There’s not that much of substance today. So, I am covering the few noteworthy reports that are published.
First, there’s an interview with Lu Zhiyuan, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of Civil Affairs. Lu informs us that in the context of civil affairs, the fourth plenum “put forward clear requirements for actively responding to population aging; improving the urban and rural elderly care service network; perfecting the social assistance system; improving the service and security system for vulnerable groups, such as empty-nest elderly, children in difficult circumstances, and people with disabilities; establishing and improving the basic funeral service system; effectively addressing and rectifying undesirable practices in weddings and funerals; strengthening the cultivation and management of social organizations; and promoting and regulating the development of public interest and charitable undertakings.” 在民政领域，全会对积极应对人口老龄化，完善城乡养老服务网络，健全社会救助体系，完善空巢老人、困境儿童、残疾人等群体服务保障体系，建立健全基本殡葬服务制度，有效治理婚丧嫁娶中的陋习，加强社会组织培育管理，促进和规范公益慈善事业发展等提出明确要求.
The second question is about the progress that has been made in civil affairs work. Lu makes four points:
First, new improvements have been achieved in ensuring basic livelihood guarantees. A tiered and categorised social assistance system has been largely established, extending coverage from those receiving minimum living allowances (dībǎo) and those in extreme poverty to include those on the margins of minimum living allowances and families facing difficulties with essential expenses. A national social assistance dynamic monitoring information platform has been established, strengthening monitoring, early warning, and provision of assistance, and while consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation, effective linkage with rural revitalization has been achieved. The average standards of urban and rural dībǎo nationwide have increased by 22.2% and 23.9%, respectively, compared with 2020, providing regular support to 39.11 million dībǎo recipients and 4.85 million people in extreme poverty. Significant progress has been made in the construction of the child welfare protection system. Children without parental care, left-behind children, and migrant children have been included in the national protection and care service scope, and a protection and care system covering various disadvantaged children has been basically established. The basic living allowance standards for children in institutional care, children living with relatives, and children without parental care increased by 28%, 35%, and 35%, respectively, compared to 2020. The systems of living allowances for persons with disabilities in difficulty and nursing subsidies for persons with severe disabilities have been effectively implemented. The construction of custodial care service systems for persons with severe disabilities has accelerated. And the community rehabilitation service system for persons with mental disorders has become more complete, cumulatively serving 1.26 million rehabilitation recipients. China’s basic social security safety net is becoming more robust, and the achievements of modernization are increasingly benefiting a wider range of disadvantaged people. 一是兜底民生保障得到新提升。基本建成分层分类的社会救助体系，覆盖对象已经从低保、特困人员向低保边缘人员、刚性支出困难家庭延伸，建成全国社会救助动态监测信息平台，加强监测预警和救助帮扶，在巩固拓展脱贫攻坚成果的同时，实现同乡村振兴的有效衔接。全国城乡低保的平均标准较2020年分别增长22.2%和23.9%，常态化保障低保对象3911万人、特困人员485万人。儿童福利保障制度建设取得重大进展，将事实无人抚养儿童、留守儿童、流动儿童纳入国家保障和关爱服务范围，覆盖各类困境儿童的保障关爱体系已基本建立。集中养育孤儿、社会散居孤儿、事实无人抚养儿童基本生活保障标准较2020年分别增长28%、35%和35%。困难残疾人生活补贴、重度残疾人护理补贴制度有效落实，重度残疾人托养照护服务体系加快建设，精神障碍社区康复服务体系更加完善，已经累计服务126万康复对象。我国兜底民生保障网更加密实，现代化建设成果越来越多地惠及广大困难群众.
Second, work on aging and elderly care services has taken new steps. The reform of elderly care institutions has been completed, the elderly care system has been improved, and a new framework for elderly care work has been largely established. The national strategy for actively responding to population aging has been implemented in depth, the ‘Silver Age Action’ in the new era has been carried out effectively, the silver economy has developed and grown, and the preferential treatment and protection of the rights of the elderly have been strengthened. A national basic elderly care service system has been comprehensively established. The top-level design for the reform and development of elderly care services has been completed. Construction of the elderly care service network has been steadily advanced. An elderly care service system with Chinese characteristics suited to China’s national conditions is being accelerated, with the supply structure continuing to be optimised. The number of elderly care institutions and facilities nationwide has reached 397,000, with 7.802 million beds, and the proportion of nursing beds has increased from 48% in 2020 to 67.3%. In the past five years, 2.24 million households of elderly people with special difficulties have undergone age-friendly renovations, 500 demonstrative community-based home care service networks, 2,990 demonstrative age-friendly communities, and 86,000 elderly meal service points have been established. Various subsidies, such as high-age allowances, service subsidies for economically disadvantaged elderly people, and care subsidies for disabled elderly people, have benefited 50.51 million elderly people, further enhancing their well-being. 二是老龄工作和养老服务迈出新步伐。完成老龄工作机构改革，老龄工作体制得到完善，新的老龄工作格局基本形成，积极应对人口老龄化国家战略深入实施，新时代“银龄行动”扎实开展，银发经济发展壮大，老年人优待和权益维护更加有力。全面建立国家基本养老服务制度，完成养老服务改革发展顶层设计，养老服务网络建设扎实推进，适合我国国情的中国特色养老服务体系正在加速构建，供给结构不断优化。全国养老机构和设施达到39.7万个、床位780.2万张，护理型床位占比从2020年的48%提高到67.3%。这五年，完成特殊困难老年人家庭适老化改造224万户，建成示范性社区居家养老服务网络500个、示范性老年友好型社区2990个、老年助餐点8.6万个。高龄津贴、经济困难老年人服务补贴、失能老年人护理补贴等各类津补贴惠及5051万老年人，进一步增进了老年人福祉.
Third, specialised social services have achieved new results. Marriage registration has been fully implemented nationwide, greatly facilitating convenience for the public. Marriage customs reform continues to deepen, and a civilized and healthy marriage culture is rapidly taking shape. The supply of basic funeral services continues to increase, effectively filling the gaps in grassroots funeral homes. 3,350 public columbariums and 16,800 public cemeteries have been built, and affordable funeral services are continuously being promoted. The China National Geographical Names Information Database has been launched and brought online, and the ‘Village Naming Action’ has been carried out in depth, with 810,000 village place names already being fixed, effectively serving the people’s travel and rural revitalization. 三是专项社会服务取得新成效。婚姻登记全面实行“全国通办”，切实方便了群众。婚俗改革持续深化，文明健康婚俗风尚加快形成。基本殡葬服务供给持续加大，有效补齐基层殡仪馆“空白点”，建成3350个公益性骨灰堂以及1.68万个公益性公墓，惠民殡葬持续推进。开通上线中国·国家地名信息库，深入开展“乡村著名行动”，已命名乡村地名81万条，有效服务百姓出行、乡村振兴.
Fourth, related social governance has achieved new progress. The registration and management system for social organizations has become more sound, and a batch of science- and technology-related social organizations has been newly established. Nationwide, there are 852,000 registered social organizations, with the layout and structure continuously optimised. Charitable undertakings have accelerated in development. The Charity Law of the People’s Republic of China has been revised and implemented, and the institutional system for promoting and regulating the development of charitable undertakings has continuously improved. At present, the number of registered and recognized charitable organizations exceeds 16,000, an increase of 70% compared with 2020. Since the start of the 14th FYP period, the total sales of welfare lottery tickets have reached 884 billion yuan, raising 266 billion yuan in public welfare funds. These efforts have powerfully promoted social harmony and stability and a positive, benevolent social atmosphere. 四是相关社会治理取得新进展。社会组织登记管理制度更加健全，新成立一批科技类社会组织，全国登记社会组织85.2万个，布局结构不断优化。慈善事业加快发展，修改实施了《中华人民共和国慈善法》，促进和规范慈善事业发展的制度体系不断健全，目前登记认定的慈善组织超过1.6万家，较2020年增长了70%。“十四五”以来，福利彩票销售总额达到8840亿元，筹集公益金2660亿元。这些工作有力促进了社会和谐稳定和向上向善的社会氛围.
Next, Lu outlines four points that form the “development ideas and major measures for civil affairs work during the 15th FYP. These are:
First, actively respond to population aging and build a universally beneficial and accessible elderly care service system. Accelerate the improvement of institutional mechanisms for implementing the national strategy for actively responding to population aging, formulate and implement the 15th FYP national development plan for aging-related undertakings, accelerate the improvement of a three-tiered elderly care service network covering both urban and rural areas, actively mobilize business entities to participate, promote elderly care service consumption, and promote the coordinated development of the elderly care sector and related industries. 一是积极应对人口老龄化，构建普惠可及的养老服务体系。加快健全实施积极应对人口老龄化国家战略制度机制，编制实施“十五五”国家老龄事业发展规划，加快健全覆盖城乡的三级养老服务网络，积极调动经营主体参与，促进养老服务消费，推动老龄事业和老龄产业协同发展.
Second, in line with the requirements of promoting common prosperity, improve the level of social assistance and social welfare. Promote the enactment and implementation of the Social Assistance Law, improve institutional measures to promote the high-quality development of social assistance, scientifically and accurately identify social assistance recipients, and promptly identify disadvantaged people who need help, hold firm, hold accurate, and hold steady the bottom line of people’s livelihood. Improve the welfare and protection system for children in difficult circumstances, strengthen care and services for children with autism, migrant children, and left-behind children, promote children’s welfare institutions and facilities to ‘run institutions with open doors’, and better bring into play the service functions of children’s directors and children’s supervisors. Improve the social security system and care service system for disabled persons, improve the living subsidy system for disabled persons in difficulty and the nursing subsidy system for severely disabled persons, explore and improve the guardianship system for adult disabled persons, develop care services for severely disabled persons, and promote the accelerated development of the rehabilitation and assistive device industries. 二是顺应促进共同富裕要求，提升社会救助和社会福利水平。推进出台实施社会救助法，完善推动社会救助高质量发展的制度措施，科学精准认定社会救助对象，及时发现需要帮助的困难群众，兜住兜准兜牢民生底线。完善困境儿童福利保障体系，加大孤独症儿童、流动儿童、留守儿童关爱服务，推动儿童福利机构设施“开门办院”，更好发挥儿童主任、儿童督导员的服务功能。完善残疾人社会保障制度和关爱服务体系，健全困难残疾人生活补贴和重度残疾人护理补贴制度，探索健全成年残疾人监护制度，发展重度残疾人托养照护服务，推动康复辅助器具产业加快发展.
Third, focus on properly handling concrete livelihood matters and optimise the management and services of social affairs. Issue and implement the newly-revised Regulations on Funeral and Interment Control, establish and improve the basic funeral service system, make up for shortcomings in urban and rural public-interest funeral service facilities, establish a cross-department comprehensive supervision mechanism in the funeral sector, comprehensively advance ‘handling posthumous matters in a single process’, deepen reform of funeral customs, and promote ecological burials. Improve marriage service policies, consolidate and optimize nationwide marriage registration services, deepen reforms in marriage customs, and advocate positive views on marriage and childbearing. 三是着力办好民生实事，优化社会事务管理服务。出台实施新修订的殡葬管理条例，建立健全基本殡葬服务制度，补齐城乡公益性殡葬服务设施短板，建立殡葬领域跨部门综合监管机制，全面推动“身后事一次办”，深化殡葬移风易俗，推广生态安葬。完善婚姻服务政策，巩固优化婚姻登记“全国通办”，深化婚俗改革，倡导积极婚育观.
Finally, Lu talks about the need to “improve policy measures for promoting the high-quality development of social organizations, advance the formulation of the Law on industry associations and chambers of commerce, revise regulations on registration and management of private non-enterprise units and social groups, vigorously cultivate and develop international science and technology organizations, support the development of community social organizations, and optimise the structural layout of social organizations. Improve the institutional policies for promoting the high-quality development of charitable undertakings, accelerate the improvement of the comprehensive regulatory mechanism for charity, standardise and develop charitable activities such as internet-based charity, support the development of community charity, and better bring into play the tertiary distribution role of charitable undertakings. 四是围绕服务高质量发展，加强和创新社会治理。稳妥做好行政区划工作，强化区划地名文化传承保护。完善推动社会组织高质量发展的政策措施，推进制定行业协会商会法，修订民办非企业单位和社会团体登记管理等法规，大力培育发展国际科技组织，支持发展社区社会组织，优化社会组织结构布局。完善推动慈善事业高质量发展的制度政策，加快健全慈善综合监管机制，规范发展互联网慈善等慈善活动，支持发展社区慈善，更好发挥慈善事业第三次分配作用.
The final question is specifically about protecting the rights and interests of the elderly. Lu talks about improving the elderly care service system, building the silver-haired economy and building an elderly-friendly society. The last bit covers areas like building public spaces that are elderly-friendly, cracking down on crime, developing an elderly volunteer service system, and promoting activities like ‘respect for the elderly month’ to and supporting the promotion of “traditional virtues of filial piety and respect for elders.”
The few other reports that are worth noting are around foreign affairs issues.
First, Wang Yi spoke to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, respectively. Xinhua says:
“Both the Cambodian and Thai sides briefed Wang on the latest developments regarding the conflict along the Cambodia-Thailand border and expressed their willingness to de-escalate tensions and cease fire. Wang said that as a friend and close neighbor of both Cambodia and Thailand, China does not want to see the two countries engage in military conflict and is deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the clashes. The intensity of this round of conflict has far exceeded previous ones, and its continuation is detrimental to both sides and undermines the unity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Wang, noting that the top priority is to make a decisive move, cease fire as soon as possible, prevent further losses and rebuild mutual trust. Wang said that China has upheld an impartial and fair approach in handling the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, actively encouraging peace talks and supporting ASEAN’s mediation efforts. He stressed that the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for Asian affairs has started a shuttle-diplomacy trip to Cambodia and Thailand. He expressed the hope that both Cambodia and Thailand would take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese projects and personnel, and stay vigilant against attempts by certain parties to spread false information and smear China’s friendly relations with the two countries.”
“Sokhonn and Sihasak highly appreciated China’s objective and balanced position in mediating and promoting dialogue, welcoming the Chinese special envoy’s shuttle mediation. They also expressed the hope that China would play a more important role in helping de-escalate tensions and restore peace.”
Next, we have the MFA’s reaction to the report on US arms sales to Taiwan:
Bloomberg: The U.S. has announced a package of arms sales to Taiwan worth up to US$11 billion, making it one of the largest sales. I wonder if the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this?
Guo Jiakun: The U.S. blatantly announced its plan to sell massive advanced weapons to China’s Taiwan region. This move grossly violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, infringes on China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and sends a gravely wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. The ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces on the island attempt to advance their independence agenda and resist reunification through military buildup, squander the taxpayers’ money to purchase weapons, and even risk turning Taiwan into a ‘powder keg’. Such moves will not reverse the inevitable failure of ‘Taiwan independence,’ and will only push the Taiwan Strait into the danger of military conflict at a faster pace. For the U.S., assisting the ‘independence”; agenda by arming Taiwan will only backfire, and using Taiwan to contain China will never succeed. The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. No one shall underestimate the firm will and strong capability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China urges the U.S. to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, act on its leaders’ serious commitments, and immediately stop the dangerous act of arming Taiwan. China will take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
Next, there’s a report on Wang Dongming’s visit to China. Xinhua informs that Wang led an NPC delegation, which met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, and held talks with parliament speaker Jagath Wickramaratne.
“China and Sri Lanka are neighbors that enjoy long-lasting friendship, said Wang. He noted that China is willing to work with Sri Lanka in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and enhancing exchange and cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies, as well as in various other areas. He also expressed the Chinese side’s willingness to advance the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership and build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future. Commending Sri Lanka-China relations as enduring and vibrant, the Sri Lankan side expressed gratitude to China for providing timely disaster-relief assistance amid the severe adverse weather that Sri Lanka endured recently. It stressed its firm adherence to the one-China principle and willingness to further advance friendly cooperation between the two countries.”
Next, there’s a report (English report) informing that as per the Ministry of Commerce, it has received and approved applications from some Chinese exporters for general export licenses for rare earth-related items. He Yadong, a spokesperson for the ministry, said that “to my knowledge, we have received and approved applications for general export licenses for rare-earth-related items submitted by some Chinese exporters.”
This confirmation came after a Bloomberg report cited Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission’s trade chief, who claimed that “China has started granting licenses with lengthier terms to allow European companies to obtain critical minerals essential for industries including clean tech, vehicles and defense.”
Although it’s not in the paper, another report worth noting is about the meeting between Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Bin holding “political consultations between the foreign ministries of China and Ukraine with Serhiy Kyslytsya, the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine, in Beijing on Thursday.”
Liu said that “China stands ready to work with Ukraine to follow through on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the steady and sustained development of bilateral relations. Kyslytsya said that Ukraine attaches great importance to its relations with China, adheres to the one-China principle, and is willing to further deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields to push for continued progress of Ukraine-China relations. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.”