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Today’s Links:
THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT
China inks regulation to ban official extravagance – Xinhua In the latest move in China’s anti-waste campaign, central authorities on Monday issued a written regulation to standardize fund management and ban Party and government extravagance. The regulation, which contains 65 items and 12 chapters, outlined the proper management of funds for various uses, including official travel, receptions, meetings, official vehicles and buildings.
Related: [视频]中共中央、国务院印发《党政机关厉行节约反对浪费条例》_新闻频道_央视网(cctv.com) Beijing issues rules to fight extravagance, top story on Monday CCTV Evening News, big play online and in Tuesday People’s Daily. It is going to be a very slow Chinese New Year holiday for some businesses. Remember those claims this campaign couldn’t last? It actually seems to be intensifying, almost a year into it.//《条例》共分12章、65条，对党政机关经费管理、国内差旅、因公临时出国(境)、公务接待、公务用车、会议活动、办公用房、资源节约作出全面规范，是党政机关做好节约工作、防止浪费行为的总依据和总遵循，是党的群众路线教育实践活动建章立制的重要成果，是落实党的十八届三中全会精神的重大举措，对从源头上狠刹奢侈浪费之风具有重要意义。//the full list of rules 党政机关厉行节约反对浪费条例(全文)
Related: 人民日报社论：厉行节约反对浪费的制度保证-时政频道-新华网 制度的生命力在于执行。有了制度不执行或者执行不力，制度就会成为一种摆设。坚决执行《条例》提出的各项要求，需要不断建立健全工作体制机制，抓紧制定实施细则和配套制度，努力形成不能不愿不敢铺张浪费的长效机制。只有紧密结合各自实际，把厉行节约、反对浪费的精神和要求落到实处，贯穿到各项工作的诸环节、各方面，《条例》才会真正释放制度的效力和威力。也只有对违反制度踩“红线”、闯“雷区”的行为零容忍，发现一起、查处一起，坚决杜绝“破窗效应”，制度的刚性约束力才会产生倒逼机制，遏制和根治作风之弊、行为之垢。
China’s Provocative New Air Defense Zone Could Harm Country’s Long-Term Interests, Argues Andrew Erickson – China Real Time Report – WSJ Many other nations, including Japan, have declared ADIZs. There is nothing inherently problematic with announcing one; indeed, it would be surprising if China never did so. The key issue is how China defines, patrols and invokes its ADIZ. Here, there are already problematic signs, and Chinese officials have chosen thus far to deny rather than acknowledge them. Presently, foreign observers worry that the East China Sea ADIZ will become part of a larger pattern of Beijing’s refusing to adhere fully to existing international norms and standards even as it pursues the benefits of the system whose functioning they underwrite. Chinese international legal behavior vis-à-vis the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea offers examples of Beijing promoting an extreme minority position with an excessive notion of a coastal state’s right to control waterspace beyond its territorial waters.
Related: Japan’s remarks on China’s air defense identification zone “unacceptable”: DM spokesman – Xinhua China’s Ministry of National Defense on Sunday called Japan’s remarks on the Diaoyu Islands included in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone “absolutely groundless and unacceptable.” The ministry’s spokesman Yang Yujun said that China had explained its policy stance on the issue in various ways following its announcement of the setup of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone on Saturday, and Japan’s remarks are “utterly groundless and China won’t accept them.”
Related: Japan says China’s new defense zone unenforceable–AP Abe told a parliamentary session that China’s declaration of an air defense identification zone alters the state of affairs in the East China Sea and escalates a tense situation. “The measures by the Chinese side have no validity whatsoever on Japan, and we demand China revoke any measures that could infringe upon the freedom of flight in international airspace,” Abe said during an Upper House session. “It can invite an unexpected occurrence and it is a very dangerous thing as well.”
Related: China airspace announcement ‘inflammatory’: White House | Reuters China’s requirement that airlines inform Beijing when they are entering airspace over disputed islands in the East China Sea is “unnecessarily inflammatory,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday. “There are regional disputes in that part of the world and those are disputes that should be resolved diplomatically,” Earnest told reporters traveling with President Barack Obama.
Related: East China Sea dispute: Troubled skies over troubled waters | The Economist State-run Chinese media have, like the government, dismissed foreign complaints about the move. They have also emphasised the establishment by many other states of similar air-defence zones. According to Xing Hongbo, a Chinese expert on military law who was quoted by the China News Service, more than 20 countries, including America, Canada, Australia and Japan, have set up similar zones, extending beyond their sovereign airspace. Another Chinese analyst said America was “exercising double standards”. “There is no reason for Washington to blame another country for doing the same as it has done.”
Related: Asian airlines to give flight plans to China after airspace zone created | Reuters Asian airlines will inform China of their flight plans before entering airspace over waters disputed with Japan, regional aviation officials said on Monday, effectively acknowledging Beijing’s authority over a newly declared “Air Defense Identification Zone”.
Related: China’s Tailored Coercion–Patrick Cronin Speaking about an air identification zone, a Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesman, Colonel Yang Yujun, said that the PLA “will take defensive emergency measures to respond to aircraft that do not cooperate in identification or refuse to follow orders.” Not content with vague nine-dash lines in the sea, China is now attempting to write their equivalent in the sky, further blurring the line between defensive and offensive measures…That stern warning interrupted a series of more harmonious diplomatic overtures from Beijing. On the same day the air defense identification zone was announced, China was hosting a high-level, Track 1.5 dialogue on maritime security. Moreover, last week a large delegation of Japanese business leaders visited China. There was a nascent sense of optimism in Japan that tensions with its large neighbor were beginning to ease.
Related: China’s Coercive Play – New York Times Editorial on ADIZ Mr. Abe has pursued a disturbingly nationalistic foreign policy dominated by overheated words and an aggressive posture toward China that can be dangerous, for Japan and the United States. The Obama administration must find a way to defend Japan’s interest without emboldening the Abe government to take foolish risks that would increase tensions with China…But it is China’s behavior that is most disturbing right now, especially since officials have left open the possibility of more air defense zones in the future…But it is China’s behavior that is most disturbing right now, especially since officials have left open the possibility of more air defense zones in the future…China’s action casts a black cloud over Vice President Joseph Biden Jr.’s trip to China next month. It also raises new questions about what President Xi meant when he said earlier this year that he hoped to work out a “new type of great-power relationship” with President Obama.
Related: From Japan to the U.S., China embarks on a bolder foreign policy – CNN.com And in his pronouncements on ideology, and by establishing a new national security council, Xi has made clear that he sees a link between ideological menaces to one-party rule and strategic threats abroad, especially from the United States. Nationalists, especially online, continue to demand that the government use its new-found international heft to more actively and directly defend China’s global interests. Xi is likely to make efforts to deliver, and in so doing will effectively end the traditional Chinese policy of non-intervention.–The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, Director of Asia-Pacific Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace
Related: Japan extends ADIZ into Taiwan space – Taipei Times earlier this year // The original ADIZ between Taiwan and Japan runs along longitude 123 degrees east and splits the airspace over Yonaguni Island in half, leaving the area east of the line to Japan and the area west to Taiwan. The line was drawn by the US military after World War II. The Japanese Ministry of Defense officially announced the new ADIZ line on its Web site on Thursday. Starting yesterday, the ADIZ was extended by 12 nautical miles (22km) from the baseline, with an additional 2 nautical miles as a buffer zone, resulting in an overlap with airspace over which Taiwan holds jurisdiction.
Related: Japan scrambles fighters over Diaoyu – Global Times January 2013 The westernmost part of Japan’s ADIZ is only 130 kilometers from China’s coastline, the air force source told the Global Times. However, the ADIZ cannot be regarded as one country’s territorial airspace, and the country has no right to interrupt the flight route of any aircraft in the ADIZ, even if the owner of the aircraft didn’t report to the ADIZ’s administrator, the source said. “According to both international laws and Japanese domestic laws, Japan’s fighter jets have no right to harass the regular training of China’s military aircraft,” he stated.//this view still apply now that China has this ADIZ?
栗战书：遵循“四个坚持”的改革经验_新闻_腾讯网 Li Zhanshu has long essay on page 7 of Tuesday People’s Daily on following the reform experience of the “Four Persists In” // 一、坚持党的领导，贯彻党的基本路线，不走封闭僵化的老路，不走改旗易帜的邪路，坚定走中国特色社会主义道路，始终确保改革正确方向…二、坚持解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进、求真务实，一切从实际出发，总结国内成功做法，借鉴国外有益经验，勇于推进理论和实践创新…三、坚持以人为本，尊重人民主体地位，发挥群众首创精神，紧紧依靠人民推动改革，促进人的全面发展…四、坚持正确处理改革发展稳定关系，胆子要大、步子要稳，加强顶层设计和摸着石头过河相结合，整体推进和重点突破相促进，提高改革决策科学性，广泛凝聚共识，形成改革合力
Explosion Shattered Port City’s Mid-Morning Calm – Caixin People in the Huangdao District were going about their daily routines when tragedy linked to the petroleum industry struck – and not for the first time…The explosion points to a problem with China’s rapid urbanization. As urban areas rapidly expand, oil and gas pipelines often border or even enter city limits. Many people are unaware they live above dangerous pipelines. Huangdao was once a remote suburb of Qingdao. Then in 1985 a state-level economic tech development zone was established. The district government and the development zone administration merged in 1992, and incorporated the nearby city of Jiaonan this year.
Related: Closer Look: Days after Qingdao Blast, Major Questions Still Unanswered – Caixin Death toll continues to rise, but Sinopec and local officials cannot even agree on which pipeline was involved
Related: 9 in police custody after E. China oil pipeline blasts – Xinhua Nine people have been put in police custody after oil pipeline leakage and blasts killed 55 people in east China’s coastal city of Qingdao, police said Tuesday. Seven of them are from Sinopec, the country’s largest oil refinery which owns the pipeline, and two from the city’s economic and technological development zone, said the police investigating the accident.// will this be a trigger to also go after deeper corruption at Sinopec, a la PetroChina? Chairman Fu is new on the job, probably will be fine, and Sinopec already went through a big corruption with the takedown of Chen Tonghai…but perhaps a good lever to bring another misbehaving SOE behemoth to heel
Related: 青岛爆燃：问责之剑该指向何人？_UGC精选 Netease “Truth Channel” looks at how people may be held accountable for the Qingdao blast, and what the punishments may be // 正因如此，近年来曾在重大事故中被惩处的官员才能频频“复出”。于是，原本处以刑罚就已意味着公务员资格取消，但如国家统计局原局长邱小华虽被以重婚判处两年，却仅半年又能复出取得“中海油高级研究员”的身份。而前述静安大火、三鹿奶粉等重大事故中落马的官员自然也未被“终身禁入”，且已渐渐复出。 在此种现实下，精于算计的官员们当然宁愿被“口水淹死”也不会“引咎辞职”了. 最常见最好用的一句“肺腑之言”便是——等待组织处理。
Related: Deadly Pipeline Blasts Renew Focus on China’s Urbanization – WSJ.com Chinese authorities said Monday that the blasts exposed problems caused by human error and that the accident was a “very serious dereliction of duty,” China’s official Xinhua news agency said, citing Yang Dongliang, director of the State Administration of Work Safety. Mr. Yang said the problems included how the pipeline and the city’s sewage and underground cable systems had become intertwined. But he also cited “negligence of duty of pipeline supervision and unprofessional handling of oil leakage before the blasts.”
Related: Caijing hits bold with new report – China Media Project 2011// A new investigative report in Caijing from journalist Luo Changping (罗昌平), known for his recent book about the 2003 Chenzhou corruption scandal, uncovers how the corruption cases against a number of prominent officials in recent years, including former Qingdao party secretary Du Shicheng (杜世成) and former Sinopec CEO Chen Tonghai (陈同海), all have a shadow figure in common — a former Vietnamese refugee named Li Wei (李薇).// and the Sinopec CEO case involved projects in Qingdao’s Huangdao area…
Chinese State TV Real Estate Exposé Triggers Business Backlash – China Real Time Report – WSJ The most vociferous industry response was from Ren Zhiqiang, who runs Huayuan Property Co., which wasn’t mentioned in the report. Mr. Ren is also one of China’s most widely read online personalities, with nearly 16 million followers on his Sina Weibo microblog account. “CCTV appears to have an axe to grind and seems determined to bring down the market economy,” Mr. Ren wrote. In another post he said, “I know only of the stupidity and ignorance of CCTV after seeing this report.” // Given Ren’s connections CCTV may actually have a problem this time. Ren has been one of the smartest commentators on Chinese real estate markets for years, surprised he is not quoted in the foreign press much
Related: 土地增值税“欠缴”打了谁的脸 新华社——经济参考网 Economic Information says the CCTV report on the Land Appreciation Tax evasion is overstated but does exist. So something between 0 and 3.8 Trillion RMB, and the report may refocus attention on the dirty dealings between real estate developers and local governments// “欠缴”土地增值税一事已引起相关主管部门注意。接受《经济参考报》记者采访的多个主管部门均表示，正在开会商讨相关事宜。 对此，专家认为，土地增值税“欠缴”数目虽不会有3.8万亿元这样惊人，但的确存在。一方面，部分房企利用税制政策偷、漏税或不及时缴纳，另一方面，存在地方执行者因地方利益主动选择“不收税”。这样一来，地方政府“放水养鱼”，开发商“合法”钻空子，难免失去了该政策防止暴利的初衷。
Related: 万科等声援任志强 连夜开会认定欠税为央视误解_证券时报网 odds high that the developers do have tax issues, even if not at the level CCTV claims// 不过，有业内人士则称，相关报道的调查虽有不严谨之处，，但也映射了其背后的问题，一些知名房企会成立一堆马甲项目公司，楼盘卖完不结算，由于项目尚未清盘，土地增值税就可以合理拖欠，那就可以先把这些钱用作其他经营。
Pollution Pact From China to India Shows Rift: Carbon & Climate – Bloomberg China and India’s success in weakening the latest global warming agreement created friction with other developing nations that are seeking to step up the fight against climate change. The two countries insisted on single-word changes for a deal at a United Nations conference involving 190 nations on Nov. 23. Instead of making “commitments” to roll back fossil fuel emissions, they signed up for “contributions,” a formulation that allows more flexibility in their action.
Signs of Change in News Mission at Bloomberg – NYTimes.com The tough choices facing Bloomberg in China came to light in early 2011 when it reported on an online movement in China to stage peaceful “Jasmine Revolution”-style protests modeled after the uprisings in the Middle East. Angry Chinese officials told top editors in Hong Kong that Bloomberg’s information distribution license permitted it to publish only financial news in China, not political news, according to employees with knowledge of the discussions. Editors ordered the article in question deleted from the website, even though the site is global and not China-specific, these employees said. Word spread among Bloomberg journalists in China. “A lot of people were angry they would just cave in like that without much discussion,” one employee said, adding that the editors “didn’t want to get Bloomberg kicked out” of China. A Bloomberg spokesman declined to comment on this matter
Related: Former Committee to Protect Journalists Honoree Says Bloomberg Chief Should Not Chair Press Freedom Dinner | ChinaFile A prominent Hong Kong-based journalist has called on Daniel Doctoroff, Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberg L.P., to step down from his role as chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) annual International Press Freedom Awards dinner on Tuesday in New York because his company is engulfed in a press freedom controversy of its own, involving its China reporting team. Ying Chan, who was an honoree at the same dinner fifteen years ago, called on Doctoroff to relinquish CPJ’s podium…“[Doctoroff] has no standing to host such a dinner that celebrates and honors fighters for press freedom while Bloomberg practices such egregious self-censorship and suppresses press freedom. The situation cannot be more ironic,” Chan said in a telephone interview.
Reuters – Friends Like These In May 2012, Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident, was getting ready to journey to New York after his improbable escape from house arrest. About a week before his arrival, an Evangelical Christian pastor from Texas and a New York University law professor took a walk in Central Park. They wanted to discuss the difficulties Chen might face as one of the most high-profile and sought-after immigrants to come to the United States in some time. These men were to become two of Chen’s closest advisers in America, which would create a difficulty of its own. Over the course of an increasingly distrustful year, Chen couldn’t possibly follow their often sharply conflicting advice simultaneously, leaving him torn. // Jerome Cohen and Bob Fu
BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND TRADE
China Government-Bond Yields Soar – WSJ.com Yields on Chinese government debt have soared to their highest levels in nearly nine years amid Beijing’s relentless drive to tighten the monetary spigots in the world’s second-largest economy. The higher yields on government debt have pushed up borrowing costs broadly, creating obstacles for companies and government agencies looking to tap bond markets. Several Chinese development banks, which have mandates to encourage growth through targeted investments, have had to either scale back borrowing plans or postpone bond sales.
Qualcomm Says China Agency Started Anti-Monopoly Probe – Bloomberg Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), the world’s largest maker of chips for smartphones, said China’s National Development and Reform Commission began an investigation related to an anti-monopoly law. The NDRC has advised that specific details of the probe are confidential, Qualcomm said today in a statement. The San Diego-based company isn’t aware of any charge by the agency that it violated the anti-monopoly law. The Chinese government has been stepping up corporate scrutiny recently, as new leadership expands an anti-corruption drive and cracks down on business practices that lead to increases in consumer prices. //Intel could have similar issue, though Chinese chipmaking so many generations behind there is nothing they can really do to cut their reliance on Intel
Oaktree Said to Start $1 Billion Partnership With Cinda – Bloomberg Oaktree Capital Group LLC (OAK), the world’s biggest distressed-debt investor, is joining with the Chinese government-backed China Cinda Asset Management Co. to buy soured loans and troubled assets in Asia’s biggest economy. The venture will be equally owned by Oaktree and Cinda, according to a statement today. The firms plan to invest as much as $1 billion, with half of the money coming from funds run by Los Angeles-based Oaktree, and may increase that amount depending on the success of the deals, said a person familiar with the agreement, who requested anonymity because those details aren’t public.
发改委:经济领域普遍产能过剩 支持跨区产能置换-财经网 李忠娟指出，中国经济领域普遍出现了产能过剩，有些行业甚至出现了严重的产能过剩，造成社会资源浪费、配置效率降低，阻碍了产业结构升级。为把化解产能严重过剩工作落到实处，国家发展改革委将会同有关部门，做好《指导意见》的宣贯解读和舆论引导工作；坚决抑制新增产能投资，严禁新增产能项目；在现行法律法规的框架下，依靠地方政府、运用市场手段，全面、系统地解决多年积累问题，妥善处理建成违规项目。
Chinese Reform, U.S. Stasis – NYTimes.com NYT oped by Stephen Roach// The restructuring suggested by China’s Third Plenum is an enormous opportunity for growth-starved economies like the United States’. The coming emergence of the Chinese consumer could be the greatest global growth bonanza of this century, benefiting American manufacturing and services enterprises alike. But that won’t happen unless American leaders have the vision and commitment to restore competitiveness through savings, innovation and investment. An asymmetrical rebalancing — Chinese restructuring and American stasis — is a recipe for failure. Thirty-five years ago, an earlier Third Plenum gave Deng Xiaoping an opportunity for China to unleash the most powerful economic development story of modern history. America needs its own Third Plenum moment.
China to Target Airlines, Consumer Goods, Auto, Telecom in Price-Fixing Probes: Xinhua-Caijing The National Development and Reform Commission will extend probes into price fixing in sectors including airlines, daily consumer goods, vehicles, telecoms, pharmaceuticals, and household appliances in the next step, the state-run media quoted an official as saying.
China Allows Foreign Capital into SOEs, Senior Official Says -Caijing China will allow not only private, but foreign capital into state-owned enterprises, said a senior official with China’s top economic planner, marking Beijing’s first practice to bring foreign capital on board in the government’s effort to reform the country’s long-dominant sector. The remarks were made at a press briefing Monday by Lian Weiliang, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, in his interpretation of the 60-point reform plan issued after the ruling party’s “third plenum” meeting.// didn’t they already, as several listed overseas?
Huawei Hires Foreign Executives in Global Push – WSJ.com Western executives are becoming increasingly receptive to Chinese companies, says Bhavya Sehgal, head of Asia Pacific research for Frontier Strategy Group, as these companies expand and snap up assets around the world.
POLITICS AND LAW
习近平：沂蒙精神要大力弘扬–时政–人民网 Xi Jinping visits Linyi, goes to revolutionary martyrs cemetery, meets with aging veterans, asks them to criticize him// 新华网北京11月25日电 据新华社“新华视点”微博报道，习近平25日来到位于山东临沂的华东革命烈士陵园，向革命烈士纪念塔敬献花篮，并参观沂蒙精神展。在展厅会见了“沂蒙母亲”王换于孙女于爱梅等模范人物。他表示，这次来沂蒙就是看望老区人民，重温沂蒙精神。革命胜利来之不易，主要是党和人民水乳交融，党把人民利益放在第一位，为人民谋解放，人民跟党走，无私奉献，可歌可泣啊！沂蒙精神要大力弘扬。 临沂有着光荣革命传统。抗战和解放战争时期，八路军第一纵队、115师司令部、新四军军部、华东野战军总部等曾长期驻扎在这里。当时沂蒙根据地420万人口有120多万人拥军支前，21万多人参军参战，10万多名烈士英勇牺牲，涌现出红嫂等一大批先锋模范人物。
人民日报人民时评：打造防范冤假错案的制度链–观点–人民网 日前，最高人民法院发布《关于建立健全防范刑事冤假错案工作机制的意见》，从司法理念、证据审查、案件审理、审核监督等方面要求各级法院，坚持疑罪从无原则，不得因证据不足降格作出“留有余地”的判决，切实维护司法公正。从6月5日公安部下发防止冤假错案的通知开始，半年时间内，中央政法委和最高人民检察院、最高人民法院等先后从各自的工作层面，出台了防止冤假错案的工作性意见，覆盖刑事诉讼活动的侦查、批捕、起诉、审判等全部环节，防错纠错的“制度链”正在形成，维护刑事司法正义的努力将内化到每一个具体的执法活动中。
国家宗教事务局局长王作安：宗教工作本质上是群众工作-时政频道-新华网 Wang Zuoan–religious affairs like is essential mass work..long essay in Tuesday People’s Daily // 习近平同志在第十二届全国人民代表大会第一次会议上的讲话指出：要发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进经济社会发展中的积极作用。开展党的群众路线教育实践活动，涉及如何看待信教群众、做好信教群众工作问题。宗教工作本质上是群众工作，必须认真贯彻党的群众路线，把做好信教群众工作放到更加重要的位置，进一步密切党同信教群众的关系，使信教群众和不信教群众联合起来，共同致力于实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦。
Chinese anti-veil ‘beauty’ campaign sows ugly tensions – Yahoo News The “Project Beauty” campaign aims to discourage women from covering their faces — a religious practice for some Muslim Uighurs, the largest ethnic group in China’s Xinjiang region — in an attempt to improve security. But critics warn the effort could sow resentment and backfire instead. “We need to hold onto our traditions and they should understand that,” said a 25-year-old woman who has been registered twice. Offenders were made to watch a film about the joys of exposing their faces, she added, speaking behind a white crocheted covering.
新疆高校领导：政治不合格的学生绝不能毕业_网易新闻中心 university students in Xinjiang whose political views are not up to standard will not be allowed to graduate // 参加自治区第一批教育实践活动的我区各高校领导班子成员在专题民主生活会上，把突出政治坚强作为正风肃纪的核心，调准聚焦点，深入查摆在严守政治纪律、反对民族分裂和“四风”方面的突出问题，纷纷表示，要把高校建设成为反分裂反渗透的坚强阵地。
China to seize illegally-built buildings – Telegraph China will seize and auction off government and Communist Party offices that have been built illegally, according to state media, as part of a crackdown on extravagance and corruption. “All official building projects that have not had inspections carried out according to regulations and where construction has started without permission must halt construction and be handed over for confiscation,” according to Xinhua, the state news agency.
Why Is a Math Professor at Wellesley So Hard Hitting against an Economics Professor Fired by Peking University in China? « China Change Another prompt response, largely unnoticed by English speakers, came from a “full professor of mathematics at Wellesley College” by the name Bu Qiyue (步起跃), and it was published almost simultaneously (within less than an hour) on the websites of Xinhua News Agency (Chinese), People’s Daily (Chinese) and CCTV website (Chinese) the essential mouthpieces of the Chinese Communist Party. I only read the article, written in Boston on October 21, this weekend…On November 3rd, Professor Bu wrote again on the topic, this time in a letter to the editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education to bring its attention to the “only article from the U.S. that offered balanced view,” the Eric Fish piece in The Atlantic.
China security boss urges judicial independence, transparency | Reuters China’s domestic security chief on Monday called for a more independent judiciary and greater transparency in trials through the use of audio and video recordings as well as steps to curb interference by government officials. Meng Jianzhu’s comments in the official People’s Daily come after China unveiled a landmark package of social and economic reforms that included the abolition of controversial forced labor camps and a call to free courts from political influence.
三中全会亲历者：我在京西宾馆的五天四夜-时政频道-新华网 35年前，这里召开了中国共产党十一届三中全会，中国就此开始了改革征程。数十年间，无数重要的会议在此召开，中国的命运也因之改变。2013年11月9日，中国共产党十八届三中全会在京西宾馆召开，来自各地的基层代表们云集于此，参与商议改革大计. 在京西宾馆的五天四夜，代表们度过了一个个激动又兴奋的难眠夜。随着”改革决定”的最终出炉，这些代表亲历了这次必将载入共和国史册的重要会议，他们也成为历史的见证人。//Xinhua tick-tock on the 4 days and 5 nights of the Third Plenum at the Jingxi Hotel
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
Learning the Lessons of Scarborough Reef–The National Interest More Chinese coercion in the South China Sea would run counter to U.S. interests. In addition to threatening regional peace and prosperity, it would raise further questions about America’s staying power in Asia and sow serious doubts about the value of partnering with the United States.As China draws lessons from its standoff with the Philippines and looks to employ similar methods elsewhere, so too must the United States learn to check this behavior by understanding exactly what happened at Scarborough Reef, why Chinese coercion was so effective, and what can be done differently in the future…Scarborough Reef was a tactical victory for China, but it also revealed Beijing’s formula of exploiting weaker states, dividing multilateral institutions and keeping the United States on the sidelines. To stem the dangerous trend of mounting Chinese assertiveness in its near seas, Washington should focus on building partner capacity, strengthening regional institutions and ultimately making clear to Beijing that the “Scarborough Model” will no longer be cost-free.–Ely Ratner is deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.
Indonesian spies are using Chinese electronic equipment to spy on Aussies | News.com.au INDONESIA’S military intelligence agency is using sophisticated Chinese surveillance equipment to target Australian officials, companies and individuals. And Jakarta and Beijing are conducting a growing number of combined spying operations against Australia, according to well-placed sources.
An Emerging Consensus on the US Threat: the United States according to PLA officers – Journal of Contemporary China – only have access to the abstract, looks interesting// Though the PLA elite perceptions of the United States have fluctuated over time, there has been some regularity in the evolution of their perceptions. Comparing the dominant perceptions of the United States among different generations of Chinese military elites in the PRC, we find that the PLA elite perceptions of US intentions have been foremost influenced by China’s strategic interest in a certain period, rather than the level and intensity of bilateral exchanges at the time. Using the case of US arms sales to Taiwan and the case of the South China Sea and the Diaoyu Islands, we try to assess how consistent and persistent PLA elite perceptions of the US have been in recent years. While we agree that these outspoken military men cannot be taken on the surface as indicative of China’s national policies, we will also point out several important dimensions that are likely to allow the PLA to play a more influential role in setting the agenda for China’s strategic interest in the era of Xi Jinping
中国首辆月球车定名“玉兔号”_中国_新京报网 China’s first moon lander vehicle to be called “jade rabbit”
TECH AND MEDIA
360诉腾讯垄断案在最高法开审 新华社——经济参考网 Qihoo’s anti-monopoly suit against Tencent opens today in Supreme People’s Court. Interesting and important case // 备受关注的“360诉腾讯垄断案”于11月26日在最高人民法院开庭审理。业内人士认为，该案件判决结果不但会对360和腾讯两家公司产生深远影响，还将决定能否破除正在形成的互联网垄断. 2010年，360和腾讯之间爆发3Q大战，在工信部的调停下，3Q大战偃旗息鼓，但两家公司之间的争端却并未平息。腾讯首先在注册地广东起诉360不正当竞争，最后360也在广东对腾讯滥用市场支配地位行为提起反垄断诉讼。
新浪百度天涯社区登载网络淫秽色情信息被查_网易科技 Sina, Baidu, Tianya, others under investigation for having porn on their sites // 据新华社北京11月25日电(记者 徐硙)记者从全国“扫黄打非”办公室获悉,新浪、百度、天涯社区等网站因登载网络淫秽色情信息被当地文化市场行政执法部门分别处以罚款3万元至1万元的行政处罚,同时被责令全面整改。
360 搜索强势推广Ctrl两下，百度踉跄回应 Qihoo launches an interesting feature and ad campaign to push its search over Baidu’s
Huxiu — During an Internal Strategy Meeting of Baidu, Robin Li Talks About Being Open Robin Li proposed the “Platformization (平台化)” and “Connection (接口化)” strategy in an internal strategy meeting, which soon becomes a hot topic among Baidu executives recently. Based on what we have, Robin Li’s speech in the internal meeting, the major points are summarized as follows:
China’s Favorite Villainess – By Jianyu Hou | Foreign Policy Many U.S. viewers identify with serial killer Dexter Morgan of Dexter, inveterate womanizer Don Draper of Mad Men, or family man turned meth kingpin Walter White of Breaking Bad — however morally bankrupt they may be. Now, China has its own anti-hero, one that citizens love — and authorities merely tolerate. Concubine-turned empress Zhen Huan is the protagonist of Empress in the Palace, a fictitious television drama series set during the Qing dynasty reign of emperor Yong Zheng, who assumed the throne in 1722. The show is a hit; not only has it set viewership records for some of the many local networks that broadcast it, it’s also a web sensation, with over 4.4 billion total views on Letv, a Chinese video-streaming site.
China’s Kingsoft Raises $50 Million, Opens Palo Alto Office in Effort to Crack U.S. Market
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
Zhang Yimou Rep: Child Policy Not Breached by Chinese Director A spokesman for Chinese director Zhang Yimou has denied that the director broke Chinese family planning rules, demanding an apology from a magazine for accusing him of siring seven children with multiple women.
南京报纸头版整版刊登寻人启事找张艺谋(图)_网易新闻中心 Nanjing newspaper publishes pull page “missing persons ad” for Zhang Yimou, as Wuxi officials say they can not find him to investigate claims he violated the one-child policy
Mao envelope for Bo Xilai’s father sold for 6.55m yuan | South China Morning Post An envelope addressed to Bo Yibo and another comrade has been sold for millions at auction, but contents of the letter itself are kept secret.. “Under regulations of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, leaders’ letters cannot be auctioned,” she said, “but the envelope could be.”
Christie’s Hong Kong Auction Result: Zeng Fanzhi, Chu Tops Christie’s Hong Kong Auction – Scene Asia – WSJ Less than a fortnight after the auction house’s record-setting contemporary art sales in New York, Mr. Zeng’s “Hospital Triptych No. 3,” a three-canvas work that depicts scenes at a hospital, sold for 113.2 million Hong Kong dollars (US$14.7 million) to an anonymous buyer.
Meet China’s Jack Kerouac – By Rachel Lu | Foreign Policy The portly Chinese man strolled through an open-air market, holding an AK-47 to his chest, surrounded by six gun-toting security guards. Under a crystal-blue sky sat a nightmarish urban scene: walls ridden by bullet holes, piles of garbage strewn on dirt roads, a gunshot or two ringing in the air. A 36 year-old entrepreneur from Beijing, Zhang Xinyu had spent most of 2012 traveling with his fiancée, Liang Hong. Mogadishu, the capital of war-ravaged Somalia, was his idea of a tourist destination.
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
A Milestone for China and Global Health: Implications of China’s First WHO-Prequalified Vaccine While other JE vaccines exist, the Chinese vaccine, manufactured by Chengdu Institute of Biological Products (CDIBP), a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG), is the first single-dose JE vaccine that the WHO has approved for use in children. NBR spoke with Jiankang (Jack) Zhang about this decision and its impact on global health policy. Mr. Zhang plays an integral role in the partnership that is helping to make the vaccine internationally accessible. He explains why the WHO’s announcement marks a historic milestone for both China and global health and discusses the implications for China’s engagement on health issues in Africa and other parts of the world.
雪豹现身石渠 半月上镜两次_新华网四川频道 pictures of snow leopard in the wild in Sichuan.
BEIJING
U.S. Embassy Stocks Up on Air Purifiers – NYTimes.com In recent months, the United States Embassy in Beijing has come up with its own strategy to blunt the hazards and the fears that come with Chinese smog: It has ordered thousands of air purifiers for the homes of employees from the United States. Blueair, the Swedish company that is filling the embassy order, said the purchase was among the largest from China