Politburo Discusses Inspections - Building Cultural Power - Zhong Yin Commentary: 3 Perspectives on China's Economy - Birth Support Policies - Boosting EV Procurement - New Zhejiang Party Secretary

Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

Page 1: The lead reports today discuss the 17th group study session of the Politburo and the meeting of the Politburo to review the report on the third round of disciplinary inspection launched by the 20th Central Committee.

First, let’s look at the review of the third round of disciplinary inspection. The report says:

The meeting pointed out that under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the inspection work adhered to the central objectives and served the overall situation, focused on problem-orientation, maintained a strict tone, innovateed organizational methods, deepened coordination between upper and lower levels, and continued to prominently play the role of the sharp sword. Based on the findings of the inspection, Party building efforts within central and state organs, as well as centrally managed financial institutions, have been strengthened, and various achievements have been made. However, certain problems continue to exist. It is essential to seriously and earnestly grasp the inspection rectification issues, reinforce the political responsibility of ‘top leaders’ and leadership team members, strengthen organisational coordination and daily supervision of inspection rectification, and combine inspection rectification with deepening reform, with comprehensive and strictly Party governance, and with the building of leadership teams and cadre ranks, integrate into daily work, integrate into functional responsibilities, and use rectification effectiveness to promote high-quality development. 会议指出，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，巡视工作坚持围绕中心、服务大局，突出问题导向、贯彻严的基调，创新组织方式、深化上下联动，利剑作用持续彰显。从巡视情况看，中央和国家机关、中管金融单位党的建设得到加强，各项工作取得新成效，但也存在一些问题。要严肃认真抓好巡视整改，强化“一把手”和领导班子成员的政治责任，加强对巡视整改的组织统筹和日常监督，把巡视整改与深化改革结合起来，与全面从严治党结合起来，与领导班子和干部队伍建设结合起来，融入日常工作、融入职能职责，以整改实效推动高质量发展.

The meeting emphasised that Party committees (Party groups) at all levels must continuously raise their political stance, strengthen their sense of political responsibility in performing duties, dare to act and be good at acting, overcome difficulties, and take initiative to share the Party’s worries and fulfil responsibilities for the country. It is necessary to conscientiously implement the arrangements of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and implement the reform tasks with a spirit of nailing nails. It is necessary to enhance our awareness of potential dangers, coordinate development and security, focus on preventing and resolving risks in key areas, and firmly hold the bottom line of security. It is necessary to strengthen the construction of the leadership team, strictly implement democratic centralism, promote the ability of leading cadres to move up and down, and continuously enhance cohesion and combat effectiveness. It is necessary to clearly understand the situation of the anti-corruption struggle, deeply advance comprehensive and strict Party governance, carry the anti-corruption struggle through to the end with a thorough spirit of self-revolution, adhere to the integrated advancement of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt, deepen the treatment of both symptoms and root causes and systematically treat them, continue to maintain a high-pressure situation in combating corruption, continuously perfect the mechanisms for power allocation and operational constraints, focus on eliminating the soil and conditions where corruption breeds, and promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of preventing and controlling corruption. 会议强调，各级党委（党组）要不断提高政治站位，强化履职政治担当，敢作善为、攻坚克难，主动为党分忧、为国尽责。要认真贯彻党的二十届三中全会部署，以钉钉子精神抓好改革任务落实。要增强忧患意识，统筹好发展和安全，着力防范化解重点领域风险，牢牢守住安全底线。要加强领导班子建设，严格执行民主集中制，推进领导干部能上能下，不断增强凝聚力、战斗力。要清醒认识反腐败斗争形势，纵深推进全面从严治党，以彻底的自我革命精神把反腐败斗争进行到底，坚持一体推进不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐，深化标本兼治、系统施治，持续保持惩治腐败高压态势，不断完善权力配置和运行制约机制，着力铲除腐败滋生的土壤和条件，推动防范和治理腐败问题常态化、长效化.

My Note: I think it is worth looking back to the report announcing the launch of inspections from April. It said that the inspections would cover 34 economic work departments and financial agencies. The full list of the institutions covered is available here. Back then, we were told that the purpose of the inspections was to:

“deeply understand the performance of the inspected organizations in fulfilling their functions and responsibilities; promoting high-quality development; preventing and resolving major risks; coordinating deep-seated reforms and high-level opening-up; comprehensively grasping the deepening of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party; the construction of leadership teams, cadres and talent teams, and grassroots party organizations; as well as the rectification of problems discovered by inspections, audits and other supervision; focus on identifying political deviations, promote the resolution of outstanding problems; and provide strong support for high-quality development.”

I think it is interesting that there is nothing celebratory in the report in terms of the anti-corruption crackdown. Instead, it calls to “continue to maintain a high-pressure situation in combating corruption.” In addition, it reiterates the significance of the Third Plenum reform agenda and talks about using effective rectification to serve high-quality development. Another noteworthy aspect is the emphasis on holding the bottom line of security. To me, this is a timely reminder that the current stimulus effort does not imply shifting away from broader economic goals or the security focus of economic policy.

The other key report on the page is on the group study session of the Politburo. The special guest speaker at the session was Wang Bo, Vice President and Professor at Peking University. 

In his speech, Xi Jinping “emphasized that we must anchor the strategic goal of building a cultural power by 2035, adhere to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology, take root in the profound Chinese civilization, follow the trend of information technology development, and continuously develop the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a new era that has strong ideological leadership, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, constantly enhancing the spiritual strength of the people, and consolidating the cultural foundation for building a strong country and national rejuvenation.” 中共中央总书记习近平在主持学习时强调，要锚定2035年建成文化强国的战略目标，坚持马克思主义这一根本指导思想，植根博大精深的中华文明，顺应信息技术发展潮流，不断发展具有强大思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力的新时代中国特色社会主义文化，不断增强人民精神力量，筑牢强国建设、民族复兴的文化根基.

The report adds:

Xi “pointed out that since the 18th Party Congress, we have insisted on putting cultural construction in a prominent position in terms of governing the country, made a series of major arrangements, formed the thought of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a new era, promoted cultural construction to achieve historic accomplishments in returning to the source and innovating while upholding tradition, and taken solid steps in building a socialist cultural powerhouse. Solid steps have been taken in the construction of a socialist cultural power. Xi Jinping stressed that we must unswervingly follow the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics. We must adhere to the leadership of the Party, improve the governance capacity in the cultural field under the conditions of informatization, and strengthen the Party’s ruling foundation and mass foundation in terms of ideology, spirit and culture. We must adhere to the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding role in the field of ideology, fully implement the cultural thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and develop a socialist culture that is oriented towards modernization, the world, and the future, one that is national, scientific, and for the masses. We must adhere to the guidance of the core socialist values, continuously build Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, and develop and strengthen the mainstream values, mainstream public opinion, and mainstream culture.” 习近平在听取讲解和讨论后发表了重要讲话。他指出，党的十八大以来，我们坚持把文化建设摆在治国理政突出位置，作出一系列重大部署，形成新时代中国特色社会主义文化思想，推动文化建设在正本清源、守正创新中取得历史性成就，社会主义文化强国建设迈出坚实步伐。习近平强调，要坚定不移走中国特色社会主义文化发展道路。坚持党的领导，提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，在思想上、精神上、文化上筑牢党的执政基础和群众基础。坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，全面贯彻新时代中国特色社会主义文化思想，发展面向现代化、面向世界、面向未来的，民族的科学的大众的社会主义文化。坚持以社会主义核心价值观为引领，不断构筑中国精神、中国价值、中国力量，发展壮大主流价值、主流舆论、主流文化.

Xi Jinping pointed out that we must strive to unleash the cultural innovation and creativity vitality of the entire nation. Adhere to the people-centred creative orientation, adhere to prioritising social benefits, while unifying social benefits and economic benefits, take stimulating the vitality of innovation and creativity as the central link in deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanism, and accelerate the improvement of cultural management systems and production and operation mechanisms. Focusing on improving original cultural creation capabilities, improve the service, guidance and organisation mechanism of literary and artistic creation and production, nurture and spawn a batch of classics that go deep into the hearts of the people and build new heights of Chinese culture. Actively foster a good cultural ecology, fully promote academic democracy and artistic democracy, support writers, artists, and experts in rooting themselves in life and focusing on creation, and drive the continuous surge of vitality in cultural innovation and creativity. Explore effective mechanisms for the integration of culture and technology, achieve digital empowerment and informatization transformation in cultural development, and transform cultural resource advantages into cultural development advantages.” 习近平指出，要着力激发全民族文化创新创造活力。坚持以人民为中心的创作导向，坚持把社会效益放在首位、社会效益与经济效益相统一，把激发创新创造活力作为深化文化体制机制改革的中心环节，加快完善文化管理体制和生产经营机制。围绕提高文化原创能力，改进文艺创作生产服务、引导、组织工作机制，孕育催生一批深入人心的时代经典，构筑中华文化的新高峰。积极营造良好文化生态，充分发扬学术民主、文艺民主，支持作家、艺术家和专家学者扎根生活、潜心创作，推动文化创新创造活力持续迸发。探索文化和科技融合的有效机制，实现文化建设数字化赋能、信息化转型，把文化资源优势转化为文化发展优势.

“Xi Jinping emphasised that we must always adhere to the principle of cultural construction being people-oriented and centered on the people. Focus on meeting the diversified, multilevel, and multifaceted spiritual and cultural needs of the people, enhance the supply capacity of cultural services and cultural products, and strengthen the people’s sense of cultural gain and happiness. Attach importance to giving play to the role of culture in cultivating the mind and shaping sentiments, and nurture the high-spirited and enterprising spirit of the whole nation. Respect the laws of talent growth, improve the talent selection, cultivation, utilisation, and incentive mechanisms that are in line with the characteristics of the cultural field, create a good policy environment that identifies, values, and cherishes talents, and build a large-scale, structurally reasonable, and innovative high-level cultural talent team.” 习近平强调，要始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人。着眼满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化需求，提升文化服务和文化产品供给能力，增强人民群众文化获得感、幸福感。重视发挥文化养心志、育情操的作用，涵养全民族昂扬奋发的精神气质。尊重人才成长规律，完善符合文化领域特点的人才选拔、培养、使用、激励机制，营造识才、重才、爱才的良好政策环境，建设一支规模宏大、结构合理、锐意创新的高水平文化人才队伍.

“Xi Jinping pointed out the importance of carrying forward the Chinese cultural lineage through creative transformation and innovative development. He emphasized the need to uphold the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation and to protect, promote, and further develop the precious treasures of Chinese civilization that have weathered the storms of history. Deeply explore and expound on the spiritual connotations of excellent traditional Chinese culture, use Marxism to activate the excellent factors in Chinese traditional culture and endow them with new era connotations, and develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Uphold the heart of revering history and loving culture, adhere to the principles of protection first, reasonable utilization, and minimum intervention, and promote the systematic protection and unified supervision of cultural heritage. Improve the institutional mechanisms for the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and accelerate the improvement of the legal and regulatory system.” 习近平指出，要在创造性转化和创新性发展中赓续中华文脉。高扬中华民族的文化主体性，把历经沧桑留下的中华文明瑰宝呵护好、弘扬好、发展好。深入挖掘和阐发中华优秀传统文化的精神内涵，用马克思主义激活中华传统文化中的优秀因子并赋予其新的时代内涵，发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化。秉持敬畏历史、热爱文化之心，坚持保护第一、合理利用和最小干预原则，推动文化遗产系统性保护和统一监管。健全文化遗产保护传承体制机制，加快完善法规制度体系.

Xi Jinping emphasised that we must continuously enhance the national cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture. Promote the reconstruction of the international communication landscape, innovate in conducting online external propaganda, and build a multi-channel, three-dimensional external communication pattern. More proactively introduce China’s propositions, disseminate Chinese culture, and showcase China’s image. Extensively carry out diverse international cultural exchanges and cooperation. More actively and proactively learn from and draw upon the outstanding achievements of all human civilizations, and create a batch of cultural achievements that integrate the ancient and the modern, and connect China and the world. 习近平强调，要不断提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力。推进国际传播格局重构，创新开展网络外宣，构建多渠道、立体式对外传播格局。更加主动地宣介中国主张、传播中华文化、展示中国形象。广泛开展形式多样的国际人文交流合作。更加积极主动地学习借鉴人类一切优秀文明成果，创造一批熔铸古今、汇通中外的文化成果.

Xi Jinping emphasised that building a cultural power is the common task of the whole Party and society. Strengthen the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over propaganda, ideology and culture, and improve the leadership and management system and mechanism of cultural construction. Party committees and governments at all levels must earnestly strengthen organisational leadership, do a good job in cadre deployment, talent training, and resource investment, mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of all parties, and gather a strong synergy for the construction of a cultural power. 习近平最后强调，建设文化强国是全党全社会的共同任务。要加强党中央对宣传思想文化工作的集中统一领导，完善文化建设领导管理体制机制。各级党委和政府要切实加强组织领导，做好干部配备、人才培养、资源投入等工作，调动各方面积极性主动性创造性，汇聚起文化强国建设的强大合力.

Moving on, there’s a Zhong Yin commentary on the page, discussing three perspectives on the Chinese economy. 

The first perspective is “bottoming out and stabilizing” 筑底企稳.

“Currently, many economic indicators are showing marginal improvement, and positive signals are steadily strengthening. Many economists believe that China’s economy is showing signs of bottoming out and stabilizing. Looking at the demand side - in September, the year-on-year growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 1.1 percentage points compared to August; fixed asset investment growth stopped falling and stabilized, with the growth rate for the first three quarters matching that of January to August; exports grew by 6.2% in the first three quarters, and by the end of September, foreign exchange reserves returned to $3.3 trillion. The ‘troika’ of consumption, investment, and exports are gaining momentum and exerting strength together. allowing the world’s second-largest economy to achieve faster growth on a high base. New growth drivers are expanding rapidly, the economic structure is increasingly optimized, and the foundation of China’s economy is more solid. Looking at the supply side—in September, the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 5.4% year-on-year. The growth rate stopped falling after 4 months of decline, and rebounded by 0.9 percentage points from August; the service industry production index increased by 5.1%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from August; the manufacturing PMI was 49.8%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from August. The marginal improvement of macro indicators is the most intuitive positive factor, which fully demonstrates that the trend of steady improvement in China’s economy has continued. 当前，不少经济指标出现边际改善，积极信号持续增强。不少经济学者认为，中国经济运行呈现出筑底企稳的态势。看需求端——9月社会消费品零售总额同比增速比8月提升1.1个百分点；固定资产投资增速止跌回稳，前三季度与1至8月持平；前三季度出口增长6.2%，截至9月末，外汇储备重新回到3.3万亿美元。消费、投资、出口“三驾马车”加速蓄力、协同发力，世界第二大经济体在高基数上实现较快增长，新动能加快成长壮大，经济结构更趋优化，我国经济“底盘”更牢固。看供给侧——9月规模以上工业增加值同比增长5.4%，增速在下滑4个月后止跌，比8月回升0.9个百分点；服务业生产指数增长5.1%，比8月提升0.5个百分点；制造业采购经理指数为49.8%，比8月提升0.7个百分点。宏观指标边际改善是最直观的积极因素，充分表明我国经济稳中向好的态势得到延续.

We must both face difficulties and maintain confidence. Currently, some new situations and problems have emerged in economic operations. However, the difficulties encountered are issues arising during development and transformation, and can be completely overcome through effort. This is precisely the methodology for comprehensively, objectively, and calmly viewing the current economic situation. 既要正视困难，更要坚定信心。当前经济运行出现一些新的情况和问题。但遇到的困难是发展中、转型中的问题，经过努力是完全可以克服的。这正是全面客观冷静看待当前经济形势的方法论.

The second perspective is that of the “combination punch” 组合拳, which can help understand the effectiveness of regulation.

“On September 26, the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee released strong signals for stabilising growth, coordinating and deploying a combination punch of ‘policy reinforcement’ and ‘reform acceleration’. This carries weight, and its effects are beginning to show. Social expectations and market confidence are recovering. The implementation of major national strategies and key security capability building projects is a major deployment focusing on the overall situation of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. The accelerated implementation and promotion of the ‘two major' constructions not only drive current investment growth and promote industrial transformation, but also lay a more solid foundation for long-term high-quality development. Large-scale equipment renewal and trade-in of consumer goods benefits both enterprises and people, serving both current and long-term interests. Since the reinforcement of these ‘two new’ policies, they have both driven rapid sales growth in key consumer goods such as automobiles, home appliances, and home furnishings, and promoted the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation and upgrading of related industries. Land, fiscal, financial, and other policies have been intensively introduced, promoting the real estate market to stop falling and stabilize. Both existing and incremental policies are showing effectiveness, with positive factors in real estate market operations continuously increasing. Accelerating the formulation of unified national market construction guidelines, releasing new versions of the negative list for market access ... with the accelerated implementation of major reform measures proposed by the Third Plenum, they will effectively stimulate the vitality of the whole society. Strong macro-control capabilities and precise counter-cyclical adjustments are important magic weapons for the sustained and healthy development of China’s economy and an important manifestation of our institutional advantages.” 9月26日，中共中央政治局会议释放强烈的稳增长信号，统筹部署“政策加力”和“改革发力”组合拳，有分量，效果也开始显现。社会预期和市场信心正在恢复。国家重大战略实施和重点领域安全能力建设项目是着眼强国建设、民族复兴全局的一项重大部署，“两重”建设加快落地和推进，既拉动当前投资增长、推动产业转型，也为长期高质量发展打下更坚实的基础；大规模设备更新和消费品以旧换新惠企利民，既利当前又惠长远，“两新”政策加力实施以来，既带动汽车、家电、家居家装等重点消费品销量快速增长，也促进了相关产业的高端化、智能化、绿色化转型升级；土地、财税、金融等政策密集出台，推动房地产止跌回稳……存量政策和增量政策加力显效，房地产市场运行中的积极因素不断增多。加快制定全国统一大市场建设指引，发布新版市场准入负面清单……随着党的二十届三中全会提出的重大改革举措加快落实落细，将有效激发全社会的活力。强大的宏观调控能力、精准的逆周期调节，这是我国经济持续健康发展的重要法宝，也是我们制度优势的重要体现.

The third perspective is that of ‘new consumer groups’ 新消费群体. 

“Confidence exists both in the present and the future. In the first three quarters, China’s new energy vehicle production and sales reached 8.316 million and 8.32 million units, respectively, increasing by 31.7% and 32.5% year-on-year. Looking at a longer timeframe, China’s new energy vehicle production and sales have ranked first globally for nine consecutive years. Such data can boost our confidence. Behind these numbers lies future consumption trends, which are supporting factors for long-term economic improvement. Looking at new energy vehicles, Germans view it from a comparative perspective, seeing both the present and, more importantly, the future. German media listed consumer structure and mindset as important factors: ‘Chinese people are much more open-minded, with the average age of electric vehicle buyers being 34 (versus 56 in the EU).’ This reveals the future potential of ‘developmental consumption’. According to a 2022 market survey, users under 40 accounted for 84% of China’s new energy vehicle users, with those under 30 accounting for about half. Indeed, comparatively speaking, China’s new consumer groups provide stronger and more lasting support for new energy vehicles. In today’s China, from new energy vehicles, driverless technology, smart wearable devices, to integrated circuits, low-altitude economy, virtual reality industry…whether emerging industries or future industries, their significant characteristic is being driven by technological innovation and led by green low-carbon development. Since the new era, from consensus to action, from investment to consumption, from supply to demand, the new development concept has played a ‘conducting baton’ role, guiding China's industrial deep transformation and upgrade, accelerating the transformation of development methods, promoting the ‘mutual advancement’ of new quality productive forces and new consumer groups. Such ‘mutual advancement’ is of symbolic significance. In today’s China, the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth has increased from 55.4% in 2012 to 82.5% in 2023. When the younger generation becomes the main force of consumption, when high-quality population development closely combines with people’s high-quality life, from ‘survival consumption’ to ‘developmental consumption’, the consumption space of over 1.4 billion Chinese people will be greatly expanded, and consumption upgrading will maintain good momentum. This is the deep advantage of China’s super-large market and the long-term advantage of China’s high-quality population development. With the accelerated construction of a modern industrial system supported by the real economy, and the solid advancement of the all-round development of people and the common prosperity of all people, this ‘mutual advancement’ will further evolve in depth and breadth, and promote high-quality population development to support the all-round realisation of Chinese-style modernization.” 信心，在当下，也在未来。前三季度，我国新能源汽车产销分别完成831.6万辆和832万辆，同比分别增长31.7%和32.5%。时间拉长看，我国新能源汽车产销量连续9年位居全球首位。这样的数据能够增强我们的信心。这一数据的背后还蕴含着未来的消费趋势，而这则是经济长期向好的支撑因素。看新能源汽车，德国人用比较的视角看，既看当下，更看重未来。有德国媒体就将消费者结构和心态列为重要因素：“中国人开放得多，电动汽车的买家平均年龄为34岁（欧盟为56岁）。”这揭示出的是“发展型消费”未来潜力。据2022年一项市场调研显示，我国新能源汽车40岁以下的用户占比高达84%，其中30岁以下人群又约占一半。的确，相比较而言，中国的新消费群体对新能源汽车的支撑更为强劲而持久。今天的中国，从新能源汽车、无人驾驶技术、智能可穿戴设备，到集成电路、低空经济、虚拟现实产业……无论是新兴产业还是未来产业，其显著特点就是以科技创新为驱动、以绿色低碳为引领。新时代以来，从共识到行动，从投资到消费，从供给到需求，新发展理念发挥了“指挥棒”作用，指引我国产业深度转型升级、发展方式加快转变，推动新质生产力与新消费群体实现“双向奔赴”。这样的“双向奔赴”，具有标志性意义。今天的中国，最终消费支出对经济增长的贡献率，由2012年的55.4%提高到2023年的82.5%。当年轻一代成为消费主力，当人口高质量发展同人民高品质生活紧密结合，从“生存型消费”到“发展型消费”，14亿多中国人的消费空间将得到极大拓展，消费升级将会始终保持良好势头，这是我国超大规模市场的深层优势，也是我国人口高质量发展的长期优势。有以实体经济为支撑的现代化产业体系的加快建设，有人的全面发展和全体人民共同富裕的扎实推进，这种“双向奔赴”将在深度与广度上进一步演进，推动人口高质量发展支撑中国式现代化的全方位实现.

The Chinese economy has always grown and developed in overcoming difficulties and surpassed itself in responding to challenges. This is historical experience and economic law. Facing difficulties, strengthening confidence, and working hard when seeing the right opportunity, we have the conditions and ability to complete this year’s economic and social development goals and tasks, promoting our economy to continue its upward trend and long-term improvement. 中国经济从来都是在攻坚克难中发展壮大、在应对挑战中超越自我，这是历史经验，也是经济规律。正视困难、坚定信心，看准了就抓紧干，一鼓作气越沟迈壑，我们有条件、有能力完成全年经济社会发展目标任务，推动我国经济持续回升向好、长期向好。

Page 2: There’s a report on the new State Council directive on birth support policies aimed at building a society more conducive to raising children. Xinhua summarises this well:

“A directive from the State Council outlines 13 targeted measures to enhance childbirth support services, expand child care systems, strengthen support in education, housing and employment, and foster a birth-friendly social atmosphere. People in flexible and new forms of employment and rural migrant workers, who have already participated in the basic medical insurance scheme for urban workers, will be included in the country’s maternity insurance scheme, according to the document. New mothers and fathers can feel more confident taking time off work, as the document urges local authorities to ensure the implementation of maternity, childbirth reward, paternity and child care leave policies. A childbirth subsidy system will be established, and the country has pledged to increase related personal income tax reliefs. Notably, suitable labor pain relief and assisted reproductive technology services will be added to the list of services that qualify for medical insurance reimbursement, according to the document. The country will also enhance health education for adolescents to prevent unintended pregnancies and improve early-pregnancy and abortion care services. More efforts will be made to increase the supply of quality pediatric resources, channel those resources toward the community level, and ensure more balanced distribution among regions. To increase the accessibility of child care services, child care services centers will be established at the prefecture and city levels, and child care facilities will be planned, constructed, approved and delivered for use in step with newly constructed communities, the document says. Capable localities are encouraged to raise the limits of loans from the housing provident fund for families with multiple children to support them in purchasing homes.”

Next, there’s a report on a new notice issued to promote the use of new energy vehicles in central and state organs. The report says:

“According to the classification of vehicle usage characteristics, the notice clarifies that confidential communication vehicles, law enforcement and patrol vehicles with relatively fixed routes, and business vehicles with single-use scenarios that mainly operate within urban areas should, in principle, be equipped with new energy vehicles; for special professional technical vehicles used for environmental sanitation, technical surveys, inspection and testing, etc., when new energy vehicles can meet the requirements, they should be given priority in procurement. The notice requires all departments and units to strengthen coordinated management of new energy vehicle procurement by their subordinate units. When preparing annual official vehicle equipment update plans, they should specify the quantity of new energy vehicles to be procured. Except for special circumstances such as geographical environment, climatic conditions, and lack of suitable vehicle models, the proportion of new energy vehicles in that year's official vehicle equipment updates should reach the target requirements specified in the ‘14th Five-Year Plan for Energy and Resource Conservation Work in Public Institutions’, and gradually increase according to regulations thereafter.” 根据车辆使用性质分类，通知明确，机要通信用车、相对固定路线执法执勤用车以及使用场景单一、主要在城区行驶的业务用车等，原则上应当配备新能源汽车；用于环卫清洁、技术勘察、检验检测等用途的特种专业技术用车，新能源汽车能够满足需要的，应当优先配备新能源汽车。通知要求各部门、各单位加强对所属单位采购新能源汽车的统筹管理，在编制公务用车年度配备更新计划时，明确新能源汽车采购数量，除因地理环境、气候条件特殊和无适配车型等情况外，新能源汽车占当年配备更新公务用车的比例应当达到《“十四五”公共机构节约能源资源工作规划》明确的目标要求，以后按规定逐步提高.

Page 3: A couple of reports to highlight on the page. First, a brief report says that Slovak PM Robert Fico will be visiting China from October 31 to November 5. Another report carries comments by MoFA spokesperson Lin Jian responding to Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono’s recent comments expressing interest in BRICS.

“Lin said that as an important platform for emerging markets and developing countries to enhance solidarity and cooperation and uphold common interests, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has become a positive and stable force for good in international affairs. Indonesia is an important major developing country and emerging economy, which has actively involved itself in ‘BRICS Plus’ cooperation in recent years, he added. ‘BRICS is an open and inclusive mechanism, and we welcome more like-minded partners, including Indonesia, to join the BRICS family,’ said the spokesperson.

Third, there’s a report on He Lifeng’s meeting with Ben Keswick, executive chairman of Jardine Matheson, in Beijing. Xinhua reports that He said “that China is deepening its reform and opening up in a comprehensive manner, fostering new quality productive forces and making headway in high-quality development. ‘We welcome Jardine Matheson and enterprises of various countries to continue deepening cooperation with China to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results,’ the vice premier added.”

Finally, there’s a report on Wang Cheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee, leading a delegation to Kyrgyzstan from Friday to Sunday. Wang, also head of the Organization Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, met with leaders of Ata-Zhurt (Homeland) and the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan and attended the unveiling ceremony of the Luban Workshop.

Next, although it is not in the paper today, China’s Ministry of Commerce reacted to the US adding six Chinese entities to its ‘entity list’ and three to its ‘unverified list’. Xinhua reports:

“China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the United States' move” of placing some Chinese entities on its export-control ‘entity list’ and ‘unverified list’ on so-called military and Iran-related issues, the ministry said. The report adds:

“Over a long period of time, the United States has generalized the concept of national security, abused export control measures and sanctioned and suppressed enterprises from other countries including China. Such actions have seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of these enterprises, and undermined the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, the spokesperson said. The U.S. side should immediately stop its wrongdoing, the spokesperson added, noting that China will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises.”

Page 4: One big change that is reported on the page is the appointment of Wang Hao as Zhejiang Party Secretary, replacing Yi Lianhong. 

Page 6: There’s a report informing that in September, there were 22,313 cases of violation of the Party’s 8-point central regulation. A total of 31,614 people (including 1 provincial and ministerial level cadre and 65 prefecture-level cadres) were criticized and educated, and 22,475 people were handed Party disciplinary and administrative sanctions.

Page 14: The full new regulations on the export control of dual-use items is published on the page.