China Reform Monitor: No. 1086

February 11:

China and Zimbabwe will conclude “a comprehensive financial package within the next three months,” the official Xinhua reports. Robert Mugabe wants $27 billion - more than twice Zimbabwe’s GDP – for a five-year plan known as ZimAsset to improve basic services and infrastructure. Zimbabwe Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa traveled to Beijing for a week last month to ask for money. “During the visit we agreed that China and Zimbabwe are working towards a comprehensive financial package and committed ourselves to finalizing the matter within three months,” Chinamasa said in comments carried by Reuters, declining to give details. Meanwhile, this week China provided Zimbabwe a $23.3 million grant earmarked for clinics, primary and secondary schools in areas resettled under the land reform program.

[Editor’s Note: Shunned by the mainstream donor community because of its failure to repay billions of dollars of debt, Harare has turned to China for cash. China covets Zimbabwe’s mineral resources including platinum, gold, diamonds, coal and chrome. In March 2011, China signed nearly $700 million in loan deals with Zimbabwe and last November agreed to lend Zimbabwe $320 million to expand its Kariba hydro-power plant.]

China’s Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the upcoming joint military drills between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea, codenamed Key Resolve and Foal Eagle. North Korea has denounced the war games, which are slated from late February to April, as a rehearsal for a northward invasion, the official People’s Daily reports.

February 12:

Reporters Without Borders’ newly released annual World Press Freedom Index ranks China 175 out of 180 countries, a fall of two places from its position last year. Yesterday, China Digital Times reports, the State Council Information Office issued a directive banning the report: “All websites are kindly asked to delete the article ‘180 Countries Ranked in 2013 Press Freedom Index; China at 175th’ and related content.” Such directives are common and serve to help authorities control information. In April 2013, for instance, the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television issued a directive banning to all mainland media from using unauthorized information from foreign media and websites.

RSF’s new press freedom index is available here.

Ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s arrival in Beijing, Chinese diplomats have concluded their first visit to Pyongyang since the December 13 execution of the once-powerful Jang Song-thaek. Led by Deputy Director-General of Asian Affairs Xing Haiming, the objective was to persuade North Korea to return to the long-stalled six-party talks aimed at ending the its nuclear weapons development, Yonhap reports.

February 14:

Japan has released an official overseas development assistance (ODA) White Paper vowing to increase aid to Africa, especially for education and development in sub-Saharan Africa. “As China has extended massive aid and increased its clout on the continent, the focus in aid to Africa apparently reflects Japan’s desire to stop African countries from casting votes for China in organizations such as the United Nations,” Japan’s Kyodo News reports. Of the $10.64 billion in ODA that Japan extended in 2012, $1.71 billion went to sub-Saharan Africa including Tanzania and South Sudan. Japan’s ODA ranked fifth after the U.S., Britain, Germany and France.

Nine supervision groups and two undercover investigation teams from the Henan provincial public security department and the Henan Bureau for Letters and Calls (HBLC) have been dispatched to look into charges that residents seeking to petition the government have been held and mistreated in “discipline centers,” aka “black jails.” Officials said such centers “will be closed and any illegal acts will be punished according to law.” According to the HBLC: “Discipline centers were once used to educate Beijing-bound petitioners not going through the proper channels, but most cities and counties in Henan have stopped using them, although some still operate in despite a government ban,” the official People’s Daily reports.