Most of us are wondering what the Brexit mess means for China. I wish I knew, but in the absence of knowledge I will speculate.
One thing that seems obvious is that it is a propaganda windfall for Beijing as the screed against the perils of mass democracy basically writes itself. Greece nearly collapsed a few years ago, Britain looks to be driving itself towards a cliff, and if America elects Trump president then three of the cradles of democracy will have highlighted to those with an illiberal bent the dangers of unchecked democracy, effectively giving the Chinese Communist Party a propaganda trifecta.
We should also expect the “stealth” devaluation of the RMB to continue, and China has full political cover given the global instability stemming in part from Brexit.
The 95th anniversary of the founding of the CCP is July 1. The propaganda professionals are hard at work reminding everyone of the glorious success of the Party, and the sacrifices that led to that success. Xi Jinping sure looks like he is trying hard to put the Communist back in “Communist China”.
I am on holiday in Maine from June 28 so there will not be another newsletter until at least July 12. I will be on Twitter @niubi if you want to follow China news there.
Today’s Links:
- The Essential Eight
- Business, Economy And Trade
- Politics And Law
- Foreign And Defense Affairs
- Hong Kong, Macao And Taiwan
- Tech And Media
- Society, Art, Sports, Culture And History
- Energy, Environment, Science And Health
- Books And Literature
- Beijing
THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT
1. CPC leadership on reform: vested interests to be challenged – Xinhua A top-level reform group headed by President Xi Jinping has likened the country’s reform drive to a “revolution” that challenges vested interests, while calling for real action to keep it going. “Reform is a revolution that aims to rectify the system and challenge vested interests. There is no way to do it other than using real swords and spears,” said a statement released after a meeting of the Leading Group for Overall Reform, using the Chinese idiom that underscores the importance of the task. Xi presided over the meeting on Monday, which was also attended by the group’s deputy heads Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli. In the statement, local committees of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at all levels are urged to focus on the major obstructions to reform, which are holding back local development and are closely related to the people’s immediate interests. // 习近平：聚集改革资源激发创新活力 更加富有成效抓好改革工作
2. A Guide to Countering Chinese Government Spin on the Fairness of the South China Sea Arbitration Tribunal – Lawfare Rumors are swirling that the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitral tribunal will release its long-awaited award in Philippines v. China this week. China has already said it will not comply with the award, but it is clearly worried that a negative award will isolate China diplomatically or weaken its future claims in the region. So China’s diplomatic and global media assets have already been hard at work de-legitimatizing the not-yet-released award (which makes many wonder if China’s cyber-spies have already reviewed drafts of it). Although China has reasonable legal arguments supporting its objection to jurisdiction, its recent efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the arbitral tribunal and the entire UNCLOS process are very far from reasonable. So as public service to Lawfare readers, I offer a few short responses to rebut talking points spouted by any Chinese diplomats or PR hacks you happen to run into.
3. 新华社推出《红色气质》微电影献给建党９５周年-新华网 新华社北京６月２０日电（记者黄小希、陈子夏）在迎接中国共产党成立９５周年之际，新华社精心打造的微电影形态可视化全媒体产品《红色气质》于２０日上午９时５０分陆续在各类新媒体终端和户外大屏发布。 作为献给党９５岁生日的礼物，该片以９分５秒时长高度浓缩了中国共产党９５年的光辉历程。微电影运用现代技术和手法，通过历史照片讲述与三维特效结合，回顾了中国共产党近一个世纪来从争取民族独立、人民解放到实现国家富强、人民幸福所走过的道路，展示了一代代共产党人的信仰与追求、责任与担当、气质与情怀，揭示了人民就是江山、江山就是人民的主题。 // Xinhua has put together a 9 minute 5 second short film “Red Temperament” to commemorate the upcoming July 1st 95th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.
Related: 人民网隆重推出庆祝建党95周年专题“人民群众是我们力量的源泉”–庆祝中国共产党成立95周年大型专题–人民网 People’s Daily launches special topic page for 95th anniversary of the CCP
Related: 成为中央“核心智囊”前，他在毛泽东身边工作16年_凤凰资讯 didn’t realize the “看齐” that Xi is pushing actually came from Mao Zedong in 1945…this article on two recent essays by Pang Xianzhi on eve of 95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party // 近日，生于1929年、现年已86岁高龄的中央文献研究室原主任逄先知接连发表了两篇文章：《中国共产党是有独特优势的马克思主义政党》、《我们党的光荣传统和独特优势》。 “政事儿”（微信ID：gcxxjgzh）注意到，上述两篇文章中，逄先知都提到：毛泽东同志1945年在中共七大预备会议上曾提出：“我们要向中央基准看齐，向大会基准看齐。看齐是原则，有偏差是实际生活，有了偏差，就喊看齐。”70年后，习近平同志又提出向中央看齐的问题。他说：“经常、主动向党中央看齐，向党的理论和路线方针政策看齐。”相隔70年两次提出这个问题，都是在重要的历史节点，意义重大。
4. Senior Ideologue Kills Self over Party Infighting-Caixin A senior editor at a top theoretical journal of the ruling Communist Party hanged himself, apparently after becoming depressed over growing infighting between government reformists and conservatives nostalgic about less corrupt times under the rule of the late Chairman Mao Zedong. Zhu Tiezhi, the deputy editor-in-chief of Qiushi Journal, died on the morning of June 26, the online edition of People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, reported later in the day. It did not state the cause of death. Zhu, 56, did not turn up for work on June 25, but later came to the office at around 9 pm that day. He was discovered to have hanged himself in the office’s garage around 1 am the next day, a friend told Caixin. Zhu suffered from depression, and was concerned over ideological debates in recent years pitting reformists against a group of increasingly vocal academics in the conservative camp, the friend said. // another rumor ays he was involved in the Ling Jihua case, not sure I would take either at face value
5. Transcript: PBOC Governor on Multi-Objective Monetary Policy-Caixin Zhou Xiaochuan’s June 24 speech at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.
Related: China’s central bank chief says his job is too difficult for many people to understand | South China Morning Post Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of People’s Bank of China, says as mainland moves towards market-based economy the central bank has more work to do than its peers in mature markets
6. Substandard Running Tracks Sicken China’s Children-Caixin The particular issue involving running tracks first surfaced after dozens of students at the Yuanhe Primary School in Suzhou of eastern Jiangsu Province came down with symptoms such as nose bleeds, dizziness and skin rashes three days into their new semester last September. Their parents blamed “the toxic running track” built in the school a month earlier. Similar cases have been reported in at least 15 cities nationwide, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Official investigations found no link between the symptoms and tracks, as no hazardous chemicals could be traced in tests run by government-appointed institutions.
Related: “毒跑道”恐慌财新周刊频道财新网 Original Chinese of Caixin cover story on the problem of “toxic running tracks” at schools around China. Serious governance failure, nice way to upset the urban middle class
Related: Wukan village chief accused of toxic track graft | South China Morning Post Authorities in the eastern Guangdong city of Shanwei say the Communist Party secretary of Wukan village, Lin Zuluan, received 80,000 yuan (HK$93,700) in kickbacks from the construction of a school running track. // what a coincidence, he is tied to the nationwide toxic running track scandal
7. Bullets and Smartphones — China Media Project — Medium Tian Jin’s extremist language continues in the next section of his article, as he piles on “ideological struggle” — an alternative to “public opinion struggle,” which Xi introduced in August 2013 — and “hostile forces,” that catchall phrase pointing to nefarious internal/external enemies of the Party. Grasping the overall situation in the ideological struggle (把握意识形态领域斗争全局). “Along with the acceleration of social transformation in our country, various tensions have grown more obvious, and ideas in society are diverse, varied and changeable — so that we see more frequent interchange, interaction and confrontation between various trends of thought. Internationally, the contest remains intense among different value systems and institutional models (制度模式), and hostile forces overseas have not relented in the plots of Westernisation and division directed against us, with no fundamental change to the status quo of a strong West and a weak China in terms of international public opinion. News and public opinion are on the frontiers of the ideological struggle, and various hostile forces are vying with us for public opinion positions, vying for people’s hearts (争夺人心), vying for the masses (争夺群众). Newspapers and periodicals, and radio and television networks, are the mainstream media trusted by the Party and the people, and they must maintain an active posture (必须主动作为), having the courage to “drive the demons out of our land” (玉宇澄清万里埃), playing the positive and upright main theme (主旋律) [of the Party], eliminating the negative impact of static and noise (杂音噪音), effectively channeling public opinion in society, and firmly grasping the initiative and leading position in the struggle in the ideological sphere. // Tian Jin’s People’s Daily piece 掌握好新闻舆论这个重要阵地（学习贯彻习近平同志在党的新闻舆论工作座谈会上重要讲话精神） Expect only tightening in the runup to the 6th Plenum, likely this Fall, then even more tightening after that
Related: China internet regulator to crack down on online comments | Reuters In a statement late on Tuesday, the Cyberspace Administration of China said the crackdown on comments sections was aimed at tackling “outstanding problems”. Deputy head of the administration, Ren Xianliang, was quoted as saying in a statement that they wanted to carry out a large-scale “cleanse” of the comments sections and make it easier for people to report illegal or harmful content.
Related: China Tightens Internet Rules for Baidu and Other Search Engines – Bloomberg Under rules to take effect Aug. 1, search engines operating in the country will be prohibited from providing banned information in various formats including links, summaries, cached pages, associative words, related searches and relevant recommendations, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement. They will also be required to report websites and applications that contain prohibited content when spotted, the regulator said.
Related: 全国首次“网络媒体国防行”活动在南昌举行 – 中华人民共和国国防部 inaugural “Internet media national defense” event held in Nanchang
Related: 独家：中共把网络当战场 “五毛”要正规化成军 【博闻社独家】博闻社驻京记者独家获悉，中共意识形态主管部门的高层，正筹备强化舆论管控新举措，要“正规化”目前的“网络评论员”队伍（即外界戏称为五毛），有关举措内容之出人意外，堪称令人心惊，甚至中央一级宣传、网信等部门都有所微言。//Boxun reporting more Internet controls coming..Boxun track record not great but this does fit with the general trends and atmosphere so would not be surprised if accurate.
Related: 网信办：APP须对注册用户真实身份进行认证|网信办|APP|信息服务_新浪新闻 CAC issues notice requiring mobile apps to verify the real identity of their registered users
8. Chinas Core Executive – leadership styles, structures and processes under Xi Jinping – Mercator Institute for China Studies Participating scholars’ expertise covers a wide variety of issue areas, ranging from economic policy making to cyberspace politics, and from societal control to military modernization. MERICS Paper on China No. 1 – “China’s core executive: leadership styles, structures and processes under Xi Jinping” is an essay collection which offers the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date account of the changes to China’s core executive under Xi Jinping through its analysis of developments in different policy areas. One observation is dominant – China has moved in further in the direction of top-down, autocratic policy making. The authors – among them renowned experts such as Roderick Mac Farquhar, Barry Naughton, Joseph Fewsmith, You Ji, Victor Shih, and Anthony Saich – discuss the effects of this on current policymaking and policy outcomes, as well as offering a thought-provoking look into the future // excellent report, hear the conference for it in Berlin this week also very good
BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND TRADE
Two Top Chinese Steel Makers to Reorganize, May Merge-Caixin sounds messy // The companies did not specify what their restructuring plans would entail. Each applied for a trading suspension of their shares starting June 27, and will release more information after five trading days, the statements said. A merger of the pair would create China’s largest steel company, surpassing current leader Hebei Iron and Steel Group Co. Ltd. in annual output. Baosteel is the country’s second largest steelmaker by output and Wuhan Iron and Steel is the fifth, according to the World Steel Association, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The two companies had a combined market capitalization of 108.35 billion yuan (US$16.34 billion) as of June 24.
Support Plan for Idled Industrial Workers-Caixin Not announced was how much money the government has earmarked for the job training support. Separately, the Ministry of Finance said May 18 it would make 100 billion yuan available by the end of 2020 to be used for severance pay and retraining laid-off workers. The ministry said some 1.8 million workers, mainly in the steel and coal industries, are expected to be made redundant by 2020.
China Signals Coal-Capacity Cut Equal to 7.5% of Output in 2015 – Bloomberg Coal output capacity will fall by 280 million tons this year, National Development and Reform Commission Chairman Xu Shaoshi said at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin on Sunday. That’s equal to about 7.5 percent of the 3.75 billion tons that BP Plc says the country produced in 2015. China also plans to shed 45 million tons of steel capacity this year, Xu said.
Qualcomm Sues Alibaba-Backed Smartphone Maker Meizu for Patent Infringement – WSJ Qualcomm’s litigation against Meizu, in which Alibaba holds a stake, is part of the U.S. company’s attempt to protect its licensing business in the world’s largest smartphone market, where it has faced regulatory challenges in recent years including an antitrust investigation by Beijing. Since Qualcomm reached a settlement with Chinese authorities last year and agreed to pay a fine, the chip maker has signed patent-licensing agreements with a number of Chinese clients, including Huawei Technologies Co. and Xiaomi Corp.
China’s Premier Attempts to Bolster Investor Confidence After ‘Brexit’ – WSJ “The downward pressure on the economy is still mounting,” he said. However, Mr. Li urged global markets to have confidence in the Asian giant’s prospects given that growth remains within an “appropriate range,” the country is facing up to its problems and its economy is capable of meeting all primary economic targets this year. Mr. Li reiterated that China wouldn’t devalue the yuan to secure a short-term advantage
Pilot Program Lets Banks Fund Tech Start-Ups through Direct Investment-Caixin The pilot program allows banks to invest directly in companies by taking their shares, rather than providing traditional loans that must be repaid. That way the pilot banks can sell the shares to help recover the funds they invest. The practice is generally prohibited by China’s banking laws, and thus needs the central government’s special approval. Among the 10 banks that have been chosen for the pilot scheme, three, all based in Shanghai, have completed their draft plans and are set to submit them to the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) for approval, Lin Xueguan, an official with the regulator’s Shanghai bureau, said at a recent meeting open to journalists.
Niu Gensheng is at the forefront of China’s philanthropy new wave — FT.com Mr Niu is one of a generation of entrepreneurs who made their fortunes in the commercial world, outside government service and before digital technology created a cohort of internationalised billionaires. But while his story underscores dramatic changes in China and for many of its people, it also raises questions about the new prosperity and those who pay the price for development — which often has disastrous side effects, such as polluted water from chemical dumping and the adulteration of food. // didn’t he have Bo Xilai’s elder son running his money at one point?
U.S. Extends Temporary Trade Sanction Relief for China’s ZTE – WSJ The U.S. government has decided to extend the temporary lifting of its trade sanctions on ZTE Corp. through Aug. 30., as the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker tries to rebuild its reputation after being accused of violating U.S. trade rules. The U.S. Commerce Department announced the decision on the extension in a statement posted online, without giving specific reasons.
China’s central bank denounces foreign media’s “distorted” report – Xinhua The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, on Monday hit out at a report by an unnamed “foreign media outlet” for painting a distorted picture of China’s bank interest policy. The report was distorted as it claimed China was starting to recover bank interest control and would again restrict the floating ranges of deposit and lending interest rates, the PBOC said in a statement.
Li Keqiang’s speech at Summer Davos opening ceremony — full text – Xinhua Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2016, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, in Tianjin
POLITICS AND LAW
China up close: Xi uses aide to fault premier Li’s economic policy- Nikkei Asian Review The identity of the “authoritative figure” is more or less common knowledge. The Chinese media has carried an article virtually acknowledging Liu as the person in question, and internet censors have not pulled the article. Instead Liu is in the media limelight, with many news organizations running articles praising his achievements. In mid-June, China Newsweek, a weekly magazine published by the state-owned China News Service, released an issue featuring Liu. The publication is mainly aimed at overseas Chinese and foreigners and is an important public relations vehicle of the Communist Party’s propaganda department. The comments of the “authoritative figure” have sent shock waves through the country. Up to now, there have been subtle differences in the messages from the State Council, which puts economic policy into practice, and the party leadership. What is happening now is much different
China Focus: Anti-graft inspections on track to cover all fronts – Xinhua In the new round, inspectors will go to the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. They will also visit the Foreign Ministry; the Ministry of Public Security; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; the National Audit Office; as well as State Council organs in charge of legislative affairs and work related to Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas Chinese.
曾被记大过 黄关春出任湖南省委常委政经频道财新网 排名位于省委常委、统战部长黄兰香之前，此前担任湖南副省长兼公安厅长；在任吉林省时曾因德惠市宝源丰公司特别重大火灾爆炸事故被记大过；湖南省委常委目前仍缺额一员
Chinese city puts plans for waste-burning plant on hold as protesters take to the streets | South China Morning Post The mayor of a city in central China made a rare public address calling for calm after thousands of people protested against a waste incineration project over fears it would damage the environment and residents’ health. The city of Xiantao, in Hubei province, said on Sunday it would suspend the project but protests continued on Monday. Photos posted on social media, which could not be verified by Reuters, showed dozens of riot police on the march.
China, the US, and Extrajudicial Abductions | The Diplomat it’s worth remembering that extrajudicial abduction, or extraordinary rendition, has long been a tool in Washington’s toolbox, one that’s been worn smooth from use. Washington has snatched people out of 54 nations, frequently shipping them to places that practice torture to avoid having to deal with pesky Stateside issues like freedom of the press or human rights. Torture by proxy, it’s called, or simply “outsourcing torture.”
公安6种执法将全程录音录像政经频道财新网 公安机关当场盘问、检查时，应进行现场不间断执法视音频记录；学者指具有创新性但尚存不足 // PSB officers to start being required to record all their activities in certain categories
“盲井”犯罪生态原创频道财经网 more from Caijing on the “blind shaft” coal mine murders
Who draws the party line? | The Economist In English, the Propaganda Department calls itself the Publicity Department (it adopted this translation in the 1990s, realising how bad the literal one sounded). It is both secretive and vast. It is now at the centre of attempts by Xi Jinping, China’s president, to increase his control over the party, media and universities.
《习近平用典》政论微视频上线播出–时政–人民网 人民日报全媒体平台北京6月27日电 “不忘历史才能开辟未来，善于继承才能善于创新”。27日上午，《习近平用典》政论微视频上线仪式举行，人民日报社社长杨振武宣布：《习近平用典》政论微视频第一季正式上线播出，并在全网同步推送。人民日报社副总编辑卢新宁主持上线仪式。 // People’s Daily launches a video channel to teach you Xi’s use of classical sayings
习近平强调：从严治党靠教育也靠制度，要同向发力同时发力中南海澎湃新闻-The Paper 人民日报6月28日消息，习近平总书记强调，从严治党靠教育，也靠制度，二者一柔一刚，要同向发力、同时发力，坚持思想建党和制度治党紧密结合。这一新思想新要求，是对党的建设历史经验的深刻总结，精辟地回答了新的历史条件下管党治党的重大问题，丰富发展了马克思主义党建学说，具有重大的理论创新价值和实践指导意义。
揭秘3部级官员买度假村：设总统套间 每晚2.8万|度假村|公款吃喝_新浪新闻 最近几天，多地地方政府官网显示，国内多个地市的党委、纪委等单位集中传达学习的一份来自中央纪委的通报。 通报披露，国资委副主任徐福顺、中石油董事长王宜林、中海油董事长杨华这三位省部级干部因“多次公款吃喝，提供高档酒水和香烟”等问题违反中央八项规定，“并未报国资委审批的情况下违规购买北京金湖度假村，共花费公款9.497亿元”。
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
PLA capable of removing Philippines military base in disputed area of South China Sea, warns Communist Party mouthpiece | South China Morning Post China is fully capable of removing a Philippine naval vessel set up as a permanent base in a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, but has so far shown restraint, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece said on Monday. The commentary in the People’s Daily comes ahead of an imminent ruling from a international court in The Hague on China’s claims to territory in the region’s disputed waters. The case was bought by the Philippines. // 中国意志和能力的必然选择（钟声） wouldn’t this trigger the US-Philippines Defense Treaty?
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei’s Regular Press Conference on June 27, 2016 The evolution of international order and changes to the system of global governance have made the pursuit of international rule of law, fairness and justice a trend of the world. As two permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia have common responsibility in upholding and promoting international law. The declaration on the promotion of international law issued by the two countries demonstrates their solemn commitment to international law, their actions in carrying forward and developing international law with creative ideas and their shared concerns in peacefully resolving disputes. It is of important and far-reaching significance. On peacefully resolving disputes, the declaration stressed that “all dispute settlement means and mechanisms are based on consent and used in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation”, “and their purposes shall not be undermined by abusive practices”. On UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the declaration underlined that the integrity of the legal regime established by the Convention must not be compromised. All this help clarify and get down to the bottom of the issue. It will enable the international community to see through the “arbitration” show directed and acted by some country
Top Chinese envoy visits Vietnam as South China Sea tension rises | Reuters The trip by State Councillor Yang Jiechi comes amid a Chinese public relations blitz to try to discredit a looming verdict by an international tribunal, which could aggravate tensions if it undermines Beijing’s vast claims to waters extending far into Southeast Asia.
滥用国际法就是挖国际秩序墙脚（钟声）–国际–人民网 more from People’s Daily Zhong Sheng on the upcoming arbitration decision…getting quite shrill
China’s top paper lambasts U.S. aircraft carrier deployment | Reuters “The U.S. picked the wrong target in playing this trick on China,” the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary. It was published under the pen name “Zhong Sheng,” a Chinese-language homonym for the phrase “voice of China” that is often used to express the paper’s views on foreign policy. // 钟声：美国，炫耀武力就是搞霸权！
Diplomat’s Death Reignites Debate Over China’s Role in the World – NYTimes.com At Mr. Wu’s funeral, a reporter for Phoenix Television who was live streaming from outside the hall interviewed a man in civilian clothes who said he was in the military. The man praised Mr. Wu for understanding that China was in danger of retreating to the closed mind-set of the Qing dynasty and that it needed the outside world. He added: “Don’t put that on the record.’’
The Fight Inside China Over the South China Sea | Foreign Policy The moderates differ much from the realists and the hardliners. But the three share an extremely important area of agreement: the necessity of island-building. During my extensive conversations with leading Chinese scholars and government officials since last year, I have not come across a single person who would say island building is a mistake. They may give different reasons for construction and offer different assessments of the consequences, but they all believe that this is something China must do, sooner or later. // there is no good solution to the SCS mess
China is Perhaps the ‘Biggest Victim’ in South China Sea, Says Former Foreign Minister | Asia Society In his remarks, Li condemned the American military presence in the region. “Maybe this country is trying to threaten other countries in the South China Sea for its own selfish gains,” he said. “Maybe some country is trying to be a leader and assert dominance in a place far away from its home. This is hard to understand and unacceptable to us.” “Can anybody give me an example of someone China has threatened?” he added. “When has China sent any warships around the territory of the United States?” Li also said that peace in the Asia-Pacific was undermined by U.S. plans in South Korea to deploy its THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system, which has the capability to shoot down long-range missiles. “You claimed that the THAAD missile is targeted against the DPRK [North Korea], but I think the DPRK is only hundreds of miles away,” he said. “I don’t think anybody believes that that is your real aim …everybody will know what you’re up to — your secret agenda — even if you’re trying to hide it.” // 李肇星谈南海“种岛”：哪个国家不在自己土地种庄
Indonesia leader, top execs visit Natuna isles in warship | The Japan Times resident Joko “Jokowi” Jokowi’s visit along with his chief security minister and foreign minister was described by Indonesian officials as the strongest message that has been given to China over the issue. A presidential palace statement said Jokowi intended to hold a Cabinet meeting aboard the warship. “In the course of our history, we’ve never been this stern (with China). This is also to demonstrate that the president is not taking the issue lightly,” Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told The Jakarta Post newspaper.
The New PLA Joint Headquarters and Internal Assessments of PLA Capabilities | The Jamestown Foundation doctrine and strategy must continue to evolve to support the PLA’s expanded missions, technology, and potential areas of operation. The shift in mindset from a continental Army to an integrated joint force capable of operating both inside and beyond China’s borders and three seas will probably take at least a generation to achieve. Commanders and staffs at all levels must prove themselves qualified to perform these new tasks not only in academic settings but also in real world missions. They will raise their level of confidence in their own abilities through the actual performance of missions, not just talking or reading about them. A significant level of unease among operational and tactical commanders and staff is clearly evident in the official Chinese military literature. The military’s senior leadership understands the many challenges confronting the PLA as it continues its multi-decade, multi-faceted modernization program. In the immediate future, the disruptions caused by changes underway could result in a more cautious attitude toward the employment of force by China’s military leadership, but not necessarily its political decision-makers.–Dennis J. Blasko, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired), is a former U.S. army attaché to Beijing and Hong Kong and author of The Chinese Army Today
China Focus: China successfully launches new generation carrier rocket – Xinhua The Long March-7 is a medium-sized, two-stage rocket that can carry up to 13.5 tonnes to low-Earth orbit (LEO). Experts say the 53.1-meter-long, 597-tonne rocket will become the main carrier for China’s future space missions. Earlier reports said the rocket now uses kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel, rather than the highly toxic propellant, making it more environmental friendly and less expensive. Saturday’s launch is the first by the Wenchang site, and the 230th of China’s Long March carrier rocket family.
Why veteran US diplomat Paul Haenle moved to China to help broker Sino-US ties | South China Morning Post PAUL HAENLE, 50, a veteran US diplomat and former White House official on China affairs, relocated to Beijing six years ago to serve as an active broker of China-US ties as the founding director of Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy – the China branch of the renowned foreign policy think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He tells CATHERINE WONG of the importance for China and the US to maintain communication
Symposium highlights matching military exercises with real combat – Xinhua Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), urged military units at all levels to boost training with the same intensity of real combat in order to sharpen the troops’ fighting capability. Fan warned against formalism and fraud in military training and exercises.
UK should rethink China friendship over human rights, Tory group urges | Politics | The Guardian “China is not what it was five years ago,” China expert Christopher Hancock said in a statement issued by the report’s authors. “It has undergone a 180-degree turn in its political ethos.” “Outsiders should not attempt – and will always fail – to change China’s political and social behaviour,” Hancock added. “However, British citizens can, and must, attempt to change their government’s hitherto misguided response to it.”
Is Europe Prepared to Deal with the China Challenge? | ChinaFile Conversation Meeting the China challenge requires rebuilding leverage, which requires a psychological shift above all. For years, even when China was substantially less important, China experts warned against a tit-for-tat contest, regardless whether the provocation began in Beijing. Now that critical interests and principles are being threatened, shifting the mode of thinking will be a necessary first step. The second step is to reconnect all the ways of policy—diplomatic, informational, military, and economic—rather than following the conventional wisdom about isolating areas of competition and cooperation in dealing with China. Strategic action is predicated on the coordinated use of all forms of national power. Pressuring a country as large as China cannot be done if policy simultaneously bolsters and undermines Beijing. Similarly, European countries need to be wary of letting Beijing divide-and-conquer. The competition to represent Beijing in Europe and gain privileges in China undermines nearly all of the stated interests Europe has with respect to China’s rise.
Xi meets Cuban leader’s special envoy – Xinhua Xi welcomed Valdes, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), to Beijing to brief the Chinese side on the Cuban Party’s seventh Congress.
The Rise of Admiral Sun Jianguo and the Future of U.S.-China Naval Relations | The Jamestown Foundation should Admiral Sun Jianguo become the next PLAN Commander, his tenure will come at a critical time, as the PLA undergoes organizational reforms designed to make it truly capable of conducting joint operations across the services. The new head of the PLAN will have to manage this organizational transition, while continuing to bring modern ships and weapons platforms into the fold, upgrading the PLAN’s personnel and defending China’s maritime rights and interests. These challenges will be difficult, and they will ensure that whoever the next PLAN Commander is, that individual will have a profound and lasting impact on the Chinese navy’s continued modernization. Jeffrey Becker is a research scientist in the CNA Corporation’s China Studies Division.
U.S. Attribution of China’s Cyber-Theft Aids Xi’s Centralization and Anti-Corruption Efforts – Lawfare The report shows that most of the drop-off in China-based cybertheft occurred before the Obama-Xi agreement last Fall.
中国参与全球网络治理的格局、道义和力量-中国社会科学网 Interview with China Information Security Magazine deputy editor Qin An on China’s participation in, contribution to global Internet governance
Patrolling China’s cyberspace – Sinica Podcast Adam Segal is the Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies and director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book, The Hacked World Order, provides an in-depth exploration of the issues that most states and large companies now confront in cyberspace. It covers everything from the Twitter wars over Gaza to German reactions to the Snowden leaks. You can read the first chapter here. Our conversation focuses on how China sees cyberwarfare, cyberespionage, internet security and sovereignty, and how the nation’s perspectives differ from America’s.
HONG KONG, MACAO AND TAIWAN
Mainland spokesman says cross-Strait communication mechanisms in suspension – Xinhua An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when asked to comment on Taiwan’s protests against Cambodia’s recent escort of Taiwanese telecom fraud suspects to the Chinese mainland. The Taiwan side has failed to recognize the 1992 Consensus which endorses the one-China principle after May 20, and cross-Strait contact and communication mechanisms have thus been suspended, An said. He said lawful crack down on telecom frauds and protection of fraud victims are “perfectly justified, and are supported by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan ‘to test-fire missiles in US’ as China tensions rise-AFP The test of the US-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system will be launched at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in early July, a defence ministry source told AFP, in a move likely to irk Beijing even though it was arranged before Tsai took the helm. According to the source, the test will be conducted in the US to avoid China collecting information about it, and due to space restrictions in Taiwan.
TECH AND MEDIA
Can Xiaomi Live Up to Its $45 Billion Hype? – Fortune The “Apple of China” gets a reality check as its smartphone sales slump.
China Bites Apple – WSJ The case against Apple was brought by an obscure company called Shenzhen Baili, which doesn’t even have a website but appears to be another name for smartphone startup Digione. The Journal reported Friday that Chinese internet giant Baidu is Digione’s largest investor, and that Baidu founder Robin Li is a delegate with the regime’s political-advisory committee, suggesting some of the business and political interests at work.
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
Former magazine chief editor loses WWII-heros slander case – Xinhua Hong Zhenkuai, former executive editor in chief of the Beijing-based magazine “Yanhuang Chunqiu,” was found to have tarnished the reputation and honor of “The Five Warriors of Mount Langyashan,” who jumped off a cliff when fighting against Japanese invaders during World War II. Hong was ordered to apologize to the plaintiffs, Ge Changsheng and Song Fubao, who are the sons of two of the men. The apology, which must be a public notice run by media outlets, should be issued within three days, according to the verdict.
‘Left Behind Elderly’ at Eye of Jiangsu Tornado | Sixth Tone These “left-behind” parents were left to fend for themselves as the storm struck, and received little or no warning of the tornado’s approach or formal disaster preparedness training even though extreme weather patterns are not uncommon in the area.
Chinese fans angered after Lady Gaga meets with Dalai Lama – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) “The way the Chinese feel is just like you were shaking hands with [Osama] bin Laden,” one poster wrote. Another said: “This is proof that she can love and respect a Chinese terrorist. She fundamentally looks down on Chinese fans, and even all Chinese people.” // Apple Daily reported 女神卡卡會達賴喇嘛 中國下令全面封殺 that the order has come down from Beijing to scrub all her music and videos from online andTV
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
South China Sea reefs ‘decimated’ as giant clams harvested in bulk | Reuters China banned harvesting of giant clams last year but in the tiny seaside town Tanmen on the southern island of Hainan, most stores still sell products made from the over four-foot-wide shells. The once sleepy fishing village has transformed over the past three years to harvest clams on an industrial scale. There are around 460 handicraft retailers, compared to 15 in 2012, with the industry now supporting around 100,000 people.
Science stars of China : Nature News & Comment From ancient DNA to neutrinos and neuroscience, top researchers in China are making big impacts — and raising their country’s standing in science.
BOOKS AND LITERATURE
The Jia Pingwa Project: Sample Translations of Four Novels – Nick Stember Goldblatt returned to Jia’s work with his translation Ruined City, the second ever English language translation of a novel length work by Jia, published by Oklahoma University Press in January, 2016, as part of their Chinese Literature Today series. Perhaps on account of having been published by an academic press, so far this book has been largely ignored by mainstream critics with a single, solitary review in the New York Times. // read “Ruined City when it first came out in early 90s, excellent book, not easy to read
BEIJING
陈剑：北京正站在新旧城双核心格局的起点上政经频道财新网 北京城市副中心的发展蓝图徐徐铺开，对北京市中心城区究竟会产生什么影响？广大居民和在京企事业单位，又可如何适应并运用这种变化？
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