Ding Xuexiang Visits Turkmenistan - China's Position Paper on Israel-Palestine Issue - Xi's Shanghai Inspection
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People's Daily’s edition on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
Page 1: Let’s begin with a report (English report) on Ding Xuexiang’s visit to Turkmenistan. Ding met with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, held talks with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and co-chaired with Meredov the sixth Meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee.
Ding said that China-Turkmenistan relations have achieved a ‘big leap’ this year. President Xi Jinping and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov jointly announced that they would upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a comprehensive strategic partnership and implement the construction of a community of shared future at the bilateral level. China is willing to work with Turkmenistan to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously enrich the new connotation of China-Turkmenistan comprehensive strategic partnership, and continue to inject new impetus into the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Turkmenistan. China is a trustworthy friend and partner of Turkmenistan and firmly supports Turkmenistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions.” 丁薛祥表示，今年中土关系实现了“大跨越”。习近平主席同别尔德穆哈梅多夫总统共同宣布将两国关系提升为全面战略伙伴关系，在双边层面践行命运共同体。中方愿同土方一道，落实好两国元首重要共识，不断充实中土全面战略伙伴关系新内涵，为中土命运共同体建设持续注入新动力。中国是土库曼斯坦值得信赖的朋友和伙伴，坚定支持土方维护主权、独立和领土完整，走符合本国国情的发展道路。
Ding called on the two countries to deepen cooperation and “turn the grand blueprint planned by the leaders of the two countries into practical results to better benefit the two countries and their peoples.” “Berdimuhamedov asked Ding to convey his cordial greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and said that the all-round cooperation between the two countries is strategic, long-term and special. Turkmenistan stands ready to work with China to enhance strategic communication, deepen cooperation in all fields and promote its comprehensive strategic partnership with China to a new height, Berdimuhamedov said. He said that Turkmenistan firmly supports the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism and is willing to work with China to jointly promote regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.”
The report further informs that at the sixth Meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee, the two sides “agreed to further strengthen the alignment of development strategies and lead all-round cooperation between China and Turkmenistan through high-quality joint construction of BRI. Efforts should be made to increase the scale of economic, trade and investment cooperation, continue to deepen natural gas cooperation, accelerate consultations on the alignment of priority economic projects, and carry out more cooperation on non-resource projects. Actively create a new pattern of connectivity and further deepen China-Turkmenistan transportation and logistics cooperation. Expand new channels for people-to-people and cultural exchanges, organise cultural year-related activities, and promote the early implementation of projects such as mutual establishment of cultural centres, the establishment of Luban workshops, and traditional medicine centres in Turkmenistan. Continue to expand security cooperation, further deepen anti-terrorism cooperation, and jointly combat the ‘three evil forces’.”
They signed MoUs on deepening scientific and technological cooperation, an international road transport agreement and others.
Next, there’s a report on Han Zheng meeting with representatives of the 14th Plenary Session of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development in Beijing. Xinhua reports:
“Han said that under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ heads of state, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has enjoyed sustained, sound and steady development, with deepening political mutual trust, steady progress on practical cooperation and increasingly solid public support. Han said that the two countries’ leaders have made comprehensive arrangements for the development of bilateral relations and pointed out the direction for advancing the cause of people-to-people friendship between China and Russia. It is hoped that the committee will implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, take the opportunity of celebrating the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties and the Year of Culture next year, and give full play to the strong cohesion, appeal and impetus of people-to-people diplomacy, to make new and greater contributions to the development of bilateral relations, he added.”
That’s all that’s noteworthy on the front page. Xi Jinping visited Shanghai on an inspection tour on Tuesday and Wednesday, but this will be covered in the paper tomorrow I presume. So far, Xinhua has reported that Xi inspected the Shanghai Futures Exchange, an exhibition on Shanghai's sci-tech innovations, and a government-subsidised rental housing community. This Xinhua report tells us a bit about the broad messages that we can expect from Xi’s visit, i.e.,
finance must serve the real economy,
Chinese-style modernization depends on technological modernization, and
urban development/real estate development must be people-centred
Page 2: There’s a report on comments by Zhang Guoqing, who heads the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, at a national meeting on workplace safety. Xinhua reports that “work will be done to crack down on mining violations such as over-excavation, while paying special attention to important venues including commercial complexes, high-rise buildings, hospitals, schools and nursing homes, and strengthening safety control in key areas, from hazardous chemicals to transportation and construction, according to the meeting.”
“A statement issued after a national meeting on workplace safety called for deeply learning the lessons of recent accidents, strictly controlling the risks in key industries, stepping up moves to eliminate hazards, and doing a good job of maintaining safe production at the end of 2023 and the beginning of the next year.”
Page 3: There’s a report on Wang Yi meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. Xinhua reports:
Wang said that “China calls for convening a more authoritative, inclusive and result-oriented peace conference as soon as possible to set a roadmap and timetable for the two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel issue…China supports the United Nations in playing a leading role to that end…The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a global focus, and the role of the United Nations and its actions are drawing global attention, Wang said. On this issue, China has always been on the side of peace, on the side of human conscience, and on the side of international law, he said. China supports the United Nations and the secretary-general in playing a unique and indispensable role in dealing with the issue, said Wang. As the president of the UN Security Council for the month of November, China, maintaining close communication with Arab countries and other relevant parties, has made the Palestinian-Israeli conflict a key priority of the council, he said. China has also received a joint delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in Beijing and reached consensus on convening a high-level Security Council meeting, at which China hopes the council could speak with one clear voice, Wang said. Wang said the Security Council Resolution 2712 is the first step toward a cease-fire and a good start toward the political settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The key point now is whether the humanitarian pause currently in effect could be extended and whether the flames of war would resume in Gaza, he said. China's position is clear:
First, war should not be allowed to return. A comprehensive cease-fire should be in place in order to prevent an even larger humanitarian disaster. People in captivity should be released, Wang said.
Second, humanitarian supplies should have unhindered access to Gaza. More border crossings should be made available and an effective monitoring mechanism should be established.
Third, the two-state solution, which is the greatest common denominator of the international community and the fundamental way out to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, should be brought back as soon as possible, he said.
China has also issued a position paper on the issue. It cites Xi as having stressed “the need for an immediate ceasefire and ending the fighting, ensuring that the humanitarian corridors are safe and unimpeded, and preventing the expansion of the conflict. He pointed out that the fundamental way out of this lies in the two-state solution, building international consensus for peace, and working toward a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.”
The document makes five points:
“Building on UNSC Resolution 2712, the Security Council, in response to the calls of the international community, should explicitly demand a comprehensive ceasefire and end of the fighting, work for deescalation of the conflict, and cool down the situation as soon as possible.”
“It is imperative to stop any violent attacks against civilians and violations of international humanitarian law, and avoid attacks on civilian facilities. The Security Council should further send a clear message on opposing forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population, preventing the displacement of Palestinian civilians, and calling for the release of all civilians and hostages held captive as soon as possible.”
“The Security Council should encourage the international community to ramp up humanitarian assistance, improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, and support the coordinating role of the United Nations as well as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in humanitarian assistance, and prepare the international community for supporting post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza.”
“The Security Council should leverage its role in facilitating peace as mandated in the UN Charter to demand that parties to the conflict exercise restraint to prevent the conflict from widening and uphold peace and stability in the Middle East.”
“According to relevant UNSC resolutions and international consensus, the fundamental settlement of the question of Palestine lies in the implementation of the two-state solution, restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 border and with east Jerusalem as its capital. The Security Council should help restore the two-state solution. A more broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference led and organized by the UN should be held as soon as possible to formulate a concrete timetable and roadmap for the implementation of the two-state solution and facilitate a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine. Any arrangement on the future of Gaza must respect the will and independent choice of the Palestinian people, and must not be imposed upon them.”
Finally, Xi Jinping sent a message to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Xinhua reports:
“Xi said that the bitter lessons of the cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict fully demonstrate that only by upholding the concept of common security can sustainable security be achieved. The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue, and the crux of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the long overdue realization of the legitimate national right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state, he said. Xi called on the international community to take urgent actions to address the Palestine-Israel conflict, and urged the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities and make every effort to facilitate a ceasefire, ensure the safety of civilians, and stop the humanitarian disaster. On top of this, the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks should be restarted as soon as possible and the Palestinian people's right to statehood and survival and their right of return should be restored as soon as possible, Xi said.”
“China has, as always, firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, he said. And the only viable way to settle the Palestinian question lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that enjoys full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. The needs of the Palestinian economy and people's livelihood need to be ensured, and the international community should increase development assistance and humanitarian aid to Palestine, stay on the right course towards peace talks, and convene a more authoritative international peace conference as soon as possible, he said.”
“China has put forward the Global Security Initiative, advocates resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation and supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis, Xi said, pledging China's continuous efforts to stand for justice on the Palestinian question, actively promote peace talks and continue to provide humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinian side. Xi said that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will continue to work with the international community to build global consensus on promoting peace, bring the Palestinian question back to the right track toward the two-state solution, and strive for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement at an early date.”
If you are interested in my take on China’s interests and diplomacy amid the Israel-Hamas war, do check out the draft paper that I published yesterday on the blog.
Anyway, there’s a Xinhua report on Wang Yi’s comments to the media after the UNSC meeting on the Israel-Palestine issue.
Wang Yi said that “foreign ministers and high-level representatives from nearly 20 countries attended the meeting…Representatives at the meeting had in-depth discussions on the current situation between Palestine and Israel and the next steps. All parties further built consensus and pooled joint efforts in the direction of returning to peace.” 近20个国家的外长和高级别代表出席会议，中方对此表示感谢。与会代表就当前巴以局势和下步工作进行了深入讨论，各方朝着重返和平的方向进一步凝聚了共识，汇聚了合力.
“Wang Yi stressed that we welcome the temporary humanitarian truce agreement reached last week, but peace cannot be restricted and a ceasefire cannot be limited. Once the window of opportunity is opened, it should not be closed, and once the war is extinguished, it should not be rekindled. Humanitarian disasters cannot be allowed to continue to occur, and civilians must not be allowed to suffer misery again. We urge the release of all detained persons, call for the lifting of the comprehensive blockade on Gaza, ensure the smooth passage of humanitarian aid, and protect the basic survival needs of the civilians in Gaza. We should also prevent the conflict from spilling over to the entire Middle East region and urge countries that have influence on the parties to play an active role.” 王毅强调，我们欢迎上周达成临时人道主义停火协议，但和平不能受限制，停火不能有期限。机会之窗一旦打开就不应关闭，战火一旦停熄就不能重燃。不能允许人道灾难继续发生，不能接受平民再次遭受涂炭。我们敦促释放所有被扣押人员，呼吁解除对加沙的全面封锁，确保人道救援通道顺畅，保障加沙平民的基本生存需求。我们还应防止冲突向整个中东地区外溢，敦促对当事方有影响的国家发挥积极作用.
Wang then reiterates that “the ‘two-state solution’ is the only feasible way to solve the Palestinian issue”. He calls the failure to establish an independent Palestinian state a “wound on human conscience.” 70多年过去了，一代代巴勒斯坦人失去家园、颠沛流离，巴勒斯坦独立建国的夙愿仍然遥不可及，这是人类良知的伤口. He then talked about China’s position paper and said that “China will provide a new batch of emergency humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip.”
Moving on, there’s a report on Mao Dingzhi, director of the Cadre Bureau No. 1 of the Organisation Department, leading a delegation to Tanzania. The delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Hon. Dr. Doto Biteko and the Deputy General Secretary Revolutionary Party.
Page 9: I am not doing a detailed breakdown but for those interested, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles chief Dong Yaopeng has an article today talking about the importance of maintaining a people-centred creative orientation.