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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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1.3 Million Take Entry Exam for 18,000 Central Government Positions

Jinghua Daily, a newspaper under People’s Daily, recently reported that the 2012 Entry Exam for Central Government Civil Officials started on November 26, 2011. The exam takes two days. There are around 1.3 million people registered nationally for the exam. The total number of job openings is around 18,000. In Beijing City alone, 2,940 exam sites were established. This year is the first year for all sites in Beijing to be equipped with radio shielding devices. Branches of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also sent mobile radio activity monitoring vehicles to fight high-tech cheating techniques. Large construction sites have been closed temporarily during the exam.

Source: Jinghua Daily, November 26, 2011
http://edu.people.com.cn/GB/16399354.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

State Owned Culture and Art Entities to Complete System Reform during the First Half of 2012

The Ministry of Culture recently issued a notice, “On System Reform Actions that State Owned Culture and Art Entities Must Complete.” It required all levels of entities within the ministry to further understand the importance and urgency of the requirements given at the 6th Plenary Session of the 17th National Congress and completely implement the system reforms by the end of the first half of 2012. The notice requested all levels of each entity to lay out the plans, requirements, and timeline and to identify the person in charge; to establish the relocation, coordination, and inspection process; to strictly follow the related requirements; and to systematically complete the work. It also required the understanding and support of the Party organization and government at the district levels so they can assist in the process.

Source: Xinhua, November 21, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-11/21/c_111184330.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

31 Provinces Adopt Two Child Policy

On November 25, 2011, Henan Province joined 31 other provinces in allowing the couples who were both the only child in their families to have a second child. The change in policy came about because the “one child policy” had a number of negative effects, including an aging population, the quality of the population, and the gender mix.

According to statistics from the 6th census, published on April 28, 2011, China’s population increased to 1.339 billion from 1.265 billion in 2000. The census revealed that 13.3 percent were 60 years and older which was 3 percent higher than in 2000, while 16.6 percent were  under the age of 14 compared to 27.69 percent in 1990. It was predicted that China’s population will have a net increase of 200 million over the next 30 years reaching 1.5 billion by 2033. Experts are calling for a conservative approach to opening up the “two child policy.”

Source: Xinhua, November 27, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2011-11/27/c_122340832.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

State Council Information Office Held Training Sessions on Handling Public Emergency Incidents

From November 23 to 25, 2011, the State Council Information Office held training sessions in Beijing on the proper handling of “Public Emergency Incidents." Those attending included the spokesperson from the central media as well as the key personnel in charge of broadcasting local news.

Wang Guoqing, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office spoke at the training. He said the improper handling of sudden public events in the past resulted in negative media reports and unfavorable consequences. He stressed that the goal of the training was to study and learn from past examples in order to improve the media’s ability to handle public emergency incidents.

Source: People’s Daily, November 27, 2011
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/1026/16402017.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Huanqiu: Six Countermeasures to the Challenges from the U.S.

[Editor’s Note: Huanqiu Online, the Chinese version of Global Times Online, a daily publication under People’s Daily, published an article by Zhang Weiwei, a researcher at the Chunqiu Comprehensive Research Institute, a Chinese think tank, on how China should respond to the U.S. suppression of China’s rise. The author suggested six measures that can be taken in the diplomatic, economic, regional, and ideological (soft power) areas. The author states that “China’s GDP will surpass the U.S.’s GDP in ten years” and the China Model will defeat the U.S. system. The following is a translation of the article.] [1]

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Reports | | |   Report

The Number of Social Media Users Tops 300 Million

On November 21, 2011, the 11th China Internet Media Forum was held in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Over 300 representatives from the central government, Xinhua News, People’s Daily, China News Service, Internet media companies, and academia attended the forum. A Deputy Chief of the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party Central Committee spoke at the forum. He stated that there are three trends worth noting: first is that the Internet is becoming more like media and increasingly impacts society; second, the Internet is getting more “mobile;” and third, micro-blogs and other social media are rapidly gaining momentum.

The statistics released at the forum show that the number of Internet users in China is approaching 500 million, that close to 350 million Internet users use cell phones to browse the Internet, and that 900 million cell phone users may be potential customers of the mobile Internet. The most significant trend in Chinese Internet is the burgeoning growth of the social media micro-blogs, with users topping 300 million. Led by the State media, the attendees adopted the Wuhan Declaration, a pact to “vigorously promote socialist core values.”

Source: China News Service reprinted by Huanqiu, November 21, 2011
http://china.huanqiu.com/hot/2011-11/2193180.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Companies Urge Chinese Government to Win over Libya’s Trust

The International Herald Leader published a report from Tivoli entitled “Chinese Companies in Libya in Critical Need of Help.” The article stated that the 7-month war in Libya inflicted immeasurable damage on Chinese companies in Libya and that the first step toward reconstruction of the companies is to learn how to deal with the new Libya government. Among the foes that they are facing, the Chinese companies are concerned that the position of Libya’s leaders toward China is not clear. “Some officials have even shown varying degrees of an anti-China tendency. Thus, Chinese-funded enterprises are at a relative disadvantage politically. Some of the Libya partners even half-jokingly warned that they will reduce cooperation with Chinese enterprises.” Further, China has few political advantages in comparison with the NATO countries that imposed the no-fly zone that led to the defeat of the Kaddafi regime. “Western companies are likely to have a larger piece of the pie during the upcoming Libya reconstruction.”

These Chinese companies recommended that the Chinese government offer low or zero interest rate loans to Libya as a means of winning the the new Libya government’s trust and support. For example, if China agrees to accept oil as in kind payment for its losses during the war and for the project funds that are overdue, it would be a win-win for all: Libya can proceed to complete unfinished projects; the Chinese government can win the trust of the new Libya and have access to more oil reserves; and Chinese companies in Libya can re-build the projects in Libya.

Source: International Herald Leader, November 21, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-11/21/c_131253008.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Officials, Movie Stars, Business Owners, Intellectuals: China’s Social Elite Emigrate Abroad

On November 18, 2011, an article titled “The Most Dangerous Time Arrives: Four Groups of China’s Social Elite on the Run; All Emigrate Overseas” was published on a blog in ifeng.com, the website of Hong Kong based Phoenix TV.

The article listed four categorizes of China’s social elite who have emigrated or are going to emigrate abroad. They are those who have power (officials), those who have fame (movie stars), those who have money (private business entrepreneurs) and those who have expertise (scholars).

“Actually, China’s economy has entered into the most dangerous period of time: a drain of private capital, the collapse of manufacturing companies, a decline in the price of property, and heavily indebted local governments. … Unless China is careful, the entire economy will collapse.”

"The whole nation’s morale is so low that people want to leave.”

Source: ifeng.com, November 18, 2011
http://blog.ifeng.com/article/14734086.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability