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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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Beijing Daily: Half of New Housing Projects Had Zero Sales

Beijing Daily recently reported that sales of new housing projects in the city of Beijing have nearly come to a standstill. According to the Beijing Real Estate Trade Management Network, in 10 out of 21 new housing projects that are on the market, zero contracts have been signed since the beginning of this year. Among all new projects, the rate of accumulated contracts signed so far this year is only eight percent. Last year that same number was 50 percent. Most of the projects that have had no sales are high end luxury products and apartments that are maintaining high pricing strategies. Experts suggested that the market does not look like it is about to improve. Buyers are holding off on their spending plans in the hope that prices will drop further. Based on how rapidly inventory is increasing, an average price drop of 15 percent is expected by the end of June, especially for low end housing products.

Source: Beijing Daily, March 24, 2012
http://www.bjd.com.cn/10bjxw/ss/201203/24/t20120324_1570498.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: Guangdong Economy Slowing Down

Xinhua recently reported that the economy of Guangdong Province has been slowing down. Guangdong Province is one of the world’s major manufacturing bases. In the past two months, the output of large scale manufacturers has increased only 5% compared to the same period last year. According to the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Statistics, foreign investment based manufacturers represent 60% of the industrial economy of the province. In the past two months, this section has declined by 0.4%. The heart of Guangdong’s economy is the Pearl River Delta region. The exports from the nine cities in this region only increased by 2.7% and Guangdong’s exports have shown a decline of 4% compared to last year. This is the first time in three years that the province has suffered a decline in exports. Eleven cities in the province have reported declines.

Source: Xinhua, March 24, 2012
http://www.gd.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2012-03/24/content_24950679.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Wen Jiabao Said to Call for Redress of June 4th and Falun Gong

The Epoch Times quoted an unnamed source in Beijing that Wen Jiabao once proposed, when communicating with senior Chinese Communist Party officials, that they “redress June 4th (the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4, 1989), former CCP leaders Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang, and Falun Gong.” At that time, Jiang Zemin’s faction, which included Zhou Yongkang, objected to Wen’s proposal, while Hu Jintao remained silent.

The source stated that, after the development of the incident involving Wang Lijun, Bo Xilai’s right hand man, and the release of information about Wang’s involvement in harvesting the organs of Falun Gong practitioners, Wen Jiabao proposed removing Bo Xilai. Wen said at a Zhongnanhai internal meeting, “The Wang Lijun incident let the whole world know (about the organ harvesting). Let’s solve the Falun Gong issue by removing Bo Xilai. Now is the right time."

Source: The Epoch Times, March 26, 2012
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/12/3/26/n3550637.htm%E6%B8%A9%E5%AE%B6%E5%AE%9D%E6%8F%90%E5%B9%B3%E5%8F%8D%E6%B3%95%E8%BD%AE%E5%8A%9F-%E5%91%A8%E6%B0%B8%E5%BA%B7%E7%AD%8950%E5%A4%9A%E9%AB%98%E5%AE%98%E5%9C%A8%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E8%A2%AB%E8%B5%B7%E8%AF%89?p=all

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China to Tighten Control over Migrant Monks and Nuns in Tibet

On March 19, 2012, China Review News published an article on the CCP’s increased control over "migrant monks and nuns" and the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibet.

Party General Secretary Hu Jintao spoke to the Tibetan delegation at the annual session of the National People’s Congress on March 9, 2012. Hu gave instructions on ensuring overall social stability in Tibet. According to the article in China Review News, Tibetan regional Party authorities must “concentrate on keeping ‘migrant monks and nuns’ in line, clean up and regulate religious activities, strengthen the development of Tibet’s Buddhist institutes, tighten management of the reincarnation of living Buddhas, build a long-term management system for monasteries, push forward the regulation and legalization of the management of monasteries, unite patriotic monks and nuns, and reduce disharmonious factors in society.”  

Source: China Review News, March 19, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/4/4/8/102044899.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=102044899&mdate=0319082811

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Strengthen China’s International United Front in Response to the U.S. Eastward Shift

On March 20, 2012, Xinhua published an article on the eastward shift of the U.S. global strategic focus. The article asserted that, in order for the United States to maintain its hegemony in the world, it is determined to contain China and gradually weaken the Chinese Communist Party. The U.S. will do this not only through military containment, but also by using its economic, judicial, and ideological influence.

The article proposed that, in response, China should implement several diplomatic strategies, one of which is to strengthen China’s international united front. To this end China should: 1) continue to consolidate and develop the Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership; 2) further develop the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; 3) stand firmly on the side of the developing countries and oppose the world powers’ interference in the internal affairs of developing countries; 4) ensure that the ‘BRICS’ play an effective role by increasing their mutual trust and strengthening cooperation between them. (Ed. The BRICS include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.)

Source: Xinhua, March 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2012-03/20/c_122855344_2.htm  

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Huanqiu: South Korea Has No Right to Ask China to Do Anything for North Korean Refugees

[Editor’s Note: China has been regularly repatriating North Korean refugees who manage to cross the border into China. These people then face severe punishment at the hands of the North Korean regime. The international community has been asking China not to return the refugees. Chen Yan, who does research in the area of international relations, wrote an article published by Huanqiu, or Global Times, which Xinhua then republished, the purpose of which was to rebut the international criticism against China. The article claimed that, since South Korea hasn’t done enough to accept the North Korean refuges, it has no right to blame China. [1]

Contrary to Chen’s argument, South Korea has long been asking Beijing not to repatriate the North Koreans and stated that they are accepting these refugees in South Korea after they apply for asylum. In an attempt to apply more pressure to Beijing, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has stated that these refugees are South Korean nationals by law and that he will take their cases to the U.N. [2] “Although China is a state party to the U.N. Refugee Convention, it has prevented the U.N. refugee agency, the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), from gaining access to the North Koreans in China.” [3]

Recently, Chinese repatriation of over thirty North Koreans, many of whom have family members in South Korea, has created a public outcry in South Korea and a comment from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “We believe that refugees should not be repatriated and subjected once again to the dangers that they fled from. . . we urge all countries in the region to cooperate in the protection of North Korean refugees within their territories.” [4]

The following is Chen Yan’s article:]

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Reports | | |   Report

Intensive Training to be held for 3,300 District Political and Legislative Bureau Members in Beijing

Xinhua reported that, according to the Party’s Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, training sessions have been planned for the political bureau members at the provincial, city, and county levels for the first half of this year. The goals are to “further study and carry out the scientific development concepts as well as the key messages from the Two Conferences; to further strengthen the members’ understandings of politics, the overall situation, their responsibilities, and legal and clean governance; and to improve their leadership skills.” The first session will be held in Beijing starting next week. The news report stated that the large scale training will start at the end of April. Over 3,300 political bureau members at the provincial, city, and county levels are expected to participate.

(Ed. The order did not mention Zhou Yongkang who is the head of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee.)

Source: Xinhua, March 22, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2012-03/22/c_122865300.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Huanqiu Urges Party Leaders to Speak up and Stop Rumors about a Rift

The state media Huanqiu published a commentary seeking an immediate clarification from top Communist Party leaders regarding online rumors that there is a rift among the top leaders over the change in the Party leadership of Chongqing. “Since the Chongqing incident, many people have made a lot of comments. It is normal, because the matter deserves this much attention. … It looks like rumors are running wild, but, in fact, the whole society is waiting for the authoritative voice of the Party Central Committee. … We believe the Party Central Committee is working on political issues of great concern to the public. We also hope the conclusions are reached quickly. The sooner the authoritative voice speaks, the clearer the picture that society has will be, and the more relieved the public will be. Sometimes, the significance of speed means more than the speed itself.”

Source: Huanqiu, March 22, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2012-03/2545323.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics