China Reform Monitor: No. 895

April 27:

To counter the planned launch of the mainland's first aircraft carrier – a Soviet-era aircraft carrier obtained from Ukraine in 1998 –Taiwan has announced a plan to build stealth warships armed with supersonic anti-ship missiles. “The defense ministry has closely monitored the building of the carrier and has a comprehensive understanding of its construction, which we feel would pose a threat to us,” ministry spokesman David Lo said. In response, reports the South China Morning Post, Taipei plans to build 10 twin-hulled corvettes, each of which would be equipped with eight home-grown Hsiung-feng III supersonic anti-ship missiles and eight Hsiung-feng II anti-ship missiles. Taiwan's deputy defense minister, Lin Yu-pao, said Taiwan’s military would start constructing the stealth warship prototype next year, with completion scheduled for 2014.

Taiwan has developed a 2,000 km range missile capable of reaching Beijing and tested it successfully three years ago. The South China Morning Post reports that Taiwan’s military fired the medium-range missile in early 2008 in a secret test attended by then president Chen Shui-bian.

April 28:

The People's Daily has published an unusual commentary calling for greater tolerance for different ideas and a willingness to accept criticism. The article, which began "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," said widespread official intolerance of dissenting views could damage society and condemned those using their powers to suppress expression. “In their treatment of criticisms and suggestions, some officials have not only not listened to them with an open mind, but have also resorted to the charge of libel and even used their power to suppress such dissenting voices,” the editorial said.

April 29:

After discovering that restaurants are regularly adding poppy shells, poppy powder and/or industrial paraffin into their food, China’s State Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency crackdown on the use of illegal food additives included in hotpot and other soup mixtures, drinks and honey. By the end of May, restaurants will have to report the additives they use to the administration and list them on their menus or display them prominently, the Beijing Times reports. Administration chief Shao Mingli said the crackdown on the abuse of food additives was his agency’s top priority. The announcement came a week after a State Council directive ordering all local governments to crack down on additives used by food manufacturers. Meanwhile, citing industry insiders, the Jinan Daily reported that about three quarters of honey products in China may be rice-syrup counterfeits. The paper said the mainland produced about 200,000 tons of honey per year, but sold more than 800,000 tons per year. It said producing 500 grams of honey cost at least 20 yuan but many “honey” products cost just 10 yuan per 500 grams.

Speaking to Chinese embassy staff and representatives of the Chinese community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao continued to press his case for China to carry out political and judicial reforms to balance economic growth, reports the South China Morning Post. Wen said: “China must advance political, economic and judicial reforms, so that our superstructure (politics) will keep pace with the development of our economic foundation. The most important thing for future development is to promote independent thinking and creativity. Our country will be invincible if all of our 1.3 billion people can think independently and be creative,” he said. Wen's remarks differed from his earlier statements that usually put economic reform before political reform.