CHINA – POLITICS
Deadly school attacks shock the nation
- May 3rd, a man kidnapped a 5-year-old girl in downtown Beijing after he failed to see an internet friend he had arranged to meet for a date. The man was shot dead by the police and the girl suffered a minor injury on her neck.
- April 30th, Wang Yonglai hit 5 pre-school children with a hammer and then burned himself dead at the scene in Weifang, Shandong. It was reported that Wang was threatened with home demolition.
- April 29th, an unemployed man stabbed 29 children in a kindergarten in Taixing, Jiangsu. Five of the children were left in a critical condition, but no death toll was reported.
- April 28th, Chen Kangbing stabbed 16 children and 1 teacher in a primary school in Leizhou, Guangdong. Later the police tried to assess Chen’s mental state but there has been no update on his motive for the crime.
- April 12th, a man stabbed 7 primary school children in Guangxi, 2 died, 5 injured. Police later said the attacker had a history of mental illness.
- March 23rd, Zheng Minsheng, a former surgeon, stabbed 13 primary school children in Fujian. Eight children died and 5 were left severely injured. Zheng was executed on April 28th. He was reported to have been depressed due to his unemployment and failures in his love life.
After six deadly school attacks in less than two months, the government ordered school security to be strengthened. Schools are being asked to employ sufficient security personnel, equip them with necessary protective gear, and install security facilities.
However, since last week, the media reports on those attacks and death tolls have quietened down. Relatives were not allowed to comment and instead, stories on schools strengthening their security are dominating the front pages. The change was understood to be because media and social networking sites received orders from the central propaganda office to guarantee a harmonious tone for the Shanghai Expo.
Asia Weekly’s comment said that, unfortunately, the government hasn’t showed any intent to find out the real reasons rooted in society for the wave of attacks. Instead, they chose to cover it up. “It’s like a battle, everybody is guarding against dangerous enemies, but we refused to ask who they are and where they are from.”
Earlier on April 1st, Oriental Outlook magazine did cover story on the Fujian school stabbing. In an article it cited Fudan University Professor Teng Wuxiao as saying, the enlarging rich-poor gap and urban-rural gap have caused bigger inferiority complex and sense of imbalance among average citizens while they still have no steam valve. The feelings could turn to hatred toward the government and even the whole society.
Writer and blogger Han Han posted an article “Children, you’re spoiling grandpa’s fun” on his blog reflecting the school attacks, but the blog was deleted within a day. He said “These murders have mostly come about because society is unjust and unfair”, “In these recent attacks, the twisted murderers have all chosen to attack nursery schools and elementary schools, believing this to be the best way to exact their revenge on society… In a society without an exit, killing weaker people has become their only exit… I propose that local governments across the country send their building security guards to protect nursery schools. A government that can’t protect children doesn’t need that many guards.”
In Taixing, Jiangsu where 29 children were stabbed, people are saying “only cowards choose to kill children”, “Go to the government building if you want to kill people” and “Yang Jia is a real hero” (Yang Jia stabbed six police officers to death in Shanghai in 2008. He was executed that November). A new joke got popular among netizens: all schools should hang a banner at the front gate that says “if you want answers, go around the corner to the left and ask the government.”(冤有头，债有主，前面左转县政府)
Zhang Chunxian becomes Xinjing Party Chief
On April 24th, the CPC announced that the former Hunan party chief, Zhang Chunxian, has been appointed as the party chief of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The 65 year old former Xinjiang party chief, Wang Lequan, has been appointed to the post of Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.
57 year old Zhang Chunxian holds degrees in engineering and management, and has served in state companies and as minister of transport. His amiable style and open attitude towards media have made him popular. While Wang Lequan is seen as a hard-line learder, his focus on security and stability in Xinjiang has put the relationship between Han people and local Uygur people under high tension. Ming Pao said after the news of Wang’s leaving was announced, people in Urumqi let off firecrackers to celebrate.
The Southern Weekend newspaper said local Xinjiang people are looking forward to the new party chief as they believe the amiable Zhang will bring positive changes to the region.
Singapore’s Lian He Zao Bao said Zhang’s appointment shows the central government now has a better understanding of Xinjiang situation after intensive investigations in the past few months in the region. The article predicts that in the future, the central government will develop Xinjiang’s economy to improve local people’s living standard, and defusethe high tensions between ethnic groups by appointing Zhang as the top CPC leader in the region. It also indicates Zhang’s already won a ticket into the next politbureau as all the former Xinjiang party chiefs were from the politbureau.
Last month, the central government announced a new plan to aid Xinjiang. Local governments will contribute a certain percentage of their GDP income to help with Xinjiang’s development.
Senior American officials study China’s political system in Tsinghua University
In late April, 17 senior American officials were sent to Tsinghua University for one-week intensive training. They studied “Scientific Development,” “Harmonious Society,” “Five-Year Plan,” the system of NPC and CPPCC, as well as China’s decision-analysis on energy and environment.
This is the first time the American government has sent their senior officials to study in China. According to the 21stCentury Business Herald, the training is Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s idea. Since she was named the Secretary of State, she is becoming more and more interested in China and wants American officials to know China better.
The training was arranged by the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) and the Center for China-U.S. Relations under Tsinghua University. The trainees are all secretary-level officials, including the directors from the Office of Independent Program Evaluations under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Affairs Office of the Western Hemisphere under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Navy Information Operations Command’s Action and Planning Office under the U.S. Naval Department, the United States Department of Defense’s Defense Technology Analysis Office and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s New Reactor Office.
Joseph Kraemer, the director of FEI, said in the future the U.S. will send more senior officials to China for training and investigation, which is “very important for the U.S. to make right policies toward China.”
Professor Sun Zhe of the Center for China-U.S. Relations said, “I don’t expect this training to work immediately… like instant noodles. We only hope it to leave the American trainees an impression and let them know how Chinese people think.”
More and more foreign officials and diplomats are interested to know more about China’s political system. Recently, about 40 diplomats from more than 30 countries attended a CPC news briefing on intra-party democracy.
Last November, U.S. President Obama announced that the U.S. will encourage more Americans to study in China, and will send 100,000 Americans to study in China over the next 10 years.
Three-gorges immigrants in Guangdong
The Southern Rural newspaper recently reported a Three Gorges immigrant village in Foshan city that relies on its highly developed sex industry because the immigrants can’t get used to their new environment.
Gangnan village in Foshan’s Gaoming district has only 83 villagers in 23 households and they are all from Wushan county of Chongqing. Compared to villagers who live on about 400 yuan rent a month, the owners of hair salons are living a much better life and can earn more than 70,000 yuan a year and have family cars.
There are 10 hair salons in Gangnan that are famous in the area as each of them has a couple of “xiao jie” (prostitutes). The “hair salon economy” of the small immigrant village even lured a neighbour village’s head, “We’re just a step behind”, the village head regretted.
In 2002, 980 people immigrated from Wushan county of Chongqing to Foshan. After nine years, now there are altogether 1018 of them. They don’t own farming land like local farmers and the former fishermen can’t seize enough fish to make a living because of the industrial pollution of the local river and they don’t speak Cantonese, the dialect used there.
But luckily, immigrants say the 2nd generation have all adapted to the life and culture in the new hometown.
China to step up crackdown on online crimes and harmful information
On April 29th, Wang Chen, director of the State Council Information Office, said in a speech on China’s internet development and management.
Wang for the first time confirmed the government has been pushing the “no-anonymity comment rule” on the internet, netizens will be requested real names and ID numbers to comment news stories. “Internet is a global open information system, as long as China’s internet is connected to the outside internet system, all kinds of harmful information will have chances to appear on domestic websites; As long as the public can get access to the internet, their opinions will show on internet,” said Wang.
The government will also step up crackdown on harmful information and online crimes as internet users already surpassed 404 million in China. Wang said China will intensify blocking harmful online information, prevent overseas hostile forces from infiltrating through internet and tackle online pornography, gambling and fraud that netted 5510 suspects last year.
On April 29th, a revision to China’s law on state secrets was approved. The amended law, which takes effort from October 1st, for the first time requires all telecom and internet companies to inform on customers who discuss state secrets – an area that both companies and the public struggle to know.
Brief: Lhasa People’s Radio Station goes on air on May 1st
On May 1st, Lhasa’s first People’s Radio Station went on air, broadcasting in Tibetan and Mandarin. The station uses FM 91.4, covers Lhasa’s seven counties and one district. It broadcasts 14 hours and 20 minutes everyday, programs include Lhasa news, music zone, secret archives and snow land impression, etc.
Lhasa Mayor Doje Cezhug said Lhasa People’s Radio Station carries out the mission of stability maintenance and opposing separatism, it will pass the central government’s messages to the public.
Brief: Tibetan intellectual Shogdung detained in Xining
Tibetan scholar Shogdung (real name Tagyal) was reported detained in Xining, the capital city of Qinghai on April 17th, three days after the earthquake. Before his detention, he and a few other prominent Tibetan intellecturals wrote an open letter to the quake victims, in which they criticized the Chinese government in their handling of the quake relief efforts.
Hot online debate: cross-dressing “happy boy” singing contestant Liu Zhu
Recently Sichuan Conservatory of Music student Liu Zhu attracted lots of attentions on Hunan TV’s “Happy Boy Singing Contest” show because he looked just like a girl: long curly hair, heavy make-up, purple stockings and high heels. His pretty-looking, beautiful Faye-Wong-like voice and professional self composed song shocked the judges as well as millions of netizens.
The popular video of him singing in front of judges on Youtube and Youku shows that he was interrupted a few times by judge Annie Rose (安妮玫瑰, blogger), who asked Liu to prove he’s truly a boy and called for netizens to human flesh search him to verify his gender. Liu was calm, polite and brave to face all the questions. He said, “this way (dress like a girl) is more natural, if I purposely dress like a boy just for this contest, I think it would be very fake.” “I am in deed a boy, and I dress like this every day, I think everyone has their own choice, their own way of life.”
The online comments seem very tolerant toward Liu Zhu while critical of the judge Annie Rose. “He’s very beautiful, very natural”, lots of netizens say. “I’m a pretty girl, but Liu Zhu is prettier, therefore, I support him,” a girl said. “Why did Hunan TV ask such a woman (Annie Rose) to be the judge? She doesn’t even know how to respect people!” “The something Rose is disgusting! All she wants is to become famous!”
Hunan TV’s “Supper Girl Singing Contest” has made two controversial big stars already, Li Yuchun in 2005 and Zeng Yike in 2009. Li is famous for her cool sex-neutral look and Zeng is famous for her “terrible” singing, sex-neutral look and pure and innocent self composed songs.
Southern Metropolis Daily’s comment says, after Li and Zeng, sex-neutral look and “terrible” singing are not vanguard anymore, so Liu Zhu came onto stage to challenge people’s tolerance for gender, he’s the upgraded version of sex-neutral look.
CHINA – ECONOMY
Banks to raise reserve requirement ratio for a 3rd time this year
The People’s Bank of China on May 2nd released a statement which orders banks to increase their reserves by 0.5% to 17% for large institutions. This is the 3rd time this year banks have been asked to raise reserves. On May 4th, Shanghai’s stock market closed at its lowest level in 9 months with the index dropping 35.33 points or 1.23% from last Friday, while the index in Shenzhen lost 1.81%.
Dow Jones reported the yuan’s slight fall against U.S. dollar on May 4th after the new tightening measure was announced.
Tang Min, Deputy Secretary General of China Development Research Foundation, said the increase requirement is to prevent asset bubbles and inflation, to stop the economy from overheating. CASS economist Liu Yuhui told Xinhua that there are signs of overheating after the first quarter, the asset bubbles are also accumulating, so it’s time to tighten the loose monetary policy.
Caixin said the central bank’s new measure signals further tightening possibility in the near future amid rising inflationary pressure in the second quarter.
According to Peking University’s China Center for Economic Research (CEER), the CPI may rise 3.1% in the second quarter, China will face significant inflationary pressure and lower trade surplus in the second quarter.
CHINA – DIPLOMACY
French President Sarkozy visits China
French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived China on April 28th for a three-day trip. He visited Xi’an and Beijing, then attended the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Expo in Shanghai. China’s President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and top legislator Wu Bangguo all met with Mr. Sarkozy.
Xinhua said Sarkozy’s “high-profile visit to China is a remarkable event on warming and improving bilateral ties, which were spoiled by Sarkozy’s meeting with the Dalai Lama in December 2008.” President Hu said China-France ties have “opened a new page.”
The two presidents were reported to have talked about the international monetary system, climate change and other major issues, including sanctions against Iran. The New York Times said France has joined with the United States and Britain in pushing for a new package of economic sanctions from the UN and Mr. Sarkozy urged China to back the sanction package.
According to Xinhua, during his talks with Mr. Sarkozy, Hu made a four-point proposal to further upgrade the Chinese-French comprehensive strategic partnership – that is to maintain high-level exchanges and dialogue and consultations, to boost pragmatic cooperation, to strengthen cultural exchanges and to meet local and global challenges together for a peaceful and stable international environment.
Mr. Sarkozy affirmed “one China” policy, said both Taiwan and Tibet are part of China. He told Xinhua that he made the strengthening of the French-Chinese partnership a priority of France’s foreign policy because China has an indispensable role to play on the global stage.
Xinhua’s international affairs researcher Shen Xiaoquan concluded three reasons for the deepened ties of the two countries: First, the French government’s China policy has matured after 2008. Second, the importance of political cooperation of the two countries is increasing. France’s presidency of G8 and G20 in 2011 requires a better and closer China-France relationship. Third, the two countries need to cooperate to meet new global challenges. The common interests in environment, climate change and clean energy development create numerous chances for France and China to cooperate. We can foresee more cooperation on nuclear power development in the future.
Kim Jong-il visits China
DPRK’s president Kim Jong-il Kim paid an unofficial visit to China from May 3 to 7 at the invitation of Hu Jintao, Chinese media confirmed on May 7th after Kim’s trip being widely reported by foreign media. This was Kim’s first trip abroad in four years.
Kim met President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Top Legislator Wu Bangguo in Beijing. He visited northeastern port-city Dalian before he arrived Beijing.
Kim was reported visited CapitalBio Corporation in Beijing and said North Korea welcomes Chinese companies to invest, according to Xinhua.
Analysts believe that Kim Jong-il has talked about further financial and food aid, economic cooperation, the sunken South Korean warship and the possibility of returning to six-party talks. Tai Kung Pao’s online comment cited a diplomatic source as saying, North Korea may announce to return the six-party talks as exchange for free aid from China, which will be perceived as a chance for China to show its influence on North Korea and enhance its host position in six-party talks.
Both America and South Korea announced that they needed to review the future process of the six-party talks in relation to the warship sinking.
Some Chinese netizens took apart into the campaign “Kim Jong-il, get out of China” on twitter on May 3rd, criticizing the big costs of Kim’s China trip and simply making jokes on him.
HONG KONG – POLITICS
Tsang’s team may not vote in by-election
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang’s team of 34 political appointees was reported may not vote in the coming by-election this month.
Pan-democrats criticized the government on the possible decision, saying they are showing a bad example to young people, putting pressure on other government employees and are threatening people’ right to vote.
But another Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po cited Pro-Establishment Camp members as saying the report must be leaked from the Pan-Democratic Camp as an election weapon and it’s unlikely other government employees will be affected by others’ decisions as they are all independent adults.
The South China Morning Post also cited a source saying any suggestion that Tsang had ordered his officials not to vote was groundless, adding that whether to vote or not, and who to vote for, would be left to political appointees. “There exists no question about the chief executive affecting people’s voting intentions under duress,” the person said.
The Legco by-elections will be held on May 16th.
Different survey results show political struggles over 2012 reform package
The 2010 political reform proposals issued on April 14th by the Hong Kong government were widely criticized by pan-democrats and the public.
Recently, Ming Pao reported 48% of Hong Kong citizens support the reform proposals, according to a survey did by the University of Hong Kong’s public opinion programme, 2% up compare to a month ago. However, another survey by the One Country Two Systems Research Institute says nearly 60% of the public back the proposals, which shows “the public hope the political reform to go step by step”, said Cheung Chi-kong, director of the institute. At a Legco meeting on May 3rd, the 60% supporting rate was cited by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung as evidence of public support for reform.
On May 5th, at a seminar organized by the pro-Beijing Alliance for Constitutional Development, Li Gang, deputy director of the central government’s liaison office urged lawmakers to act “bravely” and “responsibly” to reach consensus. He said passing the package would “create favourable conditions for realising the universal suffrage timetable”. Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen also warned lawmakers against walking a “road of no return”.
On May 3rd, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said the government had not yet secured the 40 votes necessary to ensure its latest political reform package could pass, according to the South China Morning Post.
Hong Kong may become “promised land” of parents of tainted-milk victims
Four parents of tainted milk powder victims took their claims for compensation to a Hong Kong tribunal on May 4th, after Sanlu, a company at the centre of the issue, went bankrupt, making them unable to claim damages on the mainland, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported.
The four parents are seeking to sue Fonterra Brands (China), a Hong Kong incorporated company that had 43 per cent of shares of now-bankrupt Sanlu Dairy Group. Although the compensation involved in this case is only HK$84,557, a victory could lead to claims totalling HK$750 million if all 300,000 families affected pursued claims.
Adjudicator said the claimants must prove Fonterra, as a shareholder, owed a duty of care to consumers of Sanlu’s laced products. They also had to state clearly whether the duty of care fell under mainland law or Hong Kong law.
Parents of tainted milk powder victims who are not happy with the government’s compensation plan (200,000 yuan for the killed, 30,000 for severely affected, 2000 for slightly affected), were mostly ignored by mainland courts when they tried to sue the dairy companies. The most active parent Zhao Lianhai was arrested last November for being suspected of involement in the crime of “provoking an incident.” Zhao is the founder of the “Home for the Kidney Stone Babies”, a website that seeks support from other victim families of tainted milk powder.
Ming Pao’s editorial on May 5th said the case shows the advantage of Hong Kong’s independent and impartial legal and judicial system. If the parents win the case, it could open a new page of the “one country, two systems” practice, because not only the victims of tainted milk powders can come to Hong Kong for justice, but also victims of other cases happened in the mainland, as well as rights activists, then Hong Kong’s legal system, the rule of law will be able to affect the mainland.
TAIWAN – POLITICS
Ma Ying-jeou holds debate with Tsai Ing-wen
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and main opposition party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen held a televised debate on a free trade agreement with China on April 25 in Taipei.
The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement will “reduce tariff on Taiwanese exports to the mainland … and protect Taiwanese investment and intellectual property rights on the mainland,” Ma said at the debate. “We will protect Taiwan’s sovereignty when we negotiate agreement details” with Beijing. Tsai disagreed with him, said WTO is enough for Taiwan and argued the working class, farmers and people who earn fixed salaries will suffer the most from economic changes caused by ECFA.
Ma’s words by the end of the debate was especially impressive as he asked the mainland government not to interfere other countries to sign free trade agreements with Taiwan, which was seen as a perfect ending for the debate and a proof that he’s not a soft touch when dealing with the mainland.
Taiwan newspaper United Daily News’s survey shows that after the debate, Ma’s supporting rate rose to 38% from March’s 27%, while Tsai’s supporting rate is only 27%. Another survey shows that Ma’s winning chance of the 2012 presidential election rose 2% after the debate as 35.4%, while Tsai’s winning chance dropped to 27.28% from 34.28%.
Asia Weekly called the debate a turning point of Taiwan’s destiny, as it cleared the way for the pass of ECFA and will bring the island a brighter economic future and better peaceful relations with the mainland.
Taiwan opens “liaison office” in Beijing
On May 4th, Taiwan Strait Tourism Association’s Beijing Office opened, which was seen as a strong sign of improved cross-strait relations. This is the first time in 60 years for Taiwan and Mainland China to exchange quasi-official offices, according to Taiwan’s United Daily News.
Regarding to the expression of “TST Beijing Liaison Office” that media use when reporting the opening of the office, Yang Ruey-tzhong, the head of the office said it’s only “an NGO with public power”. On May 6th, Liu Te-shun, Deputy Minister of Mainland Affairs Council, told media that the expression of “TST Beijing Liaison Office” was “very inappropriate”, because “Beijing Liaison Office” is usually used by the Beijing offices of local governments in mainland China, Taiwan belittled herself by using that expression.
The mainland’s tourism office is also opening in Taipei on May 7th, the office is headed by Fan Guishan, vice secretary-general of Cross-Straits Tourism Exchange Association.
Brief: Death penalty returns in Taiwan
On April 30th, four people were executed, which was the first execution on the island since 2005. The justice minister resigned earlier in protest. According to the ministry, there are another 40 inmates remain on death row.
