- Admin
Weekly Report 4|76 6.11.22-6.17.22
Highlights
Politburo Standing Committee Member and State Council Vice Premier Han Zheng spoke at a teleconference on energy demands for the peak summer season. Han emphasized the importance of ensuring energy supply and price stability for the economy, with coal being the “ballast stone” of China’s energy strategy. (See Senior Leaders section)
A Politburo meeting discussed the Central Committee’s usage of inspection tours and rectification to drive reform and development in the financial sector, declaring that central directives and the inspection tours had achieved phased results in rectification. (See Senior Leaders section)
The party group of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) published a commentary in Qiushi saying Xi Jinping’s 25 February speech on human rights “indicated the direction forward” for women’s rights in China. (See United Front Work section)
Senior Leaders
Li Zhanshu: Continue to Deepen Supervision of Legislation and Other Work in Environmental Protection, Use the Force of Rule of Law to Ensure Construction of a Beautiful China
6.10-13 Between 10 June and 13 June, Politburo Standing Committee Member Li Zhanshu (栗战书) led the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Law Enforcement Inspection Group to Heilongjiang to investigate the implementation of the Environmental Protection Law. The inspection team visited Qiqihar (齐齐哈尔), Jiamusi (佳木斯), and Harbin (哈尔滨) to conduct inspections, and inspected China First Heavy (中国一重集团) and the State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment of Harbin University of Technology (哈尔滨工业大学城市水资源与水环境国家重点实验室) to learn about harmless wastewater treatment (废水废渣无害化处理) and research and development in science and technology related to environmental protection. Li also visited Heixiazi Island (黑瞎子岛), Zhalong Nature Reserve (扎龙自然保护区), and the confluence of the Amur, Usuli, and Songhua rivers (三江汇流) to investigate “prevention of agricultural non-point source pollution, the protection of water resources and wetlands, [hold] a discussion meeting on enforcement and supervision of environmental protection laws, and to listen to reports, opinions, and suggestions about the status of the law’s practical implementation.” Li stated that Heilongjiang had “conscientiously implemented the environmental protection law” and that the “ecological environment [in Heilongjiang] has notably improved”. Li stressed that all should adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization (习近平生态文明思想) in “implementing environmental protection laws, improving and developing a legal system in the field of environmental protection, and promoting effective implementation of laws and regulations.” Li proceeded to state that it is necessary to plan for both environmental protection and development, fulfill the public’s needs, carry out assigned responsibilities, and improve the “legal system of environmental protection” (环境保护法律体系). Li also visited the Heilongjiang Institute for the Protection and Utilization of Black Soil (黑龙江省黑土保护利用研究院) and the Beidahuang Group (北大荒农垦集团) among other sites, to investigate the protection of black soil (黑土) and to listen to the opinions and suggestions of scientific researchers, grain farmers, and delegates to the National People’s Congress. Li emphasized that “protecting black soil is related to national food and ecological security, and the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.” In Heilongjiang, Li also inspected the construction of the Shenzhen (Harbin) Industrial Park (哈尔滨新区深哈产业园) in Harbin and the Tongjiang China-Russia Heilongjiang Railway Bridge (同江中俄黑龙江铁路大桥), in addition to visiting the provincial People’s Congress.
Sun Chunlan: Grasp All [Pandemic] Prevention and Control Measures in Detail and in Practice, Control the Pandemic’s Spread as Quickly as Possible
6.13 Politburo Member and State Council Vice Premier Sun Chunlan (孙春兰) inspected pandemic prevention and control work in Beijing and conveyed the concern and wishes of the Central Committee and State Council to cadres and the masses. Sun visited two bars that were the sources of Beijing’s outbreak. During her investigation, Sun visited the Beijing Epidemic Emergency Response Headquarters (北京市疫情应急处置指挥部) and presided over a symposium to study pandemic prevention and control measures. Sun emphasized that it was “necessary to thoroughly implement the spirit of guidance from General Secretary Xi Jinping, strategic deployments made by the Central Committee and the State Council, and adhere to a ‘dynamic zero’ (动态清零) policy.” Sun added that it was necessary to “control the pandemic as soon as possible, and create a good atmosphere for the 20th Party Congress.” Sun also stated that “it is necessary to strengthen planning at the municipal level, flatten the command system (指挥体系扁平化), and do so urgently and fast.” She proceeded to state that it is important to perform timely adjustments to measures in response to changes in the situation, “pay close attention to [pandemic] prevention and control in key areas, use scientific rules and community control measures in infected communities, and completely cut off transmission routes.” She also stated that it was important to use community grid management (区网格化管理) to mobilize action, and to ensure that nobody is left out. According to Sun, there is also a need to “strengthen the supervision of the process of nucleic acid testing, training guidance, supervision and evaluation of on-site sampling, and improve the quality of nucleic acid sampling and testing (核酸采样和检测).” Politburo Member and Party Secretary of Beijing Cai Qi (蔡奇) attended relevant events during Sun’s investigation tour.
Han Zheng: Highlight Thermal Coal as a Key Point, Compress [the] Responsibilities of All Parties, [and] Do a Solid Job of Ensuring [the] Energy Supply During [the] Peak Summer Season
6.15 Politburo Standing Committee Member and State Council Vice Premier Han Zheng (韩正) attended and spoke at a teleconference on work to ensure the energy supply during the peak summer season. In his speech, Han emphasized that doing a good job in ensuring energy supply and price stability is of “great significance” to ensuring the smooth operation of the economy and society, and further stated that power security and supply is a key point of current economic work, with coal being the “ballast stone” of China’s energy strategy. Han called for coordinating development and safety, actively responding to the “prominent contradictions” in the current energy supply, and giving full play to the role of coal as a guarantee to ensure the security of electricity consumption this year. He then called for grasping the two keys of “maintaining quantity” (保量) and “stabilizing prices” (稳价), taking multiple measures to establish a control mechanism for thermal coal, and building a “firewall” (防火墙) that can effectively resist external influences. Han emphasized measures including consolidating the responsibilities of all parties in order to ensure the quantity and price of thermal coal, and called for relevant provinces to “actively tap the potential for increasing production” to ensure the supply of thermal coal. He then called for increased supervision of medium and long-term coal contracts and an associated supervision and inspection accountability mechanism; coordination of transportation capacity and the connection of various transportation modes in order to ensure the smooth transportation of thermal coal; safe production of coal and maintaining coal inventory; implementation of incentive and restraint mechanisms by central departments to ensure the supply and price of electricity and coal; quickening procedures for increasing production capacity; and promoting the smooth operation of the domestic energy market.
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) head He Lifeng (何立峰) also attended the meeting.
Guo Shengkun: Draw Wisdom and Strength from the Party’s Century of Struggle [For] Rule of Law, Strive to Promote the High-Quality Development of Comprehensively Ruling the Country By Law in the New Era
6.16 Politburo Member, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Director of the Office of the Central Committee Commission for Law-based Governance Guo Shengkun (郭声琨) published an article in Qiushi praising the significance of A Record of the CCP’s Century of Rule of Law, published in April. Guo called on readers to understand and summarize the significance of the Party’s historic accomplishments and experience in struggling for the rule of law. He explained that this was necessary for staying close to the Party’s original mission and persisting in and advancing the rule of law in the new era; for strengthening “historical self-confidence” and “walking the socialist path of rule of law with Chinese characteristics”; strengthening “theoretical armament” and more deeply studying Xi Jinping Thought on rule of law; and “raising political abilities” and deepening understanding of the “decisive significance” of the two establishes (两个确立). Guo then stressed the importance of grasping the history of rule of law over historical periods including the New Democracy era, socialist revolution and construction, reform and opening and the modernization of socialism, and into the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Giving historic examples for the evolution of each topic, Guo said that the Party had continually focused on “scientific” theoretical guidance, Sinifying relevant Marxist theory; on strengthening and improving its leadership of the legal system, creating the basics of an overall system for rule of law; on ruling and holding power in accordance with the Constitution; on promoting good laws and governance and continually improving the system of laws; on operating according to law and enforcing law, strengthening “construction of a government that rules by law”; on advancing laws that serve the people and are fair, constructing a socialist judicial system; on serving and relying on the people in the rule of law; and on being a “proponent and defender” of international law, providing China’s wisdom and example for “constructing a new type of humankind’s civilization according to rule of law.” Finally, Guo reiterated the importance of studying the history of the Party’s rule of law to drive further progress in the field. He particularly stressed the study of Xi Jinping Thought on rule of law, taking a “big picture” view and using rule of law safeguards to serve the Party and state’s “central work,” being “goal-conscious” and improving the masses’ sense of happiness and security, fostering creativity and continuing reforms and development in the rule of law field, and having firm “historical self-confidence,” especially ensuring that those engaged in rule-of-law work have faith in the concept.
Politburo Convenes Meeting, Deliberates on “Report on the 19th Central Committee’s Eighth Round of Inspections Regarding the Situation of Progress on the Rectification of Financial Danwei
6.17 A Politburo meeting praised “the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” for emphasizing inspection tours, with goals including advancing the Party’s self-revolution, taking the “Two Defends” as their most basic mission, and advancing reform, development, and anti-corruption. The Politburo discussed the Central Committee’s usage of inspection tours and rectification to drive reform and development in the financial sector, noting that its directives had indicated the direction for rectification work, basis for compliance, and effectively promoted the inspection tours to achieve phased results. Namely, party committees and groups of financial danwei have taken rectification as their main task and followed suggestions of the inspection tours, some prominent issues and risks have been resolved, and the construction of party organizations has been strengthened. Disciplinary organs and Organization Departments have strengthened their supervision of rectification and addressed issues such as discipline violations, while relevant functional ministries have used the results of the inspections to improve systemic mechanisms and supervision of the industry. The Politburo stressed that the danwei should strengthen their political knowledge and abilities, deepen their understanding and recognition of the financial sector’s rules and significance, and persist in “the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics.” The danwei and other relevant party personnel should strengthen the Party’s leadership of financial work; prevent and resolve risks; deepen reform and innovation; persist tenaciously in rectification and supervision work, strengthen the strictness of the atmosphere in political, ideological, organizational, work style, and disciplinary issues; ensure enactment of the rectification and establishment of a long-term system for its effectiveness; and make inspections a part of daily work, deepening reform, comprehensively and strictly [following] party governance (全面从严治党), and establishment of party teams and squads, thereby providing a strong political guarantee for the healthy development of the sector.
Han Zheng Attends China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development 2022 Annual General Meeting and 30th Anniversary Celebration
6.16 Politburo Standing Committee Member, State Council Vice Premier, and China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) Chair Han Zheng (韩正) attended the CCICED annual general meeting and 30th anniversary celebration, where the theme of the annual meeting was “Building an Inclusive, Green, and Low-Carbon Economy” (构建包容性绿色低碳经济). Han said that since the 18th Party Congress and under the guidance of Xi Jinping thought on ecological civilization, China “has unswervingly followed the path of ecology-prioritizing, green, and low-carbon development”; actively promoted economic restructuring; promoted green and low-carbon transformation of energy; greatly improved energy efficiency; and continually improved the quality of the ecological environment through promoting pollution prevention and control “with unprecedented determination and strength.” Han emphasized that building an inclusive green and low-carbon economy is an “inherent requirement for promoting high-quality development.” Based on China’s basic national conditions, he stated it necessary to insist on “seeking progress while maintaining stability” (稳中求进), “establishing [the new] first and then breaking [the old]” (先立后破) and making overall plans; ensuring energy security while reducing carbon emissions; putting the promotion of clean energy development “in a more prominent position”; and “vigorously upgrad[ing] the level of clean and efficient utilization of coal.” Han then emphasized improving corresponding institutions and policy systems; not only giving full play to the role of market mechanism and price mechanisms, but also giving full play to the role of government planning and policy guidance; improving the carbon emissions trading market; and improving fiscal, tax, price, investment, financial, and other policies. He called for strengthening biodiversity protection; coordinating the protection and management of different environments; scientifically carrying out “land greening” (国土绿化); and continuing to crack down on illegal and criminal activities, such as the poaching and illegal trade of wildlife and plants. Han declared that China actively participates in and leads global climate governance, upholds the concept of a community of shared future for mankind (人类命运共同体), and promotes the establishment of a fair, reasonable, and win-win global climate governance system. Lastly, he hoped that all members and experts would further strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation on the CCICED platform, as well as play a greater role in promoting China’s sustainable development and improving the global environmental governance system.
Propaganda Work
Huang Kunming: Vividly Propagandize the Great Accomplishments of the New Era, Use Hearts and Minds to Encourage Strength to Advance on the New Voyage
6.10-12 Between 10 June and 12 June, Politburo Member and Central Committee Propaganda Department Head Huang Kunming (黄坤明) conducted an inspection tour in Anhui. During his visit to Anqing (安庆), Hefei (合肥), and other municipalities, Huang stated the importance of “vividly propagandizing the great accomplishments of the new era,” “encouraging [the people’s] strength to advance on the new voyage,” and “welcoming the 20th Party Congress” with “concrete actions.” He visited “communities, enterprises, scientific research institutions, news media, and historical and cultural sites” to “understand the situation of social and economic development and ideological and propaganda work, and to listen to the suggestions of cadres and the masses.” Huang underscored that since the 18th Party Congress, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has led millions of people to “aspire to national rejuvenation” (矢志民族复兴). Propaganda efforts should focus on issues like the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Party and state’s historic accomplishments, and the Chinese people’s confidence and strength, guiding the people to deepen their recognition of the significance of the “two establishes” (两个确立). Huang also stated that it was necessary to publicize central policy deployments on pandemic prevention and control and socioeconomic development, “accurately explain” (准确解读) the economic situation and trends, and publicize the successes of “high quality development,” particularly reporting “bright spots” of scientific and technological innovation, industrial development, and ecological management to encourage confidence and unity among the people to struggle and overcome challenges. Huang emphasized that lessons must be drawn from the “study of the Sixth Plenum of the 19th Central Committee), and guide party members to strengthen party consciousness (党性) and self-cultivation,.” Huang also stated that “cultural influence” (文化影响) should be expanded, and that “[we should] reinforce protection of cultural relics and heritage” and “strengthen cultural and historical confidence.” Lastly, Huang stated that it was necessary to emphasize “better use of new technologies and applications in propaganda and ideological work,” citing in particular Alibaba’s Xuexi Qiangguo (学习强国) app.
United Front Work
All-China Women’s Federation: Advance the Greater Protection of Women’s Rights in the New Era
6.16 The party group of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) published a commentary in Qiushi on Xi Jinping’s 25 February speech at the 37th Politburo collective study session on human rights, the full text of which was published in the same issue, saying the speech “indicated the direction forward” for women’s rights in China. After praising Xi’s past policies and statements on women’s rights, affairs (妇女事业), and equality, the article summarized how the development of women’s affairs has “persisted in the correct direction,” citing Xi’s remarks on each point: 1. “Persisting in the Party’s leadership as the fundamental guarantee for doing the work of protecting women’s rights and interests well,” as the Party has historically emphasized and led the women’s rights movement in China; 2. “Protecting women’s rights and interests has been upgraded to [a matter of] national will,” as demonstrated by remarks by Xi on protecting women’s equal rights in various fields; 3. “The push for the development of women’s affairs, the economy, and society [has occurred] at the same time”; and 4. “[We have] truly made gender equality into a behavioral norm and standard value that all of society adheres to together.” Next, the article described how the protection of women’s rights and interests has made “historic accomplishments” in the new era, saying that Chinese women have never enjoyed such great opportunities, vast space for development, and bright future prospects as they do today. Specifically, mechanisms to protect women’s rights have been made more robust; the relevant legal system has “continuously improved” as evidenced by laws such as China’s first anti-domestic violence law; women have “wider and fuller rights and interests” in all fields, such as equality in health, education, employment, and access to social services; “the impact of women ‘holding up half the sky’ (妇女‘半边天’) is shown every day” through women’s accomplishments and participation in professional careers, politics, and the home; and China has contributed to global gender equality.
Lastly, the article discussed how the Party can use its “political, organizational, and work advantages” to further protect women’s rights and interests. First, this requires persisting in the Party’s leadership and encouraging women of the masses’ “enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity”; closely combining the development of the country with the development of gender equality; and leading women to establish “new-era family values” (新时代家庭观) among their families, practice core socialist values (社会主义核心价值观), and “be women of the new era who are responsible for their families and contributors to their nation.” Second, this requires “defending rights according to law” (依法维权工作) and making sure that protection of women’s rights and interests are is included in legislation, law enforcement, the justice system, and adherence to law. Implementation of “the rights defense system led by the Party and government” should resolve critical issues that women of the masses have a “strong reaction” to, such as employment discrimination, sexual harrassment and assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking, ensuring that they feel justice is done in such cases. Rights defense work should be regularized and performed at all levels including the grassroots, particularly making use of the ACWF. Third, this requires increased propaganda efforts and the creation of a “favorable atmosphere” to protect women’s rights and interests. Noting that discrimination against women still exists in all forms, the article said propaganda should focus on Xi Jinping’s writings on human rights and especially women’s rights; show achievements in Chinese women’s affairs under party leadership; create an image of the “Chinese woman of the new era” with a spirit of pride, confidence, independence, and strength; advance ideals of gender equality in schools, businesses, communities, and homes; foster knowledge of, respect for, and usage of women’s legal protections; and improve “socialist theory on women with Chinese characteristics” (中国特色社会主义妇女理论). Fourth, this requires “strengthening international exchange and communication” while “telling the China story and Chinese women’s story well,” through actions such as increasing communication with relevant United Nations organizations and all countries, disseminating China’s “people-centric” human rights concept, focusing on challenges to women’s rights, strengthening cooperation with and learning from other countries, and increasing support for women in developing countries.
Central Military Commission
CMC Chair Xi Jinping Signs Order to Publish “Outline on Military Operations Other Than War (Trial)”
6.13 Central Military Commission Chair Xi Jinping signed an order to publish the “Outline on Military Operations Other Than War (Trial).” The Outline focuses on preventing and dispelling risks and challenges; handling emergencies; protecting the people’s lives, property, and security; state sovereignty, security, and development interests; world peace and regional stability; innovative methods for the use of military strength; and standardizing military operations other than war (非战争军事行动), with “important significance” for the tasks of the military in the new era. The Outline entails 6 chapters and 59 articles, summarizes practical experience based on past tasks, and draws upon “the results of relevant military theory” to systematically standardize aspects of such operations including basic principles, organization of command, categories of operation, operational guarantees, and political work, thereby providing a legal basis for such operations.
International Liaison Work
6.15 CCP International Department Assistant Minister Zhu Rui (朱锐) met with Iran’s ambassador to the PRC, Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh.
6.16 Zhu Rui chaired the opening ceremony of a webinar for cadres of Mauritania’s Union for the Republic (UPR) party.
Organization Work
6.14 Le Yucheng (乐玉成) was removed from his position as Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and appointed Deputy Director of the State Administration of Radio and Television.
6.17 Fu Gangfeng (付刚峰) was appointed Chair and Party Secretary of the State Development & Investment Corporation.