Photo from an April 12 demo in Hong Kong calling on Beijing to release the Women's Day Five.
Below we repost some selections from Sinocism’s April 12 newsletter. But first, here are a few important items not mentioned there:
English
China releases three detained feminist activists — Straits Times, April 13
‘Chinese police on Monday released at least three of the five feminist activists detained for over a month in a case which prompted an international diplomatic outcry, one of their lawyers said.’
UPDATE: All five have now been released. For at least the next year they will be under a sort of house arrest or probation (监视居住) and forbidden from leaving mainland China. One insider says “this is a historical moment: this is the first time that a group political prisoners have been released at the same time.” (Normally they are gradually released one at a time.) It is possible that domestic and international popular pressure played a role in this.
China’s Island-Building Is Ruining Coral Reefs, Philippines Says – NYT, April 13
‘China’s island-building activities have destroyed about 300 acres of coral reefs and are causing “irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance” of the South China Sea, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.’
China Exports Slide in March, Strong Yuan Blamed – WSJ, April 13
‘China’s exports slumped in March, while imports fell for the fifth month in a row—further evidence of weak demand both at home and abroad. The drop in imports of 12.7% was about in line with expectations and partly reflected the steep decline in global commodities prices. But the 15% year-on-year slide in exports during the month surprised analysts who had been expecting a 10% gain.’
China: Did We Just Hear The Death Rattle Of The Economy? – Forbes, April 12
Some observers privately say Li wanted to encourage the use of stock offerings for fund-raising purposes and needed soaring prices to attract new money into the market, and others talk about a conscious plan to create a wealth effect to stir lagging consumption. The surge, however, is more like an unintended consequence.
A new age of Chinese growth (?) – Cai Fang and Lu Yang, East Asia Forum, April 12
‘China saw a 9.8 per cent growth rate on average during 1978–2010 — the best in the world. China will likely surpass the US to become the world’s largest economy in purchasing power terms in 2015, if it has not already done so… So how long can the boom last?’
Chinese Government Declares War on Golf – Shanghaiist, April 12
‘… 66 golf courses deemed illegal have been shut down, and that this might only be the tip of the iceberg, with another 100 being considered for closure…Dan Washburn, author of The Forbidden Game: Golf and the Chinese Dream, said that golf was “an elitist pursuit enjoyed by very few in China, so if you’re looking to make a populist move, it’s pretty low hanging fruit.”‘
China inflation misses Beijing target – FT, April 10 (behind a pay wall; summarized here)
‘Subdued demand and falling oil prices last month pulled Chinese inflation well below Beijing’s target of “around 3 per cent” for this year.’
Asia’s largest IPO this year is the latest sign that Chinese investors are ignoring reality – Quartz, April 9
‘China’s stock markets have become completely detached from economic fundamentals in recent months, and that insanity is rapidly spilling into Hong Kong’s Stock Exchange. The latest evidence of irrational exuberance comes from the $3.6 billion IPO of GF Securities, a Chinese broker whose stock started up 40% in its Hong Kong trading debut today, in Asia’s largest listing this year.’
China Aims to Soothe Labor Unrest – WSJ, April 8 (behind a pay wall; summarized here)
‘As slowing growth fuels labor unrest in the world’s second-largest economy, China’s top leadership is pushing for greater efforts to foster harmony across its increasingly agitated workforce. In a recent directive, top Communist Party and government officials called on party cadres and bureaucrats across the country to “make the construction of harmonious labor relations an urgent task,” to ensure “healthy economic development” and to consolidate the party’s “governing status.”’
This chart shows why everyone is scared about China’s economy – Business Insider UK, April 8
‘China’s economy is not in a good place, and a chart just published by Oxford Economics puts that in perfect perspective.’
Chinese Children Ditch School Amid Guangdong Incinerator Protest – RFA, April 8
‘Primary school children boycotted class in Langtang township near Guangdong’s Yunfu city on Wednesday, joining a continuing protest by thousands of residents over plans to build a waste incinerator plant near their homes, residents said.’
2000 police used to quell pollution protest in China which left one dead – Guardian, April 7
‘One person died and 50 were arrested after some 2,000 police, using rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons, put down a protest by villagers against pollution from a chemical plant in China’s Inner Mongolia, an overseas human rights group said.’
Worker activism is now the new normal as strikes and protests erupt across China – CLB, April 7
‘China Labour Bulletin’s Strike Map logged record numbers of strikes and worker protests in the first quarter of this year, with a total of 650 incidents compared to 569 in the previous quarter.’
Strikes proliferate in China as working class awakens – AP, April 6
‘Timid by nature, Shi Jieying took a risk last month and joined fellow workers in a strike at her handbag factory, one of a surging number of such labor protests across China… Riot police flooded into the factory compound, broke up the strike and hauled away dozens of workers. Terrified by the violence, Shi was hospitalized with heart trouble, but with a feeble voice from her sickbed expressed a newfound boldness.’
China Steps Back – Ho-fung Hung, NYT, April 5
‘Beijing’s plans for a new multilateral Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have put Washington on edge. More than 40 countries, including major United States allies in Europe, have signed up to join it despite the Obama administration’s objections and warnings.’
Chinese1
福建PX爆炸——不是科学问题，而是资本问题 (The PX [chemical plant] explosion in Fujian was not a problem of science, but a problem of capitalism) – 《破土》April 10
“4月6日下午，漳州古雷PX工厂发生爆炸事件，这是该项目建厂以来第二次爆炸。该项目肇始于2007年，本来计划落户于福建省厦门市，但是由于担心PX厂建成后危及民众健康，该项目遭到百名政协委员联名反对，市民以政府门前散步、投票等多种形式抵制，最终政府决定将该项目迁建到漳州漳浦的古雷港开发区。从这次事件之后，PX便伴随着争议开始进入中国人的视野，每次争论，都伴随着一次次选址和群体事件。由PX引起的大规模群体性事件，迄今为止已有8场，涉及的城市包括程度、南京、青岛、大连等地。”
塔吊司机：坚守云端 (Crane operators: stuck in the clouds) – a photographic essay from 腾讯图片《活着》 作者：李峰 , via 新生代
The best of Sinocism’s April 12 newsletter3
[Repression & control]
Chinese Police Seeking Charges Against Detained Women’s Activists, Lawyer Says – NYTimes The police had originally investigated the women on suspicion of “picking quarrels” but have since changed the charges they want prosecutors to impose, said one of the lawyers, Wang Qiushi. He said the charges of [“Organizing Crowds to Disturb Public Order” — 聚众扰乱公共秩序罪] were tied to two actions: an attempt by the women to organize a nationwide campaign last month against sexual harassment on public transportation, as well as an earlier public campaign they had carried out against domestic violence in which they wore wedding dresses smeared with fake blood.
China Is Said to Use Powerful New Weapon to Censor Internet – NYTimes on the “Great Cannon” … China’s new Internet weapon… is similar to one developed and used by the National Security Agency and its British counterpart, GCHQ, a system outlined in classified documents leaked by Edward J. Snowden… The American system… can deploy a system of programs that can intercept web traffic on a mass scale and redirect it to a site of their choosing. The N.S.A. and its partners appear to use the programs for targeted surveillance, whereas China appears to use the Great Cannon for an aggressive form of censorship. The similarities of the programs may put American officials on awkward footing… “This precedent will make it difficult for Western governments to credibly complain about others utilizing similar techniques…”
Sina faces suspension over lack of censorship – People’s Daily Online Chinese web giant Sina will face suspension of its Internet news services if it fails to improve censorship… The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) summoned Sina leaders to a meeting late on Friday over “massive numbers of public complaints about its law violations… Sina has spread illegal information related to rumors, violence and terrorism, pornography, swindling, advocation of heresies and has distorted news facts, violated morality and engaged in media hype.”
Cyber-Leninism: History, Political Culture and the Internet in China by Rogier Creemers :: SSRN While many scholars have debated the question whether the Internet would change China, the question whether China would change the Internet has received less attention. However, the Internet’s arrival in China meant it entered into a highly complex, historically formed political culture. This created a lens through which government has perceived the potential harms and benefits of Internet technology, and a normative basis for a governing strategy. This essay attempts a preliminary exploration of how the cultural elements of Chinese politics, deeply influenced by both Confucian and Leninist tenets, have interacted with information technology.
Beijing to limit Hong Kong visits by mainland Chinese | The Guardian Hong Kong has seen a groundswell of discontent over the number of mainland Chinese visiting the crowded city, where frustration over Beijing’s stage-managing of an election process led to protests last year. Shenzhen authorities would soon restrict residents to one Hong Kong visit a week, from an unlimited number of daily trips…
[Environment]
Hundreds protest against pollution from south China coal plant | Reuters Hundreds of people in China’s southern Guangdong province protested against the expansion of a coal-fired power plant on Sunday, state media reported, the latest sign of public discontent over pollution. Residents had complained of smog in Heyuan city since the power plant there began operations in 2008, and officials recently approved a second phase for the project, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
China blocks $4bn Xiaonanhai dam development – FT.com China’s environment ministry has blocked a $3.75bn dam project that would have flooded the last free-flowing section of the middle reaches of the Yangtze river, in a rare victory for environmentalists. Upriver from the inland port city of Chongqing, the Xiaonanhai dam has been a rallying cause for Chinese environmentalists since now-disgraced politician Bo Xilai redrew the boundaries of a nature reserve to allow its construction.
Scientists Question Environmental Impact of China’s Winter Olympics Bid – NYTimes.com … Beijing used to be rich in water resources, but it dried up as its population doubled over the past 25 years to an estimated 22 million. A $62 billion project to divert water to the north from the water-rich south has begun, but it is expected only to stabilize the situation.
The Eight Principles for Building People-Friendly Cities – Caixin … All of China will copy Beijing. Unfortunately, the capital is dominated by superblocks that were designed around the needs of cars, not people. Superblocks force their residents to walk distances meant for car travel, making trips by foot unenjoyable or impractical. Close to one-third of Beijing’s air pollution comes from vehicle emissions. Its superblocks have made driving both unavoidable and insufferable – commutes are long, parking is scarce and traffic is brutal. Superblocks in China arose after the government began selling land to boost local revenue. They were the quick and easy way to develop: land could be sold rapidly, developed in a pattern and resold again. Indeed, the country is still building 10 to 15 superblocks every day…
[The capital-labor nexus]
PBOC Pumped Funds to Banks in First Quarter to Counter Slowdown – Bloomberg Business China’s central bank pumped billions of yuan [in]to the country’s banks via its new monetary policy tools in the first quarter to cushion an economic slowdown. The People’s Bank of China made 370 billion yuan ($59.6 billion) in loans to banks through its Medium-term Lending Facility and another 170 billion yuan via the Standing Lending Facility in the first quarter…
Shanghai tops New York as IPO leader – China Daily Shanghai has edged out New York [and Hong Kong] to become the global leader for new company listings during the first quarter after raising 33.4 billion yuan ($5.4 billion)…
China issues guideline to improve employee welfare – Xinhua China will implement reforms to improve employee welfare and better the wage payment system, the central government announced Wednesday. Improving labor relations is now an urgent task as the country is undergoing… increasing labor disputes, according to a guideline released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council. // top of Thursday CCTV Evening News [视频]中共中央 国务院关于构建和谐劳动关系的意见 …
Former FAW-Volkswagen executive sentenced to life for corruption | Reuters … Shi Tao, former deputy general manager of FAW-Volkswagen Sales Co, was convicted for taking 33 million yuan ($5.3 million) in bribes, state-owned Shanghai Daily reported, citing a court in northeast China’s Jilin province. In exchange, Shi helped advertisers and car dealers obtain business orders from FAW-Volkswagen, the daily said. He accepted bribes from 48 individuals and companies from 2006 and amassed 26.7 million yuan in property derived from unclear sources before being discovered in a 2013 audit.
China to boost railway construction in central, western regions: premier – Xinhua … China will continue to focus on developing major railway projects in central and western regions to boost growth, Premier Li Keqiang [said]… Local governments should reform investment and financing mechanism[s] such as introducing more social capital [sic!] to support railway project development and make coordinated efforts to streamline administrative approval and facilitate land acquisition and relocation… China aims to invest over 800 billion yuan (130.36 billion U.S. dollars) in railway construction to put more than 8000 kilometers [of] additional railway lines into operation, generally the same [as] last year’s target.
Dim Sums: Rural China Economics and Policy: China Cracks Down on Agricultural Smuggling Smuggling is rampant because Chinese prices are much higher than the price of imported commodities. Imports of many commodities are restricted by quotas or bans.
Northeast China to renew growth via reform and opening up: premier – Xinhua … The northeastern region is critical to China’s development as it boasts important industrial hubs and is a major grain producer, but now it is facing increasing downward pressure due to the volatile international market, sluggish domestic demand and slowness in systemic and institutional reforms, Premier Li said at a meeting attended by leading officials of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces.
[Imperialist rivalry]
Chinese demands, rebels and Buddhist ruins stall Afghan copper dream | Reuters China and Afghanistan remain deadlocked over a stalled $3 billion copper mine five months after Beijing demanded royalties be slashed by almost a half, underlining Kabul’s struggles to support itself as foreign aid dries up. The copper, lying beneath the ruins of an ancient Buddhist city, is one of the world’s largest untapped deposits. But the project at Mes Aynak has been mired in delays since state-run China Metallurgical Group Corp (MCC) won the contract to develop it in 2007.
Piling Sand in a Disputed Sea, China Literally Gains Ground – NYTimes … since January, China has been dredging enormous amounts of sand from around the reef and using it to build up land mass… hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland. The… area[, where China’s territorial claims overlap those of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, is] believed [to be] rich in oil and gas and, perhaps more important, strategically vital Last week Adm. Harry Harris, the commander of the United States Pacific fleet, accused China of undertaking an enormous and unprecedented artificial land creation operation…
Related: Obama says concerned China uses size to bully others in region | Reuters … “Where we get concerned with China is where it is not necessarily abiding by international norms and rules and is using its sheer size and muscle to force countries into subordinate positions,” Obama [said at a] town-hall event in Jamaica ahead of a Caribbean summit in Panama, where he hopes to reassert U.S. leadership in Latin America. // interesting venue, [as if] the US has never behaved like that in Latin America…
Related: China opposes U.S. President’s criticism on South China Sea issue – Xinhua China on Friday reaffirmed that it was committed to peace and stability in the South China Sea, rejecting U.S. President Barack Obama’s comments… “I think everybody can see who has the biggest size and muscle in the world,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a routine press briefing…
Rescue Mission in Yemen Proves to Be Boon for Chinese Military’s Image – NYT “It is the new responsibility of a great power,” Zhu Feng, executive director of the China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea at Nanjing University, said on Wednesday. “China’s vision of the navy is decisively widening. When it is operating in international waters, it should shoulder international responsibility. It’s good, it’s good.”
Revising U.S. Grand Strategy Toward China – Council on Foreign Relations [Two US imperial policy wonks write:] “Because the American effort to ‘integrate’ China into the liberal international order has now generated new threats to U.S. primacy in Asia—and could result in a consequential challenge to American power globally—Washington needs a new grand strategy toward China that centers on balancing the rise of Chinese power rather than continuing to assist its ascendancy.[”]
Notes
- In the future we plan to summarize such Chinese news reports in English, but due to time constraints, this time we’re just translating the titles.
- We hope to translate or summarize this analysis in English in the near future.
- We repost these re-organized and slightly revised selections because Sinocism’s newsletters, while extremely helpful, are also quite long and contain many items of little interest to those of us focused on understanding capitalism and social antagonisms in China. Words in brackets are our additions or changes; omissions are indicated by ellipses.
