Soil & Water Conservation Guideline - 2022's Propaganda & Ideological Work - Liu Kun Interview - Boosting Domestic Demand - Zhong Sheng Attacks Western Media - Wang Xiaohui on Sichuan's Development

Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy from the Wednesday, January 4, 2023, edition of the People’s Daily.

GuidPage 1: At the top of the page is the new guideline (Xinhua’s English report) to strengthen the conservation of water and soil to promote the construction of an ecological civilisation in the new era. The key objectives outlined in the document are:

• By 2025, China aims to improve its institutional mechanism and system for the conservation of soil and water, enhance management efficiency, and effectively control soil erosion caused by human activities in key regions, with 73 percent of the nation's territory being without soil erosion by that date.

• By 2035, a systematic, coordinated and efficient water and soil conservation system will be formed, human-induced soil erosion will be fully controlled, and soil erosion in key areas will be comprehensively treated. Areas without soil erosion should account for 75 percent of the nation's territory by that date.

The document talks about establishing new standards for water and soil conservation. strengthening the tracking and early warning system related to man-made soil erosion, and increasing the punishment for ecological damage that causes water and soil erosion. In terms of action, it calls for disciplining party members, cadres and public officials for violations related to water and soil conservation and the implementation of corporate responsibilities. 

The Ministry of Water Resources is supposed to play the leading role, as per the document, in overall coordination, strengthening unified planning, unified governance and unified management of river basin management institutions, and strengthening cross-regional joint prevention, control and treatment of soil erosion. 水利部要切实履行主管部门职责，发挥好牵头组织和统筹协调作用，强化流域管理机构统一规划、统一治理、统一管理，加强跨区域水土流失联防联控联治.

The other top story on the page is a summary of the propaganda and ideological work in 2022. It says that “over the past year, the propaganda and ideological front has organically combined studying and propagating of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era with propagating and implementation of the 20th Party Congress spirit, continuously consolidating the theoretical foundation, providing a strong ideological guarantee for the new journey and the new era.” 一年来，宣传思想战线将学习宣传习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想与迎接宣传贯彻党的二十大有机结合，不断夯实理论基础，为奋进新征程、建功新时代提供了坚强思想保证.

In terms of the 20th Party Congress, the report says that the in over a month’s time, the Central Propaganda Group studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th Party Congress delivered more than 80 lectures in various regions, departments and units, and held more than 50 interactive activities in various forms, addressing a direct audience of 1.01 million people and indirectly reaching an audience of 22 million people.一个多月时间里，学习贯彻党的二十大精神中央宣讲团在各地区各部门各单位作报告80余场，举办各种形式互动交流活动50余场，直接听众101万人，通过电视直播、网络转播等渠道间接收听收看人数达2200多万.

The piece talks about the publication of books, film releases like 领航 - which showcased “the extraordinary and magnificent journey of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core” - and the series 情怀. And then the article offers a positive assessment of the impact of these “masterpieces.” “The great power of thought has stirred China, uniting the hearts of the Party and the people. Today, the desire to firmly support the two establishments and resolutely achieve the two safeguards has become the aspiration of the people and an unshakable ideological consensus and conscious action.” 思想伟力激荡神州，党心民心极大凝聚。如今，坚定拥护“两个确立”、坚决做到“两个维护”已化作人民心声，成为不可撼动的思想共识和行动自觉.

The next section talks about exhibitions, documentaries, and press conferences  highlighting the achievements of the new era, and the media coverage in this regard.

For instance, “With their pens and lenses, the majority of journalists recorded the historical leap of the great era with pride, showed the unremitting struggle of the great people with enthusiasm, and fully reflected the extraordinary achievements and valuable experience of the development of the cause of the Party and the country in the new era.” 广大新闻记者用手中的笔和镜头，满怀自豪记录伟大时代的历史跨越，满怀热忱展现伟大人民的不懈奋斗，充分反映新时代党和国家事业发展的非凡成就和宝贵经验. Also mentioned are the 36 ‘China in the Past Decade’ series of press conferences by around 60 central departments, demonstrating the “great achievements of the party and the country.” 与此同时，中央和地方层面举办“中国这十年”系列主题新闻发布会，60个中央部门出席36场中央宣传部新闻发布会，31个省区市党委主要负责同志在当地出席省级党委新闻发布会，全面展现党和国家事业取得的伟大成就.

The next section says that “over the past year, the propaganda and ideological front has “served the overall situation, actively doing a good job in positive publicity and guidance and creating a good atmosphere for coordinating epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, and further stabilising expectations and strengthening confidence.” 一年来，宣传思想战线围绕中心、服务大局，积极做好正面宣传引导，为统筹疫情防控和经济社会发展营造良好氛围，进一步稳预期强信心.

The article also talks about the publication of the “Revitalization Library” 复兴文库 series of books and the Wuzhen Internet Summit. The final section talks about foreign affairs related propaganda. Under this, Xinjiang-related briefings are mentioned along with the following:

“Over the past year, in response to some countries' attacks on China related to Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and epidemic situation, the propaganda and ideological front dared to speak out and were good at speaking out. With sufficient factual basis and rich forms of expression, it debunked  falsehoods in a rational, beneficial and dignified manner, and made China's voice heard loud and clear amid the noise of the crowd.” 一年来，针对一些国家在涉疆、涉藏、涉港、涉台、涉疫情等问题上对中国的攻击抹黑，宣传思想战线敢于发声、善于发声，以充分的事实依据、丰富的表现形式，有理有利有节戳穿虚假谎言，令中国声音在众声喧哗中始终清晰响亮. — As much as one may talk about a new charm offensive in foreign policy or Qing Gang bringing about a stylistic shift away from the Wolf Warrior approach, I’d caution not getting one’s hopes up, this sort of stuff will continue.

Next, there’s the fourth commentary in the series on Xi’s new year speech. This one focuses on the theme of China being a major country, i.e., its foreign affairs-related work. The article says that in 2022, Xi hosted and attended more than 10 important international multilateral conferences at home and abroad, held talks and meetings with more than 60 foreign leaders and heads of international organisations, and held phone and video meetings with nearly 30 foreign leaders. 一年来，习近平主席在国内外主持和出席10余场重要国际多边会议，与60多位外国领导人及国际组织负责人举行会谈会见，同近30位外方领导人通电话、视频会晤，就双边关系发展和重大国际问题等密集互动、深入沟通.

Also, we are told that China’s trade with BRI countries grew by 20.4%. The piece mentions GDI and GSI as the contribution of “Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the cause of human peace and development.” It adds that:

“On the new journey, China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, unswervingly deepen reform and open wider to the outside world and unswervingly promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way through Chinese-style modernisation. A China that is constantly moving towards modernisation will surely provide more opportunities for the world, inject stronger impetus into international cooperation, and make greater contributions to the progress of all mankind.” 新征程上，中国将坚定不移走和平发展道路，坚定不移深化改革、扩大开放，坚定不移以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。一个不断走向现代化的中国，必将为世界提供更多机遇，为国际合作注入更强动力，为全人类进步作出更大贡献.

Next, there’s a report on Wang Qishan attending the inauguration ceremony of Brazil's new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Xinhua says: “While meeting with Lula, Wang handed over a letter signed by Xi and conveyed Xi's warm congratulations and best wishes to Lula as well as his invitation for Lula to visit China.” 

Xinhua adds: “Wang put forward a four-point proposal on the future development of China-Brazil relations. First, he called for strengthening top-level design of both sides and actively promoting bilateral exchanges in diplomatic, parliamentary, judicial, military, local and other areas. The second, Wang said, is to consolidate and expand practical cooperation in economy and trade, and in particular to actively explore cooperation in such emerging industries as science and technology innovation, digital economy and green economy. Third, Wang suggested the two sides deepen multilateral strategic coordination, jointly defend true multilateralism, and strengthen coordination on climate change and other issues. The fourth is to strengthen overall cooperation between China and Latin America, he said, stressing China is ready to enhance communication with the Brazilian side on the issues of holding the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and deepening relations with regional organizations such as the Southern Common Market and the Union of South American Nations.”

Next, there’s a report with data from the Ministry of Education, which says that 100% of primary and secondary schools have achieved Internet access, with around 3/4ths of them having wireless access. 

Page 2: There is a new series of columns discussing the economic tasks for 2023. This one talks about focusing on expanding domestic demand as a key task in 2023. This was identified by the CEWC last year. The piece carries views from analysts on the subject.

Jing Linbo, Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Evaluation Studies, said that at present, there are some constraints in expanding consumption in China: on the supply side, the innovation capabilities of market players is not yet able to fully meet the requirements of high-quality development, and the individualised and diversified consumption needs of the masses cannot be effectively met; on the demand side, there is a big development and income gap between urban and rural areas. In addition, affected by the epidemic situation, the income growth of ordinary people has slowed down and is expected to decline, so they are afraid to consume and it is inconvenient to consume.To restore and expand consumption, efforts must be made to resolve these difficulties.” 中国社会科学评价研究院院长荆林波说，当前，我国扩大消费存在一些制约：从供给侧看，市场主体的创新能力不能完全适应高质量发展要求，群众个性化、多样化消费需求未能得到有效满足；从需求侧看，城乡区域发展和收入分配差距较大，加之受疫情影响，老百姓收入增长放缓、预期下降，不敢消费、不便消费。恢复和扩大消费，必须要下力气化解这些难题.

Chen Lifen, a researcher at the Institute of Market Economy of the State Council Development Research Center, calls for focusing on increasing the income of urban and rural residents through multiple channels, especially increasing the consumption power of low - and middle-income residents who have a high propensity to consume but are greatly affected by the epidemic. Chen talks about doing this through increased consumer credit, supporting the employment first policy, the development of industries and enterprises with strong employability, addressing the impact of structural price increases. 国务院发展研究中心市场经济研究所研究员陈丽芬建议，要多渠道增加城乡居民收入，特别是提高消费倾向高、但受疫情影响大的中低收入居民的消费能力。适当增加消费信贷。落实落细就业优先政策，支持发展吸纳就业能力强的产业和企业，及时有效缓解结构性物价上涨给困难群众带来的影响.

Hong Yong, a researcher at the E-commerce Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, calls for policies to support consumption such as housing improvement, new energy vehicles, and elderly care services. “恢复和扩大消费，政策可以发挥更大作用。”商务部研究院电子商务研究所副研究员洪勇认为，应不断完善消费政策，支持住房改善、新能源汽车、养老服务等消费.

The report quotes and unidentified Ministry of Commerce official mentioning three points:

• Consolidate and enhance traditional consumption. “Automobiles, home appliances, home furnishing, and catering account for about a quarter of the total retail sales of consumer goods, and are the pillars of consumption. Efforts will be made to stabilise automobile consumption, support the purchase and use of new-energy vehicles, and accelerate the activation of the used car market. Support the resumption of development of catering and other industries, promote the consumption of home appliances and promote the consumption of green and smart home appliances in the countryside and the replacement of old ones with new ones.” 一是巩固提升传统消费。汽车、家电、家居、餐饮占社会消费品零售总额的1/4左右，是消费的顶梁柱。将着力稳定汽车消费，支持新能源汽车购买使用，加快活跃二手车市场。支持餐饮等行业恢复发展，促进家电家居消费，推动绿色智能家电下乡和以旧换新.

• Speed up the development of new consumption. Under this, the official calls for promoting green, smart and healthy consumption.

• Optimise consumption platforms

The second section of the article talks about investment to boost consumption. The piece informs that “in June 2022, the People's Bank of China supported China Development Bank and China Agricultural Development Bank to set up financial instruments totalling 300 billion yuan to supplement the capital for major projects, including new infrastructure, or provide bridge capital for special debt projects. In August, on the basis that the first batch of 300 billion yuan of financial instruments had been invested, a quota of more than 300 billion yuan was increased. By the end of October 2022, two batches of financial instruments had invested 740 billion yuan.” 2022年6月，中国人民银行支持国家开发银行、中国农业发展银行分别设立金融工具共3000亿元，用于补充包括新型基础设施在内的重大项目资本金，或为专项债项目资本金搭桥。8月，在第一批3000亿元金融工具已落到项目的基础上，再增加3000亿元以上额度。截至2022年10月末，两批金融工具合计已投放7400亿元.

The PPP model stimulates private investment and is an important policy tool for stabilising investment. Data show that from January 2020 to the end of October 2022, the accumulated investment in major warehousing projects was 1.9 trillion yuan, accounting for 48% of all warehousing projects at this stage; the amount of investment in major projects started was 2.3 trillion yuan, accounting for 42% of all projects started. Since 2022, the policy of stabilising investment has continued to gain momentum, and investment growth has remained stable on the whole. From January to November, investment in fixed assets increased by 5.3% year-on-year.” 政府和社会资本合作（PPP）模式激发民间投资活力，是稳投资的重要政策工具。数据显示，2020年1月至2022年10月末，累计入库重大项目投资额1.9万亿元，占此阶段所有入库项目的48%；开工重大项目投资额2.3万亿元，占此阶段所有开工项目的42%。2022年以来，稳投资政策持续发力，投资增长总体平稳，1—11月固定资产投资同比增长5.3%.

Finally, Xu Hongcai, vice-minister of the Ministry of Finance, talks about the priorities related to a “proactive fiscal policy in 2023.” These include:

• maintaining the necessary fiscal expenditure intensity

• rationally arrange the deficit ratio and the scale of local government special bonds to ensure that government investment does not decline

• increase transfer payments from the central government to local governments to ensure the bottom line of the “three guarantees” at the grassroots level.

一是统筹财政收入、财政赤字、专项债券、调度资金等，保持必要的财政支出强度，持续推动财力下沉. 二是合理安排赤字率和地方政府专项债券规模，确保政府投资力度不减。三是加大中央对地方的转移支付力度，兜牢兜实基层“三保”底线.

Xu also talks about:

• improving the policy of tax reduction, tax refund and fee reduction to make them more precise and targeted.

• further optimise the structure of fiscal expenditure and support and shore up weak links

• give better play to the guiding and leveraging role of government funds to effectively boost investment and consumption in the whole society

• improve the mechanism for direct access to government funds and deepen performance-based budget management

• continue to innovate and improve fiscal macro-control, and pay attention to strengthening coordination with monetary, industrial, scientific and technological and social policies

提效主要体现在：一是完善减税退税降费政策，增强精准性和针对性。二是进一步优化财政支出结构，支持补短板、强弱项、固底板、扬优势。三是更好发挥财政资金引导与撬动作用，有效带动扩大全社会投资并促进消费。四是完善财政资金直达机制，深化预算绩效管理。五是持续创新和完善财政宏观调控，注重加强与货币、产业、科技、社会政策协调配合.

The final section talks about achieving higher efficiency in foreign trade. It’s interesting that the trade pattern is highlighted here. “As the world's largest manufacturing base and one of the core countries in the global value chain, China needs to import a large number of energy, raw materials and other products to meet the domestic market demand, and import and export a large number of intermediate products to meet the needs of global supply chain collaboration.” 同时，作为全球最大的制造业基地和全球价值链核心国家之一，我国需要进口大量能源、原材料等产品满足国内市场需求，需要进口和出口大量中间品满足全球供应链协作需要.

Next, there’s an interview with Finance Minister Liu Kun. There has already been enough English language reporting on this. Bloomberg reports:

“China’s Finance Minister Liu Kun reiterated plans to appropriately expand fiscal spending to aid economic recovery, while pledging to prevent systemic risks. Liu said, according to an interview with the official Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday, that China’s recovery is still not solid. He cited risks including a contraction in demand and disruptions to supply. The finance chief said the government needs to expand fiscal spending, use proceeds from special government bonds to boost investment in more areas, as well as increase transfer payments to less-developed areas. Liu also vowed to prevent systemic risks from government debt. He said risks are controllable, with outstanding government debt at below 60% of GDP — a level that’s lower than in major economies. Liu said the country will push forward transforming local government financing-platform companies in a market-oriented way. China will ensure sufficient fiscal spending on Covid controls, according to Liu, who didn’t elaborate on the issue.”

In the interview in PD, Liu talks about local government bonds saying:

Since 2018, we have arranged a total of 14.6 trillion yuan of new local government special bonds. Among them, by the end of November 2022, 4 trillion yuan of new local government special bonds were issued, and the actual expenditure of project units totalled 3.43 trillion yuan, supporting the construction of nearly 30,000 key projects.” He added that in 2023, “we will appropriately expand the investment areas and the scope of capital for special bond funds” 刘昆：地方政府专项债券，是带动扩大有效投资、稳定宏观经济的重要手段。2018年以来，我们累计安排新增地方政府专项债券14.6万亿元。其中，2022年截至11月末，发行新增地方政府专项债券4万亿元，项目单位实际支出累计34298亿元，支持近3万个重点项目建设，着力补短板、增后劲、惠民生。2023年，我们将适量扩大专项债券资金投向领域和用作资本金范围，持续形成实物工作量和投资拉动力，推动经济运行整体好转.

On taxation-related support for enterprises, he said: “According to statistics, the proportion of China’s tax revenue in GDP has dropped from 17.4% in 2018 to 15% in 2021, which is at a relatively low level among the world's major economies. In particular, in 2022, a large-scale value-added tax refund was implemented, and the annual new tax cuts and fee reductions and tax refunds and tax deferrals exceeded 4 trillion yuan, helping companies tide over difficulties...In 2023, the finance ministry will focus on the needs of market entities and implement precise policies to help enterprises reduce their burdens and increase their capacity for better development.” 企业是推进高质量发展的重要载体，提振企业发展信心，对稳增长、稳就业意义重大。近年来，我们实施了一系列减税降费政策，政府收入做减法，让企业轻装上阵、提升活力，有效改善了市场主体预期。据统计，我国税收收入占GDP比重从2018年的17.4%下降至2021年的15%，在全球主要经济体中处于较低水平。特别是2022年实施大规模增值税留抵退税，全年新增减税降费和退税缓税缓费超过4万亿元，帮助企业渡过难关，留住青山。2023年，财政部门将围绕市场主体需求，精准施策，助力企业减负增能，更好发展.

The three objectives for using these tools are to bailout enterprise, stimulate vitality by treating all entities equally and to support employment.

Finally, on livelihood issues, Liu says: “From 2012 to 2021, the national financial education funds have invested about 33 trillion yuan in total, the national general public budget health expenditures have been at around 13.6 trillion yuan, and housing security expenditures have been around 6 trillion yuan.” In 2023, he promised that China will not roll back on spending on people's wellbeing, despite the contradiction between fiscal revenue and expenditure being prominent. 党的十八大以来，财政民生投入逐年增加。2012—2021年，国家财政性教育经费累计投入约33万亿元，全国一般公共预算卫生健康支出13.6万亿元、住房保障支出6万亿元，改革发展成果更多更公平惠及人民群众。2023年财政收支矛盾依然突出，但我们不会在民生支出上退步，将保持适当支出强度，持续增进民生福祉，努力让人民群众有更多的获得感幸福感安全感.

He added that the central government will:

• continue to increase the scale of transfer payments to local governments for education

• ensure the funds needed for epidemic prevention and control

• increase the financial subsidy standard for residents’ medical insurance

• improve the social security system

• spend to improve quality of the ecological environment

• resolutely hold the bottom line of the ‘three guarantees’ at the grassroots level, and increase transfer payments to local governments, giving preference to the central and western regions, and to grassroots counties and townships.

Page 3: A brief report informing that President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow will visit China on January 5 and 6th. Also, there’s a Zhong Sheng commentary blaming some Western media, saying that their criticism of China’s COVID policies is a product of “deep-rooted political prejudice.” 

It says that China’s COVID “policy adjustment is scientific, timely and necessary. However, some western media have ignored the truth, deviated from the scientific spirit, maliciously discredited the adjustment of epidemic prevention policy in China, completely discarded professional ethics and demonstrated no credibility at all.” 这一政策调整科学、及时、必要。然而，一些西方媒体却罔顾事实真相、背离科学精神，恶意抹黑中国防疫政策调整，完全丧失了媒体的职业操守，毫无公信力可言. —

Quick thought: So much whining to deflect from what was a badly managed change in policy. The issue is not whether zero-COVID needed to go. The issue is how its end has been managed. Of course, because it is tough to answer questions about why the change from zero-COVID was made so abruptly and why there wasn't better planning – such as a focus on vaccination of the elderly or the use of vaccine mandates to incentivise vaccination or the import of more effective vaccines or the expansion of medical capacity rather than wasting money in repeated testing — we see this rant against critical media coverage. What’s also ironic about this rant is that for every claim about the scientific and pragmatic nature of the policy change, the author cites the support of a Western commentator like Martin Jacques or Sébastien Périmony. In other words, there’s such a craving for validation even while repudiating Western media.

It says that “the optimisation and adjustment of epidemic prevention policy in China reflects a scientific and pragmatic attitude.” This is basically because of the reduced pathogenicity and virulence of the strains of the Omicron variant and improved medical treatment capacities, pathogen detection and vaccination in China. It adds that changing COVID-19 to a Class B infectious disease “is not only a timely and necessary action for scientific prevention and control, but also a strategic and long-term decision for efficiently coordinating epidemic prevention and control, economic and social development and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.” 中国防疫政策的优化调整体现出科学、务实的态度。当前，奥密克戎变异株致病力和毒力明显减弱，而中国医疗救治、病原检测、疫苗接种等能力持续提升。在此背景下，中国有序出台“二十条”和“新十条”优化措施，制定将新冠病毒感染从“乙类甲管”调整为“乙类乙管”方案。这既是科学防控的及时、必要之举，也是高效统筹疫情防控和经济社会发展、维护最广大人民根本利益的战略、长远之举.

This next bit is amusing if it wasn’t tragic. “Facts have proved that China’s policy of optimising epidemic prevention and control is not lying flat’; the real ‘lying flat’ is what some Western countries have done despite being endowed with rich medical resources. 事实证明，中国优化疫情防控政策不是“躺平”，真正“躺平”的，恰恰是一些拥有丰富医疗资源的西方国家. Of course, this is followed by talk of one million deaths in America and the easing of contact tracing, lifting of masking requirements, etc, as examples of how the West let go of things early and didn’t offer “practical solutions” to the various social problems brought about by the pandemic. — This is not even smart propaganda. It’s just desperate stuff. 

“Some Western media have tried their best to distort and smear the Chinese government's epidemic prevention and control policy, which fully exposes their deep-rooted political bias. In the past three years, due to their psychological imbalance, these western media outlets have always turned a blind eye to the positive results of China’s fight against the pandemic and attacked every policy measure adopted by China. From wantonly hyping up the origin of the virus and spreading rumours such as the ‘laboratory leak’ theory, to pointing fingers and making irresponsible remarks on the optimisation and adjustment of China’s epidemic prevention and control policies, these western media outlets have made the epidemic issue into an ideological one and engaged in ‘politics first’ and double standards, seriously undermining the solidarity of the international community in fighting the epidemic.” 一些西方媒体挖空心思歪曲抹黑中国政府的疫情防控政策，是其根深蒂固政治偏见的充分暴露。近3年来，由于心理失衡，这些西方媒体对中国抗疫取得的积极成效总是视而不见，对中国推出的任何一项政策举措都要进行恶意攻击。从肆意炒作病毒溯源问题、散布所谓“实验室泄漏论”等谣言，到对中国优化调整疫情防控政策指手画脚、说三道四，这些西方媒体将疫情问题意识形态化，热衷于搞“政治优先”和双重标准，给国际社会抗疫团结造成了严重破坏.

Page 4: A report on Politburo member Liu Guozhong visiting Sichuan and Chongqing, taking stock of epidemic prevention and control measures. This is a useful report to point to the direction of COVID-related efforts.

Liu “stressed that it is necessary to shift the focus of prevention and control work to ‘protecting health and preventing severe infections’. It is necessary to strengthen the guarantee of medicines and medical equipment…and do a good job in the supply of basic medical materials in township hospitals and village clinics. We must do everything possible to treat critically ill patients, and ensure the beds, facilities and medical staff for critically ill patients. For the elderly and patients with underlying ailments and high risk of critically ill patients, we must move quickly and intervene early. Those who need to be hospitalised should be received and treated in time. We should attach great importance to epidemic prevention and control in rural areas, distribute ‘health kits’ to key populations in remote mountainous areas, organise grassroots medical staff to settle down, provide door-to-door services, and open up the rapid referral channel for medical institutions in rural and urban areas. We should earnestly care for medical workers, publicise role models and exemplary individuals, fully mobilise the enthusiasm of the public, and better protect people's lives and health.” 刘国中强调，要切实将防控工作重心转向“保健康、防重症”。要强化药品和医疗设备保障，搞好生产调度和供需衔接，做好乡镇卫生院、村卫生室基本医用物资供应。要千方百计救治重症患者，保证重症床位、设备设施、医护人员，对高龄老人和有基础疾病、发生重症风险较大的患者，要关口前移，提早干预，需住院的要应收尽收、及时救治。要高度重视农村地区疫情防控，向边远山区重点人群发放“健康包”，组织基层医疗力量下沉，主动开展上门服务，畅通农村与城市医疗机构快速转诊通道。要切实关心关爱医护人员，宣传先进典型，充分调动大家的积极性，更好保护人民生命安全和身体健康.

Next, a report on leadership changes in Jiangsu, with Xin Changxing being appointed as the new Party Secretary, and Qinghai, with Chen Gang becoming the new Party Secretary.

Page 11: Today, there’s an article by Wang Xiaohui, Party Secretary of Sichuan. There’s no real pandering to Xi Jinping in this, like the piece from Zhou Zuyi yesterday.

Wang says that “the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee closely focused on implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on Sichuan's work to examine and plan the development of the cause of governing Sichuan and rejuvenating Sichuan. The Second Plenary Session of the 12th Provincial Party Committee was held to make overall arrangements for leading Sichuan's modernisation with Chinese-style modernisation. It clearly proposed taking the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle as the general traction; taking ‘the synchronisation of the four modernisations, the integration of urban and rural areas and the common prosperity of the five districts’ as the general starting point; adhering to the general idea of ‘speaking politics, pursuing development, benefiting people’s livelihood and ensuring safety’; it scientifically determined the goals, key tasks, and major initiatives, and called for creating a beautiful picture of Sichuan's modernisation in a new era and on the new journey.” 四川省委紧紧围绕贯彻落实党的二十大精神和习近平总书记对四川工作系列重要指示精神来审视谋划治蜀兴川事业发展，召开省委十二届二次全会对以中国式现代化引领四川现代化建设作出全面部署，明确提出以成渝地区双城经济圈建设为总牵引，以“四化同步、城乡融合、五区共兴”为总抓手，坚持“讲政治、抓发展、惠民生、保安全”工作总思路，科学确定奋斗目标、重点任务、重大举措，描绘了新时代新征程四川现代化建设的美好图景. 

He adds that “in the new era and new journey, we must deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, more consciously strengthen the four consciousnesses and four self-confidences, and achieve the Two Safeguards in order to ensure the development of the cause of governing and rejuvenating Sichuan....” 新时代新征程，我们要深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，更加自觉地增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，确保治蜀兴川事业发展沿着正确方向坚定前行...

In the subsequent paragraphs, he talks about daring to struggle, but also being sober about the challenges in development. This is an important bit again in the context of the underlying problems that the zero-COVID policy resulted in and the sense of urgency with regard to the challenges facing the economy:

“At present, it is particularly important to better coordinate epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, implement the requirements of the central leadership to optimise epidemic prevention and control, actively improve the corresponding economic development measures and social operation order, spare no effort/go all out in the struggle for the economy and development, so as to ensure a good start on the new journey of Sichuan's modernisation.” 当前特别要更好统筹疫情防控和经济社会发展，落实好中央优化疫情防控要求，积极完善与之相适应的经济发展举措、社会运行秩序，全力以赴拼经济、搞建设，确保四川现代化建设新征程开好局起好步.

The final section talks about the need to be prepared for struggle, calling for cadres to be prepared for “great struggles with many new historical characteristics” and the need to meet them “without hesitation.”