Media Report
Reuters reports : "China's military will carry out more military exercises in the South China Sea this month involving advanced warships and submarines, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday, terming the drills routine. China claims almost all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims. Xinhua said the ships, including a new guided missile destroyed, would take part in anti-submarine, anti-missile and other exercises. It did not say exactly where the drills would take place, but noted they were routine and had been planned for this year. China periodically announces such exercises in the South China Sea as it tries to demonstrate it is being transparent about its military deployments."
- The Wall Street Journal reports: "Chinese authorities are training their sights on a new set of targets: economists, analysts and business reporters with gloomy views on the country's economy....The stepped-up censorship, many inside and outside the ruling Communist Party say, represents an effort by China's leadership to quell growing concerns about the country's economic prospects as it experiences a prolonged slowdown in growth. As more citizens try to take money out of the country, officials say, regulators and censors are trying to foster an environment of what party officials have dubbed 'zhengnengliang,' or 'positive energy.' In the past, Chinese authorities have targeted mainly political dissidents while commentary about the economy and reporting on business has been left relatively unfettered in a tacit acknowledgment that a freer flow of information serves economic vitality."
- The Guardian reports: "China's military is appealing to the younger generation with a slick new recruitment video featuring aircraft carriers, rocket launchers, tanks and fighter jets, all set to a rousing rap-rock soundtrack. With lyrics such as 'just waiting for the order to kill, kill, kill', the video appears aimed at millennials brought up on first-person shooter video games such as Call of Duty....The video, available on Wednesday via a link on the defence ministry's official website, appears as the 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army is downsizing in an effort to boost its war-fighting capabilities. Chief among those steps is a cut of 300,000 personnel, while the navy, missile corps and air force are receiving more attention and funding."
Calendar
- 2016-05-03 Survey: China manufacturing slowed in April
- 2016-05-02 China Blocks U.S. Navy Flotilla’s Visit to Hong Kong
- 2016-04-29 Russia, China in agreement on North Korea, South China Sea
- 2016-04-28 China to join exercises with rival South China Sea claimants
- 2016-04-27 Storm clouds gather over South China Sea ahead of key U.N. ruling
- 2016-04-26 China Curbs Plans for More Coal-Fired Power Plants
- 2016-04-25 China Close to Passing Strict Law on Foreign Groups
- 2016-04-24 Earliest China Economic Data Show Recovery Gathers Pace in April
- 2016-04-22 China denies reports of massing troops at North Korea border
- 2016-04-21 US envoy says China, US united in opposition to NKorea tests
News
- The Washington Post After ships and planes, Chinese singers assert sea claims
- The Wall Street Journal China Presses Economists to Brighten Their Outlooks
- The Guardian China's military appeals to younger generation with 'kill, kill, kill' video
- The Washington Post After ships and planes, Chinese singers assert sea claims
- Bloomberg Business China Said to Explore Taking Stakes in Some News Websites
- BBC News China deploys folk singer to disputed Spratly Islands
- The New York Times China Military Tries Musical Approach to Image Building
- The Washington Post China's army is using guns and hip-hop to recruit more young people
- Reuters China slashes influential Communist Youth League's budget
- The New York Times China's Steel Makers Undercut Rivals as Trade Debate Intensifies
- The Guardian China's Xi Jinping denies House of Cards power struggle but attacks 'conspirators'
- The New York Times U.S. Diplomat's Same-Sex Marriage Causes Stir in China
- The Wall Street Journal China Bondholders Lose Their Beijing-Bailout Confidence
Commentary
- The Wall Street Journal: China Real Time China, Labeled a Thief and Worse, Mulls a Trump Presidency
- The National Interest The Ultimate Guide to China's Hypersonic Weapons Program
- The Diplomat China Upgrades Older Warships With New Missile Systems
- The Wall Street Journal: China Real Time China's Film Market: By the Numbers
- Slate Magazine Tesla's "Bioweapon Defense Mode" Sounds Like a Gimmick. It's Actually Ingenious.
- Cato Institute Fifth North Korean Nuclear Test May be in the Offing: Now What?
- The Wall Street Journal: MoneyBeat Milk, Iron Ore and Australian Inflation All Sound Warnings on China