China Reform Monitor: No. 815

March 9:

The Beijing-owned Ta Kung Pao reports that People’s Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan, deputy secretary general of the Chinese Military Science Society, has called “for military cooperation between China and Taiwan under the ‘One China’ principle.” He blamed U.S. arms sales for damaging cross-Strait relations and advocated the development of “a cross-Strait military trust and security mechanism.”

[Editor’s Note: Four days later the Wen Wei Po, another Beijing-owned Hong Kong daily, published a similar report claiming “there is vast space for defense cooperation in the South China Sea between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.” The article said “the basic foundation for cross-strait cooperation in the South China Sea is that neither side is willing to cede Chinese territory to other countries” and it could include the joint exploitation of oil resources.]

North Korea will lease the Rajin port on its northeastern coast to China’s Jilin province for 10 years, giving China a foothold on the Sea of Japan for the first time in over a century. "With the lease, China can develop the port and build infrastructure there as it desires," said Liu Ming, director of Korean Peninsula studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Science. He said Chinese authorities planned to use the port for tourism and to reduce shipping costs for goods and resources, which currently pass through Dalian, Liaoning. Pyongyang designated Rason (Rajin port’s neighboring city) as a free-trade zone 18 years ago, the South China Morning Post reports.

March 11:

China has announced a new certification system requiring journalists to study Marxist and communist theories of news that contend that media should serve the leadership, not act as an independent watchdog. The move comes in response to last week’s unapproved publication of an editorial calling for reform of China’s household registration (hukuo) system by 13 newspapers. Since publications began relying increasingly on advertising instead of just CPC patronage some have grown more permissive of sensational news. Some reporters request payment for positive news coverage or to bury a story. "Comrades who are going to be working on journalism's front lines must learn theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and Communist Party discipline on news and propaganda," Li Dongdong, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication said in comments carried by the Associated Press.

March 12:

The South China Morning Post reports that China’s fledgling civil society is again under attack. China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange has tightened restrictions on overseas donations to independent non-governmental organizations, but not those under government control. Independent NGOs must now produce certificates of registration for their overseas donors and a notarized donation agreement. Religious groups are also required to obtain approval before accepting donations over 1 million yuan. "If you do what they don't like, they can use this rule to investigate you at any time," said Deng Guosheng, an associate professor at Tsinghua University.

[Editor’s Note: The closure last July of Beijing-based civil rights group Open Constitution Initiative, which received grants from Yale University law school, is still fresh in many NGO workers' memories. The non-profit group annoyed the government with a series of high-profile cases, including providing legal aid to victims of tainted baby milk formula. Apart from being fined 1.4 million yuan for tax violations, its founder Xu Zhiyong was detained for weeks.]

March 13:

China plans to revamp its university admissions system, allowing students to take subject-specific tests and introducing additional measures to ease the stress millions of students undergo as they compete for a few coveted spots in colleges. "Entrance exam test results are important, but shouldn't be the only factor dictating college admissions," said Sun Xiaobin, director of the Ministry of Education Policy and Regulation Department. Students with declared majors will take separate tests at the provincial level geared toward their specific studies instead of a more general national test. According to the Straits Times, currently about 10.2 million students per year take the general two-day national level exam with only about 25 percent of them get in to college.