Guidelines for Martyrs' Commendation Work - Plan for a Modern Energy System - Wang Yi at OIC Meet - SAMR Data on Private Enterprises - Wang Yang in Xinjiang - Coal Key to National Energy Security
Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy from the Wednesday, March 23, 2022, edition of the People’s Daily.
Page 1: It’s remarkable that neither COVID nor the MU5735 crash are front page stories for the People’s Daily. It seems only when Xi Jinping speaks about these issues will they be granted space on the page. Anyway, on the top of the page is a report that’s basically pledging greater support for private enterprises in China.
The report is based on SAMR data, which says that from 2012 to 2021, the number of private enterprises in China increased from 10.857 million to 44.575 million, quadrupling in 10 years. The proportion of private enterprises in the total number of enterprises has increased from 79.4% to 92.1%. They have played an important role in stabilising growth, promoting innovation, increasing employment, and improving people’s livelihood, and have become an important force in promoting economic and social development.
“Since the 18th Party Congress, the Central Committee and the State Council have continued to unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the non-public economy, which has greatly stimulated the vitality of private enterprises. Data show that in 2021, 8.525 million private enterprises will be established nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 11.7%. In that year, 3.9 million private enterprises. So there was one 1 exit for every 2.2 newly-established enterprises. Private enterprises also performed well in the field of foreign trade. From January to February this year, the import and export of private enterprises increased by 16.1%, accounting for 48.2% of the total import and export, an increase of 1.1 percentage points over the same period of the previous year…Since 2020, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have taken ensuring employment, people’s livelihood and market players as macroeconomic policy orientations, and introduced a package of support measures in taxation, finance, employment and social security, actively creating a fair competitive market environment, and private enterprises have shown strong development resilience. Ma Bin, Executive Vice President of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association, said that in recent years, various policies and measures have been introduced, and the development environment of private enterprises has continued to improve, with tax contributions exceeding 50%, investment accounting for over 60%, and invention and innovation accounting for over 70%.” — 民营企业活力更足。党的十八大以来，党中央、国务院继续毫不动摇鼓励、支持、引导非公有制经济发展，极大激发了民营企业发展活力。数据显示，2021年全国新设民营企业852.5万户，同比增长11.7%。当年全国注吊销民营企业390.0万户，新设退出比为2.2∶1，每新设2.2户退出1户，继续保持稳中有进的发展态势。在外贸领域民营企业同样表现出色，今年1—2月份，民营企业进出口增长16.1%，占进出口总额的比重为48.2%，比上年同期提高1.1个百分点。民营企业韧性更强。2020年以来，党中央、国务院把保就业、保民生、保市场主体作为宏观经济的政策取向，在税收、金融、就业、社保等方面出台一揽子扶持措施，积极营造公平竞争的市场环境，民营企业展现出强有力的发展韧性。中小企业协会常务副会长马彬说，近年来，各项政策措施密集出台，民企发展环境持续向好，税收贡献超过50%，投资占比超过60%，发明创新占比超过70%.
Second, a report (English report) about the General Offices of the Central Committee, State Council and Central Military Commission issuing guidelines on strengthening commendation work related to martyrs in the new era. The document deals with not just promoting the heroic deeds of martyrs and inheriting the red gene but also practical issues faced by families of soldiers.
The guidelines state that it is necessary to:
Improve the policies and regulations related to the commendation of martyrs
Highlight respect and care for martyrs, the sacrifice and dedication of martyrs’ families, and highlight practical problems such as livelihood security and relief and assistance for martyrs’ families
Improve preferential treatment for martyrs’ families in housing, elderly care, medical care, employment, education, and judicial service.
Improve the protection and management of the memorial facilities for martyrs and organise young people to visit the facilities at regular intervals.
Improve the preferential education policy for martyrs’ children, broaden employment channels for dependents of martyrs, and increase policy support for employment and entrepreneurship.
Encourage and support social forces to offer warmth and love to the martyrs.
As part of the work done to popularise the heroic deeds of martyrs, the document calls for the creation of “excellent literary and artistic works that carry forward the heroic spirit, and clearly oppose and resist erroneous ideas such as historical nihilism.” The document calls for efforts to search for and protect the remains of missing martyrs and vowed a crackdown on words and behaviours that distort, vilify, desecrate, and deny martyrs’ deeds and spirit.
Third, there’s a report about Li Zhanshu meeting with Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic. Xinhua reports:
“‘We should enhance political mutual trust and respect each other’s core interests and major concerns,’ Li said, adding that China always views its relations with Croatia from a strategic and long-term perspective and appreciates Croatia's adherence to the one-China principle. He called for the two sides to promote practical cooperation, create new highlights of cooperation in infrastructure construction, scientific and technological innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises, environmental protection and other fields, and to promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road for mutual benefit and win-win results. He also called for upholding true multilateralism, safeguarding the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, actively participating in the Global Development Initiative and working to build a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. Noting that China and Europe share extensive common interests and a profound foundation for cooperation, Li said China is willing to work with the European side to synergize development strategies, deepen pragmatic cooperation and strengthen communication and coordination on international affairs.”
Fourth, a report about Wang Yang’s visit to Xinjiang from March 18 to 22. Wang said that it is necessary to fully and accurately understand and fully implement the Party’s governance strategy for Xinjiang in the new era and strengthen the Party’s centralised and unified leadership. He stressed the importance of maintaining a clear mind when it comes to the overall targets set for Xinjiang, and the need to view them as long-term, arduous, complex tasks with a focus on deep-seated problems concerning the region’s long-term stability. Wang visited Urumqi, Kashgar and Hotan. Xinhua reports:
“For more than five years in a row, Xinjiang has not reported any cases of violent terrorism, said Wang, who also applauded Xinjiang's achievements in winning the fight against poverty as scheduled. Despite impacts of major changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, Xinjiang has nurtured an atmosphere in which people can enjoy social stability, the harmonious coexistence of different ethnic groups and religions, and happy and comfortable lives, Wang said. He stressed the importance of securing happy lives for the people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang as a way to counter the rumours, slanders and attacks from hostile forces. Wang also emphasized that the people’s enthusiasm and initiatives should be fully mobilized to achieve the long-term stability of the region. Xinjiang should further adapt Islam to the Chinese context, and ensure healthy, orderly, harmonious and stable development in the religious sector, Wang said.”
The PD report reports it slightly differently:
“Wang Yang stressed that the development of Xinjiang is facing unprecedented, important opportunities. Xinjiang should give full play to its advantages in terms of location and resources, make good use of the stability and policy dividends, seek development for the future, adhere to the reform and opening up, and identify the entry point and focus of service and integration into the new development pattern, so that Xinjiang does not fall behind in the new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way and on the path of common prosperity and implement the development achievements to improve people’s livelihood, enhance unity and unite people's hearts. In the course of development, we should lay a solid foundation for long-term stability, and use the fact that people of all ethnic groups live happily to counter the rumours, slanders and attacks from hostile forces.” 汪洋强调，当前新疆发展正面临前所未有的重要机遇，要发挥区位优势和资源优势，用好稳定红利和政策红利，面向未来谋发展，坚持改革开放不动摇，找准服务和融入新发展格局的切入点和发力点，使新疆在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程和迈向共同富裕道路上不掉队、不落伍，把发展成果落实到改善民生、增进团结、凝聚人心上，在发展中打牢实现长治久安的物质基础，用各族群众幸福生活的事实回击敌对势力的造谣污蔑和攻击抹黑。
“Stability is the common aspiration of the people of all ethnic groups and the prerequisite for lasting peace and stability. It is necessary to make a scientific assessment of the situation, stick to the bottom-line thinking, do a good job in combating terrorism and maintaining stability in accordance with laws and regulations, optimize relevant measures in light of local conditions, and fully mobilize the initiative of the people to uphold unity and harmony, so as to maintain sustained and long-term social stability. It is necessary to implement the guiding principles of the Central Conference on Ethnic Work, effectively build a strong sense of community among the Chinese nation, strengthen the emotional bond of the people of all ethnic groups towards the great motherland and the Chinese nation, and lay a more solid ideological foundation for ethnic unity. It is necessary to should implement the guiding principles of the National Conference on Religious Work, deepen party and government officials' understanding of the nature of religion and the rules governing religious work, manage religious affairs in accordance with the law, further promote the sinicization of Islam in Xinjiang, and ensure a healthy, orderly, harmonious and stable religious sector.” 稳定是各族群众的共同期盼和长治久安的前提，要科学研判形势，坚持底线思维，依法依规做好反恐维稳工作，因地制宜优化相关措施，充分调动人民群众维护团结和谐的积极性主动性，保持社会大局持续稳定长期稳定。要贯彻中央民族工作会议精神，有形有感有效做好铸牢中华民族共同体意识工作，使各族群众对伟大祖国和中华民族的情感纽带更加牢固，使民族团结的思想基础更加坚实。要落实全国宗教工作会议精神，深化党政干部对宗教本质和宗教工作规律的认识，依法管理宗教事务，深入推进新疆伊斯兰教中国化，确保宗教领域健康有序、和谐稳定。要坚定不移推进兵团深化改革和向南发展，深化兵地融合，更好发挥兵团特殊作用.
Next, there’s a report from Chongqing informing us about the verification of candidates that have been nominated for the 20th Party Congress. The article talks about special investigators from the local organisation department carrying out checks. It also talks about the implementation of an Identity Category Determination Form.
The piece says that “in Yubei District, serious election discipline has become one of the contents of the thematic day for grassroots Party organisations. Zhang Han, secretary of the Party Committee of Shuanghu Road Community, Xing Street, said, ‘Party members watched warning education films related to the election work, carefully studied the relevant documents, and gained a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the recommendation and nomination process, warning first and prevention first’.” 在渝北区，严肃选举纪律成为基层党组织主题党日的内容之一。回兴街道双湖路社区党委书记张涵介绍，“党员们观看了与选举工作有关的警示教育片，还认真学习了相关文件，对推荐提名过程有了更加全面细致的了解，警示在先、预防在先.”
The report also quotes a local secretary from Shapingba District talking about inspection work being done by local officials to supervise the whole process of nomination and recommendation of grassroots organisations, with the aim of “resolutely putting an end to unhealthy practices such as canvassing, bribery, intercession, information leakage and fraud.”
The piece adds: “At present, 77,000 grassroots party organisations in Chongqing have fully participated in the recommendation and nomination process, and 44 recommending units have selected and reported 323 candidates recommended by deputies to the municipal party committee.” 目前，重庆7.7万个基层党组织全覆盖参加推荐提名，44个推荐单位向市委遴选上报代表推荐人选323名，代表选举工作进度正常、推进有力，总体平稳有序.
Finally, a report about Han Zheng’s comments yesterday while presiding over a meeting promoting the clean and efficient use of coal. Xinhua reports:
“Stressing the extreme importance of national energy security, Han said the country should promote the clean and efficient utilization of coal and bolster the fundamental role of coal in energy and power supply. The clean and efficient use of coal is a vital path to achieving the country's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, he said, calling for moves to advance a green transition of energy in a scientific and orderly manner. China should focus on key fields and sectors and advance energy conservation and carbon reduction retrofits in coal-intensive industries like power, he said. The vice premier also called for efforts to popularize advanced energy conservation technologies and achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in this field. The country should scale up financial support for clean coal, with measures to anchor market expectation and encourage the participation of social capital.”
A couple of data points from recent Bloomberg reports:
From March 14: China plans a massive increase in coal mining, a move that will dramatically reduce its reliance on imports and deal a blow to its near-term climate actions. The National Development and Reform Commission, the nation’s top economic planner, told officials from major mining regions at a meeting late last week that it wants to boost domestic production capacity by about 300 million tons, according to people familiar with the matter. It also plans to build a 620 million-ton stockpile of the fuel split between government, miners and users. Such an increase in output would cut the country’s already scant dependence on foreign imports after global prices hit record levels in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…China has said that coal consumption should begin to fall off in the second half of this decade as it strives to peak emissions across the economy by 2030. The production increase would be split, with 150 million tons of capacity coming from new, upgraded operations and another 150 million from open-pit mines and some mines that had previously been shut. Daily output should average 12.6 million tons, according to the NDRC, which is even higher than the record-breaking levels reached in the fall after shortages caused widespread industrial brownouts.”
From March 21, citing unidentified sources: NDRC has “asked power generators to sign long-term supply contracts with domestic miners and build stockpiles to last at least 15 days, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The move was effective from Friday, when the commission summoned major coal and power suppliers for a close-door meeting…Local officials will be held accountable for failing to meet the requirements, and all provinces will need to report long-term contract-signing progress…The NDRC has sought to guide the coal market to stable levels after prices spiked last year. The new government-set price band is 570-770 yuan ($90-$121) per ton, up from a previous range of 500-570 yuan. Some energy providers may have sufficient supplies for the 15-day requirement. However, the mandate comes amid depleted inventories and transport constraints because of Covid-19 curbs, which have sent spot coal price higher. The average spot thermal coal transaction at northern ports rose to 1,707 yuan per ton, based on the data composed by the China Electricity Council.”
Page 2: There’s a fair bit of Covid-19 related coverage on the page. First, there’s a report based on the press briefing by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council. Mi Feng from the NHC says that the situation of epidemic prevention and control remains “severe and complicated”, with cases still going up. The report informs that on March 21, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism dispatched inspection teams to 10 provinces to “check loopholes, make up for shortcomings, and urge implementation of rectification in a problem-oriented manner.”
Liang Wannian from the National Health Commission argues for adhering to a dynamic zero-Covid policy, calling it “scientific, effective, and in line with our country’s realities.” He says that the Party and the government will continue to “uphold the supremacy of the people and life.” 党和政府坚持人民至上、生命至上，实行“动态清零”是科学有效的，符合我国实际. But he also says that “the core goal of precise prevention and control is to reduce the harm of the pandemic to people’s health and lives, and to balance the relationship between social and economic development and epidemic prevention and control to the maximum extent.” 梁万年说，精准防控最核心的目标：一是减少疫情对人民身体健康和生命安全的危害，二是最大限度地平衡社会经济发展和疫情防控之间的关系.Therefore, “all localities should take precise prevention and control measures according to local conditions, in order to obtain the greatest social and economic benefits at the lowest cost.” 要鼓励各地因地制宜采取精准防控措施，以最小的成本换取最大的社会和经济效益.
Also Read:
China’s provinces told to start building temporary Covid-19 hospitals
And this from SCMP: “Investigations by the South China Morning Post have found that at least 74 officials have been sacked or reprimanded for failing to do their duty during the current wave.”
The other COVID-related reports are from Inner Mongolia, where the report basically tells us about the improving situation in Hohhot, and from Guangdong. The Guangdong report is interesting. It talks about the containment efforts undertaken in Shenzhen and Dongguan. It informs that the situation in both those towns has largely returned to normal after a brief shutdown. The report adds that Guangzhou, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Shanwei and other places have taken scientific and precise measures to strengthen regional coordination. The report also offers a positive assessment of the province’s policies to maintain stable goods supply and stability in economic activity.
Page 3: Three pieces to note. First, there’s a long article on the Global Development Initiative being an answer to the question of the times. Apart from other things, the piece talks about the selfishness of the West and how China’s actions to support global development are not empty talk.
“The United Nations and nearly 100 countries have responded positively, and the initiative has been included in the outcome documents following the China-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 30th Anniversary China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations Summit, the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the 3rd Ministerial Conference of the China-CELAC Forum. In January this year, the ‘Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative’ held its first meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Representatives from more than 100 countries and more than 20 international organisations gathered to build a broader international consensus for the implementation of the initiative.”联合国以及近百个国家积极响应，倡议先后被写入中国—太平洋岛国外长会、中国—东盟建立对话关系30周年纪念峰会、中非合作论坛第八届部长级会议、中拉论坛第三届部长会议相关成果文件. 今年1月，“全球发展倡议之友小组”在纽约联合国总部举行启动会议，逾百个国家和20多个国际组织代表齐聚，为落实倡议凝聚起更广泛国际共识.
Next, a report about Wang Yi’s comments at the OIC meeting in Pakistan. Xinhua reports:
“China and the Islamic world shared a long tradition of relations, and the two sides supported each other on issues involving each other’s core interests, Wang said. He said China is willing to take attending the session as an opportunity to elevate the solidarity, friendship and cooperation with Islamic countries to a new level. Wang said the OIC, which represents the Islamic countries' solidarity and independence, serves as a bridge for the development of the relations between China and Islamic countries. China supports Islamic countries' safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity as well as exploring a development path suited to the national conditions, and China will continue to firmly stand together with all Islamic countries, Wang said. He said China will provide an additional 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Islamic countries and support the OIC’s member countries in Africa fighting against the pandemic. Wang also said that China will enhance bilateral cooperation in the education and training sector, and jointly hold the fifth seminar of the Chinese and Islamic civilization dialogue.”
In his comments, Wang said that:
China is here for ‘partnering’. China and the Islamic world have profound historical ties, seek similar values and share historical missions. In the great process of the revival of the two great civilizations, we are ready to walk together with our friends in Islamic countries through thick and thin with mutual understanding and mutual support.
China is here for ‘unity’. The cooperation between China and the Islamic world is an important part of South-South cooperation. In the face of global changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, both unseen in a century, China and the Islamic world need to unite more closely, form common stances, send a common message and safeguard common interests.
China is here for ‘justice’. Today's world is not peaceful, and the international system and the basic norms governing international relations are facing severe challenges. We are ready to work with our friends in the Islamic world to act on true multilateralism, safeguard all countries' sovereignty, independence and national dignity, uphold the UN Charter and purposes, and champion fairness and justice in international relations.
China is here for ‘development’. The cooperation between China and Islamic countries enjoys huge potential, complementary advantages and broad space. We are ready to work with our friends to foster high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and accelerate respective development and revitalization, thus making due contributions to promoting the recovery and growth of the world economy.
Wang also said that:
First, to be partners of solidarity and coordination. We should firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in exploring development paths suited to our own national conditions, and in safeguarding our legitimate development rights and interests, as well as common interests of the vast number of developing countries.
Second, to be partners of development and revitalization. We should continue to fight the pandemic in solidarity and build a defense line for people's health. We should strengthen the synergy between development strategies, take the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the joint implementation of the Global Development Initiative as the ‘twin engines’, consolidate traditional cooperation, foster new highlights, help China and the Islamic world develop and revitalize, lead the trend of South-South cooperation, and inject strong impetus into the realization of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Third, to be partners of security and stability. China will continue to support Islamic countries in drawing on Islamic wisdom to solve current hotspot issues such as those related to Palestine, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and firmly holding the key to maintaining stability and promoting peace in their own hands.
Fourth, to be partners of mutual learning among civilizations. We should uphold peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, the values shared by all, and oppose creating division and confrontation by drawing ideological lines. We should oppose the ideas of ‘superiority of certain civilization’ and ‘clash of civilizations’, and the distortion and discredit of non-Western civilizations. We should deepen cooperation in preventive counter-terrorism and de-extremism, resist ‘double standards’ in counter-terrorism, and oppose linking terrorism with any specific ethnic group or religion.
Third, BRICS nations have launched (English report) a new vaccine R&D center.
“During the ceremony, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said that China will work with other BRICS countries to use the center’s launch as an opportunity to promote exchanges and cooperation on vaccine R&D and testing. China will work with these countries to jointly establish plants and the mutual recognition of standards, so as to strengthen the defense against COVID-19 and deliver hope and confidence for global economic recovery, Wang said. At the ceremony, the five BRICS countries jointly proposed an initiative to strengthen vaccine cooperation to ensure the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries through their equitable distribution as global public goods. The initiative is also aimed at enhancing BRICS countries' capability to control infectious diseases and respond to public health events.” — (Quick thought: It’s worth noting that at present, Chinese vaccines are not authorised in India and neither is India’s Covaxin authorised for use in China.)
Page 4: The MU5735 crash-related reports are on this page. The first report basically talks about the work done by Liu He and Wang Yong in terms of leading the central leadership’s response to this. The second report is about the actual rescue and investigation work. So far, there have been no survivors found and neither has the black box been located. This report has comments from Zhu Tao, head of the aviation safety office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Xinhua English too has the story with his comments.
“No foreign nationals were on Flight MU5735, said Zhu, adding that the 132 people aboard were 123 passengers and nine crew members. "Based on known information, the authorities do not yet have a clear clue as to the cause of the passenger plane crash," said Zhu. "The investigation is very difficult as the aircraft was severely damaged." At present, the investigation team is carrying out a full probe in accordance with the procedures, with rescuers exploring the crash site and going all out to locate the black boxes, Zhu said. The team is also thoroughly investigating other aspects of the accident, including flight, maintenance, air traffic control, meteorology, aircraft design and manufacturing, Zhu said. Sun Shiying, chairman of the Yunnan branch of China Eastern Airlines, said at the briefing that contact was made with the families of all 123 passengers within 24 hours after the crash. More than 2,000 people have joined the rescue operation at the site. "The site of the crash in a mountain forest complicates the search for the black boxes and we have to rely mainly on drones and rescue staff," said Zhu Xiaodong, a rescuer with a Guangzhou-based drone rescue center. The CAAC has called for screening hidden risks to boost civil aviation safety. Concrete measures should be taken to strengthen the investigation of hidden dangers concerning aircraft maintenance, flight weather conditions, personnel qualifications and operational skills, it said.”
The third report is about the CAAC issuing a notice calling for an immediate two-week industry safety inspection after the MU5735 crash. The inspection covers air traffic control bureaus, airlines, support service companies, airport companies, flight training institutions. The inspection work will focus on safety awareness, professional team building, implementation of rules and standards, safety management, safety assurance capabilities and safety responsibility implementation. 此次安全大检查的范围包括各地区空管局、运输（通用）航空公司、服务保障公司、机场公司、飞行训练机构等。检查工作重点将围绕安全思想认识、专业队伍建设、规章标准执行、安全管理链条、安全保障能力、安全责任落实等开展.
Page 6: A report about the National Conference on Propaganda Work Concerning the Next Generation, which was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The meeting said that the Party will hold the 20th National Congress this year; and so this propaganda work should highlight the decisive significance of the ‘Two Establishments’. The meeting called for organising propaganda groups, lectures, theatrical performances and other forms of activities to do so.
Page 7: A report about the NDRC putting out the main objectives of constructing a modern energy system during the ‘14th Five-Year Plan’ period.
“According to the plan, by 2035, China will make decisive progress in high-quality energy development, and basically build a modern energy system. The energy security capability will be greatly improved, green production and consumption patterns will have been widely established, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption has been further greatly increased on the basis of reaching 25% in 2030, renewable energy power generation will have become the main power source, the construction of new power system will have achieved substantial results, and the total carbon emissions would have been steadily decreasing after the peak.” 根据《规划》，展望2035年，我国能源高质量发展取得决定性进展，基本建成现代能源体系。能源安全保障能力大幅提升，绿色生产和消费模式广泛形成，非化石能源消费比重在2030年达到25%的基础上进一步大幅提高，可再生能源发电成为主体电源，新型电力系统建设取得实质性成效，碳排放总量达峰后稳中有降.
By 2025, the annual comprehensive domestic energy production capacity will reach the equivalent of 4.6 billion tonnes of standard coal, the annual output of crude oil will rise and stabilise at 200 million tons, the annual output of natural gas will reach more than 230 billion cubic metres, the total installed power generation capacity will reach about 3 billion kilowatts…
Carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will decrease by 18% in five years. By 2025, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will increase to about 20%, the proportion of non-fossil energy power generation will reach about 39%, the level of electrification will continue to improve, and the proportion of electric energy in terminal energy consumption will reach about 30%.
Energy consumption per unit of GDP will decrease by 13.5% in five years. By 2025, the proportion of flexibly regulated power supply will reach about 24%.
The plan calls for continuous improvement in new energy technologies, phased progress in the construction of new power systems, significant improvement in the innovation capacity of safe and efficient energy storage and hydrogen energy technologies, and faster application of pollution reduction and carbon reduction technologies.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the investment in energy research and development will increase by more than 7% annually, and the number of new key technological breakthrough areas will reach about 50.
The plan seeks to hit per capita annual electricity consumption of about 1,000 kWh, and to significantly narrow the gap between urban and rural power supply quality.
Page 15: On the international page, the lead story is about the challenges that still remain 11 years after the Fukushima earthquake. Also, there’s this from yesterday’s MoFA press conference after the US announced visa restrictions on Chinese officials for their involvement in human rights violations such as repressive acts against members of ethnic and religious minority groups, dissidents and others inside and outside of China’s borders, including within the US.
In response, Wang Wenbin said that:
“the US statement, full of ideological bias and political lies, maligns and smears China and wantonly imposes restrictions on Chinese officials. It contravenes international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs. We firmly reject it…The worst human rights violations in the world were committed by no other than the US. Throughout its history, the US physically slaughtered, geographically expelled and culturally assimilated Native Americans, committing systemic human rights abuses. These crimes are more than enough to constitute de facto genocide. The US conducted systemic ethnic cleansing against Native Americans over more than a century after the country was founded. The population of Native Americans nosedived from 5 million at the end of the 15th century to 250,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. The US government also adopted cultural assimilation policies, leading to cultural genocide against Native Americans.
The tribulations of Native Americans are far from being the full story of the US’ poor human rights record. The US botched response to COVID-19 has led to the death of over 970,000 Americans, and the persistent and systemic racial discrimination is so deeply entrenched that people like George Floyd cannot breathe. The US aggression overseas violates human rights of people in other countries, inflicting untold sufferings. The US even flagrantly seized the $7 billion frozen assets of the Afghan central bank. By robbing the Afghan people of their life-saving money, it has aggravated the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Yet, such a country has been clamoring for pressure and sanctions on other countries in the name of “protecting human rights”. Such tricks are doomed to fail.
We urge the US to earnestly reflect upon and rectify its numerous crimes of human rights violations. In the meantime, it should view China’s human rights situation in an objective and just manner, stop denigrating and suppressing the Chinese side and immediately revoke its so-called sanctions against Chinese officials. Otherwise, the Chinese side shall take reciprocal countermeasures in response.”
Finally, there’s this story (English report) about China and like-minded countries expressing deep concerns over serious violations of human rights of indigenous people by some countries. They called on the Human Rights Council to continue to attend to serious human rights violations and take necessary actions.
Other Stories:
This is outside of PD, but there’s much speculation in the Indian media that Wang Yi will be visiting the country tomorrow after concluding his visit to Pakistan. I haven’t heard an official confirmation yet. But it seems like the visit is happening. For what it’s worth, this is what Wang Wenbin said yesterday:
Reuters: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on a visit to Pakistan. Which other countries will he visit?
Wang Wenbin: The information will be released in due course.
Anyway, it’s been interesting to note the Chinese foreign ministry’s comments on India-related issues over the past few days. First, it didn’t play up the recent accidental missile firing incident. In doing so, the response didn’t expressly back Pakistan’s call for a joint probe.
“China has noted relevant information. Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability. China calls on the countries to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing, and promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents will not happen again, and misunderstanding and misjudgment can be avoided.”
Secondly, just yesterday there were two questions about India, which I am reproducing here.
Prasar Bharati: This is regarding the return of international students to China. Students from Thailand have returned to China. Students from Solomon Islands have returned to China. China has issued visas to Pakistani students. My question is, when is China planning to issue visas to Indian students to return?
Wang Wenbin: The Chinese government attaches high importance to the issue of foreign students returning to China to pursue their studies. On the basis of ensuring sound epidemic prevention and control, it is coordinating arrangement for a small number of foreign students with actual needs to return to China in light of the changing international epidemic situation and the characteristics of the students’ majors. (Quick thought: So basically China is non-committal still on any of this. But if Wang visits, this will be something that Beijing can offer as part of normalisation.)
Reuters: According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed State Councilor Wang Yi on India’s so-called human rights violation in India-occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir and on a recent firing of missile from India into Pakistan. What does Pakistan hope China can do about this? And will State Councilor Wang discuss this with his Indian counterpart?
Wang Wenbin: I believe you must have seen the readout on State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan. During his visit, the two sides had extensive and in-depth talks, which cemented the traditional friendship, enhanced strategic coordination, and promoted practical cooperation between China and Pakistan. The two sides agreed that in the face of the profound changes in the international landscape and turbulence and challenges in the world, China and Pakistan need to strengthen strategic communication, jointly build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, act as a source of stability to underpin regional peace and prosperity, and contribute to global development and progress.
(Quick thought: This was a fascinating answer in that it did not answer the question at all. The response does not even mention India or Kashmir. I guess that’s a positive signal from Beijing that it is seeking to view its relations with Pakistan as not being linked to India. Of course, this doesn’t change the structural dynamics, but it is an interesting choice to do so nonetheless.)