- Admin
Weekly Report 4|8 12.5.2020-12.11.2020
Highlights
The Central Committee released its “Essential Points on Building a Law-Based Society (2020-2025)” (see Senior Leaders section).
Politburo Standing Committee Member Wang Huning delivered remarks at the Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Work Conference in Beijing (see Senior Leaders section).
Senior Leaders
Essential Points on Building a Law-Based Society (2020-2025)
12.7 The Central Committee released its “Essential Points on Building a Law-Based Society (2020-2025),” which included policy implementation guidance for all ministries and local governments. According to the Central Committee, the construction of a “law-based society” is an “essential component in realizing modern governance systems and [the] modernization of governance capacity.”
The important points of the policy for all local governments and ministries are as follows:
“Hold high the mighty flag of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and insist on the important ideologies of Marxist-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the ‘Three Represents,’' in addition to, the “Scientific Outlook for Development, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a guide.” The first guideline also described the importance of “comprehensively implementing the spirit of the 19th Session of the National Congress of the CCP and the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Plenary Sessions of the 19th National Congress, [to] comprehensively implement Xi Jinping’s Rule of Law Thought, [to] strengthen the ‘four conciousnessess,’ insist on the ‘four confidences,’ do the ‘two protects’ well, to unswervingly walk the rule of law road of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, to insist on the unified construction of a rule of law nation, a rule of law government, and a rule of law society.” The ideological guidance also mentioned “training and putting into practice the socialist core values, strengthening socialist rule of law spirit, construction socialist rule of law culture, strengthening the enthusiasm and initiative of the whole of society in enforcing rule of law, promoting societal respect for the use of rule of law, [improving] the system for ensuring social fairness, justice, and rule of law, ensure the people’s rights, increase the degree of rule of law of societal governance, to comprehensively construct a modern socialist nation in order to realize the the great revitalization of the Chinese nation and to lay a foundation for the Chinese dream.”
The “principal doctrine” indicated the importance of party leadership and “insisting on the guiding legal principles of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
The main objectives of the policy include - by 2025 - “completed implementation of the ‘8-5’ law knowledge promotion program, [for] the notion of rule of law to ‘have a real impact on people,’ to improve the robustness of norms in societal institutions, the integration of socialist core values into rule of law and remarkable results in social governance, the effective protection of the legitimate rights and interests of citizens as legal persons and other organizations, significant improvements in rule of law of social governance, form [rule of law] in line with national conditions, reflect the characteristics of the era, [ensuring that the] people are satisfied with the construction of a society under the rule of law, which will lay a solid foundation for the building of a society under the rule of law by 2035.”
In the second section of the policy guidance the document described the importance of “promoting the strengthening of rule of law throughout society.” This section included the need to “protect the authority of the constitution,” “strengthen the notion of rule of law throughout society,” “assume responsibility for the robust promotion of laws,” and “construct a socialist rule of law culture.”
The document also highlighted the need to “improve the robustness of norms in societal institutions, strengthening the protection of legal rights, the promotion of societal administration increasingly bound by rule of law, the lawful administration of cyberspace, and the strengthening of organizational guarantees.”
Wang Huning at Marxism Theoretical Research and Construction Work Project Conference, Emphasized Through Study, Research, Dissemination of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
12.10 Politburo Standing Committee Member Wang Huning delivered remarks at the Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Work Conference in Beijing. Wang underlined the importance of “strengthen[ing] the ‘four conciousnesses,’ insist[ing] on the ‘two safeguards,’ do[ing] the ‘two protects’ well, [in addition to] adhering to the guiding position of Marxism in the field of ideology, do[ing] a good job in all aspects of the work, and continu[ing] to guide the project in depth.”
Wang also noted the importance of “insisting on a focus on the major issues, strengthening research into major theoretical and practical problems facing national development and party governance.” Wang’s speech highlighted the need to “strengthen research on the CCP’s 100-year historic struggle, strengthen guidance for identifying and analyzing major social trends of thought, and releasing more high-quality research results.” Wang concluded by expounding on the necessity of “accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics [to] better guide and promote the construction of academic discipline systems, teaching material systems, discourse systems, and evaluation systems.” “[We] must persist in paying equal attention to producing results and producing talent to [create] innovations [in our] mechanism of talent training and selection, to attach importance to the training of theoretically talented youth, [and to] build the ranks of Marxist theoretical talent. [we] must strengthen organizational leadership, to blaze new trails in the method of organizational implementation, to do well in the publicity and promotion of excellent theoretical achievements, [and] to broaden the societal influence of the project.”
CCP Politburo Committee Member, Central Propaganda Section Minister Huang Kunming presided over the conference. The Central Party School, The Party History and Documentary Research Institution, the Ministry of Education, responsible cadres from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and relevant experts and scholars issued a public statement; members of the leading small group of central propaganda thought work, project-responsible work units, important responsible-cadres from central propaganda and culture work units, project advisory committees and chief experts, and responsible cadres from local government propaganda committees.
Propaganda Work
Zhong Sheng: Sternly Warning the American Side: The Chinese People Do Not Believe in Evil nor Do They Fear Evil
12.10 People’s Daily’s Zhong Sheng attacked US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following the State Department’s imposition of a travel ban and other sanctions on 14 high-level Chinese officials 8 December in response to the ongoing crackdown on Hong Kong’s political opposition.
Zhong Sheng labelled the American act as “hysterical political hegemony” that interferes in China’s internal affairs, violates the principles of the international system, and brings forth the Chinese people’s indignation and condemnation. The Chinese position is simply stated: “Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong” and the national security law is a reflection of protecting national sovereignty. Zhong Sheng explains US interference as having a “naked double standard”: on one hand, the United States does its best to create a “copper wall and iron bulwark” (铜墙铁壁) in its own national security, but on the other hand vainly attempts to “chisel the wall away to create a hole” (凿墙破洞) in other countries’ national security. It links the sanctions as being proof the United States is the biggest blackhand behind the chaos in Hong Kong, as they are breaking its stable development.
Zhong Sheng concludes that in response to the US sanctions against high-level officials, China has already made it clear that it will take reciprocal countermeasures and continue to take all necessary measures to defend the country’s sovereignty, security, and development interests. The United States will suffer its own consequences if it does not immediately correct its actions by revoking sanctions, and stop interfering in China's and Hong Kong’s internal affairs
United Front Work
Wang Yang Meets With the New Leadership Councils of the Buddhist Association of China, and the Chinese Taoist Association
12.5 People’s Daily ran an article about Wang Yang’s attendance at the 10th session of the leadership councils of the Buddhist Association of China and the Chinese Taoist Association in Beijing. Wang stressed the following requirements for religious groups in order to contribute to the realization of the great Chinese rejuvenation: first, religious groups must deepen their understanding of Xi Jinping’s thoughts on religious work; second, fully implement the party's basic policy on religious work, third; consciously promote religious work in the overall development of the Party and the country; and fourth expand the unification of religious figures and believers with the Party and government. Wang Yang blatantly emphasised the need for religious groups to support the Communist Party’s leadership and socialist system. Religious groups must guide believers in establishing a national, legal, and civic consciousness.
The article explained that the modus operandi for religion should be the core values of socialism, targeting the "Five Identities," and updating religious doctrine with the times. Buddhism and Taoism should have distinct Chinese characteristics and a Chinese flavor. It is necessary to pay more respect to training and improve the management of religious schools to create appropriate high-quality faculty. Areas that were highlighted were to strengthen self-discipline, strictly abide by canons and precepts, improve religious practice, consciously resist the influence of commercialization, and maintain the clean and solemn image of Buddhism and Taoism.
International Liaison Work
12.8 International Department Deputy Head and China Council for BRICS Think Tank Cooperation (CCBTC) President Guo Yezhou (郭业洲) delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2020 BRICS Forum on Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution in Xiamen. Co-organized by the PRC Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Xiamen Municipal People's Government, and CCBTC, the Forum featured more than 300 participants. Other speakers via videolink included PRC Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiao Yaqing (肖亚庆), Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Alexey Gruzdev, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director General Li Yong (李勇) and in person included Fujian Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Fujian Governor Wang Ning (王宁), Fujian Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Xiamen Municipal Party Committee Secretary Hu Changsheng (胡昌升), and New Development Bank Vice President Anil Kishora.
12.8 International Department Deputy Head Shen Beili (沈蓓莉) delivered a speech via videolink at the China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries Business Dialogue. Co-organized by the China Economic Cooperation Center and the chambers of commerce of eight CEE countries, the Dialogue focused on the theme of “Gathering the Business Community’s Strength Together and Sharing New Opportunities in China-CEE Countries Cooperation in the New Era.” Over 60 participants took part in the Dialogue. These included chamber of commerce representatives and entrepreneurs from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, and Croatia as well as leaders from relevant PRC departments, such as the foreign affairs offices, federations of industry and commerce, and friendship associations of Shanghai, Shanxi, Hunan, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and other provinces and municipalities. Other speakers included Shaanxi Vice Governor Xu Datong (徐大彤), former Polish Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, former Polish People's Party Leader, and Polish-Asian Chamber of Commerce President Janusz Piechociński, former Hungarian National Assembly Deputy Speaker and European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism Vice Chair István Ujhelyi, and Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency CEO Robert Simoncic.
12.8 International Department Deputy Head Qian Hongshan (钱洪山) met with Portugese Ambassador to China José Augusto Duarte.
12.10 Qian Hongshan met with Polish Ambassador to China Wojciech Zajaczkowski.
12.11 Shen Beili met with Venezuelan Ambassador to China Felix Plasencia.
Organization Work
12.7 Hou Jianguo (侯建国) was appointed president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and secretary of its Party group.
12.7 Yin Hejun (阴和俊) was appointed a vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and deputy secretary of its Party group.
12.7 Zhou Qi (周琪) was appointed a vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
12.7 Huang Yuzhi (黄玉治) was appointed head of the National Mine Safety Administration.
12.7 Li Wanjiang (李万疆), Song Yuanming (宋元明), and Huang Jinsheng (黄锦生) were appointed deputy heads of the National Mine Safety Administration.
12.7 Guang Defu (广德福) was appointed Permanent Representative of China to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
12.8 Liu Guiping (刘桂平) was appointed vice president of the People's Bank of China.
12.8 Song Zhiyong (宋志勇) was appointed chair of China National Aviation Holding and secretary of its Party group.
12.8 Zou Lei (邹磊) was appointed chair of China Datang Corporation and secretary of its Party group.