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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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Maintaining Tight Control over Ideology

[Editor’s Note: Qiushi Journal republished an article from the Contemporary World and Socialism magazine on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) control over ideology work, which includes establishing, deciding on, shaping, and disseminating ideology. [1] The author, Wang Yonggui, is a scholar at the School of Marxist Studies at Nanjing Normal University. In the article, Wang stressed that the Party’s control over ideology “cannot be loosened for a single moment” and that “strengthening the Party’s sole leadership over work in ideology is an important weapon for the CCP’s success.” The following are excerpts from the article.]

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Reports | | |   Report

Wen Jiabao: China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Zone Negotiation Starts Next Year

Beijing News reported that, on November 19, 2011, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and South Korean President, Lee Myung Bak. Wen called for an intensified joint effort to complete the research work on the free trade zone of the three nations. He expected the free trade negotiation to start next year and a completion of the investment negotiation as early as possible. China, Japan and Korea are the three most important nations in the East Asia region. The sum of the GDP of these three countries accounts for more than half of the GDP of the entire East Asia region. However, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences expressed the belief that the three nations have to build political trust first.

Source: Beijing News, November 20, 2011
http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2011-11/20/content_293741.htm?div=-1

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Research Results on the Made in China Commercial

Beijing News recently published a report on the “Made in China” commercial sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce. The commercial has run on CNN, the BBC, and other European and North American media since 2009. The Ministry did not release the cost officially, but it was estimated to be in the millions of dollars. A Hong Kong based researcher released a recent report that showed the commercial was “generally effective.” However, half of the viewers surveyed said that the commercial did not impact them at all. Compared to another “National Image” commercial that the same Ministry also sponsored, the “Made in China” one was much more successful. About seven percent of viewers had a positive view of the “National Image” commercial while the number of people having a negative view increased by 10% after seeing it. BBC research showed the same result.

Source: Beijing News, November 16, 2011
http://news.bjnews.com.cn/2011/1116/138896.shtml

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

CRN: What the TPP Means to China

China Review News (CRN) recently published an editorial on what impact the United States spearheading the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will have on China. The editorial expressed the belief that the TPP, if successful, will enhance the strategic advantage of the U.S. in East Asia, while weakening China’s influence. The author suggested that China currently has the upper hand in terms of free trade agreements in East Asia. However the U.S. is now trying to take the lead in this region by taking advantage of work with its political and military allies. It seems the TPP rules are designed to eliminate the chance for China to join, especially on the fronts of government purchases, intellectual property protection, and state-owned companies. The editorial suggested that China can bypass the TPP by negotiating free trade agreements directly with TPP countries, even if China is excluded from the TPP.

Source: China Review News, November 17, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1019/0/8/0/101908005.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=101908005&mdate=1117080446

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

VOA: China to Recruit Technology Experts from Overseas

As China’s demand for technology experts continues to rise, Chinese leaders are more and more conscious of how important it is to have technology experts help China grow. The Chinese government has adopted a series of measures to attract Chinese students who have studied abroad to return to China. The “Thousand People Plan” was introduced at the end of 2008. If offers incentives to attract high tech expertise from overseas to work in China. In June 2010, the State Council issued a mid to long term plan to develop technology experts. At the 10th conference on the international Exchange of Professionals that was held in Shen Zhen on November 5, 2011, the Chinese government announced that it will allow foreigners to hold senior positions in the scientific field or state owned enterprises. It will offer them compensation to match the level of pay they would receive in the U.S. and provide them with long term visas to live in China.

Professor Yan Xuetong, the Director of the Institute of International Studies, Tsinghua University, predicts that the future competition between China and the U.S. will be in technology, education, and expertise. Yan said, “Whichever country can attract the experts will be the most powerful.” He also believes that China doesn’t just need technology experts; it also needs experts who are capable of strategic thinking.

Source: Voice of America, November 17, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20111117-china-talent-war-134070808.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

BBC Chinese: Public Outcry over School Bus Tragedy in Gangsu Province

BBC Chinese reported that on the morning of November 16, 2011, a daycare school bus in Zheng Ning County of Gangsu Province collided with a cargo truck killing 20 children on the bus. The school bus, which had been converted from a 9 passenger vehicle, had 64 students on board at the time of the accident. The report stated that the daycare center had a total of 737 children, but only 4 school buses to use for pickup and drop off.

People were outraged by the tragedy and questioned, “Why do we have so many buses for public transportation but can’t afford a reliable school bus for our children? Our government should take financial responsibility for this.” The accident took place just before the Shenzhou Spacecraft No. 8 returned back to earth. Some people asked, “Why can we guarantee that Shenzhou Spacecraft No. 8 will lift off safely, but we cannot guarantee our children’s safety when they go to school?”.

Source: BBC Chinese, November 17, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2011/11/111117_china_school_bus.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Xinhua: Five Guidelines for Promoting Reform of the Culture System

Xinhua published an article that listed five guidelines for promoting reform of the culture system:

1) Stay firm in using Marxist theory as the guideline and be proficient in knowledge of the ideology that is based on socialist theory with Chinese characteristics in order to ensure that we are walking on the correct path.

2) Follow the advanced cultural character of socialism to serve the people and society and to promote an uplifting spirit and a healthy lifestyle.

3) Stay close to reality, life, and the people and encourage the people to play an active role in reforming the culture system.

4) Give the social effect a top priority. Culture products can educate people, provide social ideology with a guiding principal, and bring economic benefits. However when there are conflicts between social and economic effects, the social effect should prevail.

5) Be firm on the open door policy to promote Chinese culture to the world. Developing Chinese culture should strictly follow the right path particularly in establishing the Communist Party’s leadership, the government management body, social supervision, and the related laws.

Source: Xinhua, November 17, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-11/17/c_111173335.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Outlook Weekly: TPP û the Core of the U.S. Strategy to Return to the Asia Pacific

The State Information Center published an article in Outlook Weekly recommending that China join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact, an Asia-Pacific regional trade agreement. The United States, eight other partners, and Japan have announced plans to participate and are currently negotiating. “Once the TPP is implemented, it will most likely change the current pattern of economic development and trade, have a profound influence on global, economic, and trade relations and regional economic cooperation and impact other forms of the multilateral trading system in the region.” With TPP, the U.S. intends to lead the future in economic cooperation in the region and formulate the new economic order with the U.S. as the center. “TPP may be viewed as the core strategy of the U.S. ‘New Pacific Century.’” The article recommends that China participate as early as possible so that it can set the standards and position itself well strategically.

Source: Outlook Weekly, November 14, 2011
http://www.lwgcw.com/NewsShow.aspx?newsId=24415

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend