Chinascope – Page 958

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

Central Government Owned Enterprises Only Submit a Tiny Portion of Their Profits to the Government

On May 14, 2012, Study Times, the publication of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, reprinted an article originally published on March 25, 2012, in Southern Metropolis Daily. The article questioned the whereabouts of the huge profits that the enterprises that China’s central government owns have earned.

According to the article, at the start of 2012, the central government owned 963 enterprises, a few more than last year. In 2011, the net profit from these enterprises was 852.27 billion yuan (US$134.9 billion). However, they only submitted 75.736 billion yuan of their profits to the government and project they will only submit 82.3 billion yuan in 2012. That means that each central government owned enterprise submits less than 100 million yuan per year to the government. Yet even the Agricultural Bank, one of the least profitable central government owned enterprises in China, made 300 million yuan per day. The article concluded with a question: “We would like to ask these central government owned enterprises: ‘Where do your profits go?’”

Source: Study Times, May 14, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/05/14/12/12_39.htm

Briefings | | May 16, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Wang Yang: It Is Wrong to Say ‘the Party Bestows People’s Happiness’

On May 10, 2012, Xinhua reprinted an article that China Youth Daily originally published, titled “It Is Wrong to Say ‘The Party or the Government Bestows People’s Happiness.’”

One day earlier, on May 9, 2012, Wang Yang, the Guangdong Provincial Party Secretary and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech in Guangzhou at the opening of the Guangdong Provincial Chinese Communist Party 11th Congress. Wang stressed the role of people in "shaping history" and called on officials to break with a "wrong notion that it is the Party or the government that bestows people with happiness." “People are the main body for building up their well-being. They need a space to freely create happiness. The responsibility of the Party and the government is to give them the space and the freedom.”

Source: Xinhua, May 10, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-05/10/c_123104564.htm

Briefings | | May 16, 2012 | Government/Politics

People’s Daily on Political Reform in China

On May 14, 2012, People’s Daily published an article on the subject of political reform in China. It stated, “The unswerving goal of the Party and the country is to actively and prudently promote political reform and develop socialist democratic politics.” The article explained that the "two aspects of political reform" are to “restrain power” and to “guarantee rights.” According to the article, what “restraining power" refers to is the supervision and control of public authorities,” and to “‘guarantee rights’ means to respect and enrich citizens’ rights.”

Source: People’s Daily, May 14, 2012
http://opinion.people.com.cn/GB/17876797.html

Briefings | | May 16, 2012 | Government/Politics

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