- Admin
Weekly Report 4|39 8.21.2021-8.27.2021
Highlights
Xi Jinping conducted an inspection of Hebei, addressing environmental, economic, ethnic, and religious issues. (see Senior Leaders section)
People’s Daily launched a new Zhong Sheng commentary series focused on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the lessons to be learned from US engagement in that country. (see Propaganda Work section)
The Hangzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission launched a special management initiative devoted to “prominent issues” that influence the relationship between government and business. (see Party Discipline section)
Senior Leaders
During an Inspection in Chengde, Hebei, Xi Jinping Emphasized the Need to Implement the New Development Concept to Promote the Spirit of Saihanba and to Strive to Complete the Major Goals and Tasks of the Year for Economic and Social Development
8.23-24 From August 23-24, Xi Jinping conducted an inspection of Chengde, Hebei. He was accompanied by Wang Dongfeng (王东峰), Hebei Governor Xu Qin (许勤), Politburo Members Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥), Liu He (刘鹤), and Chen Xi (陈希), National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) head He Lifeng (何立峰), and “other responsible comrades from relevant Central departments.” During the inspection, Xi discussed “promot[ing] the Saihanba spirit” of “always remembering one’s mission, working hard under arduous circumstances, and green development,” which has “important significance for the construction of a national ecological civilization.” On the topic of religion, Xi called for upholding the sinicization of religion, “comprehensively implement[ing] the Party’s policies on freedom of religion,” and “creat[ing] a good religious environment” in order to promote religions “conform[ing] to society, serv[ing] society, and carry[ing] out social responsibility.” Regarding ethnic groups, Xi said that “only socialism with Chinese characteristics is able to unite, develop, and prosper every ethnic group.” Xi additionally encouraged the research of history to discover historical laws and trends, highlighted the need to “establish prosperous rural areas as well as flourishing cities,” called for the improvement of rural infrastructure and public services, and expressed the need to improve care for the elderly and to engage them in their communities. He ended by praising the leadership of the Party for uniting 56 ethnic groups and 1.4 billion people to “live together in harmony” and asserted that all 1.4 billion Chinese are united—“twisted into a rope” (拧成一股绳).
Han Zheng: Completely, Accurately, and Comprehensively Implement the the New Development Concept, Limit the Blind Development of “Two Highs” Projects
8.26 Politburo Standing Committee Member and State Council Vice Premier Han Zheng (韩正) attended a 26 August teleconference and gave a speech. In his speech, Han stated that the Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core “places a high degree of emphasis on limiting the blind development of ‘two highs’(两高/high energy consuming, high emission) projects.” Han encouraged the country to work together in curbing the ‘two highs,’ and to “keep [its] eyes on the overall situation of the country’s development.” He pointed out the need to be strict in examining and approving new projects, even to the extent of not approving “new projects that do not meet the requirements of dual-energy consumption control.” National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) head He Lifeng (何立峰) also attended the teleconference, along with comrades from every province, autonomous region and municipality. The teleconference was launched in part by the NDRC, after notifying the ministry of Ecology and Environment and relevant local officials about issues with implementation and lack of progress.
Hu Chunhua: Resolutely and Vigorously Implement Seed Industry Revitalization
8.27 Politburo Member and State Council Vice Premier Hu Chunhua (胡春华) attended a teleconference on revitalizing the seed industry. In his speech at the teleconference, he stated that it was necessary to “thoroughly implement the spirit of Xi Jinping’s important instructions in accordance with the strategic directives and deployments of the Central Committee and the State Council, comprehensively implement seed industry revitalization, achieve every goal and mission without compromise, resolutely fight the battle to transform the seed industry, and firmly grasp the national food security and modernization of agriculture (农业现代化) initiatives.” Saying that China’s seed industry had made great strides, Hu identified remaining areas for growth, including the important and urgent need to control seed sources. To that end, Hu suggested several areas of focus according to the “Seed Industry Revitalization Action Plan,” including “independent control of first-rate seed varieties,” pursuing breakthroughs in developing seed varieties, and strengthening research and development. Other themes included the cultivation of a commercial breeding system drawing on academia, research, and industry; maintaining seed supply; and strengthening the legal system and supervision of the seed market. Finally, he stressed improving the long-term support and stability of the seed industry, raising the level of foreign cooperation, and consolidating responsibility at all levels of regional and party government.
Propaganda Work
People’s Daily Commentator Article: Vigorously Promote the Daqing Spirit
8.23 People’s Daily continued its Commentator Article series on the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communist Party members. The 23 August installment, titled “Vigorously Promote the Daqing Spirit,” began by describing how the people of Daqing produced the Daqing spirit and the “iron man spirit” (铁人精神) of “patriotism, entrepreneurship, seeking truth, and dedication.” After recalling the the Daqing oil field’s significantly expanded production and sustained high-yield output of crude oil in the more than 60 years since its founding, the Article said that the actions of the Daqing oil field workers “made the Daqing spirit...become the powerful spiritual force uniting millions of oil workers and centrally displayed the majestic character and spiritual style of our country’s working class.” Next, the commentary stated that, as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation “entered an irreversible historical course” and China “fac[ed] rare opportunities and serious challenges,” readers should “promote the Daqing spirit” and adhere to patriotism, entrepreneurship, seeking truth, and dedication. It concluded, “Looking ahead to bright prospects, [by] vigorously promot[ing] the Daqing spirit and maintain[ing] the spiritual style of working hard and forging ahead, we can certainly continually create new achievements on the new journey and cast new splend[ors].”
Zhong Sheng Series: 20 Years of War in Afghanistan Offer a Warning to the United States
8.26-8.27 People’s Daily launched a new Zhong Sheng commentary series focused on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the lessons to be learned from US engagement in that country.
A 26 August commentary, titled “Hegemony and Power Politics are Unpopular” called attention to the mess “riddled with gaping holes” (千疮百孔) left by the United States in Afghanistan, which serves as a disappointing and cautionary lesson for its allies. In addition, it claimed that this “strategic failure” on the part of the United States has “fully demonstrated” the unpopularity of “hegemony and power politics.” Reflecting on the history of US involvement in Afghanistan and especially the high cost of the war in terms of money and human lives, the commentary concluded that “the US’ ‘neo-interventionism’ (新干涉主义) is destined to be impossible to succeed.” Furthermore, the US failure in Afghanistan has shown that the United States’ global role is solely destructive rather than constructive. The commentary agreed with President Biden’s statement that the US goal in Afghanistan [was] not nation building, saying that in actuality “whether Iraq, Syria, or Afghanistan, wherever the United States military goes it leaves behind unrest, division, and families ruined and orphaned.” The US’ 20 years in Afghanistan also prove that “imposing a particular value system on another ethnic group and civilization is unsustainable, and using power and military means to solve problems will only lead to more and more problems.” After chronicling the damage to the United States’ reputation as a reliable ally, the commentary concluded that, while history does not repeat itself, it does have resemblances. The United States should learn from its defeats and reconsider its policies of military intervention and “cease [using] the pretense of ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ to wantonly interfere with other countries’ internal affairs and destroy [their] peace and stability.”
A 27 August commentary, titled “Forcing ‘Democratic Transformation’ Will [Result in] Eating One’s Own Bitter Fruit” said that if the United States continued down the “blind alley” of “exporting US-style democracy,” Afghanistan would not be the last failure it encountered. It also declared that the conclusion of the war in Afghanistan “let people see more clearly” that “transplanting US-style democracy” is “[building] castles in the air” (空中楼阁) and that “forcing ‘democratic transformation’” would “[result in] the [United States] eating [its own] bitter fruit.” Next, the commentary said that despite what they said in the past, the attempts of US leaders to now assert that “the United States’ goal in Afghanistan was not nation building” shows the “hypocr[isy]” and “irresponsibility” of the United States’ attempts to “export US-style democracy.” Moving on, it described US attempts to establish “US-style democracy” in Afghanistan as a “mirage completely lacking a basis in reality” and called the inability of the United States’ “massive investment” in Afghanistan to stave off disaster “the greatest irony of US-style hegemony.” After stating that US politicians “could not get rid of the urge to export US-style democracy” despite the “many lessons” that external systems were not compatible in countries with a different history, culture, and national conditions, the commentary concluded that “Democracy does not have a fixed model, and [one] even more cannot hold a preconceived notion (先入为主) or meddle in others’ affairs (越俎代庖). The United States should truly draw a lesson from the failure of forcing ‘democratic transformation.’”
Propaganda Department of the CCP Releases “The CCP: Its Mission and Contributions”
8.27 On 27 August, the Central Propaganda Department released a document titled “The CCP: Its Mission and Contributions.” The document began by crediting the Party with the momentous changes China has undergone in the past 100 years, describing how it had united and led the people in accomplishing the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” throughout various periods in PRC history. Next, it discussed the Party’s mission and contributions by focusing on five main themes: “wholeheartedly serving the people,” “realizing the ideals of the Party,” “robust leadership and strong governance,” “maintaining vigor and vitality,” and “contributing to world peace and development.” The document elaborated on how the Party had “placed the people first,” recounting that benefitting the people’s interests constituted both the “basic consideration” of the Party’s work and the “highest standard” for determining policy, noting that the Party has relied on the people for its accomplishments throughout history and had made the people masters of the country through people’s democracy, benefitting the people materially and spiritually. It cautioned that any attempt to separate the Party from the people and “cause the people to abandon the leadership of the Party” would fail. Next, it gave an overview of the Party’s struggle for its ideals throughout history. The section began by describing how the Party had adhered to and adapted Marxism to suit China, as well as how it had upheld the ideals of communism and socialism, and had continued its struggle in the face of difficulties and in good and bad circumstances, and how each generation of party member fulfilled their mission as they pursued communism. The section went on to describe how the Party “bravely led the people in exploration” as it faced new situations, as well as how it led the people in resolving risks and “consolidated its position of holding power.”
Next, the document discussed the factors that contributed to the Party’s “high degree of unity, robust leadership, and strong governance,” which allowed it to unite the people to overcome difficulties. Specifically, it cited the “authority and centralized leadership of the Central Committee”; “formulating the correct line and strategy”; “effectively implementing” strategic decisions; fostering unity and expanding the united front; and the ability to attract talent to form a high quality complement of cadres. Fourth, it gave an overview of how the Party “maintained its youthfulness and vitality,” which came from, among other things, advancing with the times and advancing self-purification, self-development, self-innovation, and self-improvement.” Specifically, the document covered the “continual development of intra-party democracy”; correcting mistakes and learning from them; “struggling against every kind of phenomenon that weakens the Party’s purity” by “strengthening the restriction and supervision of power” and opposing corruption, among other things; and learning from its experiences.
Finally, it discussed China’s “contributions to world peace and development,” covering topics such as China’s contributions to world peace in both past and present; promoting the common development of countries around the world; “walking the path of peaceful development”; and “promoting the construction of a community of shared future for mankind” (人类命运共同体).The document pointed to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as “an important platform of practice for promoting the construction of a community of shared future for mankind.” In its conclusion, the document underlined common prosperity, noting that the Party would “firmly eliminate hindrances and restrictions to realize common prosperity” and “promote... continuously acquiring substantive progress in common prosperity for all the people.” Finally, the document guaranteed that both the goal of comprehensively establishing a modern socialist country and realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation would be accomplished, along with “making greater contributions to mankind.”
United Front Work
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee Held an Important Proposal Supervision and Consultation Meeting, Wang Yang Presided and Gave a Speech
8.24 Politburo Member and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Chair Wang Yang (汪洋) presided over a CPPCC National Committee proposal supervision and consultation meeting on “Strengthening Ecological and Environmental Protection and Climate Change Adaptation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.” In his speech at the meeting, Wang emphasized the importance of “implementing Xi Jinping thought on ecological civilization; maintaining the attitude of being responsible to history, the people, and the world”; “evaluating the impact of global change and human activity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau”; improving the region’s capacity to adapt to climate change; and “protecting ‘the water tower of China’ (中华水塔) and ‘the earth’s third pole’ (地球第三极).”
During the consultation meeting, representatives and experts from relevant institutions provided feedback on a proposal for strengthening environmental protection and climate change adaptation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau offered by members of the CPPCC National Committee at this year’s Two Sessions meeting. They acknowledged achievements in protecting the region’s ecology while identifying ongoing needs and challenges caused by climate change, including rising snowlines in some areas, receding glaciers, and melting permafrost, among others. The proposal sought to address these needs and challenges through a variety of monitoring, early warning, and evaluation mechanisms along with resource management and disaster prevention and relief measures to strengthen regional ecological protection and bolster climate adaptation.
CPPCC National Committee Vice Chair and Secretary General Li Bin (李斌) also attended.
Party Discipline
Hangzhou: Launch the Special Management of Prominent Issues Influencing the Clean and Cordial Relationship Between Government and Business
8.23 The Hangzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission launched a special management initiative devoted to “prominent issues” that influence the relationship between government and business. Specifically, the special management initiative focused on the self-examination of leading cadres in regard to preventing conflicts of interest as well as illegal borrowing and lending. In addition to leading cadres, the special management initiative also applied to the spouses of leading cadres and their children, their children’s spouses, and leading cadres who have retired in the last three years. During the special management period, Hangzhou focused on ten types of conflicts of interest and required cadres to engage in self-examination, submit reports, and finish making corrections within three months. According to statistics, self-examinations have been carried out by 24,849 cadres since the beginning of the special management initiative. In addition, the Hangzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission will coordinate with the Organization Department of the Municipal Committee to check reports on major items of individual cadres and use the results to conduct inspections and hold those who provided false information accountable, among other things.
At the 22nd Collective Study Session of the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Zhao Leji Stressed the Responsibility to Construct a New Development Pattern for Carrying Out Supervision and Increasing Consciousness and Efficacy in the Overall Situation of the Work of Serving the Party and the State
8.24 Politburo Standing Committee Member and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) Secretary Zhao Leji (赵乐际) presided over a collective study session focused on “accelerating the construction of a new development pattern and seizing the initiative in future development.” In his remarks, Zhao stated that the goal of constructing a new development pattern is a “strategic judgement and decision from the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” helps China’s economic development keep up with the times,” and will “shape China’s new advantages in economic cooperation and competition.” He called for the implementation of the important tasks from the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee and from the “Guidelines On Accelerating the Construction of a New Development Pattern.” He specifically asked his audience to “stick to the keynote of strictness for a long time and unflinchingly face the wind of eliminating corruption head-on” and to “resolutely investigate, handle, and hold people accountable for empty statements, perfunctory responses, campaigning, formalistic and bureaucratic problems, misconduct or failure to act, violation of rules and of order, and/or failure to do one’s duty.”
Politburo Member and CCDI Deputy Secretary Yang Xiaodu (杨晓渡) also attended the meeting.
International Liaison Work
8.25 CCP International Department (CCP/ID) Deputy Head Guo Yezhou (郭业洲) attended and addressed the opening ceremony of a webinar for cadres from the Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
8.25 CCP/ID Assistant Head Zhu Rui (朱锐) addressed a CCP/ID-hosted videoconference on novel coronavirus origin tracing. Participants included leaders of 28 political parties and organizations from 13 Arab countries.