Study & Propaganda of 3rd Plenum Decision - China-Russia Energy Talks - Wang Yi Meets Dmytro Kuleba - China's 3-Point Mideast Initiative - US 'Should Abandon Nuclear Sharing & Extended Deterrence'
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
Page 1: The lead report on the page is about Xi Jinping’s letter to Xiamen Airlines, calling on it to play an active role in serving economic and social development and advancing exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.
Xi wrote that “when I was working in Xiamen, I participated in the founding of Xiamen Airlines. I have been following the company’s growth for 40 years. I am very pleased to see that Xiamen Airlines, which started from scratch, has achieved leapfrog development.” He called on the staff to stay committed to reform and innovation, enhance the airline’s core competitiveness, build a solid bottom line of safety, actively play a role in serving economic and social development and promoting cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, contribute more to advancing the high-quality development of civil aviation and boosting China’s strength in transportation. 习近平在回信中说，我在厦门工作时，曾参与厦航的初创，40年来一直关注着公司的成长。如今看到白手起家的厦航实现了跨越式发展，我很欣慰。习近平强调，新时代新征程上，希望你们弘扬优良传统，坚持改革创新，增强核心竞争力，筑牢安全底线，在服务经济社会发展、促进两岸交流合作上积极发挥作用，为推动民航业高质量发展、建设交通强国贡献更多力量.
Next, there’s a commentary discussing the Third Plenum Decision. The commentary stresses the importance of implementation of reform measures.
“Studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee is a major political task for the whole party and the whole country at present and in the future. We must unify our thoughts and actions with the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, resolutely shoulder the major political responsibility of reform, and enhance the political consciousness of promoting reform. We must thoroughly study and understand the spirit of the plenary session, deeply understand and grasp the theme, major principles, major measures, and fundamental guarantees for further comprehensively deepening reform, and enhance the ideological consciousness of promoting reform. We must implement reform with a spirit of perseverance. The whole Party must be pragmatic and courageous in implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee for further comprehensively deepening reform, and enhance the action consciousness of promoting reform.” 学习好贯彻好党的二十届三中全会精神是当前和今后一个时期全党全国的一项重大政治任务。要把思想和行动统一到习近平总书记重要讲话精神和党中央决策部署上来，坚决扛起抓改革的重大政治责任，增强推进改革的政治自觉。要深入学习领会全会精神，深刻领会和把握进一步全面深化改革的主题、重大原则、重大举措、根本保证，增强推进改革的思想自觉。要以钉钉子精神抓好改革落实，对党中央进一步全面深化改革的决策部署，全党必须求真务实抓落实、敢作善为抓落实，增强推进改革的行动自觉.
It adds:
“We must deeply understand that implementation is the fundamental requirement of the Party’s political line, ideological line, and mass line, and is also an important measure of the Party spirit and performance outlook of leading cadres. It is necessary to formulate a good implementation plan, make precise policies and implement them in a timely and appropriate manner, do our best within our capacity, and avoid being divorced from reality. It is necessary to adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, persist in emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, keeping pace with the times, and being pragmatic. It is essential to strengthen organisational leadership, encourage cadres to be innovative and entrepreneurial, and ensure that the reform decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee are effective.” 要深刻认识到，抓落实，是党的政治路线、思想路线、群众路线的根本要求，也是衡量领导干部党性和政绩观的重要标志。要制定好实施方案，做到精准施策、适时适度，尽力而为、量力而行，切忌脱离实际。要坚持稳中求进工作总基调，坚持解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进、求真务实。要加强组织领导，激励干部开拓进取、干事创业，确保党中央改革决策部署见到实效.
The other key point in this is about building consensus. Under this, the article stresses on implementing the mass line and the need to fully mobilise the enthusiasm of all parties for reform.
Staying with the Third Plenum, there’s a report informing that a mobilisation meeting of the Central Propaganda Group for studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenum was held in Beijing. Cai Qi spoke at this meeting. He said that “studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee is a major political task for the whole party and the whole country at present and in the future.”
“We must implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on effectively carrying out propaganda work, thoroughly study and understand the spirit of the plenary session, comprehensively grasp the requirements of propaganda work, and complete the propaganda tasks with high quality, and guide Party members, cadres, and the masses to deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the four consciousnesses and four confidences, and achieve the Two Safeguards, and truly unify thoughts and actions with the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee.” 他强调，学习好贯彻好党的二十届三中全会精神，是当前和今后一个时期全党全国的一项重大政治任务。要贯彻落实习近平总书记关于做好宣讲工作的重要指示，认真学习领会全会精神，全面把握宣讲工作要求，高质量完成宣讲任务，引导广大党员、干部、群众深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，切实把思想和行动统一到党中央决策部署上来.
Cai added: “In propagating the spirit of the Plenum, it is important to first clearly explain the session’s great epochal significance and far-reaching historical impact, as well as our Party’s unwavering determination to carry out reform and opening-up to the end.”
So what is it that must be publicised? Cai says:
thoroughly publicise the major achievements of the Party and country since the 20th Party Congress
thoroughly publicise General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new conclusions on comprehensively deepening reform,
thoroughly publicise the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the Third Plenary Session
thoroughly publicise the major measures for further comprehensively deepening reform proposed in the ‘Decision’ of the plenary session
thoroughly publicise the basic requirements for implementing the spirit of the plenary session
Doing so, he argues, will enhance the “ideological and action consciousness of Party members, cadres, and the public to study, publicise and implement the spirit of the plenary session. This will maximise the consensus on reform, stimulate the vitality of reform, and promote the precise implementation of various reform measures and achieve practical results.” 宣讲全会精神，首先要讲清楚全会的重大时代意义和深远历史影响，讲清楚我们党将改革开放进行到底的坚定决心。要深入宣讲党的二十大以来党和国家事业取得的重大成就，深入宣讲习近平总书记关于全面深化改革的一系列新思想、新观点、新论断，深入宣讲习近平总书记在党的二十届三中全会上的重要讲话精神，深入宣讲全会《决定》提出的进一步全面深化改革重大举措，深入宣讲贯彻落实全会精神的基本要求，增强广大党员、干部、群众学习宣传贯彻全会精神的思想自觉和行动自觉，最大限度凝聚改革共识、激发改革活力，推动各项改革举措精准落地、取得实效.
Next, there’s a report on the plenary meeting of the eighth session of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee. All members “unanimously agreed with the strategic arrangements and reform measures made by the CPC Central Committee for further comprehensively deepening reform.” Xinhua English summarises the report neatly.
“Fifteen Standing Committee members of the CPPCC National Committee delivered speeches. They commended the plans and measures for further deepening reform comprehensively adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, vowing to earnestly study, disseminate and implement the plenum's guiding principles. The senior political advisors also shared their insights into such matters as the reform of the judicial system, the reform of public hospitals, and the integrated reform of institutions and mechanisms related to education, science and technology, and talent.”
Also, there’s a report on PLA officers and soldiers studying the spirit of the third plenum. Essentially, this signals appreciation and support.
While still with the third plenum, do note this report from earlier today:
SCMP reports that the PBOC has lowered the one-year medium-term lending facility from 2.5% to 2.3%
“China’s central bank on Thursday cut a widely watched medium-term policy rate by 20 basis points, in the latest step to shore up economic activities. The rate of one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) was lowered from 2.5 per cent to 2.3 per cent, according to the People’s Bank of China. The central bank sold 200 billion yuan (US$27.5 billion) of the tool and 235.1 billion yuan of the seven-day reverse repo. The MLF cut came after the PBOC’s decision on Monday to lower three key rates by 10 basis points. Several major Chinese banks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the Agricultural Bank of China, had already announced rate cuts on time deposits on Thursday. The big state banks cut time deposit rates by between 10 basis points and 20 basis points, according to statements on their websites, with more Chinese banks expected to follow suit.”
Moving on, there is a report on Ding Xuexiang’s visit to Russia. During the visit, the two sides held the 11th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee, the 21st meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee, and the 6th China-Russia Energy Business Forum. Xinhua says:
In the meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee, Ding said that:
“China is willing to work with Russia to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously upgrade the level of investment and energy cooperation between the two countries, and better realize mutual benefit, win-win results and common development…Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia investment and energy cooperation has maintained a sound momentum of development, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and the two peoples…The two sides should formulate better plans to provide guidance for bilateral investment cooperation, steadily advance cooperation on major projects, deeply tap the potential of sub-national cooperation, and actively create a favorable investment environment…He also called for deepening integrated cooperation among upstream, midstream and downstream of the energy sector, enhancing cooperation in fields such as energy technology innovation, strengthening strategic coordination on global energy governance, so as to jointly promote their high-quality energy cooperation.”
The Russian side “expressed Russia’s willingness to join hands with China to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, give full play to the platform and coordinating role of investment and energy cooperation mechanisms, expand the scope and depth of their cooperation, and contribute to the growth of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.”
At the 6th China-Russia Energy Business Forum, Ding read a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping and delivered a speech.
Ding said that “both sides should consolidate the good momentum of energy trade cooperation, jointly promote the construction of large-scale energy projects, pragmatically expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy industry chain, and build a closer energy cooperation partnership…Noting China is opening its door even wider to the outside world and will provide more development opportunities for the world through its high-quality development, Ding said Russian enterprises are welcome to actively participate in China's modernization drive and achieve better development while sharing China’s opportunities.”
While on this subject, do check out this bit of data:
Finally, there’s a report on Zhao Leji’s meeting with the President of the Central American Parliament, Silvia García. Xinhua says:
Zhao “said that in August last year, the Central American Parliament made a historic decision to revoke the permanent observer status of Taiwan’s legislative body and accept the NPC as a permanent observer. This again shows that the one-China principle is the universally recognized norm of the international community, the aspiration of the people and the trend of the times. Over the past year, the exchanges and cooperation between China's NPC and the Central American Parliament have been solid and effective, with good development momentum. Zhao said the visit of the Central American Parliamentary delegation to China will further enhance the level of exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. China is ready to work with the Central American Parliament to map out the direction of cooperation and lay a solid foundation for the steady growth of bilateral relations, he said.”
“Zhao urged the two sides to consolidate political mutual trust continuously. He added that China highly appreciates the Central American Parliament's adherence to the one-China principle and will continue to firmly support the Central American Parliament's efforts in strengthening dialogue among member states, promoting common development, upholding multilateralism and advancing regional integration. The two sides need to step up exchanges at multiple levels and through multiple channels, promote friendly exchanges and cooperation, strengthen policy communication and experience sharing on high-quality development, poverty reduction and poverty alleviation, ecological and environmental protection, carry out cooperation in political parties, humanities and local governments, and jointly promote the development of relations between China and regional countries, Zhao said. He added that both sides must also strengthen coordination in multilateral organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Latin-American Parliament to jointly safeguard the rights and interests of developing countries.”
“The Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and is the core of China's interests, Zhao stressed. He called on the Central American Parliament to continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle, oppose all forms of ‘Taiwan independence,’ and support the Chinese government's efforts to achieve national reunification. Zhao also provided relevant information on the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He added that China is willing to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning with the Central American Parliament on issues such as reform, opening up, and modernization and contribute to the development of respective countries and regions.”
It adds that García and members of the delegation said that the “Central American Parliament adheres to the one-China principle and supports China's efforts to achieve national reunification. It is willing to learn from China's development experience, deepen exchanges with China's NPC, and help regional countries and China cooperate in politics, economy, culture, education, renewable energy and other fields, and promote South-South cooperation.”
Page 2: There is an interview with Qu Qingshan, who heads the Institute of Party History and Literature, on the third plenum decision document. I am covering the first two questions. The other two are simply referencing the 7 key reform tasks and principles in the document. There is nothing particularly noteworthy in those.
Qu describes the third plenum of the 11th Central Committee in 1978, the third plenum of the 18th Central Committee in 2013 and the latest plenum as being “milestones in the history of the CPC and the history of New China.” He adds:
The current and future period is critical for comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. The ‘Decision’ profoundly analyzes the necessity of continuing to push forward reforms in the current era “in order to deal with complex developments both at home and abroad, adapt to the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and live up to the new expectations of our people.” 当前和今后一个时期是以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期。《决定》以“面对纷繁复杂的国际国内形势，面对新一轮科技革命和产业变革，面对人民群众新期待”深刻分析了当前时代背景下继续把改革推向前进的必要性.
He adds that the Decision “puts forward that continuing to push forward the reform ‘is an inevitable requirement for upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. It is an inevitable requirement to implement the new development concept, better adapt to the major contradictions and changes in our society, adhere to the principle of being people-centered, and ensure that the achievements of modernization benefit all people more equitably. It is an inevitable requirement for responding to major risks and challenges and ensuring the steady progress of the Party and the country’s cause, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, winning the strategic initiative amid the acceleration of the profound changes unseen in a century, and deepening the new great project of Party building in the new era and building a stronger and more powerful Marxist political party. The ‘Decision’ elaborates and emphasises the importance and necessity of further comprehensively deepening reforms from multiple perspectives, including institutional construction, development concepts, value positions, risk challenges, major power responsibilities, and Party building. It possesses both political and strategic heights, as well as historical depth and global breadth. In summary, the significant meaning of further comprehensively deepening reforms can be encapsulated in one sentence: to provide strong momentum and institutional guarantees for Chinese-style modernization.” 《决定》从党和国家事业发展全局的高度，提出继续把改革推向前进“是坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的必然要求，是贯彻新发展理念、更好适应我国社会主要矛盾变化的必然要求，是坚持以人民为中心、让现代化建设成果更多更公平惠及全体人民的必然要求，是应对重大风险挑战、推动党和国家事业行稳致远的必然要求，是推动构建人类命运共同体、在百年变局加速演进中赢得战略主动的必然要求，是深入推进新时代党的建设新的伟大工程、建设更加坚强有力的马克思主义政党的必然要求”。《决定》从制度建设、发展理念、价值立场、风险挑战、大国担当、党的建设等方面多角度阐述和强调了进一步全面深化改革的重要性和必然性，既有政治高度，又有战略高度；既有历史深度，又有世界广度。概括起来讲，进一步全面深化改革的重大意义就是一句话：为中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障.
The second question is about the “guiding ideology” of reform as per the Decision document. Qu explains that this paragraph below clarifies the guiding ideology. He identifies this paragraph from the document and calls to “unswervingly adhere to this guiding ideology.”
“We must stay committed to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development and fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s new ideas, viewpoints, and conclusions on comprehensively deepening reform and fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts. We must adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and continue to free our minds, seek truth from facts, move with the times, and take a realistic and pragmatic approach, as we work to further unleash and develop the productive forces and tap into and boost the vitality of our society. Keeping in mind both domestic and international imperatives, we will ensure coordinated implementation of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy. Regarding economic structural reform as the spearhead and greater social fairness and justice and increased wellbeing of the people as our ultimate objectives, we will channel greater energy into making our reforms integrated, focused, and effective. We will work to better adapt the relations of production to the productive forces, the superstructure to the economic base, and national governance to social development so as to provide strong impetus and institutional support for Chinese modernization.”
In particular, he calls to “thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new conclusions” and adds that “General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on deepening reform scientifically answer major theoretical and practical questions, such as what banner to hold and what path to take in the new era, why should there be comprehensive deepening of reform, and how to deepen reform comprehensively, providing a fundamental guideline for further comprehensively deepening reform.” 习近平总书记关于全面深化改革的重要论述，科学回答了在新时代举什么旗、走什么路，为什么要全面深化改革、怎样全面深化改革等重大理论和实践问题，为进一步全面深化改革提供了根本遵循.
Page 3: There is a report on Wang Yi’s meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Guangzhou. Xinhua says:
“Noting that the Ukraine crisis has entered its third year and the conflict is still ongoing with risks of escalation and spillover, Wang said China is firmly committed to promoting a political settlement of the crisis, and the four principles laid out by President Xi Jinping form China's fundamental approach to solving the crisis. On this basis, Wang said, China and Brazil have jointly issued six common understandings for a political resolution to the crisis, including three principles for managing the conflict, three elements for a peace plan, three humanitarian concerns, as well as important measures to prevent nuclear risks and ensure the stability of industrial and supply chains. This consensus has garnered widespread support and response from the international community, Wang added. China believes that all conflicts have to end at the negotiating table, and all disputes must be resolved through political means, Wang said, adding that recently both Ukraine and Russia have shown willingness for negotiations. ‘Although the conditions and timing are not yet ripe, we support all efforts conducive to peace and stand ready to continue to play a constructive role for a ceasefire and resumption of peace talks,’ he said, adding that China is closely following the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the country.”
Wang added: “China and Ukraine are friendly countries, with their strategic partnership established more than a decade ago.” He added that “the two countries have treated each other with mutual respect and equality, and steadily advanced mutually beneficial cooperation. He said the two heads of state have stressed the need to view and develop bilateral relations from a long-term perspective and push forward China-Ukraine relations and bilateral cooperation. Wang called on the two countries to maintain communication and exchanges, enhance mutual trust, carry forward the traditional friendship, promote people-to-people relations and advance the sound and steady development of relations.”
Wang also said that “China will continue to expand grain imports from Ukraine and jointly maintain smooth logistics channels and international food security.”
Reuters reports that the talks lasted for around three hours. The Ukrainian foreign ministry’s readout says that:
“The main topic of discussion was the search for ways to stop Russian aggression and China's possible role in achieving a lasting and just peace. ‘I am convinced that a just peace in Ukraine is in China's strategic interests, and China's role as a global force for peace is important,’ said Dmytro Kuleba during a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Guangzhou. Minister Kuleba emphasized that ‘Russian aggression has destroyed peace and slowed down development, and each new day of war entails new violations of humanity and further erosion of justice. Therefore, it is necessary to end the war against Ukraine, restore peace and accelerate the restoration of our country’. The Minister briefed his colleague on the results of the Peace Summit in Switzerland and explained the logic of further steps in implementing the Peace Formula as a way to a just end to Russian aggression. Dmytro Kuleba restated Ukraine’s established position that it is ready to engage the Russian side in the negotiation process at a certain stage, when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, but emphasized that no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.”
Next, there’s a report on Wang Yi meeting with the head of the Fatah delegation Mahmoud al-Aloul in Beijing. Xinhua says:
Wang said that “no matter how the international situation changes, China will always firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people. Noting that the conflict in Gaza has caused a huge humanitarian disaster, Wang said to resolve this historical injustice, the principle of ‘Palestinian-owned, Palestinian-led and Palestinian-ruled’ must be upheld. Wang said the top priority now is to proceed from the fundamental interests of all the Palestinian people, seize the opportunity and seek common ground while shelving differences, so that unity and reconciliation among the various factions could be realized, and they could form a unified position, define a common goal, and create necessary conditions for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the realization of an independent state and the implementation of the two-state solution.”
Earlier in the week, senior representatives of 14 Palestinian factions held reconciliation talks in Beijing from July 21 to 23. Xinhua reported that the talks ended with the signing of the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity.
In his speech at the meeting, Wang Yi said that “the core outcome” of the talks was to make clear that the “PLO is the sole legitimate representative of all the Palestinian people. The most significant highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government focused on the post-war governance of Gaza, and the strongest call is for the creation of a truly independent Palestinian state in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.”
He added that “reconciliation is the internal affair of Palestinian factions, and cannot happen without international support. Today, there are envoys from some important countries present, including friends from Egypt, Algeria, and Russia. On the path toward reconciliation, China shares the same direction and destination with Arab and Islamic countries. China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with relevant parties, make efforts to implement the Beijing Declaration reached today and play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.” 和解是巴勒斯坦各派内部事务，同时离不开国际社会支持。今天在场的还有一些重要国家的使节，无论是埃及、阿尔及利亚还是俄罗斯的朋友们都在场。在推动和解的道路上，中方同广大阿拉伯、伊斯兰国家的方向是相同的、目标是一致的。中方愿同有关各方加强沟通协调，为落实好今天达成的《北京宣言》而作出努力，为维护中东地区和平稳定发挥建设性作用.
He added that “the Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East issue” and proposed a three-step formula for resolution.
The first step is to promote a comprehensive, lasting and sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and ensure humanitarian assistance and relief access. No excuse should be used to harm civilians or delay the cessation of hostilities. The international community should further unite on the issue of ceasefire and stopping the war.
The second step is to uphold the principle of ‘Palestinians governing Palestine’ and work together to promote post-war governance in Gaza. The conflict has left Gaza devastated, and initiating post-war reconstruction is an urgent issue for the next phase. Gaza is an inseparable and integral part of Palestine. The international community should support the formation of a temporary national consensus government by various Palestinian factions to effectively manage Gaza and the West Bank.
The third step is to promote Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations and begin to implement the two-State solution. The root cause of the recurring Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the prolonged inability to establish an independent state. It is important to support the convening of a broad-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and road map for the two-State solution, thereby bringing the Palestinian issue back to the correct track of political resolution.
第一步是推动加沙地带尽快实现全面、持久、可持续停火，确保人道援助和救援顺畅准入。任何借口都不能成为伤害平民、拖延战事的理由，国际社会应在停火止战问题上进一步凝聚合力。第二步是秉持“巴人治巴”原则，携手推进加沙战后治理。战事已导致加沙地区满目疮痍，尽快开启战后重建成为下阶段的紧迫议题。加沙是巴勒斯坦不可分割的重要组成部分。国际社会应该支持巴勒斯坦各派组建临时民族共识政府，对加沙和约旦河西岸进行有效管控。第三步是推动巴勒斯坦成为联合国正式会员国，并着手落实“两国方案”。巴以冲突循环往复的根源是巴勒斯坦迟迟无法独立建国。应该支持召开更大规模、更具权威、更有实效的国际和会，就落实“两国方案”制定时间表和路线图，推动巴勒斯坦问题回到政治解决的正确轨道上来。
Finally, there’s a report informing that the International Liaison Department held a session in Changsha for more than 200 foreign guests from over 50 African countries, briefing them on the outcomes of the Third Plenary Session.
Outside the paper, a couple of foreign affairs-related reports to note:
First, Wang Yi met with Hiroshi Moriyama, chief of the general council of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Xinhua says:
Wang said that “China and Japan should support, understand and help each other, which is the correct way for neighboring countries to coexist. He stated that both sides should abide by the provisions of the four political documents between China and Japan, strengthen dialogue, enhance mutual understanding, and deepen cooperation. ‘This not only serves the interests of the people of both countries but also contributes to regional and even global peace and development,’ he said. Noting that the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has just been successfully held, Wang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of CPC Central Committee, said that China will further comprehensively deepen reforms, and it will provide more opportunities for Japan's development and China-Japan cooperation. Wang clarified China’s position and concerns regarding issues of the ocean discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Wang pointed out that the ocean discharge is related to human health, the marine environment and international public interests, and the urgent task is to establish a long-term international monitoring mechanism to ensure the comprehensive and effective participation of relevant parties, including China. Wang also clarified China’s position on the Taiwan problem. He pointed out that the Taiwan problem is related to the political foundation of the bilateral relations, and the Taiwan Strait is not a ‘political theater’. The Japanese side should abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, speak and act cautiously on the Taiwan problem, and ensure the foundation of China-Japan relations remains intact and unshakable, Wang said.”
Second, Sun Xiaobo, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, has called on the US to abandon the ‘nuclear sharing’ and ‘extended deterrence’ arrangements, withdraw nuclear weapons deployed overseas, abandon the development and deployment of a global missile defense system, and immediately cease the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region. Sun made these remarks at the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs session on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Sun added:
China has always believed that the policy of nuclear-weapon states jointly adopting a no-first-use policy is an effective measure to reduce strategic risks…The conference on disarmament should start substantive work as soon as possible on concluding an international legal instrument on not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free-zones.
The two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfill their special and priority responsibilities for nuclear disarmament, further substantially reducing their nuclear arsenals, and creating conditions for other nuclear-weapon states to join the nuclear disarmament process.
It is not fair or reasonable to require countries with significant differences in nuclear policies, nuclear forces, and security environments to bear equal nuclear disarmament obligations, and it is not feasible.
Sun also stressed that to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, all countries should firmly oppose the acts like the generalization of the concept of national security, using export controls as a political tool for ‘decoupling,’ or imposing unnecessary restrictions on international cooperation in nuclear energy.
While on this issue, do check out this conversation that I had with my colleague Aditya Ramanathan on China’s nuclear weapons policy.
That’s it from the paper today.