- Admin
Weekly Report 4|68 4.16.22-4.22.22
Highlights
Qiushi published Xi Jinping’s speech at the 28th Politburo collective study session on 26 February 2021, which focused on “improv[ing] the coverage of a social security system for the entire populace.” (See Senior Leaders section)
An additional People’s Daily Commentator Article discussed Xi Jinping’s remarks on the importance of maintaining a “dynamic zero” (动态清零) COVID-19 policy, saying they indicated the direction of pandemic prevention and control. (See Propaganda Work section)
People’s Daily published a Guo Jiping (国纪平) commentary on China’s technological innovations and approach to international scientific and technological cooperation. (See Propaganda Work section)
Senior Leaders
Xi Jinping: Promote the High-Quality and Sustainable Development of Our Country’s Social Security Projects
4.15 Qiushi published Xi Jinping’s speech at the 28th Politburo collective study session on 26 February 2021, which focused on “improv[ing] the coverage of a social security system for the entire populace.” Referring to social security as “an important system arrangement for promoting socio-economic development and realizing the vast [number of] the people and masses jointly sharing in the results of reform and development,” Xi began by outlining the Party’s historical emphasis on social security and how the pace of establishing a social security system had increased since the 18th Party Congress. He then stated that despite the achievements made in establishing China’s social security system, several problems still existed: lack of system integration and difficulties combining and transferring between different social security systems; groups such as migrant workers not being entered into the social security system; insufficient participation of market entities and “social forces” in supplementing the social security system; differences in treatment between rural and urban areas, regions, and communities; and gaps between the needs of the people and “social insurance service capabilities.” Moving on, Xi gave six recommendations for improving China’s social security system:
“Establish a Social Security System With Chinese Characteristics”: Xi stressed the need to study the “beneficial experience” of foreign social security systems but ultimately establish a social security system in line with China’s national conditions. He also emphasized using the Party’s leadership and “the political superiority of [China’s] socialist system” to ensure that the development of China’s social security system “maintains a long and stable path” (行稳致远), among other aims for the system.
“Scientifically Plot the Social Security Project for the ‘14th Five-Year Plan’ and the Longer Term”: Xi said that that the social security system should develop according to the “‘five in one’ (五位一体) overall arrangement” and the “‘four comprehensives’ (四个全面) strategic arrangement” during the 14th Five-Year Plan. He also raised the need to develop the social security system with an eye to future trends such as an aging population and observe the development of social security systems internationally to avoid falling into the “middle income trap” or turning into a welfare state.
“Deepen the Reform of the Social Security System”: Xi called for reforms which included “accelerating the development of a multi-level, multi-support old-age insurance system,” developing a social assistance system for rural areas as part of rural revitalization planning, and “deepening the reform of payment methods for medical [services].”
“Promote the Rule of Law of the Social Security System”: Xi discussed methods for using law to strengthen social security such as enacting and amending laws related to social security, assistance, and welfare; establishing an oversight system for social security funds; and cracking down on fraud.
“Strengthen the Micromanagement of the Social Security System”: Xi emphasized the need to perfect the social security system and service network from the central level to down to the village level and increase the efficacy of social security governance. He also called for establishing a national social security service platform and promoting the digitalization of social security.
“Give Play to the Positive Role of the Social Security System in Responding to the Influence of the Pandemic”: Xi highlighted the role that China’s social security system had played in “winning the people's war, overall battle, and defensive battle (人民战争、总体战、阻击战) of pandemic prevention and control” and called for using the social security system to help in further pandemic prevention and control and stable socio- economic development.
Xi concluded by urging “party committees and governments at all levels” to “strengthen their knowledge of the importance of social security work” and “grasp every [one] of the Central Committee’s deployments and the implementation of every reform plan well.”
General Offices of the Central Committee and State Council Publish “Opinions on Strengthening the Work of Cracking Down On and Handling Illegal and Criminal Telecommunications and Network Fraud”
4.18 The General Offices of the Central Committee and State Council recently published “Opinions on Strengthening the Work of Cracking Down On and Handling Illegal and Criminal Telecommunications and Network Fraud” (hereafter “the Opinions”), which made arrangements for strengthening the crackdown on criminal telecommunications and network fraud. The Opinions emphasized that in order to contribute to the safety and rule of law in China, it is necessary to take actions including improving consciousness of rule of law; strengthening early warning and discouragement; strengthening publicity and education; using scientific and technological information to improve technical countermeasures and control; resolutely curbing the high incidence of criminal telecommunication and network fraud; and improving the level of social governance in order to make the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security more fulfilling, more secure, and more sustainable. The Opinions require that officials crack down on criminal telecommunication network fraud in strict accordance with the law; insist on crackdowns across the entire “chain” of criminal activity; crack down on related “upstream and downstream” crimes; “provide legal safeguards for the whole crackdown process and integrated handling [of cases]”; strengthen international law enforcement and legal cooperation; and “actively promote the arrest, extradition, and repatriation of fugitives involved in fraud.”
The Opinions also require that a strict prevention system is established, which includes strengthening technical countermeasures; establishing a mechanism for dealing with fraudulent websites, mobile phone applications, and fraudulent phone calls and text messages; improving an early warning information monitoring and detection system; and establishing a comprehensive anti-fraud publicity and education system so that anti-fraud knowledge enters “communities, the countryside, families, schools, and enterprises.” Furthermore, the Opinions require that industry supervision and governance be strengthened at the sources of fraud, which would include strengthening the supervision of the financial industry, discovering and controlling new money laundering channels in a timely manner, strictly implementing a real-name system for telephone users, and strengthening the supervision of the internet industry. Lastly, the Opinions would establish a three-level responsibility system for supervisory departments, enterprises and users and establish and improve the credit punishment system, which would include placing perpetrators of telecommunications fraud and related crimes on a “list of seriously untrustworthy entities" (严重失信主体名单).
Xi Jinping: Join Hands to Meet Challenges, Cooperate to Initiate the Future
4.21 During the opening ceremony of the 2022 Boao Forum, Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled “Join Hands to Meet Challenges, Cooperate to Initiate the Future.” Xi began by commenting on challenges currently facing international society, such as the pandemic and economic recovery, and emphasized that these challenges show that all countries should “uphold the trend of the times (时代潮流) of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win [cooperation]” and “[move] toward the correct direction of constructing a community of shared future for mankind” (人类命运共同体). He then gave five recommendations pursuant to this end: 1. “Jointly protect people’s lives and health” through actions including continuing to supply developing countries with COVID-19 vaccines, highlighting China’s efforts in this regard; 2. ”jointly promote economic recovery” by adhering to building an open global economy and “preventing the policy adjustments of some countries to produce grave negative externalities,” in addition to other actions; 3. “jointly defend world peace and tranquility” by adhering to elements of China’s “global security proposal,” which includes “adhering to a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept” (共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全观) and “discarding Cold War thinking (冷战思维), opposing unilateralism, and not engaging in bloc politics or camp confrontation” (阵营对抗); and 4. “jointly respond to global governance challenges” by methods such as “adhering to true multilateralism” and “protecting the international system with the UN as its core and the international order based on international law.” Next, Xi emphasized the need to “protect Asia’s peace, actively promote further cooperation in Asia, and jointly promote unity in Asia” to ultimately benefit the world. After stressing that China would continue to adhere to reform and opening up and contribute to world peace, he concluded: “As long as [we] join hands and [unite] with one heart and never slacken in efforts, we can definitely gather greater strength for cooperation and win-win [results], overcome every challenge on the path ahead, and welcome a more bright and beautiful future for mankind.”
Propaganda Work
People’s Daily Commentator Article: Adhere to Scientific Precision [and] Dynamic Zero
People’s Daily
4.16 An additional People’s Daily Commentator Article discussed Xi Jinping’s remarks on the importance of maintaining a “dynamic zero” (动态清零) COVID-19 policy during his 10-13 April inspection of Hainan, saying they indicated the direction of pandemic prevention and control and provided an “important [basis for] compliance.” It reiterated that because China adhered to the concept of “putting people above all else and life above all else,” a general strategy of “protecting against imported cases and domestic resurgences” (外防输入、内防反弹), and a general policy of “dynamic zero,” it had withstood successive waves of the pandemic, rapidly and effectively handled local cluster outbreaks, protected the people’s safety and health, and protected China’s economic development and “leading position” in pandemic prevention and control. Stressing its scientific basis, correctness, and efficacy, the Commentator Article said that a dynamic zero approach was decided by China’s “basic national conditions” and the Party’s regard for the people, contrasting this with countries that adopted “herd immunity,” “natural immunity,” or “coexistence with COVID-19” strategies that had caused hospitalizations, deaths, and infections to remain high. It emphasized that people must understand the omicron variant is not merely a “major flu,” and that because China is vulnerable due to factors such as its large population, regional healthcare disparities, and unbalanced vaccination rates, a large-scale outbreak caused by slackening in pandemic control would have “unthinkable consequences.” The Commentator Article explained that measures to achieve dynamic zero such as lockdowns in areas seriously affected by the pandemic were inconvenient, but a return to normalcy over the long term could only be made possible by rapidly containing the pandemic. It stated that at present, national newly-added cases remained high, community transmission in some areas remained unchecked, and disease control efforts remained in a critical stage, requiring persistence and vigilance particularly against the risks of omicron’s spread. The Commentator Article stressed that failure in dynamic zero now would cause greater harm to people’s health, and an outbreak would cause scarcity of healthcare resources and risk the lives of the elderly and those with underlying illnesses. It concluded by emphasizing the need for rapid action and the importance of continued confidence in the ability to achieve dynamic zero.
Guo Jiping: Let Technological Innovation Provide Inexhaustible Momentum for the Progress of Human Civilization People’s Daily
4.17 People’s Daily published a Guo Jiping (国纪平) commentary on China’s technological achievements, commemorating the recent return of three Chinese astronauts from space. Noting the transformative importance of technology for socioeconomic development, the commentary said that the world is on the cusp of another technological and industrial revolution, and that technological innovation would be critical to addressing global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts, global warming, and food and energy insecurity. Referring to historical examples of China both contributing to and falling behind in international technological innovations, the commentary said that China had drawn lessons from this history to become an international scientific innovator, listing examples of China’s recent technological achievements like the Chang’e 5 lunar rover and the development of the first COVID-19 tests. Quoting international publications, it described “unprecedented” international esteem for China’s “historic strides in technological innovation,” explaining that these strides were made possible by farsighted strategic planning, particularly on the part of Xi Jinping, and global openness and integration. The commentary further discussed the increasing connectivity between Chinese and international technological innovation, listing examples of Chinese contributions to international scientific cooperation, anti-poverty and development, and international scientific organizations and governance.
Next, the commentary noted the increasing intensity of international technological competition in light of the current technological revolution, saying that “some countries” attempt to monopolize their technological advantages on national security grounds, repress other countries’ technological development, and “politicize” and “weaponize” scientific issues while attempting to wall off their own “parallel systems” for science. The commentary said such actions would be detrimental to global shared interests and scientific progress, harm global industrial development, and further widen global development disparities, calling instead for greater openness, cooperation, sharing, and equality among nations. It then rhetorically asked if China could continue its technological progress and maintain an attitude of openness in light of the aforementioned actions of “some countries.” As an answer, it cited the successful construction of the 1,100 km (683.5 mile) Chengdu-Kunming railway thanks to the efforts of Chinese researchers, engineers, and construction workers in spite of the difficulty of the terrain, the scale of the project, a lack of technological equipment due to Western blockades, and the belief of “foreign experts” that China could not successfully complete this task. The commentary explained that “the history of New China’s technological progress is a history of self-reliant struggle,” saying that China had always maintained confidence and perseverance in its innovations despite foreign repression, and would continue to learn from this history. It stated that China is currently in a “period of unprecedented political stability, economic prosperity, and innovation vitality,” and nothing could stop the realization of the “dream of becoming a major science and technology country” (科技强国梦), praising national scientific policies such as the China Standards 2035 plan, examples of the government’s focus on the strategic significance of technological development, and the advantages of the “socialist market economy.” The commentary stressed that “self-reliance” was not antithetical to openness and cooperation, as self-reliance was premised on a foundation of nations working together on the principles of mutual equality and respect. Citing China’s development of high-speed rail lines as a modern project comparable to the Chengdu-Kunming railroad, it expressed confidence in China’s ability to carry out strategies for technological innovation as the country approaches its goal of “national rejuvenation.” In conclusion, the commentary noted China’s plans for establishing a space station, and expressed optimism that China’s future technological accomplishments would further drive scientific progress and international scientific cooperation.
People’s Daily Commentator Article: Molding a New Youth in a New Era
4.22 A People’s Daily Commentator Article discussed Xi Jinping’s attention to youth issues and the State Council Information Office’s recent white paper on “Youth of China in the New Era,” the country’s first white paper on the topic of youth. According to the Commentator Article, the white paper used data and facts to show the “favorable conditions for development enjoyed by China’s youth” and their “spiritual” traits, such as their patriotism, as well as the Party’s concern for and political closeness to youth. It noted how youth are shaped by their era, reflecting on the difficulties facing youth before the founding of the Communist Party, the many aspects in which the lives of youth are now improved, and the positive prospects of youth in the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Commentator Article then discussed the importance of young people taking on the task of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, saying that while this goal is closer than ever, it will not be easy to complete, requiring the courage and struggle of youth in everyday jobs, times of crisis, grassroots work, innovative endeavors, and “the establishment of society and civilization” alike. It concluded by expressing confidence in youth to assume this task “under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” with continued enthusiasm for the struggles involved.
Party Discipline
[Reports on] the Rectification Process of the the Seventh Round of Inspections of the 19th Central Committee Released in Full
4.18 Party groups in 11 universities and other education-related danwei published their progress in following the rectification process set by the 19th Central Committee’s seventh round of inspections. According to the reports, party groups took actions such as “taking studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and comprehensively implementing the Party’s guidelines on education as major political priorities” and “thoroughly consider[ing] the duty and mission of universities and colleges in the new era.” The aforementioned danwei party groups also enacted “targeted reforms” in response to inspection feedback on issues like “having relatively weak ideological and political education, shortcomings in the establishment of campus (校风) and academic atmospheres (学风), [and] yet-to-be-completed improvements in the stronger establishment of the morality and style of educators.” Party groups that underwent inspection pledged to use rectification to promote further reform and development at their respective schools, and ultimately “promote the establishment of world-class universities with Chinese characteristics reaching a higher step.”
Comprehensively Deepening Reform
Xi Jinping: Strengthen the Construction of a Digital Government and Promote the Reform of the Financial System Below the Provincial Level
4.19 Xi Jinping convened and presided over the 25th meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform. The meeting reviewed and adopted a series of Plans and Opinions, including Opinions on strengthening the construction of a digital government, Opinions on promoting financial system reform below the provincial level, Opinions on establishing and improving an evaluation system for leading cadres’ natural resources assets after leaving office, a Work Plan to improve the financial support innovation system during the 14th Five-Year Plan, and Opinions on improving the science and technology incentive mechanism. During the meeting, Xi emphasized that it is necessary to fully implement the strategy of an “internet strong country,” widely apply digital technology to government management services, promote the digitization and intelligentization (智能化) of the government, and provide strong support for the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities. Addressing the financial system, Xi emphasized the need to make the allocation of power and responsibilities more reasonable, make the division of income and wealth more standardized and balanced, make grassroots guarantees more powerful, and encourage the financial system to better adapt to the needs of technological innovation in the new era.
Reviewing progress since the 18th Party Congress, the meeting pointed out that the Central Committee had made a series of major deployments regarding implementation of the “internet strong country” and big data strategies, with new progress made in all aspects, and also strengthened the top-level design of the reform of the fiscal and taxation system. The meeting then called for upholding and strengthening overall party leadership, adhering to the correct political direction, and creating a digital service system that is ubiquitous, smart, convenient, fair, and inclusive, so that people “run fewer errands and run more data” (少跑腿、数据多跑路). Addressing scientific and technological incentives, the meeting called for encouraging scientific and technological personnel to strengthen their patriotism and ambition to serve the country, as well as focusing on rewarding innovators who have made significant contributions to scientific and technological progress, socioeconomic development, and national strategic security based on the urgent and long-term needs of the country.
Politburo Standing Committee Members and Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform Vice Chairs Li Keqiang (李克强), Wang Huning (王沪宁), and Han Zheng (韩正) also attended.
International Liaison Work
4.19 CCP International Department (CCP/ID) Head Song Tao (宋涛) held a video call with Communist Party of Vietnam External Department Head Lê Hoài Trung.
4.19 CCP/ID Assistant Head Zhu Rui (朱锐) attended and spoke at the opening of an online course for young leaders of South Sudan’s Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) party.
4.20 Song Tao held a video call with Cambodian People’s Party Central Committee Member, Central External Affairs Committee Chair, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn.
4.21 CCP/ID Deputy Head Qian Hongshan (钱洪山) held a video call with President of National Council of the French Communist Party and Vice President of the French Senate Pierre Laurent.
4.22 Qian Hongshan met with Uzbekistan’s ambassador to China, Farhod Arziev.
Organization Work
4.20 Yang Wanming (杨万明) was appointed deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council.
4.20 Zhang Zhengxin (张正鑫) was appointed PRC executive director at the International Monetary Fund.
4.20 Zhang Zongyi (张宗益) was appointed president of Xiamen University.