Chinascope – Page 949

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Issued Rebuttal to the Annual US China Military Report

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that China opposes the Department of Defense annual report to the U.S. Congress titled, "Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2012." The spokesperson claimed it made irresponsible remarks and tried to “spread the China military threat theory.” “We ask the U.S. to respect the truth, change its mentality, and stop republishing this kind of report year after year.”

Source: People’s Daily, May 19, 2012
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/17932389.html

Briefings | | May 21, 2012 | US-China Relations

Insights into Political Infighting in China: Reports about Bo Xilai and Zhou Yongkong

[Editor’s Note: The political shake-up started when Wang Lijun made his way to the U.S. Consulate in Chendu in an apparent asylum attempt. Since then, Bo Xilai has been suspended from the Politburo and is being held incommunicado while he is investigated and Zhou Yongkang, one of the nine member Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), was reported as having “handed operational control of the pervasive Chinese security apparatus” over to another. [1] Their connection to Jiang Zemin, the former CCP head, has also surfaced. To help Western readers understand the complexity of the situation and the nuances inherent in the political infighting, Chinascope has collected and translated some reports about Bo, Zhou, and Jiang from Chinese media (both inside and outside of China). A major source for the Chinascope report is the Epoch Times, which, as an independent Chinese media, has done a number of in-depth reports and analyses into the issue. Many other Chinese media are, directly or indirectly, controlled by Beijing and have been unable to do so.]

Continue reading →

Reports | | May 20, 2012 | Report

Senior Official: Over 420,000 Officials Disciplined in 30 Years

On May 11, 2012, Cui Hairong, Deputy Director of the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention of China, delivered a speech at the Fifth International Symposium of the Hong Kong Independent Commission against Corruption. In his speech, Cui stated that during the 30 years from 1982 to 2011, as many as 420,000 Party and government officials had been disciplined for violations of Party and government rules of conduct. 462 of those disciplined were either ministers or provincial governors. Over 90 of these high ranking officials were prosecuted on corruption charges. For example, the former Vice Chairman of the People’s Congress, the former Jiangxi Governor, the former Anhui Governor, and the former Director of the State Food and Drug Administration were all executed as a consequence of their acts.

Cui further stated that, in 2011 alone, 4,843 officials were disciplined for abuse of power and corruption and 777 of those were prosecuted.

Source: National Bureau of Corruption Prevention of China, May 14, 2012
http://www.nbcp.gov.cn/article/zlk/ldjh/201205/20120500017247.shtml

Briefings | | May 18, 2012 | Government/Politics

Peng Guangqian: Military Force Is Always an Important Means to Safeguard National Sovereignty

On the “Strong Nation Forum” (qiangguo luntan 强国论坛) on the People’s Daily website, military expert, Major General Peng Guangqian, answered questions from Chinese netizens. He expressed the view that military force is always an important means to safeguard national sovereignty. When someone asked: “In what situation would China use military force? Is it correct that China would never use military force no matter what happened?" Peng answered: “When China’s national core interests are violated, and when this cannot be stopped without military intervention, we have no choice but to use force to counterattack. In an era in which hegemonism and power politics still exist and are even progressing, military force is always an important means to safeguard national sovereignty and can never be excluded. We are not absolute pacifists. We cannot beg for peace. Rather we can only use force to obtain peace. If we give up the use of force, we can then only surrender and wait while others partition us at will.

Source: People’s Daily, May 17, 2012
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/17917831.html

Briefings | | May 17, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China Trains Ministerial-Level Officials from Developing Countries

According to People’s Daily, 14 officials from seven developing countries including Pakistan, Ethiopia, Fiji, and Sudan recently arrived at the China Executive Leadership Academy at Pudong, Shanghai, where they will receive a week long training. The Academy, an agency directly under the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Organization Department, is headed by Department chief Li Yuanchao, who is on the CCP’s 25-member Politburo. Among these students, six are ministerial-level officials. The 14 participants will be lectured about China’s political system, government structure, decision-making process, media, and mass communication. In addition, they will also take field trips to local communities and industrial parks.

Source: People’s Daily, May 17, 2012
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/164113/17908572.html

Briefings | | May 17, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Major General: China Should Always Be Alert to the Nuclear Threat from the U.S.

People’s Daily published a report about the recent announcement that the United States made about upgrading its tactical nuclear weapons. The report stated that the U.S. military has placed its advanced weapons in the Asian Pacific region, one after the other, in an attempt to make the Western Pacific a major war zone.

The report quoted Chinese Major General Yin Zhuo’s comment on the matter. Yin said, “The U.S. has always been keeping its absolute leading position in the application of nuclear weapons. … To the U.S., a nuclear war is not an improbable choice. Rather, it’s a possible choice. Therefore, we should not have any illusion about [the U.S. initiating a nuclear war]. We must have a completely safe plan in place.” Yin also said, “The nuclear threat of the U.S. to China has always been there. Of course, the strategic environment has changed greatly; the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in politics and the economy have increased. Even so, when we deal with the U.S., we must keep in mind and be very clear that some of the U.S. nuclear weapons are targeting us.”

Source: People’s Daily, May 15, 2012
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/17905382.html

Briefings | | May 17, 2012 | US-China Relations

Party’s Media Urges Locke to Disclose His Personal Assets

Beijing Daily’s official microblogging (Weibo) re-posted a blog by “Woodbell 魏志奇” about U.S. Ambassador Locke. The blog said, “Locke lives in the official U.S. Ambassador’s residence that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. He travels in a bullet proof limousine. The the U.S. taxpayers pay his family’s expenses, including maids. How can such luxury be considered a simple life? Ambassador Locke, why haven’t you disclosed these [facts]? Disclosing only coffee [Locke attempted to buy coffee with a coupon at the airport on his way to Beijing] and economy class [Locke used economy class when he travelled to China with his family and travels inside China using economy class] is done only for show! It is futile to package Locke as a commoner.” Beijing Daily added its comment, “Locke, please disclose your assets.”

Chinese netizens found out that Locke’s assets were already available on the Internet. They then urged Beijing Daily to issue a commentary asking Chinese officials to disclose their personal assets.

Source: China Review News, May 15, 2012
http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1021/0/8/3/102108302.html?coluid=7&kindid=0&docid=102108302&mdate=0515092247

Briefings | | May 17, 2012 | US-China Relations

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.