I agree with him that mathematical literacy should be more emphasized for a "hacker" -- someone who solves a problem. Obviously, mathematical knowledge comes in handy for any hacker tackling on physical phenomena. That does not mean, however, mathematics is the most important tool at hacker's disposal. I think the author just wanted to say that understanding mathematics helps solving a problem, but he went overboard to make it sound like someone who does not understand mathematics is a second-rate hacker. I don't believe that hackers are sized by mathematical aptitude.
This move seems obvious. Bitcoin's popularity has far more negative consequences for Chinese government (or any other government) than benefit. Bitcoin might topple the dollar hegemony if popularized, which might be what China wants, but central banks lose their power to control the money flow in the system. Why would any government want that? Any money goes into Bitcoin is essentially money gone offline right now so it reduces tax revenue and adds noise to national statistics. Bitcoin or any other crypto-coin has real chance of adoption only when it's sponsored by government.