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Monthly Archives: December 2014 - 7. page

What State Secrets did Zhou Yongkang Leak?

One of the findings that the Communist Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) made in its investigation report against Zhou Yonkang is that Zhou leaked Party and State secrets. As China’s former security czar, what State secrets did he leak? 

Some analysts believe that it refers to Zhou’s leaking information about the corruption of his opponents to the media. It may also include Zhou’s attempt to create chaos and organize counterattacks against his opponents. It could also refer to his immediately giving information to Bo Xilai about Wang Lijun having sought refuge in the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu. Some others thought that the findings referred to Zhou Yongkang leaking state secrets to North Korea’s Kim Jong-un in order for them to collaborate in creating international tensions. 

Source: Epoch Times, December 7, 2014 

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Huanqiu Assails How Freedom House Ranks China on Internet Freedom

Freedom House recently issued the "Freedom on the Net 2014" report, which states that, around the world, the freedom of the Internet continues to backslide, with China, Syria, and Iran ranked at the bottom of the 65 countries and regions that the U.S. human rights organization monitors. As a routine practice, China’s state newspaper Global Times (Huanqiu) retaliated with criticism against Freedom House. Its response follows.
"Western media reported that most of the funding for the organization (Freedom House) is from the United States government and it has a close relationship with the Department of Defense."
"Now that Transparency International’s recently published 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index dropped China’s rank by 20 places, this is another act of Western organizations to make China sick by using ridiculous rankings. However, because this approach completely disregards the bottom line, the intention of these ideological attacks is easily discernable. Such a negative ranking of China has ruined the reputations of Western organizations among the Chinese People."
"After all, Freedom House’s accusation about China’s lack of network freedom is a reflection of the old-fashioned differences in values and politics between the West and China. Such an accusation can also expand to include ‘lack of press freedom,’ ‘deterioration of its human rights record,’ and so on."
"The U.S. based Freedom House takes a country that has achieved one of the most effective developments of the Internet around the world and ranks it third from the bottom. It’s hard to tell whether this is a real shame of China, or of its own. In any case, the Chinese people’s care for the freedom of the Internet is far more than the ‘concerns’ of some Western organizations. Let’s guess: Freedom House is just a front for the United States to influence China’s own policy."
Source: Huanqiu, December 6, 2014
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Yuan Peng: Sino-U.S. Relations Have Undergone Four Fundamental Changes

Xinhua‘s international channel conducted an interview of Yuan Peng, Associate Dean of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) regarding the direction in which Sino-U.S. relations are heading. In the interview, Yuan said that "since China launched a new round of reform and opening up, China-U.S. relations have indeed undergone major changes. The three joint communiqués and three joint declarations that guided Sino-U.S. relations in the past may not be sufficient guidelines for the next 35 years."  

Yuan Peng said, "Sino-U.S. relations have undergone four fundamental changes. The first is the change in the balance of power between China and the U.S. China’s GDP jumped from tenth (in the world) at the beginning of the reform and opening to the current second place. The power shift between China and the U.S. is in transition from a quantitative to a qualitative period."  

"The second is the U.S. strategic change. The U.S. has moved its strategic center from Europe to Asia. Despite the Middle Eastern chaos and the Ukrainian crisis, the U.S. has only made some policy adjustments. The ‘Asia-Pacific rebalancing’ change is not merely a tactical one, but a fundamental, strategic change." 

"The third is the change in the strategic foundation for Sino-U.S. relations. China and the U.S. jointly coped with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Sino-U.S. relations after the Cold War have consisted of economic and trade interests. Now the issue is that the foundation will change and both sides are still struggling to find a new strategic foundation. As of the present, a similar new strategic foundation has not appeared." 

"The fourth is a change in the strategic environment. The external environment of Sino-U.S. relations has become more complex and varied, subject to the influence of third party factors such as the Diaoyu Islands, the Ukraine, Russia, and others."

Yuan Peng said, "Putting the four changes together, we can draw the conclusion that a major, even a radical change in Sino-U.S. relations, unlike any in the past 35 years, is now emerging. China must make a fundamental strategic adjustment."


Source: Xinhua, November 28, 2014 
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Registration of Real Property Rights to Pave Way for Taxation

China Securities Journal under Xinhua reported that the authorities have started a pilot program in several cities to register real property rights. Nation-wide implementation may unfold next year. 

Real property rights that must be registered include usufructuary rights. The owner of a usufructuary right has the right to possess, utilize, and obtain the profits from the real property owned by others. Generally, land in China is owned by the State. The usufructuary rights include the right to use state-own land, the right to occupy buildings, as well as the right to use farm land, pastures, forests and seas. Earlier this year, it was announced that all real property rights must be registered within three years. 
Analysts observed that the registration is a fundamental component of China’s land reform. Further, completion of registration is a pre-requisite to legislation and implementation of real property tax. 
Source: China Securities Journal reprinted by Xinhua, December 2, 2014 http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2014-12/02/c_127267878.htm
Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

People’s Daily Accuses Britain of Having a “Colonialist Mentality”

China recently blocked a group of British MP’s from traveling to Hong Kong. While British Prime Minister David Cameron views China’s decision to block the politicians as “a mistaken one,” the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily hurled back criticism, accusing the U.K. of having a "colonialist mentality."
"Whether it is a democracy or not is not for the British to say. The British are interfering with the Hong Kong issue using the excuse of ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom.’ When answering questions in parliament, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the Sino-British Joint Declaration provides the Hong Kong people with freedom of speech and  publication, the freedoms of assembly, association, travel, and strikes, while claiming that Britain should support the rights of Hong Kong people. … The problem is that no one can use the excuse of democracy and freedom to break the law. ‘Occupying Central’ disturbs the social order and impairs the overall interests of Hong Kong, but Britain turns a blind eye to it. The British government is more concerned about its own interests, rather than the true interests of the Hong Kong people."
"Frequently interfering with the internal affairs of other countries, forcing the Western values and ideology upon others, and behaving irresponsibly in bilateral relations are all practices that reflect the legacy of a ‘colonialist mentality.’"
Source: People’s Daily, December 4, 2014
Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Wang Xiangsui: The China-U.S. Relationship Is both Competitive and Symbiotic

Xinhua recently published an article in which Wang Xiangsui, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Beijing University, discussed the current situation of China-U.S. relations and China’s strategy for handling the situation. 

Wang said, “There are three major conflicts between China and the U.S.: the conflict between traditional and emerging powers; the contradiction between capitalist and socialist countries; and the contradiction between a financial nation with an industrial country. There are also two needs for cooperation between China and the U.S.: the need to maintain overall international security and the need to maintain global economic development.” 
“The source of instability in Sino-US relations comes from the fact that the U.S. always adheres to the principle of the ‘U.S. getting the maximum benefits’ and wanting to take all of the benefits. For China, only through fighting can it protect its interests and maintain the basic situation of cooperation. … The nature of Sino-U.S. relations is one of competition between big countries.” 
Wang believed that “the competitiveness of the U.S., including the American model, is in decline. The American Life cycle has entered the stage of decay.” 
“Given the situation that the American style of globalization is difficult to continue and the new global order has not been established, the tide of globalization will be receding. When the U.S. has become powerless in global affairs, the world will enter the ‘post-American’ stage, showing a multi-polarization of forces and a diversification of civilizations. According to the current situation, there may be three major economic circles, or three entities: one in Europe, one in North America, and one of East Asia.” 
As for China’s strategy, Wang said that China is on the path of revival, still climbing with a heavy weight, far from the stage of standing on the top and looking at all the hills from above.” 
“With a clear understanding of China, the United States, and the world’s trends, we can determine that our strategic goal is not, at the moment, to replace the United States in leading the world, to promote the ‘Chinese system,’ and to start a ‘China moment’ and ‘Chinese cycle.’ Instead, China should utilize the remaining heat of American globalization and generally stable environment of the American cycle. It should begin a modern Chinese-style road … implement the strategy of forming entities, consolidate the Asia-Pacific Circle – Eurasian continent circle, and form a major economic zone on par with the euro and the dollar zones. In a division into a 3-way world, it should be satisfactory for China to acquire and lead one.” 
Source: Xinhua, November 27, 2014 
Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

People’s Daily: Security Officers Are Not Simply for Decoration

On December 2, 1024, People’s Daily published a commentary titled, “Security Officers Are Not Simply for Decoration.” It questioned the competence of security officers on public transportation. 

The commentary stated that, in recent years, security incidents have increased on public transportation. The presence of security officers reassures the passengers. However, some security officers do nothing but repeat, “No inflammable materials allowed.” They even doze off while on the job. The commentary further stated that, in an article in 1984, security officers on the train did nothing but ask the passengers, “Comrade, do you have a bomb with you?” Thirty years later, with increased mobility, there are more security risks. If security officers do not do their job, their presence will simply be a matter of going through formalities. 
Source: People’s Daily, December 2, 2014 
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Completed the First Phase of Nigeria Railroad Using Chinese Standards

On December 3, China Daily published a report on railway construction in Nigeria stating that, on December 1, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) completed the first phase of a modern railroad project in Nigeria.

According to the report, the whole project will involve building a railroad that will span 1,315 km (821 miles) in Nigeria, from Lagos to Kano. The first phase is 186.5 km long with nine stations and a design speed of 150 km per hour. The total cost was US$850 million.

"The railroad design completely adopted China’s railroad standards. This is the first modern railroad in Africa that is based on China’s standards."

"Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria stated that, in May, when Premier Li Keqiang was attending the Summit of the World Economic Forum at Africa, he indicated that China will be willing to work with African countries to build a high-speed railroad network, a highway network, and a regional aviation network."

On November 19, CRCC signed another deal in the amount of US$12 billion with Nigeria to build a 1,402 km railway along Nigeria’s coast, linking Lagos and Calabar.

Sources:
[1] China Daily Online, December 3, 2014
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqcj/zxqxb/2014-12-03/content_12825693.html
[2] Business Insider, November 20, 2014
http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-china-firm-signs-12-bn-deal-to-build-nigerian-railway-2014-11

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend