China-Fiji Ties - Xi's Messages on Reform Implementation - Former Greek FM on China's Democracy
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People's Daily’s edition on Monday, August 19, 2024.
Page 1: Before I get to the contents of the page, for those watching, Xi Jinping is back in public today, meeting with visiting Vietnam leader To Lam.
Now, the top report today is about the publication of a new collection of documents, spanning a period from the 20th Party Congress in October 2022 till the second session of the 14th NPC in March 2024. Out of the total 75 pieces published, 33 are by Xi Jinping and 18 by other leaders. 19 of the pieces are being published for the first time
The report says that this compilation serves as an “important textbook for the entire Party to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the major policies and guidelines of the Party Central Committee”.
Key contents of the book are highlighted on Page 2.
Next, there’s a report on Li Qiang meeting with visiting Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Xinhua says:
“Li said that China has always regarded Fiji as one of its most important cooperation partners in the South Pacific region. China always firmly supports the Fijian people in pursuing the development path they have independently chosen, and stands ready to work with Fiji to deliver on the common understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries, Li said. He added that China will continue to be true friends with Fiji -- friends who trust and support each other -- and strengthen exchanges at all levels, push forward the sound, steady development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and bring more benefits to the two peoples. Li said the two countries should further leverage their complementary advantages and deepen cooperation on infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries, light industry, education, tourism, and poverty reduction under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China will import more products from Fiji, and supports Chinese enterprises to invest in Fiji, he noted. Li said China supports Pacific island countries in implementing the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and will strengthen communication and cooperation with Fiji and other island countries in actively implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and in jointly championing an equal, orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial, inclusive economic globalization.”
Rabuka said that Fiji always regards China as a reliable partner, firmly abides by the one-China principle, supports the Belt and Road Initiative and other important initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China on the economy and trade, infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and connectivity to open up new, broad prospects for bilateral partnership.”
He added that “the vision of ‘Sea of Peace’ aligns with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence advocated by China, sharing the same ideals and goals.” “和平之海”愿景同中方倡导的和平共处五项原则理念相通、目标相同...
Next, there’s an article talking about the third plenum resolution. This is interesting in the context of the praise that it heaps on Xi Jinping, insisting that the document has his imprimatur, and discusses implementation.
The article tells us about how Xi has always proceeded with the spirit of nailing nails, and taken decisive action amid policy arguments around reforms related to deep-rooted challenges.
Then we get this nugget about time.
“The length of time anchored for implementation is not just one or two years, but rather accumulating small steps to reach a thousand miles, with a long-term vision. ‘Our understanding of time is not measured in decades or centuries, but in centuries or millennia.’ Following through with a blueprint to the end, success does not necessarily have to be attributed to me, but success must include me—this is the Communist Party's view of achievements. The speed of implementation and advancement is also not a matter of one or two years, but rather ‘constantly being concerned’ and seizing every moment. We have timetables and roadmaps, and work backwards from deadlines. General Secretary Xi Jinping often measures time in days: how long it has been since the goal was set, and how many days are left until the goal is achieved. The work of the Party and the nation is advanced stage by stage in relay fashion, ‘neither delaying nor rushing ahead’.” 落实锚定的时间之长，不是一年两年，而是积跬步至千里，放眼长远。“我们对于时间的理解，不是以十年、百年为计，而是以百年、千年为计。”一张蓝图绘到底，功成不必在我、功成必定有我，这是共产党人的政绩观。落实推进的时间之快，也不是一年两年，而是“时时放心不下”，只争朝夕。时间表、路线图，倒排工期。习近平总书记常用天数去丈量，目标提出了多久、距离目标完成还剩下多少日子。党和国家事业是一个阶段一个阶段接力推进的，“不能拖延也不能抢跑”.
Also this bit about the spirit of nailing nails:
“In the book Zhijiang Xinyu (之江新语), there is an article titled ‘Grasping implementation is like hammering in nails’. In the text, ‘missing the point when driving in the nail’ is used metaphorically describe ‘sprinkling pepper’ (scattered efforts), superficially trying things, or being inconsistent; ‘hitting the nail only once or twice’ or ‘hitting it three or four times’ refers to the principle of ‘holding on to the end, constantly and persistently making efforts without letting up’; and ‘hammering in a nail shouldn’t rely solely on brute force and neither should one randomly hammer nails into walls’ are used to illustrate that ‘implementation must also be adapted to the actual situation and tailored to local conditions’.
To hammer in nails, the first thing is to fully understand the spirit of reform.
‘We must guard against empty reform slogans, prevent simple forwarding and copying of central documents, and avoid mechanical inspections and evaluations.’ Rectifying formalism and reducing burdens on grassroots levels means tackling these stubborn issues. General Secretary Xi Jinping once noted the phenomenon of ‘overnight transmission,’ but thorough study and understanding inevitably takes time. How can it be accomplished in one go, mistaking rapid transmission for effective implementation? A careful reading of the Decision shows that every reform measure is rooted in the profound Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This is the source of understanding the spirit of reform.” 如何钉钉子？《之江新语》一书有篇《抓落实如敲钉子》。文中，以“钉不到点上”，比喻“撒胡椒面”、浅尝辄止、朝三暮四；以“只钉一两下”或“钉个三四下”，阐明“要一抓到底，常抓不懈”的道理；再拿“敲钉子也不能光凭着一股蛮力，逢墙乱钉”，来讲述“抓落实还要结合实际，因地制宜”。钉到点上，首要的是把改革精神吃透。“要防止空喊改革口号，防止简单转发照搬中央文件，防止机械式督察检查考核。”整治形式主义、为基层减负，督办的就是这些顽瘴痼疾。习近平总书记曾注意到“传达不过夜”现象，学深悟透必定需要时间，又怎能一蹴而就，把传达迅速当作落实有力？细读《决定》，每一项改革举措，无不扎根于博大深邃的习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。这也是理解改革精神的源头活水.
Later the piece talks about precision in methods, i.e., that steps taken should adapt to local conditions, and it talks about innovation.
“Innovative thinking is what today’s China calls for, and it is consistently encouraged and advocated by the Party Central Committee. Innovation contrasts with conservatism. In a rapidly developing China, there is an endless stream of new contradictions and problems. Facing problems head-on, applying targeted solutions, combining top-level design with grassroots exploration—these are the accurate descriptors for contemporary China. With a population of over 1.4 billion, China solves problems through innovation every day, and makes breakthroughs in reform with each innovative step. ‘We must respect the creativity of the grassroots and the masses, encourage local authorities to actively experiment and boldly explore, make good use of pilot projects, and push reform to continuously achieve new breakthroughs.’ Innovation is like the spark that sets the prairie ablaze and spring water that breaks the ice. Whether it is the exploration of Xiaogang, the experiments in Shenzhen, the breakthroughs in Pudong, the development of Qianhai, or the initiation of Xiong’an, which of these does not rely on innovation as a fulcrum to propel the ongoing historic progress?” 创新思维是今日中国所呼唤的，也是党中央一贯鼓励和倡导的。创新，对应守旧。一个快速发展的中国，新矛盾、新问题层出不穷。正视问题，靶向治疗，既顶层设计又基层探索，正是评判当代中国的准确语句。拥有14亿多人口的中国，每一天都在创新中解决问题，每一步都在创新中改革突破。“要尊重基层和群众创造，鼓励地方积极地试、大胆地闯，用好试点试验手段，推动改革不断取得新突破。”创新，如星火燎原、如春水破冰。小岗探路、深圳试水、浦东闯关、前海开发、雄安启航，哪一个不是以创新为支点，撬动了至今仍在持续的历史性前行?
Finally, on the front page, is a report on the passing of Zhou Guangzhao, a renowned physicist and former president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was 95. As per China Daily, Zhou was a “pivotal figure in China’s nuclear weapons program” He was “honored with the prestigious ‘Two Bombs, One Satellite’ Meritorious Service Medal in 1999. Zhou made significant contributions to theoretical physics, including his discovery in 1960 of the partial conservation of axial current — one of the most important contributions to particle physics and the key to understanding the interactions of fundamental particles known as pions. His work was also instrumental in the research and development of China’s first atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and other nuclear weapons.”
Page 3: There’s an article by Georgios Katrougalos, former foreign minister of Greece, talking about China’s “whole-process people’s democracy”. He writes that:
“Democracy is a common value of all mankind and a common pursuit of people of all countries. There is no single model for achieving democracy that is applicable to all countries.” 民主是全人类共同价值，是各国人民的共同追求。实现民主并不存在适用于所有国家的单一模式.
China’s whole-process people’s democracy integrates democracy into all domains, aspects and links of the country’s political life. Survey results in recent years show that the Chinese people have maintained a high level of satisfaction with their political system and government performance, which shows the success of China’s relevant policies. 中国全过程人民民主将民主贯穿于国家政治生活的各领域、各方面、各环节。近年来的调查结果显示，中国民众对本国政治制度和政府表现保持较高满意度，这展现了中国有关政策的成功。
It is very important to fully apply the results of technological advancement to promote the development of democracy. The development of technologies such as the Internet, big data, and AI has enriched democratic practices, providing the government with more convenient ways to listen to the voice of the people. Reality also shows that without effective regulation, digital technologies can pose a threat to democratic development. China has a clear understanding of this and has introduced a series of laws and regulations, including the Cybersecurity Law, the Data Security Law, and the Personal Information Protection Law. 将科技发展成果充分应用于促进民主事业发展十分重要。互联网、大数据、人工智能等技术的发展丰富了民主实践，使得政府有更加便捷的途径倾听人民的声音。现实同样表明，如果没有有效监管，数字技术也可能对民主发展构成威胁。中国对此有清醒的认识，出台了网络安全法、数据安全法、个人信息保护法等一系列法律法规.
“The spirit of democracy also requires respect for the sovereignty, independence and equality of all countries, and ensuring that all countries participate equally in global decision-making. At present, the climate crisis, regional conflicts, and growing inequality between countries are hindering global development and affecting the global democratic cause.” In this context, he praises GDI, GSI and GCI as “important for promoting democracy.” 民主精神同样要求尊重各国主权独立、平等，确保各国平等参与全球决策。当前，气候危机、地区冲突、国家间日益加剧的不平等等问题正在阻碍全球发展，也对全球民主事业造成影响。中国提出全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议等重要全球倡议，强调联合国在维护多边主义方面发挥的重要作用，倡导国际合作，推动不同文明在民主等问题上加强对话沟通、互学互鉴，这对于弘扬民主十分重要.