Human Rights Series - Understanding the New Era - Xu Liping: IPEF is Unsustainable - Shanghai's Economic Recovery Package - Beijing Outbreak 'Effectively Controlled'
Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy in the Monday, May 30, 2022, edition of the People’s Daily.
Page 1: No activities by the top leaders to report today on the front page. At the top of the page is the first new series of columns under the theme “人民幸福生活是最大的人权” - A happy life for the people is the greatest human right. The introduction says that this series will focus on the implementation results of the country’s Human Rights Action Plan, tell the story of human rights in China, highlight the historic achievements made in the development of China’s human rights cause in the new era, and demonstrate China’s image of a responsible big country that respects and protects human rights.” 从今天起，本报推出“人民幸福生活是最大的人权”专栏，聚焦国家人权行动计划实施成果，讲述中国人权故事，彰显新时代中国人权事业发展取得的历史性成就，展现尊重和保障人权的负责任大国形象.
The piece talks about protecting people’s health through China’s COVID-19 containment policies, with the policy of dynamic clearing being “a vivid portrayal of the Chinese Communist Party's respect and protection of human rights, and it is the best interpretation of the concept of people-centred human rights.” 全国上下众志成城，坚持动态清零，全力遏制疫情，保护人民生命安全和身体健康。这是中国共产党尊重和保障人权的生动写照，更是以人民为中心的人权理念的最好诠释. The article also talks about improving access to healthcare. It says that “as of 2021, there were 23,000 county-level medical and health institutions, 35,000 township health centres and 599,000 village clinics in China, covering all counties, townships and villages.” 据统计，截至2021年年底，全国共建成县级医疗卫生机构2.3万个、乡镇卫生院3.5万个、村卫生室59.9万个，实现了县、乡、村全覆盖.
The piece then calls poverty the “greatest obstacle to the realisation of human rights,” and talks up China’s poverty alleviation effort. It argues that China’s building of a “moderately prosperous society is an important milestone in the history of the development of human rights in the world.” This is because “China's successful practices and experiences in respecting and protecting human rights have contributed Chinese wisdom and provided Chinese solutions to the promotion of human well-being.” 中国全面建成小康社会，是世界人权事业发展史上的重要里程碑。中国在全面建成小康社会的伟大进程中，所创造的尊重和保障人权的成功做法和经验，为增进人类福祉贡献了中国智慧、提供了中国方案.
Second, there’s the next piece in the series on following Xi’s footprints. This one talks about Xi’s visits to Liaoning and comments over the years about innovation, industrial development, focusing on the real economy, green transformation, opening up, employment, resettlement of people, etc.
Third, there’s an introductory article about the PLA’s development since the 18th Party Congress. The piece talks about three themes: political discipline and loyalty, structural reform of the armed forces, and a focus on improving combat effectiveness. The piece talks about the many tasks that the PLA must carry out “respond to external military provocations, deter secessionist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’, and carry out major tasks such as border defense, safeguarding maritime rights, combating terrorism and maintaining stability, emergency rescue and disaster relief, fighting against the epidemic, peacekeeping and escort missions, humanitarian assistance and international military cooperation.” This article is an introduction to pieces on page 6.
On political discipline, the piece says that the the armed forces continue to use Xi Jinping Thought on strengthening the armed forces to cultivate souls and educate people, comprehensively strengthens Party leadership and Party building in the armed forces, and makes efforts to rectify ideas, personnel, organisations and disciplines, so as to achieve a fundamental improvement in the political ecology of the people's army in the process of eliminating disadvantages and innovating further. 全军坚持用习近平强军思想铸魂育人，全面加强军队党的领导和党的建设，着力整顿思想、整顿用人、整顿组织、整顿纪律，在革弊鼎新、正本清源中实现人民军队政治生态根本好转.
Fourth, there’s a piece on high-quality development in Shandong. The piece informs that as of 2021, Shandong GDP was 8.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.3% year-on-year. Shandong has 198 national enterprise technology centers - the highest number for any province. It has 7 of the 66 national-level strategic emerging industry clusters that were selected by the NDRC. Based on MIIT’s information, there are 109 single champion manufacturers in Shandong. These are enterprises that focus on a single product. Since 2018, Shandong has implemented 38,000 technological transformation projects with an investment of more than 5 million yuan. In the first quarter, the province's GDP was 1.992 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. The output of new energy vehicles increased by 217.6%, and that of industrial robots increased by 217.8%.
The piece ends by telling us that the 12th Shandong Provincial Party Congress opened on May 28. It quotes the main responsible comrade of the provincial party committee calling for the need to “adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and thoroughly implement the important instructions and requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Shandong work. Keep in mind the entrustment to go ahead, bravely undertake the mission to open a new situation, and strive to forge a path for high-quality development.” “我们要坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，深入贯彻落实习近平总书记对山东工作的重要指示要求，牢记嘱托走在前，勇担使命开新局，奋力在高质量发展上蹚出一条路子。”山东省委主要负责同志说.
Page 2: First, there’s a report about the improving COVID-19 situation in Beijing. The piece says that “after more than a month of struggle, the number of new cases in Beijing has dropped significantly for seven consecutive days, and there has been no community transmission reported for two consecutive days. The epidemic situation has been effectively controlled, and the situation continues to be stable and improving.” 经过一个多月的连续奋战，北京已连续7天新增病例数明显下降，连续两天无新增社会面病例，疫情得到有效控制，形势持续稳中向好.
The report informs that college entrance examinations in the city will be held as scheduled from June 7 to 10, with a total of 54,000 candidates registered. In addition, the article quotes Pan Xuhong, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, informing that the city’s Zhongtong Lambo Medical Testing Laboratory is under police investigation. After an initial enquiry, police found that the lab, in order to save costs and keep up with its schedule, seriously violated the operational norms for COVID-19 testing by mixing multiple tests even though it knew that the excessive amount of mixed tests could lead to inaccurate results. The company is suspected of obstructing the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
This is the third such lab being placed under investigation in the past 9 days.
Second, there’s a report (Xinhua English report) about Shanghai’s new action plan for economic recovery. This 50-point package of policy items covers measures in eight sectors. As per the plan, the city's approval system for production resumption will be abandoned starting June 1.
This thread has a really good summary of the measures.
Page 3: First, there’s a commentary making the point that openness is the lifeblood of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. The piece basically argues that unlike “some countries” that practice “protectionism” and the “Cold War mentality” and engage in “small circles,” China practices openness.
Of course, it does. Just look at how open China has been for the past two and half years. Sarcasm aside, the piece adds that “to engage in ‘small circles’ will only push the world towards division and confrontation. Faced with the choice of tearing down the wall or building it, opening up or isolation, integration or decoupling, an increasing number of countries are standing on the right side of history and the side of human progress, supporting the building of an open world economy.” 当今世界，各国前途命运紧密相连，和平发展、合作共赢才是人间正道，搞“小圈子”只会把世界推向分裂和对抗。面对拆墙还是筑墙、开放还是隔绝、融合还是脱钩的选择，越来越多国家站在历史正确的一边，站在人类进步的一边，支持推动构建开放型世界经济.
The piece says that in the first quarter of this year, China’s goods trade with the other 14 RCEP member countries totaled 2.86 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.9%. It further talks up RCEP in saying that “in the first four months of this year, ASEAN continued to maintain its status as China’s largest trading partner.”
Second, there’s a report about Wang Yi’s chat with Niue’s Premier and Foreign Minister Dalton Tagelagi via video link. Wang is in Fiji, where he will chair the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for Monday. Xinhua reports:
“China has become Niue’s second largest trading partner, with the bilateral extensive, practical cooperation playing an active role in enhancing Niue’s socioeconomic development and Niue people's wellbeing, Wang said. Their friendship saw a lift in jointly fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic with mutual support and help, Wang noted. The Chinese state councilor said China supports Niue sticking to a development path in line with its own national conditions, and will strengthen policy coordination with Niue to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, boost the cooperation on infrastructure and broadcasting, and at the sub-national level, and expand the blue economy and the biopharmaceutical cooperation, so as to help Niue enhance its sustainable development capabilities. The Chinese side will encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the Pacific island country, Wang said, adding that China expects to welcome Niue’s active participation in the China International Import Expo, displaying its quality and specialty products. For his part, Tagelagi expressed during the meeting his gratitude for China's selfless assistance and strong support to his country in promoting independent development and people's livelihood…While pledging continued commitment to the one-China principle, the premier noted that his country expects to deepen cooperation with China in various fields and work together to promote peace, development and prosperity.
Page 5: Today, we have the last article in the series on the five strategic advantages. The fifth one is about there being “a spiritual strength of self-confidence and self-improvement” within the Party and country. This basically argues that after having gone through various trials and tribulations, the political fighting spirit of the cadres has been strengthened, the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the Chinese people have been further stimulated and their ambition, character and confidence have been unprecedentedly enhanced.
Page 8: We have the sixth piece that’s excerpted from the book Face to Face with the Century-old Party. This one talks about the ushering in of the new era under Xi Jinping. The first section of the piece talks about the scientific assessment that implied that China had entered a new era. This is really interesting in that it places this moment in China’s history as remarkably distinct.
The article says that an era is not merely an objective demarcation of a period of time but has social and historical significance due distinct features, such as the main contradictions, production conditions and spiritual outlook. It talks about how humanity moved from the age of ignorance to civilisation, from the stone age to the age of farming, the steam age, the electric age, the information age, which were products of changes in modes of production. Meanwhile, the pre-globalisation era, the era of great voyages, the era of colonisation, the era of great liberation, and the era of great changes were characterised by changes in production activities. These have all become milestones in the history of human civilisation.
“If we observe and examine from this broad vision, we will have a clearer, more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the historical inevitability and scientific rationality of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era. This important judgement is the historical trend and scientific conclusion obtained from the continuous history of Chinese civilisation for more than 5,000 years, the struggle process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation for more than a century, the interaction between China and the world for more than 180 years since modern times, and the growth and decline of the two systems of socialism and capitalism for more than 100 years.” 时代，因其实践背景、主要矛盾、生产状况、精神风貌等特殊差异性，不仅是客观时间概念，更具有社会历史意义。在人类社会从落后走向进步、从蒙昧走向文明的漫长演进中，无论是以生产方式革命为标志的石器时代、农耕时代、蒸汽时代、电气时代、信息时代，还是以生产活动变迁为特征的前全球化时代、大航海时代、大殖民时代、大解放时代、大变局时代，都深深镌刻着鲜明的历史印记和时代标识，成为矗立在世界文明进程中一个个显眼的里程碑。如果从这个宏阔的视野去观察、去审视，就会对中国特色社会主义进入新时代的历史必然性和科学合理性，有更加清晰、全面、深刻的认识。这一重大判断，是从中华文明5000多年的历史赓续中、从中华民族伟大复兴一个多世纪的奋斗进程中、从近代以来中国与世界180多年的关系互动中、从社会主义与资本主义两种制度100多年的力量消长中洞见的历史大势、得出的科学结论.
The piece then says that scientific judgement:
comes from mastering historical initiative: This talks about how China’s “accumulation of strength” over the years has reached a critical point. And then says that after a long time, China is on the path to national rejuvenation. The new era is the era to achieve the first centennial goal and start a new journey to achieve the second centennial goal.
comes from responding to the needs of reality: This talks about how China has enjoyed rapid development over the decades, but now the “limitations of the traditional development model are becoming obvious. The constraints of population, resources and environment are tightening, and the dividends are gradually turning from positive to negative. Also the driving force to support development is obviously insufficient.” This calls for a change in models. Therefore, “the new era is a great era of transforming the mode of development…realising the transformation from high-speed growth to high-quality development, and elevating economic and social development to a higher level.”
comes from grasping the transformation of contradictions: This talks about the change in the principal contradiction. It says: “the new era is a great era that conforms to people's expectations for a better life, enhances the comprehensiveness and balance of development, and elevates the driving force of society to a higher stage.”
comes from insight into the general trend of the world: This talks about how China today is “approaching the centre of the world stage” and is attracting global attention. It says that Chinese ideas, propositions, and wisdom are yielding important solutions to global problems. China’s strength, responsibility, and contribution are becoming the biggest variables affecting the direction of the world.” Therefore, the “new era is a great era of opening up a major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, continuously expanding national influence and leadership, and elevating China's international status to a higher level.”
The next bit shares a brief about three books written in the early 1900s: Liang Qichao’s ‘The Future of New China’ 新中国未来记, New Era 新纪元 by Jin Zuoli and New China by Lu Shi'e. It’s a simplification but the point being made in the piece is that these works of fiction had imagined a China that was strong and had international clout, and that the new era is essentially about the realisation of these imaginations.
So the piece argues that:
In this era, socialism with Chinese characteristics stands at the historical starting point of connecting the past and the future… it therefore, calls for new undertakings by the current generation of people.
China’s development and modernisation has “dispelled the myth that ‘modernisation means Westernisation’...it has “exposed all kinds of prejudices and dogmas. It has given more countries the confidence, courage and practical reference point to independently explore their own path of modernisation… Entering the new era, China has won a decisive victory in building a well-off society and a comprehensive socialist modernised country, endowing Chinese-style modernisation with new theoretical connotation and practical characteristics, casting a new high of human civilisation, paving the way for the Chinese nation to truly strengthen itself, and providing new choices for the late-developing countries to achieve self-improvement.” 中国式现代化所确立的榜样，打破了“现代化就是西方化”的迷思，让一度流行的“黑板经济学”失去市场，让各种偏见和教条现出原形，给了更多国家自主探索现代化道路以信心勇气和现实借鉴。进入新时代的中国，决胜全面建成小康社会、全面建设社会主义现代化国家，赋予了中国式现代化以新的理论内涵和实践特色，铸就了人类文明形态的新高峰，为中华民族真正强起来铺平道路，为后发国家实现自强提供全新选择.
This is an era to meet people’s aspirations, i.e., to address gaps in terms of unbalanced development.
The new era is an era in which the dream of national rejuvenation is within sight and reach. This paragraph quotes an NYT report from just after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, saying that “the Qing country was filthy and ugly land, whose existence was an anachronism.” 中日甲午战争后，美国《纽约时报》刊文称：“既污秽又丑恶的国度，它的存在是一种时代错误. And then it marks the point that over time and through persistence, the Chinese Communists have “ushered in a major reversal of the destiny of the Chinese nation and made a magnificent turn from being an ‘anachronism’ to ‘China’s era’.” “不信东风唤不回”的执着，引领中华民族迎来命运的大逆转，实现从“时代错误”到“中国时代”的华丽转身.
Finally, it says that in the new era, the world order is undergoing a complex and profound restructuring, and China is now shouldering its responsibilities as a major country and taking on international responsibilities. It adds that China today is becoming the “server - 服务器” (as in the computing reference) of global economic development and is capable of becoming the ‘patron saint/guardian’ (守护神) of world peace and development, and is capable of making greater contributions to the bright future of mankind. 这是彰显大国新担当的时代。当今全球正经历着复杂深刻的格局重构和秩序重建，当代中国正承担着举足轻重的大国担当和国际责任...进入新时代的中国人民向世界宣示，中国正在成为全球发展之网中新的“服务器”，有能力成为促进世界和平发展的“守护神”，有能力为人类的美好明天作出更大贡献。
The final section says that the closer China gets to its goal, the more challenging the task will become. It argues that 10 years ago, soon after the financial crisis and challenges of domestic reform, there were many theories that came to the fore, such as the Lewis Turning Point, the Thucydides Trap and Tacitus Trap, and thereafter, the China threat theory, China collapse theory and China stagnation theory – these came as some were envious or some had ulterior motives. However, 10 years have passed and the pace of China’s movement towards national rejuvenation has become even more forceful. “Today, even those who once viewed China with scepticism have to admit, amid indisputable facts, that ‘I can't understand it, but I am truly surprised.’ Those who used to look at the East through biassed glasses have been forced to revise their views in the face of obvious achievements, and instead now look at China with admiration and envy.” 犹记十年前，在国际金融危机余波未了、国内改革发展困难重重的“艰难时刻”，刘易斯拐点、修昔底德陷阱、塔西佗陷阱等各种论调相继出现，“中国威胁论”“中国崩溃论”“中国停滞论”等各种声音不绝于耳，或心生羡慕、或居心叵测，很多人都在观望，中国共产党领导人民如何跨越转折关口、实现伟大目标。十年过去了，我们走向民族复兴的脚步不仅没有迟滞，而且更加铿锵有力。今天，那些曾以怀疑性态度远观中国的人，面对毋庸置疑的事实也不得不承认“我看不懂，但我大受震撼”；那些曾以偏见式眼镜审视东方的人，面对有目共睹的成就也不得不修正自己的观点，转而向中国投以敬佩、艳羡的眼光.
Page 16: The lead story on the international page is about the new surge in COVID-19 cases in the US.
Next, there’s an article by Xu Liping from CASS on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. She calls the IPEF a “political tool whose sustainability is questionable.” She gives the following reasons for this:
First, IPEF’s principles and standards are led by the United States, and embodies the hegemonic position of the United States. Behind the so-called "high standards" is to protect the interests of American workers, small business owners and farmers…it is essentially protectionism that’s been ‘dressed up’ as a deal.
Second, IPEF’s benefits to developed economies such as Japan and South Korea are out of proportion when compared with the costs they incur. The costs that Xu talks about here are decoupling from China.
Third, ASEAN countries are worried that IPEF could erode ASEAN’s centrality.
Fourth, US domestic politics could scuttle IPEF. “At present, the domestic political situation in the United States is unstable, and this framework has not been authorised and approved by the U.S. Congress. It is still unknown whether it can gain the broad consensus of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States. Moreover, its negotiation cycle will last for 12-18 months, and there are many variables.” 当前，美国国内政局不稳，这一框架没有经过美国国会的授权和批准，是否能获得美国民主和共和两党的广泛共识还是一个未知数。况且其谈判周期将持续12—18个月，存在诸多变数.
Fifth, IPEF “politicises, weaponises, and ideologises economic issues,” i.e., while it talks about “values” and “standards,” IPEF is a “geopolitical tool.” Xu talks about the potential for linking human rights issues to “labour and environmental standards and rules on cross-border data flows,” which would imply “ideological bias” and run “contrary to the law of development for win-win regional cooperation.”