Anti-drug campaign

1. Hong Kong celebrity Jaycee Chan, Jackie Chan’s son, who goes by the name Fang Zuming, was arrested for drug-related charges along with Taiwan star Ko Chen-tung. Ko made a tearful confession on CCTV that he had used drugs, but Chan was spared a TV confession – although he was taped during his arrest. The police put Chan, 32, under criminal detention on suspicion of « providing a shelter for others to abuse drugs ». Ko received a relatively less severe 14 days administrative detention. Mainland criminal law defines the making, smuggling and dealing of drugs, especially opium, heroin and methamphetamine, as severe offences. Depending on the amount of drugs involved, suspects may face years in prison or even the death sentence as well as huge fines.
   Source: SCMP
2. Besides the rampant crackdown against graft and corruption, an anti-drug campaign is under way, according to China Daily. Beijing police arrested 963 people suspected of drug crimes over the past four months, a 35 percent increase year-on-year, according to Beijing Public Security Bureau on Monday. Among those arrested, 58 are accused of involvement in drug trafficking and smuggling, the police said.
   Source: China Daily
3. The campaign seems to be targeted at celebrities in particular. On one August weekend, Beijing music venue 2 Kolegas was raided by the police and all patrons were forced to give on-site urine samples to test for narcotic use. The raid resulted in the arrest of 30 suspects, which included ten expats who are apparently in the process of being deported.
   Source: The Beijinger
4. A number of mainland celebrities have already been arrested, including reality show pop star Li Daimo, TV actor Gao Hu and scriptwriter Ning Caishen.
   Source: SCMP, Xinhua

Updates on the arrest of Pu Zhiqiang

1. Reuters reports that interrogation of arrested rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang has concluded, though no decision to prosecute him has yet been announced. Pu’s own lawyer Zhang Sizhi, Pu’s lawyer, claims that the direction of his questioning supports suspicions that the case is politically motivated, saying that “it looks like someone really wants to take him down”. According to the report, “Beijing police have questioned Pu on his meetings with former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, who had asked Pu to share his views on human rights, said Pu’s lawyer, Zhang Sizhi.
2. […] Zhang said Beijing police had also questioned Pu in connection with his postings on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, that allegedly “insulted” senior officials including Mao Xinyu, a grandson of Mao Zedong, who holds the rank of major-general in the People’s Liberation Army.”
   Source: Reuters

On anti-corruption campaign

1. The Wall Street Journal provides a lengthy overview of China’s ongoing anti-corruption crackdown, its human and economic costs, and its chief architect, Xi Jinping’s right hand man Wang Qishan: “Mr. Wang, square-jawed with a trademark comb-over, is called “the fireman” by the Chinese media for his long career of handling emergencies. His fans have posted messages on social media sites likening him to Justice Bao, a Song Dynasty official who became a symbol of justice because of his willingness to punish powerful people guilty of crimes. They also routinely note that Mr. Wang, who is married, is childless, and thus, by local logic, has less incentive to steal to enrich his family”.
   Source: WSJ
2. Another post on WSJ’s China Real Time describes some of the anti-corruption strategies that have been employed, proposed or rejected, such as the use of “lifestyle problems”, “adultery” and “asset disclosure”.
   Source: WSJ
3. While China has taken some tentative steps toward internal asset disclosure requirements, Bloomberg’s Henry Sanderson noted that many asset disclosure pilot schemes have been abandoned: “The Beijing News found that in 2009 a county in Hunan started to reveal the assets of 69 officials, including details of the property they owned, leading locals to question how a township level official could have a nearly 1,000 square-meter property. The program was stopped after causing some “contradiction” and “disputes,” the paper said, citing an unnamed local discipline inspection official….The paper said that of the 30 trial areas it studied, officials from nine didn’t answer the phone within three days, and a further nine were busy or said they weren’t clear on the situation and couldn’t do interviews.”
   Source: Bloomberg
4. Shanxi Province appears to be the next target for anti-corruption campaign. This week, two high-ranking Shanxi officials came under investigation for serious violation of the law and Party discipline. Their probe appears to have something to do with issues related to coal mining, which is one of Shanxi’s major economic activities. According to media reports, a number of coal businessmen have also been take away for investigation. Source: Sina, Nanfang Zhoumo

Xi Jinping calls for “new style” of media organization

1. At Monday’s meeting with members of the Leading Group for Overall Reform, Xi Jinping announced plans for new “strong, influential and credible” media organizations, calling on the nation to integrate traditional and new media to diversify its communication system. Xi said that traditional media and new media must complement each other and their integration should cover content, channels, platforms, operations and management. Integration should be supported by technology and follow the rules of news communication and laws governing the development of new media. Source: Global Post
2. SCMP quoted an expert saying that the central government would give political and financial support for more new media platforms as the impact of traditional media dwindled, while another said that the promotion of new media will not lead to any real change in the nature of the media industry, given tight state control on media. Source: SCMP
3. See for example a new online media found by Shanghai’s Dongfang Daily: 澎湃新闻http://www.thepaper.cn/ which has both an Internet and smartphone platform.
   i. See more analysis. Source: People’s Daily
4. China Real Time discusses new restrictions on Chinese instant messaging services such as WeChat, noting that the public accounts affected were already being censored behind a “cloak of ambiguity”. “The one obvious indicator of censorship on WeChat is an error message — “This content has been reported by multiple people, and the related content is unable to be shown” – that users occasionally see when browsing public posts. While the message makes clear that WeChat has removed a post, the source of the deletion is attributed to a WeChat users’ peers. If one takes the message at face value, WeChat is playing the role of an impartial moderator, letting users decide whether a piece of content is appropriate. However, a preliminary analysis of the deleted posts indicates that WeChat is likely taking a more interventionist role than the error message suggests. The content in the deleted posts is similar to the sensitive content that routinely gets scrubbed from Weibo and other platforms: rumors of Communist Party nepotism, snide political jokes and other forms of satire, images of scantily-clad (if clad at all) women and so on. While one might expect an average WeChat user to object to pictures of naked women, it’s hard to explain why such a user would go out of his or her way to report, for example, a series of photos skewering the antipathy among Chinese officials toward carrying their own umbrellas.” Source: WSJ
5. Bloomberg surveys the tightening of Internet controls under Xi Jinping, with experts saying that “The past 12 months has certainly been the toughest period”, that “Xi’s Internet-censorship style is an unapologetic ‘showing of the sword’”. Source: Bloomberg

Beijing independent film festival shut down by Chinese authorities

1. Chinese authorities have shut down the country’s most prominent independent film festival for the first time in its 11-year history, raising concerns about a wide-ranging government crackdown on freedom of speech and civil society. The Beijing independent film festival, one of China’s leading platforms for the distribution of independent films, has suffered official interference nearly every year since its inception. In previous years, the organisers have simply changed venues or replaced large public events with smaller screenings in private homes. On Saturday afternoon, about 15 police officers, security guards and rough-looking men in plain clothes stood outside of the office of the festival’s organiser, the Li Xianting Film Fund, in a dusty alleyway in suburban Beijing, shoving away the few dozen people who tried to attend.
   Source: Guardian

Development in 2017 electoral reform

1. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee is meeting this week (25-31 August) to set a framework for Hong Kong’s 2017 universal suffrage reform. The decision is expected to be announced at the end of this week.
2. Last week, Li Fei, chairman of the Basic Law Committee, met Hong Kong’s lawmakers, including many of the pan-democrats, at several seminars on reform in Shenzhen. Li stressed that universal suffrage in Hong Kong is an issue of national security, saying that “failure to comply with the Basic Law and the principle of patriots governing Hong Kong would amount to turning the city into an independent political entity”. While sending a tough note against independence, Li also remarked that most pan-democrats were patriots and the nominating committee could not « stop members of any political parties or camps running ». Pan-democrats described the meeting as “frank”, but emphasizing that obvious differences exist.
   Source: SCMP
3. Earlier, 26 pan-democratic lawmakers signed a pledge to vote down any reform proposal that failed to meet international democratic standards.
   Source: SCMP
4. On the Friday seminar in Shenzhen, Li Fei suggested that “hopefuls for the chief executive election will be required to get the backing of half of the nominating committee to enter the race”. Pan-democrats called the idea a “suppression” of democracy.
   Source: SCMP
5. SCMP cited a source close to Beijing who said Beijing is studying ways to soften the blow that its controversial white paper had on Hong Kong. “The sources said that while central government officials insisted Beijing had the right to issue the white paper and may do it again in future, they admitted in private that the paper should have been better prepared beforehand to soften the tone and make it more palatable to the Hong Kong public.”
   Source: SCMP
6. Meanwhile, moderate voices in the Beijing-loyalist camp are urging the central government to leave room for further discussion. Barrister and Basic Law expert Alan Hoo noted that the mini-constitution « does not require » candidates to win the support of more than half of the nominating committee, although such a rule would follow the requirement for nomination by « democratic procedure ». Former chief secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said next week’s meeting should leave some issues to be decided locally. « Hong Kong people could still discuss whether the composition of the nominating committee should be adjusted.”
   Source: SCMP
7. Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, HK representative in the National People’s Congress, commented yesterday that the more Hong Kong activists talk about using civil disobedience to press Beijing to heed demands for greater democracy, the more it will stand firm on electoral reform.
   Source: SCMP

Macao arrests pro-democracy activists

1. Four people were arrested as police shut down voting facilities in Macao after activists ignored strong objections from Beijing and held an unofficial referendum on electoral reform, the event organiser said. Residents of the gambling hub were told they could vote at several locations across the territory, as well as online, but poll organiser Jason Chao said those attempting to take part in person were stopped by police, who confiscated the tablet computers people used to cast their vote. A spokesman for the Macao government said in a statement that the four were arrested for “disobeying” instructions from police.
   Source: SCMP
2. A more detailed SCMP report looks at growing discontent among Macao citizens although current Chief Executive is expected to be re-elected. The report sheds light on the city’s reliance on tourism and gaming revenues, which crowd out other industries.
3. Source: SCMP

1. A featured essay in The Economist this week asks “what drives China”, and places much emphasis on the country’s determination to regain its former national prestige: “If China could resolve its identity crisis and once again become an attractive civilisation rather than just an enviable development model, it would be much better placed to get the respect and influence it craves. But it is hard to see that happening unless the party gives more power to its people, and Mr Xi has made it clear that will not happen on his watch. The danger is that China will seek greater power in the world as a substitute for fundamental changes at home. If it fails to make those changes, its global power will continue to look hollow, unattractive and threatening, and its neighbours will continue to cling to the coat-tails of Uncle Sam.”
   Source: Economist
2. The New Yorker’s Christopher Beam looks at the problems facing China’s health care system, and rising levels of violence by patients frustrated by the lack of care they receive.
   Source: The New Yorker
3. WSJ’s Andrew Browne explores the various reasons Chinese citizens choose to leave the country and live abroad.
   Source: WSJ
4. Writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo ruminates on her generation’s political apathy, and in particular her brother who was an enthusiastic participant of the 1989 protest movement but laster disengaged from politics.
   Source: Aeon
5. Paul Pickowicz on a century of Chinese film, published book titled China on Film: A Century of Exploration, Confrontation and Controversy (Rowman & Littlefield 2013), and his interview.
   Source: China Digital Times
6. Nanfang Zhoumo interviews top Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang.
   Source: Nanfang Zhoumo

Eminent sinologist Pierre Ryckmans, Simon Leys, died at 78

1. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has paid tribute to Pierre Ryckmans, one of the world’s most eminent Sinologists and literary figures, who died in Sydney yesterday aged 78. Mr Rudd, whose honours thesis on Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng was supervised by Dr Ryckmans, told The Australian: “Pierre Ryckmans was one of the world’s leading China scholars. …Dr Ryckmans studied law at Louvain University in his native Belgium, then Chinese language, literature and art in Taiwan and taught in Hong Kong and Singapore. He was Belgian cultural attache in Beijing before settling in Australia, teaching Chinese culture for 17 years at the Australian National University. He was Professor of Chinese Studies at Sydney University from 1987 to 1993. In The Chairman’s New Clothes, written in 1971, for which he adopted the pen name Simon Leys, he exposed the horrors of the Cultural Revolution while many Sinologists were praising its leader Mao Zedong.”
   Source: Australian
2. Simon Leys Remembered on China File, contributors including Isabel Hilton, Perry Link, Ian Buruma, Orville Schell so far.
   Source: ChinaFile