History Resolution at 6th Plenum - Li-Merkel Chat - Zunyi Conference Spirit - Zhong Sheng on AUKUS & Quad - New Party Chiefs for Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hunan & Tibet
Here are the stories and pieces from the October 19, 2021, edition of the People’s Daily that I found noteworthy. A bit rushed today, but I think I’ve covered all the key stories.
Page 1: Let’s begin with the big story that broke yesterday. The sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee will be held in Beijing from Nov. 8 to 11. At the session, the Party will be clearing a history resolution, titled Resolution on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party’s Century of Struggle. The report tells us that the Politburo met on Monday to discuss the resolution. It listened to a report on soliciting opinions for drafting the resolution and decided to submit the draft, after revisions, to the plenary session for deliberation.
The report also tells us that Xi Jinping “presided over a symposium for non-Party members to listen to the views of central committees of the democratic parties, heads of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and individuals with no party affiliation. All regions, departments, sectors and deputies to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China fully affirmed the draft resolution, unanimously endorsed its framework, structure and main content, and held that the draft is realistic, respects history, has a clear theme, and summarises comprehensively. At the same time, many good comments and suggestions were put forward. The draft resolution has absorbed the opinions and suggestions of all regions, departments and sectors.” 会议认为，这次征求意见发扬民主、集思广益，广泛听取了党内外各方面意见和建议。习近平总书记主持召开党外人士座谈会，当面听取各民主党派中央、全国工商联负责人和无党派人士代表的意见。各地区各部门各方面和党的十九大代表对决议稿给予充分肯定，一致赞成决议稿的框架结构和主要内容，认为决议稿实事求是、尊重历史、主题鲜明、总结全面，同时提出许多很好的意见和建议。决议稿吸收了各地区各部门各方面意见和建议.
The statement issued after the Politburo meeting also pointed that “over the past 100 years, the Communist Party of China has faithfully fulfilled his original mission, united and led the people of all nationalities to paint a magnificent portrait in the history of human development on the vast land of China, which has enabled the Chinese people who have been enslaved and bullied for more than a century in modern times to stand up. It has enabled the Chinese nation, with a civilization history of more than 5,000 years, to move towards comprehensive modernization. The Party has enabled the socialist ideology, with a history of more than 500 years, to blaze a trail of success in the world’s most populous country and enabled China to catch up with the times through great strides, opening up bright prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” 会议指出，一百年来，中国共产党忠实践行初心使命，团结带领全国各族人民在中国这片广袤的土地上绘就了人类发展史上波澜壮阔的壮美画卷，使近代一百多年饱受奴役和欺凌的中国人民站立起来，使具有五千多年文明历史的中华民族全面迈向现代化，使具有五百多年历史的社会主义思想在世界上人口最多的国家开辟出成功道路，使新中国大踏步赶上时代，中华民族伟大复兴展现出光明前景.
Xinhua English has nicely detailed the next bit: “It added that Chinese Communists, with Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao as chief representatives, led the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups in achieving vital progress in the revolution, construction and reform, with precious experience accumulated. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core has led the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups in making new notable achievements and accumulating new precious experience. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has demonstrated its strong vitality. The Party, the military, and the public became united as never before. China’s international status has further consolidated, the statement said. All these factors provide more refined institutional guarantees, firmer material foundations, and more spiritual power for achieving national rejuvenation, the statement said.”
Then it says:
“The CPC and the Chinese people have solemnly declared to the world through heroic and tenacious struggle that the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up, becoming rich to becoming strong, and the realisation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has become a historical inevitability.” 中国共产党和中国人民以英勇顽强的奋斗向世界庄严宣告，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，实现中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程.
The last paragraph talks about how the Party thrives in adversity and that it must be vigilant and prepared for potential dangers, even in peace times, and the importance of maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the masses.
I find myself in agreement with this assessment below:
Next, we have a report on GDP data, which I covered yesterday. Then we have a commentary drawing from Xi’s speech at the people’s congress work conference. The piece begins by telling us that “China’s socialist democracy has strong vitality, and the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics is the right path that suits China's national conditions and ensures the people's position as masters of the country.” The next paragraph tells us that whole-process people’s democracy has improved under Xi, and people are realising their position as masters. The next paragraph tells us about how there is a set of institutions that have been put in place “forming a comprehensive, extensive and organically connected system” through which the people can function as the masters of the country.
“All the people practice democratic election, democratic consultation, democratic decision-making, democratic management and democratic supervision according to law, and manage state affairs, economic and cultural undertakings and social affairs through various channels and forms according to law. Practice has fully proved that China’s socialist democratic political system can effectively ensure that the people enjoy broader and fuller rights and freedoms and that they participate extensively in state and social governance.” 全体人民依法实行民主选举、民主协商、民主决策、民主管理、民主监督，依法通过各种途径和形式管理国家事务，管理经济和文化事业，管理社会事务.实践充分证明，我国的社会主义民主政治制度安排，能够有效保证人民享有更加广泛、更加充实的权利和自由，保证人民广泛参加国家治理和社会治理；
The next paragraph tells us that in order to uphold this path of socialism, “we must uphold the organic unity of party leadership, the position of the people as masters of the country, and law-based governance.” After this the piece doubles down on the strength of the people’s congress system, pledging to and calling for strengthening it.
Next, we have a report (English report) about Li Keqiang meeting with Angela Merkel. Li told her that “stability and growth of bilateral relations are mainly due to the fact that both sides adhere to equal treatment and focus on practical cooperation, adhere to mutual respect and properly handle differences, adhere to multilateralism and work together to tackle challenges.”
Also note:
Li hoped that “the new German government will inherit the positive and practical China policy, consolidate the keynote of cooperation in China-Germany relations, give full play to the inter-governmental consultations and strengthen the existing cooperation. Li said China is willing to work with all parties, including Germany, to jointly address climate change and strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation. Underlining that China’s door will only open wider, Li voiced the hope that both sides will maintain two-way opening, jointly safeguard the rule-based multilateral trading system, and maintain the stability of the global industrial and supply chains. Li invited Merkel to visit China after her resignation and hoped she would continue to support the development of China’s relations with Germany and the EU.”
After this, we have a report (English report) about Han Zheng speaking at the second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference on Monday. He wants BRI countries to become more green and inclusive through efficient, clean and diversified supply. Two key points he made, as per the report:
Joint efforts should be made to promote green and low-carbon energy transformation and deepen cooperation on nuclear electricity, new-energy generation and smart energy.
More should be done to promote inclusive energy development and respect the rights of different countries to choose their own energy development strategies.
Next, there’s a report about the flame being lit for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. There’s, of course, no mention of the disruptions and protests in Greece. Reuters reports:
“Human rights activists unfurled a banner reading ‘No Genocide Games’, waved a Tibetan flag and called for a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics during the torch-lighting ceremony on Monday. Two women and a man sneaked past a tight police cordon and entered the archaeological site of the ancient Greek stadium and temple where the Olympic flame is traditionally lit and which had been sealed off for days. They held up a Tibetan flag seconds after the torch was lit by an actress playing the role of high priestess at the Temple of Hera a few metres away. The three protesters shouted for a boycott of the Games in Beijing, as invited officials, including Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, looked on.”
I don’t particularly follow the Olympics, but I wonder if this torch will come to India? If so, it should be interesting to see what happens.
Finally, we have a commentary on the Zunyi conference spirit. The piece has Xi reminding us that “the distinctive features of the Zunyi Conference are upholding the truth, correcting mistakes, establishing the correct leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and creatively formulating and implementing strategies that conform to the characteristics of the Chinese revolution.”
Another key point is this:
“The most important historical contribution of the Zunyi Conference is that it began to establish the basic principles and guidelines of integrating the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete realities of China and independently solving the major problems of the Chinese revolution in the whole Party.” The next bit is about how the conference allowed Mao to emerge as the core, and that it provided “valuable experience for establishing a correct leadership system” amid the inner-Party political challenges. All of this allowed the Party to become “unified” and ensure “political ideological, organizational consolidation.”
Page 3: Three pieces to note on the page. First, we have a Zhong Sheng commentary on AUKUS. The piece picks up criticism from other countries. It says that the deal violates “the purpose and goal of nuclear non-proliferation.” It adds that the deal involves “the transfer of a large amount of extremely sensitive weapon-grade HEU, which poses a serious risk of proliferation. It is difficult for the current non-proliferation system to implement effective safeguards and supervision. If other countries follow suit, the international non-proliferation system will be more severely challenged, and the international community’s years of non-proliferation efforts may be destroyed.” 三国搞核潜艇交易，涉及大量极其敏感的武器级高浓铀转让，存在严重的扩散风险。目前的防扩散体系难以对此实施有效保障监督，如果其他国家效仿，国际防扩散体系将受到更严峻挑战，国际社会多年的防扩散努力有可能毁于一旦.
The next paragraph says that both AUKUS and the Quad both serve the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to engender antagonism among countries in the region and engage in geopolitical competition. This, in essence, is a resurgence of the Cold War mentality of a narrow ‘small group’ politics, and a blatant provocation against multilateralism. 事实上，所谓“三边安全伙伴关系”与所谓“四边机制”一脉相承，都服务于美国主导的所谓“印太战略”，目的是制造地区国家对立、进行地缘政治竞争，实质是冷战思维死灰复燃，是搞狭隘的“小圈子”政治，是对多边主义的公然挑衅. --Of course, there is absolutely nothing that China is doing to create antagonism among regional countries.
Then we are told that the AUKUS submarine deal, US’ joint military exercises and expanded arms trade with Australia have brought the “new cold war” cloud back over the Asia-Pacific region, posing a grave threat to regional peace and tranquility. 美英与澳搞核潜艇交易、开展联合军演、扩大武器贸易，使“新冷战”阴云重新笼罩亚太地区上空，严重威胁地区和平与安宁. And we are told that the nuclear submarine deal “exposes the hypocrisy of their (AUKUS countries’) so-called ‘commitment’ and ‘contribution’ to the non-proliferation regime.” 三国核潜艇交易充分暴露其对防扩散体系所谓“承诺”和“贡献”的虚伪性. The next paragraph adds that the deal will also undermine the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. “For the people of the Pacific islands, this is rubbing salt in their wounds.” 美英澳核潜艇交易不仅会增加南太地区核污染风险，也将对《南太平洋无核区条约》地位造成严重损害。对于太平洋岛国人民而言，这无疑是往伤口上撒盐.
The piece ends with a warning that either AUKUS states pull back on the submarine deal, or they risk opening “Pandora’s box.”
Next, a brief report on the 9th World Forum on Chinese Studies opening in Shanghai. The theme is “the Communist Party of China (CPC), China, and the World.” Finally, we have a report (English report) on Wang Yi’s chat with Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo. Wang referred to the two sides as “all-weather friends” and said that China is willing to provide another 1 million doses of vaccines to Zambia to deal with COVID-19.
Xinhua tells us: “China will continue to be a firm partner in Zambia's development, Wang said, stating that China is willing to share its own development opportunities with African countries, including Zambia, to help Africa accelerate its industrialisation and truly achieve economic independence.” Wang also pitched the Global Development Initiative that Xi had announced recently.
Other Stories:
Page 9: The lead piece on the theory page is from Wang Weiguang from CASS. He talks about the significance of Marxism and the need to continue to Sinicize Marxism. I am not doing a detailed breakdown, but his core arguments are that Marxism was the historical choice of the people of China, and that its application has demonstrated results in China. He ends by emphasising the need to develop and adhere to 21st century Marxism, which essentially refers to Xi Thought because that is “the latest achievement of the Sinicization of Marxism.”
Xinhua story, not in PD, about key personnel changes that have been announced
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has announced a decision to appoint new Party chiefs for the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Hunan and the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Xu Qin has been appointed as secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, according to the decision.
Wu Zhenglong has been appointed as secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, replacing Lou Qinjian.
Yi Lianhong has been appointed as secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee, replacing Liu Qi.
Zhang Qingwei has been appointed as secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee to replace Xu Dazhe, and Zhang no longer serves as secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee.
Wang Junzheng has been appointed as secretary of the CPC Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee, replacing Wu Yingjie
Also, this is an interesting thread on China-Russia ties in light of recent comments by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
