Chinascope – Page 997

Xinhua: The Level of Urbanization in China Reaches 50%

Xinhua recently reported that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences released the Social Bluebook it had recently compiled. According to the Bluebook, in the year 2011, the level of urbanization in China reached 50%. The 2010 national census indicated that, last year, the urban population reached 49.68%. This was the first time in a few thousand years that urban citizens outnumbered those classified as “farmers.” The Bluebook considered the moment a historic turning point and suggested that this may have a major impact in several social areas, such as the patterns of consumption, life styles, and value systems. The Bluebook also suggested that urbanization is becoming the second major economic engine after industrialization. However, urbanization is also believed to raise a number of social issues, such as the lack of labor protection and social security.

Source: Xinhua, December 19, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-12/19/c_111256953.htm

Briefings | | December 27, 2011 | Economy/Resources

General Peng: U.S. Global Strategic Adjustments

Global Times recently published a summary of a speech delivered by General Peng Guangqian, the Deputy Secretary of the National Security Policies Committee. In his speech, Peng identified three key global strategic events that have had a major impact on the international political landscape: (1) the global financial crisis; (2) the historic Middle East political “earthquake”; and (3) the U.S. moving its global strategic focal point to East Asia. According to Peng, the new U.S. strategy includes six elements: (1) China as the primary war target; (2) Japan and Australia as the key strategic allies; (3) Western Pacific based military bases; (4) the Western value system; (5) the U.S. dominated economic containment system; and (6) foreign policies aimed at separating China from its neighboring countries. In his speech, Peng expressed the worry that traitors in China might work with the U.S. to overturn the government.

Source: Global Times, December 16, 2011
http://mil.huanqiu.com/Observation/2011-12/2289744.html

Briefings | | December 27, 2011 | Defense/Military

Qiushi Journal: Capitalism Is Dying

[Editor’s Note: Recently, Chinese state media have frequently commented on the global financial crisis. An increasing number of articles are even claiming outright that the current crisis portends the end of capitalism. Their arguments range from the greediness of capitalism to how politicians sell their souls and from the loss of public trust to how U.S. hegemony has transferred the crisis to the rest of the world. The “fake democracy” in the U.S. and the “collapsing political/democratic system” in the U.S. are also hot topics. Such claims lead to an implied but unstated conclusion that China does not need to take the path of democracy that the U.S. promotes. They also support China’s new drive toward cultural system reform – increasing its “soft” power and striving to control the international discourse power. The following are excerpts from two articles that appeared in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) prestigious theoretical publications that make such statements.]

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Reports | | December 26, 2011 | Report

Yuan Pang: New Challenges for China-U.S. Relations

The “2011 Forum on China Diplomacy Review and Future Outlook” was held on December 18, 2011, in Beijing. Yuan Pang, the director of the American Studies Institute of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, discussed the new challenges that China-U.S. relations presently face. Yuan listed four challenges: 1) The biggest challenge is that the foundation for long-term cooperation between China and the U.S. is shaky. After the killing of bin-Laden and the U.S. withdrawal of its troops (from Iraq), will anti-terrorism continue to be a cooperative strategy? As the complementary relationship of the economy and trade between China and the U.S. gradually manifests more friction and conflict, will cooperation in the areas of the economy and trade continue to support China-U.S. relations? These two foundations face challenges. 2) The second area for challenges is the change in the international environment, namely in our neighborhood, where the U.S. is making use of those countries that have territorial conflicts with China. 3) Third is that Russia, as our strategic partner in the past, is expecting China to come to the front line. 4) The last one is that the strategic view has changed. In Deng’s era, China’s strategy was to learn from the U.S. in technology and absorb capital. After Deng, the strategy has become fighting and cooperation at the same time. What is the direction China should take right now? It is not clear.

Source: ifeng.com, December 19, 2011
http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2011_12/19/11427081_0.shtml

Briefings | | December 23, 2011 | US-China Relations

China to Procure Foreign Experts to Develop Emerging Technologies and Industries

Zhang Jianguo, China’s Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, spoke at the 14th Expo for Chinese Overseas Experts, which was held in Guangzhou. He indicated that over the next 10 years, China plans to bring in an average of 50 to 100 experts per year for a total of 500 to 1,000 foreign experts. The priority is to bring in strategic scientists, leading technology experts, and international innovative teams that can make breakthroughs in critical technologies, develop high tech and emerging industries, and bring about new disciplines in science.

Source: Xinhua, December 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-12/20/c_111259701.htm

Briefings | | December 23, 2011 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China Press in the U.S. Urges China to Use “Soft Checks and Balances” to Deal with the U.S.

Xiao Dong, the chief editor of China Press, a U.S. based Chinese language newspaper, contributed a special article to People’s Daily. In the article, Xiao wrote that China should use “soft checks and balances” to deal with the U.S. “soft containment” of China which appeared as a recent adjustment to its strategy in the Pacific region. “Soft checks and balances include constraining the U.S. through international organizations, deterring the U.S. through economic means, restricting its freedom through diplomatic measures, and using ingenuity to lead the U.S. strategy toward failure. … Soft power is a capability while soft checks and balances are a means.” Specifically, “China should fully utilize the existing dialogue mechanism to resolve conflicts and seek a win-win situation; fully utilize the framework of international institutions and organizations, particularly those China can effectively influence; and fully use diplomatic means of all kinds to reduce the pressure.”

According to the U.S. based Jamestown Foundation, “China Press is directly controlled by the Chinese government. The paper is characterized by its substantial and timely news reports from Mainland China. It represents the voice and views of China’s Communist government.”

Sources:
People’s Daily, December 21, 2011
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/70731/16672314.html
Jamestown Foundation, “How China’s Government Is Attempting to Control Chinese Media in America” http://www.jamestown.org/programs/chinabrief/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3764&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=191&no_cache=1

Briefings | | December 23, 2011 | US-China Relations

Xinhua: Properly Guiding Public Opinion

Recently, Xinhua released a series of products and services at http://www.news.cn/yuqing/ designed to monitor and lead public opinion. According to Duan Saimin, the chief of the Xinhua public opinion center, when public opinion is properly guided, it will be conducive to the resolution of problems and can promote social stability and harmony. Otherwise, conflicts and problems will be amplified and affect local social stability and harmony. He acknowledged that few people in the local governments have recognized and understood the mechanism of public opinion. “They lack experience in responding to public opinion and some lack complete emergency procedures; … ultimately the conflicts and problems (that came up in the past) were amplified through the Internet, thus damaging the image of the government and enterprises, and causing irreparable harm.” According to Duan, since 2003, Xinhua has routinely provided public opinion reports to Communist Party leaders. Currently it has a team of over 100 public opinion analysts.

Source: Xinhua, December 20, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-12/20/c_122451786.htm

Briefings | | December 22, 2011 | Government/Politics

Qiushi Reemphasizes: No Religious Beliefs for Party Members

In a high profile article published on Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship publication, Zhu Weiqun, the CCP’s deputy chief of the Department of Organization, proclaimed that a Party member must not have religious beliefs.

Zhu said, “At present there is a noteworthy phenomenon: there is a rising trend among Communist Party members of participating in religious activities and establishing close personal relationships with religious leaders. Some Party members have become de facto religious followers.” “If a Party member believes in a religion, he is bound to become the spokesperson for a certain religious force. In some regions, religious believers may administer the Party’s religious work and may make use of government resources to foster religious fervor.”

He added, “While domestic and foreign hostile forces have tried to use religion to engage in separatist activities in some ethnic minority areas, allowing religious beliefs for Party members will greatly weaken the Party’s combat strength in the struggle against separatism.” “Allowing religious beliefs for Party members will debilitate the Party in ideology and organization, causing the Party to degenerate from a Marxist political party into a non-Marxist political party.”

He suggested that “If a Party member is actively involved in religious life and missionary work, even using the identity of Party member to protect and promote illegal religious activities, the Party organizations should take timely measures to remove him from the Party,.”

Source: Qiushi, December 15, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/dj/201112/t20111215_129931.htm

Briefings | | December 22, 2011 | Government/Politics

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