Li Qiang Meets Kishida & Yoon in Seoul - Ding Xuexiang: 'The Soul of a Scientist's Spirit is Patriotism' - Counter-terrorism & Social Stability 'Top Priority' in Xinjiang
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People's Daily’s edition on Monday, May 27, 2024.
Page 1: A bunch of reports on the page today.
First, there’s a report informing that Xi Jinping will be addressing the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum on May 30.
Second, there’s a report (English report) on Xi’s reply to letters from student representatives of the ‘Hundred Schools Project’ of Chinese language education in the UAE.
Third, there’s a report informing about the publication of a new book! This one covers Xi’s discourses on Party discipline. The book contains 329 excerpts from more than 130 important documents such as reports, speeches, explanations, articles, and instructions, from November 2012 to April 2024. Some of these comments are being made public for the first time, as per the report.
Next, there’s a report on Li Qiang’s meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul. Li said that it is hoped that “South Korea will work with China to grasp the general direction of mutual trust between the two countries, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, steadfastly be trustworthy neighbours and partners in achieving mutual success, and promote the sound, stable, and practical development of China-South Korea relations.” 希望韩方同中方一道，把握两国c互信的大方向，尊重彼此核心利益和重大关切，坚定做彼此信赖的友邻、相互成就的伙伴，推动中韩关系向好发展、走稳走实.
Li said that industrial and supply chains of China and South Korea are deeply intertwined, and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has a solid foundation and huge potential. The two sides should work together to explore new areas and broaden the scope of cooperation. They should jointly seize more development opportunities, resist the pan-politicization and pan-securitisation of economic and trade issues, and maintain stable and smooth industrial and supply chains of the two countries and the world.”李强指出，中韩产业链供应链深度互嵌，经贸合作基础扎实、潜力巨大，双方要携手开拓新领域、拓宽合作面，共同抢抓更多发展机遇，抵制把经贸问题泛政治化、泛安全化，维护两国和全球产业链供应链稳定畅通.
He called to:
accelerate the second phase of China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement negotiations on a pragmatic and balanced basis
advance the building of the China-South Korea (Changchun) International Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and
strengthen cooperation in high-end manufacturing, new energy, artificial intelligence, bio-medicine and other fields
He welcomed South Korean investment in China and deeper people-to-people exchanges.
As per Xinhua, Yoon said that South Korea “adheres to the one-China principle”. Some outcomes from the meeting are:
The two sides agreed to hold the high-level strategic dialogue between foreign ministries of the two countries
They will also hold the China-South Korea ‘2+2’ dialogue on diplomacy and security at the vice-ministerial level
They will launch the China-South Korea 1.5-track dialogue and exchange mechanism at an appropriate time
Talks will be held through different mechanisms such as industrial investment cooperation, production-supply chain cooperation and export control dialogue
China-South Korea Joint Committee on People-to-People Exchanges and youth exchanges will be restarted
Reuters’ report on Yoon’s comments says:
“Yoon told Li that South Korea and China should work together not only to promote shared interests based on mutual respect but also on regional and global issues to tackle common challenges, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict and global economic uncertainties…Yoon asked China to play a greater role as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, especially as North Korea continues to develop nuclear missiles and boost military cooperation with Russia, saying another spy satellite launch using intercontinental ballistic-missile technology is imminent.”
In PD today, Li’s meeting with Japanese PM Kishida is on the second page. I’ll cover that here too.
Li said: “It is hoped that Japan with work with the Chinese side to meet each other halfway, implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continuously consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation, properly manage differences, and strive to build a constructive and stable Sino-Japanese relationship that meets the requirements of the new era. The issues of history and Taiwan are major issues of principle related to the political foundation of the Sino-Japanese relationship; they are also basic issues of faith. The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and a red line. It is hoped that Japan will keep its promise and create a positive atmosphere for the continuous development of bilateral relations.” 希望日方与中方一道更多相向而行，落实好两国领导人达成的重要共识，不断巩固互信，深化合作，妥善管控分歧，努力构建契合新时代要求的建设性、稳定的中日关系。历史、台湾问题是事关中日关系政治基础的重大原则问题，也是基本的信义问题。台湾问题是中国核心利益中的核心，也是一条红线。希望日方重信守诺，为两国关系不断发展营造积极氛围。
“The development of China and Japan is an important opportunity for each other, and the Chinese and Japanese economies are now closely intertwined, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples…The complementary economic advantages between China and Japan will exist for a long time, and there is huge potential for cooperation in technological innovation, digital economy, green development, and in third-party markets. Both sides should achieve mutual success and jointly maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains and the global free trade system. China is willing to continue to carry out friendly exchanges with Japan across multiple sectors, channels and levels, further facilitate personnel exchanges, actively carry out youth exchanges, and continuously consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Japan friendly cooperation.” 李强指出，中日的发展对彼此都是重要机遇。中日经济已形成你中有我、我中有你的局面，为两国人民带来实实在在的福祉。中日经济互补优势将长期存在，在科技创新、数字经济、绿色发展、开拓第三方市场等方面还有巨大合作潜力。双方应当相互成就，共同维护产业链供应链稳定畅通和全球自由贸易体系。中方愿同日方持续开展多领域、多渠道、多层级友好交流，进一步便利人员往来，积极开展青少年交流，不断夯实中日友好合作的民意基础.
Li then added: “The release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater bears on the health of humanity, the global marine environment and international public interests…Noting that China is a major stakeholder, and the Chinese government and people are highly concerned about the issue, Li said China hopes Japan will further demonstrate sincerity and constructive attitude toward such issues as long-term international monitoring arrangements, seriously address legitimate concerns both at home and abroad, and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations.”
On Taiwan, Xinhua quotes Kishida as saying that “Japan adheres to its position on the Taiwan question as stated in the Japan-China Joint Statement signed in 1972, which remains unchanged.” He is also quoted as saying that “Japan stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen cooperation in such fields as green economy, medical care, third-party markets, facilitate personnel exchanges, deepen regional cooperation, and jointly tackle climate change and other global issues.” (Note: I didn’t see this bit on Taiwan in the Japanese readout.)
The Japanese readout of the meeting says that it lasted for around 60 minutes. It also contains this:
“Prime Minister Kishida reiterated his serious concerns over the situation in the East China Sea, including the situation surrounding the Senkaku Islands, and the intensification of military activities by China, including in cooperation with Russia, around Japan, and called for the immediate removal of the buoys installed in Japan's EEZ. He also expressed serious concerns over the situation in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and other areas. With regard to Taiwan, Prime Minister Kishida conveyed that he was closely monitoring developments, including the recent military situation, and reiterated that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are extremely important for Japan and the international community.”
Also on Page 2 is a report on Li’s meeting with Samsung Group Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Xinhua reports:
“Li pointed out that the industrial and supply chains of China and South Korea are deeply intertwined, and a community of shared interests, where everyone's interest is closely interlinked, has been formed. Samsung's cooperation with China is a vivid epitome of the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation and development between China and South Korea, said Li, adding that with the sustained economic development of the two countries and the continuous rise of emerging industries, the cooperation prospects will broaden. He called on enterprises of China and South Korea to tap deeper into their cooperation potential in new areas such as high-end manufacturing, digital economy, artificial intelligence, green development and biomedicine, so as to continuously upgrade bilateral economic and trade cooperation and achieve more win-win results. The Chinese side will steadily promote institutional opening-up, further expand market access, implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, actively address the concerns and demands of the enterprises, and provide better business environment, so that more foreign-funded companies can rest assured in their investment and development in China, he added. Li said China welcomes South Korean companies including Samsung to continue to expand investment and cooperation in China and share more new opportunities in China's new development.”
Lee “thanked the Chinese government for its strong support for Samsung's production and operations in China, and said that Samsung will persist in its development in China…”
Next, there’s a commentary based on Xi’s comments to businesses and academia in Jinan last week. It says that Xi’s speech “put forward clear requirements for advancing the reform of the economic system and reforms in other fields. It pointed out the main direction and provided important ideas and methods for further comprehensively deepening the reform.” “突出改革重点”，习近平总书记主持召开企业和专家座谈会并发表重要讲话，强调“进一步全面深化改革，要抓住主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面”，对推进经济体制改革和其他领域改革提出了明确要求，为进一步全面深化改革指明了主攻方向、提供了重要思路和方法.
Some excerpts from the article
It is necessary to uphold and develop China’s basic economic system, build a high-level socialist market economic system, improve the macroeconomic governance system and mechanisms for promoting high-quality development, refine the systems and mechanisms that support comprehensive innovation and urban-rural integration
Practice tells us that by firmly emancipating the mind, liberating and developing social productivity, and liberating and enhancing social vitality, we can provide a strong impetus for reforms in other aspects and influence the corresponding advancement of reforms in other aspects.
To further deepen reform in an all-round way, we should pay more attention to highlighting key points, further liberate and develop social productive forces, enhance social vitality and and better align the relations of production with the productive forces and the superstructure with the economic base, thereby continuously injecting strong impetus into promoting high-quality development and Chinese-style modernization.
习近平总书记强调，“要坚持和发展我国基本经济制度，构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，健全宏观经济治理体系和推动高质量发展体制机制，完善支持全面创新、城乡融合发展等体制机制”。实践告诉我们，紧紧扭住解放思想、解放和发展社会生产力、解放和增强社会活力，就能为其他各方面改革提供强大推动，影响其他各个方面改革相应推进。进一步全面深化改革，要更加注重突出重点，以经济体制改革为牵引，进一步解放和发展社会生产力、增强社会活力，推动生产关系和生产力、上层建筑和经济基础更好相适应，为推动高质量发展、推进中国式现代化持续注入强劲动力.
The article adds:
“On the way forward, we must coordinate the overall situation, grasp the key points, focus on major issues in building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, plan and promote reforms. While focusing on promoting the reform of the economic system, we should also make overall plans for reforms in the fields of education, science and technology, talent, politics, rule of law, culture, society, ecology, national security and party building. Efforts should be made to solve the problems that restrict the construction of a new development pattern and the promotion of high-quality development, tackle the pain points and difficulties in the development environment and people’s livelihood, and resolve the hot issues that go against social fairness and justice. Efforts should be made to overcome the shortcomings of various institutional mechanisms and adjust the deep-seated interest pattern, and continue to increase momentum and vitality for economic and social development.” 前进道路上，我们要统筹全局、把握重点，聚焦全面建设社会主义现代化国家中的重大问题谋划推进改革，在重点推进经济体制改革的同时，统筹谋划好教育科技人才、政治、法治、文化、社会、生态、国家安全和党的建设领域的改革，着力解决制约构建新发展格局和推动高质量发展的卡点堵点问题、发展环境和民生领域的痛点难点问题、有悖社会公平正义的焦点热点问题，努力在破除各方面体制机制弊端、调整深层次利益格局上再攻下一些难点，不断为经济社会发展增动力、添活力.
Next, there’s a report on Ding Xuexiang’s comments at the 2024 National Science and Technology Week and Beijing Science and Technology Week.
“Scientific achievements cannot be separated from spiritual support. The soul of a scientist's spirit is patriotism. The older generation of scientists were able to achieve brilliant accomplishments under extremely difficult conditions primarily because of their deep patriotism and ambition to serve the country. On the new journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we need to vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, we need more Qian Xuesen and Guo Yonghuai of the new era, and we need more scientific researchers to shoulder the mission and responsibility of achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength. He hoped that the vast number of scientific researchers will cherish the feelings of home and country, inherit the spiritual torch, bravely climb scientific peaks, integrate their personal ideals into the national mission, and make contributions to Chinese-style modernization.” 丁薛祥指出，科学成就离不开精神支撑。科学家精神的灵魂是爱国。老一辈科学家在极端困难的条件下能够取得辉煌成就，最重要的是深怀爱国之心、报国之志。在中华民族伟大复兴的新征程上，需要大力弘扬科学家精神，需要更多新时代的钱学森、郭永怀，需要更多科研人员担当起实现高水平科技自立自强的使命和责任。他希望广大科研人员厚植家国情怀，传承精神火炬，勇攀科学高峰，把人生理想融入国家使命，为中国式现代化建功立业.
Page 3: There’s a report on the visit of Chen Wenqing, head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, to Xinjiang from May 22 to 26. The focus of the visit was on the “work of promoting the anti-separatist and anti-terrorist struggle and maintaining security and stability.”
He said: “Xinjiang's political and legal affairs agencies must resolutely implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on Xinjiang work, take the maintenance of social stability as the top priority, firmly assume the primary responsibility for counter-terrorism and stability maintenance, deepen long-term mechanisms, improve prevention and control systems, precisely prevent and combat violent terrorist crimes, and firmly uphold the bottom line of security.” 他要求，新疆政法机关要坚决贯彻落实习近平总书记关于新疆工作的重要指示精神，始终把维护社会稳定摆在首位，压实反恐维稳主体责任，深化长效机制，完善防控体系，精准防范和打击暴恐犯罪，牢牢守住安全底线.
He added that “promoting the standardisation of law-based counter-terrorism work and stability maintenance is an important way to maintain Xinjiang’s overall social stability and long-term stability and achieve long-term peace and order. It is necessary to ensure that all work is conducted in accordance with the law, implement the requirements of comprehensive law-based governance in every aspect and throughout the entire process of Xinjiang's counter-terrorism and stability maintenance efforts, be adept at using legal thinking and legal methods to prevent risks, combat crimes, address issues, and resolve conflicts, achieving law-based enforcement, law-based prevention and control, and law-based management. It is necessary to properly balance the relationships between the present and the long-term, addressing symptoms and root causes, maintaining order and enhancing vitality, and ensuring stability and convenience for the people, thereby achieving long-term peace and stability in Xinjiang while maintaining overall social stability.” 陈文清指出，推进反恐维稳法治化常态化，是保持新疆社会大局持续稳定长期稳定、实现长治久安的重要途径。要坚持各项工作都依法办事，把全面依法治国的要求落实到新疆反恐维稳工作的各方面全过程，善于运用法治思维和法治方式防范风险、打击犯罪、处理问题、化解矛盾，做到依法打击、依法防控、依法管理。要妥善处理好当前与长远、治标与治本、保持秩序与增强活力、维护稳定与方便群众等关系，在保持新疆社会大局稳定基础上实现长治久安.
Chen also met with staff of political and legal agencies working in border areas.