"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner

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THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT

1. China Stock Rally Draws Skeptics as Citi Sees Irrational Buying – Bloomberg Shanghai Composite broke 2900 Thursday, closed at 2899.46 // Investors bought 99.7 billion yuan ($16 billion) of shares using margin debt on the Shanghai bourse yesterday, taking the outstanding value of stock purchases through borrowed money to a record 552.1 billion yuan, according to data from the bourse…The Shanghai index is valued at 10.7 times 12-month projected earnings, the highest level since 2011, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its 14-day relative strength measure, tracking how rapidly prices have advanced or dropped during a specified time period, has climbed to 91.3, the highest since at least 1994.  //  fast money in a “Xi Jinping bull market” will make people like Xi Jinping even more. It has been very hard to make money over the last 2 years, there is lots of pent-up desire aka greed. Of course there are real risks to the market going up so fast, would not be surprised to start seeing official calls for “steady” stock market gains

Related: 国泰君安最新观点：炒金融股就是炒中国梦-新闻-上海证券报·中国证券网 Guotai Junan Securities report says punting on the stock market is punting on the China dream…all signs of a frenzy look to be in place, but so much pent-up speculation desire, aka greed. as well as fear, the fear of missing out, a very potent emotion here

Related:  温州炒房团已进股市：不看逻辑 直奔券商扫货_财经网 – The Wenzhou “housing speculation army” is now rushing into the stock market…

Related: China’s levered stock market | FT Alphaville For now this momentum looks unstoppable. But because the market is being driven by leverage, at some point it is likely to reverse abruptly and fall steeply. Several factors could trigger such a reversal. Sooner or later brokers will run up against the constraints on leverage imposed by their own capital positions. Once they can no longer expand margin lending to investors, the rally will run out of steam. Secondly, China’s fundamentals are still discouraging. Nine months ago everyone was worried about shadow banking defaults and rising bad loans. The risks have not vanished. As growth slows, defaults could rise. Finally, earnings growth is deteriorating.

Related: 众专家：中国股市的春天到了|财经|经济|证券新浪财经新浪网 证券日报 on the many experts saying China’s stock market is at the “dawn of a new bull market”

2. China mulls giving migrant population more equal rights – Xinhua Migrant citizens may apply for residence permits, which are linked with many rights, in cities after meeting certain requirements, such as having stable job and stable residence in a certain city and having stayed there for more than six months. Residence permit holders may enjoy many basic public services as locals, including free compulsory education, employment support, old-age care, and social welfare, said the draft of measures on the management of residence permits. The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council released the draft Thursday to solicit public opinion.

Related: 居住半年以上可申领居住证 可享同等基本公共服务特别报道新京报网 《居住证管理办法（征求意见稿）》明确居住证持有人可与当地户籍人口享有同等的多项权利，并可逐步享受同等的中等职业教育资助、住房保障、养老服务、社会福利、社会救助、随迁子女在当地参加中考和高考的资格等权利。

Related: 户籍制度改革提速 居住证分级设门槛政经频道财新网 　户籍制度专家、中国人民公安大学教授王太元近期接受财新记者专访时表示，居住证制度，针对的是已转移入城的非户籍人员，旨在借其实现基本公共服务均等化。据王太元介绍，中国户籍改革有两条主线，一条是“做减法”，即把原先附着在户籍上的教育、医疗、卫生等权益，剥离下来。另一条是“做加法”，通过实施居住证制度，赋予转移入城的非户籍人员享受公共服务的权益。如果不赋予权益，居住证和暂住证就没有区别。做加法的基本思路是“分期赋权”。如《关于进一步推进户籍制度改革的意见》就提出，“以居住证为载体，建立健全与居住年限等条件相挂钩的基本公共服务提供机制”，意思是赋予权益是有阶梯和层次的。对于备受关注的落户问题，《办法》按不同等级城市分别确定落户门槛，主要分为“建制镇与小城市、中等城市、大城市和特大城市”这四档。其体现的正是十八届三中全会所确定的思路，即“全面放开建制镇和小城市落户限制，有序放开中等城市落户限制，合理确定大城市落户条件，严格控制特大城市人口规模。”

Related: 居住证管理办法征民意 持有人子女有望在当地中高考-时政频道-新华网 proposed new migrant resident rules may allow migrant workers’ children to take high school and college tests where they live, not back in their hometowns…Xinhua answer 5 “questions” about the proposed changes

3. China Broadens Pollution Pledge in Call for More Climate Funding – Bloomberg China will work to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted for every dollar of gross domestic product and to boost its stock of forests that absorb emissions, Su Wei, China’s lead climate negotiator, said today. The comments are among the most significant from a Chinese official since President Xi Jinping pledged last month to begin to reduce carbon-dioxide pollution around 2030 and expand supplies of renewable power. Addressing carbon intensity is key as China emits almost twice as much pollution to achieve the same amount of growth as the U.S., according to data from the International Energy Agency. China’s carbon intensity is on par with the U.S. level in 1985…Su’s comments today add credibility to China’s pledge, according to Samantha Smith, global climate and energy initiative leader at the environmental group WWF.

Related: China says climate aid inadequate, especially Australia | Reuters Rich nations’ pledges of almost $10 billion to a green fund to help poor nations cope with global warming are “far from adequate”, particularly Australia’s lack of a donation, the head of China’s delegation at U.N. climate talks said on Thursday. Su Wei also urged all rich nations to deepen their planned cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, signaling that a joint Chinese-U.S. announcement of greenhouse gas curbs last month does not mean an end to deep differences on climate policy.

4. Shunyi Foreign Foster Parent of 11 Disappears, Critically Ill Child at Hospital | the Beijinger The Legal Daily reported Thursday that the girl, called Phoebe, is one of 11 ethnic Chinese foster children the man has been raising in various apartments around Beijing, most recently at Capital Paradise in Shunyi. The girl, who at 20 kilos is underweight for her age, is still in critical condition at the hospital after three surgeries to relieve a duodenal obstruction and kidney damage that doctors believe were caused by external blunt force. A volunteer attending to the girl claims she said she had been beaten by her foster father, who has not been seen nor heard from since Nov 24. Reports say the man, referred to as Ray, lived for a time this year in a two-bedroom flat in Capital Paradise, where neighbors complained that the foster kids would occasionally be caught rifling through the trash to look for food. Area residents say the man was a frequent customer at the Pinnacle Plaza Starbucks where he would sip coffee while his children played in and around the store // 北京：一外籍男子携10名所收养中国儿童失踪(图)|女童|孩子_凤凰资讯 none of the Chinese or foreign neighbors in the Capital Paradise complex that this was a little strange?

5. 国家安全部部长耿惠昌：增强全社会厉行法治的积极性和主动性-  long piece on page 7 of Friday’s People’s Daily from Geng Huichang, Minister of State Security, on increasing all of society’s zeal and initiative for practicing the rule of law  //  充分发挥党的基层组织、基层政权组织和各类社会组织在法治建设中的积极作用。要创新基层党建工作，健全党的基层组织体系，加大非公有制经济组织、社会组织党建工作力度，确保党的组织和党的工作全覆盖。充分发挥基层党组织战斗堡垒作用，引导广大党员投身法治建设、作出积极贡献。加强党员队伍建设，增强基层干部法治观念和法治为民意识，提高依法办事能力，发挥先锋模范作用。基层政权组织要发挥基层一线工作优势，提高服务和管理能力，保证法律法规正确实施，善于协调解决人民群众各方面各层次利益诉求，运用法治思维和法治方式化解社会矛盾。加强基层法治机构建设，强化基层法治队伍，完善立足于基层、服务于基层的法治工作机制和相关保障，积极推进基层法治建设，为全面推进法治建设奠定牢固基础。鼓励和支持社会组织参与法治建设，发挥行业自律和专业服务功能，发挥对其成员的行为导引、规则约束、权益维护作用。完善社会组织参与社会事务、维护公共利益和人民权益、预防违法犯罪的机制和制度化渠道，加强在华境外非政府组织管理，引导其依法开展活动，共同促进社会主义法治建设。《 人民日报 》（ 2014年12月05日 07 版）

6. Thousands of Local Internet Propaganda Emails Leaked – China Digital Times (CDT) Blogger “Xiaolan” has leaked an archive of the email communications of the Internet Information Office of Zhanggong District, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi from 2013 and 2014. The archive includes correspondence, photos, directories of “Internet commentators” (网评员), summaries of commentary work, and records of the online activities of specific individuals, among other documents. Over 2,700 emails are included in the archive, many of which include attachments of Microsoft Word documents. Xiaolan calls the leak “evidence of of the work of the Fifty Cent Party” (见证五毛党的工作), referring to commentators who are paid to write online in favor of government policies, attacking “public intellectuals,” boosting Xi Jinping’s image, and monitoring netizens’ activities.

7. 军报批徐才厚:管反腐带头腐败 管干部带头卖官_网易新闻中心 PLA Daily has started a series of 10 articles on “rectifying spirit and eliminating bad practices in the PLA” based on Xi’s Gutian speech, starts with a piece about Xu Caihou //  根据习近平重要讲话精神，围绕“以整风精神革除问题积弊”，解放军报组织撰写了10篇评论员文章，从今天（12月4日）起陆续刊发。今天在头版刊发的这篇题为《讲信仰的不能丧失信仰——一谈以整风精神革除问题积弊》。 文章说，像徐才厚那样，管灵魂的出卖灵魂，管反腐的带头腐败，管干部的带头卖官鬻爵，讲艰苦奋斗的带头贪图享乐，即使信仰信念讲得再多，理想宗旨说得再好，也都是空言空谈，只能让人产生怀疑，只会遭到官兵唾弃。

8. Grade Plan ‘Could Mean Pay Rise for Graft-Prone Civil Servants’ – Caixin A Communist Party plan to grade civil servants could be a step toward giving graft-prone government workers a pay increase, one expert says. The party’s Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform agreed at a December 2 meeting to introduce a system to grade civil servants. The country’s 7 million civil servants, particularly those in less-developed regions and at lower levels, have been asking for pay rises in recent years. The party’s plan is a change from linking their pay to their official ranks, and could mean they get higher salaries even without a promotion

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BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND TRADE

Demand for Steel, Iron Ore to Grow Little Next Year, Institute Says – Caixin The country will need 720 million tons of refined steel products next year, 1.41 percent more than this year, the report published on December 3 by China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute said. Some 834 million tons of crude steel will be needed, up 1.71 percent. The country would use 715 million tons of refined steel products this year, about 3.2 percent more than last year, the institute said. It would use 820 million tons of crude steel, 5.26 percent more than in 2013.

China’s CBRC Tackles Wealth Management Product Risks, MNI Says – Bloomberg The China Banking Regulatory Commission will let wealth-management products sold by commercial banks invest in fixed-income products including cash, bank deposits, repos, central bank paper, bonds, preferred shares and asset-backed securities, according to Market News, citing the draft document. About 30 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) of the 2.8 trillion yuan of shadow banking assets will go back on banks’ balance sheets under the proposed new rules, Market News said, citing CBRC estimates

银监会拟鼓励理财产品直接投资头条新闻中证网 on the China’s CBRC tackling WMP risks, this article says they will not be allowed to buy shares in the stock market, but will be allowed to buy preferred shares  //  可投资优先股、资产支持证券 不得投资二级市场股票及相关基金 中国证券报记者4日获悉，银监会创新监管部日前就《商业银行理财业务监督管理办法》向业内征求意见。征求意见稿明确了理财产品的独立性与破产隔离的法律效果，允许以理财产品的名义独立开立资金账户和证券账户等相关账户，鼓励理财产品开展直接投资。理财资金不得投资于境内二级市场公开交易的股票或与其相关的证券投资基金；不得投资于未上市企业股权和上市公司非公开发行或交易的股份。

China opens projects worth billions to private investors – Xinhua The Chinese Ministry of Finance (MOF) rolled out 30 projects on Thursday to solicit private capital in the form of a public-private partnership (PPP). These projects, worth a total of 180 billion yuan (29.3 billion U.S. dollars), include water and heating supply, sewer systems, garbage disposal, underground pipe networks, medical care, sports facilities and other urban infrastructure. Both domestic and foreign investors are welcome to take part in the construction and operation of these projects as China is striving to lower government spending and improve public service.

China’s Tax Authority Targets Income of Foreigners, Wealthy Chinese – WSJ PricewaterhouseCoopers says many local tax bureaus have started to look more closely at income that comes from stock options and grants this year. Greater attention is also likely to be paid to the overseas assets of wealthy Chinese. China, like the U.S., is one of the few countries in the world that demands tax on citizens’ global incomes, but not many Chinese even know about this policy…Foreigners who don’t comply with Chinese rules face bigger penalties. In the past, those who were found underpaying their taxes just needed to cough up the difference and pay a small penalty. Starting this year, they may be restricted from leaving China until their back taxes are paid, according to a joint statement by Beijing’s tax authority and police bureau.

Best Buy to sell China business, focus on North America | Reuters U.S. retailer Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) said on Thursday it will sell its struggling China business, Five Star, to domestic real estate firm Zhejiang Jiayuan Group in order to focus on its North American operations. The world’s largest consumer electronics chain didn’t disclose financial terms of the sale of the 184-store network, announced in a statement.

Kaisa sales target at risk amid questions over ban on project sales | South China Morning Post Analysts are trying to ascertain what prompted the government action and what impact it will have on Kaisa’s sales this month. There is also no word on the whereabouts of its chairman, Kwok Ying Shing, who is said to have been detained by mainland authorities. // 佳兆业多个深圳楼盘被锁定，包括蒋尊玉主政龙岗旧城改造项目 

“房屋永久产权” 再度引发热议-今日头条-手机光明网 reports that government may change home “lease period” from 40, 50, or 70 years to permanent ownership going around the Chinese Internet, big deal if true, skeptical  //  2日，环球网发布一篇《70产权或退出历史舞台，所有房产规定为永久产权》的报道，瞬间引发网络热议。文中的两个核心问题一是停止房产税扩围，转为推进房地产税立法；二是所有房产不再设40/50/70年大限，规定为永久性产权。但是，3日《深圳晚报》的报道中，官方回应这“只是专家的一家之言”。 环球网的消息来源是援引深圳房地产研究中心高级研究员李宇嘉的意见，称广东省出台的深化财税体制改革总体方案里，将把房地产税等财产行为税列为县（市）级主体税种。据称，这一方案，包括现有房地产税制的作用绩效和风险评价，过渡期的财政风险评估，以及向以房产税为主的财产税制转变的预案设计，如缩短出让年期、完全的产权出让探索，即不再规定70年或40、50年的产权，而是拥有永久性产权。

 

POLITICS AND LAW

Head of Sinopec Oil Field Services Firm Said to Come under Investigation – Caixin Xue Wandong, general manager of Sinopec Oil Field Service Corp. (SOSC), was detained during a meeting in a suburb of Beijing on December 3, the sources said. Sinopec held a meeting of its Communist Party members to discuss the situation, one of the sources said. Sinopec spokesman Li Dapeng said the company has dismissed Xue and launched an investigation of its own…Xue spent about 20 years in Sinopec’s Shengli oil field in the eastern province of Shandong, rising from a low-level technician to deputy director of the Shengli Petroleum Administration Bureau from 2000 to 2005.

Fei Chang Dao: On China’s First “Constitution Day” Baidu Bans Forums on “The Constitution” These screenshots were taken on December 4, 2014, and show that Baidu has banned users of it PostBar (Tieba 贴吧) forum from establishing forums on “The Constitution” and “Constitutional Governance.”

元老点头 外传习近平政坛“围剿”内情_中国-多维新闻网 Duowei running an interesting, if unverifiable, report about relationship between Xi Jinping and Jiang Zemin and the corruption crackdown…purports to shed some light on the Kissinger-Jiang meal in the summer of 2013 and Jiang’s statement about Xi during the meal…again, treat this as interesting gossip at best // 在取得现任常委支持后，习近平迅速推进“打周”计划的第二步，取得元老层尤其是江泽民的首肯。据知情人士爆料，在2013年整个6、7月间，习近平至少3次在北京与江泽民见面，当面陈述周永康罪行，阐述如不拿下他将对整个政党执政造成的巨大伤害，而拿下周不仅难以危害整个政党，更有利于整个国家和政党的调整等。消息称，最后一次谈话时，习近平与江泽民一边吃饭一边讨论，足足5个小时。在这次谈话后，江泽民同意习的建议，一来江泽民充分认识到周永康的罪大恶极，其罪难恕；另一方面江也认为习的威望在当时已足够把控全局，并且在处理周的问题上显示出有条不紊、逻辑清晰、沉得住气。据该知情人士指，虽然同意了习的建议，但是江当时的心情还是“很复杂、很揪心”。毕竟周永康是自己拔擢与培养的高级干部，看着自己的老部下走到今天这般无法无天，也相当痛心，心情也难以平静。这种心情习近平显然是心知肚明，于是安排由中共中央出面，邀请美国前国务卿基辛格及其家人来华访问，并在7月3日于上海西郊宾馆同江泽民会面。而中央也安排中国各大媒体统一转发此新闻。习近平此举的重要目的是在给江“面子”，并向外界展示江在中国政坛仍然有存在感。投桃报李，江泽民也在讲话中对习近平赞赏有加，称自己不久前曾与习通电话，并称赞习近平是一位“非常能干、有智慧的国家领导人”，“像中国这样一个拥有13亿人口的大国，需要有一位强有力的领导人”。

吕民松任山东省委常委 政经频道财新网 今年以来，宁夏军区司令员昌业廷、海南省军区政委刘新、重庆警备区司令员高晓勇先后进入所在省份党委常委班子。上月，空缺多时的湖北、青海省委“戎装常委”补齐。青海省军区司令员李松山、湖北省军区政委冯晓林“入常”，成为今年第四、第五位进入所在省份党委常委班子的将领。此番吕民松出任山东省委常委，标志着全国各省、自治区、直辖市的“戎装常委”全部补齐。

自我举报退休检察官被纪检人员约谈 被指泄密/图 retired prosecutor in Anhui confesses to “mistakes” in handling of a case years ago, is questioned by local CCDI officials for “leaking secrets”

中纪委官员再空降：迟耀云任山西省纪委常务副书记–时政–人民网 another central ccDI official sent to Shanxi, now is the executive deputy secretary of the provincial discipline and inspection committee

 

FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS

How to Deal with Chinese Assertiveness: It’s Time to Impose Costs | The National Interest There are at least four types of countermeasures or actions that might constitute part of such a strategy. Responses can be categorized as military or nonmilitary. Military responses might be thought of as related to presence, operations, modernization and other steps designed to exploit another’s security weaknesses, and building partnership capacity. Non-military responses include informational, diplomatic, and economic measures. These categories of costs in turn need to be embedded in a comprehensive strategy.

Military Graft Fighters ‘Arrest Major General for Taking Bribes’ – Caixin Gao Xiaoyan, 57, was taken away by anti-graft military officials on November 27, the source said on condition of anonymity. Only a small group of people were notified of the arrest. She is vice political commissar and secretary of the Communist Party’s discipline committee of the People’s Liberation Army Information Engineering University in Zhengzhou, in the central province of Henan. Gao is the first female general to be involved in a corruption investigation since the party held its 18th congress in late 2012 and launched a major campaign against corruption shortly afterward. That campaign has netted thousands of officials, including senior military figures. Gao was arrested for taking bribes in building projects she oversaw in her previous job, the source said. She served as political commissar at the 309 Hospital in Beijing, which was a branch of the PLA’s General Hospital and is now affiliated with the PLA General Staff Department. Gao held the job from late 2005 to 2012.

Obama’s Trip to Asia-Carnegie-Tsinghua Center In this podcast, Paul Haenle and Randall Schriver discussed the trip’s overall impact and the important agreements made during a summit between Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.  Schriver highlighted the success of the APEC summit and Obama-Xi talks, while also acknowledging that much work remains for both sides to fulfill agreements on trade, military, and climate issues. These understandings, Schriver concluded, provide positive momentum and constructive goals for bilateral relations, although underlying tensions must be addressed.

A Step Forward for Beidou, China’s Satellite Navigation System – NYTimes.com The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations body that sets standards for international shipping, formally included Beidou in the World-Wide Radionavigation System during its Nov. 17-21 meeting. This means that the Chinese system has become the third system, after GPS and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), recognized by the United Nations body for operations at sea.

Xi Jinping urges boosting development of military equipment system – Xinhua Addressing a conference of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on equipment, held here from Wednesday to Thursday, Xi said advanced weaponry is the embodiment of a modern army and a crucial support for national security and rejuvenation. The equipment system building should be information-led, and pay great attention to the weaponry’s quality, said Xi. The equipment system building is now facing a period of strategic opportunities and at a key point for fast development, he noted. // [视频]习近平在出席全军装备工作会议时强调 加快构建适应履行使命要求的装备体系 为实现强军梦提供强大物质技术支撑新闻频道央视网(cctv.com)

石油故事绕着地缘政治转（钟声）–财经–人民网 历史总是惊人的相似。20世纪80年代的油价下跌，缘于美国与欧洲需求下滑，加上英国北海石油的崛起，欧佩克的主导力量沙特大幅减产近3/4仍不奏效，后来祭出“逆向冲击战略”，增产石油造成进一步价格下跌，最终重夺被稀释的石油定价权，并在后来几年逐步稳住了市场。如今又是因为全球需求放缓，以及美国页岩油开采的意外增长，而欧佩克的决策又那么似曾相识。美国前国务卿基辛格曾断言，“如果你控制了石油，你就控制了所有国家”。英国媒体如今警告，持续低油价将有可能导致中东整个政治地图重新绘制。 石油世界长时间静止不变是不可能的，围绕石油定价权的多方博弈都没有停歇，即便在这个貌似“充裕和廉价能源供应的新时代”，世界地缘政治图景也会深受其影响。

Indian critics of Tibet dam accused of “exaggerating” dangers | Liu Qin – China Dialogue Tibet’s first major dam, the Zangmu hydropower station, started generating electricity at the end of November. This prompted complaints from Indian media that Chinese dam building on the Yarlung Zangbo River could reduce water flow and cause environmental damage downstream in India. But Chinese experts say vested interests in India stand to benefit from playing up the threat of Chinese hydropower and that only dialogue and partnership will solve Asia’s water disputes.

Premier Li meets China-Japan friendship committee – Xinhua Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Thursday met with a Sino-Japan friendship group and urged Japan to properly handle issues that affect healthy growth of bilateral ties. Li made the remarks while meeting with members of the Fifth 21st Century Committee for China-Japan Friendship, who were gathering in Beijing for a plenary session held on Wednesday and Thursday.

China denies report of island-for-debt deal with Venezuela – Xinhua China denied on Thursday that Venezuela intended to pay its debt to China with an island, calling the stories “groundless” as each loan repayment so far has been “normal”. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying was responding to reports in Hong Kong media that Venezuela’s Blaquilla Island might be transferred to China to pay off its debts. Hua said China and Venezuela have established mature and efficient cooperative mechanisms on financing. “Currently, each repayment of capital and interests on China’s loan performs normally,” she stressed.

解放军单兵装备有多贵？一身行头值两部iPhone6_新闻_腾讯网 article says the cost of a PLA soldiers basic clothing and gear is equivalent to cost of 2 iPhone 6 phones

肯尼亚以涉嫌金融诈骗为名抓捕77名中国人_网易新闻中心 77 Chinese detained in Kenya, sounds like for financial crimes involving stealing information online  //  据《环球时报》记者了解，中国驻肯尼亚使馆相关人员已前往交涉，肯尼亚方面称“被捕的中国人涉嫌金融诈骗，他们从网上窃取信息”。警方从他们住的地方搜出一批高端通信设备。美联社援引当地一名官员的话称，这些人涉及洗钱和网络欺诈，肯尼亚当局还在调查他们是否从事间谍活动。

BlackBerry Says Western Nations Wouldn’t Allow China Bid – Bloomberg BlackBerry Ltd. (BBRY) Chief Executive Officer John Chen said in July that he wouldn’t be able to accept a takeover offer from a Chinese company even if he got one because Western governments that rely on his phones probably wouldn’t allow it. “We probably are unable to do that,” Chen said in an interview that was taped on July 23 and will air tonight on Bloomberg TV’s “Studio 1.0,” when asked if he would sell BlackBerry to a Chinese company. “One of our biggest install bases is government in the so-called Five Eyes countries where governments share intelligence. I think there will be a lot of regulatory issues and concerns.”

鲁炜邀美国大学生访华 施展“互联网外交”魅力-新华网 Xinhua on Lu Wei’s charm and “Internet Diplomacy” during his dc visit

 

TECH AND MEDIA

广电总局罗建辉司长：传统媒体不允许播出的内容，新媒体一样不允许播出#落叶知秋#-看点-虎嗅网 the long expected, real crackdown on online video may be near. A senior SAPPRFT official says new media should not be allowed to “broadcast” content traditional media is not allowed to. And that is one of the key advantages youtube-clones have had over traditional media. // 三、要大力提高节目质量：传统媒体不允许播出的内容，新媒体一样不允许播出 在网络视听领域虽然和以前相比，总体品质有提升，但目前整体质量还不高。要改变现在的情况，要从多方面入手，提升内容品质，打造内容精品。 首先要比高不比低，努力提升成绩、水平。目前也有这样的现象，有部分人创作的时候，不但和以前的作品比低俗，还心存侥幸，要打政策的擦边球。我认为，这是毫无社会责任感的表现。我在这里要强调一下，传统媒体不允许播出的内容，新媒体一样不允许播出。而传统媒体鼓励的内容，新媒体更加鼓励。

Intel to invest $1.6 billion in China factory | Reuters As part of the upgrade, Intel said in a statement on Thursday it would bring its most advanced chip-testing technology to China. In exchange it will receive local and regional government support for construction. “Deploying our newest advanced testing technology in China shows our commitment to innovating jointly with China,” Intel executive vice president William Holt said in the statement. “The fully upgraded Chengdu plant will help the Chinese semiconductor industry and boost regional economic growth.”

China announces crackdown on animation and gaming websites-TechInAsia mobile looks to be next  //  You wouldn’t think that a website dedicated to streaming cartoons would be a likely place for sedition and law-breaking. But apparently in China, it can be. On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Culture announced a new crackdown on illegal websites, with a dual focus on animation and gaming sites.

 

SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY

Saving China’s dying villages | Andrew Stokols The situation in Songyang County and many other areas in rural China is that the most intact villages are often the poorest and most remote, such as Diaotan Village. It’s remoteness makes its buildings and environment less tainted by modern structures. But it also means that the social situation there is difficult. Towns in the valley are better off, but there are more development pressures nearby. Indeed, in the lower elevation areas reaches of Songyang County, the villages and factories, new apartment complexes all blur into each other to create an odd jumble of environments: bits of rural villages mixed with the new mass housing that has been built to re-house villagers.

Is This Temple For Real? China Tries to Stamp Out Fake Monk Scourge –  – WSJ Officials have begun certifying authentic Buddhist and Taoist temples to help distinguish them from their fake, profiteering cousins, the official news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday. “There have been some non-religious sites employing fake monks who tricked tourists into donating money or buying expensive incense,” Liu Wei, a State Administration of Religious Affairs official, was quoted by the agency as saying. As part of the scam crackdown, the government will also make the names of legitimate temples available online for perusal by a leery public, Xinhua says.

In His Master’s Footsteps – Video – NYTimes.com Painting in his Beijing studio, Liang Zhaojin says his work has been heavily influenced by studies with Zhang Daqian, revered as one of China’s greatest modern painters.

电影《黄克功案件》宪法日首映 曾请中纪委审看深度新京报网 昨日，首个国家宪法日献礼电影《黄克功案件》在全国公映，77年前的红军干部黄克功杀人案成为该影片的主要内容。由于题材敏感，这部电影的剧本创作耗时近9年仍迟迟未投入拍摄。十八大后，遇中央反腐反特权“当口”，剧本再度送审，一致通过。

北大综合改革方案获批 部分院系取消学术硕士国内新京报网 《北京大学综合改革方案》近日已获批准并开始全面实施。方案主要亮点包括：学术委员会为“最高学术机构”、倡导“师生治学”、试点系主任公开选聘、部分院系取消学术硕士等。

 

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND HEALTH

China Sets Jan. 1 Deadline for Ending Transplants From Executed Prisoners – NYTimes.com Dr. Huang Jiefu, a surgeon in charge of revamping China’s organ transplant system, said at a conference in the southern city of Kunming on Wednesday that the number of voluntary organ donors had risen quickly over the past year, but that overall numbers were still quite small, the newspaper The Southern Metropolis Daily reported. As a result, China will face extreme pressure in providing suitable organs for the estimated 1.5 million people awaiting transplants.

Exclusive: Trafigura China Employee Arrested Over Alleged Oil Fraud – Business Insider Chinese police have arrested an employee of commodity trader Trafigura as part of an investigation into an alleged $32 million gasoline trade fraud, according to an official arrest warrant seen by Reuters. Tian Meng, 39, who works at Trafigura’s oil marketing team in Beijing, has been held without charge in the northern city of Cangzhou since August, three sources with direct knowledge of the situation said.

发改委：将启动一批沿海核电工程 会引入民间资本行业资讯中证网 NDRC says will start several nuclear plan projects in coastal areas, will open them to private investment  //  中国核电业在逐步褪去日本福岛核事故的阴影。昨日，国家发改委在新闻发布会上表示，按照中央的要求，采用国际最高安全标准，在确保安全的前提下，我国将启动一批沿海核电工程。

New nuclear tech not yet fully up to standard, China energy official says | South China Morning Post Key technology and equipment being deployed as the mainland shifts towards advanced nuclear reactors were “still not completely up to standard”, an official with the country’s energy regulator said yesterday. Liu Baohua, the head of the nuclear office at he National Energy Administration, said the mainland also needed to improve its regulatory and legislative environment for nuclear power.

产业透视:电改着力破除电网垄断行业资讯中证网 新电改方案预期即将出台。大变革前夜，中国证券报记者获悉，新电改方案除了已知悉的“四放开、一独立、一加强”的基本思路以及改变电网盈利模式之外，明确提出要改变电网企业集电力输送、电力统购统销、调度交易一体的状况，电网企业主要从事电网投资运行、电力传输配送，破除电网“独买独卖”的垄断格局。 专家指出，相对于2002年5号文，此轮电改大概率推出的是一个折中方案。虽然方案中可能不会有涉及拆分电网、调度独立等此前热议的内容，但是如果能够实现改变电网盈利模式这一核心目标，目前的电力市场格局也将发生深刻变革。

Oil’s Plunge Creates Window for China to Free Retail Fuel Prices – Bloomberg “Key reform like this cannot happen during high crude prices, as the government has a duty to keep inflation in check,” said Lin Boqiang, an adviser at the nation’s top economic planning agency. “A lower price environment provides the opportunity to make the whole pricing mechanism independent and transparent.” That agency, China’s National Development and Reform Commission, currently reviews international crude markets every 10 days to decide domestic prices of fuels like diesel and gasoline. Even when crude surged, the NDRC refused to raise retail prices for fear of stoking inflation, crimping profits for refiners such as Sinopec (386) and PetroChina.

 

FOOD AND TRAVEL

广州国有土地变私人农庄 政府官员常来是熟客新闻腾讯网 on a farm in Guangzhou that just produces for local officials //  广州市番禺区有个名为“QQ农庄”的地方，不对外经营，附近群众也无法进去，由于其门牌为57号，当地群众称其为“神秘的57号”。广东省纪委近日公布的暗访视频揭开了这个农庄的冰山一角：客人觥筹交错，野味端上餐桌，党员干部“吃喝”。

 

BEIJING

北京择校热大幅降温 “就近入学”正成新常态–教育–人民网 People’s Daily on the impact of the significant reforms to Beijing primary and middle school enrollment enacted for 2014-15 school year, reforms that affected some powerful vested interests in the capital, including central SOEs // 大城市的中小学择校现象近年来广受社会关注。今年北京“择校热”大幅降温，全市小学就近入学比例为93.7%，初中就近入学比例为76.82%。北京的有效探索可否为其他地方借鉴？ 长期以来，中小学择校问题令许多父母烦心，也折射出教育机会不公平及其背后的众多“猫儿腻”。特别是在大城市，择校、拼爹现象尤为严重。义务教育入学机会的公平性受到公众的诟病。首善之区北京的情况如何？今年北京少年儿童入小学、升初中面貌大为改观，“就近入学”正在成为首都义务教育新常态，北京“择校热”大幅降温。

Beijing prioritizes conservation in urban planning – Xinhua would have been great to do this 10 years ago  //  Beijing has decided to prioritize the conservation of its historic landscape in the capital’s urban planning, local authorities said on Thursday. As both a historic and global city, Beijing must combine cultural heritage with architectural innovation, said Beijing Vice Mayor Chen Gang. Beijing is about to finish modifying its urban planning, and most government efforts have been spent on how to better conserve Beijing’s historic landscape.

揭明星监狱生活：房祖名读书 张默挑豆子剥大蒜_网易新闻中心 doesn’t sound like life in Beijing jail for celebrities on drug charges is so bad…

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