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China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

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CRN: China’s Real Challenges

China Review News (CRN) recently published a commentary suggesting that real challenges lie ahead for China over the next five to ten years. The author expressed the belief that the true issues are not the international environment or military conflicts. Instead, the true issues are domestic social reforms, the financial system, and the Internet. In five to ten years, China will approach the point where the size of its economy is close to that of the United States and China’s power in the areas of science and the military will enjoy major improvements. The author suggested that the U.S. will do the following to maintain its leadership: attack the Chinese currency; control the Chinese financial system by participating in China’s reforms; push “Internet freedom” and promote democracy; support human rights lawyers, underground religions, and political opposition; agitate among China’s allies and neighboring countries; and establish pro-US international rules in a number of areas. 
Source: China Review News, August 2, 2012
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1021/8/6/6/102186604.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=102186604&mdate=0802071037
Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Wuhan Municipal Newspaper Urges the Government to Regain Legitimacy and the People’s Hearts

On July 30, 2012, Sina carried a commentary originally published by Changjiang Daily, the official newspaper of the Wuhan Municipal Committee, titled, “It Is Urgent to Regain Legitimacy and the People’s Hearts.” The commentary attributed the cause of China’s current social conflicts to how the government has mishandled incidents. It urged the government to start immediately to repair the damage and regain the hearts of the people before it is too late.

According to the commentary, the increased number of mass riots and their intensity have reached a level that has never been seen before. The core cause is the government’s misconduct and its attitude when dealing with the situations. The government has chosen either to neglect the situation or handle the case with arrogance or a rude attitude. Some have tried to use money to reach a settlement.

The commentary stated that the measures that the government has used in handling situations have worn down its legitimacy and caused it to distance itself from the people. “They are avoiding the conflicts and increasing the intensity of conflicts with society. As a matter of fact they are wearing out their legitimacy and distancing themselves from the people.” The commentary further stated, “Economic achievement does not equate with or replace the legitimacy of the government. The major historical mission is how can the government rebuild its legitimacy and authority.” The commentary warned that the time to take action is not unlimited.

Source: Sina, July 30, 2012
http://news.sina.com.cn/pl/2012-07-31/081924875288.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

SARFT Issued New Guidelines for TV Movie Series Productions

The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television of China （SARFT) issued guidelines for the production of television movie series. The guidelines listed the following six requirements: on the history of the revolution, establish a clear definition of the “enemy” and of “us”; prevent unlimited intensification of family conflicts; do not allow fake story lines to be used in historic movie series; pay attention to value bases when producing modern commercial movies; do not reproduce movie series that are based on those overseas; discourage rewriting from an online novel and prevent rewriting from online games.

Source: Xinhua, August 3, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-08/03/c_112614450.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

People’s Daily: The U.S. Reveals Its Intention to Stir up the Waters on the South China Sea Issue

People’s Daily published a commentary criticizing the statement that the U.S. State Department issued on August 3, 2012, on the South China Sea. It called the U.S. statement self-conflicting. It stated that the tactics the U.S. used were intended to drive a wedge between all the parties involved and to stir up trouble. It affirmed that China’s intention is to cooperate with all parties to peacefully promote stability and prosperity in the region. What China does not want is for U.S. to stir up trouble with ulterior motives.

(Editor: An AFP article describes the statement made by U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell on August 3, 2012. Ventrell said, for example, that China’s actions, "run counter to collaborative diplomatic efforts to resolve differences and risk further escalating tensions in the region …”)

Source: People’s Daily, August 4, 2012
http://world.people.com.cn/n/2012/0804/c1002-18668096.html
AFP, August 4, 2012
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22574:-us-criticizes-new-china-garrison-in-tense-sea&catid=81:news&Itemid=625

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Six Challenges to the Ideologies of Chinese Communism

[Editor’s Note: Qiushi Journal, the core publication of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article on the challenges to China’s ideologies. The author is keenly aware of the ideological challenges that the regime faces. “Vying for “soft power” has become the focus in the competition for overall national power, including, for example, dominance in discourse, control of the Internet, the right to disseminate information, the power to establish rules, and cultural leadership.” The following is a translation of the entire article.] [1]

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Reports | | |   Report

Beijing Mayor’s Call for Flood Disaster Donations Meets Refusals and Abusive Language

The Beijing municipal government, using a microblog, called on Beijing residents to make donations to help the victims of the deadly flood in Beijing. The ordinary citizens on the Internet responded to the microblog request with strong attacks. Internet users, one after another, not only refused to make donations; they also ridiculed and hurled accusations at the Beijing authorities. Within two hours of the donation account being opened, it received over 70,000 replies. Most of the replies used abusive, slandering language (in the category of four letter words). One of the most popular replies was "donate your sister.” It appeared 26,845 times.

Sources: Tianya, July 29, 2012 and Boxun, July 30, 2012
http://bbs.city.tianya.cn/tianyacity/content/5010/1/33913.shtml
http://boxun.com/news/gb/pubvp/2012/07/201207300919.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Establishes its First Armed Urban Management Department

On August 1, 2012, Wuhan City in Hubei Province announced that, for the first time in China, it had established an Armed City Urban Management Department. The department had an initial staffing of 40 militia personnel. Most of the personnel were ex-servicemen. The militia will receive readiness training and national defense education. During times of peace, the Armed Urban Management Department will be responsible for combat readiness, maintaining social stability, and flood rescue. In times of war, it will be responsible for organizing and leading the militia reservists to join the armed forces. According to People’s Daily, the announcement invoked heated discussions online. Chinese netizens have expressed concerns and questioned the move.

Source: People’s Daily, August 2, 2012
http://society.people.com.cn/n/2012/0802/c1008-18659281.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Huanqiu: A Victory for China

Huanqiu published a commentary on the recent protests in Hong Kong against the plans (for the mainland) to introduce a “National and Moral Education” course into the Hong Kong public school curriculum. The commentary stated that Hong Kong residents were claiming that it amounts to “brainwashing” young people with pro-mainland propaganda. It observed, “These protesters act more like they have been brainwashed by the British colonial and Western ideology, since they are so paranoid and resistant about the course. Their views of mainland China are totally Western views. … The core of the ‘National and Moral Education’ course is to provide national and civic education to students, with answers to such questions as ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is Hong Kong?’ and ‘What is China?’ It is not to instill allegiance to the central government into the people of Hong Kong. The patriotism in this course is beyond the political realities. … But we believe that the Hong Kong SAR Government will not concede to its opponents on whether to provide national education, which is a matter of principle.”

The commentary concluded, “The final outcome of the controversy on national education in Hong Kong will be nothing but a ‘victory for China.’ Perhaps it is not realistic for the protesters to pursue their own victory.”

(Editor: According to an opinion piece in the New York Times about the course, "It decries multiparty democracy as unfavorable to the lives of ordinary people …" and contains only praise, with no mention of faults.)

Sources: Huanqiu, August 1, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/1152/2012-08/2974531.html
New York Times, August 1, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/opinion/chinese-indoctrination-in-hong-kong.html?_r=2

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend