January 20:
Hong Kong’s Ming Pao daily reports that in accordance with Vice President Xi Jinping directive to "resolutely oppose intervention in Macau's affairs by outside forces" the U.S. government’s request to establish a consulate in Macau has raised Beijing’s concerns. Large amounts of U.S. capital have entered Macao’s gambling industry; four of the six gambling licenses issued by the region’s authorities have involved U.S.-funded companies including the Wynn Macau and Sands casinos, which alone have more than 10,000 employees. Beijing fears Washington may give secret financial support to certain candidates or mobilize its casino employees to vote for them in the upcoming elections for the region's chief executive and the Legislative Assembly. In response the Beijing authorities will “make more cautious and well-conceived arrangements for the election… in order to guard against foreign influence.” Beijing has yet to formally decide on whether or not to permit the establishment of the U.S. Consulate in Macau.
January 21:
According to Beijing's 2008 national defense white paper and a variety of domestic news reports, "China stands for a clear promise by all countries with nuclear weapons to completely and thoroughly destroy nuclear weapons," and calls for the international society to implement nuclear disarmament. Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po, however, reports that those “foreign reports” that believe China will stop research on developing new nuclear weapons are mistaken. Hong Yuan, a researcher with the Institute of America Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Beijing-leaning Hong Kong daily that China’s nuclear weapons arsenal is “rudimentary, limited and small” and that “to halt research and development is out of the question.” Despite its size, however, Hong Yuan said that China's nuclear force is ready for combat, has been outfitted for troops, and is on “war-readiness duty.”
January 24:
Comments made earlier in the week by Timothy Geithner, President Barack Obama’s nominee for Treasury secretary, that Obama believes China is “manipulating its currency” drew a sharp response from China’s Ministry of Commerce. The ministry issued an official statement saying that: “China has never tried to gain advantage in international trade by manipulating its currency. This kind of wrong accusation against China on exchange rate issues will intensify protectionism within the U.S., and it will not help resolve the problem.” By contrast, however, according to Secretary Geithner, President “Obama -- backed by the conclusions of a broad range of economists -- believes that China is manipulating its currency. The question is how and when to broach the subject in order to do more good than harm.” Obama’s team will “forge an integrated strategy on how best to achieve currency realignment in the current economic environment.” Geithner’s remarks marked a change from the Bush administration’s policy, which stopped short of using the term “manipulation” in criticizing China’s protracted interventions in international currency markets. Some U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill are seeking measures to punish trading partners with undervalued exchange rates, reports Bloomberg News.
January 26:
A groundbreaking meeting between Chinese officials and leaders of the banned underground Protestant church has marked the first significant step towards reconciliation in decades. The discussions, which were held in an office in Beijing, were the first time that members of the government and stalwarts of the outlawed “house churches” had sat down as negotiators rather than foes, the Times of London reports. There are about 130 million Chinese Christians —but more than 100 million worship independently rather than in state sanctioned churches. The State Council Development Research Centre – an official party think-tank – called for the two breakthrough meetings late last year. The first involved about a dozen academics and lawyers, many known to be members of the unofficial protestant Church. The second brought together six house church leaders. Representatives of the underground Catholic Church were not invited — the Vatican is viewed with great suspicion in Beijing and recent talks with the Holy See yielded little progress. Catholics can worship in churches operated by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.
[Editor’s Note: Article 36 of the Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, although there are numerous restrictions including prohibitions against proselytizing and other activities deemed to “disturb public order.”]