'Profound Changes' in Party's Command Over PLA - Guidelines to Support Private Economy - Wang to Kissinger: US Must 'Clearly & Openly Oppose Taiwan independence' - BRI Created 420,000 Jobs Globally
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily's edition on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Page 1: At the top of the page is a report on Xi Jinping exchanging congratulatory messages with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia. Li Qiang also exchanged congratulations with his Cambodian counterpart, Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
The noteworthy bit in the report is this:
“Sihamoni said he firmly believes that under the new circumstances, the Cambodia-China friendly ties and mutually-beneficial cooperation will surely be strengthened, and the iron-clad friendship be passed down through generations. The Cambodian side, Sihamoni said, is willing to deepen cooperation in all fields with China, so as to benefit the two nations and promote regional and world peace, stability and prosperity.”
Next, there’s a report informing that five books on Xi’s discourses debuted at the Hong Kong book fair. This includes the Outline for the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Third, there’s a long, long feature article on the promotion of the Party leadership of and Party building in the PLA under Xi over the past decade. It says:
“Implementing the general requirements for Party building in the new era, implementing the Party's organizational line in the new era, taking upholding and strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee as the highest principle, with the fundamental mission of being loyal to the Party and protecting the Party, and making every effort to strengthen the Party, taking solving the unique problems of a big Party and improving the system of comprehensive and strict Party governance as major tasks, upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the military, adhering to comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and insisting on focussing on combat-readiness and war-preparedness, comprehensive and profound changes have taken place in the Party’s leadership of and Party building in the armed forces, providing a strong political guarantee for the historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of strengthening the armed forces.” It adds that strengthening the Party’s leadership and Party building work in the armed forces is an “inevitable requirement for advancing the new great project of Party building and an inevitable requirement for building a strong country and a strong army.” 落实新时代党的建设总要求，落实新时代党的组织路线，以坚持和加强党中央集中统一领导为最高原则，以忠诚为党护党、全力兴党强党为根本使命，以解决大党独有难题、健全全面从严治党体系为重大任务，坚持党对军队绝对领导，坚持全面从严治党，坚持聚焦备战打仗，我军党的领导和党的建设发生全面深刻变化，为强军事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革提供了坚强政治保证。中国特色强军之路深刻昭示——全面加强新时代我军党的领导和党的建设工作，是推进党的建设新的伟大工程的必然要求，是推进强国强军的必然要求.
Section 1 of the article emphasises strengthening the Party’s “absolute leadership” over the PLA. It says that the PLA must “firmly uphold the core and resolutely follow the Party's command, safeguarding its roots and soul.”
We then get a recap of how this has taken shape since the 18th Party Congress. At that time, the “Party's leadership over the PLA was weak, Party building was inadequate, and the comprehensive implementation of strict Party governance was not effective.” If these “prominent” issues “were not thoroughly addressed, it would not only affect the combat-effectiveness but also adversely impact the crucial political principle of the Party’s command over the gun.” 党的十八大之前一个时期，人民军队党的领导弱化、党的建设缺失、全面从严治党不力情况比较突出，如果不彻底解决，不仅影响战斗力，而且事关党指挥枪这一重大政治原则。
So, what was done? The piece mentions the following milestones
The October 2014 Gutian Meeting, where Xi underscored the importance of the Party’s “absolute control over the military” and importance of political discipline. The article says that the meeting “firmly established the four fundamental things: ideals and beliefs, the principle of party spirit, the standard of combat effectiveness and the prestige of political work.” 牢固立起理想信念、党性原则、战斗力标准、政治工作威信四个带根本性的东西，为新时代加强我军党的领导和党的建设进行深远擘画。
19th Party Congress in October 2017, promoted ‘upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the PLA’ as a basic strategy for upholding and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and established the chairman responsibility system in the Central Military Commission (CMC) in the Party constitution.” 2017年10月，党的十九大把“坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导”上升为新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的一条基本方略，把中央军事委员会实行主席负责制这一制度在党章中确立下来.
August 2018 CMC meeting on Party building. (Comment: Is another one of these currently underway in Beijing, which has prompted this article? And what fascinating timing given all the rumours around the PLARF.)
It then says:
“In the new era, the people's army profoundly understands the decisive significance of ‘Two Establishments’ and resolutely achieves the two safeguards. The fundamental thing is to uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the army and comprehensively and thoroughly implement the Chairman Responsibility System. Since the 18th Party Congress, the Party Central Committee and the CMC have made a series of political and institutional arrangements regarding the implementation of the Chairman Responsibility System, achieving significant theoretical, practical, and institutional results. These efforts have provided fundamental institutional guarantees for the People's Army to undergo great transformations. Listening to Chairman Xi's command, being responsible to Chairman Xi, and reassuring Chairman Xi have become the distinctive characteristics of the people’s army in the new era.” 新时代人民军队深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，坚决做到“两个维护”，根本的是坚持党对军队绝对领导，全面深入贯彻军委主席负责制。党的十八大以来，党中央和中央军委围绕贯彻军委主席负责制作出一系列政治设计和制度安排，取得重大理论成果、实践成果、制度成果，为我军实现伟大变革提供了根本制度保障，听习主席指挥、对习主席负责、让习主席放心成为新时代人民军队鲜明特质.
“In terms of the leadership and command system of the military, through deepening national defense and military reforms, a new pattern has been formed, where the CMC has overall control, theatre commands are responsible for the main operations, and each military service focuses on its own development. This arrangement ensures that the highest leadership and command authority over the armed forces are concentrated with the Party Central Committee and the CMC. In terms of the military policy system, the system of Party building in the armed forces has been solidified through important laws and regulations to implement the Chairman Responsibility System. In promoting the implementation of the work, we have established and improved three mechanisms: asking for instructions, supervising and inspecting, and providing information services, and issued measures and regulations on instructing and supervising the implementation, asking for instructions on major issues, and supervising accountability, so as to promote the implementation of the responsibility system of the Chairman Responsibility System in all aspects and the whole process of national defence and army building.” 在军队领导指挥体制上，通过深化国防和军队改革，形成了军委管总、战区主战、军种主建新格局，更好使军队最高领导权和指挥权集中于党中央和中央军委。在军事政策制度上，体系构建军队党的建设制度规定，将贯彻军委主席负责制要求在重要法规中固化下来。在推进工作落实上，建立完善请示报告、督促检查、信息服务三项机制，出台批示指示督办落实、重大事项请示报告、监督问责等方面措施规定，推动军委主席负责制贯彻到国防和军队建设各方面和全过程.
It then says that following the 20th Party Congress, further steps have been taken to improve the Chairman Responsibility System, via new guidelines, regulations and an education plan. All levels of the armed forces now regard the implementation of the CRS “as the highest political requirement and strictly abide by the highest political discipline…constantly strengthen political, ideological, theoretical and emotional identification, work to improve political assessment, understanding and execution, and firmly maintain loyalty, support, safeguard, and defend the core.” 全军各级把贯彻军委主席负责制作为最高政治要求来遵循、最高政治纪律来严守，坚持从新时代强军事业取得的历史性成就、发生的历史性变革中感悟实践伟力，不断强化政治认同、思想认同、理论认同、情感认同，提高政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力，坚定忠诚核心、拥戴核心、维护核心、捍卫核心.
The section ends with re-stating the work to “comprehensively and thoroughly eliminate their pernicious influence” of Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Fang Fenghui, and Zhang Yang; rectify ideology, employment, organization, and discipline; focus on the two tough battles of ideological and organizational clean-up, and holding of in-depth discussions and analyses around the 12 major issues of right and wrong. It adds that the standardisation and institutionalization of political training and rectification have been promoted, and those who ignore politics, downplay its importance, or disregard political principles are being strictly dealt with. “The people's army has achieved ideological baptism, organizational purity and political unity…Absolute loyalty, absolute purity, and absolute reliability have been infused into the blood and implanted into the soul, becoming highly conscious commitments, of soldiers and officers” 严明政治纪律和政治规矩，坚决查处郭伯雄、徐才厚、房峰辉、张阳等严重违纪违法案件，全面彻底肃清其流毒影响；坚定不移整顿思想、整顿用人、整顿组织、整顿纪律，突出打好思想清理、组织清理两场硬仗，深入开展12个重大是非问题讨论辨析；推进政治整训常态化制度化，坚决查处忽视政治、淡化政治、不讲政治的人和事……人民军队实现了思想上洗礼、组织上纯洁、政治上团结. “清澈的爱，只为中国！”、“枪听我的话，我听党的话。”这是新时代广大官兵的共同心声，体现了全军部队坚定纯粹的信仰信念。绝对忠诚、绝对纯洁、绝对可靠融入血脉、植入灵魂，成为高度自觉.
The second section discusses the focus on combat-readiness and effectiveness. “Being able to fight and win battles is the mission and responsibility of the military, and it is also the fundamental focus of party building in the armed forces.” 能打仗、打胜仗，是军队使命职责之所在，也是军队党的建设的根本着眼点。
Since the 18th Party Congress, Chairman Xi has led the convening of the CMC’s military work conference, the military training conference, and other meetings, driving the establishment of military strategic thinking for the new era, military strategic guidelines for the new era, the command system for wartime readiness, and the sense of responsibility for preparing for combat. 党的十八大以来，习主席领导召开中央军委军事工作会议、中央军委军事训练会议等，推动把新时代军事战略思想立起来、把新时代军事战略方针立起来、把备战打仗指挥棒立起来、把抓备战打仗的责任担当立起来.
Some key achievements highlighted are:
Reforming leadership and command system
Approval of the Opinions on Implementing Combat Readiness Standards under the Leadership Work of Party Committees; 关于在党委领导工作中贯彻落实战斗力标准的意见
Improvements in the operating mechanism for coordinating resources according to combat readiness standards, and focussing on human, material and financial resources on combat-readiness
重构领导指挥体制、现代军事力量体系、军事政策制度，让一切战斗力要素的活力竞相迸发；出台《关于在党委领导工作中贯彻落实战斗力标准的意见》，推动各级党委把提高部队战斗力作为出发点和落脚点；健全按战斗力标准统筹资源的运行机制，把人力物力财力向备战打仗聚焦.
The next bit is interesting:
“In 2014, the ‘Great Discussion on Combat Effectiveness Standards’ ignited a series of ideological storms in the whole army, focusing on ‘what constitutes combat-effectiveness standards, how to assess current combat effectiveness, and how to build combat effectiveness’. Everyone participated in the whole process to identify and address deep-seated contradictions and promote the only fundamental standard of combat effectiveness.
We carried out a thorough investigation and comprehensive clean-up of peace-time problems, using the spirit of self-criticism and rectification to address stubborn and lingering issues related to military training and preparedness
Surprise inspections of the entire army's combat readiness and mobilization of the army's reorganization system were carried out to test the level of combat readiness of the troops and expose and eliminate peace-time complacency within Party committee offices
Military training supervision was strengthened, and the practice of training, testing and fighting was emphasised
Special inspections on military preparedness were conducted, with a focus on reviewing how Party committees discussed military affairs and training, the performance of primary and deputy secretaries in fulfilling their responsibilities for preparedness, and the implementation of training for leading cadres.
It adds that through “precise and effective measures,” combat-readiness has been enhanced and “a thorough rectification of accumulated problems” has been done, with Party committees returning to “primary responsibilities.”
2014年，“战斗力标准大讨论”在全军掀起一场场思想风暴，围绕“战斗力标准是什么、战斗力现状怎么看、战斗力建设怎么办”，层层对照检查，人人全程参与，查找解决深层次矛盾问题，推动战斗力这个唯一的根本的标准立起来落下去。开展和平积弊大起底、大扫除，以整风精神纠治备战打仗中的顽症痼疾；组织全军战备突击检查和部队整建制拉动，检验部队战备水平，暴露和祛除党委机关的和平病灶；加强军事训练监察，推动训风演风考风向战走实；抓好备战打仗专项巡视，重点检查党委议战议训、正副书记履行备战打仗第一责任和首长机关训练、领导干部组训督训落实情况……一系列硬招实招精准点穴，各级党委一门心思想打仗、谋打仗、抓打仗，实现了问题积弊的深纠治、主责主业的真回归、打仗能力的新提升，在与强敌过招、应急应战中回答好“胜战之问”、“价值之问”、“本领拷问”。
Section three focuses on the organisational system. It says that the “strict Party organization system is the unique political advantage and magic weapon for the PLA to overcome all difficulties and dangers and defeat the enemy.” 人民军队一路走来，严密的党组织体系，是我军特有的政治优势，也是我军克服千难万险、战胜敌人的法宝.
Under this, the article mentions regulatory changes, such as the promulgation and revision of ‘Regulations on the CPC’s Construction in the Armed Forces’, ‘Work Rules of Communist Party Committees (Branches) in the Chinese People's Liberation Army,’ ‘Provisions on Party Committees in the Military Implementing the Main Responsibility for Comprehensive and Strict Party Governance,’ the ‘Regulations on Political Work in the Armed Forces’, to form a comprehensive and coordinated system of the Party commanding the gun. 坚持思想建党和制度治党同向发力，把党中央、中央军委和习主席关于军队党的建设制度改革部署具体化，深入推进军队党的建设理论创新和制度创新，出台《中国共产党军队党的建设条例》和《中国共产党军队委员会（支部）工作规定》、《军队党委落实全面从严治党主体责任规定》等法规制度，修订《军队政治工作条例》，形成系统配套的党指挥枪制度体系.
Since the 18th Party Congress, all levels of the army have adhered to the principle that the organizational line must serve the political line, adapted to the new expansion of the army's mission and tasks,new changes in the formation of forces and new conditions of work operations; they have persisted in strengthening the organizational function and emphasizing the leadership at higher levels to guide the grassroots. The political and organizational functions of Party organizations have continuously strengthened, and the leadership, organizational capacity, and execution capabilities have consistently improved. The CMC has convened democratic life meetings, carrying out thorough self-examination, profound analysis, and serious criticism and self-criticism. This set an example for the entire military. At all levels, committees have followed closely, starting from keeping the furnace burning strictly, really pulling up their sleeves, sweating amid the heat, and carrying forward the spirit of seriousness and struggle...thereby significantly enhancing the political, contemporary, principled, and combative nature of the Party's internal political life.” 党的十八大以来，全军各级坚持组织路线服务政治路线，适应部队使命任务新拓展、力量编成新变化、工作运行新状态，坚持抓组织强功能、抓高层带基层，党组织政治功能和组织功能不断强化，领导力、组织力、执行力不断增强。中央军委召开民主生活会，认真对照检视，深刻查摆剖析，严肃开展批评和自我批评，为全军作出表率示范。各级紧紧跟上，从烧旺“熔炉”严起，真拉袖子、红脸出汗，弘扬认真和斗争精神……党内政治生活的政治性、时代性、原则性、战斗性明显增强.
Section four deals with the importance of improving training in order to “build a team of high-quality cadres who are loyal, clean and responsible” and who “are determined to strengthen the army and win battles.” If you are interested, this covers changes in the context of selection and appointment, training, support systems, subsidies, preferential treatment, etc. The final section emphasises strict governance and improved “political ecology of the PLA. This not only covers corruption and managing family members and children but also a range of other vices, such as accepting banquets/fancy treatment as bribes, illegal drinking, accepting gifts online, and other unhealthy online activities, privilege in housing, and wastage in catering.
The article adds:
“Adhere to no restricted area, full coverage, zero tolerance, strictly abide by the red line of ‘corruption and bribery of more than 30,000 yuan will be transferred for prosecution’... target both ‘tigers’ and ‘flies’, and vigorously rectify corruption and unhealthy trends around officers and soldiers; further promote the clean-up and governance of key industries, focus on the ‘big rats’ and ‘moths’ that end up eroding/undermine combat effectiveness, and form an all-domain, all-aspects and all-time high-pressure and strict governance situation.” 坚持无禁区、全覆盖、零容忍，严守“贪污受贿3万元以上一律移送司法”法纪红线，受贿行贿一起查，“老虎”、“苍蝇”一起打，大力纠治官兵身边的腐败和不正之风；纵深推进重点行业领域整肃治理，深挖重处啃食战斗力的“硕鼠”、“蛀虫”，形成全领域、全方位、全时段高压严治态势.
Moving on the front page also carries the full guidelines on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy.
The first part of the document talks about improving the overall development environment for private enterprises. This entails:
Continue to break down market access barriers: This says that “no locality or department shall set up access barriers in the form of filing, registration, annual inspection, identification, certification, designation, and requiring the establishment of branch offices.” 各地区各部门不得以备案、注册、年检、认定、认证、指定、要求设立分公司等形式设定或变相设定准入障碍.
Fully implement the fair competition policy system: “Strengthen the foundation of competition policy, improve the framework of the fair competition system, and establish mechanisms for policy implementation, treating enterprises of all ownership types equally and impartially. Strengthen anti-monopoly law enforcement to prevent abuse of administrative power to exclude or restrict competition.” 强化竞争政策基础地位，健全公平竞争制度框架和政策实施机制，坚持对各类所有制企业一视同仁、平等对待。强化制止滥用行政权力排除限制竞争的反垄断执法。Regularly introduce a negative list of market interventions, and promptly review and repeal policies that impede the unified market and fair competition, including local protection, market segmentation, and designated transactions. Optimize and improve the implementation of industrial policies, establish a catalogue and list of enterprise-related preferential policies, and make them available to the public in a timely manner. 定期推出市场干预行为负面清单，及时清理废除含有地方保护、市场分割、指定交易等妨碍统一市场和公平竞争的政策。优化完善产业政策实施方式，建立涉企优惠政策目录清单并及时向社会公开.
Improve the social credit incentive and constraint mechanism: Improve the credit information recording and sharing system, comprehensively promote the credit commitment system, and incorporate commitment and performance information into credit records…Improve the credit restraint mechanism and punish the responsible subject according to the list of disciplinary measures for dishonesty in accordance with the law. Improve the credit repair mechanism after the dishonesty is corrected, and study and introduce relevant management measures. 完善信用信息记录和共享体系，全面推广信用承诺制度，将承诺和履约信息纳入信用记录...完善信用约束机制，依法依规按照失信惩戒措施清单对责任主体实施惩戒。健全失信行为纠正后的信用修复机制，研究出台相关管理办法.
Improve market-oriented restructuring mechanisms: This calls to “actively apply bankruptcy reorganization and bankruptcy reconciliation procedures to enterprises that are in financial difficulties but still have development prospects and salvage value, in accordance with the principles of marketization and rule of law. Promote the revision of enterprise bankruptcy law and improve the supporting system…” 坚持精准识别、分类施策，对陷入财务困境但仍具有发展前景和挽救价值的企业，按照市场化、法治化原则，积极适用破产重整、破产和解程序。推动修订企业破产法并完善配套制度.
The second section discusses specific areas of support:
Improve financing support policy system: Under this, the key areas talked are about credit evaluation and raising funds from bond markets.
Support in terms of clearance of payments and arrears, particularly for SMEs: “Government agencies, institutions, and large enterprises shall not refuse or delay the payment of funds to small and medium-sized enterprises and individual industrial and commercial households on the grounds of internal personnel changes, internal payment procedures, or waiting for the approval of completion acceptance and final accounting audit if it is not stipulated in the contract. 机关、事业单位和大型企业不得以内部人员变更，履行内部付款流程，或在合同未作约定情况下以等待竣工验收批复、决算审计等为由，拒绝或延迟支付中小企业和个体工商户款项。
Support in terms of employment and talent development: Under this, the document calls to “build a platform connecting private enterprises, individual industrial and commercial businesses with job seekers”; “promote cooperation between schools and enterprises and integration of production and education”; and “strengthen protection of the rights and interests of workers in flexible employment and new forms of employment, and give play to the role of platform enterprises in expanding employment.” 搭建民营企业、个体工商户用工和劳动者求职信息对接平台。大力推进校企合作、产教融合。推进民营经济产业工人队伍建设，优化职业发展环境。加强灵活就业和新就业形态劳动者权益保障，发挥平台企业在扩大就业方面的作用.
Improve mechanisms for enterprises to directly access support policies
Strengthen policy communication and guidance on expectations: Among other things, this says “support governments at all levels to invite outstanding entrepreneurs for consultation, fully utilizing their role in formulating and evaluating enterprise-related policies, planning, and standards.” 支持各级政府部门邀请优秀企业家开展咨询，在涉企政策、规划、标准的制定和评估等方面充分发挥企业家作用.
The next section talks about strengthening legal guarantees for development of the private economy.
Protect the property rights of private enterprises and the rights and interests of entrepreneurs in accordance with the law: Under this, it says “prevent and rectify the use of administrative or criminal means to intervene in economic disputes, as well as local protectionism in law enforcement and judicial practices.” The key point in this is to prevent authorities from overstepping their boundaries in a range of actions.
Prevent and control corruption: “Strengthen the governance of corruption sources in private enterprises, and guide private enterprises to establish a strict audit and supervision system and a financial and accounting system. Give full play to the role of party organizations in private enterprises, promote enterprises to strengthen rule of law education, and create an honest and clean corporate culture atmosphere. Establish a corruption governance mechanism for private enterprises with the participation of multiple entities.” 强化民营企业腐败源头治理，引导民营企业建立严格的审计监督体系和财会制度。充分发挥民营企业党组织作用，推动企业加强法治教育，营造诚信廉洁的企业文化氛围。建立多元主体参与的民营企业腐败治理机制.
Improve the intellectual property protection system: Under this, the document calls to “intensify efforts to protect the original innovation of private micro, small and medium-sized enterprises”; “strictly implement the system of punitive damages for intellectual property infringement”; establish a mechanism for rapid handling of intellectual property infringement and administrative non-litigation enforcement, and improve the system of cross-regional jurisdiction for intellectual property courts”; study and improve intellectual property protection measures for innovations such as business improvement and cultural creativity, and severely crack down on unfair competition behaviours such as infringement of trade secrets, counterfeiting and misleading people, and malicious preemptive registration of trademarks”; and “improve the guidance mechanism for dealing with overseas intellectual property disputes.” 加大对民营中小微企业原始创新保护力度。严格落实知识产权侵权惩罚性赔偿、行为保全等制度。建立知识产权侵权和行政非诉执行快速处理机制，健全知识产权法院跨区域管辖制度。研究完善商业改进、文化创意等创新成果的知识产权保护办法，严厉打击侵犯商业秘密、仿冒混淆等不正当竞争行为和恶意抢注商标等违法行为。加大对侵犯知识产权违法犯罪行为的刑事打击力度。完善海外知识产权纠纷应对指导机制.
Improve supervision and law enforcement system.
Improve the long-term supervision mechanism of enterprise fees
The next section deals with improving high-quality development of private enterprises. It says:
Support and guide the improvement of governance structure and management systems: This entails “establishing and improving the modern corporate system with Chinese characteristics” and establishing risk-management and planning systems.
Support efforts to enhance scientific and technological innovation capabilities: “Private enterprises are encouraged to continue to increase investment in research and development in accordance with national strategic needs and industry development trends, carry out key core technology research, and actively undertake major national science and technology projects in accordance with regulations. Cultivate a number of leading private scientific and technological enterprises in key industries, specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and characteristic industrial clusters of small and medium-sized enterprises with strong innovation ability. Increase government procurement of innovative products, give full play to the role of the first (set) insurance compensation mechanism, and support the iterative application of innovative products by private enterprises. Promote integrated innovation among enterprises of different ownerships and among large, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and carry out joint research on common technologies…Encourage private enterprises to collaborate with research institutions in establishing technology research centers, industrial research institutes, pilot production bases, engineering research centers, and manufacturing innovation centers, among other innovation platforms. Support private enterprises to strengthen basic frontier research and achievement transformation.” 鼓励民营企业根据国家战略需要和行业发展趋势，持续加大研发投入，开展关键核心技术攻关，按规定积极承担国家重大科技项目。培育一批关键行业民营科技领军企业、专精特新中小企业和创新能力强的中小企业特色产业集群。加大政府采购创新产品力度，发挥首台（套）保险补偿机制作用，支持民营企业创新产品迭代应用。推动不同所有制企业、大中小企业融通创新，开展共性技术联合攻关。完善高等学校、科研院所管理制度和成果转化机制，调动其支持民营中小微企业创新发展积极性，支持民营企业与科研机构合作建立技术研发中心、产业研究院、中试熟化基地、工程研究中心、制造业创新中心等创新平台。支持民营企业加强基础性前沿性研究和成果转化.
Accelerate digital transformation and technological upgrading of private enterprises: “Support private enterprises to increase the green and low-carbon transformation of production processes, equipment and technologies, accelerate the development of flexible manufacturing, enhance the capacity for emergency expansion and transformation of production capacity, thereby enhancing the resilience of the industrial chain.” 支持民营企业加大生产工艺、设备、技术的绿色低碳改造力度，加快发展柔性制造，提升应急扩产转产能力，提升产业链韧性.
Encourage the improvement of international competitiveness: “Encourage private enterprises to expand overseas business, actively participate in the joint construction of BRI, participate in overseas projects in an orderly manner, and abide by local laws and regulations and fulfil social responsibilities when going global. Better guide and support private enterprises to guard against external challenges such as trade protectionism, unilateralism and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’. Strengthen the coordination of departments, and establish a cooperative mechanism to prevent and resolve risks in regard to the safety of personal and property overseas.” 鼓励民营企业拓展海外业务，积极参与共建“一带一路”，有序参与境外项目，在走出去中遵守当地法律法规、履行社会责任。更好指导支持民营企业防范应对贸易保护主义、单边主义、“长臂管辖”等外部挑战。强化部门协同配合，针对民营经济人士海外人身和财产安全，建立防范化解风险协作机制.
Support private enterprises’ participation in major national strategies.
Regulate and guide the healthy development of capital as per the law. Under this, it calls to “improve the legal system to regulate and guide the healthy development of private capital, set up ‘traffic lights’ for capital, improve the rules of capital behavior system, and focus on launching a number of ‘green light’ investment cases. Improve the efficiency of capital governance in an all-round way, improve the ability of capital supervision and the modernization level of the supervision system. Guide the platform economy to develop in the direction of openness, innovation and empowerment, fill in the shortcomings and weaknesses of development, support platform enterprises to show their talents in creating employment, expanding consumption and international competition, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the platform economy. Encourage private enterprises to concentrate on strengthening and improving their main business and enhancing their core competitiveness.” 健全规范和引导民营资本健康发展的法律制度，为资本设立“红绿灯”，完善资本行为制度规则，集中推出一批“绿灯”投资案例。全面提升资本治理效能，提高资本监管能力和监管体系现代化水平。引导平台经济向开放、创新、赋能方向发展，补齐发展短板弱项，支持平台企业在创造就业、拓展消费、国际竞争中大显身手，推动平台经济规范健康持续发展。鼓励民营企业集中精力做强做优主业，提升核心竞争力.
The next two sections deal with guiding private actors and entrepreneurs, and the social atmosphere for the private sector. A couple of key points covered are:
“Improve the mechanism for ideological and political development of private economic personnel. Actively and steadily carry out the development of Party members among advanced individuals in the private economy. Conduct in-depth education on ideals and beliefs and socialist core values. Provide education and guidance to Party members among private economic personnel to strengthen their ideals and beliefs, play a pioneering and exemplary role, and resolutely implement the Party's theories, lines, principles, and policies. Actively explore and innovate the way of conducting Party building work in the private economic sector.” 健全民营经济人士思想政治建设机制。积极稳妥做好在民营经济代表人士先进分子中发展党员工作。深入开展理想信念教育和社会主义核心价值观教育。教育引导民营经济人士中的党员坚定理想信念，发挥先锋模范作用，坚决执行党的理论和路线方针政策。积极探索创新民营经济领域党建工作方式。
“Leading cadres at all levels should be candid and sincere in contact with private entrepreneurs, take the initiative to act and serve at the forefront, solve problems for private enterprises and private entrepreneurs in accordance with the law and regulations, do practical things, maintain the bottom line of communication, guard against corruption risks, and strike a balance between being friendly and maintaining integrity. Private entrepreneurs should actively engage in communication and exchanges with party committees, governments, and departments at all levels, speak the truth, convey real situations, offer constructive suggestions, maintain integrity, adhere to legal and ethical business practices, and operate their businesses in a fair and transparent manner.” 各级领导干部要坦荡真诚同民营企业家接触交往，主动作为、靠前服务，依法依规为民营企业和民营企业家解难题、办实事，守住交往底线，防范廉政风险，做到亲而有度、清而有为。民营企业家要积极主动与各级党委和政府及部门沟通交流，讲真话、说实情、建诤言，洁身自好走正道，遵纪守法办企业，光明正大搞经营。
Guide the whole society to have an objective, correct, and comprehensive understanding of the private economy and private economic personnel. “...Guide the society to correctly understand the major contribution and important role of the private economy, and correctly view the wealth obtained by private economic personnel through legitimate and compliant operations in the right perspective. Resolutely resist, promptly refute and clarify erroneous remarks and practices that question the basic socialist economic system and deny or weaken the private economy, and promptly respond to concerns and dispel concerns.” 加强理论研究和宣传，坚持实事求是、客观公正，把握好正确舆论导向，引导社会正确认识民营经济的重大贡献和重要作用，正确看待民营经济人士通过合法合规经营获得的财富。坚决抵制、及时批驳澄清质疑社会主义基本经济制度、否定和弱化民营经济的错误言论与做法，及时回应关切、打消顾虑。(Comment: I guess all the talk of a “new red deal” and “revolution” from a few years ago is now being decisively brushed aside.)
Cultivate a public opinion environment that respects innovation and entrepreneurship in the private economy. “Build a public opinion environment and an atmosphere of the times to encourage innovation and tolerate failure–that offers understanding, tolerance and assistance with regard to errors and failures of private economic personnel when conducting their legitimate business operations. Establish a departmental cooperation mechanism, severely crack down on extortion through the threat of negative public opinion, improve relevant reporting mechanisms, and reduce the cost of corporate rights protection.” 营造鼓励创新、宽容失败的舆论环境和时代氛围，对民营经济人士合法经营中出现的失误失败给予理解、宽容、帮助。建立部门协作机制，依法严厉打击以负面舆情为要挟进行勒索等行为，健全相关举报机制，降低企业维权成本.
Support private enterprises to better fulfill their social responsibilities. This deals with common prosperity, labour relations, community relations and employee benefits.
If you are further interested, there’s a Q&A on this document on Page 6.
Page 2: There’s a report on Wang Yi’s meeting with Henry Kissinger. Xi Jinping also met with Kissinger today. But details on that are scarce at the moment. Anyway, Xinhua reported:
“China maintains a high degree of continuity in its policy toward the United States and follows the guiding principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Wang said. ‘These three principles are fundamental and long-term, and are the way for China and the United States to get along correctly as two major countries,’ he added. China's development has strong internal dynamics and inevitable historical logic, Wang pointed out, adding that it is impossible to try to transform China, and it is even more impossible to contain China. Expounding China's position on the Taiwan question, Wang emphasized that one China is the fundamental status quo of the Taiwan question. "Taiwan independence" is incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait, and the one-China principle set out in the Shanghai Communique must be strictly adhered to, Wang said. "If the United States sincerely hopes for stability across the Taiwan Strait, it should clearly and openly oppose ‘Taiwan independence' and draw a clear line with 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities.”
Another report on the page informs that Wang will attend the 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Johannesburg from July 24 to 25, and visit Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Türkiye before and after the meeting. No sign of Qin Gang returning to work anytime soon, it seems.
Next, there’s a report on Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s meeting with the visiting Chongqing party chief Yuan Jiajun. Xinhua says:
“Yuan said China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Singapore, deepen high-quality practical cooperation, share the new opportunities brought about by Chinese-style modernization, and jointly safeguard regional prosperity and stability. He said the CPC is willing to have close exchanges and mutual understanding with the People’s Action Party, and make new contributions to the development of bilateral relations under the new circumstances. Yuan added that Chongqing will actively implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, and work with the Singaporean side to promote cooperation on the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, and strengthen the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. Lee, for his part, said Singapore attaches great importance to the implementation of the new positioning of bilateral relations and firmly supports the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. Singapore is willing to further deepen the connectivity cooperation between Singapore and China, strengthen the exchanges and mutual understanding of the ruling parties of the two countries, and push for greater development of bilateral relations and for the benefit of the two peoples and people in the region, he said.”
Another report informs that China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with Wissanu Krea-ngam, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, in Beijing. Xinhua says:
“China is ready to work with Thailand to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in law enforcement and security, safeguard the building of the China-Thailand community with a shared future, and bring more benefits to the two countries and two peoples, said Wang.”
Also on the page is a brief report on the 43rd escort task force of the Chinese Navy concluding its visit to the Republic of Congo.
Finally, there’s a report on MoFA’s comment on the inauguration of the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant in Bangladesh.
On BRI, MoFA said: “Over the past ten years since its inception, the BRI has created 420,000 jobs and lifted almost 40 million people out of poverty outside China. According to data from the World Bank, by 2030, Belt and Road cooperation is expected to increase trade by between 2.8 and 9.7 percent for participating countries and between 1.7 and 6.2 percent for the world, and this is expected to increase global real income by 0.7 to 2.9 percent.”
Page 3: There’s a report on Vice President Han Zheng meeting with John Kerry. Xinhua says:
“Addressing climate change is an important aspect of China-U.S. cooperation, Han said, adding that it is imperative to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state at their meeting in Bali, follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and create a favorable environment for China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Climate change bears on the sustainable development of humankind. As a responsible major country, China has adhered to the new development philosophy and actively addressed climate change in line with the inherent requirements of high-quality development, Han said. Han added that China is willing to work with the United States to seek the greatest common ground on the basis of respecting each other's core concerns and full communication, promote the in-depth implementation of the Paris Agreement, and make new contributions to addressing global challenges such as climate change.”
There are reports on Li Qiang and Zhao Leji meeting the visiting Algerian president. I am not detailing these, since I have already covered the outcomes from the visit in yesterday’s edition.
Page 7: There’s a report on the press conference held by the Ministry of Finance. Some key data points from this:
In H1, fiscal revenue was 11,920.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.3%. The growth in fiscal revenue was largely driven by an increase in tax revenue, which amounted to 9.97 trillion yuan and experienced a significant 16.5-percent year-on-year rise. Non-tax revenue, on the other hand, declined slightly by 0.6 percent, totalling 1.95 trillion yuan.
Fiscal spending rose 3.9 percent year on year to 13.39 trillion yuan. In H1, social security and employment spending increased by 7.9%; education spending increased by 5%; health spending increased by 6.9%; agriculture, forestry, and water spending increased by 3.7%; science and technology spending increased by 2.5%; and housing security spending increased by 8.5%. 其中，社会保障和就业支出增长7.9%；教育支出增长5%；卫生健康支出增长6.9%；农林水支出增长3.7%；科学技术支出增长2.5%；住房保障支出增长8.5%.
Revenues in the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions grew by 12.8%, 10.7%, 17.5%, and 17.5% respectively. All 31 provinces achieved positive year-on-year revenue growth, with 10 provinces growing by over 20%, 15 provinces growing between 10% and 20%, and 6 provinces with single-digit growth.
A total of 2,172.1 billion yuan of special bonds were issued for project construction, supporting nearly 20,000 special bond projects, giving priority to supporting the construction of major national strategies and major projects. Among them, 727.5 billion yuan was used for municipal construction and industrial park infrastructure, 421.1 billion yuan for transportation infrastructure, 358.8 billion yuan for social undertakings, and 326.7 billion yuan for affordable housing projects. About 200 billion yuan was used as project capital, mainly concentrated in transportation infrastructure, with nearly half used for national major strategic projects 各地发行用于项目建设的专项债券21721亿元，累计支持专项债券项目近2万个，优先支持国家重大战略、重大项目建设。其中，用于市政建设和产业园区基础设施7275亿元、交通基础设施4211亿元、社会事业3588亿元、保障性安居工程3267亿元；各地用作项目资本金约2000亿元，主要集中在交通基础设施领域，近一半用于国家重大战略项目，对带动扩大有效投资、保持经济平稳运行发挥了重要作用。
In order to strengthen the bottom line of the ‘Three Guarantees’, the central government has committed to increase transfer payments. In 2023, the central government will arrange transfer payments to local governments of around 10.06 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.9% after excluding special transfer payments to support grassroots implementation of tax and fee reductions and support for key livelihood issues. As of the end of June, 91.1% of the transfer payments from the central government to the local governments have been issued, and all those that meet the conditions have been issued. 为筑牢兜实“三保”底线，中央财政继续加大转移支付力度，2023年中央财政安排对地方转移支付10.06万亿元，剔除支持基层落实减税降费和重点民生等专项转移支付后增长7.9%。截至6月底，中央对地方转移支付已下达91.1%，具备条件的均已下达完毕。
Finally the report talks about steps taken to alleviate corporate burdens. These largely cover preferential tax and fees-related policies.
Page 17: On the international page, the lead story is on the Fukushima wastewater discharge issue and there’s an article by Fu Zhu criticising the US for entrapment and “kidnapping” of two Chinese citizens for “alleged production and sales of fentanyl chemical precursors.”