Communist Party Clings On to Power Through Mao Zedong

Communist Party Clings On to Power Through Mao Zedong

In the face of mounting domestic and international challenges after 6 decades in power, the Chinese Communist Party continues to hold on to Marxist, Leninist and Maoist ideologies. Despite announcing an amendment to the Party constitution prior to the 18th Party Congress, it’s now clear that the Party has no plans to change course.

 

Political and economic commentator Lin Baohua says the Communist regime has never been ready for reform. He believes that unless Mao Zedong is criticized, China will not see political reform. But if it abandoned Mao Zedong, the CCP's legitimacy will come into question.

 

[Lin Baohua, Political and Economic Commentator]: 

“Mao Zedong helped the Communist Party grab power. If it discards Mao, it’s like giving up its power. If the Party declares Mao a criminal, it will mean that the regime is also a rogue regime. So even if the Party wants to abandon Mao and his theories, it can only do it on the sly rather than openly. Otherwise, it’ll challenge its own legitimacy to rule.”

 

Chinese citizens have also questioned the relevance of Maoist ideologies. Mr Zhang from Fujian province believes rhetoric from the Communist Party is only aimed at maintaining its single Party rule.

 

[Mr Zhang, Fujian Netizen]:

“As far as political interests are concerned, these theories do not exist, they’re just a façade. We see the Party’s wicked intentions to continue its single party rule. How can this country be run properly if there are no opposition parties?”

 

The question of Maoist ideologies came into focus this year following the scandal of disgraced official Bo Xilai. In March, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao warned against China reverting back to the “historical tragedies” of the Cultural Revolution. Some saw this as a thinly veiled swipe at Bo, who had tried to revive Maoist ideologies in Chongqing before his ousting.

Demands of Ordinary Citizens During Party Congress

Demands of Ordinary Citizens During Party Congress

As Communist Party elites gather for the 18th Party Congress in Beijing to discuss the challenges facing the communist regime, ordinary citizens are finding ways to raise issues that concern them the most.

Grassroots groups, from both inside and outside of China, have published a number of open letters online.

US-based All Girls Allowed, a group that opposes the Chinese regime’s One-Child policy, issued a letter to the delegates of the Party Congress. Chai Ling, who founded the group, listed cases of forced abortion victims, including a woman whose pregnancy was terminated at six months. Chai called on communist leaders to end the one-child policy, and “respond to this violence against women.”

Inside China, a former health official published a letter on behalf of 300,000 AIDS victims who contracted the disease following botched blood transfusion in Henan province. Chen Bingzhong singled out current Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who was governor of Henan during the outbreak.

[Chen Bingzhong, Former Director, China Health Education Research Institute]:

“Li Keqiang needs to take responsibility for the Henan AIDS issue. He covered up the outbreak that led to 300,000 being affected. At least 100,000 victims died and none of their appeals to high authorities produced any results.”

In Shandong province, advocates for victims of judicial abuse have also appealed.

[Dong Cai, Former Police]:

“In my line of work, we come across cases of judicial corruption which result from senior officials trying to establish themselves. Also, we’re asked to reach quotas and goals in handling judicial cases. Together, these factors create a lot of wrongfully or incorrectly decided cases.”

During the opening address of the 18th Party Congress, Communist Party chief Hu Jintao admitted that corruption within the Party could prove fatal to its existence. 

Cold Feet At Giant Panda Breeding Center

Cold Feet At Giant Panda Breeding Center

It’s been a long journey for a panda called Fuhu, and it may be too early to tell whether he’s happy to be back in the land of his ancestors. On Thursday afternoon, this Austrian born panda was flown to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Ya’an City, Sichuan Province, the homeland to all giant pandas. 

Maybe it was the crowds waving disembodied panda heads or maybe it was just cold feet before meeting the female pandas at the breeding center, but Fuhu didn’t seem too happy to be there. It took breeders two hours to get him out of his cage and into the quarantine room, luring him with his favorite foods—an apple. 

Fuhu—whose name means “lucky tiger”—has been put in a hut next to his brother.  Fulong was also born in Austria but made the trip to China in November 2009. With Fuhu, the number of overseas-born pandas sent to the center has reached 7. The potential for love triangles—rife.

Disgraced Bo Xilai's "Chongqing Model" Officially Renounced

Disgraced Bo Xilai's "Chongqing Model" Officially Renounced

The current leader of Chongqing, Zhang Dejiang, gave an audience to reporters in which he addressed the issue of Bo Xilai's legacy. His predecessor's continued popularity among hardline Maoists, as well as the poor people he claimed to be helping, have been challenging questions for the Communist Party central authorities.

Zhang was blunt about the Party's current position on what Bo had promoted as the "Chongqing Model" of development with greater equality: He simply said that the model "did not exist." In contrast, he said, the policy of economic reform begun under former Party leader Deng Xiaoping would continue "The policy of reform and opening up for Chongqing will not change."

With Bo Xilai's rise to national prominence, there had been much media attention to his "Chongqing Model", which mostly involved incurring massive local government debt to finance populist projects, while maintaining tight control of society and stifling dissent. Now, though, the Party seems to be saying that the whole affair was a misguided betrayal of Deng Xiaoping's reformist legacy.

Bo had promoted other glamorously-named policies during his time in office, including his "beat the black" anti-crime movement, accused of massive human rights abuses, and also his "red songs" movement to revive popular Communist culture. This was accused by many of being a revival of Cultural Revolution era extremism, where Mao Zedong was treated as a god-like figure and no differing opinions were tolerated. All three movements have now effectively been renounced. The date for his trial has not yet been announced.

Wang Lijun Expelled from the Communist Party

Wang Lijun Expelled from the Communist Party

The Chinese regime has expelled former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun from the Communist Party, Chinese media reported on Thursday.

 

The Chongqing Daily newspaper reports that the decision came from the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and was approved by central authorities. It alleged Wang had committed serious violations of Party discipline. Wang has also been dismissed from his official positions. 

 

Though his expulsion comes weeks after his trial, the timing is not unusual. NTD Senior China Analyst, Heng He, says that, quote, "Before or after the legal process, the suspect or the criminal would be expelled from the party and fired from his government position."

 

Wang was sentenced on September 24th to 15 years in prison for abuse of power, defection and taking bribes. 

 

In addition to those crimes, Thursday’s media reports alleged that Wang had accepted expensive items from others and abused his position to engage in inappropriate relations with a number of women. 

 

Wang Lijun set off a political scandal in February after he fled to the US Consulate in the city of Chengdu. The US State department is being urged to release any information Wang may have provided during his stay about the Chinese regime’s alleged involvement in the forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience, including Falun Gong adherents. 

China News Broadcast, November 8, 2012: Hu Jintao's Empty Calls for Reform

China News Broadcast, November 8, 2012: Hu Jintao's Empty Calls for Reform

In today’s NTD China News, Chinese leader Hu Jintao warns the problem of corruption could be fatal to the Communist Party. Hu pledged political reform during Thursday's opening of the 18th Party Congress, but analyst say that unless the Communist Party gives up its single-party rule, there will be no real reform.
As the communist party enters its fifth generation of unelected leaders, we take a look back at some of the unspoken legacies of past leaders, including atrocities that remain taboo topics inside China.
A woman stages a short-lived protest in Tiananmen Square, as the 18th Party Congress opens in Beijing.
Hong Kong activists call on the Communist regime for political reform and to improve human rights.
Chinese Internet users experience a major slowdown as the Party meeting takes place.
A record number of Tibetans have self-immolated to protest against communist rule. Six confirmed cases have happened over 48 hours, with at least three deaths reported.
The United States has approved a five-year anti-dumping subsidy plan on Chinese solar panels.
The Chinese regime imposes duties on steel pipes from Europe and Japan.
Doctors accepting drug rebates raises ethical questions in China.

Why Did China Announce a New Organ Donation System?

Why Did China Announce a New Organ Donation System?

China claims to carry out ten thousand human organ transplants each year. But unlike the US and Europe, China has no national organ donation system. That’s been the subject of a lot of scrutiny: Where do the organs come from?

Well last month China’s Ministry of Health announced a new program. It’s called “Management for the Acquisition and Allocation of Organs.” Supposedly, it’s meant to set up a national distribution system for organs.

But there’s more to this than meets the eye—including numbers that don’t add up, and behind it all, deeply hidden political maneuvering.

Legacies of Past Chinese Communist Party Leaders

Legacies of Past Chinese Communist Party Leaders

Sixty years in power, and four generations of unelected leaders, the Chinese Communist Party enters its next round of leadership. The Party has every intention to maintain its single-party rule. 

Current regime leader Hu Jintao described the next steps for the Communist Party on Thursday. He did not go over possible economic or political reforms, but rather he reiterated the ideology of past leaders. Of course he did not go over the violent legacy of the Chinese Communist Party has and is carrying out.

In addition to the official legacies like the Mao Zedong Thought and Hu’s Scientific Development, each generation of leaders have left their mark in other areas, some of which remain taboo inside the country.

Under Mao Zedong, the ill-thought-out economic policy of the Great Leap Forward contributed to the death of millions. Researchers estimate between 18 to 45 million Chinese people died from 1958 to 1961.

Then in the 1960s, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution. Other than wiping out countless cultural relics, millions of Chinese were violently persecuted.  

Deng Xiaoping, who eventually took over as the second-generation leader decided to pursue economic reform during the 1980s. But in 1989, calls emerged for greater liberalization. When hundreds of thousands of demonstrators poured into Beijing, Deng ordered the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown. Hundreds to thousands were estimated to have perished. 

As Deng’s reign came to a close, former Party leader Jiang Zemin rose through the ranks for supporting the Tiananmen Square crackdown. In 1999, Jiang launched his own campaign, to eradicate the Falun Gong spiritual practice. The nationwide crackdown targeted tens of millions of people, and continued through the reign of current leader Hu Jintao. 

Hu has been praised for leading China to become a global economic power. At the same time, observers have documented a worsening of the rule of law and human rights atrocities inside the country. Allegations of state-sanctioned organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience, including Falun Gong adherents, have also surfaced during Hu’s reign. 

As for Xi Jinping, the upcoming Party Chief, little is known about his political inclination. Whether he will heed domestic and global calls for reform, and how he will address the mounting challenges facing the regime remain to be seen.

China Places Duties on Steel Pipes from EU and Japan

China Places Duties on Steel Pipes from EU and Japan

In a tit-for-tat trade row volley with its trading partners, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced today that it is going to place tariffs on steel pipes imported from Japanese and European companies.

After an investigation, the Ministry reported the foreign companies were selling the pipes at below market price, hurting Chinese businesses.

The decision follows a preliminary ruling in May that will slap a roughly 9-14% tariff on the pipes starting on Friday.

This is the latest move in a trade war between China and its biggest trading partners. The US, Japan and the EU have all placed import restrictions on Chinese imports they accuse of dumping on the market.

Record Number of Tibetans Self-Immolate to Protest Chinese Rule

Record Number of Tibetans Self-Immolate to Protest Chinese Rule

As Chinese leaders convene for the 18th Party Congress, the number of Tibetan self-immolations has spiked. Five Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest Chinese brutality over a 48 hour period. They also called for the return of Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

 

Three young Tibetan monks simultaneously self-immolated outside a police station in Ngaba, Sichuan Province on Wednesday. The youngest monk was 15 years old, he died at the scene. The other two, aged 16, were taken away by security officials. 

 

Later on Wednesday, a 23-year old mother took her life in Rebkong, Qinghai Province. Then on Thursday, an 18 year man also set himself on fire in Qinghai Province. 

 

There is also an unconfirmed case of a sixth self-immolation protest.

 

The intensified suicide protests have raised concerns amongst rights groups. On Thursday, the Speaker for the Tibetan Parliament in exile called on the Chinese regime immediate actions to end the plight of Tibetans.

 

[Penpa Tsering, Speaker, Tibetan Parliament]: 

“Number one, urge the 18th Congress to seriously deliberate on the continuing spate of self-immolations in Tibet. Conduct a thorough investigation into the underlying causes and develop corrective policies and measures that meet the aspirations of the Tibetan people."

 

Penpa Tsering also called on the Chinese regime to respect the Dalai Lama, and Tibetans’ religion, culture and language.

 

[Penpa Tsering, Speaker, Tibetan Parliament]: 

"We urge the Chinese leadership to immediately stop its error ridden policy of denigrating and accusing His Holiness the Dalai Lama with exaggerated and distorted statement.”

 

The Chinese regime accuses the Dalai Lama of inciting separatism. The spiritual leader denies this, and says Tibetans only seek true autonomy.

 

Rights group Free Tibet reports the latest protest in Qinghai has set off a large protest by Tibetans. The group says Chinese authorities have mobilized paramilitary forces, and are keeping other Tibetans from joining the protest.

Woman's Protest in Tiananmen Square Short-Lived

 

Woman's Protest in Tiananmen Square Short-Lived

A protester was apprehended in Beijing after staging an unexplained demonstration in Tiananmen Square on the first day of the Communist Party congress.

A woman stood in the crowd outside the meeting venue, threw bits of paper in the air and screamed "I miss him, I really miss him, I really miss him!"

Seconds later, police pounced on her and someone filming her and dragged them both away.

It's unclear whether the woman was saying "I really miss HER" or "I really miss HIM" because the word in Mandarin is the same for both pronouns.

Security is tight in the iconic square as more than 2,000 delegates are meeting for a week-long session that will see the country's new President, Xi Jinping anointed into power.

Hu Jintao Warns Party Future at Risk

Hu Jintao Warns Party Future at Risk

Chinese regime leader Hu Jintao has warned corruption could be fatal to the Communist Party. Delivering his speech to the 18th Party Congress, the outgoing General Secretary also said political reform is important and must be actively carried out.

But the speech on reform may just be empty talk. Hu reiterated the Communist Party’s intention to maintain its dictatorial rule, and shutting the door on any kind of multi-party governance. 

Democracy activist Tang Baiqiao says as long as the Communist Party remains unwilling to give up power, no significant reform can take place.

[Tang Baiqiao, Democracy Activist]:

“If they want to protect the Party, and the special interest groups, the public would not be satisfied, and they would not be able to carry out any reform.”

China analyst, Professor Zhang Tianliang says the steps needed for political reform would open existing and former leaders up to public scrutiny—something they want to avoid.

[Professor Zhang Tianliang, Senior China Analyst]:

“If they lift the ban on forming political parties, lift the ban on the press, there will be a group that will emerge to defeat the Communist Party. The Party would never give up its power, because it’s not only a means to gain interest, more importantly, they want to protect themselves, so the crimes they have committed will not be scrutinized or put on trial.”

Hu’s call for reform comes as he and other leaders are preparing to hand over power to a new generation of rulers. There have been calls on incoming Party chief Xi Jinping to undertake both political and economic reforms, in order to move the regime through current challenges.

Senior China analyst Heng He tells NTD it will be difficult for any individual leader to bring about change. That’s because competing factions will want to ensure their interests are protected.

[Heng He, Senior China Analyst]:

“It’s impossible to set and execute any given reform plan. It’s not a task for one person, not even a Central Committee member, or a Politburo Standing Committee member. I think the biggest problem is that [the leaders] can talk about reform, but they can’t actually carry it out.”

The once-a-decade power transfer comes as the Communist regime faces a slew of challenges. These include tense diplomatic and trade ties and a rising legitimacy crisis at home. The week-long Party Congress will conclude next Thursday with the announcement of new leaders and a five year plan for the regime. 

Hong Kong Activists Call for Political Reform

Hong Kong Activists Call for Political Reform

As the Communist Party’s 18th Party Congress take place in Beijing, security forces have kept out potential protestors. But in Hong Kong, a group of activists are demanding change, on the eve of the Party meeting. 

Protestors marched to the Chinese regime’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong. They’re calling on the Communist Party make political and human rights reforms.

[Lee Cheuk-Yan,Pro-Democracy Legislator]:

"There are no political reforms at all. We only see regression in human rights, we only see regression in democracy. And we feel that this communist party now is only tightening up the suppression on human rights, tightening up their suppression on freedom of speech. And we are calling upon the end to one-party dictatorship."

The activists called for the release of Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Rights activist Patrick Poon said that the government must listen to the people amid growing social unrest and public anger over corruption.

[Patrick Poon, Human Rights Activist]:

"So we hope the government can see it's not just Liu Xiaobo making those demands. Actually people are making similar demands on Weibo every day. So we hope that people in China continue to demand the Chinese government to demand this."

Outgoing president Hu Jintao addressed more than 2,000 delegates gathered in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, warning that corruption threatened Communist rule, and promised political reform.

During the congress Hu will hand over the reigns to the anointed successor Vice President Xi Jinping. He will commence duties in March.

China Internet Sees Major Slowdown for Political Transition

China Internet Sees Major Slowdown for Political Transition

According to surveys by the website Tech In Asia, the most commonly reported problem arising over Chinese internet connectivity issues is that overseas websites are loading extremely slowly—and often causing disconnection. Meanwhile, Google services are also experiencing significant inaccessibility issues.

Altogether, the problems are seen as part of ramped-up censorship and monitoring efforts during the 18th Communist Party Congress, the leadership transition currently underway in Beijing where Chinese regime authorities will hand off to a new generation. There have been widespread reports of extremely tight security in the capital and elsewhere, and the Internet appears to be no exception.

While it's unclear exactly to what extent the Internet connection problems are connected with specific security goals, it has previously been speculated that periods of significant slowdown may be associated with heightened scrutiny of individual net use and communications.

US Approves Five-Year Anti-dumping Duties on Chinese Solar Panels

US Approves Five-Year Anti-dumping Duties on Chinese Solar Panels

The US International Trade Commission has approved anti-dumping and import duties on billions of dollars worth of solar panel imports from China for the next five years. The imposed duties could range from 30 to 250 percent depending on the company and the government subsidy they received in China.

The Trade Commission voted 6-0 in favor of duties in a case filed last year by SolarWorld Industries America.

SolarWorld is the manufacturer of solar panels in the US, and last year it accused China-based Suntech Power Holdings of selling solar cells in the US at unfairly low prices due to subsidies it received from Beijing.

SolarWorld AG, which is SolarWorld’s parent company in Germany, is pressing the European Union for similar curbs on Chinese solar products.

Solar panel makers in the US and Europe say their profits and share prices have been hit hard since Chinese companies oversaturated the market with solar cells.

The United States imported about $3.1 billion worth of solar cells and panels from China in 2011.

How Romney Could Have Won With One Phrase

 

 

How Romney Could Have Won With One Phrase

Commentary by Matt Gnaizda, NTD China Analyst
Governor Mitt Romney lost the presidential election. But he could have won it with one phrase: "Mr. President, what do you know about forced organ harvesting in China?"
To be precise, I mean that if Romney had raised the issue during his campaign, and done it properly, it would have been a huge advantage. An advantage that could have tipped the balance of the election.
Forced organ harvesting, by the way, is where China's state-run hospitals are killing innocent people for their organs. We first learned about this in 2006, but the most solid evidence has come out only this year.
Let's look at Romney's policy on China. Frankly, most of it was a lot like Obama's. Both railed against US jobs moving to China. Both complained about China's unfair trade practices. Both support the idea of moving US military power to the East. Yes, Romney talked tough on labeling China a currency manipulator, but even many in his own party had their doubts that Romney would really do it.
In the end, Romney neglected the best area to differentiate himself on China policy—and give himself a much-needed foreign policy boost.
Instead or running ads about Jeep, Romney could have put his money where his mouth is on a real issue: human rights.
By bringing up human rights, Romney would have looked strong on China, an challenged a key Obama initiative—the pivot to Asia—and made himself look moral and principled.
Instead, Romney dropped the ball.
Romney would have been smart to challenge Obama on the forced organ harvesting issue, especially during the live debates.
For example, why has Obama's State Department refused to respond to this Dear Colleague Letter from 106 congressmen, asking what our Beijing Embassy knows about forced organ harvesting?
There's no denying that both Romney and Obama knew about this terrible human rights abuse.
Obama knew. This woman personally gave Obama materials about it on October 6—not the mention the Dear Colleague letter to his Secretary of State on October 3.
And Romney knew. Audience members at his rallies had given him materials about it at least four times. And in this video, our own NTD reporter directly raised the issue with a Romney foreign policy advisor.
If Romney had brought up the issue in public, he would have forced Obama's hand. If Obama said he knew nothing, he would have easily been caught in a lie. If he said he did know about it, then the obvious question is, "Why, Mr. President, when innocent people are being killed for their organs, have you done nothing?"
No matter how Obama responded, forced organ harvesting would have been the most embarrassing of issues for him. It could have influenced the media narrative about the campaign. It could have been enough to make some voters switch sides, or make Obama supporters in swing states simply not come out to vote.
And in such a close election, that could have been the difference between President Obama and President Romney.

China News Broadcast, November 7, 2012: Triple Tibetan Self-Immolation Protest

 

China News Broadcast, November 7, 2012: Triple Tibetan Self-Immolation Protest

In today’s NTD China News, the Chinese regime congratulates Barack Obama’s second presidential win.
Exiled Tibetans also welcome Obama’s victory, urging him to do more to address the plight of Tibetans living under communist rule.
Three young Tibetan monks have self-immolated, in the first recorded triple self-immolation protest against Chinese rule.
Security is tight in Beijing ahead of Thursday 18th Party Congress.
Experts question whether the Party Congress really has the interest of the Chinese public in mind, or whether it’s just serving the ruling Communist Party.
Japanese carmaker Nissan has lowered its yearly profits forecast, with dented sales in China following China and Japan’s islands dispute.
Chinese activist rip up portraits of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, in an act of defiance against Maoist and leftist ideologies.
The world’s fastest industrial robot is unveiled in Shanghai this week.

Israeli Petition for Organ Harvesting Probe Draws Chinese Pressure

Hello! Today I Talk about of Israeli Petition for Organ Harvesting Probe Draws Chinese Pressure.
          A diplomatic row is brewing between Israel and China. It comes after several Israeli lawmakers signed a petition against forced organ harvesting by the Chinese regime. Chinese Embassy officials have demanded an apology from Israel, after nine members of Knesset, or MKs, signed a petition launched by rights group Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting. A top Israeli transplant surgeon, Dr. Jay Lavee, is a member of the rights group. The petition urges the United Nations to investigate allegations that Chinese state-run hospitals are killing prisoners of conscience for their organs. Volunteers from the rights group had approached the lawmakers to seek their support. After getting pressure from the Chinese Embassy, at least two of the nine Israeli lawmakers retracted their support for the petition and apologized to Chinese officials. But at least half of them stood their ground, despite threats of being blacklisted from entering China in the future. Claims of forced organ harvesting in China have gained international attention. Lawmakers from Europe, Asia and the United States have all raised concerns over the allegation, and are calling on international bodies like the United Nations to investigate.

Is Democracy Coming to the Communist Party?

Hello! Today I Talk about of Is Democracy Coming to the Communist Party?
          Xi Jinping, the man tipped to take over as the Communist Party leader on Thursday, has reportedly proposed an election for the Party's Politburo. Currently with 24 members, the Politburo is a group of senior leaders who direct the course of the Communist Party. Reuters reported today that current leader Hu Jintao is also behind the idea. Citing internal sources, Reuters says the two men want to increase the number of candidates for the seats, and the Politburo members would be elected by the approximately 200 members of the Party's Central Committee next week. If true, the proposal is likely an attempt to address the Communist Party's legitimacy crisis. Since 1949, the Party has controlled all levels of China's government and many aspects of civil society. A lack of checks and balances has led to rampant corruption, growing inequality, and other social problems. Political commentator Lan Shu says the reported bid for internal elections still will not solve the regime's legitimacy problems. [Lan Shu, Political Commentator]: "This kind of reform does not resolve two problems. First, it doesn't solve the issue of the Communist Party riding above the law and constitution. Secondly, it cannot solve the moral crisis left behind by the Party's destruction of culture. This kind of democracy has no restraining effects on Party officials." Lan points out that voting by the 200 Central Committee members is still not the same as democracy—because those members are not elected in the first place. The Politburo is the second level of power within the Communist Party. Nine of its members make up the more powerful Politburo Standing Committee.

Women’s Rights Activist Silenced Ahead of 18th Party Congress

Hello! Today I Talk of Women’s Rights Activist Silenced Ahead of 18th Party Congress.
          Ahead of the 18th Party Congress and the once in a decade leadership transition in China, security forces are rounding up human rights activists and political dissidents. Since September, Amnesty International says that Chinese authorities have put at least 130 people in prison for so-called stability maintenance. The latest case is Mao Hengfeng, a women’s rights activist from Shanghai who refused to abort her second child in 1988. She was consequently dismissed from her job at a soap factory and has been imprisoned twice for criticizing the Chinese regime. Her latest sentence to labor camp is for 18 months. Head of Amnesty International in East Asia, Roseann Fine, says that Mao's sentence was clearly a way to silence her during the leadership transition. [Roseann Rife, Head, Amnesty International in East Asia]: “Amnesty International reported earlier that she had been detained towards the end of September and sent back to Shanghai. And we've yes, just learned today that she has been sentenced to 18 months. These were for two activities both commemorating deaths. One of them another petitioner, and one of Chen Xiaoming. And they were for activities such as unfurling a banner and burning paper offerings. But unfortunately it's clear that this is simply a ploy to silence her and the other petitioners who were in her company and to keep them out of Beijing at a sensitive time." Rife says these tactics may cover up dissent in the short term, but only true reform will make a difference. [Roseann Rife, Head, Amnesty International in East Asia]: "It works on very short term. Obviously when you put someone in detention, place them in black jails, they are silenced. But they come back. And Mao Hengfeng herself is an example of somebody who continuously returns to raise the issues of concern to her; reproductive rights and the housing rights, people who have been faced with forced eviction. These are issues that are not going away until the Chinese authorities actually address them." Authorities have stopped Mao’s husband, Wu Xuewei, from seeing her. Amnesty International fears she may be mistreated and tortured.

Chinese Golfer to Become Youngest Masters Competitor

Hello! I Talk about of Chinese Golfer to Become Youngest Masters Competitor.
          Fourteen-year-old golfing prodigy Guan Tianlang is set to become the youngest competitor in history at the Masters in 2013. He secured an invite after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Bangkok on Sunday. The previous record for the youngest player at the prestigious Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia was held by 16-year-old Matteo Manassero from Italy, who tied for 36th in 2010. Guan’s earliest memory of watching the Masters was in 2005 when Tiger Woods earned his fourth green blazer. Guan says he hopes his idol Tiger Woods will be able to join him for a practice round at Augusta in April. [Guan Tianlang, Chinese Golfer]: “I really look forward to the next year's Masters, and I don't know what's going to happen there, but I just want to do well.” Guan has been making history since an early age. He reportedly swung his first club at age four and placed fourth in the 6-and-under division at the San Diego Junior World Golf Championships just a few years later. In 2011, he won the 11-12 division at the San Diego event, and at 13-years-old, he set the record for the youngest player to participate in the European PGA Tour at the China Open. On Sunday, the eighth-grader from Guangzhou became the first Chinese player to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur, which also earns him a spot at the final qualifying event for the British Open. Guan seems to be following in the footsteps of fellow Chinese golfer Andy Zhang, who qualified to become the youngest US Open participant at the age of 14 back in June.

China to Further Expand Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor Scheme

Hello! Today I Talk about of China to Further Expand Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor Scheme
          According to a state media report, China’s securities regulator is planning to expand quotas for the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) scheme and make it easier for mainland Chinese enterprises to go public in Hong Kong. The scheme is designed to allow foreign investors to trade “A” rated shares in stock exchanges in the Mainland. A spokesman for the China Securities Regulatory Commission says it’s actively coordinating with relevant government departments, to allow more institutions to apply for exchange-traded-fund products under a pilot scheme. The quota increase could range from 170 to 270 billion yuan, up from the current quota of 70 billion yuan. The China Securities Regulatory Commission is coordinating and formulating new rules with the People's Bank of China to expand the quotas. The Regulatory Commission’s decision was made following a request from Hong Kong financial authorities. The RQFII scheme was initiated in December 2011 for offshore investments into China’s domestic capital market. The majority of these investments currently come from Hong Kong.

US Silent on China's Organ Harvesting Ahead of Election: Ethan Gutmann

Hello! Today I Talk about of US Silent on China's Organ Harvesting Ahead of Election: Ethan Gutmann
          Author, investigative journalist and Adjunct Fellow of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Ethan Gutmann recently spoke about forced organ harvesting in China with NTD’s Simone Gao for our Zooming In program [Original in Chinese]. Allegations first surfaced in 2006 that imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience in China were being killed for their organs. When Chinese police chief Wang Lijun fled to the US Consulate in February this year, some believed he had revealed evidence of organ harvesting to US officials. In October, 106 US Congress members wrote a “Dear Colleague” letter to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, urging the State Department to release any information it may have obtained on forced organ harvesting. Ethan Gutmann has carried out his own independent investigation into the allegations. He believes it is likely that the US State Department is staying silent on this issue because the Obama administration is concerned about the economic ramifications of bringing it up during the elections.