MIIT Briefing Summary - 20th Congress: Central Party & State Organs Delegates Elected - China-EU Dialogue - Wang Yi Speaks to Finland's Haavisto
Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy in the Wednesday, July 20, 2022, edition of the People’s Daily.
Page 1: At the top of the page is a report about the appointment of four new ambassadors.
Li Jian was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, replacing Li Lianhe.
Xu Jie was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Cape Verde, replacing Du Xiaocong.
Hu Changchun was appointed Head of Mission of the People's Republic of China to the African Union and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, replacing Liu Yuxi.
Chen Xi was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Nicaragua.
The other lead story on the page is a feature report about the steps taken this year in ensuring people’s livelihood security and well-being. The piece focuses on medical care, pensions, childcare, housing, and education. The article doesn’t really provide any substantive data. It broadly touches on the various initiatives to make the point that the government is prioritising these issues. The piece talks about:
The establishment of new regional medical centres for expanded healthcare access
The expansion of support in terms of centralised procurement of medicines and high-value medical consumables
Increase in elderly care facilities; it says that there are 340,000 elderly care service institutions and facilities nationwide with 8.172 million beds; also long-term care insurance system has been expanded to 49 cities
There are paragraphs discussing expanded support for child-care through inclusive nursing and child-care centres and public kindergartens, given the new three-child policy.
Housing support through affordable housing development. In this context, the piece mentions the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development’s target of raising 2.4 million affordable rental housing units throughout the year and the targets for renovation and transformation of old urban communities
Finally, in terms of education, the piece discusses the double reduction policy, focusing on reducing dropout rates, student loan services, etc.
Third, there’s a report based on a press conference on the development of China’s industry and information technology in the first half of 2022. It says that:
In H1, the high-tech manufacturing industry maintained rapid development, with its added value increasing by 9.6% year-on-year, which was 6.8 percentage points higher than that of the manufacturing industry.
In Q2, the added value of the high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 5.7% year-on-year, which was 5.0 percentage points higher than that of all industries above designated size.
The added value of small industries such as lithium-ion batteries, electronic components and integrated circuits increased by more than 20%.
The output of monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and photovoltaic cells increased by 61.3%, 50.6% and 30.4%, respectively in the second quarter, which was 37.3, 13.0 and 6.1 percentage points higher than that in the first quarter.
In H1, investment in the high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 23.8% year-on-year, and the growth rate was 17.7 percentage points higher than that of fixed assets investment.
Among this, investment in the electronic and communication equipment manufacturing industry increased by 28.8%, the investment in medical equipment and instruments manufacturing industry increased by 28.0%, and the investment in computer and office equipment manufacturing industry increased by 20.2%.
There is a related report on Page 2 and this Global Times report on the presser. These add that:
Overall, the added value of industries above-scale increased by 3.4 percent compared to last year. The growth in the first quarter was 6.5 percent. The number dropped by 2.9 percent in April, but posted a 0.7 percent positive growth in May, followed by a 3.9 percent increase in June.
The added value of the manufacturing sector over a designated scale was up 2.8 percent year-on-year, accounting for 28.8 percent of overall GDP.
Auto output in June rose 28.2 percent, turning positive after a 46.1 percent decrease in April. Passenger vehicle output increased 43.6 percent, and new-energy vehicle (NEV) output and sales both expanded by 130 percent.
In H1, 25 of the 31 provinces achieved positive growth in industrial value. Among them, eastern China saw a 2.2 percent increase, while growth was 7.3 percent in both middle and western China.
In H1, 33 of the 41 major industrial sectors achieved a year-on-year increase in industrial value.
Among them, the added value of the electronics manufacturing industry increased by 10.2% year-on-year, and the added value of the consumer goods manufacturing industry increased by 3.5% year-on-year. After falling by 8.1% in April, the added value of equipment manufacturing quickly rebounded to 1.1% and 3.9% in May and June, with a year-on-year increase of 4.3% in H1.
So far, 1.854 million 5G base stations have been rolled out and are operational, and the number of 5G mobile phone users reached 455 million this month. The MIIT vowed to deploy 600,000 5G base stations within 2022, bringing the overall number to more than 2 million.
Tian Yulong, a spokesperson of the MIIT, said that the MIIT and other authorities may extend the purchase tax exemption for NEVs. The whitelist mechanism will be implemented in more areas and key industries, including vehicle manufacturing and integrated circuits.
In terms of SME’s the officials said that the added value of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 3.7% year-on-year, and the growth rate was higher than that of the overall industry.
Next, there’s a report on Li Keqiang meeting with Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab. Xinhua reports:
“He pointed out that at present, world development faces many uncertainties and destabilizing factors, however, world peace and development, and interaction and exchanges between countries are a shared wish of the people and prevailing trend of the time. ‘The international community needs to firm up confidence, safeguard peace and stability, and jointly meet challenges with closer dialogue and communication,’ Li said. Li said China appreciates the WEF's consistent focus on economic development and stronger cooperation with China, and deeper cooperation between the two sides will help send to the world a positive message of growing the economy and improving lives. The premier said China will stay committed to the fundamental national policy of opening-up, and will work with all parties to intensify dialogue and communication to create conditions for win-win cooperation of mutual benefit.”
There’s also a report on Li Zhanshu’s meeting with Bangladeshi parliament speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. Xinhua reports:
“Li pointed out that China values developing the strategic cooperative partnership with Bangladesh, adding that China appreciates Bangladesh’s support on Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet, human rights and other issues, and will continue to support Bangladesh in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions. He said China stands ready to promote the docking of the development strategies of the two countries, promote cooperation on infrastructure, economy and trade, clean energy, and green technology, and enhance exchanges in education, culture, youth and sports. Noting that security and development are the common concerns of all countries, Li said the Global Security Initiative and the Global Development Initiative are important international public goods provided by China to address global challenges, and China welcomes Bangladesh to actively support and participate in the initiatives to jointly promote global peace and prosperity. Li said the NPC of China is willing to deepen exchanges with the parliament of Bangladesh at all levels and in various fields, expand mutual learning in legislative and supervisory work, and promote the implementation of relevant laws and regulations. Chaudhury said Bangladesh firmly supports China’s core interests and major concerns. On the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the Bangladesh-China strategic cooperative partnership has continuously achieved new development. The Bangladeshi parliament is willing to work with the NPC of China to contribute to promoting cooperation between the two countries in various fields, expanding people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and enhancing friendship between the two peoples, Chaudhury said.” – Quick thought: I am not sure what it’s worth, but I’ve observed thatLi Zhanshu has been the one consistently talking about GSI as part of these meetings with parliamentarians. Here’s an example of his chat with the chairperson of the Uzbek Senate and another of his comments at the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the National Assembly of Thailand. In contrast, Wang Yi mentioned GSI in the readout of the conversation with Emmanuel Bonne. But it wasn’t there in the readout of his conversation with Peter Szijjarto.
Next, there’s a report on Wang Yang’s comments at a meeting of the National Committee of the CPPCC, discussing the strategy of strengthening the country with talents in the new era. Xinhua reports:
“Wang called for improving related mechanisms and policies to overcome obstacles hampering talent development and removing constraints in the social mindset, in a bid to lay a solid talent foundation for China to achieve the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects. A total of 30 political advisors or experts spoke at the meeting, which was attended by nearly 80 political advisors. Over 370 political advisors put forward their suggestions via other platforms. Political advisors suggested better leveraging the roles of universities in nurturing talent in basic research. They called for building a talent evaluation system that focuses on calibre, achievements and contributions. They also suggested improving standards for scientific ethics and strengthening international exchanges of talent.”
In the PD report, comments by Chen Xi, who heads the Organisation Department, are also covered. He said that “since the 18th Party Congress, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, talent-related work has achieved historic achievements and undergone historic changes.” He called for adhering to Xi’s thought and the guidelines from the central talent work conference. He calls high-quality talents “strategic resources” that are key to achieve national rejuvenation and win the initiative in international competition. The realisation of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement ultimately depends on high-level innovative talents, he said. At the same time, he spoke about ensuring Party leadership in this regard and cultivating the “spirit of patriotism and struggle” among talents.
Page 2: A brief report informing us that 293 individuals have been elected as delegates to the 20th Party Congress from across central Party and state organs. These individuals include Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and Xiao Jie, all of whom were nominated by the CPC Central Committee. The election took place at a meeting held in Beijing from Sunday to Tuesday.
Ding Xuexiang addressed the meeting, PD informs. He called for the delegates to “improve their political position, emphasise political standards, conscientiously implement democratic centralism, perform duties appropriately, solemnly exercise their rights, and act in strict accordance with organisational principles and election regulations, promote the high-quality development of party building in the central and state organs…and earnestly assume responsibility as the first phalanx in practising the ‘Two Safeguards’.” 丁薛祥指出，中央和国家机关党代表会议代表要提高政治站位，突出政治标准，以对党的事业高度负责的精神，认真贯彻民主集中制，正确履行职责，郑重行使权利，严格按组织原则和选举规定办事，使代表选举工作成为发扬党内民主、严肃党内政治生活的生动实践，推动中央和国家机关党的建设高质量发展，切实走好践行“两个维护”的第一方阵.
Xinhua informs that the 293 delegates were elected through competitive election and they include both officials and people who work at the frontline. Women, ethnic minorities and professionals are among those elected.
Second, there’s a report on the 9th High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue between China and the EU. Liu He and Valdis Dombrovskis chaired the meeting. The English readout says:
“The two sides had pragmatic, frank and efficient discussions on four topics, namely the macro economy, industrial chain and supply chain, trade and investment, and financial cooperation. The two sides reached a series of outcomes and consensuses on macroeconomic policy coordination, cooperation on industrial and supply chains, WTO reform, wider market opening, implementation of the China-EU agreement on geographical indications, animal and plant inspection and quarantine, two-way opening-up of the financial sector and regulatory cooperation. Both sides believe that the world political and economic situation is undergoing profound changes, and healthy and stable China-EU relations and China-EU economic and trade relations are conducive to global development and prosperity. The two sides are willing to make joint efforts to enhance mutual understanding, promote pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe in economic and trade field, and enhance the stability of China-EU cooperation to better cope with the uncertainty of the global economic situation. The two sides are ready to jointly address the challenges facing the global economy, strengthen communication and coordination of macroeconomic policies, maintain the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain, and jointly safeguard and strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. They also agreed to actively improve trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, promote fair competition, protect intellectual property rights, create a better business environment for enterprises, and further advance two-way opening-up and regulatory cooperation in the financial sector.”
The EU’s readout from the talks says that they “focused on global economic challenges, disruptions of supply chains caused by COVID-19 and the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including on food, energy and financial markets. Parties also discussed bilateral trade and investment concerns and stepping up cooperation in financial services.” It then talks about specific outcomes. Some of those are:
“The EU took note of China's willingness to work together on ensuring the stability of global markets and tackling global food insecurity, including through the export of fertilisers.”
“The EU and China agreed to work jointly on WTO reform. The EU also emphasised the need to address global distortions, such as in the area of industrial subsidies and overcapacities.”
They “discussed increasing transparency and exchanging information on the supply of certain critical raw materials and other products.”
“Exchanges on financial services were constructive. This included a commitment by China to ensure that its future domestic regulations will not curtail the ability of European leasing companies to provide services throughout its territory.”
“The EU reiterated that measures of economic coercion – including against Lithuania – are unacceptable.”
Third, there’s a report on Sun Chunlan’s remarks on China’s COVID-19 containment policy during her inspection in Hebei Province from Monday to Tuesday. The big point that she made was that the country would continue to adhere to the policy of dynamic clearing. While calling for the implementation of the ninth edition of the plan on COVID containment, she said that this did not imply a loosening of control or letting one’s guard down Rather, it calls for better precision and plugging loopholes. Sun reiterated that it was important to respond as quickly as possible and manage outbreaks in the shortest timeframe and with minimum costs.
Page 3: There’s a report on Wang Yi’s chat with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. Reading through Wang’s comments, this did not sound like a very pleasant conversation.
Anyway, Xinhua’s readout focuses first on Haavisto’s comments. It says:
“During their phone conversation, Haavisto said that Finnish President Sauli Niinisto attaches great importance to the friendship between Finland and China, and that the friendly relationship between the two heads of state has injected strong momentum into bilateral cooperation. The joint economic and trade commission between the two countries has carried out productive work, and the Finnish business community has set up a China office and looks forward to expanding business in China, Haavisto said. Finland continues to adhere to the one-China policy, stands ready to expand economic and trade cooperation with China, resume more flights, and facilitate business and personnel exchanges between the two countries, he said. Noting that China plays an indispensable role in economic recovery, ecological environment protection and other global issues, Haavisto said Finland is willing to expand cooperation with China in such areas as climate change, green transformation and circular economy. Finland supports Europe and China in developing a strong relationship and calls for candid dialogue as well as equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides, Haavisto said. He also explained Finland's application for NATO membership and said NATO will remain a defensive alliance.”
Wang said:
“China is ready to work with Finland to implement the plan in a comprehensive and high-quality way, continue to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade and investment, scientific and technological innovation, green development, connectivity and winter sports, and make good use of cooperative mechanisms like the joint economic and trade commission between the two countries to further release the potential of bilateral cooperation...China is committed to targeted prevention and control measures to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume personnel exchanges in an orderly manner, and speed up the resumption of work and production, Wang said. He said China is firmly committed to green, low-carbon and sustainable development, will continue to participate in global cooperation on climate change in an all-round manner, and stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Finland. Mutual respect and mutual trust are the key to the development of China-Finland relations, which is at the forefront of China's bilateral relations with Europe, especially with Nordic countries, said Wang. China appreciates Finland's adherence to the one-China policy, believes the Finnish side will continue to adopt an objective and prudent attitude on China-related affairs, and safeguard the overall interests of bilateral relations, he said. Wang said the establishment and development of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership is the result of the concerted efforts of both sides. Noting that China and Europe have always been partners, not rivals, Wang said it is not in the interest of either China or Europe to play up and even create confrontation between the two sides. He said China hopes and believes that Finland will continue to play a constructive role in the European Union (EU). The Chinese and Finnish sides expressed concern over the challenges posed by spillovers from the Ukraine crisis on global food and energy security. Wang stressed that all parties should work together to cope with global risks caused by the crisis, jointly promote food, energy and financial security, maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and support vulnerable developing countries in overcoming difficulties.”
Page 4: A report (English report) on disciplinary action taken in the first half of 2022. It says that:
In H1, a total of 322,000 cases were filed by the national discipline inspection and supervision organs, and 273,000 people were punished.
This included 21 provincial and ministerial-level cadres, 1,237 bureau-level cadres, 10,000 county-level cadres, 34,000 township-level cadres, 38,000 general cadres, and 189,000 rural, enterprise and other personnel.
Overall in H1, the discipline and supervision organs received over 1.75 million complaints and tip-offs, dealt with 739,000 pieces of evidence with violation implications, and launched investigations into 322,000 cases
Page 11: The lead article on the theory page is by Luo Weijian, from the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau. Luo basically backs the one country, two systems formulation, saying that the system was the “best solution” to address the issues of Hong Kong and Macau. He essentially reiterates the official line that the foundation of the one country, two systems formulation is the fact that there is one country. The two systems derive from that foundation, and that one cannot use the two systems to negate the idea of one country. Also, “the socialist system is the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China, and the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” So, that clarifies, if it wasn’t clear earlier, what one country implies.
Luo also reiterates:
Adherence to the principle of national sovereignty
Adherence to the principle of governance by patriots; in this regard, he does say that “Macau needs to further improve its electoral system to ensure that all people who enter the executive, legislative and judicial organs are patriots.” 澳门需要进一步完善选举制度，确保进入行政、立法、司法机关的都是爱国者.
Integrating the development of Hong Kong and Macau into the overall situation of national development
The importance of improving governance level and capability
Page 15: On the international page, the lead report is about surveillance in the US.
This draws from this report by the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, which talks about how ICE has built a sweeping surveillance dragnet—giving them the ability to track nearly every person in the U.S., seemingly at any time. The PD article also talks about mass surveillance in the US, citing cases filed by the ACLU, which have revealed that “US immigration enforcement agencies have been using invasive cellphone surveillance technology known as ‘stingrays’.”
In addition, the PD piece says that over the years, the US “has also required some high-tech companies to set up ‘back doors’ in encrypted applications under the guise of ‘maintaining public safety’ in order to facilitate their so-called ‘cyber enforcement operations’.” The piece also talks about Edward Snowden, Wikileaks and other publicly available information to make the point that the US government has established a mass surveillance system.