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Just links today:
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
China’s foreign exchange funds fall in Nov |Markets |chinadaily.com.cn– fleeing in fear of Wang Qishan’s anti-corruption scythe?// BEIJING – China’s yuan funds outstanding for foreign exchange in domestic financial institutions dropped by 73.6 billion yuan ($11.7 billion) from October to November, the country’s central bank said on Friday. This is the first decline after the figure saw a sharp monthly rise of 130.68 billion yuan in September and a much slower growth of 21.63 billion yuan in October, according to data from the People’s Bank of China.
秦晓：启动财政改革 风险代价都可承受（实录）-财经网 – interesting comments by qin xiao about fiscal reforms and risk at caijing conference// 博源基金会最近做了一个题目，围绕着财政改革做了一个方案，而且有测算每个路径的设计，最后告诉我们改革有很大的风险，改革以后有收益而且对于GDP、就业、通货膨胀的影响都是有限的，而且会有正面影响，这个是风险可以承受的
北京广州限购疑似松动：补齐5年社保可购房_财经_腾讯网 – rumors of a possible loosening in real estate repression policies in beijing and guangzhou..claims you might be able to purchase as a non-resident if you pay 5 years of social insurance, even if you have not been resident for those 5 years..big if true, quite possible more bs from real estate businesses to fan the market..prices definitely rising in Beijing, lots of pent up demand in this market// “现在补齐5年社保就可以通过住建委审查，拿到购房资格。”北京西三环的一家房产中介门店工作人员告诉《华夏时报》记者。
POLITICS AND LAW
Chinese Opposition to Labor Camps Widens – NYTimes.com – But now the labor system, known by its shorthand, “laojiao,” is facing a groundswell of opposition from both inside and outside the Communist Party. Critics say the once-in-a-decade leadership transition last month, which included the demotion of the chief of the nation’s vast internal security apparatus, has created a potential opening for judicial and legal reform….The Ministry of Public Security has other reasons to preserve the status quo. The system, which employs tens of thousands of people, is a gold mine for local authorities, who earn money from the goods produced by detainees. Officials also covet the bribes offered to reduce sentences, critics say, and the payments families make to ensure a loved one is properly fed while in custody.
黑龙江截访者报社围堵访民 十二名上访者报警_网易新闻中心– daily reports in chinese media now about bad behavior by petitioner “interceptors”..possibly a good signal, but will things really change substantively? lots of money is also made in the petitioner business// 12月15日上午11点多，来自黑龙江省的二十余名截访者来到新京报社，围堵前来接受采访的上访者，因保安拦阻未能进入。三小时后，十二名访民被两辆北京警车接走。整个过程未发生冲突。新京报社保安告诉财新记者，当天上午11点多，二十来名截访者乘三、四辆警车来到报社，寻找前来接受采访的上访者，被告知“周六报社不上班，这里没有访民”后暂时离开，在附近停留等待。
青海抓获“全能神”邪教7名首要分子及30名骨干_网易新闻中心 –Arrests in Qinghai of more “Almighty God” members
“情色”反腐能走多远？ – 新华时政 – 新华网 – 近些年网络反腐所涉及的领域中，情色问题占首位。根据北京航空航天大学公共管理学院廉政研究所副所长杜治洲的统计，近8年来中国内地有25个省(或自治区、直辖市)出现过网络反腐事件，共计118起。2008年至今，每年网络反腐事件都在10起以上，2009年为14起，而2011年尤其突出，达到近50起。网络反腐，涉及各个行业和领域。据杜治洲撰文介绍，排在前三位的领域分别是干部的生活作风、“三公”消费和贪污受贿。排名第一的就是贪官的“色情腐败”问题。
微博反腐的权利边界在哪-中国青年报 – 不少学者认为，未来的立法规范在平衡网民监督权与公职人员人格权的时候，应明确界定网民行使权利的边界及监管措施，比如规定与腐败行为或腐败者不相关或没有合理联系的官员私人信息或者第三人的信息，不能进行肆意披露，针对微博中的不实信息及时进行查证和辟谣。
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
China Steps Up Pressure On Japan in Island Dispute – NYTimes.com – But the Chinese sortie was part of a steady escalation in the air, on the sea and in public statements by China against Japan, a strategy that analysts say was fixed upon three months ago to take back the islands known as Diaoyu in China and the Senkaku in Japan. The strategy, they say, is being overseen by the new leader, Xi Jinping… In China, Mr. Xi was appointed as head of a powerful interagency group formed in September at the top of the Chinese government to oversee the country’s maritime disputes. That was two months before he assumed the leadership of the Communist Party and before he became the civilian head of the military at the 18th Party Congress.
On election’s eve, Japan’s conservatives appear poised for dramatic comeback – CSMonitor.com – If polls ahead of Sunday’s vote are correct, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will take up the top slot again as leader of the LDP. His more hawkish tone on China has played well to an uneasy electorate.
China – Claims to Waters Detailed – NYTimes.com – China provided the United Nations with detailed claims to waters in the East China Sea on Friday, apparently adding to its legal argument in its territorial dispute with Japan.
CHINASCOPE – Military Expert: PLA Submarine’s Performance Is Approaching Western Countries’ – really?// Naval expert Li Jie was invited to be a guest expert at the People’s Daily’s Military Forum. At the Forum, Li discussed the Chinese PLA’s development of submarines. Li Jie said, “The functionality and performance of China’s self-designed submarines are close to those made by the United States, Russia, Germany, and Japan. Only the propelling plant, noise, and some other factors still have some minor gaps as compared with the advanced countries.”
Chinese navy to actively maintain peace and stability of Indian Ocean – People’s Daily Online – The freedom and safety of the navigation in the Indian Ocean play a very important role in the recovery and development of global economy and the Chinese navy will actively maintain the peace and stability of the Indian Ocean, Vice Admiral Su Zhiqian, commander of the East China Sea Fleet under the Navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), stated in Galle, a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka, on December 13, 2012.
Internet regulation: A digital cold war? | The Economist – America’s willingness to stand up for the internet should be welcomed. But it has to be said that in doing so it also defended its interests: no other country benefits as much from the status quo in the online world. Since much of the internet’s infrastructure is based in America and most of its traffic zips through it, America is in a unique position to eavesdrop, should it be so inclined. America’s internet firms also capture most of the profit pool of the online industry.
TECH AND MEDIA
Sina Weibo to Tax Third-party Marketing Account－－Technode – Sina fighting disintermediation..good luck to them..is this a sign of desperation?// But news broke out that Sina Weibo asked accounts, who have been doing Weibo marketing business but are not verified as so, to sign business contracts with the company and hand over 20% of their revenues, or, links in their Weibo posts would be blocked, according to Sohu Tech’s report (article in Chinese). An industry source told the reporter that Sina’s targets are those with more than 500 thousand followers, unverified, well-known “large grass-root accounts”.
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
US-China Institute :: richard, baum, distinguished “china watcher,” 1940-2012 – Richard Baum, well-known and highly regarded China specialist, passed away December 14, 2012. Fuller remembrances will be forthcoming, but here we want to celebrate all that Rick meant to thousands of students in forty-two years of teaching at UCLA, to all those interested in China through his scholarship, and to the field through his leadership of the UCLA Center for Chinese Studies and his creation of Chinapol, a large private online network of academic, government, media, and business specialists.
调查称8成中国人自认被大材小用 比例全球居首_网易新闻中心 – lots of frustrated people…survey says 80% of chinese think their talents are wasted..i’m feeling this way too..perhaps something in the water, or the milk, or the air, or the baijiu?//中广网北京12月15日消息 据中国之声《全球华语广播网》报道，问问自己，您觉得自己大材小用了吗？加拿大一项全球民调显示，有将近一半加拿大人感觉自己大材小用，英雄无用武之地。这项调查也有涉及咱们中国人的部分，还有对如何改善职场环境的建议。
CCTV Airs V for Vendetta – China Digital Times (CDT) – V for Vendetta, the 2005 film about a secretive, anti-totalitarian masked crusader, has long been banned in China. So when CCTV aired the uncut film today, viewers couldn’t believe their eyes. The event is now the second-most discussed topic on Weibo.
China Watches Newtown: Guns and American Credibility : The New Yorker – It is a strange fact that in refusing to allow rational gun policies in America, the N.R.A. and its acolytes have damaged precisely the treasure they purport to hold so dear: the moral charisma of American liberty.