Chinascope – Page 981

China Signs Currency Swap Deal with U’

In the latest indication of the growing political and economic links between Beijing and countries in the oil-rich Gulf region, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a multi-billion dollar currency swap deal. The swap, valued at RMB35bn ($5.5bn), is the latest in a string of currency deals China has agreed to with foreign nations. It is effective for three years and will allow the central banks to draw on the local currency facility to ease bilateral trade. The announcement, which came as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited the UAE for the first time as part of a three country tour of Gulf oil states, acts as both a political statement to bolster China’s ties to the UAE, and a pragmatic measure to increase business with the Gulf’s regional trade hub.

Source: People’s Daily, January 18, 2012
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/70731/16914473.html

Briefings | | January 19, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Communist Party Preparing for its 18th Congress

In preparation for the Party’s 18th National Congress, an unidentified senior official from the Communist Party’s Organization Department stated in an interview with Xinhua that representatives from the front line grassroots will account for more than 32% of the total representatives and Party leaders at various levels will account for no more than 68%. There will be a significant increase in representatives of the workers working in national State-owned enterprises. Of the total representatives who are from provinces, districts, and cities, about 10% will be workers.

The representatives will come from about 3,890,000 local Party organizations with over 80 million Party members. According to the Party official, there will be 2,270 representatives attending the 18th National Congress of the Party, 50 more than the number that attended the 17th National Congress. “The representatives to the 18th national Congress must be the outstanding elements of the Party. [We emphasize that they must be politically advanced, which means] the representatives must hold firm beliefs [in Communism], be politically correct, have good character, excellent job performance, and a strong ability to perform their duties as representative.”

Source: Qiushi, January 13, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/dj/201201/t20120113_134700.htm

Briefings | | January 19, 2012 | Government/Politics

The U.S. Return to Asia Will Have a Profound Impact on the Global Economic Structure

Qiushi published an article commenting on the strategic intention of the U.S. in returning to Asia and the impact of that return on the global economic structure. The article stated, “(First), the U.S.’s strategic goal in returning to Asia is to further fortify its dominant position in currency. Imposing political and economic pressure on China will force the Chinese Reminbi to appreciate.

“The second goal of the U.S. return to Asia is to create an Asian Pacific free trade area that the U.S. controls. Due to the direct intervention of the U.S., the Asian Pacific region will be divided. For example, Japan may choose to leave the East Asian Community and, instead, join the TPP, in which China does not participate. If the U.S. will succeed in controlling a free trade region that is the size of 35.5 percent of the global economy, it will have no other trade competitor in the world. “Currently, the competition between the China-Asean Free Trade Area model and the TPP model that the U.S. promotes has become the inevitable focus. Apparently, in the trade arena, the U.S. return to Asia directly targets China. It will isolate China in trade, impact the trade structure of Asian countries, and even have a huge impact on the global trade structure in exports.

“[Lastly], the U.S. return to Asia is advantageous to its long-term plan in the area of high-end industries. By returning to Asia, the U.S. completely suppresses China as well as Asian countries’ new energy enterprises. The U.S.’s intention is to attack China’s economic capability of competitiveness and grab China’s market and resources.”

Source: Qiushi, January 13, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/jj/hqsy/201201/t20120113_134730.htm

Briefings | | January 19, 2012 | US-China Relations

Guo Boxiong: 2012 Is a Crucial Year for Military Combat Readiness.

According to a China Review News report on January 15, 2012, Guo Boxiong, the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Peoples Republic of China, recently emphasized the Party’s absolute leadership over the army. He made this point in a speech he delivered in Beijing, where he gave a New Years greeting to a group of PLA army officials, soldiers, retired senior military officials, staff, and their family members.

He said, “This year (2012) is a year of great significance in the development of our Party and country. It is also a crucial year for the modernization of the armed forces and military combat readiness. We must maintain the army’s high concentration, security and stability. Be politically firm, and mentally stable. … Adhere to the correct direction, strictly follow discipline, maintain security and stability, maintain unity, and create a good environment for a victorious opening of the Party’s 18th National Congress. … Unswervingly uphold the fundamental principle and system of the Party’s absolute leadership over the army. At any time and under any circumstances, resolutely obey the Chinese Communist Party Central Military Commission and Chairman Hu Jintao.”

Source: China Review News, January 15, 2012
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/8/0/7/101980783.html?coluid=151&kindid=0&docid=101980783&mdate=0115160518

Briefings | | January 18, 2012 | Defense/Military

People’s Daily: It Is Impossible for China to Stop Buying Oil from Iran

On January 12, 2012, People’s Daily published an article titled “It Is Impossible for China to Stop Buying Oil from Iran.” The article lists four reasons not to participate in the U.S. initiated economic sanctions against Iran: 1) it is the U.S. decision to step up the economic sanctions against Iran, not a UN Security Council resolution; 2) tightening economic sanctions against Iran will only fuel tensions in the Gulf region; 3) participating in the economic sanctions against Iran will seriously damage China’s economic, strategic and other interests; 4) in the past, many U.S. initiated economic sanctions caused serious humanitarian disasters.

“Getting involved in sanctions against Iran would greatly undermine China’s economic, strategic, and other interests. With regard to economic interests, Iran is an important source of Chinese oil imports and an important market for Chinese consumer goods, capital, equipment exports, and overseas project contracts. Trade between the two countries reached US$29.4 billion in 2010 and jumped to US$41 billion in the first 11 months of 2011, representing a 55.8 percent increase.”

Source: People’s Daily, January 12, 2012
http://energy.people.com.cn/GB/16863152.html

Briefings | | January 18, 2012 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Qiushi Journal: Independent Media Are the Guardians of the Capitalist System

On January 6, 2012, Qiushi, a journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, published an article titled “Independent Media Are the Guardians of the Capitalist System.” The article is a short commentary that intends to solicit more supportive comments from Internet users. It invites them to post their comments in a box below the article to “list examples explaining why independent media cannot really be independent and to further analyze the biggest truth behind independent media so as to lead people to discuss and understand the nature of freedom of press in the West.”

Citing the “Murdoch News Corporation scandal” and the U.S. mainstream media’s “delayed” and “negative” reports on "Occupy Wall Street," the article criticizes freedom of the press in the West as a “self-proclaimed signboard.”

Source: Qiushi Journal, January 6, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/llzx/201201/t20120106_133752.htm

Briefings | | January 18, 2012 | Government/Politics

Red Flag Manuscript: Watch Out for the West’s Infiltration and Sabotage in the Arena of Ideology

[Editor’s Note: Red Flag Manuscript published an article on the importance of safeguarding China’s ideology. [1] The author, Zheng Weiping, Director of the Political Department of Guangzhou Military Region, argued that “It has always been the core mission of each country and political (ruling) party to fight for the discourse power in ideology and be proactive in safeguarding the nation’s ideology.” Zheng stated that China should adhere to its Marxist ideology and socialist path and be fully alert to the West’s infiltration and attempts to overthrow the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) leadership. The following is an excerpt from the article.]

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Reports | | January 17, 2012 | Report

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.