Breakdown of Wang Huning's CPPCC Speech - China Retaliates as US Hikes Tariffs
Hi folks,
The Two Sessions have formally kicked off. I thought I’d make my life easier by starting with covering the CPPCC’s session today so that tomorrow I can focus on Li Qiang’s speech in the morning and any China-relevant components of Donald Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress.
I. CPPCC Session Opens
Anyway, earlier today, Wang Huning, who heads the CPPCC, delivered the opening speech. I think it is useful to listen to these, however dry they might be. It tells you a bit about the policy priorities and trends and extent of engagement with non-Party entities within society. Tracking meeting themes and attendees is also useful in this regard. The language on political and ideological issues is also worth tracking.
So, Wang began by offering some data on the key activities of the CPPCC last year. I am not covering all the numbers. But the early bit is informative.
“Over the past year, the CPPCC Party Leadership Group Meeting and Chairman’s Meeting, the CPPCC Office Party Leadership Group Meeting and Secretary-General’s Meeting, and the Party Leadership Group Meetings and Directors’ Meetings of the various special committees have adhered to and implemented the ‘first item on the agenda’ system, and conveyed, studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s latest important speeches and important instructions 221 times. 85 consultation and deliberation activities were held; 99 inspection and research activities were carried out, covering 31 provinces, 263 cities, and 452 counties; 6,019 proposals were received, 5,091 were filed, and the response rate was 99.9%. Proposal response certificates were sent to more than 1,800 members; 一年来，全国政协党组会议和主席会议、机关党组会议和秘书长会议、各专门委员会分党组会议和主任会议坚持和落实“第一议题”制度，传达学习贯彻习近平总书记最新重要讲话和重要指示精神221次。举办各类协商议政活动85场次；开展视察考察调研活动99项，覆盖31个省（区、市）、263个市（州、盟）、452个县（市、区、旗）；收到提案6019件，立案5091件，办复率99.9%，向1800多位委员寄发提案办复证书；
He then said that over the past year, the CPPCC’s work has focussed on 4 themes:
First, implementing important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee. In 2024, 88 guidelines and plans on implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s “important speeches, important meetings and documents of the Central Committee were issued; these were implemented conscientiously.” 全年印发贯彻落实习近平总书记重要讲话、中央重要会议和文件精神的意见和方案88件，认认真真抓好执行.
Second, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the CPPCC and strengthening confidence in the path, theory, system and culture, i.e., the four self-confidences. He said that the CPPCC put studying and implementing Xi’s speech at the body’s anniversary as “top priority”. Through a series of celebratory activities, CPPCC members and cadres have further deepened their understanding of the glorious history, political advantages, and mission of the CPPCC, and further comprehended the spiritual essence and truth power of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC, and further enhanced their sense of responsibility and mission in doing a good job in the work of the CPPCC. 通过系列庆祝活动，广大政协委员和机关干部进一步深化了对人民政协光辉历程、政治优势、使命任务的理解，进一步领悟了习近平总书记关于加强和改进人民政协工作的重要思想的精神实质和真理力量，进一步增强了做好人民政协工作的责任感和使命感.
Third, thoroughly studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, focusing on further comprehensively deepening reform and making suggestions on major issues in promoting Chinese-style modernisation. As part of this, they carried out “42 thematic research projects on major strategic, overarching, and forward-looking issues such as the development of new quality productive forces and new-type of urbanisation, striving to enhance the depth of research on issues and the effectiveness of serving decision-making.” 完善主席会议成员牵头、跨专门委员会的专题研究制度，围绕新质生产力发展、新型城镇化建设等战略性、全局性、前瞻性的重大问题开展专题研究42项，努力提高研究问题的深入度、服务决策的有效性.
Fourth, leveraging the special committees to work to stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of CPPCC members in performing their duties.
After this, he outlines the actual work done in 2024. He makes six points:
First, the CPPCC adhered using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to unite minds and forge souls, consolidating the common ideological and political foundation for unity and struggle. Under this, Wang lists the bunch of meetings that have been held to study Xi’s ideas. For instance, he said that the Xi thought study and discussion group (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想学习座谈小组) held 55 discussion sessions in the year, with over 1524 individuals participating. 习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想学习座谈小组召开55场座谈会，1524人次委员参学. That’s more than 1 a week! In addition, Wang informs that Xi’s important works have been designated as key reading materials, with some 66 online and offline study sessions for committee members being held. Also, adhering to the positioning of political training, they held two specialised study and seminar sessions for committee members, nine specialised training sessions for CPPCC officials at various levels, with a total of 8,657 participants. When organising important consultation meetings, conducting inspections, investigations, and democratic supervision activities, first a session was arranged to study General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions, thereby using scientific theories to guide the CPPCC in performing its duties. 把习近平总书记重要著述作为重点书目，开展委员读书线上线下研学活动66次。坚持政治培训定位，举办2期委员专题学习研讨班、9期各级政协干部专题培训班等，8657人次参加。组织重要协商会议、开展视察考察调研和民主监督活动时首先组织学习习近平总书记相关重要论述，以科学理论指导政协履职.
Second, he talked about consultations that were held and suggestions that were made, which were “in line with the central tasks of the Party and the country.” The issues discussed were building a high-level socialist market economic system, promoting cultural self-confidence and self-reliance, high-quality population development, promoting high-level opening up to the outside world, high-quality financial development, consolidating the foundation of food security, unswervingly implementing the ‘two unshakable’ principles, building a law-based business environment, implementing the strategy of upgrading the free trade pilot zones, leveraging the role of Hong Kong and Macau in constructing a new, higher-level open economic system in China, deepening the reform of the education model of colleges and universities, high-quality development of the ecological and environmental protection industry, multi-scenario application of AI, employment of college graduates, care services for the disabled, building a fertility-friendly society, and improving the elderly care service system. 就构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制、推进文化自信自强、人口高质量发展、推进高水平对外开放、金融高质量发展、夯实粮食安全根基、坚定不移落实“两个毫不动摇”、法治化营商环境建设、实施自由贸易试验区提升战略、发挥港澳在我国建设更高水平开放型经济新体制中的作用、深化高校育人模式改革、生态环保产业高质量发展、人工智能多场景应用、高校毕业生就业、残疾人关爱服务、建设生育友好型社会、完善养老服务体系等进行协商议政.
Third, improving the work of submitting proposals. So that one submits “quality proposals”. This basically meant systems to review, supervise and gatekeep ideas.
Fourth, engaging in united front work, i.e., engagement with other political parties, federations, non-party intellectuals, non-public economic persons, and new social strata. It also covers engagement with civil society actors in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau and overseas Chinese delegations.
Fifth, deepening friendly foreign exchanges to serve the overall situation of the Party and the country in foreign affairs. This covers activities like “public diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy, and think tank diplomacy”. “The CPPCC and its affiliated institutions carried out 221 various foreign exchange activities, and more than 2,600 foreigners from 140 countries and 11 international and regional organizations participated in the CPPCC’s foreign exchange activities.” 全国政协及所属机构开展各类对外交往活动221场，来自140个国家、11个国际和地区组织的外方人士2600余人次参与全国政协对外交流活动. He added that “we expanded exchanges with well-known foreign think tanks and non-governmental organizations, establishing connections with 67 institutions in 28 countries. The CPPCC China-Africa Friendship Group played an active role, and a China-Cambodia Friendship Group was established under the CPPCC.” 扩大同国外知名智库、民间组织等交流，同28个国家67家机构建立联系。发挥全国政协中非友好小组作用，组建全国政协中国—柬埔寨友好小组.
Sixth, work was done to improve the institutionalization, standardization and proceduralization of CPPCC’s work. In this regard, a Work Plan for Party Building of the National Committee of the CPPCC (2024–2027) was formulated, as was the Implementation Opinions of the Leading Party Members' Group of the CPPCC National Committee on Improving the Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party System in the CPPCC. 制定全国政协党的建设工作规划（2024—2027年）、全国政协党组关于健全政协全面从严治党体系的实施意见.
Wang then said:
“The achievements made in the past year are fundamentally due to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This is also the result of strong support from all parties and the joint efforts of all participating units and members of the CPPCC.” 一年来取得的工作成绩，根本在于以习近平同志为核心的中共中央坚强领导，在于习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想科学指引。这也是各方面大力支持和人民政协各参加单位、广大政协委员共同努力的结果.
After this, he outlined the priorities for 2025:
“2025 is the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan and an important year for further comprehensively deepening reform. The CPPCC should adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply understand the decisive significance of Two Establishments, enhance the four consciousnesses, strengthen the four self-confidences, and achieve Two Safeguards, comprehensively implement the spirit of the 20th Party Congress and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the meeting celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the CPPCC, and earnestly shoulder the political responsibility of implementing the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and arrangements and requirements for the work of the CPPCC, and gathering the wisdom and strength of Chinese people at home and abroad, adhere to centering on the centre and serving the overall situation, help to achieve the high-quality goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and lay a solid foundation for a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan.” 2025年是“十四五”规划收官之年，也是进一步全面深化改革的重要一年。人民政协要坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，全面贯彻落实中共二十大和二十届二中、三中全会精神，贯彻落实习近平总书记在庆祝中国人民政治协商会议成立75周年大会上的重要讲话精神，切实担负起把中共中央决策部署和对人民政协工作要求落实下去、把海内外中华儿女智慧和力量凝聚起来的政治责任，坚持围绕中心、服务大局，助力高质量完成“十四五”规划目标任务、为实现“十五五”良好开局打牢基础.
With this preamble, he made four points:
First, adhere to the leadership of the CPC over the CPPCC. “The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the fundamental guarantee for the development and progress of the CPPCC. We must deeply understand that the Party’s leadership over the CPPCC is comprehensive and specific, always maintaining a high degree of unity with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in terms of political stance, political direction, political principles, and political path, and firmly reflect the Two Safeguards in the effectiveness of serving the overall central tasks and implement it throughout the entire process and all aspects of fulfilling the functions of political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in governance and participation in political affairs.” 坚持中国共产党对人民政协的全面领导。中国共产党的领导是人民政协事业发展进步的根本保证。我们要深刻认识中国共产党对人民政协的领导是全面的、具体的，始终在政治立场、政治方向、政治原则、政治道路上同以习近平同志为核心的中共中央保持高度一致，把坚决做到“两个维护”体现在服务中心大局的工作实效上，落实到履行政治协商、民主监督、参政议政职能全过程各方面.
Second, strengthen ideological and political guidance and build wide consensus. “We must continue to deepen the arming of minds with the Party’s innovative theories, regularly carry out reading activities, theoretical study, and political training for committee members, and continuously consolidate the common ideological and political foundation for unity and struggle. We must assist the Party and the government in promoting policies, resolving conflicts, stabilising expectations, and boosting confidence, guiding people from different sectors and relevant parties to comprehensively and dialectically view the economic situation and development trends, uphold the main theme, and spread positive energy. We must engage in heartfelt communication and social bonding with a sense of responsibility and sincerity, strengthen committee members' connections with the public in their respective sectors, and solidly carry out the ‘serving the people’ activities in fulfilling their duties, so as to better understand public sentiments, address public concerns, and warm people’s hearts, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of united front work and social cohesion. We must innovate in the CPPCC’s friendly exchanges with foreign countries, support members to actively speak out, and tell the Chinese story and the Chinese people’s democratic story well.” 我们要持续深化党的创新理论武装，常态化开展委员读书、理论学习和政治培训，不断夯实团结奋斗的共同思想政治基础。要协助党和政府做好宣传政策、化解矛盾、稳定预期、提振信心的工作，引导界别群众和有关方面全面辩证看待经济形势、发展大势，唱响主旋律、传递正能量。要带着责任和感情把谈心交流、联谊交友工作做深入，把委员联系界别群众和履职“服务为民”活动做扎实，更好知民情、解民忧、暖民心，提高团结联谊工作实效。要创新开展政协对外友好交往，支持委员对外积极发声，讲好中国故事、中国人民民主故事.
Third, take serving Chinese-style modernisation as the main line of work, focus on the concerns of the CPC Central Committee and the people, focus on major strategic issues related to national economic and social development, organise in-depth investigations and studies, and offer genuine recommendations for the CPC Central Committee to formulate the 15th Five-Year Plan proposals. 我们要把服务中国式现代化建设作为工作主线，聚焦中共中央关心和人民群众关切，着眼事关国民经济和社会发展的重大战略性问题，组织开展深入调查研究，为中共中央制定“十五五”规划建议建真言、谋良策。
Fourth, improve the consultative democracy mechanism of the CPPCC.
CPPCC NC Vice Chairperson Jiang Zuojun then offered details about the proposals submitted in 2024:
On economic issues, more than 2,200 proposals were put forward around building a high-level socialist market economic system.
On political issues, more than 600 proposals were put forward around the development of whole-process people’s democracy, the improvement of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, and the promotion of the modernisation of the national security system and capabilities.
On cultural issues, more than 600 proposals were put forward around enhancing cultural confidence, benefitting and developing cultural undertakings and cultural industries, inheriting China’s excellent traditional culture, and deepening the reform of cultural systems and mechanisms. Some of these covered teaching of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in classrooms, strengthening the development of ideological and political courses, and carrying out practical patriotism education for young people.
On social issues, more than 1,500 proposals were put forward, focusing on improving the employment first policy, on reforming healthcare, education, etc.
On environmental issues, more than 700 proposals were put forward around promoting green and low-carbon development, improving the quality of the ecological environment, and improving the ecological environment governance system.
II. China-US Tariff Battle
Another story that’s been developing over the past 24 hours is the tariff war between the US and China. Beijing has responded to the US announcing new duties of 10% on Chinese goods from Tuesday. This brings the total amount of new tariffs imposed by the US on China to 20%. Like the first time in early February, China responded in a multi-faceted manner.
First, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced that an additional 15-percent tariff will be imposed on imported chicken, wheat, corn and cotton originating from the US. In addition, tariffs were hiked by 10% on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Xinhua’s report says that “the US unilateral tariff increase harms the multilateral trade system, increases the burden on American businesses and consumers, and undermines the foundation of China-US economic and trade cooperation.”
The announcement from the commission also said that “Goods that have been shipped from the place of departure before March 10, 2025, and are imported between March 10, 2025, and April 12, 2025, will not be subject to the additional tariffs specified in the announcement.”
Along with this, China on Tuesday added 10 American firms to its Unreliable Entities List. The firms are:
TCOM, Limited Partnership
Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC
Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.
Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.
S3 AeroDefense
Cubic Corporation,
TextOre
ACT1 Federal
Exovera
Planate Management Group
The Ministry of Commerce said that from Tuesday onward, China will prohibit these companies from engaging in import and export activities related to China, and these companies will also be banned from making new investments within the country.
Xinhua’s report says that a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson informed that these companies had “either participated in arms sales to Taiwan or engaged in so-called military technology cooperation with Taiwan, seriously harming China’s national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Based on the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, the National Security Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People’s Republic of China, and other relevant laws, and in accordance with Article 2 of the Regulations on the Unreliable Entity List, China is holding these entities legally accountable for their unlawful conduct.”
不可靠实体清单工作机制4日发布公告，决定将特科姆公司等10家实体列入不可靠实体清单，禁止上述企业从事与中国有关的进出口活动。禁止上述企业在中国境内新增投资。本公告未尽事宜，按《不可靠实体清单规定》执行。公告自公布之日起实施。商务部新闻发言人表示，近年来，特科姆公司、摇杆舵公司等10家公司不顾中方强烈反对，或参与对台军售，或与台开展所谓军事技术合作，严重损害中国国家主权、安全和发展利益。中方根据《中华人民共和国对外贸易法》《中华人民共和国国家安全法》《中华人民共和国反外国制裁法》等法律，依据《不可靠实体清单规定》第二条等规定，依法追究其不法责任.
Also, the Ministry of Commerce launched its first ever anti-circumvention investigation on certain fibre optic products from the US. Xinhua reports that certain American optical fibre products are suspected of circumventing China’s anti-dumping measures. In response to a petition from the domestic industry, the Ministry of Commerce has initiated China’s first anti-circumvention investigation. Based on the investigation results, it will decide whether to impose anti-circumvention measures. 商务部4日发布公告，对美国相关光纤产品发起反规避调查，这是我国启动首起反规避调查。据了解，美相关光纤产品涉嫌规避我国反倾销措施，应国内产业申请，商务部依法启动我国首起反规避调查，将根据调查结果，决定是否对美采取反规避措施.
Finally, Beijing has put out a White Paper listing its contributions to controlling fentanyl-related substances. This basically captures the primary argument from Beijing’s point of view in pushing back against American criticism around fentanyl.