Just links today:

THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT

America’s prying eyes have been focused on China ‘for years’ | South China Morning Post US intelligence agencies have been spying on China via land, sea, air and cyberspace for years, including a failed attempt to acquire confidential information about China’s fourth-generation stealth fighters, according to state television reports (美国曾派特工混入成飞集团窃取歼20机密情报). The official website of China Central Television reported over the weekend that US intelligence agencies have for years spared no effort to access classified information from China, including by using reconnaissance satellites, surveillance aircraft and numerous monitoring posts.

Related: 中国军网_数字报–“棱镜门”折射出什么 -申华 “9·11”事件后不久，美国情报部门就以反恐为名，秘密通过一家国际银行信息数据中心，对成千上万名世界各国人士的金融交易信息进行了数年的调查，并回避了相关指责。此次，人们有理由相信，美国情报部门在互联网搜集反恐信息的同时，也“顺带”搜集了其它领域的诸多有用信息。而面对后者，美国情报部门可能弃之不用吗？相信人们心中自有答案。（作者单位：解放军外国语学院）

Related: 人民日报-“例外论”有碍国际关系转型 钟 声 Zhong Sheng on America’s exceptionalism as an impediment to transformation of international relations..Snowden’s revelations the gift that keeps giving to Beijing // 　“棱镜门”再次暴露出当代国际关系中的一个老问题：拥有重大影响力的强国提出诸多准则，其中有不少是对人不对己的。路透社一针见血地指出：过去15年，整个世界已经发生变化，但美国的例外论在很大程度上却一直没有改变。众所周知，美国喜欢立规矩，并热衷于将这些规矩套上普世的光环。然而，规矩的效应总是双面的，既可以用来规制、指责其它国家，也会束缚自己的行动空间。后者同美国在当今国际关系体系诸多领域的特殊地位存在着结构性矛盾，同美国处理国际事务的政治逻辑和行为方式也不相吻合。这恐怕就是路透社所讲的美国例外论没有改变的深层原因。

Related: [视频]美国“棱镜”监控风波 梁振英就爆料人斯诺登事件发表声明_新闻频道_央视网 Sunday CCTV Evening News on CY Leung’s statement about Snowden’s revelations, how HK will handle it. Beijing will win points in HK by allowing the HK legal process to run its course // 央视网消息(新闻联播)：在披露美国政府“棱镜”监控项目之后，爆料人爱德华-斯诺登的行踪以及未来的命运一直备受关注。15号晚，香港特区行政长官梁振英就斯诺登事件发表声明。

Related: Extraditing Snowden an unwise decision – OP-ED – Globaltimes.cn Do not consider a Global Times editorial as an “official” position, but still interesting, and will probably be referenced in Western media reports // Washington must be grinding its teeth because Snowden’s revelations have almost overturned the image of the US as the defender of a free Internet. After losing this image, which has been abused by the US government to boss others around, there is no way it won’t want Snowden to be extradited. However, it would be a face-losing outcome for both the Hong Kong SAR government and the Chinese Central government if Snowden is extradited back to the US. Unlike a common criminal, Snowden did not hurt anybody. His “crime” is that he blew the whistle on the US government’s violation of civil rights…China’s growing power is attracting people to seek asylum in China. This is unavoidable and should be used to accumulate moral standing. The “no comment” attitude of the Chinese Central government and the ambiguous statements from the Hong Kong administration are the proper responses. China should follow public opinion and safeguard its interests.

Related: Obama’s NSA puzzle | China Daily China Daily cartoon, suggesting Obama arming syrian rebels to distract from Snowden’s NSA revelations

Related: China has several options on Edward Snowden – latimes.com So far, officials in Beijing look to be playing it cool by doing nothing — and that, several experts said Friday, is perhaps the savviest thing they could do….”This is a win-win for China,” said David Zweig, director of the Center on China’s Transnational Relations at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “I don’t see them losing at this point, the fact that he’s here, running away from the United States with all this information … whether he goes back or whether he goes free. I don’t see this as bad for China.”

China’s Great Uprooting – Moving 250 Million Into Cities – NYTimes  Articles in this series look at how China’s government-driven effort to push the population to towns and cities is reshaping a nation that for millenniums has been defined by its rural life.

Related: China Urbanization Plan Goes Before Legislature June 26-29 – WSJ.com China lawmakers will consider later this month plans to fast-track urbanization, a central government statement said on Friday without elaborating. Policy initiatives on the agenda for the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress include urbanization.

Related: 公安部部长：推进户籍管理改革须考虑城市承载力_财经频道_一财网 recent comments by PSB Minister Guo Shengkun on Hukou reform // 昨 天，部分省市户籍管理制度改革座谈会在安徽合肥召开。国务委员郭声琨在会上强调，要主动适应城镇化要求，切实维护人民群众权益，坚持积极稳妥、注重统筹谋划，努力实现户籍管理制度改革与相关经济社会领域改革有机结合、协同推进。

Related: Parents queue for whole night to send kids into public kindergartens – People’s Daily Online There will be an urban backlash against hukou reform that introduces even more competition for already scarce eduction (and many other) resources // Parents queue at the gate of the Kindergarten of the Gubu Road of Liuzhou City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 14, 2013. Most kindergartens in Liuzhou started the registration for new students on June 15 and 16, when some parents who wanted to send their children into public kindergartens queued for the whole night for the registration. There are more than 200 kindergartens in Liuzhou City, in which only 14 are public ones. Attracted by the low costs and good reputation of the public kindergartens which often enroll limited number of students every year, some parents spare no effort in striving for the registration. Many parents even queue for the whole night for the registration, which has become a common phenomenon in many places of the country.

Related: 北京客：睡在京城40公里外[实拍]_中国_多维新闻网 photo series of Beijing’s “Bedroom” suburbs // “睡城”，这个词曾经属于位于北京国贸东13公里处的通县。近年来，随着医院、教育、商贸等基础设施的配套，以及八条地铁线路的覆盖，这里成功“摘帽”，通县变“通州新城”。但相对应的是，通州板块接近六环的房价也已飙升至2万-2.5万每平。这个价格逼得不少白领北漂不得不继续向东发展。距离北京40公里远的河北省香河县，被不少小青年选中，让这里接棒成为京郊新“睡城”

Chinese industry: Ambitions in excess – FT.com subsidies distorting everything // For global manufacturers, the China effect over the past decade has been fearsome. It has destroyed jobs and capacity all over the world, shuttering factories in competitor nations. But in almost every sector where China’s low-cost goods have come to dominate, something strange has happened. Once the bulk of global manufacturing in a given industry has moved to China, overcapacity quickly follows and these sectors begin to cannibalise themselves.

FITCH: China’s Credit Bubble Is A Record – Business Insider Mrs Chu said the banks had been forced to park over $3 trillion in reserves at the central bank, giving them a “massive savings account that can be drawn down” in a crisis, but this may not be enough to avert trouble given the sheer scale of the lending boom.

Related: 钢企还债 – 经济观察网 Economic Observer on the debt burdens in the steel industry // 导语：伴随着钢铁行业黄金周期的结束，那些曾经雄心万丈的钢铁巨头们需要对过往的欠债进行偿还了：唐钢要还130亿的巨额银行贷款之债，中信泰富要背负“吃不饱”的产能扩张之债，河北钢铁集团、宝钢集团要还巨无霸重组后的体制之债。

Standard Digital News -: Outrage after assault on Chinese students in France The students were in France for a year to study oenology. Three people, all of them visibly drunk, were involved in the attack in the village of Hostens, in the Landes region near Bordeaux. According to French newspaper Sud Ouest, a struggle began when the attackers tried to enter the residence where the students were staying on Friday night.

Related: Chinese embassy condemns attack on students in France – Xinhua | English.news.cn The Chinese embassy on Sunday strongly condemned an attack on six Chinese students in western France, demanding French authorities bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of Chinese students in the country. An official statement said that related Chinese government departments and the Chinese embassy in France are highly concerned about the incident. The Chinese embassy has sent officials to Bordeaux to follow up the incident, assist the handling of related problems, visit the injured students and convey the concerns and condolences from Chinese Education Minister Yuan Guiren.

Related: Chinese fume over French student attack–AFP Still, some internet users speculated that the students were wealthy. “Those who can afford to study abroad are either the children of government officials or rich families,” one user said. “They’re not worthy of sympathy,” another user said. Others reading English-language reports turned their anger on the students. “Even foreigners can’t bear with the migration of corrupt officials and are punishing them abroad. This is karma,” said a user.

Beijing’s 31 ways to win over Taiwan hearts and minds | South China Morning Post The director of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhang Zhijun, said yesterday at the opening of a week-long high-level forum on cross-strait exchanges in Xiamen, Fujian province that the mainland would announce 31 measures this week to cultivate cross-strait interactions.

Related: Mainland to continue Taiwan policies: top official – Xinhua | English.news.cn Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng on Sunday promised that the Chinese mainland will continue “correct policies” to consolidate peaceful mainland-Taiwan ties, while welcoming former pro-independence Taiwanese to visit the mainland. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks in a keynote speech at the fifth Straits Forum, which opened in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeast China’s Fujian Province on Sunday.

Related: Xinhua Insight: New preferential policies on Taiwan reflect people orientation – Xinhua | English.news.cn The Chinese mainland on Sunday introduced a slew of preferential policies to boost cross-Strait exchanges with a focus on improving the lives of the Taiwanese. Unveiled at the fifth Straits Forum in southeast China’s Xiamen City, the 31 polices regarded legal rights, education, culture, tourism and other aspects of economic and social life.

警惕网络负能量_2013/12_求是理论网 Qiushi on using the “positive energy” of the Internet, blunting its “negative energy”, mentions Dale Carnegie, the silent majority, includes another attack on the “public intellectuals party” and influential Weibo users. wonder how the center “segments” the population and which groups they need to satisfy with which policies, to keep going in power and w development. not a new strategy, just more complicated in the Internet age? // 要准确把握网络民意。各级政府重视网络舆论，将其作为了解民情、听取民意、集中民智的重要途径，值得肯定。同时也要看到，中国社会的主流人群，是那些每天急匆匆上下班的人们，是工作岗位上忙碌操劳的员工，是超市里推着购物车摩肩接踵的男女，是节假日里公园及景点熙熙攘攘的游客。他们在网络世界，是沉默的大多数，却是现实社会的主体。单凭网上的喧嚣就作出对中国社情民意的总体判断，是非常不靠谱的。对网络舆论必须做冷静的分析，当一种声音出现时，要想一想它代表了哪些人，又能代表多少人，切不可听风就是雨。

What jumped out at me about the state council air quality announcement–LivefromBeijing First, perhaps the most important sentence in the announcement – that was not mentioned in the Xinhua or Reuters stories – is this one: “加强人口密集地区和重点大城市PM2.5治理，构建对各省（区、市）的大气环境整治目标责任考核体系。” This means, “Strengthen PM2.5 control in dense population areas and key, large cities. Build a target responsibility and evaluation system for cities and provinces based on air quality remediation.” This is a big deal, because it indicates for the first time that local leaders in China will be on the hook not just for vague, game-able targets like total emissions reductions, but actual improvements in measured ambient air quality.

Related: Investment in environmental projects lowers mayors’ career prospects, study finds | South China Morning Post  Investment in transport infrastructure improves a mainland mayor’s chances of promotion, while spending on environmental improvements lowers them, a research paper using data between 2000 and 2009 has found.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Faltering Economy in China Dims Job Prospects for Graduates – NYTimes.com A record seven million students will graduate from universities and colleges across China in the coming weeks, but their job prospects appear bleak — the latest sign of a troubled Chinese economy.

Record Soybean Glut Is Seen Worsening as China’s Appetite Eases – Bloomberg Demand for soybean meal for animal feed plunged in China April and May as farmers culled poultry following an outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu virus that led consumers to shun chicken, according to Tommy Xiao, analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., the nation’s biggest agricultural researcher. Growth in cooking oil and meat consumption is slowing as economic expansion cools and the nation’s new leadership frowns on lavish banquets and expensive meals. “The USDA grossly overestimated China’s demand,” said Xiao, who forecast 60.5 million tons

Market insiders expect new home sales steadily up – Xinhua | English.news.cn Real estate market insiders expected China’s new home sales to trend steadily up over the course of this year as major listed developers posted robust sales in May. The real estate giant China Vanke Co. said in a report in early June that it reaped a sales revenue of 70.18 billion yuan (11.39 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-May period, up 42.6 percent year on year. Evergrande Real Estate Group also sold about 1.3 million square meters of housing for a total of 34.19 billion yuan, completing a reasonable share of its 100-billion sales target for the year, according to Saturday’s edition of China Times.

消费贷悄然变身“灰色房贷” 深度报道——经济参考网 more loans going into home buying, in spite of restrictions? // 随着限购、限贷政策的严格执行，北京二套房首付从六成升至七成，部分其他地区，也提高了公积金贷款门槛。因此，为了规避监管层监管，降低购房成本，一些两套房以上的购房者开始通过住房抵押申请消费贷款，曲线变身房款。部分银行信贷资金以消费贷款名义曲线进入房贷市场。流入“灰色地带”的贷款暗藏风险，更成为楼市调控政策背后一股涌动的暗流。 央行数据显示，一季度，主要金融机构及小型农村金融机构、外资银行人民币房地产贷款增加7103亿元，同比多增4667亿元，增量占同期各项贷款增量的27%。这一季度增量几乎是去年四季度新增贷款的两倍，房地产类贷款增速迅猛。

国家统计局曝地方统计作假 广东横栏镇20亿产值多报3倍 -财经网 Guangdong Henglan township overstates output by 3X // 经国家统计局核查横栏镇71家工业企业发现，经横栏镇经济发展和科技信息局编报2012年年报工业总产值85.1亿元，初步核实为22.2亿元，虚报62.9亿元

 

POLITICS AND LAW

人民日报-党的群众路线的由来 冷 溶 Long piece in today’s People’s Daily on the origin of the Party’s Mass Line // 群众路线是党的生命线和根本工作路线，贯穿于党的一切工作中。它是在革命战争年代产生的，主要创立者是毛泽东同志，同时凝结着党的集体智慧。毛泽东同志根据马克思列宁主义的历史观和群众观，结合中国革命的实际，提出了一整套党的群众路线理论。我们后来在群众路线理论和实践上的丰富和发展，都是建立在这个基础上的。在以为民务实清廉为主要内容的党的群众路线教育实践活动将要开展之际，首先了解群众路线的历史由来，了解毛泽东同志关于群众路线的丰富思想，对于学习掌握这一重要理论，搞好这次教育活动，是很有必要的。

人民日报-八项规定对经济短期影响有限 ——专访国务院发展研究中心副研究员何建武 本报记者 陈仁泽 People’s Daily page 1, Xi’s 8 rules having limited, short-term economic impact // 八项规定对经济短期影响有限 ——专访国务院发展研究中心副研究员何建武

人民日报-改作风，发展才有正能量 本报评论员 also People’s Daily page 1, related to above entry on limited economic impact of 8 rules // 高档烟酒价格回落，奢侈消费渐趋冷清，天价礼品卖不动了……转变作风、厉行节约，八项规定动真格，带着“奢”字标签的商品和服务市场萎缩。有人担心：会不会影响到消费，对经济发展不利？　答案当然是否定的。短期影响肯定会有，但数据统计以及专家分析说明，在整个经济大盘子里，这只是很小一部分。公众的刚性需求，不会因为公款消费被遏制而受影响。事实是，高级会所门可罗雀，大众餐饮却依然火爆。今年1—4月，在高端餐饮企业总收入负增长的同时，一般餐饮业的增长并未减速，这才是市场的主流。

学习毛泽东勤俭节约的思想与风范_2013/12_求是理论网 Qiushi on learning from Mao’s model of thrift and frugality // 毛泽东在带领全党艰辛探索中国社会主义建设道路过程中，提出了一系列勤俭建国和勤俭节约的思想，这是我国社会主义现代化建设的重要指导思想和重要指导方针，彰显出毛泽东作为一位伟大的马克思主义者的战略眼光。作为伟大领袖，毛泽东本人又是勤俭节约的典范。今天，学习毛泽东勤俭节约的思想与风范仍然有着极强的现实意义。

Central China official removed after public outcry – Xinhua | English.news.cn Local authorities said Sunday that Liu Qiong, who previously served as deputy Party secretary of Shimen County, Changde City, had received an inappropriate promotion, and therefore, was relieved from her duties…Hunan authorities said relevant people have been punished and Liu’s father is under investigation

学习时报:官二代接班严重解构共产党执政合法性_网易新闻中心 干部任用上的社会质疑，问题不在于具体谁进入官职，而在于他们进入官职的程序。人们确定对公权力分配结果是否接受，关键是看其分配是否具有合法性和科学性…维持和谐可以，但维持矛盾，则等于在深化矛盾。维持现状不是承担责任，而是逃避责任。所以必须深化改革。

揭秘双规:地点多选择酒店 房间尖锐处包裹橡皮|双规|酒店|橡皮_新浪新闻 another detailed look at the “Shuang’gui” system // “双规”在制度上的定义是1990年国务院颁布的《行政监察条例》中所规定的监察机关在案件调查中有权“责令有关人员在规定的时间、地点，就检查事项涉及的问题做出解释和说明”。“双规”在正式文件中也称作“两规”。1997年，《行政检察法》通过，将原条例中“规定”改为“指定”，因此有了“两指”的说法。1993年，中纪委和监察部合署办公，因此在实践中，一般很难区分“双规”和“两指”。

学习时报刊文：中国梦必须以个人梦为基础_资讯频道_凤凰网 作为执政党，中国共产党有责任把社会上不同的阶级、阶层、集团凝聚在一起，共同建设好国家。中国共产党的执政理念，既要体现阶级性，又要体现大众性。只有开放包容，才能让千千万万的民众浩浩荡荡汇入实现中国梦的队伍。如果封闭狭隘，只能是“为渊驱鱼，为丛驱雀”，最终只会落得个向隅而泣。

TV anchor ‘outs’ central government official after questionable ‘romance’ ends | South China Morning Post A mainland TV anchor has said on her verified micro-blogging account that an official at a central government agency lived with her for four years and gave her a stipend at least 10,000 yuan (HK$12,580) a day, without telling her he was married, before eventually dumping her. Ji Yingnan, a 25-year-old anchor on the China Travel & Economic Channel made the affair public on Sina Weibo on Friday, posting intimate pictures of herself and Fan Yue, a deputy director of the policy and legal affairs office under the State Archives Administration. Most of the posts were taken down on Saturday.

原統戰部高官:中共黨員不能信教 – 快訊-文匯網 Former United Front Work Department Official, not chair CPPCC religious and minority affairs commission says Party members should not have religious beliefs//  【文匯網訊】在今年3月轉任全國政協民族宗教委員會主任之前，朱維群曾擔任中共中央統戰部副部長長達15年，並曾作為中共中央代表參與和達賴私人代表的接觸商談。在本次專訪中，他主要闡述了對宗教和西藏問題的看法，讀者從中可以瞭解到中共中央當前在上述問題上的大致思路。

王沪宁将淡出 中共权利核心圈再迎变局 _中国_多维新闻网 Duowei has another story claimingWang Huning to lose his job as head of Central Policy Research Office, to get a new job that is an empty position, for now? 【多维新闻】已经有越来越多的迹象与消息显示，王沪宁在中共内部的职务将很快作出调整，他会在近期离开供事18年的中央政策研究室。他将担任一个务虚的职位，但这个职位所属的部门未来在中共体系内会非常显赫。而政策研究室的新任主任已浮出水面。

 

FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS

China Dissident Says He’s Being Forced From N.Y.U. – NYTimes.com   In a statement released Sunday, Mr. Chen said university officials were worried that his outspoken criticism of the Chinese government might threaten academic cooperation. N.Y.U. recently opened a campus in Shanghai, and a number of professors are involved in programs and research projects here that could be harmed if they were denied Chinese visas. “The work of the Chinese Communists within academic circles in the United States is far greater than what people imagine, and some scholars have no option but to hold themselves back,” Mr. Chen said.

China changes military recruitment period|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn targeting more students, lots more may be interested this year given the grim employment situation? // The military recruitment period in China has been moved and will now begin in August in a bid to attract more talented people, military sources said on Friday. An online recruitment service run by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) is ready for applications, and recruiting procedures including body check-ups will begin on August 1, according to a statement after a national teleconference on conscription. The previous recruitment period began in October, and the change is the first in 23 years.

Chinese hospital ship makes port call, joins drill in Brunei – Xinhua | English.news.cn The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy hospital ship “Peace Ark” arrived here Sunday afternoon to make a port call and participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) and Military Medicine (MM) Exercise. The “Peace Ark” will provide free medical checkups for members of the public on Monday morning.

People welcome Chinese missile destroyer “Harbin” on Victoria Harbour – Xinhua | English.news.cn People take photos of the missile destroyer “Harbin” of the 14th Escort Taskforce of the Chinese Navy on Victoria Harbour, Seychelles

Photos of J-16 multi-role fighter disclosed – Xinhua | English.news.cn

[视频]某新型远程火箭炮跨昼夜综合演练_新闻频道_央视网 Sunday CCTV Evening News on an overnight rocket artillery exercise…// 昨天，济南军区54集团军某炮兵旅在西北某地，首次组织新型远程火箭炮跨昼夜综合演练，发射的10多发火箭弹全部命中目标，有效检验了新型火箭炮跨昼夜、多弹种、持续火力突击能力。上午10点，演练部队经过远程机动抵达预定阵地，无人机、战场电视、雷达等作战单元同步展开目标侦察，快速组织火力筹划，完成射击准备。

互利共赢：中美经济合作的本质_2013/12_求是理论网–作者：中国社会科学院中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心 国际金融危机之后，美国经济陷入困境，与此同时，中国成功抵御危机冲击，保持了较快发展。这种反差让一些美国人产生了不平衡心理，他们甚至将美国面临的经济困难归咎于中国。近期，美国在贸易领域频繁挑起争端，不断使用贸易救济措施、安全审查手段等限制中国产品和中国企业进入美国市场，不仅损害中国企业的正当利益，也损害美国自身的利益。事实上，中美经济合作的本质是互利共赢。中美加强经济合作，不仅有利于两国经济的持续发展，而且有利于世界的繁荣和稳定…中美在全球经济很多议题中都有共同的利益，但双方也存在着“战略互疑”，尤其是一些美国人，仍然持有冷战思维，这给中美经济合作带来阻力和障碍。习近平主席在会见美国国务卿克里时指出：“宽广的太平洋两岸有足够空间容纳中美两个大国”。中美应该加强经济沟通协作，实现互利共赢，造福两国人民，也为维护世界经济的繁荣和稳定作出应有贡献。（执笔：何 帆）

N. Korea Proposes U.S. Talks on Peace Treaty, Denuclearization – Bloomberg The U.S. is unlikely to agree to today’s proposal after repeatedly demanding North Korea take steps toward disarmament as a condition for any dialogue. China, North Korea’s biggest benefactor, has also taken a tougher stance against Kim’s regime after it tested an atomic weapon in February and threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes in response to sanctions.

Palestinian delegation heads for Beijing for UN peace meeting – Xinhua | English.news.cn A Palestinian delegation headed for China Sunday to participate in the UN International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace in Beijing. The delegation is headed by Bassam Al-Salhi, the leader of the People’s Party, and comprises the Palestinian envoy to the UN, Riad Mansour, and officials from President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Balance vs. “Balance” | Sinostand This is where the Gordon Chang-grade doomsayers come in. Chang has arguments equally questionable to Li’s coming from the other side; ie – The CCP has little if any redeeming qualities and it will DEFINITELY collapse  by 2011, the end of 2012, sometime in 2013. Chang has a media presence just as large as Li’s and for the same reasons.  Their extreme opposing views create “balance” while drawing far more attention than more modest and nuanced commentators can. Getting a re-tweet out of mockery or disbelief counts just as much to advertisers as a re-tweet out of respect. But there’s an even more fundamental reason these types of commentators thrive. Eric Li isn’t sought after because of his qualifications (he has none) or the depth of his reasoning. He’s sought after for the simplicity of his argument and the concrete conclusion it leads to.

China must investigate links between White House and businesses: expert | South China Morning Post The mainland government should launch an immediate investigation into connections between US companies and the White House, a cybersecurity expert in Shanghai says…The Shanghai expert said that if the allegations were true, China and other countries could impose huge fines on US software and hardware giants such as Google, Microsoft and Cisco for threatening national security. The expert declined to be named due to the topic’s sensitivity. Affected governments would need the money to replace compromised software and hardware, especially in the telecommunication sector, with hundreds of millions of users affected on the mainland alone, he said.

 

HONG KONG, MACAO AND TAIWAN

Arms-related products may have been exported through Taiwan – AJW by The Asahi Shimbun Suspicion is growing that Taiwan was used as a conduit for exporting products from Japan that can be used to develop weapons of mass destruction. The suspicion surfaced after a corruption case involving the customs office in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, came to light early this month. Because Taiwan does not belong to the United Nations, concern is growing that it is serving as a loophole in the international system that aims to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

 

SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY

Soccer national team concedes humiliating defeat|Team China|chinadaily.com.cn Poor possession, poor team work and most of all no fighting spirit resulted in the most humiliating defeat for years for China’s national soccer team as they lost 5-1 to visiting Thailand team on Saturday. Jose Camacha kept most of the usual starters on bench for the match but he soon found out that he lost control of the Chinese team as in the first 25 minutes his team was already 2-0 behind due to poor defense and casual mistakes.

Researcher: Gaokao Top Scorers Rarely Have Outstanding Careers–Education News China On May 14th, the China University Alumni Association website published its newest China Gaokao Top Score Achiever Survey, an investigation of more than 1,100 gaokao top scorers over a 30 year period, finding that these individuals do not often excel at work, and that their professional accomplishments are not up to societal expectations. The conclusion that gaokao top scorers are not highly successful professionally has caused much discussion. Joining us today on 新闻会客厅 (program name) is Professor Cai Yanhou, the expert in charge of the working group that produced the survey, to give a deeper analysis of the phenomenon in question.

Wendi Deng Murdoch, Weibo Heroine : The New Yorker For many in China, Deng’s swift rise into prominence has carried metaphoric import. As the daughter of a provincial factory manager, Deng had not been born with connections. A grainy photo of a gangly girl in a bowl-cut, standing awkwardly in the back row of her high school volleyball team, vouches for the humble beginnings. “Those who attack her do so only out of jealousy,” is one common sentiment. “Her brains and strategy got her where she is, not her family,” is another

Beckham in China, Take Two | The Li-Ning Tower Now that Sir David Beckham, the God of Branding, has officially hung up his boots, he can concentrate on the Big Problems, like world peace and buying MLS franchises. Becks returns to China next week for the second of three trips this year, as part of his ambassadorial contract with the Chinese Super League. If the first trip was all about the kids, then the second one is all about charity (but like these two, David doesn’t like to brag). Here are the details:

 

FOOD AND TRAVEL

Preserved egg plants shut in toxic chemical scandal | South China Morning Post A report by state broadcaster China Central Television on Friday showed that three plants producing preserved duck eggs, a popular delicacy also known as thousand-year eggs, were using industrial copper sulphate to halve the curing period to a month. Two of the three plants’ licences were in order, raising concerns that the practice might be common among all processers in Nanchang county, which produces 300,000 tonnes of preserved eggs annually, or about 15 per cent of the country’s total, according to CCTV.

China approves GM soybeans import – People’s Daily Online The three types of newly approved genetically modified soy beans, are from the US transgenic giant Monsanto, and the German Company BASF. Chinese government officials say the crops will not be on the market directly. Peng said, “The imported GM soy beans are to be made into cooking oil. The final product will not contain transgenic protein. So there is no food safety threat.”

北京四川五粮液龙爪树宾馆官方网站 – 在线客房预订 the newer chaunban compound, in se beijng, with a line 10 subway stop, fenzhong si, right at the gate. excellent sichuan food // 北京四川五粮液龙爪树宾馆创建于1999年8月，隶属于四川省人民政府驻北京办事处，是北京北京四环内为数不多的涉外四星级花园式园林宾馆，占地面积70余亩，挂牌四星级标准，享有”都市里的花园”之称，更享有”吃川菜，到川办”的美誉，在这里可尽情享受东方文化的至尊品味，目前为中央国家机关和北京市党政机关会议定点采购单位。

Yulin’s dog meat festival deaf to critics | South China Morning Post A controversial “dog meat festival” will go ahead next Friday in Yulin, Guangxi, despite an online outcry by animal rights activists. The annual festival involving savouring the delights of dog meat hotpot, lychees and strong liquor on the Summer Solstice is a cherished tradition among Yulin locals. Thousands of diners are expected to crowd food streets and enjoy the feast. Animal protection activists estimate more than 10,000 dogs are killed during the festival.