Archive for ‘rule of law’

Friday, May 25, 2012

Victoria Nuland: Let’s Put it That Way

Daily news briefing, State Department, May 24

QUESTION: On China, you must have heard the new State Department directive to the Confucius Institute in the U.S. Could you explain to us, what is the purpose of this new directive?

MS. NULAND: Well, first of all, let me say that, as you know, the U.S. greatly values its people-to-people exchange with China. This was one of the centerpieces of the Secretary’s participation in the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. She had a separate people-to-people exchange with State Councilor Liu and they got a chance to meet some American students and some Chinese students, and it was a great event.

This is also not about the Confucius Institutes themselves. It is simply about whether the right visa status was applied in these cases. When you have a J-1 education visa, there are two categories. There are J-1 visas if you are in kindergarten through high school, and there is a different category of J-1 visas if you are at university.

And there was some muddling and messing up, so – in these cases – so we’re going to sort these out. Nobody’s going to have to leave the country. It’s all going to get cleared up. But there was some confusion on the front end, so we’re going to fix it.

QUESTION: But in the directive, it said on all the current affected exchange visitors, they have to leave before June 30 this year. Is that the case?

MS. NULAND: My understanding is that we’re going to do our best to fix this without having anybody have to leave.

QUESTION: And finally –

MS. NULAND: That is my understanding.

QUESTION: — are you concerned about the Confucius Institute’s expansion in the U.S. as the –

MS. NULAND: Are we concerned about?

QUESTION: The Confucius Institute’s expansion in the U.S. as the strongest Chinese soft power?

MS. NULAND: No. This is something that we support. It’s part of the people-to-people understanding. We just want to make sure that the visa categories are correct.

Okay.

QUESTION: Can you speak to the timing of why now? Was it – was that in conjunction to this problem being across all of the Confucius Institutes, the J-1 confusion?

MS. NULAND: I can’t speak to why this came up now. I think that we – as I understood it this morning, we became aware that this wasn’t just one case or two cases, that there was a – sort of a mess-up in the processing in general. So we need to fix that.

QUESTION: What was the mess-up?

QUESTION: Can you characterize the mess-up? Yeah.

MS. NULAND: That in fact, folks who are participating and teaching in programs that were K-12 were given university-style J-1s, and the other way around.

QUESTION: So –

QUESTION: And whose problem with that?

MS. NULAND: I can’t speak to how the mess-up occurred, but we’re going to fix it.

QUESTION: Well, who issues the visas? I mean, it’s – the State Department issues visas, right?

MS. NULAND: Right. So whether there was some confusion on the front end with the sponsors as to which programs individual teachers were being brought for, or whether there was some changing after they arrived, I really can’t speak to that. But we’re going to clean it up so that everybody’s in the right visa category.

QUESTION: So you –

QUESTION: You don’t expect anyone to have to leave the country?

MS. NULAND: My understanding was we’re going to do our best to fix this so that nobody has to leave.

QUESTION: And just so we’re clear, you don’t think, then, that the mistake was on the State Department’s end? Do you think it’s possible that it was on the end of the people who applied or the intermediaries?

MS. NULAND: I just can’t speak to that, and I can’t speak to whether this was uniform in any way or whether there were various problems.

QUESTION: And you can’t speak to it because you don’t know –

MS. NULAND: Correct.

QUESTION: — or because you know and you don’t want to say?

MS. NULAND: Because we have to investigate it and figure it out.

Okay.

QUESTION: Can you talk about how many visas were impacted by the problem?

MS. NULAND: I don’t have that either.

QUESTION: Okay.

QUESTION: May I ask you for what kind of meetings, when you say that you are working on this issue? I heard that some of the Confucius Institutions have come and had meetings with the assistant secretary already talking about this. So could you tell us more about what kind of works has been doing to avoid – make sure people don’t have to leave the country by the end of June?

MS. NULAND: Yeah. My understanding is that at the current moment, we’re trying to size the problem, we’re trying to figure out how many people are affected, and then we’re going to – and we’re in the process of reissuing instructions that are a little bit clearer and a little bit more easy to manage. Let’s put it that way.

QUESTION: Okay. And may I also say that we know that in the past couple of months, a few members in the Congress expressed their dissatisfaction and question about the operation of Confucius Institutes in the U.S. So I wonder, when you were doing this – before you released this direction about the J-1 visa, did you have any contact with those members in the Congress?

MS. NULAND: Well, I’m sure that, as we always do on all matters, we’re in dialogue with Congress. But this is a matter not about any of that; it’s a matter about whether people are in the right visa category for where they are teaching.

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Related

» State Department directive, May 24, 2012

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Another Escape from Dongshigu

Chen Guangfu (陈光福), Chen Guangcheng‘s older brother, has escaped to Beijing, reportedly to find help on behalf of his son, Chen Kegui (陈克贵).

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Zhou Yongkang Awards Heroic Police Collectives and Expresses Four Hopes

Main Link: People’s Daily / Enorth, May 19, 2012. Translated off the reel, and posted right away.

The General Meeting for the National Police Collective Heroic Model Award was held in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Friday. Before the meeting, CCP Central Committee General Secretary, State Chairman and Central Military Commission Chairman Hu Jintao expressed his heart-felt congratulations to the National Police Collective Heroic Model Award collectives and his sincere greetings to all the police and military police who stand at the front line and fight bravely to protect national security and social stability.
全国公安系统英雄模范立功集体表彰大会18日上午在北京人民大会堂举行。会前,中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席胡锦涛亲切会见全体与会代表,向受到表彰的全国公安系统英雄模范和立功集体表示热烈的祝贺,向奋战在维护国家安全和社会稳定第一线的广大公安民警、武警官兵表示诚挚的问候。

Permanent Politbureau member and State Council Chief Councillor Wen Jiabao, Permanent Member of the Standing Committee of the Politbureau, Deputy State Chairman and Deputy Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping attended. Permanent Politbureau Member and CCP Political and Legislative Affairs Committee Secretary Zhou Yongkang attended the meeting and spoke at the award ceremony.
中共中央政治局常委、国务院总理温家宝,中共中央政治局常委、国家副主席、中央军委副主席习近平参加会见。中共中央政治局常委、中央政法委书记周永康参加会见并在表彰大会上讲话。

At about 9.30 a.m., Hu Jintao and the other central leading comrades entered the Great Hall of the People’s North Hall, came to the middle of the delegates, the entire audience sounded an enthusiastic applause. Hu Jintao et al happily and warmly shook hands with delegates, and had a keepsake photo taken with them.
上午9时30分许,胡锦涛等中央领导同志走进人民大会堂北大厅,来到代表们中间,全场响起热烈掌声。胡锦涛等高兴地同代表们热情握手,并与大家合影留念。

A souvenir photo with Comrade Yongkang

A souvenir photo with Comrade Yongkang (CCTV 新闻联播, main evening news, May 18, 2012). Click picture – video should be online for at least a few days.

Zhou Yongkang said in his speech that under the correct leadership of Hu Jintao as Secretary General, police work had centered around the goal of comprehensively building of a modest-prosperity society, firmly mastering and protecting the general requirements of important times of strategic opportunities. They solidified the leading ruling position of the party, protected the country’s lasting stability and peace, safeguarded the lives and work of the people in peace and contentment, and  served economic and social development, thus making outstanding contributions. A large number of heroic models and advanced collectives had emerged, who completed major security tasks, took part in natural disaster relief, carried out specialized actions, and broad ranks of police didn’t shrink from life-and-death situations, never gave up in the face of numerous difficulties and dangers, and dedicated blood, life, and sweat to write a great song of heroism that shook heaven and earth (感天动地).
周永康在大会上讲话,他说,党的十七大以来,在以胡锦涛同志为总书记的党中央正确领导下,全国公安机关紧紧围绕全面建设小康社会的总目标,牢牢把握维护重要战略机遇期社会稳定的总要求,为巩固党的执政地位、维护国家长治久安、保障人民安居乐业、服务经济社会发展作出了突出贡献。特别是在完成一系列重大安保任务、处置一系列重大突发事件、参与一系列重特大自然灾害抢险救援、开展一系列专项打击整治行动中,广大公安民警生死面前不退缩,千难万险不放弃,用鲜血、生命和汗水谱写了一曲曲感天动地的英雄赞歌,涌现出一大批英雄模范和先进集体。实践证明,公安队伍是一支忠诚可靠、能打硬仗的队伍,是一支正气浩荡、英雄辈出的队伍,不愧为坚强的共和国之盾。

Zhou Yongkang emphasized that this year is especially meaningful for our country’s development in that our Party will hold its 18th National Congress. Creating a harmonious and stable environment for this a victorious event was the public security organs’ primary task. Public security organs on all levels needed to clearly understand the complicated nature of the current international and domestic situation and the particular importance of maintaining stability this year, and with the meeting with Secretary General Hu Jintao and other central comrade-leaders as a collectively motivating force, they should improve their abilities to combat crime, to serve the people, and to protect national security and social stability. To accelerate the building of a country under socialist rule by law, to actively build a socialist and harmonious society, and to ensure the timely and comprehensive building of a modest-prosperity society, new contributions needed to be made.
周永康强调,今年是我国发展进程中具有特殊重要意义的一年,我们党将召开十八大。为十八大胜利召开创造和谐稳定的社会环境,是公安机关的首要政治任务。各级公安机关和广大公安民警要清醒认识当前国际国内形势的复杂性,清醒认识做好今年维护稳定工作的特殊重要性,以胡锦涛总书记等中央领导同志接见公安英模和立功集体为动力,进一步提高打击犯罪、服务人民、维护国家安全和社会稳定的能力水平,为加快建设社会主义法治国家、积极构建社会主义和谐社会、确保如期全面建成小康社会作出新贡献。

Zhou Yongkang expressed for hopes to the public security authorities and the police:

  1. That they be steadfast in their ideals and beliefs, and forever preserve their political qualities, deepen the development of political and legal core values in their actions and activities, adhere to the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, maintain the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, maintain the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, firmly establish a concept of socialist rule by law, that they be  unswerving builders and defenders of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
  2. [more practical, work-related aspects, plus being close friends of the masses ... .] That they sing and sound (唱响) the People’s Police for the People theme, give their best in working practically for the people, solve problems, do good things, and deepen interaction on good terms.
  3. That they [keep holding] the Three Assessment Activities (“三访三评” 活动), deepen their understanding of the problems of the masses, build harmonious police-to-people relations while solving mass difficulties, win the trust and support of the masses in the process of safeguarding their rights and interests, and that they continuously improve public credibility and the masses’ degree of satisfaction.
  4. That they  maintain their determination for reform and innovation, constantly promote the development and progress of public security work. That they firmly establish a people-oriented (以人为本) concept that puts service first that carries out action and prevention in a coordinated manner and that puts prevention first. That they consolidate the foundations, focus on long-term concepts, progressively improve and perfect work mechanisms, that they guide police work in accordance with the will of the people, guarantee police work by systematic standards, by effective prevention and control, precise action, scientific management and modern technology improve police work, and that they constantly improve the scientification of police work.

周永康向公安机关和公安民警提出4点希望:一要坚定理想信念,永葆政治本色。深入开展政法干警核心价值观教育实践活动,坚持中国特色社会主义道路,坚持中国特色社会主义理论体系,坚持中国特色社会主义制度,牢固树立社会主义法治理念,坚定不移地做中国特色社会主义事业的建设者、捍卫者。二要增强大局意识,忠实履行各项法定职责。主动服务第一要务,认真落实第一责任,依法打击各类违法犯罪活动,切实解决群众反映强烈的突出治安问题,加强和改进人口、治安、交通、消防、出入境等公安行政管理工作,积极探索对流动人口、特殊人群、信息网络、“两新”组织服务管理的新路子,促进经济社会又好又快发展。三要坚持执法为民,永远做人民群众的贴心人。唱响“人民公安为人民”的主旋律,尽心竭力为群众办实事、解难事、做好事,深化大接访、大走访和“三访三评”活动,在体察群众疾苦中加深对人民的感情,在解决群众困难中构建和谐警民关系,在维护群众权益中赢得人民的信任支持,不断提高公安机关的公信力和人民群众的满意度。四要锐意改革创新,不断推动公安工作发展进步。牢固树立以人为本、服务为先的理念,打防结合、预防为主的理念,固本强基、注重长远的理念,进一步改革完善警务工作机制,以民意引导警务,以制度规范保障警务,以有效防控、精确打击、科学管理和现代科技手段提升警务,不断提高公安工作的科学化水平。

Zhou Yongkang demanded that party committees and governments at all levels strengthen their leadership of police work under the new situation, to support the public security organs in their performance in strict accordance with the law, to coordinate solutions of problems and difficulties timely, to conscientiously implement the political building of the police, to administrate police seriously, to manage the police forces well by  taking steps in all fields of preferential treatment of police policies, by building and making good use of the police, and to conscientously shoulder the major policies in the areas of maintaining stability and of safeguarding the peace.
周永康要求各级党委、政府加强对新形势下公安工作的领导,支持公安机关严格依法履行职责,及时协调解决遇到的困难和问题,认真落实政治建警、从严治警、从优待警的各项政策措施,建设好、使用好、管理好公安队伍,切实担负起维护一方稳定、确保一方平安的重大政治责任。

General Office of the CCP director, State Council Secretary and State Councillor Ma Kai attended the meeting.  State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu*) attended and presided the meeting.
中共中央书记处书记、中央办公厅主任令计划,国务委员、国务院秘书长马凯参加会见。国务委员、公安部部长孟建柱参加会见并主持大会。

The award decisions were announced, and National Police Collective Heroic Model Awards were given. Hebei Provincial Highway Traffic Police (Baoding Detachment detachment heads Jian Zhuozhou and Gu Huaigang, Hubei Province Wuhan City Public Security Bureau Hanyang Divisional office Zhoutou Street local police station deputy chief Wang Qun, Gansu Province Lanzhou City Public Security Bureau criminal police’s Zhang Jingang and other spoke on behalf of the prize winners [i. e. prize-winning collectives] and took the prizes.
会上宣读了表彰决定,并向受到表彰的全国公安系统英雄模范和立功集体颁奖。河北省公安厅高速公路交警总队保定支队副支队长兼涿州大队大队长古怀岗、湖北省武汉市公安局汉阳分局洲头街派出所副所长王群、甘肃省兰州市公安局刑警支队一大队大队长张金刚等代表获奖者发言。

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Note

*) A number of reports have recently suggested that Meng Jianzhu had effectively taken control of what had previously been Zhou Yongkang‘s central responsibilities. However, it should be noted that Zhou Yongkang’s downfall has been anticipated in the foreign press for many weeks, and the sources seem to be anonymous, for obvious reasons. Without official confirmation, or with obvious shifts in “public-security” policies, I don’t see a lot of evidence for Zhou “falling from power”, but it might be plausible that he wouldn’t involved in investigating the cases of Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. That alone, if true, would suggest quite a loss of control, and possibly the beginning of the end to his career.

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Related

» Social Management, Febr 21, 2011

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Zhou Yongkang, the University of Political Science and Law, and the Central Committee’s Warm Care for Law Research

The following is a partly direct, partly indirect translation / reflection of Zhou Yongkang‘s speech at University of Political Science and Law, on May 9, 2012, in front of teacher and student delegates – as (far as) published by People’s Daily online. The PD publication may or may not contain Zhou’s speech in full.

I will start with the direct translation of several paragraphs, to catch some of the speech’s “mood” or “atmosphere”. After that, I’ll turn to more indirect reflections of Zhou Yongkang’s speech. Links within blockquotes added during translation. Subtitles are not part of the original People’s-Daily publication.

Zhou Yongkang is the CCP’s Politics and Law Committee’s secretary, member of the CCP politbureau’s standing committee, and oversees China’s security forces and law enforcement institutions.

Translated off the reel, and posted right away.

Main Link 1: Opening Remarks and a General Description

On the occasion of the China University of Political Science and Law’s 60th anniversary, I, together with comrades in charge at the CCP Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, the ministry of education, the ministry of justice, and Beijing City, have come to this university especially to meet teachers and students.
在中国政法大学60周年校庆即将到来之际,我和中央政法委、教育部、司法部、北京市的负责同志一起,专程来学校看望老师和同学们。

In 1952, to respond to New China’s need for the construction of a rule by law*), the China University of Political Science and Law came into being. For sixty years, under the warm care of the Central Committees’ collective leadership, led by Comrades Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin at the core, the University of Political Science and Law acted in accorance with the university’s spirit of “rich ethics, clear law, and principles, commitment to the public”, constantly improved educational quality, made great efforts to develop law research, actively participated in national legislation and popularization of law, served the practice of administration of justice on its own initiative, successively educated more than 200,000 law talents of all kinds, produced lots of noted academic masters, outstanding talents of politics and law, created a set of values, influential legal research achievements to promote government of the country in accordance with the law, to serve the economic development with outstanding contributions, thus developing into a domestically famous, internationally noted institution of higher eductation for legal education, becoming known as “the cradle of the People’s Republic’s cadres of politics and law”. The University of Political Science and Law’s course through the past sixty years of history reflects the colossal development of our country’s cause for legal education and research, and proves the colossal progress of the building of socialism-with-Chinese-characteristics rule by law. I herewith, on behalf of the Central Committee, the State Council, and Secretary General Hu Jintao, express warm congratulations on the occasion of the university’s 60th-anniversary celebrations, and sincere greetings to the entire university’s teachers, students, staff, and friends at home and abroad!
1952年,为适应新中国法治建设的需要,中国政法大学的前身北京政法学院应运而生。60年来,在以毛泽东、邓小平、江泽民同志为核心的党的三代中央领导集体和以胡锦涛同志为总书记的党中央亲切关怀下,中国政法大学秉承“厚德、明法、格物、致公”的校训精神,不断提高教学质量,大力开展法学研究,积极参与国家立法和普法宣传,主动服务执法司法实践,先后培养了20多万名各类法律人才,涌现出一大批学术名师、政法英才,创造了一系列有价值、有影响的法学研究成果,为推进依法治国进程、服务经济社会发展作出了突出贡献,发展成为国内著名、国际知名的法学教育高等学府,被誉为“共和国政法干部的摇篮”。中国政法大学60年来走过的历程,折射了我国法学教育和研究事业的长足发展,见证了中国特色社会主义法治建设的巨大进步。在此,我代表党中央、国务院和胡锦涛总书记,向中国政法大学60周年校庆表示热烈祝贺,向全校师生员工及海内外校友表示诚挚问候!

At present, our national economy maintains its steadily rapid development, the society’s is generally harmonious and stable, and the overall situation is good. Having gone through more than sixty years of construction and development since the establishment of New China, and especially during the more than thirty years of reform and opening, our cuntry’s socialist modernization and construction has achieved successes which have caught the eyes of the world, has strengthened our country’s comprehensive strength, our international influence has rapidly risen, socialism with Chinese characteristics has been tested in the sudden global changes, and shown strong vitality. At the same time, we have to see clearly that our country remains in the initial stage of socialism, that there are imbalances, uncoordinated and unsustainable problems that keep emerging within development, with existing substantial factors which affect social harmony and stability. Especially under the conditions of all the aspects of opening to the outside world and social informationalization, domestic and international issues influence each other, economic and social issues and political issues are interlinked, and supposed and real society interrelate with each other. We are facing unprecedented challenges, and we are shouldering colossal tasks.
当前,我国经济保持平稳较快发展,社会大局和谐稳定,总的形势是好的。经过新中国成立以来60多年的建设发展特别是30多年的改革开放,我国社会主义现代化建设取得了举世瞩目的伟大成就,综合国力显著增强,国际影响力大幅提升,中国特色社会主义在世界风云变幻中经受了考验,展示出强大的生命力。同时,我们要清醒地看到,我国仍处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段,发展中不平衡、不协调、不可持续的问题依然突出,影响社会和谐稳定的因素大量存在。特别是在全方位对外开放和社会信息化的条件下,国内问题与国际问题相互影响,经济问题、社会问题与政治问题相互关联,虚拟社会与现实社会相互作用,我们面对的挑战前所未有,肩负的任务艰巨繁重。

Government in accordance with the law is our party’s basic strategy to lead the people and to rule the country. To build a country with socialism-with-Chinese-characteristics under rule by law is the goal the entire people is unswervingly striving for. In history, the Chinese people suffered more than two-thousand years of despotic feudalist rule, in more recent times, they bore the misery of Western great powers’ bullying and humiliation, and even the most basic rights to life were not guaranteed, not to mention exaggerated talk about democratic and lawful rule. [...]
依法治国是我们党领导人民治理国家的基本方略,建设社会主义法治国家是全体人民坚定不移的奋斗目标。历史上中国人民遭受了两千多年的封建专制统治,近代又饱受西方列强的欺凌,连基本的生存权都保证不了,更不用奢谈什么民主法治了。 [.....]

Zhou describes “the road of socialist rule by law, found through the efforts of several generations of people” after 1949, as the answer to the “national conditions” (and implicitly, probably, the past).

Main Link 2: Emphasizing Legitimacy inherited from Previous CCP Generations

But building a socialist country ruled by law is a long-term and formidable, major, historical task which cannot be accomplised at one stroke. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said that “Old China bequeathed many feudal, despotic traditions on us, but very few democratic and legal traditions”. Our country, with many inhabitants but uneven economic and social development, inevitably has to face difficulties and challenges in the process of building a legal system. Comrade Jiang Zemin emphasized that “socialist democracy must be broadened step by step, and a legal socialist system, a country ruled by law, a socialist country ruled by law, must be built step by step. This goal must unswervingly be implemented. Secretary general Hu Jintao demanded that we must “adhere to the basic strategy of a country ruled by law, establish a socialist concept of rule by law, and realize the rule by law, and safeguard the citizens’ legal rights. Comprehensive implementation of the basic strategy of rule by law and the acceleration of a socialist rule-by-law country is the party’s and the state’s established policy, striven for by the entire people. We must insist on these goals without letting our guard down, and unremittingly maintain forge ahead.
同时,在我国建设社会主义法治国家是一项长期而艰巨的重大历史任务,不可能一蹴而就。邓小平同志指出:“旧中国留给我们的,封建专制传统比较多,民主法制传统很少。”我们国家大,人口众多,经济社会发展又很不平衡,在法治建设进程中必然会遇到各种困难和挑战。江泽民同志强调:“要进一步扩大社会主义民主,健全社会主义法制,依法治国,建设社会主义法治国家。这个目标,我们要坚定不移地加以落实。”胡锦涛总书记要求:“坚持依法治国基本方略,树立社会主义法治理念,实现国家各项工作法治化,保障公民合法权益。”全面落实依法治国基本方略、加快建设社会主义法治国家,是党和国家的既定方针,是全体人民的共同追求,我们必须咬定目标不放松,坚持不懈地扎实往前推进。

In the following paragraph, and the first of three enumerations, Zhou points out the importance that the party and the state council had attached to legal education of the young, and refers to a speech Hu Jintao held during the CCP Youth League’s 90th anniversary celebrations. The style of the very long paragraph following that mirrors the less informative passages of central party documents, in that it describes the steps of strengthening socialist legal construction, but without actually specifying such steps.

The second item of three is about innovation, solid (academic) support for socialist rule of law, and correct political direction. This bit could be meaningful:

[...] Currently, our national economy’s and society’s development and legal construction encounters many practical problems, and there is an urgent need for answers from theory. For example:
how to maintain the party’s leadership, the people as the masters of their own matters, governance of the country in accordance with the law with organic unity, the acceleration of building a country under the rule by law, how to continuously perfect the legal system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to provide more powerful legal guarantees for ecomomic and social scientific development and improved livelihood of the people, how to strengthen and innovate social management, [...]

Main Link 3: Outlook

Zhou’s third point refers to the future roles of today’s students, and their future responsibilities to achieve the described goals. At the second paragraph on the third online page of Zhou’s speech as published by People’s Daily, there is another reference to Hu Jintao’s CCP Youth League 90th anniversary speech (this time, Zhou refers to it as Hu’s May-4 speech), and points out the need for talented lawyers not only in China’s more developed regions, but its western regions, too.

Finally, I want to express my heart-felt wish that the University of Political Science and Law will maintain Deng Xiaoping’s Theories and [Jiang Zemin's - name not mentioned here] “Three Represents” as major ideological guidance, at the thorough implementation of scientific development, under the leadership of the Central Committee with Hu Jintao as the Secretary General. From these celebrations of the university’s 60th anniversary, and at the starting point of another sexagenary cycle, keep working for a strong, globally first-class socialist law university with Chinese characteristics!
最后,衷心祝愿中国政法大学坚持以邓小平理论和“三个代表”重要思想为指导,深入贯彻落实科学发展观,在以胡锦涛同志为总书记的党中央领导下,以60周年校庆为新的历史起点,努力在新的一个甲子中建设成为中国特色、世界一流的社会主义法科强校!

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Note

*) “Rule by law” is only one of many possible translations – I chose this option  in previous translations, too. “Rule of law” would be another.

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Related

» Where art Thou, Zhou Yongkang, March 27, 2012
» Social Management, Febr 21, 2011

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Angry Citizens and Bad Religion

Islamist sticht.

Scheiße, ich muss im Golf nach Hause fahren.

I don’t know who’s angrier. Is it those who wave cartoons of the prophet (Mohamed) around to make some Salafists explode – and to hurt the feelings of Muslims who may feel angry, saddened, or who won’t care (yes, that happens, too)? Or  is it the Salafists who are angrier?

Police people may be angry, too, because they have to bear the brunt of keeping idiots on both sides apart from each other – and to expose themselves to danger. Police people have more reasons to be angry than anyone else, in my view.

But I seem to understand that a free society can either live with Salafists who are handing out Korans, and with people who are waving Mohamed cartoons around, or it isn’t much of a free society after all.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

“None of my Business – I will Endure” – Readers’ Comments on Shan Renping’s Chen Guangcheng Editorial

Shan Renping‘s article here.

Some of the latest comments (probably continuously censored, and there are no permalinks):

You’d better issue fewer of these articles! Otherwise, you will be submerged in a flood of indignation!! (这些文章今后还是少发!不然会被叫骂声淹没!!)

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When it is your fate to choose between rape and gang rape, how will you choose? (当你的命运注定要在被强奸和被轮奸之中选择的话,那么你的答案是什么?)

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The family-planning issue probably exists in reality. I’m from Rizhao, Juxian, which formerly belonged to Linyi County [corretion: City]. You can also have a look at Zhaoxian Town in Rizhao. There are no residential areas here, except for a housing district of the family-planning office. Some of the area consists of police stations, who help the family-planning office to take people into custody.  The family-planning office will take relatives of pregnant women with more than one child, or unplanned pregnancies, to a village here called Xiao Pu, to lock them up there and to attend classes. (事件中的计生问题应该是真的,我是日照莒县的,原先属于临沂。你可也去我们莒县招贤镇看看。我们镇没有什么住宅小区,除了一个是计生办的住宅小区。计生办小区有一部分是派出所的,因为派出所的帮助计生办的抓人。计生办会把超生或计划外怀孕的亲戚抓到我们一个叫小铺的村关起来,美其名曰学习班—)

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That’s none of my business. I will take care of my own business, and endure. (不关我我的事,关我的事时我忍).

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Provide more news that reveal negative aspects about America – that will be believable and cause no disgust, because China is also powerful!!! (多多揭露美国的负面新闻, 现在报道都会相信的不反感, 因为中国也强大了!!!)

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Great writing style! (文笔不错嘛!)

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Is there not a single person on this globe who would oppose America??? (全世界, 没有一个人反对美国???)

“Huanqiu Shibao [the paper which published Shan's article] is truthful” (环球真实。), writes one commenter, somewhere in between, and “五毛拿好” (take your fifty cents) writes another.

Links within blockquote added during translation.

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Related

When the Heavens won’t Respond, Nov 11, 2011

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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Huanqiu Shibao on Chen Guangcheng: “The Rise of China is the World’s Rich and Colorful Stage”

In an article of May 3, 10:22 local time, Shan Renping (单仁平) of Huanqiu Shibao (“Global Times”) describes Chen Guangcheng as a man who seemed to like his “policial super-role” (超级角色) very much. “Some Western forces” had taken “unusual ways of interfering, and Western public opinion and “some Chinese activists on the internet” had turned Chen into a human-rights brand. In fact, however, ordinary people had to cooperate with the big political powers who made their [own] arrangements.

Chen’s supporters had had a much clearer picture of that than Chen himself, and had hyped his case from an individual grassroot issue into a “microcosm” [literally: miniature, 缩影] of China as a country.

Some Western forces and their supporters in China will always need tools to struggle with China’s current political system, and “luck” and “disaster” become the matter of those who serve as tools. Everything can be distorted and labeled. Such a tool will not be lonely and may enjoy other benefits, too. Of course, if they go too far, they will pay the price.
西方一些力量和他们在中国的支持者们永远需要与中国现行政治体制做斗争的工具,“有幸”或“不幸”成为这个工具的人和事,都会变形,被标签化。做这样的工具,可以不寂寞,也会有其他利益。当然如果他们做过了头,也会付出代价。

Chen was just a very small case on Chinese society’s road ahead, and wouldn’t hurt stability in China, or the Chinese cause of human rights to develop further in a normal way. If they should experience “such a matter” again, China’s officials could be absolutely somewhat more at ease (以后遇到这样的事,中国官方完全可以更坦然些). “Some groups on the microblogs” who “warmed themselves at the fire” were on the fringe and did not represent the attitude of Chinese society.

Western public opinion was often looking for a crop in China, to inflate and exaggerate things. Chen Guangcheng and his supporters on the one hand, and Western public opinion, had benefitted each other this time, to blacken China’s ways.

Shan Renping advises the U.S. embassy to work “in accordance with its functions”, to distance itself from inappropriate activities, and to focus on garnering positive feelings among Chinese mainstream society, rather than act as a support for Chinese extremists.

Can the Chen Guangcheng case subside now? Hopefully. But there are some people inside and outside China who don’t want that. In that case, we will see some more quixotic pipedreams. The rise of China is also the world’s rich and colorful stage.
陈光诚的事情会就此平息吗?希望是。但中国国内和国外都有一些人未必愿意。那就让我们多看一些堂吉诃德式的妄想症好了。中国的崛起也是世间丰富多彩的舞台。

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Update/Related

» None of my Business – Readers’ comments, May 3, 2012

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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Huanqiu / Xinhua Chen Guangcheng Notice

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Chen Guangcheng leaves voluntarily, six days after entering U.S. Embassy

陈光诚进入美驻华使馆停留6天后自行离开

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Xinhua, May 2, 2012, 15:41 – It is said that Shandong Province Yinan County’s Chen Guangcheng entered the American embassy in China in the last third of April and voluntarily left there after six days.

新华社北京5月2日电据了解,山东省沂南县人陈光诚于4月下旬进入美国驻华使馆停留6天后自行离开。(完)

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