September 19:
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reports that unidentified authorities in Beijing stormed the hotel room of three of its journalists, kicked and beat them, forced them to kneel on the ground, and damaged two computers. The incident occurred on a rehearsal day for the 60th adversary celebrations military parade through central Beijing on September 18th. More than a dozen members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) have received phone calls warning them not to photograph and/or interview people in or around Tiananmen Square in the weeks leading up to the 60th anniversary celebrations. According to a posting on the FCCC website several foreign news organizations were ordered not to film or photograph rehearsals, but the Foreign Ministry has not issued written regulations, and journalists have been given varying instructions.
September 22:
Pak Jae Gyong, vice-minister of the DPRK People's Armed Forces in charge of Kim Jong Il’s cult of personality programs and military propaganda, is visiting China for meetings with Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. “The Chinese and DPRK armed forces have conducted friendly contacts, strengthened exchanges and cooperation, and promoted their respective armed forces' development. The Chinese side is willing to work with the DPRK side to strengthen communication and coordination,” Ma said in comments carried by the Zhongguo Xinwen She news agency.
September 23:
In response to its Southeast Asian neighbors' initiatives to claim sovereignty over the Spratly (Nansha) Islands in the South China Sea, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has begun developing legislation to extend China’s sovereignty over the disputed islands. Zhang Li, deputy chief of the General Staff of the PLA, said “many countries were casting their covetous eyes on China's resources in Nansha.” He complained that: “China did not have a single oil well in the South China Sea while other countries owned more than 1,000.” A Ta Kung Pao editorial argued that: “In response to the Southeast Asian neighbors' occupation of China's sea territory, many high-ranking PLA officials suggest China speed up efforts to demarcate its sea territories.” The author called on the PLA to “arm itself in preparation for defending China’s sovereignty.”
[Editor’s Note: On March 5th Malaysian Prime Minister landed on and claimed Swallow Reef in the Spratly Islands. Five days later the Philippines’ president endorsed an "Act to Define the Archipelagic Baselines" that claimed the Spratly Islands.]
The newly-formed online video anti-piracy alliance of 110 Chinese companies has filed 111 lawsuits against online video broadcaster Youku.com demanding between RMB 50 million ($7.32 million) and RMB 100 million ($14.64 million) in compensation for the distribution of pirated videos. "We expect to file a total of 289 lawsuits by the end of this month against companies that are distributing videos illegally on their Websites," their representative told Russia’s Interfax news Agency. Among those likely to be summoned the Haidian District People's Court in Beijing are Tudou.com, another Chinese online video broadcasting site, and Coca-Cola Co., for an advertising on Youku. In response to the lawsuits, Youku has filed counter suit against Sohu for slander.
September 25:
Beijing cabs have been equipped with a global positioning system and mini-microphone to transmit passengers’ locations and conversations to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's information center. Beijing’s "taxi monitoring system," which began last year in the run up to the Beijing Olympics has succeeded in bugging all Beijing’s cabs, Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reports.