Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cnforbiddennews Like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/chinaforbiddennews On January 14, Japan's Asahi Newspaper quoted sources saying that, the Chinese Communist Party(CCP)'s new general secretary Xi Jinping had given a displeasing look at a Zhongnanhai meeting, held on January 9. Politburo Standing Committee member and chief of media control, ideology and propaganda, Liu Yunshan, has been called into question over the controversial Southern Weekly issue, that is proving more chaotic as CCP pressure increases. Asahi Newspaper analyzes, since Xi Jinping has just started his duty, his trying to avoid the expansion of the meeting may cause a tremor within the CCP. Asahi Newspaper reports that—according to related sources who understand the CCP meeting—Liu Yunshan, who controls the media, reported the Southern Weekly event to the Central Committee in Zhongnanhai on January 9. Reports say, Xi Jinping gave a displeasing look at first saying: "Setting a series of measures just exacerbates the confusion --the higher the pressure, the more chaotic things become." Southern Weekly's controversial New Year greeting editorial on January 3—'China Dream: the dream of constitutionalism' which expressed a hope that China could be ruled by law and by the constitution—was censored to praise the CCP. This caused an uproar by journalists and ordinary citizens, bringing out a struggle for media freedom. Southern Weekly employees went on strike to protest and many people, including scholars and performers, expressed their support for the newspaper. As the event became increasingly significant, the CCP Propaganda Department instructed all major media to keep the "line of the Party" on the Southern Weekly issue. On January 7, Li Yunshan issued a strong message to all major newspapers in China, requiring all media to reproduce the Global Times' editorial, which denies the CCP authorities' involvement in the Southern Weekly's New Year greeting. The Global Times said, "If a media goes against the CCP authorities openly, it will become a loser." The message caused resentment in the newspaper industry; Beijing News, Southern Metropolis Daily, Oriental Morning Post, and other newspapers refused to comply with the CCP. At the same time, the Global Times and its editor-in-chief Hu Xijin received much criticism from media and netizens. Southern Network also used the term, "global dogs catching the Frisbees"—a supposed innuendo for the Global Times. Asahi Newspaper says, Liu Yunshan also decided to carry out a personnel transfer or the sacking of editors and reporters who had protested against the Propaganda Department, causing concern from Xi Jinping, who tried to stop it. The outside world voiced that Xi Jinping showed a rational attitude in dealing with the Southern Weekly event. However, Chinese social problem researcher, Zhang Jian, Who lives in the United States says, it is impossible for a CCP leader to give people the freedom of speech. [Zhang Jian]: "Let's forget about the problems between the different CCP interest groups for now, and just look at the CCP's target. We all know that the CCP wants to continue its authoritarian system as a ruling regime; under such a premise, how can it loosen its restrictions on the freedom of speech and press? —It is impossible." Zhang Jian says, the CCP has always believed in "blocking the people's mouths and blocking the river", meaning, to utilize its power to censor the flow of opinions. [Zhang Jian]: "The CCP have clamped down on the public's pursuit for democracy, replacing it with thoughts of survival and living; this is the CCP's magic weapon. Without this, there will surely be many protests surging up in China and by then, the CCP can control nothing." Political commentator Ren Baiming says, regardless of Xi Jinping's reasons behind his attitude towards the Southern Weekly event, the opposition between the new leadership's core CCP layer and Jiang's faction is now out on the table. [Ren Baiming]: "It remains to be seen whether Xi Jinping will start a reform; the next step for the CCP officialdom is to line up and decide which side they will stand on." An article in Hong Kong's latest Chengming Magazine says, Party Secretary of Guangdong, Wang Yang, is competing with CCP Political Standing Committee member Zhang Gaoli over the Deputy Prime Minister post. CCP top-level officials, including Wen Jiabao, Xi Jinping, Li Keqing and Wang Qishan, are advocating for Wang Yang to take the post. Ren Baiming points out that, as the current situation shows, Jiang Zemin's faction has been gradually excluded from the CCP's core powers, as their actions were too unpopular. In order to secure the CCP's rule, Xi Jinping may temporarily take some liberal actions to win over the people. 《神韵》2011世界巡演新亮点 http://www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org/

• published: 10 Nov 2013