Keywords: Jumbo freighter Y-20 increases China's reach in South China Sea; sex scandals reveal flaccid supervision system

Jumbo freighter Y-20 increases China's reach in South China Sea

The successful maiden flight of China's jumbo air freighter Y-20 was lauded as a crucial step in building a strategic air force by Chinese media.

The Y-20, or Transport-20, made its first flight on January 26 at Yanliang district in Xi'an, Shannxi Province, signifying China as the fourth nation to produce large aircraft after the US, Russia and the European Union, according to cnr.cn.

The huge, multi-function Y-20 can conduct long-distance transport missions, aid in disaster relief and humanitarian aid.

"The Y-20 strengthens China's long-distance transportation which has long been a weakness for China's air force, and China is stepping closer to becoming a strategic air force," military expert Chen Hu said in an opinion piece published in the Hubei Daily.

"It also helps China's large aircraft become an upstream industry," he added.

Military commentator Yue Gang suggested that after modifications, the Y-20 expands China's air range to cover the entire South China Sea stretching to the Strait of Malacca, according to news portal Sina.com.

"The Y-20 could provide air protection for maritime transportation lines to better safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the South China Sea", said Yue.

Wu Guohui, professor with National Defense University PLA China told the Beijing Times that there is still a long way to go between a maiden flight and deploying the aircraft.

"We have to go through a long process to get to mass production and commissioning them," he said.

"If a country aims to build a strategic air force, developing domestic jumbo air freighters is essential, and it's a proud thing that China's air force did it," Qu Yanbing, the editor-in-chief of Ordnance Knowledge magazine told Guangdong-based New Express.

@萧郎哥懂你: Powerful transportation aircraft is a symbol of powerful air force. The Y-20 better equips China's air force.

@52_Chelsea: It's time to get excited when China is able to develop high-performance engines on its own. Without a good engine, China's air force won't be able to develop.

@一定要有你: How about the performance of our jumbo air freighter? I want to know what problems and defects we discover during this trial flight.

Sex scandals reveal flaccid supervision system

Debate over monitoring corruption and misconduct among officials made waves in Chinese media once again after ten Chongqing officials were sacked for sex scandals on late January 24.

The officials, which included Party officials and executives of State-owned enterprises (SOEs), were promptly removed from their posts.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the videos were made between 2008 and 2009 by a criminal organization in order to blackmail the officials. 

The scandal broke during the investigation of Lei Zhengfu, a district Party chief in Chongqing, who was dismissed when an explicit video surfaced of Lei having intercourse in a hotel room about two months ago.

The Global Times ran an opinion piece saying, "Officialdom is being reshaped, and the process will be dramatic and breathtaking. More and more officials will pull out."

"It's going to be dangerous in the near future for those who crossed the line. Officials overstepping legal and moral boundaries will face increasingly harsh consequences. Only those who make changes and watch their conduct will survive," read the article.

The power and speed of anti-corruption efforts online reveal how many obstacles stand in the way of previous forms of anti-corruption, commented the Beijing Times.

"However, anti-corruption online may have negative effects, such as harming the Party's credibility and ruin the image of China's officials. The government should reform supervision practices and make them more effective," it said.

The Beijing News said the public not only focuses on this case because it's a sex scandal, but also because people are curious to know how this affects them.

"The public requires a thorough investigation and details of this entire case," it added.