Weekly Report 4|7 11.28.2020-12.4.2020
Highlights
At a Politburo Standing Committee meeting, Xi Jinping declared victory in the battle against poverty and tasked the CCP with “consolidating” its success in poverty alleviation (see Senior Leaders section).
Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director Yang Jiechi published an article in People’s Daily on foreign affairs work during the 14th Five-year Plan (See Senior Leaders section).
Senior Leaders
Remarks Delivered by Xi Jinping at the National Model Workers and Advanced Laborers Commendation Ceremony
11.24 Xi Jinping delivered an address at the National Model Workers and Advanced Laborers Commendation Ceremony, where he commended the role of “the nation’s working class and the vast masses of laborers.” The ceremony was first held in 1950, Xi noted, and he lauded the “striving and struggling” of laborers who are “composing a new chapter in the composition of the “Chinese Dream and the Beauty of Labor.” Xi described how the laborers have also contributed to “national major strategic results as a whole [and] that the pandemic resistance struggle and [that the laborers] made great contributions to economic and social development.” Xi praised laborers as “the most beautiful strivers of the new era.”
In the speech Xi listed four priorities concerning laborers and the development needs of the nation.
The first point is that “labor is the source of all happiness.” Xi called on “all of society to revere labor, to ‘emulate the virtuous,’ to strengthen the publicity of the model worker and advanced laborer [concepts], to tell good labor and artisan stories, to promote [labor] as the most glorious, sublime, mighty, and beautiful societal custom.” Xi described the need for all educational institutions and households to “inculcate the view that diligent labor is glorious,” to “avoid the shame and disgrace of ‘loving ease and hating work,’” and to “cultivate successive generations [who] love labor, are diligent [in their] labor, and [to be good at cultivating] high quality laborers.”
Secondly, Xi emphasized the need to “sufficiently develop the dominant role of the working class” and the “labor force.” Xi described how the creation of a “moderately prosperous, modern, socialist nation is in accordance with the fundamental interests and common aspirations of the people of all ethnic groups in China. The working class and laborers must listen to the Party and follow it unswervingly, to be masters of the nation, and to render meritorious service in the [construction] of the nation.”
Thirdly, Xi stated the importance of “striving to construct a high-quality labor force.” The “competition for comprehensive national strength is competition for human capital in the modern world,” Xi added. The “technological revolution and production transformations” demand “progress in knowledge and technique” of workers on the “production frontline.”
Fourth, Xi expounded on the need to “develop protections for the lawful rights benefits of laborers.” In keeping with the developing ideology of the “people at the center” [there is a need to] “protect the working class and laborers lawful rights and interests.” As such, Xi emphasized “settling” a multitude of concerns including “employment, education, social insurance, medical treatment, housing, elderly care, food safety, work safety, [ecological sustainability], societal law and order.” Other concerns include the need to “unceasingly improve the working class and laborers feeling of accomplishment, happiness, and feeling of safety.”
Yang Jiechi: Actively Build A Favorable External Environment
11.30 Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director Yang Jiechi (杨洁篪) penned an article in People’s Daily on the future of Chinese foreign policy. In the context of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Yang explains that the task of foreign policy is to “bear in mind the overall strategic picture of the great revitalization of the Chinese nation,” “the major changes in the world that have not occurred in a century,” to “plan as a whole, with regard to domestic and external [affairs],” and “to accomplish the two major tasks of development and security.”
Yang commented on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on “international economics, science and technology, culture, security, and governance” [which has] “brought about profound adjustments,” [and as a result] “China is confronted with an increasingly complicated and varied external environment.” Yang asserted that all nations are considering the state of international affairs following the pandemic. Major power relations, Yang contended, is undergoing a “first round of interactive adjustment” and that “changes in the international order are accelerating.” China, Yang added, “took the lead in controlling the pandemic, [has] shown initiative in returning to work and production, and expectations of and reliance on China [have] increased.” China “insists on the position of a multipolar world order,” “advocates for the democratization of international relations,” and the “defense of impartial international justice, [and that China] has received a welcome [and has been] positively commented on by the international community.”
With respect to international economics, Yang stated that the “world economy has suffered a heavy loss, and a new development impetus is currently taking shape.” Yang noted that “international finance and economic crisis risks are increasing; energy and food security challenges are multiplying.” Yang commented on developments which are “against the stream of economic globalization,” including, “a number of countries in which protectionism has gained ground, conflicts [have emerged] over industry and supply chains,” and “the increasing difficulty of international macroeconomic policy coordination.”
Yang described the increasingly “complex and intense contest between multilateralism and unilateralism,” and suggested that China “insists on safeguarding the United Nations as the core of the international system, putting into practice the concept of the shared future for humankind, [of which] international cooperation in response to the pandemic displays a leading effect.” Yang stated that China “will vigorously advocate the building of a community of human health and further build an image as a responsible major country.”
“From 2020 onwards,” Yang wrote, “foreign policy work will actively put into practice the concept proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping to construct a common future for humankind, to deepen international pandemic resistance cooperation, to persist in advancing comprehensive diplomacy, to contribute Chinese wisdom to the international community, to provide Chinese answers [to international problems], and to provide Chinese strength.” Yang suggested that for these efforts China will be “praised and supported.”
Yang set forth six criteria for foreign policy in “new circumstances.” Among which, Yang described the importance of insisting on and refining the “independent foreign policy of peace.” This requires “persisting in building on the foundation of Zhou Enlai’s Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in order to develop friendly cooperation with all nations, to actively develop exchanges and mutual learning with all countries, to jointly construct sustainable peace, universal security, common prosperity, opening and inclusivity, and a clean and beautiful world.”
Yang described the need to “oppose all forms of hegemonism.” Yang commented on the importance of “omnidirectional” relations and bilateral partnerships. The article also included mention of continued high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the need to “strengthen solidarity and cooperation with developing countries.” Yang described the need to support muti-lateralism and to “actively participate in the reform and development of the global governance system.” Yang stated the need for safeguarding national sovereignty, and asserted that the “One China principle,” which he related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet, and expressed “resolute opposition to the misrepresentations and smears of anti-China forces.” Lastly, Yang noted the importance of “strengthening the Party’s centralized and unified leadership, [in addition to improving] the system and mechanism for the Party’s control over foreign policy”. Chinese foreign policy must “insist on the authority of the Party center in diplomacy, [and] to strengthen the theory of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.”
CCP Politburo Holds a Meeting to Review Revised Documents on Party Regulations
11.30 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo reportedly held a meeting on 30 November to discuss documents that laid out revised regulations for party affairs in three major policy areas: military political work, united front work, and party cadre administration. People’s Daily and other state outlets published an article about the meeting that provided no details on the deliberations, presenting instead a propagandistic summary that praised both the new regulations and the leadership of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping.
The first document discussed was a revised edition to the Military Political Work Regulations (军队政治工作条例) for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The summary did not indicate what specific changes would be made, but suggested measures towards the further centralization of authority vested in Xi in his role as Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission. In addition to invoking the need to "persist in educating people and forging spirits [with] Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the army," the summary asserted that the new regulations would "strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the party center and Central Military Commission" over PLA political work, and "comprehensively deepen [and] implement the Military Commission Chairman responsibility system."
The second document discussed was a revision to the Chinese Communist Party United Front Work Regulations (中国共产党统一战线工作条例). The summary description of this document also stressed a theme of centralization, stating that the new regulations would "strengthen the party's centralized and unified leadership over united front work." It emphasized that "party committees (and organizations) at all levels should fully recognize the importance of New Era united front work," and that they should "achieve the situation of the entire party conducting united front work." The summary did not provide specifics as to how this was to be achieved.
The third document referenced was Regulations on Ensuring the Rights of Chinese Communist Party Members (中国共产党党员权利保障条例). The summary provided no specifics as to what these regulations would entail, but provided a series of exhortations regarding the need to “respect the central position of party members” (尊重党员主体地位), as well as to maintain discipline against corruption and “unhealthy tendencies” (不正之风). Party cadres were directed to maintain a "unified relationship between exercising the powers and rights of office [while] abiding by discipline." The summary description further emphasized the theme of centralized authority, stating that the new regulations would "[bring] all party members even more closely united around the periphery of the party center."
Xi Jinping At the 25th Politburo Study Session: Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights and Promoting Innovation
11.30 Xi Jinping gave a speech at the Politburo’s 25th Collective Study Session that emphasized how intellectual property protection relates to modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities, high-quality development, the happiness of people's lives, the overall situation of the country’s opening up, and national security.
Xi Jinping emphasized it is necessary to strengthen the protection of the entire chain of intellectual property rights: legal, administrative, economic, technological, and social governance. The following is a summary of his reasons:
First, the "Proposals" (建议) of the Fifth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Party put forward clear requirements for strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (2012), the CPC Central Committee has placed the protection of intellectual property rights in a more prominent position through reforms and increased punishment. During the 14th Five-Year Plan, it is necessary to clarify and formulate goals that place the people’s interest first.
Second, top-level design of intellectual property protection should be strengthened. Laws and regulations need to be improved faster, especially based on commercial secrets and increasing the speed and enforcement quality of judicial trials. Intellectual property rights are tied to national security, as the strengthening of research and development of key areas is needed to ensure the transfer of intellectual property rights for national security reasons.
Third, it is necessary to coordinate the promotion of international cooperation and competition. The world is a community with a shared future and must adhere to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, and participation under the framework of the World Intellectual Property Organization. It is necessary to tell the story of China's intellectual property rights and show the image of a civilized and responsible country that promotes knowledge sharing.
Politburo Standing Committee Convenes Meeting To Hear Summary and Evaluation Report on Poverty Alleviation
12.04 General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a meeting on the progress of the national poverty alleviation campaign. Important takeaways from Xi’s speech at the meeting were described by People’s Daily as follows:
Xi contended that after 8 years of the campaign that “we have completed the tasks and objectives for poverty alleviation in the new era.” According to the General Secretary, “the entire population of rural villages has been lifted from poverty, impoverished counties have been completely lifted from poverty, absolute poverty and overall regional poverty have been eliminated,” and Xi argued that “nearly 100 million people have been lifted out of poverty,” [and that China] has achieved a “major victory that has impressed the world.”
Xi praised the role of “all levels of Party committee, governments, and contributions from individual members of society.” Xi stated that “Party members and cadres … amply manifested Communist Party member’s mission in assuming their calling and [spirit of] sacrifice.”
Nevertheless, Xi warned that “China’s problem of unbalanced and insufficient growth is still prominent, and that the assignment to continue to consolidate gains in poverty alleviation [are] arduous as before.” The objective for the CCP, Xi is to “thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 5th Plenary Session of the 19th CCP Central Committee,” and to “consolidate and expand poverty alleviation results.” Xi stressed the importance of “maintaining the overall stability of support policies, strictly implementing the requirements of the ‘four do not picks,’ support currently available support policies, funding support, and overall stability for support [policies].”
United Front Work
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Convenes Remote Consultation - Centering on ‘Promoting Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture in School Textbooks, Classrooms, and Campuses’ - Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Wang Yang Presides
11.27 The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convened a remote consultation on “Promoting Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture in School Textbooks, Classrooms, and Campuses.” CPPCC Chairman Wang Yang (汪洋), presided over the conference and delivered a speech. Wang emphasized the need to “deeply understand General Secretary Xi’s major discourse on the inheritance and development of excellent traditional Chinese culture.” Firstly, Xi “insists on the weighty significance of strengthening cultural confidence [and] a high degree of understanding [in] promoting excellent Chinese traditional culture [in school] textbooks, classrooms, and campuses.” Secondly, Xi highlights the importance of the “fundamental assignment” of “fostering virtue through education.” The specific measures include “adherence to the unity of the overall design and classification, unification of content optimization and form innovation, unification of problem-oriented and goal-oriented [approaches],” and the need to “plant the seeds of excellent traditional Chinese culture in every child’s heart and [to] cultivate culturally confident builders and successors of the socialist undertaking.”
11 CPPCC committee members, 1 representative of the grassroots from a relevant organ of the CPPCC and representatives from Tianjin, Shandong, Hunan connected via video-conference. More than 90 committee members expressed their views on the video-conference platform.
International Liaison Work
11.24 International Department Head Song Tao (宋涛) held a video conference with Malawi Congress Party senior cadres with the theme of "Coordinating and Promoting Epidemic Prevention, Economic, and Social Development.”
11.24 International Department Vice Head Shen Beili (沈蓓莉) attended a video conference for 200 leaders and scholars from 33 political parties and 12 think tanks in 23 different Latin American and Caribbean countries on the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee.
11.24 Shen Beili (沈蓓莉) attended the 7th Belt and Road China-Germany Economic Cooperation Dialogue.
11.25 International Department Vice Head Guo Yezhou (郭业洲) attended the 34th meeting of the Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties.
11.26 Song Tao, Guo Yezhou, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lu Xinshe (鹿心社), and Secretary-General of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Huang Weijing (黄伟京) attended the first dialogue meeting between the Communist Party of China and 40 political parties of Southeast Asian countries, including more than 20 party leaders and 5 parliamentary leaders.
11.28 Guo Yezhou attended the 4th "Belt and Road" and Global Governance International Forum and delivered a speech on the high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative to open up new paths for global governance reform and innovation. Representatives of think tanks and business circles from China, Indonesia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Cambodia and other countries and regions attended the meeting.
11.30 Song Tao informed the Communist Party of Vietnam of the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CCP. The Head of External Affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Huang Pingjun, the Vietnamese ambassador to China Fan Xingmei and other Vietnamese party and government officials participated.
11.30 International Department Vice Head Zhu Rui (朱锐) held a video conference with the Sadrist Movement, the Badr Organization, the National Unity Party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan on jointly building the “Belt and Road.”
12.2 International Department Vice Head Qian Hongshan (钱洪山) met with the new Ukranian Ambassador, Serhiy Kamyshev.
Organization Work
12.1 Zhou Qi (周琪) was appointed as the Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
12.2 Wang Wentao (王文涛) was appointed Party Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.
12.3 Tang Renjian (唐仁)will simultaneously serve as a member of the Central Rural Work Small Leading Group and Office Director, and Party Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
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