Preventing Food Waste - Li Qiang Meets CEOs on Supply Chain Stability - Coordinating Development & Security - CPC-CEEC Political Parties Dialogue

Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

Page 1: There’s a report on the publication of the full action plan for food conservation and the reduction of food waste is published in the paper today. The plan seeks to establish a more sound long-term mechanism by the end of 2027. Xinhua reports that:

“The loss rates of grain and food during their production, storage, transportation and processing will be below the average international levels by the end of 2027. Meanwhile, per capita food waste per meal in the catering industry, government canteens, school canteens and enterprise canteens will decrease significantly, and food waste will be effectively curbed.”

I am not detailing the entire document. But I thought this was interesting, because it identifies certain incentives to encourage reduced consumption.

“Encourage consumers to purchase small-portion meals through methods such as establishing environmental protection virtual accounts, granting conservation points, and issuing discount coupons, etc. Support food producers, operators, retailers and others to directly donate food that meets safety and quality requirements to welfare institutions and assistance institutions in their locality on a regular basis. Strictly implement price tagging regulations, with catering service operators clearly indicating to consumers the prices of the catering and services provided, as well as prices of individual dishes within set meals. Encourage catering service operators hosting banquets to negotiate anti-food waste obligations with consumers, with contracts able to include a separate anti-waste clause.” 鼓励通过建立环保虚拟账户、授予节约积分、发放优惠券等方式引导消费者购买小份餐品。支持食品生产经营者、零售商等直接将符合安全和质量要求的食品定期捐赠给所在地的有关福利机构、救助机构。严格落实明码标价规定，餐饮服务经营者向消费者明示所提供餐饮及服务价格、套餐内各菜品价格。鼓励承办宴会的餐饮服务经营者与消费者约定反餐饮浪费义务，签订合同的可单列反浪费条款.

The document also calls to “make food conservation an important part of the life of the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers”, as part of a campaign of Youth Guarding China’s Grain. In addition, it calls to “integrate food security education and thrift education into ideological and political courses, national conditions education and other educational and teaching activities in primary, secondary and high schools…” 开展“青春守护中国粮”全国青少年节约粮食行动，将粮食节约作为共青团、少先队组织生活重要内容，推广开展“节约章”等红领巾奖章争章活动，常态化开展粮食节约志愿服务。把粮食安全教育、勤俭节约教育融入大中小学思政课、国情教育等教育教学活动，通过学习实践、体验劳动等形式，开展反食品浪费专题教育活动，培养学生形成勤俭节约、珍惜粮食的习惯.

Next, a report on the page informs that the Arabic language version of a book featuring discourses on Chinese modernization by President Xi Jinping has been published by the Central Compilation and Translation Press. The book collects a series of important discourses by Xi between November 2012 and October 2023.

Third, there’s a report with Li Qiang’s comments  at a symposium with representatives of enterprises and organizations participating in the upcoming second China International Supply Chain Expo. Xinhua says that present at the symposium were representatives of Apple Inc., Rio Tinto, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. and the US-China Business Council, among others.

Li told them that “China is a key link in the global supply chain and will continue to take practical actions to maintain the stability and smoothness of the global supply chain.” He added that “while global economic growth now lacks momentum, certain protectionist acts and moves that overstretch the concept of security continue to damage global industrial and supply chains, pushing up corporate costs further, reducing economic efficiency and hindering common development…Li called for firm efforts to safeguard stable, unimpeded global industrial and supply chains, as well as the common interests of all parties.”

He then said:

“Since the beginning of this year, China’s economic operation has been generally stable and steady. We will continue to increase counter-cyclical adjustments, promote the continued improvement of China’s economy, continuously cultivate and strengthen new momentum, and solidly promote high-quality development, so as to contribute more to deepening global supply chain cooperation and promoting global economic recovery. We will accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, and continue to provide solid support for the efficient operation of the global supply chain with stronger supporting capabilities and more stable production capacity supply. We will focus on strengthening the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, better integrate into international innovation cooperation, and continue to provide strong momentum for the transformation and upgrading of the global supply chain. We will firmly promote high-level opening up to the outside world, further expand market access, welcome more foreign companies to carry out industrial cooperation in China, and continue to provide a broad space for the expansion of global supply chain cooperation.” 李强指出，中国是全球产供链的关键环节，将继续以实际行动致力于维护全球产供链稳定畅通。今年以来，中国经济运行总体平稳、稳中有进，我们将继续加大逆周期调节力度，推动中国经济持续向好，不断培育壮大新动能，扎实推进高质量发展，为深化全球产供链合作、促进世界经济复苏贡献更大力量。我们将加快建设现代化产业体系，以更强大的配套能力、更稳定的产能供给，持续为全球产供链高效运转提供坚实支撑。我们将着力加强科技创新和产业创新的深度融合，更好融入国际创新合作，持续为全球产供链转型升级提供强劲动能。我们将坚定推进高水平对外开放，进一步扩大市场准入，欢迎更多外国企业来华开展产业合作，持续为全球产供链合作拓展提供广阔天地.

Page 3: There’s a report on Wang Yi’s meeting with Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Luxembourg. As reported on Page 1,  Bettel also met with Ding Xuexiang and with ILD chief Liu Jianchao. Xinhua’s report on the Wang-Bettel meeting says:

“China speaks highly of Luxembourg’s positive and practical policy toward China, and stands ready to work with Luxembourg to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance complementarity, create new growth points for green development cooperation, increase people-to-people exchanges and push for further progress in bilateral relations, he said. Wang noted that next year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations. China and the EU are partners not rivals, he said, expressing the hope that the EU side will uphold its strategic autonomy. China is willing to work with Luxembourg to promote the sustained and sound development of China-EU relations, Wang said. Bettel said that Luxembourg firmly adheres to the one-China principle and looks forward to closer cooperation with China. As one of the founding members of the EU, Luxembourg is willing to enhance EU-China mutual trust and promote EU-China partnership. Bettel noted that China is a major country worthy of trust, voicing the hope that China will play a bigger role in world peace and stability.”

Next, there’s a report on the CPC’s Dialogue with Political Parties of Central and Eastern European Countries. Xinhua reports:

“Noting that the 2021 China-CEEC Summit outlined a blueprint for the development of China-CEEC relations, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that the CPC is willing to work with CEEC political parties to deepen strategic and theoretical communication, tap into the potential of relevant cooperation platforms, and promote the quality and effectiveness of China-CEEC cooperation. The foreign attendees said that China’s development path has provided an alternative approach to development for the world, and that they are willing to strengthen exchange and dialogue with the CPC to enhance mutual understanding, and to promote the development of Europe-China relations. The event was themed ‘China’s Modernization and New Opportunities for China-CEEC Relations: Contribution of Political Parties’ and attracted nearly 50 representatives of 19 political parties in 12 countries across Central and Eastern Europe.”

Finally, there’s a report on He Lifeng’s meeting with Senior Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong in Suzhou. Xinhua says:

He said that “the two sides should focus on the new positioning of bilateral relations, make full use of cooperation platforms such as the Suzhou Industrial Park, and work together to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. Noting that Singapore-China relations have been deepening with strong development momentum under the guidance of the two countries’ top leaders, Lee said Singapore is willing to work with China to push for new development in major cooperative projects, and further consolidate and upgrade bilateral relations. The two senior officials also attended the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park High-Quality Development Forum on Monday. The two sides comprehensively reviewed the achievements of the park in the past 30 years, and mapped out the direction and focus of cooperation for its next stage. They agreed the two countries should give better play to the pioneering role of the park, deepen institutional reform, and work together to build a world-class science and technology park that is open and innovative. They also witnessed the signing of cooperation documents.”

Page 9: There’s an article by He Yiting, from the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the Central Party School, discussing the significance of national security.

He writes that:

“In a certain sense, the history of human social development is also the history of human efforts to achieve and satisfy security needs, and to promote societal development in relative stability. Security also reflects the level of human civilization, especially at the national and social levels, where humans increasingly view security as the foundation of civilizational progress. It is precisely this concept of security that motivates human society as a whole to continuously pursue tranquility, stability, and peace, striving to eliminate various conflicts, chaos, and disorder. Security is like air and sunlight - beneficial without being noticed, but difficult to survive without.” 在一定意义上，人类社会发展史也是人类努力实现和满足安全需求、推动社会在相对稳定中前行发展的历史。安全还体现着人类的文明程度，特别是在国家和社会层面，人类越来越把安全看作文明进步的基础。正是这种安全观念促使人类社会作为一个整体不断追求安宁、稳定与和平，努力消除各种冲突、混乱与无序。安全犹如空气和阳光，受益而不觉，失之则难存.

National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation and an important cornerstone of stabilizing the country. With the deepening of economic globalization and the development of human civilization, the connotation and extension of security are constantly expanding. Today, national security mainly refers to the state power, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, people’s well-being, sustainable economic and social development and other major interests of the country being relatively free from danger and internal and external threats, as well as the ability to guarantee such a continuous state of security. National security is not only the goal pursued by all the people, but also an important foundation for national development and the fundamental guarantee for the happiness and well-being of the people. 国家安全是民族复兴的根基，是安邦定国的重要基石。随着经济全球化的深化和人类文明的发展，安全的内涵和外延不断扩大。今天，国家安全主要是指国家政权、主权、统一和领土完整、人民福祉、经济社会可持续发展和国家其他重大利益相对处于没有危险和不受内外威胁的状态，以及保障持续安全状态的能力。国家安全不仅是全体人民追求的目标，也是国家发展的重要基础和人民幸福安康的根本保障.

In the second section, He adds that “one of the keys to achieving modernization is to properly handle the relationship between development and security”; “high-quality development must promote high-level security, and high-level security must be used to ensure high-quality development”.

He adds: “Development is the foundation and purpose of security. Only by continuously promoting high-quality development can there be a solid material foundation for people to live and work in peace, for society to be stable and orderly, and for the country to enjoy long-term peace and security, and only then can powerful force support for achieving high-level security be provided. Security is the condition and guarantee of development. If a country cannot hold its security baseline, its political regime may be overturned at any time, its core interests may be invaded at any time, and economic and social development may be interrupted or stagnate at any time. Adhering to the equal emphasis on development and security must mean adhering to the overall planning of development and security as two major matters, being adept at using development achievements to reinforce the strength foundation of national security, and being adept at shaping a security environment favorable to economic and social development. At present, China has entered a period prone to various contradictions and risks. Advancing Chinese-style modernization requires balancing development and security, focusing on resolving various contradictions and problems, and effectively fighting a strategic proactive battle to turn dangers into safety and crises into opportunities.” 发展是安全的基础和目的。只有不断推动高质量发展，人民安居乐业、社会安定有序、国家长治久安才有坚实的物质基础，才能为实现高水平安全提供强大的力量支撑。安全是发展的条件和保障。一个国家如果守不住安全底线，政权制度随时可能被推翻，核心利益随时可能被侵犯，经济社会发展也随时可能中断或停滞。坚持发展和安全并重，必须坚持统筹发展和安全两件大事，既要善于运用发展成果夯实国家安全的实力基础，又要善于塑造有利于经济社会发展的安全环境。当前，我国进入各类矛盾和风险的易发期，推进中国式现代化必须统筹发展和安全，着力破解各种矛盾和问题，打好化险为夷、转危为机的战略主动战.

This next bit is important:

“Achieving high-quality development is the essential requirement of Chinese-style modernization. Development is the Party's top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country. Without the improvement of material conditions through development, it would be impossible to achieve the remarkable accomplishments of Chinese-style modernization, let alone gain broad support from the people. Properly handling the relationship between development and security means we cannot discuss security without development, nor can we halt development due to the existence of risks. Our country is the largest developing nation in the world, and development is the foundation and key to solving all problems. On the new journey, resolving prominent contradictions and problems and preventing and defusing various risks ultimately rely on development. Only by promoting the sustained and healthy development of the economy and society can we lay a solid material foundation for the prosperity of the country, the happiness and well-being of the people, and the harmony and stability of society. This requires the complete, accurate and comprehensive implementation of the new development concept, adhering to the general tone of work of seeking progress while maintaining stability, taking the promotion of high-quality development as the theme, deepening supply-side structural reform as the main line, reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, and meeting the people's growing needs for a better life as the fundamental purpose, constantly enhancing China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength, and providing a more solid foundation and conditions for achieving higher levels and higher levels of security.” 实现高质量发展是中国式现代化的本质要求。发展是党执政兴国的第一要务。没有物质条件的发展改善，不可能取得中国式现代化辉煌成就，更不可能得到人民普遍拥护。处理好发展和安全的关系，不能离开发展谈安全，更不能因为存在风险而不发展。我国是世界上最大的发展中国家，发展是解决一切问题的基础和关键。新征程上，破解突出矛盾和问题，防范化解各类风险隐患，归根到底要靠发展。只有推动经济社会持续健康发展，才能筑牢国家繁荣富强、人民幸福安康、社会和谐稳定的物质基础。这就必须完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，以推动高质量发展为主题，以深化供给侧结构性改革为主线，以改革创新为根本动力，以满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要为根本目的，不断增强我国经济实力、科技实力、综合国力，为实现更高水平更高层次的安全提供更为牢固的基础和条件.

Achieving high-level security is an important guarantee of Chinese-style modernization. Ensuring people live and work in peace and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are inseparable from high-level security guarantees. High-level security is both an inherent requirement of achieving high-quality development and an important yardstick for measuring developmental effectiveness. Without high-level security guarantees, development is like a tree without roots, and the development achievements already made in modernization construction may be lost. With the high-quality advancement of  Chinese-style modernization and the continuous expansion of high-level opening up, various foreseeable and unforeseeable risk factors have increased significantly. We must enhance awareness of opportunities and risks, estimate difficulties more fully, think about risks more deeply, grasp contradictions more comprehensively and thoroughly, strengthen foundations, leverage advantages, make up for shortcomings, and reinforce weaknesses in the process of advancing Chinese-style modernization, effectively preventing and responding to potential systemic risks, and guaranteeing the continuous stability of high-quality development through the controllability of one’s own security. We must be adept at integrating various conditions and utilizing diverse resources, effectively identifying risk factors across broad spatial and temporal dimensions, reasonably allocating resources between security and development, clarifying the methods for addressing and resolving national security issues, and effectively safeguarding national security.” 实现高水平安全是中国式现代化的重要保障。保证人民安居乐业、实现中华民族伟大复兴，离不开高水平安全的保障。高水平安全既是实现高质量发展的内在要求，也是衡量发展成效的重要标尺。离开高水平安全保障，发展就如无本之木，现代化建设已经取得的发展成果也可能丧失。随着中国式现代化高质量推进、高水平对外开放不断扩大，各种可以预见和难以预见的风险因素明显增多。必须增强机遇意识和风险意识，把困难估计得更充分一些，把风险思考得更深入一些，把矛盾把握得更全面透彻一些，在推进中国式现代化进程中固根基、扬优势、补短板、强弱项，有效防范和应对可能发生的系统性风险，以自身安全的可控性保障高质量发展的持续稳定。要善于整合各种条件、运用诸多资源，在广阔的时空领域中有效识别风险因素，合理分配安全与发展资源，明确国家安全问题的应对和解决方法，有效维护国家安全.

In the final section, He writes that to effectively address the challenges of this era, one must adhere to the “overall national security concept as the fundamental guideline, better coordinate development and security, solidly promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, strive to build a higher level of safe China, and provide strong security guarantees for Chinese-style modernization.” 有效防范和化解风险挑战，必须坚持以总体国家安全观为根本遵循，更好统筹发展和安全，扎实推进国家安全体系和能力现代化，努力建设更高水平平安中国，为中国式现代化提供坚强安全保障.

He makes three points:

First, implement the overall national security concept. He calls this “a powerful ideological weapon and action guide for safeguarding and shaping” China’s security. He says that it is important to “integrate the maintenance of national security into all aspects of the work of the Party and the state”. “Adhering to the Party’s absolute leadership over national security work is the fundamental principle for ensuring the success of national security efforts and the fundamental guarantee for safeguarding national security and social stability. We must uphold the Party’s absolute leadership over national security work, prioritize the prevention and resolution of national security risks, and coordinate the advancement of security across various domains. We must adhere to the principle of people-centered security as our purpose, political security as the foundation, economic security as the basis, and military, technological, cultural, and social security as safeguards, and promote international security as the support, integrating external and internal security, territorial and citizen security, traditional and non-traditional security, self-security and collective security, coordinate the maintenance and shaping of national security, consolidate the grassroots foundation of national security and social stability, improve the mechanism for participating in global security governance, and safeguard the new development pattern with a new security pattern.” 坚持党对国家安全工作的绝对领导，是做好国家安全工作的根本原则，是维护国家安全和社会安定的根本保证。要坚持党对国家安全工作的绝对领导，把防范化解国家安全风险摆在突出位置，统筹推进各领域安全。要坚持以人民安全为宗旨、以政治安全为根本、以经济安全为基础、以军事科技文化社会安全为保障、以促进国际安全为依托，统筹外部安全和内部安全、国土安全和国民安全、传统安全和非传统安全、自身安全和共同安全，统筹维护和塑造国家安全，夯实国家安全和社会稳定基层基础，完善参与全球安全治理机制，以新安全格局保障新发展格局.

Second, establish the correct thinking for maintaining national security. It is necessary to establish the strategic awareness of ‘a game of chess’, base ourselves on China and look to the world, and effectively respond to the new situations, new problems and new challenges brought about by the changes in the domestic and international environments by coordinating the domestic and international situations and utilizing domestic and international resources. Adhere to using systematic thinking to grasp the main thread of national security work, comprehensively analyzing security issues and their mutual influences in multiple domains such as politics, military, economy, finance, culture, society, science and technology, network, food, and ecology, placing various types of security within the overall national development framework for coordinated planning, continuously enhancing the ability to shape national security situations, coordinating the relationship between high-quality development and high-level security, promoting linkage and integration of national security work in all aspects, jointly constructing a comprehensive security pattern. Adhere to bottom line thinking and extreme-case thinking, be prepared for danger in times of peace, and use high-probability thinking to deal with low-probability events, having both proactive risk prevention and high-level strategies for responding to and resolving risks and challenges, fighting a well-prepared battle to prevent and resist risks, firmly maintaining the bottom line of not allowing systemic risks to occur. Adhere to using legal thinking and legal means to consolidate ruling position, improve governing methods, enhance governing capabilities, better leveraging the fundamental, stabilizing, and far-reaching guarantee role of rule of law, ensuring long-term peace and stability for the Party and the country, guaranteeing orderly advancement of Chinese-style modernization through comprehensive rule of law. Adhere to dialectical thinking, enhance national security strength through development, and deepen the innovation of national security ideas, systems, and means, create a safe environment conducive to economic and social development, and strive to achieve a dynamic balance between development and security. 树立维护国家安全的正确思维。要树立“一盘棋”战略意识，立足中国、放眼世界，通过统筹国内国际两个大局、利用国内国际两种资源，有效应对国内国际两类环境变化带来的新情况新问题新挑战。坚持以系统思维把握国家安全工作主线，综合分析政治、军事、经济、金融、文化、社会、科技、网络、粮食、生态等诸多领域安全问题及其相互影响，将各类安全置于国家发展全局中统筹谋划，不断增强塑造国家安全态势的能力，协调高质量发展和高水平安全之间的关系，推动国家安全各方面工作联动集成，共同构建大安全格局。坚持底线思维和极限思维，居安思危、未雨绸缪，用大概率思维应对小概率事件，既有防范风险的先手，也有应对和化解风险挑战的高招，打好防范和抵御风险的有准备之战，牢牢守住不发生系统性风险底线。坚持运用法治思维和法治手段巩固执政地位、改善执政方式、提高执政能力，更好发挥法治固根本、稳预期、利长远的保障作用，保证党和国家长治久安，以全面依法治国保障中国式现代化有序推进。坚持辩证思维，既通过发展提升国家安全实力，又深入推进国家安全思路、体制、手段创新，营造有利于经济社会发展的安全环境，努力实现发展和安全的动态平衡.

Third, promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities. In this context, He calls to “strengthen the coordination mechanism for national security work, improve the national security legal system, strategic system, policy system, and risk monitoring and early warning system, improve the security guarantee system in key areas and the coordination and command system for important projects, and build a coordinated and efficient national security protection system.” 要健全国家安全体系，强化国家安全工作协调机制，完善国家安全法治体系、战略体系、政策体系、风险监测预警体系，完善重点领域安全保障体系和重要专项协调指挥体系，构建联动高效的国家安全防护体系.

He also calls to improve public security governance mechanism, emergency response guarantee system, improve the food and drug safety responsibility system, improve the biosafety supervision early warning and prevention and control system, strengthen the network security system construction, and establish an AI safety supervision system. He also wants to improve the Fengqiao Experience in the new era, social work system and mechanism, the legalization of petition work, urban social governance capacity, and social organization management system. 

The final bit is this:

“Improve foreign-related national security mechanisms, establish and refine coordination mechanisms for peripheral security work, strengthen early warning, prevention, control, and protection systems for risks related to overseas interests and investments, deepen international law enforcement cooperation in the field of security, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens and legal entities abroad, improve mechanisms for counter-sanctions, counter-interference, and countering ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, enhance mechanisms for safeguarding maritime rights and interests, and improve mechanisms for participating in global security governance.” 完善涉外国家安全机制，建立健全周边安全工作协调机制，强化海外利益和投资风险预警、防控、保护体制机制，深化安全领域国际执法合作，维护我国公民、法人在海外合法权益，健全反制裁、反干涉、反“长臂管辖”机制，健全维护海洋权益机制，完善参与全球安全治理机制.