Li Keqiang's National Day Address - Xi's Qiushi Article on 'Continuing Red Blood' - Charges against Sun Lijun & Yin Jiaxu -
Here are the stories and pieces from the October 1, 2021, edition of the People’s Daily that I found noteworthy.
Note: Considering that the next week will be very light on content, I’m going to take a break from the daily newsletter, unless there’s something significant to cover in the paper.
Page 1: It’s the holiday edition today, given that it is National Day in China. The front page is all about the events of Martyrs’ Day and the State Council reception. The entire top brass of the Party leadership was present at the ceremony; offering floral tribute at Tiananmen Square along with Xi yesterday were Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan. Beijing Party Secretary Cai Qi presided over the ceremony.
The report describes the ceremony, which you can watch here:
Next is the report (English report) about the State Council reception. The PSC 7+1 attended the meeting, along with nearly 500 guests from home and abroad. Li Keqiang spoke at the event.
Noting that this year is the first year in China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2015), Li stated that China, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, has coordinated epidemic response with social and economic development, and has effectively responded to the complex and grave international environment, as well as multiple other challenges from COVID-19 and severe floods.
Other points he touched on going ahead:
We must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
development is the foundation and key to overcoming all challenges
foster a new development paradigm and promote high-quality development,
focus on scientific and technological innovation, expanding domestic demand and rural vitalization
reform and opening-up is China's fundamental state policy
Li stressed the commitment to reforms oriented toward the socialist market economy and higher-level opening-up
He called for efforts to create a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment
He committed adherence to the two unwaverings
He promised more measures to create more jobs, promote equal opportunities, encourage entrepreneurship and innovation and increase urban and rural personal incomes
Pensions, medical care, and housing, along with reducing the burden of childbirth, nurturing, and education featured in his speech.
On Taiwan, he wants adherence to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus. Also, “resolutely oppose and contain any secessionist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ and interference by external forces.”
Rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core
Some Thoughts: The welfare agenda, if one can call it that, is clear in Li’s comments. He is talking about equal opportunities, boosting incomes, pensions, medical care, housing, etc. But he’s also saying that “development is the foundation” to overcome all challenges. This doesn’t sound like someone who is prioritising redistribution of wealth over growth; it sounds like someone who is saying that we need to make the pie bigger for sure, but we also need to make sure it’s better distributed to address certain policy priorities when it comes to key concerns in people’s lives. Now, even if this is the unified thought across the board among the political leadership, which I would suspect is unlikely to be the case in such a large organisation, the challenge lies in the kind of steps that have been taken recently and how these policy changes have been carried out. When one looks at that, it seems that the Party has dropped the policy scalpel in favour of the hammer.
The question is why?
Perhaps, the thinking has been that a scalpel wouldn’t do much when dealing with behemoths, whether in the technology space or in the property space. Or perhaps, the idea is that one needs to smash the old to build the new, and given the nature of power concentration and vested interests, a scalpel will only go so far. Or perhaps, there is an opening of a window of opportunity with Xi enjoying tremendous political capital owing to pandemic-related success and developments and wanting to further strengthen his position as the core ahead of the 20th Party Congress to shake things up. Anyway, one final point. I thought it was interesting that Li didn’t mention common prosperity.
Moving on, next on the page, we have a report telling us about Xi’s new article in Qiushi. This one is not a collection of quotes. This is actually Xi’s comments after the 31st Politburo study session on June 25th. Xi’s comments were about Making Good Use of Red Resources and Continuing Red Blood. If you recall, this was the time that Xi led the Politburo on a visit to the Red Building, once the main campus of Peking University. Xi also led Politburo members to a former residence of Mao Zedong, where he worked and lived for 17 years from 1949.
In the article, Xi says that red is the brightest undertone of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Republic of China. He talks about using red resources that are scattered across China.
“Every historical event, every revolutionary hero, every revolutionary spirit, and every revolutionary cultural relic represents the glorious course the Party has traversed and the major achievements it has made. They give expression to the Party's dreams, and pursuits, aspirations and responsibilities, sacrifice and dedication, which together are red blood of the Party. Red blood is the political essence of the Communist Party of China’s and the source of spiritual strength for the Chinese Communists.” 每一个历史事件、每一位革命英雄、每一种革命精神、每一件革命文物，都代表着我们党走过的光辉历程、取得的重大成就，展现了我们党的梦想和追求、情怀和担当、牺牲和奉献，汇聚成我们党的红色血脉。红色血脉是中国共产党政治本色的集中体现，是新时代中国共产党人的精神力量源泉.
Xi then talks about visiting the Road to Rejuvenation exhibition after the 18th Party Congress and then visiting the First Congress site after the 19th Party Congress. He says that since the 18th Party Congress, wherever he traveled, he visited numerous“revolutionary sacred sites, red sites, and revolutionary historical memorial sites.” He added that “each time, I went with reverence and came back with a lot of insight. At the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, I had stressed, ‘As we move forward, we must not forget the road we have traveled. No matter how far we go and how bright the future may be, we should never forget the past and why we set out’.” 每次都是怀着崇敬之心去，带着许多感悟回。在庆祝中国共产党成立95周年大会上，我强调:“一切向前走，都不能忘记走过的路；走得再远、走到再光辉的未来，也不能忘记走过的过去, 不能忘记为什么出发.”
“Looking back on the past and looking forward to the journey ahead, we must always maintain our red blood, use the party’s history of struggle and great achievements to inspire the fighting spirit and guide the direction, use the party’s glorious tradition and fine style to strengthen our beliefs, gather strength, and use the party’s historical experience and practice to create enlightening wisdom and temper our character to maintain the past and forge ahead into the future...Party organizations at all levels must make full use of red resources, educate and guide the broad masses of Party members and cadres to maintain the red blood, and achieve the goals of learning history, understanding, enhancing trust, respecting morality and practicing history. The key is to grasp the following points.” 回望过往历程，眺望前方征途，我们必须始终赓续红色血脉，用党的奋斗历程和伟大成就鼓舞斗志、指引方向，用党的光荣传统和优良作风坚定信念、凝聚力量，用党的历史经验和实践创造启迪智慧、砥砺品格，继往开来，开拓前进. 当前，全党上下正在隆重庆祝建党百年、深入开展党史学习教育。各级党组织要充分用好红色资源，教育引导广大党员、干部赓续红色血脉，做到学史明理、学史增信、学史崇德、学史力行。关键是要把握好以下几点.
First, educate and guide the whole Party to always adhere to scientific theoretical guidance. In this he talks about how “Marxism gave our Party a scientific world outlook and methodology, and a powerful ideological weapon to understand and transform the world...The history of our Party is a history of promoting the sinicization of Marxism and constantly enriching and developing Marxism, as well as a history of using Marxist theories to understand and transform China...The reason why the CPC is capable and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is fundamentally because Marxism works. We must learn from the Party’s century-long struggle the power of truth, deepen our understanding of the laws governing the Communist Party, building socialism, and developing human society, and shine the light of Marxist truth on our way forward.” 马克思主义在中国的广泛传播催生了中国共产党，马克思主义使我们党拥有了科学的世界观和方法论，拥有了认识世界、改造世界的强大思想武器...我们党的历史，是一部推进马克思主义中国化、不断丰富和发展马克思主义的历史，也是一部运用马克思主义理论认识和改造中国的历史...中国共产党为什么能，中国特色社会主义为什么好，从根本上说，是因为马克思主义行。我们要从党的百年奋斗史中感悟真理的力量，不断深化对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律的认识，用马克思主义的真理光芒照耀我们的前行之路.
Second, educate and guide the whole party to always adhere to ideals and beliefs. Here, Xi talks about revolutionary ideals and the belief in Communism, giving historical examples of people like Li Dazhao and Xia Minghan, as people who sacrificed their lives for their beliefs. He says then that “Today, we are far away from the danger of war and have lived a peaceful life for a long time. We are most vulnerable to the ‘cartilage diseases’ caused by the lack of ideals and beliefs. Communism is the great ideal of our Party. To realize this great ideal, we must firmly believe in socialism with Chinese characteristics. All Party members should strengthen their awareness of the importance of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, strengthen their confidence in the importance of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and forge ahead on our new journey to fully build a modern socialist country.” 今天，我们早已远离战火纷飞的险境，长期过着和平生活，最容易患上理想信念缺失的“软骨病”。共产主义是我们党的远大理想，为了实现这个远大理想，就必须坚定中国特色社会主义信念。全党同志要增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”，在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程上披荆斩棘、奋力前行，不断夺取新时代中国特色社会主义新胜利.
Third, Xi talked about the need to educate and guide the whole party to always adhere to the original mission. He said that the mission of “seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation is a red line that runs through our Party's century-long struggle.” He then talks about the importance of having the people on one’s side. Xi says that “I want to warn all comrades that for a Party that has been in power for a long time, there is no greater danger than forgetting its original mission and becoming divorced from the people. As long as we always share weal and woe with the people, the people will unswervingly follow the Party and the Party will continue to prosper.” 我反复强调，江山就是人民，人民就是江山，打江山、守江山守的是人民的心，就是要告诫全党同志，对我们这样一个长期执政的党而言，没有比忘记初心使命、脱离群众更大的危险。只要我们始终同人民生死相依、休戚与共，人民就会铁心跟党走，党就能长盛不衰.
Fourth, educate and guide the whole party to always adhere to the glorious revolutionary tradition. Here, Xi says that “the prosperity of the country and the rejuvenation of the nation require the accumulation of material civilization and the sublimation of spiritual civilization. The road ahead will not be smooth. We are bound to face all kinds of major challenges, risks, obstacles and contradictions. We must never lose the spirit of revolution and desperation; we must carry forward the tradition of modesty and prudence, and avoid arrogance and rashness; we must ensure hard work, diligence and thrift; and we must never lose the courage to defy the enemy, fear no risk, dare to struggle and win. All Party members should nourish and inspire themselves with the great spirit formed by the Party during its century-long struggle, and carry out all the work of the Party and the country.” 当今中国正处于实现中华民族伟大复兴的关键时期，国家强盛、民族复兴需要物质文明的积累，更需要精神文明的升华。前进道路不可能是一片坦途，我们必然要面对各种重大挑战、重大风险、重大阻力、重大矛盾，决不能丢掉革命加拼命的精神，决不能丢掉谦虚谨慎、戒骄戒躁、艰苦奋斗、勤俭节约的传统，决不能丢掉不畏强敌、不惧风险、敢于斗争、敢于胜利的勇气。全党同志要用党在百年奋斗中形成的伟大精神滋养自己、激励自己，以昂扬的精神状态做好党和国家各项工作.
Fifth, he talked about promoting self-revolution. Xi says that a Marxist parties are never just born, they are “forged through long-term practice and tempered through constant self-revolution.” The Party’s greatness lies not in never making mistakes but rather in not being afraid of illnesses and addressing these through self-revolution. 我们党的伟大不在于不犯错误，而在于从不讳疾忌医，敢于直面问题，勇于自我革命. “The secret of our Party's resilience lies in its powerful capacity for self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal and self-improvement.” 我们党历经百年沧桑依然风华正茂，其奥秘就在于具有自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高的强大能力.
He then says that in this context, the Party has achieved remarkable results.
Comrades of the whole party should be strict with themselves, constantly improve their political judgment, political understanding and political execution, face up to their own problems, correct their ideological and action deviations in time, prevent their own degeneration and variation, and always be a qualified Communist Party member, and make due efforts to build the party stronger and stronger.
“We must fully realize that the factors that affect the Party’s advanced nature and weaken its purity still exist. The tests of governance, reform and opening up, market economy and external environment that our Party is facing are long-term and complex, and the dangers of spiritual slackness, lack of ability, separation from the masses and corruption are sharp and severe. All Party members should be more aware of potential dangers and move forward with unswerving determination to comprehensively govern the Party with strict discipline. All party members must discipline themselves, and constantly improve their political judgment, political understanding and political execution, while facing up to their own problems and correcting deviations in ideology and action in a timely manner, so that they qualify as Party members, and make due efforts to build the party stronger.” 同时，我们必须充分认识到，影响党的先进性、弱化党的纯洁性的因素依然存在，我们党面临的执政考验、改革开放考验、市场经济考验、外部环境考验是长期而复杂的，我们党面临的精神懈怠危险、能力不足危险、脱离群众危险、消极腐败危险是尖锐而严峻的。全党同志要增强忧患意识，以永远在路上的坚定执着将全面从严治党向纵深推进。全党同志要严于律己，不断提高政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力，勇于正视自己存在的问题，及时纠正思想上和行动上的偏差，防止自身退化变异，始终做一名合格的共产党员，为把党建设得更加坚强有力作出应有的努力.
Towards the end of the article, Xi makes a few points. First, he talks about preserving and utilising red resources effectively. That is because these resources are “non-renewable and irreplaceable precious resources.” Second, he also talks about researching history and digging deeper into the ideological connotations behind red resources. Of course, in this regard, he talks about clearly “opposing and resisting historical nihilism.” Third, he emphasises using these resources for effective communication. Fourth, he talks about using these resources for effective education purposes, in order to “inspire and mould people.”
He ends with:
“We should continue the red blood, protect and build the red mountains and rivers created by the bloody sacrifice of revolutionary martyrs, and strive to create new achievements that live up to the expectations of revolutionary ancestors and are worthy of history and the people.” 我们要赓续红色血脉，把革命先烈流血牺牲打下的红色江山守护好、建设好，努力创造不负革命先辈期望、无愧于历史和人民的新业绩.
Also on the front page, we have Xi’s chat with Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, and a report about the third in the Governance of China series of books now being available in French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Japanese and traditional Chinese.
Page 3: Some interesting reports on the page. First, 100 foreign experts from 32 countries were given the (English report) Friendship Award for 2020 and 2021. Li Keqiang told them that:
“We will keep deepening international cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and integrate into the global innovation network more actively. We will promote international exchanges and cooperation in technology, personnel, and projects, and support scientists around the world to conduct research on mutual challenges.” He added that China will expand its reform and opening-up, continue to optimize the environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, and build a more attractive global innovation center...China will also continue reform to delegate power, streamline administration, optimize government services, and foster a market-oriented and law-based international business environment. China will promote fair competition, strictly protect property and intellectual property rights in accordance with the law, and constantly stimulate market vitality and social creativity, he added. “China's thirst for talent is sincere, and its policy of attracting and respecting talented people is consistent.”
He also talked about improving the work permit and visa systems, and creating more convenient conditions for foreign talents to work and live in China.
Also on the page, we have the National Day editorial. This is what one would expect it to be. It talks about uniting more closely around Xi as the Party core; about working and striving towards the next centenary goal; about uniting people; about having confidence in the political and institutional advantages of the Party and the socialist system; about having a sense of belief in the power of Marxism; about learning from the ups and downs of history; and about maintaining the “heroic” spirit and working hard, etc.
There’s also a story (English report) on the page about Li meeting with 28 foreign envoys. Unfortunately, I don’t have a list of whom all he met.
Anyway, Li said that China will ensure stability and continuity of its macro policies, increase efficiency and make anticipatory, fine-tuning and cross-cyclical adjustments to stabilize reasonable market expectations and work will also be done to safeguard stable industrial and supply chains, ensure energy and power supply and guarantee the basic livelihood to keep the economy running within a reasonable range. While continuing to deepen reform and promoting high-level opening-up, the government will build a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, treat domestic and foreign enterprises equally, advocate fair competition and welcome all foreign enterprises to invest in China.
Finally, some provincial leadership changes. Zheng Shanjie has been appointed secretary of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, replacing Li Jinbin. Zheng’s departure from Zhejiang has led to Wang Hao being appointed acting governor in the province.
Also, Li Ganjie has been appointed secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, replacing Liu Jiayi. In taking his new position, Li resigned as Shandong governor. Zhou Naixiang is now acting governor.
Page 4: Two reports to note. First, after 17 months, Sun Lijun, former vice-minister of Public Security, has been sacked and expelled from the Communist Party, and will face trial for “serious violation of discipline rules and law.” SCMP has a good summary of the statement. I’m using that and filling in some blanks.
The reports say that Sun has never had any real faith or ideals; he abandoned the ‘two safeguards’, and did not nurture the no ‘four consciousnesses.’ He harboured extremely inflated political ambitions, and was of extremely bad political quality. It adds that Sun’s views on the Party’s power and achievements were extremely distorted, and he arbitrarily discussed the major policies of the CPC Central Committee, manufactured and disseminated political rumors.
Moreover, in the quest to “achieve his political objectives, he resorted to whatever means...forming gangs and factions, seizing control of key [security] departments, seriously undermining the unity of the party, and causing extreme danger to the political security [of the party].”
Also, Sun “had secretly possessed a large amount of confidential materials, and engaged in superstitious activities for a long time.” The PD report also accuses Sun of violating the eight-point regulations, abandoning his post on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, abusing his position in the public security apparatus to resist organisational review and assessment, and selling official posts and positions and placing his cronies in key positions, thereby damaging the political ecology of the Party.
Sun “lived in a state of depravity, accepted large amounts of valuable gifts for long periods of time, indulged in banquets and extravagant parties; he is also accused of engaging in ‘pay-for-play’ schemes and paying for sex.”
Also sacked and to face trial is Yin Jiaxu, former chairman of China North Industries Group. From GT:
Yin has been “described as ‘two-faced man who is alienated from the Party’ and has been accused of illegally obtaining memberships to exclusive golf clubs. Yin illegally accepted a large amount of money and real estate, abused power and arranged profitable business deals for a small group of relatives and friends for personal gain, knowingly acted directly against the national interest, the CCDI and NSC said. The CCDI and NSC claim Sun and Yin has seriously violated the CPC's political discipline, organizational discipline and moral discipline, which constitute serious duty violation, both are suspected of taking bribes.
Finally, we have a Zhong Sheng commentary on origins tracing. This starts from the WHO setting up the new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens and basically argues that the effectiveness of the group and its work will be seen only if it can resist American pressure, eliminate interference and defend research independence.