Davos Speech, Guiding Students Abroad & Strategic Goal of Anti-Corruption Work
Below are the stories that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s January 26, 2021, edition
Page 1: The front page today is all about Xi Jinping. First, there’s coverage of his speech at the World Economic Forum last night. The theme of the speech was multilateralism. The English version of the speech is available here. Of course, there’s a huge gap between China’s policies and Xi’s rhetoric. Also, for all the pushback against decoupling and de-globalisation in the speech, one doesn’t hear any reflection. Granted, this might not be the place for him to do so, but where are the signals that Beijing understands how its policies have galvanised the move towards building “small circles”? Anyway, here’s a cheat sheet on the speech.
Xi talked about four “major tasks” for the post-COVID world:
macroeconomic policy coordination: “We are going through the worst recession since the end of World War II. For the first time in history, the economies of all regions have been hit hard at the same time, with global industrial and supply chains clogged and trade and investment down in the doldrums.”
abandon ideological prejudice: “Each country is unique with its own history, culture and social system, and none is superior to the other. The best criteria are whether a country's history, culture and social system fit its particular situation, enjoy people's support, serve to deliver political stability, social progress and better lives, and contribute to human progress...Difference in itself is no cause for alarm. What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice and hatred; it is the attempt to impose hierarchy on human civilization or to force one's own history, culture and social system upon others.”
close the divide between developed and developing countries
come together against global challenges, such as climate change
Ergo, we need multilateralism and a community with a shared future for mankind. But here’s what this means for Xi:
Engage in consultation, but don’t “build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation.”
He says that he wants everyone to “uphold the common values of humanity, i.e. peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, rise above ideological prejudice, make the mechanisms, principles and policies of our cooperation as open and inclusive as possible, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability.” And he talks about the need to “build an open world economy, uphold the multilateral trading regime, discard discriminatory and exclusionary standards, rules and systems, and take down barriers to trade, investment and technological exchanges.”
Next Xi talks about the sanctity of international law and the UN at the center of the world order. “State-to-state relations should be coordinated and regulated through proper institutions and rules. The strong should not bully the weak. Decision should not be made by simply showing off strong muscles or waving a big fist. Multilateralism should not be used as pretext for acts of unilateralism.”
Next he says: “We should respect and accommodate differences, avoid meddling in other countries' internal affairs, and resolve disagreements through consultation and dialogue,” adding the different kinds of wars we should avoid: “cold war, hot war, trade war or tech war.”
Finally, he talked about what China will be doing going ahead. He hit the standard notes about China’s pandemic diplomacy, opening up, leading developing countries, and sustainable development. On the latter, he emphasised this: “China is drawing up action plans and taking specific measures already to make sure we meet the set targets. We are doing this as a concrete action to uphold multilateralism and as a contribution to protecting our shared home and realizing sustainable development of humanity.”
Last, on science and technology, I thought what he said was interesting to note.
“China will invest more in science and technology, develop an enabling system for innovation as a priority, turn breakthroughs in science and technology into actual productivity at a faster pace, and enhance intellectual property protection, all for the purpose of fostering innovation-driven, higher-quality growth. Scientific and technological advances should benefit all humanity rather than be used to curb and contain other countries' development. China will think and act with more openness with regard to international exchange and cooperation on science and technology.”
Next, there’s a commentary on Xi’s speech at the CCDI plenary. It says that the Party should “give full play to the comprehensive strict governance of the Party to lead the role of security, we must be strong in political supervision to ensure that the Party Central Committee to ensure implementation of major decisions and deployments in place; to unswervingly promote the fight against corruption and continue to achieve the strategic goal that officials “don't dare to, are unable to and have no desire to commit acts of corruption’.”
Page 2: You have Xi’s full speech shared here. In addition, there’s an interview with Umberto de Pretto, Secretary General of the International Road Transport Union. He is quoted as saying that the IRU “fully supports the joint construction of the 'Belt and Road' and actively participates in it. We have a common vision and are committed to promoting interconnectivity and win-win cooperation.” He also discusses the “important role in transporting epidemic prevention materials and guaranteeing the supply chain” during the pandemic. In this context, he reportedly believes that China’s actions are exemplary and says that the IRU has shared China’s successful practices globally. I didn’t, however, notice any example of these practices. In fact the example cited is of the IRU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe working to get essential supplies and clearances done across borders more efficiently.
Finally, there’s a report based on a new United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s new Global Investment Trends Monitoring Report. This essentially is covered to show how China became the biggest destination for foreign investment in 2020. Wonder why then Xi still keeps worrying about “small circles” and decoupling. The report says that FDI flows fell to an estimated US$859 billion in 2020 from US$1.5 trillion in 2019. From this, FDI flow into China rose by 4 percent to US$163 billion. The report also says: “In 2020, advanced economies will absorb approximately US$229 billion of FDI, a 69% drop from the previous year and the lowest level in the past 25 years. Among them, US FDI is about US$134 billion, shrinking by nearly half from the previous year. In the same period, the FDI of developing economies was approximately US$616 billion, down 12%, accounting for approximately 72% of the total global FDI.”
Page 3: First, Wang Yang met with members of the 8th Council of the European and American Students Association in Beijing on the 25. He told them that they should study and understand Xi’s speech made at the association’s centenary and follow the Party’s Central Committee. He said that they should “guide the majority of students to unite their love for their country, their will to strengthen their country and their deeds to serve their country, and unite their dreams of studying abroad and their life with the Chinese dream.” He also called on the new leadership of the association to “guide the students to have a deep understanding of why the CPC is ‘capable’, why Marxism is ‘feasible’ and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is ‘good’.”
And then this: “Wang Yang stressed that students studying abroad are the valuable wealth of the Party and the people and the living force to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The local party committees at all levels should fully understand the significance of doing a good job of studying abroad in the new era, implement the relevant decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, support the work of the European and American Associations, and create a good atmosphere for them to play a better role.”
Next, Guo Shengkun presided over the plenary meeting of the Central Political and Law Committee. He warned that “to implement the Party’s absolute leadership over political and legal work, it is necessary to strictly enforce political discipline and rules, thoroughly investigate two-faced factions, two-faced people and perpetuate the loyalty and purity and reliable political qualities of the political and legal teams.”
He then “emphasized that it is necessary to carry out the education and rectification of the national political and legal team as the starting point, resolutely rectify the violation of discipline and law on the political and legal fronts, and in-depth investigation of law enforcement and judicial corruption. It is necessary to continue to promote the central inspection and rectification to ensure that it is fully implemented.” The objective of this is the “strategic goal” of ensuring that officials “don't dare to, are unable to and have no desire to commit acts of corruption.”
Page 4: In terms of the centenary propaganda today, the focus is on the Gutian Conference, which followed the August 1927 Nanchang Uprising, the first clashes between the Communists and Nationalists as part of the Civil War. This is where the Communists hit back after the Chiang Kai-shek’s forces had carried out a surprise massacre in Shanghai in April. The PD story today begins by saying: “This is the place (Gutian) where our party established the principles of ideological party building and political army building, the place where our army's political work laid the foundation, and the place where the new People's Army took shape.”
It then talks about Xi’s visit to Gutian in October 2014. As has been his approach to build historical linkages and legitimacy, he visited the site of the 1927 conference and delivered a speech. The story talks a lot about the memorial hall and relics there, etc. But here’s where it reminds us of the relevance of all this today, by quoting Xi from 2014.
“Give full play to the lifeline role of political work in strengthening the army” and “focus on cultivating a new generation of revolutionary soldiers with soul, ability, blood, and morality"”.. Chairman Xi's important speech and ardent exhortations are still in my ears. Now, standing at the historical intersection of achieving the “two centenary” goals, the People's Army has taken solid steps on the road to a strong army with Chinese characteristics.”
There’s more on Gutian and the political role of the PLA on pages 5 and 6, which are dedicated to centenary propaganda pieces.
Page 11: Just one story on the Politics page to note, i.e., this one about Li Jinzao, former deputy minister of culture and tourism, being expelled from the Party and being discharged from office for taking bribes and gifts, as well as evading investigations. That’s the sanitised English reportage. Here’s what PD says:
“Li Jinzao lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original mission, was disloyal and dishonest to the Party, confronted organizational review, went back on his words, cheated the organization, engaged in superstitious activities; ignored the spirit of the eight central provisions, frequently accepted banquets that might affect the impartial execution of official duties, received gifts in violation of the rules; sought benefits for others in the selection and appointment of cadres and received property, and did not truthfully explain the problems when the organization was inquiring; used his authority to benefit the business activities of his relatives, his family style was corrupted, his life was corrupted, and he received money and collected wealth together with his family members; he turned his public power into a tool for personal gain, used the convenience of his position to seek benefits for others in business operation and project contracting, and illegally received large amounts of money and property.” Phew!
In essence, Li “violated the Party’s political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, and life discipline.”