- Admin
Weekly Report 4|3 10.24.2020-10.30.2020
Highlights
The CCP continued its recognition of 70th anniversary of China’s entrance into the Korean War with a commemoration ceremony at which Xi Jinping declared, “The era in which Western aggressors can occupy a country by setting up a few cannons on a coast in the east for hundreds of years is gone forever!” (see Senior Leaders section).
The CCP Central Committee’s Fifth Plenum was held this week (see Senior Leaders section).
Senior Leaders
Xi Jinping Gives Speech on the 70th Anniversary the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ Mission to Resist US Aggression and Aid North Korea in Beijing
10.23 Xi Jinping gave a speech during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of China’s entrance into the Korean War. He emphasized that the war stopped imperialist aggression and expansion and safeguarded the security of New China, while forging a great spirit that spans time and space.
Xi highlighted the need to adhere to the party’s leadership and accelerate the modernization of national defense, and emphasized peaceful cooperation as “the world belongs to people of all countries.” According to Xi, China has always pursued a defensive national defense policy but China will not sit back and watch damage done to its national sovereignty and interests, and if a situation were to occur, it would come to “head-on-head blows” (迎头痛击).
Xi Jinping pointed out that “the Chinese people are well aware that when dealing with an invader, they have to talk to them in a language they can understand. This is simply using war to stop war.” “The era when Western aggressors can occupy a country by setting up a few cannons on a coast in the east for hundreds of years is gone forever!” The great victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea is a manifesto (宣言书) for the Chinese people to stand up in the east, and “an important milestone for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” No matter how strong a country or military force, if it stands on the wrong side of history, aggressively expands, bullies the weak, or goes against the will of the people, it will inevitably lead to a broken head and flowing blood (碰得头破血流). Xi Jinping concludes by saying that any method of blackmail, unilateralism, protectionism, or extreme pressure is unworkable, it will lead to a road of ruin (死路一条).
The entire Politburo Standing Committee attended the meeting.
Authorized Release: Communique on the 19th CCP Central Committee’s Fifth Plenum
10.29 Xinhua published an authoritative communique on the Fifth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, which was held from 26 to 29 October. The plenum was attended by 198 members of the Central Committee and 166 alternate members, as well as members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Standing Committee and other officials from related fields. According to the communique, the plenum heard and discussed a work report delivered by Xi Jinping and approved the “Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party’s Proposals for the 14th Five-Year Plan on National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives for 2035.”
The communique discussed advancements and achievements since the Fourth Plenum in 2019, including “carrying forward the ‘Four Comprehensives’ (四个全面),” reform and opening, “calmly and forcefully responding to all kinds of risks and challenges,” and highlighted epidemic prevention work and other achievements. It also outlined the achievements of the 13th Five-Year Plan and acknowledged the remaining challenges.
The communique said that the plenum discussed details on the long-range goal of “basically achieving” socialist modernization by 2035, the 14th Five-Year Plan, and estimated that China’s GDP would exceed 100 trillion RMB in 2020, but did not set a specific GDP target. It stated that the plenum made a number of proposals:
Adhere to the central position of innovation in the country’s modernization. This includes the self-reliance in science and technology to support the national development strategy, deepening the implementation of strategies to invigorate the country through science and education, develop talent, and innovate development, as well as speed up the construction of scientific and technological power.
Accelerate the development of the modern industrial system and promote the increased optimization of the economic system. Build manufacturing power and a digital China.
Form a strong domestic market and construct a new development pattern. This proposal referenced Xi’s economic strategy of “dual circulation” and discussed linking the implementation of the strategy to expand domestic demand to deepening supply-side structural reforms.
Comprehensively deepen reforms and construct a high-level socialist market economic system. Improve macroeconomic governance, establish a modern finance and taxation banking system, and accelerate the transformation of the government’s function.
Prioritize agricultural and rural development and comprehensively revitalize rural areas. Promote a new type of jointly prosperous relations between workers and farmers and urban and rural areas and consolidate the results of poverty alleviation with rural revitalization.
Optimize the spatial layout of the country’s land and promote coordinated regional development and new-type urbanization. Adhere to and improve various development strategies, systems, and mechanisms.
Prosper and develop cultural activities and industries and increase the country’s cultural soft power. Adhere to Marxism, strengthen cultural self confidence, raise the degree of social civilization, and upgrade the level of public cultural services.
Promote green development and advance the harmonious symbiosis of man and nature. Adhere to the “clear waters and green mountains are mountains of gold and silver” concept, deepen implementation of the sustainable development strategy, and comprehensively raise the efficiency of natural resource utilization.
Carry out a higher level of opening up to the outside world to open up new phases of win-win cooperation. Promote trade liberalization, innovation, development, promote the Belt and Road Initiative, and actively participate in reforms of the global economic governance system.
Improve the people’s quality of life and raise the level of social construction. Increase people’s income levels, strengthen employment policies, build a high-quality education system, and a comprehensive multi-level social security system, and implement a strategy to actively respond to the aging population.
Coordinate development and security to build a higher level of peace and safety in China. Implement national security strategies, link security development to all fields of the country’s development process, and maintain social stability and security.
Accelerate national defense and military modernization to achieve the unity of a rich country and a strong army. Implement the military strategy guidelines of the new era, adhere to the party’s absolute leadership over the PLA, comprehensively strengthen military training and preparation, and improve the strategic ability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. The proposal also highlighted the importance of ensuring the realization of the military’s centenary goals in 2027.
The communique concluded by emphasizing the need to “preserve the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau, and carry forward the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and reunification of the motherland.”
Propaganda Work
Zhong Sheng Series: The True Face of the US--A Menace to Global Security
People’s Daily
10.28-10.29 People’s Daily began a Zhong Sheng series criticizing the US for violating other countries sovereignty and its overall conduct on the world stage.
The first article, titled “Interfering in Other Nations’ Internal Affairs, Threatening Global Political Security” criticized American conduct as damaging global political security. “Some American politicians” have adopted “an absurd ‘security scripture’ and have been utilizing ‘American national security’ as a pretext in attacking and smearing another country’s name.” The US has “intervened and undermined various nations’ sovereignty and has used foreign policy instruments to create a great amount of human tragedy;” calling them a “ black hand stirring up trouble and muddying the waters.” Zhong Sheng concluded that “peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the correct path for humanity,” and that “attempting to turn against the tide of history will not win the peoples’ hearts.”
The second article, titled “Waving the Big Stick of Sanctions, Threatening The Entire World’s Economic Security,” explained the US “actions against globalization are an obstacle to developing the world’s economy and threatens economic security.” Combining the use of tariffs and sanctions, Zhong Sheng says that the US has pursued a policy of “solving its own economic problems by making other countries’ economies worse, engaging in protectionism, and wielding the big stick of sanctions to threaten global economic security.” The commentary criticized the US for “constantly generalizing the concept of ‘national security,’ launching a technological Cold War,” and suppressing companies operating overseas. Because the dollar is the world’s currency, the US should have acted more responsibly (能力越大、责任越大), and not taken unilateral coercive measures that damage those countries’ economies and ability to improve people’s livelihood. The commentary concludes by emphasizing that during the coronavirus epidemic, there is no market for hegemonic or zero-game thinking, and bullying will not succeed.
PD Commentator Series: Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army’s Mission to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
People’s Daily
10.23-10.26 People’s Daily ran a commentator series commemorating the anniversary of China joining the Korean War. It contained excerpts for Xi Jinping’s speech on the 70th anniversary, and covered themes related to strong party leadership and China’s seeking peaceful development balanced with willingness to stand up for its own interests.
The first commentator article, titled “Vigorously Promote the Great Spirit of Resisting US Aggression and Aiding North Korea,” quotes Xi Jinping saying, “the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was a victory of justice, a victory of peace, and a victory of the people.” The commentary then explains that on the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers deployment abroad to fight against the US, it is important to think about the future as to “better learn historical experience, and obtain practical and long-term lessons from it.” The Chinese people will “absolutely never agree to any one or any force that attempts to impose their will on China, change China’s direction, or block China’s efforts to create their own lives.” It concludes that the peace-loving Chinese people “resolutely oppose the use of force or use the threat of force to handle international disputes, and resolutely oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs under the cover of ‘democracy’, ‘freedom’, and ‘human rights.”
The second commentator article, titled “Remember the Great Victory and Advance the Great Cause,” linked the War to Resist America and Aid Korea to the importance of the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership. The war is described as using cold-hard facts to tell the world that any powerful country or army that is opposing the development trend, bullying the weak, going against the will of the people, or aggressively expanding, will inevitably lead to a “broken head and flowing blood (碰得头破血流).” It explains “there is no political force like the Communist Party” and that as long as we keep the mission in mind, we will “be able to make the Party the most reliable and strongest backbone of the Chinese people (主心骨).”
The third commentator article, titled “Peaceful Development and Win-Win Cooperation are the Right Way in the World” explains the Chinese people “do not cause trouble and are not afraid of them” (惹事也不怕事) in terms of their national sovereignty and interests. As a responsible major country, China adheres to the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom of all mankind. The commentary stresses that history proves the importance of mutual respect and equality among big and small countries, because “relying on a Cold War mentality, drawing lines with ideology, and playing a zero-sum game can not solve a country’s problems.” No matter how China develops, China will “never seek hegemony, nor engage in expansion, and will never impose the tragic experience it has experienced on other nations.” As a result, China has never provoked a war nor invaded another country.
International Liaison Work
10.29 International Department Vice Head Qian Hongshan (钱洪山) met with Kyrgyzstan Ambassador to China Baktygulov Kanayo Dzhumadilovna.
Organization Work
10.30 Cui Qiming (崔启明) was appointed secretary of China Foreign Affairs University’s Party committee.