Skip to content

China Review News: The U.S. Low-Key Handling of Chen’s Case Shows that U.S. Power Is Weakening

On May 8, 2012, China Review News published an editorial article that commented that the U.S. government’s cautious, low-key handling of the Chen Guangcheng case was a sign that U.S. national power is weakening as China’s national power is increasing.

“Marked by the U.S. handling of the Chen Guangcheng case, human rights issues will have little impact on Sino-US relations. Compared to the most tangible national interests, the ideological importance is, after all, of secondary consideration. While American public opinion is still very emotional on such issues, the U.S. government, as the ‘legal representative’ of the country, is much more rational and pragmatic for the sake of its national interests.”

Source: China Review News, May 8, 2012
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1020/9/9/1/102099135.html?coluid=136&kindid=4711&docid=102099135&mdate=0508001936

Party Secretaries of over 150 Law Firms Participated in Training Program

The Ministry of Organization and the Ministry of Justice organized a training class for Party secretaries in law firms. It was held in Beijing on May 3, 2012. Over 150 law firm Party secretaries participated in the 5 day training program.

By the end of 2011, 63,000 lawyers had joined the Communist Party, up from 44,000 in 2008. Out of 14,741 law firms, 3,895 or 26 percent have established independent Party branch offices; 8,105  or 55 percent have associate Party branch offices. As for the 2,741 law firms that do not have Party members, they were each assigned a party development guidance councilor or party member contact person. Therefore party development work has reached full coverage of all the law firms in China.

Source: Guangming Daily, May 4, 2012
http://epaper.gmw.cn/gmrb/html/2012-05/04/nw.D110000gmrb_20120504_11-03.htm?div=-1

Huanqiu: Chen Guangcheng and the U.S. Consulate Should Be Clear on Their Roles

Huanqiu published a commentary stating that Western media once again picked up on the Chen Guangcheng case and tried to exaggerate the circumstances, pointing to this as another example of the U.S. tendency to discredit China.

According to the article, Chen’s case reached a turning point one day before the strategic and economic dialog, which was an indication that both sides did not want Chen’s case to interfere with their relationship. Chen’s case only represents a small percentage of the incidents that occur and will not bring fundamental damage to Chinese society and to the advancement and development work of Chinese human rights. The article also claimed that, in recent years, China has made achievements in the area of human rights. The foundation of China’s stability is at the local level, which faces most of the issues, but the situation is improving. … China is so big that there is resistance emerging here and there but it is mostly buried and has not formed a major phenomenon yet.

The article wished that the U.S. consulate would be cautious in its actions and stay away from the activities that do not fit its job description. “The U.S. should place its interest in winning the heart of Chinese main stream society, but not act as the spiritual support for Chinese extremists because the consulate cannot afford the burden.”

Source: Huanqiu, May 3, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/newchinahotcomment/2012-05/2683468.html

Beijing Daily: Chen Guangcheng’s Case Reveals U.S. Politicians’ Poor Performance

China Economy carried an article that Beijing Daily originally published discrediting how U.S. politicians handled the Chen Guangcheng case and saying that the Chinese people did not accept its attempt to cause a disturbance in China’s internal affairs. It further criticized Gary Locke his seeking publicity and called his actions “inconsistent” with his title as the consulate general, saying that the U.S. should learn how to respect China’s core values and interact with China equally.

The article added that the U.S. politicians’ attempts to be smart in order to cause a disturbance for China was too naive and didn’t work. “The U.S. has, rather, exposed itself by showing its ugliness.” “A consulate that is stationed in China should obey diplomatic forms. It shouldn’t, with ulterior motives, conduct any actions that will discredit themselves or their country’s reputation.”

The article claimed that the rights activist Chen Guangcheng can’t represent anyone except Western anti-China forces and that he has become a tool that U.S. politicians use to discredit China. The demand that Chen laid out did nothing more than demonstrate the urgency of U.S. politicians attempt to create trouble for China. “Chinese society will not give any recognition to their poor performance. It is not that easy to fool and take advantage of the Chinese people." Further, no one in the country will allow another country or consulate to interfere with China’s own internal affairs, despite the fact that the system and many people face a number of social issues.

In attacking Gary Locke, it called him, "The U.S. politician who tried to stir up trouble." The few “disturbing” actions that Locke took included: boarding an airplane using economy class, carrying his own bags himself, using coupons to buy coffee, inspecting and publishing the U.S. consulate’s air pollution index, participating in a Beijing city management dispute, and bringing Chen Guangcheng into the U.S. consulate using an unconventional method.

The article suggested that the U.S. and China should respect and tolerate each other and use dialog and communication to deal with their differences. “Only when U.S. politicians put aside their (ulterior) motives can they properly manage the U.S. China relationship so that both countries can benefit.” 

Source: China Economy, May 4, 2012
http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/201205/04/t20120504_23294198.shtml

Blind Dissident Chen Guangcheng Issues Statement through His Friend

Below is a latest statement that blind dissident Chen Guangcheng conveyed through his friend Guo Yushan. The statement was published through weibo.com in picture form and can be found on the overseas Chinese websites of epochtimes.com and boxun.com. The statement is based on the telephone conversation between the two which took place from 22:58 to 23:40 p.m. Beijing time on May 3. Guo Yushan rephrased the words and these are not Chen’s original words. Below is a translation of the statement.

1. Chen didn’t tell the media that he wanted to apply for political asylum in the United States. He only said that he wanted to go to the United States for a vacation for a couple of months (while the situation is dealt with). He received an invitation letter from New York University. As he is now free, he wants to travel to the U.S. for a period of time and then come back to China. Therefore, going to the U.S. has nothing to do with his changing his mind about seeking asylum. He appreciates the Sino-U.S. diplomatic efforts and understands the seriousness of the diplomacy between these two big countries. Since they reached an agreement they must have treated the issue very seriously.

2. He has never, directly or indirectly, criticized the U.S. embassy for “forcing” him or inducing him to leave the embassy. It was his own decision to leave the embassy. He appreciates the embassy’s help over the past week. He appreciates Secretary Hillary, Gary Locke, and other diplomats who have cared about and helped him. He never complained (about them), directly or indirectly.

3. On the first day of his being admitted to the hospital, something unpleasant indeed happened, causing him and his family inconvenience and suffering. Because of this, he was somewhat worried and nervous. Among all, he was particularly worried when he learned that the officials from his home Shandong had threatened his wife. He hopes that, with all the media attention from the world, the Chinese government will truly deal, based on the law, with the Shandong local officials’ different incidents of illegal persecution of himself and his family.

4. He appreciates the attention and concern that the media of the whole world has given him. He also hopes that the media can understand how complicated and delicate his situation is and have a complete understanding of how it is reflected in his expression and corresponding emotions. He hopes he will not bring trouble to all the friends who have helped him and are now helping him and cause any misunderstandings. For example, regarding the help U.S. Embassy has provided him, he never had any criticism; on the contrary, he has always been grateful.

Source: Epochtimes.com and Boxun.com, May 3, 2012
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/12/5/4/n3580826.htm陈光诚委托郭玉闪发表的最新声明

PLA: Incomplete Loyalty is Disloyalty

The People’s Liberation Army Daily recently published a commentary entitled “Communists’ Loyalty Cannot Be Incomplete.” It warns that Communist Party members must be on guard against “incomplete loyalty.” The commentary states, “The so-called ‘incompletel loyalty’ is the state between loyalty and disloyalty. For instance, a person may look loyal, but at the critical moment, be wavering; loyal when things are in line with his own preferences but complaining when his desires are not met; asking others to be loyal but treating himself differently; pledging loyalty at meetings but doing things his own way after the meetings; loyal when supervised but unable to discipline himself when alone. Instances like these are totally inconsistent with the requirements of loyalty to the Party.”

The commentary further pointed out that Communist Party members or cadres who are in the state of incomplete loyalty are doomed to be defeated. “In this sense, ‘incomplete loyalty’ is disloyalty.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted at the Communist Party of China Website, April 26, 2012 http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/49150/17753358.html

Sina Weibo Removes U.S. Embassy Photos of Chen Guangcheng

According to a report by the Central News Agency (CNA) in Taiwan, the photos that the U.S. Embassy in Beijing posted showing Chen Guangcheng leaving the U.S. Embassy were removed shortly after they were posted on the Embassy’s official sina weibo (sina microblog), a popular Chinese blog website similar to twitter and facebook.

The U.S. Embassy released two photos on its official sina weibo at 11:30 pm Beijing time on May 2. One showed Chen leaving the Embassy with Ambassador Locke and State Department Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell. The other showed Chen in a wheelchair entering a Beijing Hospital with Ambassador Locke and State Department Legal Advisor Harold Koh. Within six minutes of the posting, sina weibo removed the two photos. The reason given on sina weibo was, “This photo is not appropriate for public display.”

The CNA report said that, on the U.S. State Department website, there are several photos that show Chen and his family at a Beijing hospital, “but one cannot view these photos from inside China.”

Source: Central News Agency, May 3, 2012
http://www.cna.com.tw/News/FirstNews/201205030059.aspx

Li Keqiang’s Visit to Russia

During his recent visit to Russia, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang met separately with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the Russian president-elect, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in Moscow. According to the China News Service report, the originally scheduled 1 hour and 45 minutes meetings were extended to nearly three hours. Talks involved increased mutual support on issues concerning core interests, close strategic cooperation in international affairs, and cooperation on major bilateral strategic projects.

Chinese and Russian enterprises signed 26 cooperation agreements on projects amounting to US$15.2 billion. They involved infrastructure, energy, electrical and mechanical equipment, high-tech, finance, and other sectors. As progress in cooperation in energy projects, China and Russia signed energy contracts valued at US$6 billion. They involve the fields of oil and gas, electricity, coal, new energy, energy equipment and energy savings.

Source: China News Service, April 30, 2012
http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2012/04-30/3856877.shtml