/c70731-19097317.html

Briefings | | September 26, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Yunnan Province Actively Develops CCP Party Branches Online

On September 24, 2012, Study Times, the publication of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article introducing how Yunnan Province is actively building CCP Party branches online in order to “have propaganda dominance and lead public opinion.” The online Party branches can organize activities and mobilize Party members at any time without time and space constraints.

Source: Study Times, September 24, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/09/24/11/11_21.htm

Briefings | | September 26, 2012 | Government/Politics

Study Times: What Caused the Drastic Changes in the Former Soviet Union?

On September 24, 2012, Study Times, the publication of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled, “What Caused the Drastic Changes in the Former Soviet Union?” The article blamed the Stalinist social model instead of socialism for the fall of the former Soviet Union. According to the article, the collapse of the former Soviet Union was inevitable because: 1) the people were not the masters of the country; 2) the country developed fake democracy; 3) the Party cadres overrode the people and had privileges; 4) intellectuals and peasants suffered discrimination; 5) the people’s living standards improved very slowly; 6) innocent people were killed at random.

“China must learn lessons from the collapse of the Soviet Union. We should strive to improve the people’s livelihood, strengthen the development of an honest and diligent government, and further promote political and economic reform. Of course, (our) political democracy should not copy the multi-party system in the West…”

Source: Study Times, September 24, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/09/24/12/12_37.htm

Briefings | | September 26, 2012 | Government/Politics

Ministry of Commerce: China May Miss This Year’s Target for an Increase in Exports

China Review News (CRN) recently reported that, by the end of August, Chinese exports recorded a growth of 7.1 percent. The annual target set at the beginning of the year was 10%. In June, the spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said he was “confident” that the goal would be achieved. However, recently, the spokesman suggested that the export situation is “critical.” He expressed the belief that the growth in the coming months will actually be weaker than the previous months. He cited the decrease in demand, the increase in overall costs, and a global downturn in the trade environment as the main causes of the situation. Meanwhile, international trade friction is on the rise. Both the European Union and the United States are having trade disputes with China. In order to improve competitiveness, many Chinese manufacturing companies are relocating to Mid-Western China, where labor costs are lower. Some companies are also adjusting their product lines to produce more value-added products.

Source: China Review News, September 21, 2012

http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1022/4/3/5/102243571.html?coluid=10&kindid=253&docid=102243571&mdate=0921181807

Briefings | | September 25, 2012 | Economy/Resources

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.