Chinascope – Page 973

Guangdong to Organize Thousands of Internet Commentators to Guide Public Opinion Online

On February 21, 2012, Nanfang Daily, an official Guangdong Provincial Communist Party newspaper, reprinted an article from People’s Daily (the original article is no longer available on the Internet), titled “Guangdong to Organize Thousands of Internet Commentators to Guide Public Opinion Online – Don’t Remain Silent When an Incident Occurs.”

In a speech that Zhu Mingguo, the deputy secretary of the CCP’s Guangdong Provincial Committee, delivered at a conference held by the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Labor Union, Zhu stated, “In today’s era of the Internet and blogs, everyone is a spokesman; everyone can be a reporter. The younger generations of workers all know the Internet. Therefore, the (CCP) labor union cadres must also know how to use the Internet. Whenever anything bad happens, cadres must not remain silent. ‘Not saying anything’ or ‘speaking too much’ will make things worse.”

Source: Nanfang Daily, February 21, 2012
http://media.nfdaily.cn/content/2012-02/21/content_38425919.htm

Briefings | | February 22, 2012 | Government/Politics

Many Civilian Technologies To Be Used for Military Purposes

China Review News (CRN) recently republished a report originally from People’s Liberation Army Daily (PLA Daily) that a mixed civilian and military weapons research, development, and manufacturing system had been established. As of mid-February, more than one hundred civilian enterprises passed the military qualification screening and became eligible to use civilian technologies for weapons development. One example is a civilian robot model that, after some modifications, is now being used for military purposes (such as nuclear reconnaissance). In the past few years, the army has established a system of regulations for managing civilian procurements. In some cases, the cost savings reached 50% and civilian technologies provided significant help in dealing with today’s diversified military missions.

Source: China Review News, February 19, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/1/5/1/102015109.html?coluid=45&kindid=0&docid=102015109&mdate=0219094107

Briefings | | February 21, 2012 | Defense/Military

CRN: Challenges the RMB Faces in Dominating the Market

China Review News (CRN) recently republished an article by Professor Zhao Xiao from the Beijing University of Science and Technology. The article stated that the total amount of international settlements done with the Chinese currency in 2011 was RMB 2.08 trillion (around US$306 billion). At the same time, the U.S. unemployment rate was above 8.5% and 15% of the U.S. population received government help. Professor Zhao believes that China’s currency is preparing to challenge the dominance of the U.S. dollar and the United States is playing defense. Zhao pointed out three major challenges China has to overcome: (1) maintaining the stable growth of both the domestic economy and China’s exports; (2) gaining enough national acceptance by promoting fairness, justice, and democracy; (3) establishing an international alliance against the current currency leader – the United States – by enhancing China’s soft power, or even its “hard” power.

Source: China Review News, February 13, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1020/0/8/3/102008309.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=102008309&mdate=0213081204

Briefings | | February 21, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Study Times: A National Internet Forces Development Strategy is Needed

The Chinese Communist Party’s Central Party School’s magazine, Study Times, published an article on the importance of establishing China’s National Internet Forces. The article called for a strategic level focus on national information security. The author expressed the belief that it is critically important to enhance the research on “information warfare” methodologies as well to maximize the effectiveness of existing “information weaponry.” The article laid out four points to initiate the program: (1) enhancing and empowering the national information security organizations; (2) establishing a national information security monitoring and alerting system; (3) perfecting the information security management and administrative system; (4) strengthening international exchanges and cooperation. The article suggested that in the field of modern information security, the lines between allies and enemies are blurred and dynamic. Therefore, working with countries that use the leading information technology is a must.

Source: Study Times, February 23, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/02/13/07/07_32.htm

Briefings | | February 21, 2012 | Information/Technology

China Remains Silent on Wang Lijun

Wang Lijun, the former director of public security and vice mayor of the southwestern China city of Chongqing, who disguised himself and went secretly to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu City, and who China’s State Security officials later escorted to Beijing, is now nowhere to be found. His relatives have sought information from the authorities about Wang’s whereabouts, but to no avail. Last Thursday, Xinhua said that the Chinese authorities were investigating why Wang Lijun, one of its top police chiefs, spent a day inside the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu. Since then, there has been no official information from the Chinese authorities. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Ming Pao reported that Beijing has concluded that the Wang incident is a “very serious political problem.”

Sources:
Boxun, February 16, 2012
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2012/02/201202141723.shtml
Xinhua, February 9, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-02/09/c_122681189.htm
Ming Pao reprinted by Nanyang Post, February 14, 2012
http://www.nanyangpost.com/news/china/8717.html

Briefings | | February 17, 2012 | Government/Politics

Chinese Publishing Companies Encouraged to Establish Roots in Foreign Countries

Liu Binjie, Director and Party Chief of China’s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) stated that the priority for 2012 is to encourage China’s press and its publishing companies to establish a presence overseas. Liu suggested that that the focus of this work should be on three objectives. The first is to build brand names; the second is to expand the channels for international distribution; and the third is to adopt policies to encourage domestic media to publish and distribute Chinese domestic publications outside of China and to use every possible means to take root in foreign countries. GAPP has ensured that about 50 projects of the press and publishing companies receive state funds of close to 500 million RMB (US $78.5 million) for re-organization and capitalization.

Source: Xinhua, February 15, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-02/15/c_122706724.htm

Briefings | | February 17, 2012 | Information/Technology

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang’s Article on Boosting Domestic Demand

On February 16, Li Keqiang, China’s Vice Premier, who is discussed as the likely successor to Wen Jiabao as Premier, published a feature article in the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship publication Qiushi Journal. The article elaborates on China’s 2012 national economic strategy with a focus on boosting domestic demand by urbanization.

Li points to three “structural problems” in the Chinese economy: First, a slowdown in the drive for economic growth. “While the external demand declines, factors restricting the growth of domestic demand are also increasing. It is difficult for people’s income to maintain a rapid growth and Chinese enterprises’ ability and willingness to invest has waned. There are many obstacles to expanding private investment.” Second, there are many factors that drive up prices. “They include the upward pressure on production costs caused by labor, land, energy resources, and other production factors; the impact of inflation on the importation of bulk commodities in the international market, as well as the effect of the deepened price reform of raw materials.” Third, the problem of unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable development is still prominent.

Source: Qiushi, February 16, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/zywz/201202/t20120216_138924.htm

Briefings | | February 16, 2012 | Economy/Resources

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.