MILITARY LEADER EXPELLED

Xu Caihou， former Vice Chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission， was expelled from the Communist Party of China（CPC） following a three-and-a-half month investigation， the Partys Central Committee announced on June 30， one day before the 93rd anniversary of its founding.

Xu is one of the highest ranking officials within the Central Party Committee and the highest in the Central Government to be expelled so far.

The announcement said Xus case will be delivered to the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate， which will authorize its military counterpart to handle the case.

An investigation has found that Xu took advantage of his post to assist the promotion of other people and accepted bribes both personally and through his family members. He is also accused of seeking profits for others in exchange for money and properties through his family members.

Xu was born in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province in June 1943. He joined the army in August 1963， graduated from the Electronics Engineering Department of Harbin Institute of Military Engineering in 1968， and joined the CPC in April 1971. He was Vice Chairman of Chinas CPC Central Military Commission from 2005-13 and a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Party Committee from 2007-2012.

Cutting off Early Exposure to Drugs

Qianjiang Evening News June 27

In recent years， the average age of drug addicts in China has decreased， meaning that teenagers are now the most at-risk group. As teens are still not fully mature in terms of physical and psychological growth， an addiction to illegal substances can result in many unfortunate outcomes. Therefore， cutting off early exposure to drugs has become an urgent need in the countrys anti-narcotic push.

Drug dealers attract teenagers by taking advantage of their curiosity. Some even prey on teens to help smuggle and sell drugs. Its far from easy to uncover and prevent these and other drug crimes. Society and schools must educate children and teenagers on the harmful side effects of drugs， and teach them to lead active and healthy lifestyles. As entertainment venues are increasingly used by drug sellers， the government should strengthen supervision of activities there.

Security Services Going Global

Oriental Outlook June 26

Many imagined security threats faced by Chinese companies abroad are becoming reality， from Chinese merchant ships being hijacked to factories being attacked and employees kidnapped. When “going global，” difficulties can be expected to be encountered in any country where Chinese companies relocate.

So how are Chinese companies tackling these security risks abroad？ Most of them alert the police， ask Chinese embassies for help， or call on the local government to intervene when a safety incident occurs.

Some companies， though， are more far-sighted. They try to build up a good rapport with locals by donating to schools and hospitals， or by helping religious leaders and chiefs of tribes build infrastructure and， thus， mutual trust.

Though confronted with multiple security threats， most Chinese companies abroad，especially small and medium-sized ones， dont want to employ local security guards， who provide effective protection but charge high prices.

More than 20 years after Chinese companies began setting up overseas factories， providing all-around services for them has recently become an urgent need， most notably in the area of safety.

Abe Undermines Regional Security

Xinhua News Agency July 1

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is leading his country down a dangerous path as his cabinet approved a so-called constitutional “reinterpretation，” essentially gutting Japans pacifist charter， on July 1. The resolution overturned the ban on exercising the right to collective selfdefense and paved the way for Japanese forces to fight abroad in defense of “countries with close ties.”

The Japanese general public is clear-eyed and alarmed. Poll after poll has shown that most Japanese are opposed to Abes attempt to water down the Constitution. Demonstrations against tampering with the bedrock constitutional principles have taken place across the country， and in Tokyo a man even set himself on fire in protest.

Yet the public opinion failed to shame Abe out of his scheme. He has chosen to turn a deaf ear to the voices of the people and gone ahead through questionable means： Instead of amending the Constitution above board， a broad-based process that his bid is unlikely to survive， he has opted to reinterpret it with a single decision of his cabinet.

No matter how Abe paints over it， he is dallying with the specter of war through a cheap trick but at the potential cost of the souls of the entire Japanese nation. For with the limits on the use of force for collective self-defense vaguely defined， Japan might be thrown into undeserved wars by some hot-headed or near-sighted politicians at the top.

His action also poses a menace to regional security， particularly given his refusal to face up to Japans historical aggressions. On the broader background， Asia is already plagued with simmering tensions in the wake of the United States “pivot to Asia” and the increasing bellicosity of the opportunistic likes of Japan and the Philippines， among other challenges and uncertainties.

With the constitutional runaround， the Abe administration is adding more variables to the already daunting task of safeguarding regional peace and stability. It is high time the Japanese people and the international community brought Abe back to his senses and stopped him from further undermining regional security.

“Higher job expectations often bring about greater employment pressure， but reasonable and tempered expectations will lower it.”

Xiong Hanzhong， Director of the Beijing Youth Stress Management Service Center， drawing on a report from the center that found employment pressure on Chinese graduates has fallen significantly since 2013

“It can reduce corruption related to the preferential policy and reverse the trend of more and more Chinese students studying to get the extra points. But what if students give up developing their talent after they realize that these skills can no longer bring them extra points and put them in better standing on the gaokao？”

Xiong Bingqi， Deputy Director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute， in response on June 30 to the Ministry of Educations tightening of a preferential policy that awards bonus points in the national college entrance exams to students with exceptional abilities in the sciences and sports

“Online lotteries usually account for more than 30 percent of overall lottery sales in developed countries. So it is a market with great potential.”

Li Zichuan， an analyst with the Beijing-based Internet consultant group Analysis International， commenting on July 2 on Chinese fans online gambling during the 2014 World Cup

“Have faith in domestic movies！ How can we repeat the ‘mistake of 2012s Lost in Thailand—when we thought it would only bring in 200 million yuan （$320，000）—and ultimately found it was a 1.2 billion yuan（$190 million） movie？”

Zhang Hongsen， Director of the Film Bureau under the State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television， at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 25