Chinascope – Page 949

Huanqiu: Five Erroneous Ideas That Mislead Public Opinion

On May 29, 2012, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an article titled “Guard against Five Erroneous Ideas on the Internet That Mislead Public Opinion.” The five erroneous ideas are: “Marxism is outdated,” “Only privatization can save China,” “The culture industry should be market-oriented,” “Seeking more money is the ultimate goal in Internet Management,” and “Only hire those who can increase profits.”

Source: Huanqiu, May 29, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/hot/2012-05/2768093.html

Briefings | | June 20, 2012 | Government/Politics

Over 80 Confucius Institutes Established in the U.S. in 8 Years

The International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua News Agency, published an article on June 5, 2012, titled “Over 80 Confucius Institutes Established in the U.S. in 8 Years.” As of today, over 80 Confucius Institutes with 299 Confucius Classrooms have been established in the 48 states across the U.S. The Confucius Institute has opened 6,127 classes with nearly 160,000 student enrollments; it has organized more than 2,800 sessions of cultural activities with a total participation of 147,000 people.

Some American scholars criticize China, saying it is using the Confucius Institutes to export the CCP’s ideology. According to the article, this misunderstanding about the Confucius Institutes will gradually fade.

Source: International Herald Leader, June 5, 2012
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2012/0605/45150.shtml

Briefings | | June 20, 2012 | US-China Relations

Chinese General: Many U.S. Trained Scholars Want to Kill China with Their Praise

On June 19, 2012, Huanqiu (the Chinese edition of Global Times) published an interview titled, “Zhang Zhaozhong: Many U.S. Trained Scholars Are Traitors Who Are Harming China.” Major General Zhang Zhaozhong is from China’s National Defense University.

According to Zhang, “Some scholars have been trained in the United States. They read American books, believe in America’s ideology and help the United States to delude the Chinese. Those who said that China will surpass the United States in 20 to 30 years must have had an ulterior motive. They support Chinese in feeling relaxed and buying more bonds from the U.S. They want to kill China with their praise! This is what the imperialists are so pleased to see.”

Source: Huanqiu, June 19, 2012
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Forum/2012-06/2835748.html

Briefings | | June 20, 2012 | US-China Relations

Two State-Run Media Publish Conflicting Opinions

[Editor’s Note: State media Huanqiu Online published a commentary on May 29, 2012, “Fighting Corruption Is a Tough Uphill Battle for China’s Social Development.” [1] The article stated that “corruption cannot be ‘fixed completely’ in any country. The key is to control it to a level the public can accept.” It added, “The public should understand the objective reality that China cannot completely suppress corruption at the present time.” On May 31, China Youth Daily countered Huanqiu‘s article by publishing an article, “Without a Change in the System and Democracy, There Is No Cure for Corruption.” [2] It stated that “the Party’s top leaders have stressed on many occasions that (we) must have zero-tolerance for corruption. Having zero-tolerance for corruption should be the current universal standard.”

It is rare to see two of China’s state media express completely opposite viewpoints. Voice of America (VOA) suggested that “the debate among top level state media indicates that the dispute among China’s top leaders is so great that even the Party’s Central Propaganda Department can no longer cover it up.” [3] The following are translations of excerpts from these articles.]

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Reports | | June 19, 2012 | Report

People’s Daily: China’s Social Security Consumes 40% of Wages

People’s Daily recently reported that, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the current five pre-tax payment items in the social security account take 40% of a normal taxpayer’s wages. This indicator ranks number one out of all 181 countries. It is 3 times the level of the five Northern European countries, 2.8 times the level of the G7 countries, and 4.8 times the level of the East Asian countries. Meanwhile the current social security funds have a shortfall of a total of RMB 1.76 trillion. A survey was conducted on the recent plan to extend the retirement age. Of those surveyed, 93.9% opposed the plan. Only 2.4% of the people supported it. The People’s Daily Network conducted the survey. The report ended by calling for major reform of the current social security system and the establishment of a retirement management option like the 401K model in the United States.

Source: People’s Daily, June 15, 2012

http://finance.people.com.cn/insurance/BIG5/18192058.html

Briefings | | June 19, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Korean Media Discuss U.S. Military Strategic Adjustments in Korea

Xinhua recently republished an article from the Korean Daily News that discussed the U.S. military’s latest strategic adjustments. The U.S. military, not long ago, decided to keep the Korea-U.S. Joint Command as well as deploying the artillery brigade to the north of the Han River (which is closer to North Korea). These are significant decisions that are the opposite of those of President Bush. Apparently with the U.S. moving its strategic focus to Asia, the Obama administration is making corresponding adjustments in Korea to reflect the change. Another important aspect of the move is that, with the weakening of the U.S.-Japan relationship, the United States is giving more weight to U.S.-Korean cooperation in order to better contain China. Containing China seems to be the number one goal for U.S. security and its foreign relations strategy.

Source: Xinhua, June 17, 2012

http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-06/17/c_123293924.htm

Briefings | | June 19, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: The Middle East Factor in Global Oil Prices

Xinhua recently reported that the widely expected global oil price increase did not materialize. The report suggested that, while the planned sanctions against Iran are approaching their effective date, the international oil price has actually been dropping. The reporter expressed the belief that certain Middle Eastern oil countries have been exceeding their production quota. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait are named in the report as the primary countries pumping extra oil into the global market. The current Saudi Arabian daily production level has reached its highest point in 30 years. Iran has been accusing these countries of violating the OPEC quota rules. Experts believe that the global demand for oil is on the decline, mainly due to the Euro crisis. The report concluded that some Middle Eastern countries will suffer in the long-term for this over-production strategy.

Source: Xinhua, Jun 17, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-06/17/c_112232772.htm

Briefings | | June 19, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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

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