Chinascope – Page 976

Global Times: China to Cancel the Purchase of 45 Airbus Jets

Global Times recently reported, based on news from the French newspaper the Tribune, that China has decided to cancel its plan to purchase 10 Airbus A380 super-jumbo jetliners and 35 Airbus A330 airplanes. Louis Gallois, Chief Executive of the European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company (EADS), confirmed the cancellation. EADS is the parent company of Airbus. Gallois explained that the decision was based on China’s position of opposing the EU Carbon Tax. He complained that this cancellation was a major setback for Airbus’ business. Airbus already made a request that the European Union cancel the tax. Twenty-six out of the 36 members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) are against this tax, including China, the United States, and Russia. It is also damaging for Airbus because, according to a report by Bloomberg, Boeing’s commercial aircraft group is hoping to sell 200 737-MAX and a “certain number” of 747-8S airplanes to China this year.

Source: Global Times, March 9, 2012
http://firefox.huanqiu.com/mil/Exclusive/2012-03/2509889.html

Briefings | | March 13, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Ministry of Commerce: China to Purchase 48 Fighter Jets from Russia

China’s Ministry of Commerce recently published a piece on its official website quoting the Chinese Embassy in Russia, which revealed that negotiations between China and Russia on the purchase of 48 Su-35 fighter jets are close to being finalized. The contract will total US$4 billion. This is China’s largest single international military procurement contract in a decade. There is one key issue that still remains unresolved in the negotiations: intellectual property protection. The Russians are requiring a legally binding guarantee to ensure that China will not illegally copy Russian technology and use it to eat into Russia’s share of the international military aircraft market.

Source: Ministry of Commerce, March 10, 2012
http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/i/jyjl/m/201203/20120308007354.html

Briefings | | March 13, 2012 | Defense/Military

Member of the National People’s Congress: Too Many Government Officials

City Express, a newspaper based in the city of Hangzhou, recently reported a comment made by Liu Xirong, a member of The National People’s Congress (NPC), Vice Chairman of the NPC Law Committee, and former Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Liu suggested that China is “overflowing with government officials.” Four years ago, there were six million government officials nationwide. Now the number is ten million. Based on his experience working in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Liu expressed the belief that it is very hard to manage that many government officials. The cost of their salaries, benefits, training, and administration is very high. “The tax payers have to pay for all this,” Liu sighed. “No matter how hard the people work, they will not be able to afford so many public servants.”

Source: City Express, March 11, 2012
http://hzdaily.hangzhou.com.cn/dskb/html/2012-03/11/content_1234636.htm

Briefings | | March 13, 2012 | Government/Politics

The Moral Crisis in China, Part II – Traditional Chinese Culture

Part II – Traditional Chinese Culture

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In “Part I – Seven Areas that Showcase China’s Moral Crisis,” we gave examples of the great moral deterioration that has taken place in China. From officials raping an innocent child and then declaring her a prostitute to doctors treating a beggar to a nice meal and then killing him to harvest and sell his organs; from Chinese netizens singing eulogies to bin Laden after the U.S. killed him to the series of frauds that China perpetrated on the public at the Beijing Olympics, we saw the extent of China’s current moral crisis.

This is not how China used to be. China has a proud heritage of 5,000 years as an “ancient civilization” with very high moral standards. Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism either originated in China or took root there. They flourished and were promulgated in a land whose people were devoted to achieving a oneness with heaven. The very concept of enlightenment originated in ancient China. Part II of the Moral Crisis series reviews the foundation of China’s morality in ancient times. Without understanding the heritage of China’s traditional cultural and the height China’s moral standards attained in history, we would not have a clear understanding of how profoundly China has been severed from its past, its own true cultural heritage.

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Analyses | | March 12, 2012 | Opinion

China Ended Two Years of Negative Real Interest Rates

According to the statistics published by the National Statistics Bureau, February’s CPI growth was 3.2 percent compared with the same period last year, the lowest since July 2010. The February CPI was below the one year savings interest rate of 3.5 percent thus ending the two year long period of “negative real interest rates” where the CPI has been higher than the interest rate.

Among commodities, food is still the key factor that drives up CPI growth. For example, pork, fresh vegetables, and cooked vegetable’s prices have increased 18.2%, 12.3% and 6.1% respectively over the same period last year.

Source: Chinese Economy, March 10, 2012
http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/201203/10/t20120310_23144612.shtml

Briefings | | March 12, 2012 | Economy/Resources

China’s Top Leaders Addressed the Need to Maintain Stability in Ethnic Minority Regions

On March 9, during the two Conferences [the National People’s Congress and the People’s Political Consultative Conference], selected provinces and ethnic groups held panel discussions. China’s top leaders joined the discussions and stressed the importance of promoting growth while maintaining stability and ethnic harmony.

During the panel discussion with the Tibetan group, President Hu insisted that Tibet “must follow the directives that the central administration has given, walk the path of Chinese characteristics with Tibetan uniqueness, and effectively carry out the work that will safeguard development and stability in Tibet.” When Premier Wen Jiabao attended the discussion with Guangxi Province, he stated that harmony between ethnic groups is a key component of social harmony. In meeting with representatives from Xinjiang, vice President Xi Jianping noted that it is important to safeguard unity among ethnic groups, firmly resist division, and ensure stability.

Source: People’s Daily, March 9, 2012
http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64093/64094/17344951.html

Briefings | | March 12, 2012 | Government/Politics

Huanqiu Opinion: US Fears Losing Dominant Power in the World

Huanqiu carried an opinion piece on how the U.S. has recently launched a number of joint military exercises, including the Cobra Gold Military Exercises (Thailand), Cope North 2012 (the U.S., Japan, and Australia) and Key Resolve-Foal Eagle (South Korea), with Asian Pacific countries. The article wondered what the U.S. is afraid of as it launches one large scale military exercise after another. It stated that what the U.S. really fears is losing its dominant power in the world and that, therefore, U.S. strategy revolves around how it can secure absolute world dominance.

The article also warned that a fleet, missiles, or aircraft carriers do not mean much in the 21st Century. What matters to safety is social and economic development and close cooperation between different nations. The article said, “If the U.S. does not put down its ‘fear,’ it could create more enemies. It will eventually bury itself in its imaginary “threat” and be unable to dig itself out.”

Source: Huanqiu, March, 2012
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/roll/2012-03/2506854.html

Briefings | | March 12, 2012 | US-China Relations

What’s China’s Bottom Line in the Iran Issue?

China Review News published an commentary article talking about China’s diplomatic policy on the Iran conflict. The article says, “U.S. Finance Secretary’s visit to China is not for discussing economic issues, rather, it is for the issue of sanctioning Iran. This is a quite strange thing.”

Regarding what China will do to Iran, the article says, “ Based on the past norm, Chinese authorities would adopt or partially adopt the American government official’s request out of the consideration of diplomatic interests. However，if U.S. Secretary of Finance comes to China in the hope of getting China to increase the sanction of Iran, then U.S. Finance Secretary will probably go home empty-handed. Chinese government will never agree to join the camp of sanctioning Iran unless Iran openly opposes U.N. Security Council’s Resolution and pulls farther and farther away in the issue of nuclear weapons.”

The article made it clear that “China will not interfere with other countries’ internal affairs, not to say force other country to yield under pressure by economic sanction and armed force threatening. It is necessary that China’s Foreign Ministry publicize its diplomatic policy, and eliminate the illusion of Western countries.”

Source: China Review News, January 25, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/7/5/4/101975417.html?coluid=136&kindid=4710&docid=101975417&mdate=0125000148

Briefings | | March 11, 2012 | US-China Relations

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