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Weekly Report 4|43 9.18.2021-9.24.2021
Highlights
On 22 September, the Central Committee and State Council released guidelines to improve and strengthen China’s intellectual property rights regime. (see Senior Leaders section)
On the eve of the fourth Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival, Xi Jinping sent a letter to Chinese farmers and agricultural workers conveying holiday greetings and underscoring the priority of rural revitalization work. (see Senior Leaders section)
An authoritative People’s Daily Commentator Article lauded the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s 19 September elections, the first since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the 2021 electoral system reforms. (see Propaganda Work section)
Senior Leaders
Bell-Tolling Ceremony Commemorating the September 18th Incident Held in Shenyang, Zhao Leji Attends and Gives a Speech
9.18 On 18 September, Politburo Standing Committee Member and Central Committee for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) Head Zhao Leji (赵乐际) attended a bell-tolling ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the September 18th Incident at the September 18th Incident History Museum in Shenyang and gave a speech. Zhao remarked that the September 18th Incident marked the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the “prologue” to the World Anti-Fascist War, noting that the Chinese people ultimately achieved victory and “realized the historic turning point of the Chinese nation moving from serious crisis to great rejuvenation” under the leadership of the Party. He then stressed the need to “promote the spirit of resisting aggression” (抗战精神), hold a correct view of history, and “conscientiously strengthen the ‘four consciousnesses’ (四个意识), consolidate the ‘four confidences’ (四个自信), and achieve the ‘two defends’” (两个维护), among other things. Zhao also emphasized the need to “unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core,” “vigorously promote the great spirit of the Party’s founding,” and “tirelessly struggle to comprehensively build a modern socialist country and achieve the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” as the country sets out on a new journey and enters a new era. At 9:18 AM, Zhao and other leading comrades and representatives struck a bell fourteen times to symbolize the fourteen years of China’s fight against Japan. Zhao, along with other leading comrades and representatives of the masses then visited the September 18th Incident History Museum. Politburo Member and State Council Vice Premier Sun Chunlan (孙春兰), Politburo Member Huang Kunming (黄坤明), Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party (中国农工民主党) Central Committee Chair Chen Zhu (陈竺), Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Vice Chair Zheng Jianbang (郑建邦), and Central Military Commission (CMC) member Miao Hua (苗华) also attended the ceremony.
Sun Chunlan: Meticulously Implement Every [Epidemic] Prevention and Control Measure, Control the Epidemic as Quickly as Possible
9.18 Politburo Member and State Council Vice Premier Sun Chunlan (孙春兰) went to Fujian to investigate and direct epidemic prevention and control work. In Fujian, Sun listened to working group reports about Xiamen and Fujian and inspected areas where COVID-19 broke out and spread in order to better understand community control, testing and contact tracing, and medical care for COVID-19 patients, among other things, and to meet with experts. Sun emphasized the need to “thoroughly implement the spirit of Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions” and the “decisions and deployments” of the Party Central Committee and State Council, “consolidate the ‘four responsibilities’ (四方责任/local, department, danwei, and personal responsibilities),” “implement the requirements of the ‘four earlies’ (四早/early detection, early reporting, early isolation, and early treatment),” and control the spread of the virus. Given that a small number of COVID-19 cases were still occurring in communities, she also stressed expanding the scope of investigations, increasing the strength of information processing, controlling potential hazards, and preventing transmission in communities, among other things. In addition, she highlighted the need to provide treatment to children tailored to their unique “mental and physical characteristics” and discussed ways to accomplish this.
General Office of the Central Committee Releases “Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Marxist Institutes in the New Era”
9.21 The General Office of the Central Committee released “Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Marxist Institutes in the New Era” (关于加强新时代马克思主义学院建设的意见, hereafter “Opinions”) and required their implementation by all departments in all areas. The “Opinions” emphasized that Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology of the Party and nation and that Marxist institutes were the foremost avenues by which ideological study and research were disseminated and adherence to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was forged and cultivated. Strengthening the construction of Marxist institutes is thus necessary for raising a new generation willing to assume responsibility for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and “generation after generation of socialist builders and successors” (社会主义建设者和接班人).
The “Opinions” pointed out that, while “remarkable progress” has been made on the establishment of Marxist institutes since the 18th Party Congress, there are still “disparities” in terms of dissemination of research, team building, and talent cultivation, among other areas. It called on Marxist institutes to strengthen the construction of academic program and curriculum systems and to “comprehensively link” and “organically integrate” innovative achievements in party theory throughout every course. They also emphasized the importance of teacher training, cultivation, and ideological reliability, and proposed strengthening policy supports and practical measures to ensure the integration of ideology and political education into all courses on ideology and politics in order for each to reinforce the other and expand the national influence of Marxist institutes. Finally, the “Opinions” underlined the necessity of party leadership and guidance over Marxist institutes at every level.
Huang Kunming: Employ High-Quality Guidance Work to Carry Out the Thorough Development of Party History Study and Education
9.22 Politburo Member, Propaganda Department Head, and Party History Study and Education Central Leading Group Head Huang Kunming (黄坤明) participated in a Party History Study and Education Central Leading Group symposium in Beijing and delivered a speech. In the speech, Huang emphasized the need to “thoroughly study and implement” the spirit of Xi Jinping’s “important ‘1 July’ speech”; apply high standards and do a high-quality job of “grasp[ing] guidance and oversight work well”; “carry out the thorough development of party history study and education”; and “strive to obtain results that satisfy the Party and the people.” He pointed out that the Party History Study and Education Central Leading Group had already achieved significant results according to a number of campaign metrics, and now would need to strengthen guidance, “accurately, concretely, and effectively” advancing party history study and education and fully covering it from top to bottom. Such guidance should be practical and yield practical results for the masses, targeting specific sectors and communities in order to alleviate their anxiety and using the results of studying party history to effect high-quality development.
Central Committee and State Council Release “Guidelines for Building a Major Intellectual Property Rights Country (2021-2035)”
9.22 On 22 September, the Central Committee and State Council released guidelines to improve various aspects of China’s intellectual property rights and “advance the building of a major intellectual property rights country.” The 22 September guidelines were divided into nine sections: First, the guidelines discussed the strategic background of improving China’s intellectual property rights regime, highlighting the advancements made in the development of China’s intellectual property rights since the 18th Party Congress as well as addressing aspects such as increasing societal innovation and high-quality development by implementing a “major intellectual property rights country strategy.” Second, they gave an overview of the guiding theory related to improving China’s intellectual property rights, including the themes of high-quality development, reform and innovation, supply-side reform, and meeting the growing needs of the people. Based on the principles of rule of law, reform, concentrating on important areas, and scientific governance and win-win cooperation, the outline aims to increase the GDP share of “patent-intensive industries” (专利密集型产业) to 13% of GDP and the GDP share of the copyright industry to 7.5% of GDP by 2025. By 2035, the guidelines aim to complete the construction of an intellectual property rights system, propelling the comprehensive competitiveness of China’s intellectual property rights to the global fore, among other goals. Third, the guidelines discussed the elements of “building a modern socialist intellectual property rights system,” namely creating and amending the necessary laws and legislation, strengthening party leadership over the management of intellectual property rights protection, improving related policies, and establishing relevant regulations.
Fourth, the guidelines provided an overview of establishing a protection system for intellectual property rights, mentioning the need to establish a judicial protection system, set up an administrative protection system, and a coordinated intellectual property rights protection system involving law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities, market agents, industry groups, and the public while “adhering to the centralized and unified leadership of the party center.” Fifth, the guidelines discussed the need for a “market operation mechanism (市场运行机制) that encourages innovation and development, specifically focusing on “reforming and improving the intellectual property rights assessment and evaluation mechanism (知识产权考核评价机制), “establishing a patent-intensive industry investigation mechanism (专利密集型产业调查机制), and establishing a “marketized operations and management mechanism” (市场化运营机制). Sixth, the guidelines recommended improving intellectual property rights data centers, increasing the standardization and networking of public services, and establishing an information service model with standardized data and integrated resources to ultimately make public intellectual property rights services more convenient and beneficial.
Seventh, the guidelines provided an overview of ways to establish an intellectual property rights culture, using both traditional and emerging media to widely disseminate intellectual property rights culture, and ways to cultivate talent for intellectual property rights work. Eighth, the guidelines recommended “participating in the reform and construction of the global intellectual property rights governance system” and “constructing a joint multilateral and bilateral international cooperation network” as ways China could increase its participation in global intellectual property rights governance. Finally, the outline stipulated “organizational guarantees,” namely increasing the Party’s leadership over the “building of a major intellectual property rights country,” “strengthening conditional guarantees” such as the central and local financial investment guarantee mechanism system, and strengthening the evaluation and examination of work described in the guidelines.
Xi Jinping Sends Holiday Congratulations and Greetings to the Country’s Farmers and Comrades Working on the Front Lines of the “Three Rural Issues”
9.22 On the eve of the fourth “Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival” (中国农民丰收节), Xi Jinping sent a letter to Chinese farmers and agricultural workers conveying holiday greetings. In the letter, Xi pointed out that this year, China had “overcome the COVID-19 epidemic, catastrophic flooding, and other difficulties” but that “grain and agricultural production had enjoyed a bumper harvest,” thereby securing “rural harmony and stability and farmers’ happiness and good health and playing an important role in exhibiting [China’s] innovation, adaptability, and stability.” He emphasized that national rejuvenation required rural revitalization, and that in setting out on the new journey of achieving the second centennial goal, the core focus of the “‘three rural issues’” (三农/agriculture, rural areas, and farmers) had shifted toward rural revitalization. He concluded by calling upon all levels of party and government to prioritize agricultural and rural development, “accelerating the modernization of farming and agriculture” and gradually raising the quality of life for large numbers of farmers like “a sesame seed blossoming little by little” (芝麻开花节节高).
Hu Chunhua: Make a Good Start for Ensuring the Improvement of Rural Living Environments in the New Development Stage
9.24 Politburo Member and State Council Vice Premier Hu Chunhua (胡春华) gave a speech at a nationwide meeting on the regulation and improvement of rural living environments convened in Jingning County, Lishui Prefectural City, Zhejiang Province. In the speech, Hu emphasized implementing the spirit of Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the strategic decisions and deployments of the Central Committee and State Council, improving policy measures, and strengthening responsibility for implementation, among other themes. He pointed out that the “smooth completion of the three-year operation regulating rural living environments” had played an important role in demonstrating the building of a moderately prosperous society (小康社会), and that “improving rural living environments was an important part of achieving rural modernization.” He added that gradually modernizing rural living conditions would require formulating goals appropriate to local circumstances. Hu said that governments at all levels should treat regulating and improving rural living environments as a “fundamental public service” based on the requirement of closing the gap in service provision between rural and urban areas as a long-term guarantee of stability. Finally, he underscored the importance of eschewing both “attempt-nothing, accomplish-nothing” (无所作为) and “‘one-size-fits-all’” (一刀切) approaches to regulating and improving rural living environments and preventing formalism and bureaucracy, among other things.
Propaganda Work
People’s Daily Commentator Article: An Important Step for Implementing the Principle of “Patriots Governing Hong Kong”
9.21 An authoritative Commentator Article lauded the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s (HKSAR) 19 September elections, the “first important election since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Amendments Improving Hong Kong’s Electoral System.” The commentary stated that the “perfect success” of the election had “fully revealed the formidable vitality of the democratic system with Hong Kong characteristics (香港特色民主制度) under ‘One Country, Two Systems.’” It reviewed the proposal, passage, and adoption of the amended Annexes to Hong Kong’s Basic Law improving the HKSAR’s electoral system, which was adopted by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) in March 2021 and ultimately by Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) in May 2021. The Article stated that the amended Annexes provided a “solid guarantee” for implementing the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong” (爱国者治港), adding that the recent Election Committee elections provided a “firm foundation” for the upcoming LegCo and Chief Executive elections.
Elaborating on the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong” under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework, the commentary emphasized that ensuring patriots govern Hong Kong and that no “oppose-China, stoke-chaos-in-Hong Kong (反中乱港) elements” were able to infiltrate HKSAR governance structures constituted an “iron bottom line” (一条铁的底线) as well as being an “international convention.” It further noted that this “new order” of “patriots governing Hong Kong” was undergirded by the HKNSL, the amended Annexes on improving the electoral system, and the loyalty oath requirement for public officials. The commentary subsequently stressed the importance of the vetting and review process for candidates in order to plug “loopholes” (漏洞) that allow the infiltration of elections by “oppose-China, stoke-chaos-in-Hong Kong elements.” Finally, it observed that the electoral reforms expanding and empowering the election committee would “safeguard the overall interests of Hong Kong society,” better organize the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government, and allow for the more effective governance of Hong Kong. In this way, Hong Kong would be able to “emerge from [its] long-standing ‘political swamp’ (政治泥沼)” and focus on resolving contradictions and problems, economic development, and improving the lives of the people.
He Yin: Strengthen Anti-Epidemic Cooperation, Build a Shared Health Community
9.24 A He Yin (和音) commentary stated that China’s efforts to help other countries acquire COVID-19 vaccines had reduced vaccine production and distribution “deficits” and demonstrated “a generous and selfless spirit of international cooperation.” The commentary began by stating that Xi Jinping’s speech at the 76th UN General Assembly “injected confidence into global anti-pandemic [efforts]” and had “important significance for building a shared health community for mankind (人类卫生健康共同体),” among other achievements. Next, it said that despite the efforts of “specific countries” to “engage in majorly passing the buck (甩锅), shirking responsibility, and political manipulation, “pursue ‘vaccine nationalism’” (疫苗民族主义), and “seriously undermine the general situation of global anti-pandemic cooperation,” people in countries around the world had donated medical supplies and “spread confidence that the pandemic would be defeated.” Moreover, noting that COVID-19 was mutating and spreading all over the globe, the commentary asserted that only international unity and cooperation will result in an ultimate victory over the virus. Next, the commentary observed that concepts such as “promoting a spirit of science” (科学精神) and “adhering to the people above all else” provided a “Chinese plan” (中国方案) to overcome the pandemic that “made active contributions to building a shared health community for mankind.” The commentary then stated that China’s efforts to provide COVID-19 vaccines via aid, exports, and cooperating with other countries in vaccine production “exhibited major country responsibilities” (大国担当). After describing how “building a shared community of common health for mankind” was the “correct path for defeating the pandemic” and the “correct blueprint for protecting a beautiful future for the health of mankind,” the commentary concluded by saying that “China will continue to collaborate with every country to resist the pandemic and jointly promote the development of the global public health project.”
Party Discipline
Let Supervision Authority Operate on the Track of Rule of Law—Interpreting the “Regulations on the Implementation of the Supervision Law of the People’s Republic of China”
9.20 This interpretation of the 20 September “Regulations on the Implementation of the Supervision Law of the People’s Republic of China” (hereafter the “Regulations”) by the head of the Central Committee for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission’s [CCDI-NSC] Legislation Office focused on three elements of the law’s implementation: demonstrating “the theory, practice, and system outcomes of deepening the reform of the national supervision system”; “promoting the standardization, rule of law, and regularization of supervision work”; and “defining the boundaries of power and ensuring that supervision law enforcement power receives supervision and constraints.” First, the CCDI-NSC Legislation Office head stressed that the “Regulations” were an “important action” in deepening the reform of the national supervision system and that they were useful for “improving the national supervision system with Chinese characteristics” and having a “robust, unified, centralized, authoritative, and efficient supervision system.” The Office head also noted that the “Regulations” “adhered to the integration of the [supervision] system” and “elaborated on and improved” the regulations in the Supervision Law, which met the “urgent needs” of discipline inspection and supervision agencies. Second, they stated that the “Regulations” were “powerful guarantees for advancing the standardization, rule of law, and regularization of supervision work” and gave examples of this from various sections in the “Regulations.” Finally, the Legislation Office head stated that the “Regulations” “more clearly defined the boundaries of the authority of supervision agencies” and improved supervision systems, ultimately “guaranteeing that supervision law enforcement received oversight and [was subject to] constraints.” After giving several examples of increased supervision and restraint from various sections in the “Regulations,” the Legislation Office head concluded by saying that discipline inspection and investigation agencies would “firmly implement and carry out the Regulations” and that the “Regulations” would, among other things, “promote the high-quality development of discipline inspection and supervision work in the new era.”
International Liaison Work
9.23 CCP International Department (CCP/ID) Assistant Head Zhu Rui (朱锐) held a videoconference and attended the opening ceremony of an online training seminar for Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) cadres with LCP General Secretary Hanna Gharib.
9.24 CCP/ID Head Song Tao (宋涛) attended and delivered the keynote address at and CPP/ID Assistant Head Li Mingxiang (李明祥) presided over the Fourth China-Africa Political Parties Theoretical Seminar via videolink. Carrying the theme “Development Paths Suited to National Conditions: The Explorations and Practices of Chinese and African Political Parties,” the seminar featured nearly 300 participants from 14 African countries. Other participants included Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong (陈晓东), other Chinese diplomatic envoys posted in Africa, “relevant comrades” from the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) and National Administration for Rural Revitalization, Ugandan National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General Richard Todwong, South Sudanese Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Acting Secretary General Peter Lam Both, and South African National Assembly Deputy Speaker and South African Communist Party (SACP) Central Committee member Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli.
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