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CRN: China May Suffer Low Quality Growth

China Review News (CRN) recently published a commentary on the decline in the quality of China’s economic growth. In the year 1980, an investment of RMB 1 yuan could result in RMB 4.1 yuan worth of return in GDP. However in year 2011, an RMB 1 yuan investment brought only RMB 1.8 yuan worth of GDP return. China’s model of high government investment in economic growth results in a weakness in the promotion of quality domestic consumption. The lowered quality is reflected in the inability to match supply with the decreased international demand. Meanwhile, China’s government run financial market suffers from very low efficiency in capital utilization. The private sector has much higher productivity but cannot access sufficient credit to obtain loans. The situation is made even worse when higher inflation and asset bubbles are added to the mix. The commentator called for tax cuts, breaking up monopolies, and improving financial support to the private sector.
Source: China Review News, September 25, 2012
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1022/4/6/3/102246367.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=102246367&mdate=0925065247

Qilu Evening News: Interview with an Internet Policeman from Shandong Province

Guangming Daily carried an article that Qilu Evening News had originally published.

Qilu Evening News, the provincial evening newspaper in Shandong Province, carried an article in which the reporter interviewed an Internet policeman about his work and his life. Fan Lei, an Internet policeman, has worked for the Internet surveillance team in the Jinan Municipal Public Security Bureau for four years. Fan explained in the interview that he spends over ten hours a day in front of the computer monitor. His main responsibilities are to develop online virtual police stations on websites and to answer inquires received through that channel. In the past two years, Fan and his team have set up over 1,300 online virtual police stations on local social and news websites, received 1,879 online tips and inquiries, and provided service to over 2,400 people. His team has grown from 20 people in 2002 to 100 in 2012.

Source: Guangming Daily, September 29, 2012
http://life.gmw.cn/2012-09/29/content_5243881.htm

BBC: The Chief Medical Examiner Questioned the Evidence in Gu Kailai’s Murder Case

Wang Xuemei, the Chief Medical examiner with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, published an article on a microblog in which she openly questioned the conclusion that Neil Haywood, the British businessman, died of cyanide poisoning. Wang wrote that she was deeply disappointed in the conclusion as to the cause of Neil Haywood’s death. She stated that the conclusion was seriously lacking in facts and scientific proof. Her article also implied that there were others who benefited from such a conclusion in this murder case.

Wang is the deputy director with the Technical and Information Research Center of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Chief Medical Examiner, and Vice Chairman of Chinese Medical Examiner’s Association.

Source: BBC Chinese, September 27, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/09/120927_wang_xuemei_gu_kailai.shtml

People’s Daily: 55,500 Airline Tickets between China and Japan Cancelled

People’s Daily carried an article that the Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, had originally published, saying that the tension between China and Japan was affecting airline travel. The two major Japanese airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines Corporation, reported that, by the close of the day on September 25, 2012, 55,500 ticket reservations for the period of September to November for flights between China and Japan had been cancelled. The head of All Nippon Airways told the reporter that the airline was using smaller airplanes to deal with the cancellations and had not reduced the total number of flights. He admitted that the cancellations would have a huge impact on the airline’s business but hoped that the volume would pick up once the Japanese companies reopened their businesses in China.

Source: People’s Daily, September 27, 2012
http://japan.people.com.cn/35463/7962771.html

Ten New Warnings to Officialdom Widely Circulated on the Internet

Qiushi Theory, which is the CCP’s official publication to interpret the CCP’s major policies and theories, published an article discussing how the Internet era has placed new pressure on Party officials. Many Party officials have thus become alert and are fearful of the Internet. To illustrate its point, the article quoted some new information that has been circulating widely on the Internet: “Ten New Warnings to Officialdom.” 

The 10 warnings are: 1) do not talk nonsense during an interview; 2) do not smoke famous brand name cigarettes while attending a meeting; 3) do not wear expensive watches while conducting business activities; 4) do not drive a famous car when performing public service activities; 5) do not hold an umbrella during grassroots inspections; 6) do not copy famous articles when submitting something for publication; 7) do not use twitter when you are dating someone; 8) do not keep a diary about your former married life; 9) do not smile when a natural disaster occurs; 10) do not be the spokesman during emergent events. 
Sources: Qiushi Theory, September 25, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2012/201218/201209/t20120925_183511.htm http://bbs.chinacourt.org/index.php?showtopic=453322

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

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

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