GCI's First Anniversary - Wang Yi to Visit Australia - Clock Ticking for TikTok
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People's Daily’s edition on Friday, March 15, 2024.
Page 1: The big article in the paper today marks the first anniversary of the Global Civilisation Initiative. The first section recaps Xi Jinping’s comments over the years to build some sort of narrative consistency.
“The world, at present, is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. To cope with common challenges and move towards a better future requires not only economic and technological strength, but also cultural and civilizational strength. Since the 18th Party Congress, President Xi Jinping has actively called for the promotion of exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, contributing Chinese wisdom and inspiring spiritual strength to promote the progress of human civilization and respond to common global challenges.” 当前，世界正经历百年未有之大变局。应对共同挑战、迈向美好未来，既需要经济科技力量，也需要文化文明力量。党的十八大以来，习近平主席积极倡导推动不同文明交流互鉴，为推动人类文明进步、应对全球共同挑战贡献中国智慧、激发精神力量.
It then mentions, Xi’s speeches at:
UNESCO headquarters in March 2014
UNGA in September 2015
Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, May 2019
It then reiterates the four key pillars of GCI:
jointly advocate respect for the diversity of world civilizations
jointly advocate the promotion of common values for all mankind
jointly advocate the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations
jointly advocate the strengthening of international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation
It adds that GCI “adheres to the civilizational concept of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness, and encourages all parties to use civilizational exchanges to transcend civilizational estrangement, use mutual learning to transcend civilizational conflict, and tolerance to transcend ideas of civilizational superiority...” 相互尊重、和衷共济、和合共生的中国方案，坚持弘扬平等、互鉴、对话、包容的文明观，推动各方以文明交流超越文明隔阂、文明互鉴超越文明冲突、文明包容超越文明优越，让文明交流互鉴成为增进各国人民友谊的桥梁、推动人类社会进步的动力、维护世界和平的纽带，汇聚共同推动人类社会现代化进程的文明之力。
Anyway, we then learn about what’s been done through the year, and to be honest, there’s not much specific to say. There are quotes from Xi at meetings with Central Asian leaders, BRICS countries, and Asia-Pacific countries. There are also mentions of Xi’s letters to Arab artists, children in Bangladesh, teachers and students of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology in South Africa, U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association, etc. It also mentions his messages to the 2023 China-U.S. People-to-People Friendship Forum, the Third Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and the First World Conference of Sinologists, Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, 2023 Beijing Culture Forum, and the Liangzhu Forum.
The next section talks about Xi’s emphasis on Chinese civilization and culture, because GCI “is rooted in the soil of China’s excellent traditional culture.” It says that Xi spoke about the key features of Chinese civilization during a symposium in June last year. These are:
Chinese civilization is highly consistent
Chinese civilization is exceptionally innovative,
Chinese civilization is characterized by strong uniformity
Chinese civilization is inclusive
Chinese civilization is peaceful
Then, the article correlates these with Chinese foreign policy initiatives, such as the BRI. It says:
“Being kind to neighbors and harmonious with all nations has always been the way of Chinese civilization; this not only depicts the magnificent backdrop for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation but also illuminates the glorious future of human civilization.” 亲仁善邻、协和万邦，中华文明一贯的处世之道，绘就中华民族走向复兴的雄浑底色，也照亮人类文明的光辉未来.
Then it says:
“Over the past year, from the establishment of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia and the Asian Fund for Cultural Heritage Conservation to the successful hosting of the ‘Understanding China’ international conference and the ‘Liangzhu Forum,’ the Global Civilization Initiative has transformed from an idea into practice. The exchange and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and different civilizations, in a spirit of mutual benefit, continue to contribute to the diverse and colourful new chapters of world civilization.” 一年来，从亚洲文化遗产保护联盟、亚洲文化遗产保护基金成立到“读懂中国”国际会议、“良渚论坛”成功举办，全球文明倡议从理念转化为实践，中华文明与不同文明交流互鉴、“美美与共”，不断书写世界文明多彩新篇.
It also talks about the Chengdu Universiade, Hangzhou Asian Games and 2024 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges, as being examples of people-to-people exchanges. Well, so much for the Asian Games being an example of mutual learning and exchanges of civilisations, considering that China denied entry to Indian athletes from the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
“The Global Civilization Initiative is based on China's development practice. The rejuvenation of the nation is also the rejuvenation of civilization. From being a ‘latecomer to modernization’ to becoming a ‘growth pole of world modernization,’ from a state of the ‘nation is being humiliated, people are suffering, and civilization being shrouded in dust’ to ‘creating a new form of human civilization’, modern China has experienced the most magnificent and profound historical changes in the development history of the Chinese nation.” 全球文明倡议，立足中国发展实践。民族的复兴，也是文明的复兴。从“现代化的迟到国”到“世界现代化的增长极”，从“国家蒙辱、人民蒙难、文明蒙尘”到“创造了人类文明新形态”，近代以来的中国经历了中华民族发展史上最为波澜壮阔、最为广泛深刻的历史巨变.
The third section says that GCI “provides profound answers to major questions, such as how different civilizations can get along with each other and what is the future of human civilization?” This section says:
Respecting the diversity of world civilizations is the primary prerequisite for implementing the Global Civilization Initiative. Diversity is the essence of human civilization. 尊重世界文明多样性，是践行全球文明倡议的首要前提。多样性是人类文明的底色.
“Promoting the common values of all humanity is the fundamental stance in implementing the Global Civilization Initiative. President Xi Jinping pointed out, ‘Peace and development are our common cause, fairness and justice are our common ideals, democracy and freedom are our common pursuits’. China does not impose its own values and models on others, does not engage in ideological confrontation, and advocates for the formation of the greatest common denominator of values based on seeking common ground while shelving differences, equal exchanges, and mutual learning.” 弘扬全人类共同价值，是践行全球文明倡议的基本立场。习近平主席指出：“和平与发展是我们的共同事业，公平正义是我们的共同理想，民主自由是我们的共同追求。”中国不将自己的价值观和模式强加于人，不搞意识形态对抗，主张在求同存异、平等交流、相互借鉴基础上形成价值最大公约数. Under this, the piece mentions mediation in Iran-Saudi ties and exchanges at the Nyerere Leadership School in Tanzania.
Paying attention to the inheritance and innovation of civilization is an important guideline for implementing GCI. Under this, the article says: “As of October last year, China had launched 33 cultural heritage assistance projects with 17 BRI partner countries.”
Strengthening international cultural exchanges and cooperation is an important means to implement GCI. 加强国际人文交流合作，是践行全球文明倡议的重要途径. This spans “education, healthcare, arts, and tourism, youth exchanges, think tanks, political parties, and media dialogues…”
We then get this in the final section:
“The international community believes that the successful practice of Chinese-style modernization has shattered the myth that ‘modernization equals Westernization’, forcefully demonstrating that there is more than one path to modernization and that human civilization is diverse and colorful. Countries can embark on their own distinctive paths to modernization based on their own cultural heritage and actual national conditions.” 国际社会认为，中国式现代化的成功实践，打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，有力表明通往现代化的道路不止一条，人类文明是多样的、多彩的，各国能够基于自身文明传承和实际国情走出各具特色的现代化之路.
If you are interested in my take on GCI and why I believe that it is the most pernicious of China’s three global initiatives, please do check out my recent publication with ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Moving on, we also have the full NPCSC work report published in the paper today. You can access the English version here.
Page 2: A couple of reports to note. First, there’s a report on Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing’s visit to Henan, where he called for efforts to foster new quality productive forces.
Zhang visited Zhengzhou and Luoyang. The two companies mentioned in the report are Zhongke Huiyuan Vision Technology (Luoyang) Co., Ltd and Hanwei Technology Group. Zhang said “specialized and innovative enterprises are an important force in promoting new industrialization and developing new quality productive forces. It is necessary to support these enterprises to increase research and development investment, strengthen technological innovation, strive to master more key core technologies, use technological competitiveness to improve total factor productivity, use technological innovation to promote industrial innovation, fostering more new industries, models, and drivers through technological innovation. It is essential to guide specialized and innovative enterprises in leading the implementation of ‘intelligent digital transformation to network connection’, actively applying digital technology and green technology to accelerate transformation and upgrading, creating new competitive advantages, and developing new quality productive forces. It is imperative to optimize and improve the methods for identifying and nurturing specialized and innovative enterprises, strengthen service guarantees, and create a favorable environment for the development and growth of enterprises.” 在郑州和洛阳，张国清先后来到汉威科技集团公司、中科慧远视觉技术（洛阳）有限公司等企业，在生产一线详细了解企业发展、科技创新和数字化转型等工作，鼓励企业坚定不移走高科技、高效能、高质量发展之路。他指出，专精特新企业是推进新型工业化、发展新质生产力的重要力量。要支持专精特新企业加大研发投入、加强科技创新，努力掌握更多关键核心技术，以科技竞争力提升带动全要素生产率提升，以科技创新推动产业创新、催生更多新产业新模式新动能。要引导专精特新企业率先实施“智改数转网联”，积极应用数智技术、绿色技术加快转型升级，增创竞争新优势，发展新质生产力。要优化完善专精特新企业培育认定办法，加强服务保障，为企业发展壮大营造良好环境.
Second, there’s a brief report informing that Chen Xiaodong has been appointed as the new Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Third, there’s a report informing that China’s photovoltaic industry’s output value exceeded 1.75 trillion yuan in 2023.
Page 3: There’s a brief report from MoFA’s presser yesterday discussing Wang Yi’s upcoming visit to New Zealand and Australia from March 17 to 21. Obviously, there seems to be a thawing of ties with Australia.
For instance, as The Sydney Morning Herald reports: “The Chinese government on Tuesday released its interim recommendation that the duties on wine are no longer necessary. Beijing will announce its final decision later this month, but the move has sparked hope the tariffs will be fully removed.”
Other Stories:
China says military delegation visited Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal
Some key reports related to China’s property sector:
Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said at a press conference Saturday: “for real estate companies that are seriously insolvent and have lost the ability to operate, those that must go bankrupt should go bankrupt, or be restructured, in accordance with the law and market principles.” But reports suggest that the government “has asked 12 banks to provide financing to the beleaguered state-owned real estate firm, Vanke Group.” “Rescue efforts for Vanke, part-owned by the Shenzhen government, are being coordinated by the State Council…The State Council has requested financial institutions to make swift progress and called on creditors to consider private debt maturity extension.”
Bloomberg reports that in February, “new-home prices in 70 cities, excluding state-subsidized housing, fell 1.9% from a year earlier, steeper than January’s 1.2% drop. They slid 0.36% from January, when they retreated 0.37%. Existing-home prices dropped 5.2% year on year, worsening from 4.5% in January and falling in all 70 cities. They declined 0.62% month on month, improving from a 0.68% decrease in January.
MoFA’s latest discourse attack: “‘Freedom of Speech’ in the United States: Truth and Facts” — This is partly in connection to the TikTok drama in the US, where the House of Representatives has approved a bill calling on Bytedance to either divest from TikTok or the app gets banned. Whether the app should be banned or not is a complex issue from the perspectives of free speech and business freedom in the US. I get that. Also, banning the app or transferring its ownership to an American enterprise or group will not address the problem of an external actor engaging in disinformation, propaganda or influence operations. I get that too. But we’re in a world of great power competition (or as Xi says - profound changes unseen in a century), and that logic is likely to take precedence over other perspectives for the moment. Also, it’s rather rich of Beijing to talk about the abuse of the concept of national security or pan-securitisation, when it is Xi that coined the comprehensive national security concept as far back as 2014. Also, read this defense from MoFA from its press briefing yesterday. It is absurd.
“AFP: I have another question on TikTok. The Chinese mainland has banned YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. What is the difference between this and the proposed ban on TikTok by the US?
Wang Wenbin: We welcome foreign platforms and services of various kinds to the Chinese market on the premise that they observe China’s laws and regulations. This is completely different from the US way of handling TikTok, which is clearly a bullying act and robbers’ logic.”
Anyway, I had a brief engagement on the subject on TRT World yesterday; sharing that video below.