2022 Olympics, Sanctions & Maritime Police Law
Below are the stories that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s January 21, 2021 edition
Page 1: The big story on the page is about Xi Jinping’s visit to Hebei and chairing of a meeting on the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which Beijing is set to host. Xinhua English has a long report on this too. In it, Xi says that “simplicity, safety and excellence” should be prioritized in the Games' preparations.
Apart from the many things, Xi said that “hosting an excellent 2022 Games is a major task of the Party and the country, and it is a solemn commitment to the international community, Xi said...Xi emphasized that Beijing 2022 is an event of great significance at the outset of the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 to 2025, calling for a stronger sense of responsibility, mission and urgency during the preparation work.”
The report also talks about Xi discussing the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail link. “He pointed out that China has undergone a process from introduction, digestion, absorption and re-innovation to independent innovation, before becoming a world leader in high-speed rail technology.”
Here’s how the PD’s front page looks:
Some interesting bits from the PD report that I didn’t seen in the Xinhua English report:
PD says “Xi Jinping braved the severe cold and came to Haidian, Yanqing, Zhangjiakou and other places…”
“Xi Jinping pointed out that building a strong sports nation is an important goal of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. The foundation of a sports power lies in mass sports.”
The other story on the page is also available in Xinhua English. It talks about the Ministry of Commerce saying that FDI into the Chinese mainland, “in actual use, expanded 6.2 percent year on year to a record high of 999.98 billion yuan in 2020. In U.S. dollar terms, the inflow went up 4.5 percent year on year to 144.37 billion dollars. A total of 38,570 new overseas-funded enterprises were established last year...MOC official Zong Changqing said that the country has become a ‘stabilizer’ and ‘safe haven’ for cross-border investment, contributing to the global economic recovery.”
Page 2: A few pieces that are noteworthy. First, the Foreign Ministry’s announcement late last night of sanctions against officials from the Trump administration. This came as soon as Joe Biden was sworn in as President. MoFA sanctioned 28 officials, including Mike Pompeo, Peter Navarro, Robert O'Brien, David Stilwell, Matthew Pottinger, Alex Azar II, Keith Krach, and Kelly Craft.
“Over the past few years, some anti-China politicians in the United States, out of their selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred against China and showing no regard for the interests of the Chinese and American people, have planned, promoted and executed a series of crazy moves which have gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-U.S. relations...These individuals and their immediate family members are prohibited from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of China. They and companies and institutions associated with them are also restricted from doing business with China.”
Next, there’s MoFA’s comments about the appointment of Kurt Campbell as the Indo-Pacific Coordinator. It’s worth noting the question that was asked by Xinhua: “Biden's incoming NSC Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell recently said that the current path that the China-US relationship is taking will only lead the two countries to a horrible situation. The two sides should suspend tit-for-tat actions, establish proper channels and mechanisms for contacts, and take some moderate steps to send positive signals of improving ties with each other. What is your comment?”
Here’s what Hua Chunying said: “Differences aside, China and the United States do share a wide range of common interests and space for cooperation, and we two shoulder special responsibility to world peace and development. China’s policy toward the United States is consistent and clear. We are committed to developing a relationship with the United States featuring non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.”
Hua also took a question about a recent European Council on Foreign Relations survey on the US and China, which showed dwindling European trust in America. Hua said that “this serves to show that people can tell right from wrong and justice will prevail.”
Next, Li Keqiang chaired a plenary meeting to discuss a draft government work report and the draft 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035. The documents have been shared with local governments and relevant departments for opinions.
Page 3: The only thing on the page that I thought was significant was the meeting of the NPC Standing Committee. There are a bunch of draft laws that were under discussion, such as the Law on Animal Epidemic Prevention, a draft decision on establishing the Beijing Financial Court, the Practicing Physician Law, amendments to the Work Safety Law, a legal aid law, draft family education law, etc. A breakdown of each of the aspects that were discussed is available on Page 11.
I thought it was interesting that the NPCSC also talked about the draft maritime police law, something that gets basically a line or two of mention. It looks like this will move ahead for approval in March.
In November 2020, SCMP had reported that:
the law “authorises China’s maritime law enforcers to demolish foreign constructions on Chinese-claimed reefs and allows the use of weapons against foreign ships. The Chinese coastguard will also have the right to board, search, detain and expel foreign vessels, and arrest individuals suspected of seriously violating Chinese laws in the waters under Chinese jurisdiction, it stipulated.”
Page 9: On the Theory page, we have Song Licai from the Public Opinion Research Center of the Central Propaganda Department weaves a complicated yarn as he talks about the new patriotic youth of China, who participated in the pandemic fight, are driving technological change and leading the work on modernisation.
To the youth, he says: “For the majority of young people, patriotism is never abstract. The destiny of the motherland is inseparable from the destiny of the party and the destiny of socialism. Only by insisting on the unity of patriotism, loving the party and loving socialism, can patriotism be fresh and real.”
And then he comes to the point: “Contemporary young people have a deep sense of patriotism and always let the banner of patriotism fly high in their hearts. They must know why history and the people have chosen Marxism, the Chinese Communist Party, the socialist road, and the reform and opening up. The Communist Party of China is the backbone of the Chinese people, the mainstay of the Chinese nation, and the leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way to realize the prosperity of the country. Listen to the party, follow the party, transform the love of the party and the country into actions that dare to dare to work hard and forge ahead...”
Page 17: Nothing about political change in the US per say on the international page. Of course, one shouldn’t expect there to be anything either. But stories about Pakistan approving Sinopharm’s vaccine, Egypt restoring ties with Qatar, US COVID-19 deaths crossing 400,000, and a piece on the WEF’s report on risks in 2021, among other stories.