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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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Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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CRN: Partnering with Russia is the Best Choice for Now

China Review News (CRN) recently published a commentary on the relationship between China and Russia. The commentary expressed the belief that, although China has had previous issues with Russia, China’s best strategic choice for now is to partner with Russia. The author suggested that, as two neighboring major “BRICS” countries, the two countries’ economies complement each other. Also, the distribution of the two countries’ natural resources are in the same situation. At the same time, both countries are against the “unipolar world” model that the United States is trying to build. Instead, the partnership is the best choice to promote a “multipolar” international environment. However, the commentary suggested that China should maintain control of the initiative and ensure that the partnership benefits China’s needs and its future development.

Source: China Review News, March 28, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/5/5/6/102055614.html?coluid=169&kindid=0&docid=102055614&mdate=0328091807

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Shuts Down 16 Internet Websites and Arrests 6 for Fabricating or Disseminating Online Rumors

On March 30, 2012, the spokesperson from the State Internet Information Office reported that 16 websites had been shut down for allegedly fabricating or disseminating online rumors about “Military Vehicles Entering Beijing… Beijing is in trouble.” Those Websites included www.meizhou.net, www.xn528.com/forum-40-1.html, www.dadongyang.com, and www.ezeem.com. Microblog sites on Sina and Ten Cent were given warnings; they were ordered to take additional measures to manage the Internet.

The Beijing Public Security Bureau confirmed that 6 people were arrested for spreading rumors on the Internet. The Security Bureau warned that netizens should “abide by the law, not trust and spread rumors, and be timely in reporting rumors.”

VOA called the arrests Beijing’s revenge. Based on the comments it gathered from the media scholars outside of China, China’s media control is far from opening up.

Source: Xinhua, March 30, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-03/30/c_122911337.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-03/30/c_122911330.htm
Voice of America, March 31, 2012
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20120331-China-Cracks-Down-on-Websites-145377595.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

People’s Daily’s Commentary Called for Stability in the Mist of Challenges

On March 30, 2012, People’s Daily published a commentary titled “Let’s be Firm in Making Progress While Maintaining Stability.” It called for stability in the midst of challenges. The article highlighted the central administration’s key focuses for 2012 which are: to be persistent in “making progress while maintaining stability” and to be persistent in “scientific development.” The article then called for the nation to be "clear minded… be firm in our stance… not to be distracted by noise and rumors … and to firmly unite with the central administration” in facing the challenges from the “ever changing international political and economic environment and the constant new developments in domestic economic movements.”

Source: Xinhua, March 31, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-03/31/c_122911503.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangdong ranked the top three in Openness

The China National Development and Reform Commission published the results of a study of 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions that measured economic, technological, and social openness. Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangdong were ranked the top three with scores of 84.7, 68.1, and 56.9 respectively while Guizhou, Qinghai, and Tibet were ranked the bottom three with scores of 3.4, 6.5, and 7. The report showed Beijing tied with Shanghai on social openness and on technological openness; it scored the highest among the top three. However, its economic openness was far behind Shanghai and Guangdong. Among the four economic zones, the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta had the highest scores in openness but the Bohai Economic Rim and the Sichuan/Chongqing district lagged behind.

Source: Xinhua, April 1, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-04/01/c_122916340.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Scholar: Chongqing Practice to Revive Mao’s Control Bound to Fail

Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China, wrote about Chongqing’s attempt to restore Mao’s model of control. In recent years, under the leadership of Bo Xilai, who was removed from his position this month, Chongqing launched a campaign to crack down on “black” businesses and their owners; and a movement to sing “red” songs in an attempt to revive Mao’s style of control. According to Zhang, there are two major vulnerabilities inherent in the Chongqing practice. First is that it is not economically sustainable. A number of grand government projects have been launched without considering the cost; they were funded largely with money that may have been wrongfully confiscated from “black” businesses. Neither borrowing nor advancing funds before the revenue came in has helped to ease the lack of funding. Second, Chongqing’s practices have led to increased tension, internally and externally. A Chongqing practice as implemented in one city is merely a pike fish in a carp fish pond (the entire country). If materialized nation-wide, the Chongqing practice would become a mammoth shark. Communist Party officials who previously were persecuted during the “Great Cultural Revolution” still remember Mao’s way of using political movements to purge others. “The louder the noises generated by Chonqing’s practice and the more followers it gathered throughout the country, the more apprehensive were the Communist Party officials. Not just those in Chongqing but those outside of Chongqing were equally apprehensive. Because of these two vulnerabilities, it was inevitable that Chongqing’s practices would end up in trouble.”

Source: Zhang Ming Blog at Caijing.com, March 24, 2012
http://blog.caijing.com.cn/expert_article-151368-34329.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

PLA Daily: the Military Must be Politically Correct and Well Disciplined

A commentary jointly issued on March 28, 2012, by the People’s Liberation Army General Political Department and China’s National Defense University called for the highly centralized unity of military personnel and stressed having the utmost discipline. It stated that maintaining the Party’s highly centralized unity is critical to the enhancement of the cohesive combat effectiveness of the military. Regardless of the changes and new challenges ahead, the military must be under the absolute leadership of the Party and “firmly follow the orders of the Party’s Central Committee, the Central Military Committee, and President Hu under all circumstances.” If the military is not politically correct, “it will likely lose direction amidst complex and confusing political struggles. … For every Party member, following the Party’s discipline is a political requirement; the most important requirement is to be in compliance with political discipline.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily reprinted by People’s Daily, March 27, 2012 http://theory.people.com.cn/BIG5/49150/17497817.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Survey Showed 93.4 Percent Would Like Ticket Prices for Cultural Events to Be Lower

China Youth Daily recently conducted a survey of 12,234 people from 31 provinces and regions about the ticket prices for culture oriented leisure events. Of those surveyed, 85.8 percent complained that the prices for movies, stage plays, and concerts were too high. Of those who were interviewed, 52.6 percent were born after the 1980s; 26.7 percent were born after 1970s; and 84.8 percent are currently employed.

The survey results showed that 74.8 percent rarely have any culture oriented leisure activities. Of those surveyed, 86.1 percent believe that those activities shouldn’t be luxury items and 93.4 percent would like to see prices lowered; 71.2 percent are concerned that the high ticket prices will keep ordinary people away; 64.8 percent of those surveyed believe that when cultural events are overpriced, the pricing structure is at fault; 49.7 percent think it is due to high production costs; 47.7 percent think that the government didn’t provide funding or support; 73.7 percent suggest having more cultural activities for the public that are tailored toward the general public.

A comparison between the movie ticket prices in the U.S. and in China showed that low to middle class people in the U.S. with a monthly income of US$3,000 would spend about 0.2 percent or US$7.94 on one movie ticket. In China, people who make 3,000 yuan (US$476.10) a month would spend 2 percent of their monthly income or 60 yuan (US$9.52) on one movie ticket.

Source: China Youth Daily, March 29, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2012-03/29/c_122905861_2.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Hurun Report: Ninety Percent of Billionaires Send Their Children to the West for Education

The Chinese Luxury Consumer White Paper 2012, a joint study done by China’s Industrial Bank and the Hurun Research Institute, was published on March 27, 2012. The study revealed that the number of China’s wealthiest individuals, those with net assets of over six million yuan (~US$1.0 million) has increased to 2.7 million; their average age was 39 years old. The number of those with more than 100 million yuan (~US$16 million) reached 63,500; their average age was 41 years old. Among them, 85 percent plan to send their children overseas for education; 90 percent of the super rich (billionaires) plan to do so.

Source: People’s Daily, March 28, 2012.                                                                                         http://finance.people.com.cn/GB/17515451.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability