April 21:
Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta has published a strongly-worded anti-Chinese editorial by Vladimir Skosyrev. Here are several excerpts: “China spreads its influence to neighboring countries and wants to establish control over Russian natural resources as well. China is both a land and maritime state. Its geographic location facilitates its transformation into a global state. China's other advantage is that on its way to modernization, its ruling regime has preserved control over the population and is capable of mobilizing millions of workers for building modern infrastructure. That dynamic state, having stabilized its external borders, is now establishing its influence not only on neighboring territories but also in African and Latin American states. Central Asia is an example of such expansion.” Skosyrev cites the two pipelines being built, one to deliver oil across Kazakhstan, the other, across Turkmenistan, as well as China’s investments in Afghan copper as examples of how “China is ready to take risks.”
April 23:
As part of the CPC’s anti-corruption drive, the Central Government and Beijing Municipal Government have approved the establishment of China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Academy; aka the "Party School on Anti-Corruption." The Academy will incorporate cadre training institutions and the Ministry of Supervision. It is reported that Li Yufu, deputy secretary of Central Discipline Inspection Commission, will be the Academy's director, the Beijing-owned Hong Kong daily Ta Kung Pao reports.
As a result of a severe labor shortage and China’s Labor Contract Law, thousands of illegal Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians have found jobs in Guangdong’s Pearl River Delta factories. In February, there were over a million vacancies in Dongguan and over 800,000 in Shenzhen. To attract workers, Guangdong will raise its minimum wage an average of 21.1% beginning next month. Moreover, by making basic medical benefits mandatory and restricting employers from firing employees, the national labor law has also increased Chinese labor costs. To fill the void and keep costs low, Vietnamese are being hired. Last year Guangdong police uncovered over a dozen cases involving the illegal hiring of foreign workers and deported 180 foreigners. Between January and March there have already been a half dozen cases and 154 people deported. In Guangdong, employers face fines of up to 50,000 yuan for hiring an illegal foreign worker, and must also pay their repatriating costs, the South China Morning Post reports.
April 26:
Two Chinese regions have held forums intended to expand their business with Vietnam. Over 500 government officials and businesspeople participated in the China-Vietnam economic cooperation forum in Jiangsu Province. At the event Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung signed an agreement to expand economic cooperation between Vietnam and Jiangsu that includes clauses on investment, finance, tourism, industry and trade. Despite the global financial crisis, China-Vietnam trade volume increased to more than $20 billion in 2009, the People’s Daily reports.
Meanwhile, in Macao, Cheong Chou Weng, president of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute told a symposium on Macao-Vietnam trade and investment that Macao can act as a “trade service platform” through which Vietnam can do business in China and Portuguese-speaking nations. In 2009 the value of trade between Macao and Vietnam was $35.9 million.
April 27:
Xinjiang’s personnel changes are an important topic at the highest levels of Chinese power. Beijing has decided on a new strategy toward Xinjiang, whereby other Chinese provinces and cities provide direct support to various parts of the region. On April 24, a meeting of Xinjiang’s leading CPC cadres was held to announce Wang Lequan’s replacement as the region’s Committee Chairman. Vice President Xi Jinping spoke at the meeting in support of Wang’s replacement, Zhang Chunxian, lauding his “great organization and leadership ability,” in comments carried by the official Zhongguo Tongxun She reports. The independent Apple Daily reports that the appointment of Zhang Chunxian – longtime supporter of former President Jiang Zemin – indicates that Jiang has an advantage over President Hu Jintao going into the personnel reshuffle at the 18th CCP National Congress in 2012.