Hi folks,
I am back after my break. It was actually quite nice to be away from news and PD in general, and getting back today was more effort than usual. Anyway, the newsletter will return to its regular pace from now.
Also, thank you so much for the feedback I’ve received over the past few days from some of you. I’ll be incorporating some of the suggestions going ahead.
Cheers,
Manoj
Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy in the Wednesday, May 11, 2022, edition of the People’s Daily.
Page 1: The first two pages of the newspaper today are essentially about Xi Jinping. The big story on the front page is about Xi Jinping’s speech at the event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Communist Youth League. The full speech is available on Page 2 (full English text); or if you’d like, below is CGTN’s coverage of the speech with English translations.
Quick thought: My nutshell takeaway from the speech is:
There isn’t any new policy message in there, and we should not have expected any either. This isn’t the platform for something like that. That said, I am a little surprised by there being nothing about high-quality development.
The speech basically reiterates some major points about the kind of cadres that Xi desires. They must be true believers in the ideals of communism and Marxism; Party membership should not be seen as a pathway to wealth and power, cadres must be prepared for a difficult life; the doorway into the Party will be tightly guarded, with politics and ideology being key parameters for assessing cadres’ qualities; finally, while the youth in the new era have it better than their predecessors, struggle is unending – so, don’t expect an easy life.
All PSC members were present, the report informs. Xi said that Chinese youth in the new era have the task of “shouldering heavy responsibilities,” but they also have been provided with an “unparalleled stage to display their talents” and enjoy “bright prospects to realise their dreams.”
He called on the CYL to “grasp the basic task of cultivating socialist builders and successors, persist in educating people for the Party, consciously shoulder responsibility, care for the broad masses of youth, be brave in self-revolution, unite and lead the CYL members to grow into becoming good young people who have ideals, dare to take responsibility, can bear hardships and are willing to struggle. It must use the energy and creativity of youth to stir up the surging tide of national rejuvenation, and use the wisdom and sweat of youth to work hard to create a better China.” 新时代的中国青年，生逢其时、重任在肩，施展才干的舞台无比广阔，实现梦想的前景无比光明。实现中国梦是一场历史接力赛，当代青年要在实现民族复兴的赛道上奋勇争先。共青团要牢牢把握培养社会主义建设者和接班人的根本任务，坚持为党育人、自觉担当尽责、心系广大青年、勇于自我革命，团结带领广大团员青年成长为有理想、敢担当、能吃苦、肯奋斗的新时代好青年，用青春的能动力和创造力激荡起民族复兴的澎湃春潮，用青春的智慧和汗水打拼出一个更加美好的中国.
The article details Xi’s comments over eight paragraphs. In the first paragraph, Xi talks about the historical role of the CYL in the Party’s strategy to mobilise the youth. He ends this by calling the league the Party’s “reliable rearguard” - 可靠后备军. In the second one, he briefly mentions the CYL’s 100-year journey, emphasising adherence to the leadership of the Party and adherence to ideals and beliefs as the “political soul of the CYL.” In the full speech text, Xi summarises the historical experience of the CYL’s 100 years through the following points.
“History has fully proved that only by adhering to the leadership of the Party can the Communist Youth League unite and lead the youth and push the Chinese youth movement forward in the correct political direction.” 历史充分证明，只有坚持党的领导，共青团才能团结带领青年前进，推动中国青年运动沿着正确政治方向前行.
“History has fully proved that only by always holding high the banner of communism and socialism can the Communist Youth League form the most solid unity and forge the most effective organisation, and always unite the youth under the banner of the party's ideals and beliefs.” 历史充分证明，只有始终高举共产主义、社会主义旗帜，共青团才能形成最为牢固的团结、锻造最有战斗力的组织，始终把青年凝聚在党的理想信念旗帜之下.
“History has fully proved that only by firmly grasping the theme of striving for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation can the Communist Youth League unite all the youthful forces…”历史充分证明，只有牢牢扭住为中华民族伟大复兴而奋斗这一主题，共青团才能团结起一切可以团结的青春力量，唱响壮丽的青春之歌.
“History has fully proved that only by continuously drawing nutrients and strength from the fertile soil of youth can the Communist Youth League become an entity that the youth can trust, depend on, and cannot do without.” 历史充分证明，只有不断从广大青年这片沃土中汲取养分、获取力量，共青团才能成为广大青年信得过、靠得住、离不开的贴心人.
In the third paragraph, Xi talks about strategies that must be adopted to mobilise the youth going ahead. He says that:
First, “persist in educating people for the Party and always become a political school that leads the ideological progress of Chinese youth.” He calls for adopting an approach that is based on political and ideological points of view along with having the characteristics of youth in order to ensure “cultivate the youth’s trust in the Party, their confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and their belief in Marxism.” “We should base ourselves on the fundamental plan of having successors for the Party’s cause, firmly grasp the fundamental task of training socialist builders and successors, and guide the broad masses of youth to continuously strengthen their ambition, backbone and confidence (志气, 骨气, 底气) of being Chinese through a baptism of ideology and practice.” 第一，坚持为党育人，始终成为引领中国青年思想进步的政治学校。要从政治上着眼、从思想上入手、从青年特点出发，帮助他们早立志、立大志，从内心深处厚植对党的信赖、对中国特色社会主义的信心、对马克思主义的信仰。要立足党的事业后继有人这一根本大计，牢牢把握培养社会主义建设者和接班人这个根本任务，引导广大青年在思想洗礼、在实践锻造中不断增强做中国人的志气、骨气、底气.
Second, he calls on the CYL to “consciously take responsibility and always be the vanguard of organising the perpetual struggle (永久奋斗) of Chinese youth. It is necessary to unite and lead CYL members to consciously listen to the call of the Party and the people, be mindful of the 国之大者, take on missions and tasks, display their ambitions and make contributions in the new era…”
Third, address issues related to the youth, and “fulfil the political responsibility of consolidating and expanding the youth mass base of the Party.”
Fourth, persist in self-revolution. This entails not only strict governance but also ensuring that “the Party’s overall leadership is implemented throughout the entire process and in all areas of our work.” He further calls on the CYL to “grasp the pulse of the youth, explore new ideas and new models for the development of the league’s grass-roots organisations” and encourage the youth and student federations to “hold high the banner of patriotism and socialism,” thereby consolidating and expanding the patriotic united front among the youth.
In the next paragraph, Xi says that CYL members “should be models with lofty ideals and firm convictions, take the lead in studying Marxist theory, establish the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, consciously practice the core values of socialism, and vigorously carry forward the spirit of patriotism.” He then goes on to outline the qualities that he desires from the youth. These including being good at struggling, taking the lead in facing difficulties and overcoming them, being “hard-boned,” becoming exemplars in terms of engaging in hard work and selfless dedication, being down to earth, seeking truth and being pragmatic, being willing to bear hardships first before enjoyment, becoming models of morality/virtue, strictly observe discipline, abide by public morality, and being strict in terms of private morality, strictly abiding by discipline and law…
Xi calls on members to get “political training, strengthen their political forging, pursue political progress” so that they take their growth into “a qualified Communist Party member as the goal and honour.” 强调，追求进步，是青年最宝贵的特质，也是党和人民最殷切的希望。新时代的广大共青团员，要做理想远大、信念坚定的模范，带头学习马克思主义理论，树立共产主义远大理想和中国特色社会主义共同理想，自觉践行社会主义核心价值观，大力弘扬爱国主义精神；要做刻苦学习、锐意创新的模范，带头立足岗位、苦练本领、创先争优，努力成为行业骨干、青年先锋；要做敢于斗争、善于斗争的模范，带头迎难而上、攻坚克难，做到不信邪、不怕鬼、骨头硬；要做艰苦奋斗、无私奉献的模范，带头站稳人民立场，脚踏实地、求真务实，吃苦在前、享受在后，甘于做一颗永不生锈的螺丝钉；要做崇德向善、严守纪律的模范，带头明大德、守公德、严私德，严格遵纪守法，严格履行团员义务。广大共青团员要认真接受政治训练、加强政治锻造、追求政治进步，积极向党组织靠拢，以成长为一名合格的共产党员为目标、为光荣.
The next paragraph is also interesting. Xi says that CYL cadres should “ cultivate a political character of loyalty to the Party and promote the spirit of idealism.” He calls on them to “consciously practice the mass line” and not become friends with the youth rather than becoming “youth officials.” He wants them to “cultivate a down-to-earth work style,” and focus on “practical achievements, and have the courage to go to difficult circumstances and the grassroots to bear hardships.” He also calls on them to “cultivate the moral disposition of integrity and self-discipline” and be “dedicated to the public service.”
In the next paragraph, he talks about the CYL basically being a bridge organisation that must temper the Young Pioneers to grow into their position as Party members – essentially, it’s a critical phase in the political journey of individuals. One of the key tasks for the CYL in cultivating these future Party members is to ensure that the “red country never changes colour.”
Next, there’s a report (English report) about Xi Jinping’s call with French President Emmanuel Macron. Xi had earlier had a virtual meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday. Here’s what Xi had told Scholz on Ukraine:
“The two leaders also had an in-depth and candid exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine. President Xi stressed that China always stands on the side of peace and makes its conclusion independently based on the merits of each matter, and that China has been working in its own way to promote peace and defuse tensions. The Ukraine crisis has once again brought European security to a crossroads. It is important to make every effort to prevent the conflict from intensifying or magnifying to a point of no return. The European side needs to show historical responsibility and political wisdom, bear in mind the long-term stability of Europe, and promote a solution in a responsible manner. The security of Europe should be kept in the hands of Europeans themselves. China supports Europe in playing a positive role in promoting peace talks and in the eventual establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. China welcomes all international efforts conducive to promoting peace. Relevant parties need to support Russia and Ukraine in realizing peace through negotiations.”
On the call with Macron, Xinhua reports Xi saying that:
“In a world undergoing changes unseen in a century, China and France, two permanent members on the United Nations Security Council and independent major countries, should uphold ‘independence, mutual understanding, strategic vision and win-win cooperation,’ a commitment the two sides made when establishing diplomatic relations, stick to their close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in the bilateral, China-Europe and global contexts, he said.”
It adds: “He called on the two sides to step up cooperation in emerging areas including artificial intelligence and clean energy, while advancing cooperation in traditional areas like civilian nuclear energy, and aerospace. The Chinese president said China is ready to import more quality products from France, welcomes French financial and hi-tech companies to China for business cooperation, and hopes that the French side will provide a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises that conduct investment and cooperation in France.”
Also, “Xi stressed that the two sides need to increase communication and coordination at the Group of 20 and on global food and energy security, expand trilateral cooperation in Africa and other regions, and explore cooperation on the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative.” This is interesting. Xi had also said to Scholz that he hoped for “Germany’s active support for and participation in the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, with a view to building a community with a shared future for mankind.”
Anyway, Xinhua further adds: “The Chinese president pointed out that the steady and sound growth of China-EU relations serves the interests of people in China, in Europe and in all other countries, adding that China appreciates France’s commitment to strategic autonomy, and hopes that France will encourage the EU to keep a right perception of China and work with China in the same direction by managing differences properly and building on converging interests for closer cooperation in economy and trade, green and digital development, and people-to-people exchanges.”
On Ukraine, the report says: “The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and agreed that relevant parties should support Russia and Ukraine in restoring peace through negotiations. Xi stressed that China has been working in its own way to promote peace talks, and that China supports European countries in keeping the security of Europe in their own hands. He urged vigilance against bloc confrontation, which poses a bigger and more persistent threat to global security and stability. Macron noted the many common understandings between France and China on the issue of Ukraine, adding that France stands ready for closer coordination and cooperation with China at both bilateral and multilateral levels. France and the EU are committed to strategic autonomy and will not endorse or take part in bloc confrontation, he said.” —
Quick thought: This paragraph is very interesting. The bloc bit mentioned here has to refer to the Indo-Pacific rather than Europe, because France is obviously a NATO member. Also, this bit about “common understandings” on Ukraine is rather deceptive and shrewd framing, masking the shallow nature of the commonalities in the views of the two governments. If one reads the French readout from the call, it says: “The two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and agreed on the urgency of reaching a ceasefire. All efforts aimed at providing humanitarian support to the Ukrainian population should also be supported. They also discussed the risk of a food crisis and the response proposed by France in the form of the FARM (Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission) initiative.”
Next, there’s a report on Xi’s message to Katalin Novak congratulating her on taking office as Hungary's new president. And there’s a report on Xi’s speech at the Boao Forum for Asia being published.
Page 2: Apart from Xi’s full CYL speech, there’s a commentary drawing from the speech. The commentary says that since the 18th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has “personally planned, guided and cared for the work of the Communist Youth League and youth in the new era based on the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the profound changes unseen in the world in a century, and promoted new achievements in the work of the Communist Youth League and youth.” Xi’s “important thoughts on youth work have provided profound answers with regard to directional, overall and strategic issues of what kind of youth to cultivate, how to cultivate youth, what kind of Communist Youth League to build and how to build the Communist Youth League in the new era.” 党的十八大以来，总书记立足中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局，亲自谋划、亲身指导、亲切关怀新时代共青团和青年工作，推动共青团和青年工作取得新的成绩。举旗定向，掌舵领航，总书记关于青年工作的重要思想，深刻回答了新时代培养什么样的青年、怎样培养青年，建设什么样的共青团、怎样建设共青团等方向性、全局性、战略性重大课题，为做好新时代青年工作、为党培养一批又一批社会主义建设者和接班人提供了根本遵循.
The piece calls on the CYL to ensure adherence to the Party’s leadership and “unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, deeply understand the decisive significance of the ‘Two Establishments’, strengthen the ‘four consciousness’ and the ‘four self-confidences’, achieve ‘two safeguards’, always keep in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest entrustment, forge ahead and struggle forever, and take practical actions to greet the Party's 20th National Congress…让我们更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，深刻领会“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”，始终牢记总书记的殷殷嘱托，砥砺奋进、永久奋斗，以实际行动迎接党的二十大胜利召开，在全面建设社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴的宏伟征程中书写新时代中国青年的光辉篇章.
Finally, we have a story about people reacting positively to Xi’s speech.
Page 3: There are quite a few reports to note on the page. First, a report about Wang Qishan attending the inauguration of the new South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol. Wang later met with Yoon. Xinhua says that Wang put forward a five-point proposal:
Firstly, China and South Korea should enhance strategic communication and high-level exchanges, as well as further invigorate dialogue and exchanges at all levels.
Secondly, the two sides should deepen pragmatic cooperation, strengthen the alignment of development strategies of the two countries, and deepen cooperation in key areas and third-party markets to upgrade bilateral cooperation.
Thirdly, as China and South Korea are geographically linked, their peoples are connected by kinship and cultures enjoy a natural affinity, the two countries should give full play to this advantage and take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges as an opportunity to plan and implement more activities conducive to enhancing people-to-people friendship, so as to continuously inject positive energy into the growth of bilateral ties. — How does one do this if China remains closed to outsiders?
Fourthly, the two countries should strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, be committed to upholding multilateralism and the free trade system, and promote regional and global development and prosperity.
Fifthly, the two sides should jointly boost coordination and cooperation in the Korean Peninsula affairs and properly handle sensitive issues. China sincerely supports the two sides of the Korean Peninsula in improving relations and promoting reconciliation and cooperation, and stands ready to cement communication with South Korea to advance the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and promote lasting peace on the peninsula.
Next, a report about Wang Chen meeting with Suchart Tancharoen, first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand. Xinhua reports Wang as saying that “China is ready to work with Thailand to give full play to the positive role of the legislatures, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning in rule of law, and advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, contributing to the development of bilateral relations and enhancing friendship between the two peoples. Suchart Tancharoen said Thailand firmly upholds the one-China policy, expressing hopes to deepen exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries and provide a sound legal environment for bilateral practical cooperation.”
Third, a report about a China-EU Human Rights Seminar held jointly by the Austria-China Friendship Association and the China society for Human Rights Studies. Representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and more than 100 human rights experts from China, Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary and other countries discussed technology and human rights.
Xu Xianming, vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said that since the 18th Party Congress, “the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has insisted on respecting and protecting human rights as an important task in governing the country. China has embarked on a human rights development path that conforms to the trend of the times and China’s national conditions. This has not only enabled the unprecedented development of the human rights of the Chinese people, but also resulted in great contributions to promoting the cause of human rights in the world and advancing global human rights governance. In the process of promoting the development of human rights, China has actively promoted the balanced development of scientific and technological innovation and human rights protection, actively carried out international cooperation in the field of science and technology, and strived to make science and technology make greater contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.”
The story has a couple of Western commentators from the UK and Spain reiterating the Chinese viewpoint on democracy.
Fourth, there’s an interview with Craig Allen, President of the US-China Business Council. The report begins by saying that Allen believes that “trade ties between the United States and China are very deep and close, and many American companies are still optimistic about the Chinese market and plan to increase investment.” Later it says that “according to the council’s 2021 survey of member companies, 95% of the respondents said that their business in China had achieved profitability in the past year, and over 40% of the respondents said they would increase investment in China.” Also: ‘Many American companies tell us that they are full of confidence in the prospects of the Chinese market.’ Allen said.” “很多美国企业告诉我们，他们对中国市场前景充满信心。”艾伦说.”
“In 2021, China's trade volume with the United States will increase by nearly 30% year-on-year, reaching $755.6 billion, a new record high. The U.S.-China Business Council recently released a report showing that last year, U.S. exports of goods to China reached $149.2 billion, a record high and an increase of 21% over 2020.”
It adds:
“The export of American agricultural products (from the US) to China is particularly strong. It played a positive role in promoting the economic development of some agricultural states in the United States. Trade with China has also created a large number of employment opportunities for the United States. ‘American exports of goods and services to China support more than 850,000 jobs.’ In his view, US-China economic and trade relations are very important, and ‘greater stability can bring more opportunities to businesses and people in both countries’.” 其中，美国农产品对华出口尤其强劲，这对于美国一些农业州的经济发展起到了积极推动作用。对华贸易还为美国创造了大量就业机会，“美国对华商品和服务出口，支撑的就业岗位数量超过85万个”。在他看来，美中经贸关系非常重要，“更大的稳定性能给两国企业和民众带来更多机会”.
The final paragraph speaks against notions of decoupling. “We should oppose trade protectionism and support the process of economic globalisation, which has improved the living standards of billions of people in the past decades. The world needs the United States and China to play an active role, settle their differences properly and continue to contribute to common global development,” Allen says.
Page 4: A report (related English report) that informs that the COVID situation in Beijing is in a “critical period,” but that the city is adhering to the dynamic clearing policy by taking “rapid and targeted action.” The piece talks about the responsibilities of four groups/entities/types - 四方责任. This includes all regions, all departments, all social groups and all individuals. Essentially, containing the outbreak and adhering to zero covid policy requires everyone to play a role. In this, individuals must “assist, cooperate, and obey” the guidelines. “Those who refuse to cooperate will bear corresponding legal responsibilities.”
Also on the page is an interview with Wang Jianjun, vice chairman of the CSRC. Wang says that “while the A-share market has experienced large fluctuations since the beginning of the year, these were mainly owing to factors such as the Ukrainian crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally speaking, the influence of various risk factors on the A-share market is objective, but their impact is controllable, and the stable operation of the market has a solid foundation.” He later adds: “We firmly believe that the short-term fluctuation of the market will not change the long-term positive trend of China’s capital market. Capital market investments should adhere to value-based investment and long-term investment…”
“In the next step, the CSRC will adhere to the principle of ‘system building, non-intervention, and zero tolerance’, and make efforts to stabilise expectations, market players, funds, and market behaviour, so as to continuously consolidate the foundation of stable market operation.” He talks about six specific steps:
First, steadily push forward the reform of the stock issuance registration system, strictly control market access, support qualified platform enterprises to list at home or abroad, speed up the introduction of the market maker system for the Science and Technology Innovation Board, broaden the pilot scope of public offerings of REITs in infrastructure, and study the introduction of the BSE index and mixed trading system.
Second, working with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and other departments, we will encourage listed companies to buy back their shares, major shareholders to increase their holdings, increase dividends, and support listed companies to resume work and production. At the same time, promote the exchange bond market to support the reasonable financing needs of enterprises, and encourage public funds and securities companies to subscribe for their asset management products with their own funds.
Third, encourage social security, insurance, banking and wealth management institutions to increase the proportion of equity investment, and accelerate the implementation of relevant systems for individual pension funds to invest in public funds.
Fourth, strengthen the supervision of futures trading.
Fifth, strengthen cross-ministerial communication and cooperation.
Sixth, formulate plans to prevent and defuse risks in key areas of the capital market, and ensure that no systemic risks occur.
There’s a specific question on foreign capital flows in the Chinese markets. On this, Wang says that foreign capital recorded net inflows in January, February and April, with a net outflow in March, data from the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect showed. He adds that “this year, long-term funds have maintained net inflows into the Chinese market, indicating that foreign investors are optimistic about the investment value of the A-share market, backed up by China's continued economic growth.”
Going forward, the CSRC will launch more pragmatic measures to expand the opening of the capital market.
First, optimise and expand the interconnection of domestic and foreign capital markets. The CSRC will expand the interconnection of domestic and foreign capital markets, broaden the range of the two stock connects, and enrich the supply of products for cross-border investment and risk management with sound investment rules.
Second, promote the implementation of new regulations on overseas listing of enterprises, and support qualified enterprises in listing overseas in Hong Kong, the United States, Europe and other places. We also welcome qualified overseas companies to list on the A-share market.
Third, enrich the supply of cross-border investment and risk management products, promote the implementation of the system for foreign institutional investors to participate in the exchange bond market, and steadily expand the number of international commodities and financial futures.
Fourth, strengthen regulatory capacity building under opening-up conditions…
下一步，证监会将推出更多扩大资本市场开放的务实举措。一是优化拓展境内外资本市场互联互通，拓宽沪港通和深港通的标的范围，拓展和优化沪伦通机制，推动上市公司互联互通存托凭证的发行上市。二是推动实施企业境外上市监管新规，支持各类符合条件的企业到香港和美国、欧洲等地境外上市。我们也欢迎符合条件的境外企业来A股上市。三是丰富跨境投资和风险管理的产品供给，推动境外机构投资者参与交易所债券市场的制度落地，稳步扩大商品和金融期货国际化品种。四是加强开放条件下的监管能力建设，深化与境外监管部门合作，加强与国际投资者沟通，为我国资本市场高水平开放构建良好的、可预期的国际环境。
Page 11: Two reports about the HKSAR government and the HK Liaison Office pushing back against the G7 statement on the election of the new chief executive of Hong Kong. The links have the English reports on these.
The Liaison Office “firmly rejected and strongly condemned the comments by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Their statement smeared the HKSAR’s sixth-term chief executive election, and attacked the Chinese central government's policies towards Hong Kong…The ministers and the EU high representative have turned a blind eye to the structural flaws of their own democratic systems, and wantonly attacked the HKSAR’s chief executive election and the Chinese government’s implementation of the ‘one country, two systems’ policy, said the spokesperson, calling their statement a serious violation of international laws and the basic norms of international relations. The statement is full of arrogance and prejudice, ignoring the fact that the chief executive election was conducted in accordance with the law and that the result of the fair election is in line with Hong Kong people’s aspirations, the spokesperson noted. The success of the sixth-term chief executive election has further implemented the principle of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong,’ fully demonstrated the advantages of HKSAR’s new electoral system, and proved the new system is a good one that follows the "one country, two systems" principle and suits Hong Kong's realities…Any political manipulation and arbitrary intervention by external forces will not shake the Chinese central government's firm determination to comprehensively and accurately implement the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, nor will they undermine the overall situation of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability…”
Also on the page is an article by Zhi Zhenfeng from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Zhi basically defends the election of John Lee as the new HK Chief Executive, arguing that it has ushered in “ a new era of democracy in Hong Kong” and “new chapter” in the model of “one country, two systems” is beginning with this election. Zhi writes that this election was run based on the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong.” Zhi argues that “the democratic rights of the majority of Hong Kong residents have been better realised and the governance structure of the SAR has become increasingly stable.”
“The election of the sixth chief executive, and the first chief executive after the implementation of the new electoral system, is a vivid practice of the continuous development and maturity of democracy in Hong Kong,” he argues.
Zhi adds that:
“the new electoral system has promoted a new pattern of good governance in Hong Kong. According to the Constitution and the Basic Law of Hong Kong, based on the actual situation of Hong Kong, and in view of various social crises and political chaos in some countries and regions, the new election system implements the fundamental principle of ‘patriots governing Hong Kong’, re-constructs the election committee and enhances empowerment, improves the mechanism of assessing the qualifications of candidates qualification, and reforms the process for electing the Chief Executive and Legislative Council. While thoroughly excluding anti-China Hong Kong rebels/rioters () from the governance structure of the HKSAR, Hong Kong’s democracy has improved its broad representation, strengthened its political inclusiveness, emphasised balanced participation and ensured fair competition. Based on the reconstructed Election Committee, the new electoral system rationalises the relationship between the Legislative Council and the SAR government, and forms a stable support force for the Chief Executive and the SAR government in the Legislative Council, thus returning to the original intent of the Basic Law, consolidating the executive-led system with the Chief Executive as the core, improving the quality of democracy, enhancing governance capacity, preventing external interference, preventing from falling into the mire of unnecessary political disputes and confrontation, and enabling the SAR government and all sectors of society to concentrate on construction and development, and better safeguard the fundamental interests of the country.” 新选制推动了香港良政善治新格局。根据宪法和香港基本法，立足香港实际情况，并鉴于一些国家和地区选举中出现的种种社会危机和政治乱象，新选制贯彻“爱国者治港”根本原则，重新构建选举委员会并增加赋权，完善候选人资格审查机制，改革行政长官和立法会选举办法。在彻底将反中乱港分子排除出香港特别行政区治理架构的同时，使香港民主提高了广泛代表性，增强了政治包容性，强调了均衡参与性，保证了公平竞争性。以重构后的选举委员会为基础，新选制理顺了立法会和特区政府的关系，在立法会形成稳定支持行政长官和特别行政区政府的力量，从而回归基本法原意，巩固以行政长官为核心的行政主导体制，提高民主质量，增强治理能力，防范外来干预，防止陷入不应有的政治争拗和对立对抗的泥潭，使特区政府和社会各界能聚精会神搞建设、一心一意谋发展，更好维护国家根本利益，增进全港市民福祉。
In the next paragraph, Zhi says that elections are not “talent shows, games, or variety shows, and they cannot be reduced to vulgar political performances. (Quick thought: I wonder, is this genuinely the view of Chinese scholars and Xi’s advisers of Western democracies or say even India?) Facts have proved that, despite the interference of anti-China Hong Kong rioters, the SAR government organised election affairs according to law, and all sectors of society made joint efforts to overcome the adverse effects such as the COVID-19 epidemic, and the election of the sixth Chief Executive was a complete success.” 选举不是选秀，不是游戏，不是综艺，不能异化为庸俗的政治表演。事实证明，排除了反中乱港分子的干扰，特区政府依法组织选举事务，社会各界共同作出努力，克服新冠肺炎疫情等不利影响，取得了第六任行政长官选举的圆满成功.
Page 15: The lead story on the international page says that as per Chinese and foreign scholars and experts, “pushing forward the ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ and engaging in an ‘Indo-Pacific version of NATO’ threatens regional peace and development.” The article begins as follows:
“The conflict between Russia and Ukraine caused by NATO’s eastward expansion is still going on. It has resulted in creating huge security risks and humanitarian disasters. The United States and NATO under its leadership, which have an unshirkable responsibility for this conflict, should have learned a lesson and adjusted their policies, but they have done the opposite, and is attempting to bring the source of the calamity to the east and extend their tentacles to the Asia-Pacific region. Recently, the United States has been making moves to woo regional countries and provoke divisions and confrontation. There are indications that the United States is trying to push the ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ and engage in the so-called ‘Indo-Pacific version of NATO’ to provoke camp confrontation and create tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and even the world, so as to achieve the strategic goal of maintaining its hegemonic position. The Asia-Pacific is a hotspot for cooperation and development, and should not become a geopolitical chess board. Chinese and foreign experts and scholars pointed out that the United States is sticking to the Cold War mentality, playing a geopolitical game in the name of promoting regional cooperation, undermining the ASEAN-centred regional cooperation architecture and harming the overall and long-term interests of countries in the region. Countries in the region should consciously reject the ‘clique/small circle’ (小圈子) mentality left over from the Cold War, work together to build a ‘big stage’ (大舞台) for Asia-Pacific cooperation, and uphold the hard-won momentum of peace and development in the region.” — 北约一再东扩引发的俄乌冲突还在持续，造成巨大安全隐患和人道主义灾难。对此负有不可推卸责任的美国及其主导下的北约，本应吸取教训、调整政策，却反其道而行之，企图祸水东引，将其触角伸向亚太。近来，美国拉拢地区国家、挑动分裂对抗的小动作不断。种种迹象表明，美国正试图通过强推“印太战略”，搞所谓“印太版北约”，在亚太乃至世界范围内挑起阵营对抗，制造紧张局势，从而达到维护其霸权地位的战略目的。亚太是合作发展的热土，不应成为地缘政治的棋局。中外专家学者等指出，美国固守冷战思维，打着促进地区合作的旗号，玩弄地缘博弈的把戏，冲击以东盟为中心的区域合作架构，损害地区国家的整体和长远利益。地区国家应自觉抵制冷战遗留的“小圈子”思维，共筑亚太合作“大舞台”，维护地区来之不易的和平发展势头。
The first section of the article basically argues that the US has engaged in bloc politics, referencing the Five Eyes, the Quad, AUKUS and tightening bilateral relationships and military alliances. Some folks echoing this line of argument are:
Liu Qing, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.
Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies
Su Xiaohui’s comment is worth reproducing. Su argues that the US’ clique politics today has new characteristics: first, it has been upgraded from the specific cooperation that was more focused on economic and security needs in the past to the levels of strategy and ideology; second, there is an attempt to combine various ‘small circles’ in a nested way to build a broader and hierarchical alliance system to serve American hegemony.” 美国主导的集团政治出现了新特点：一是从过去更多地集中于经济和安全需要的具体合作，提升到战略以及意识形态层面；二是试图把各个“小圈子”进行嵌套式组合，打造一个更广泛而有层次的同盟体系，服务美国霸权. — Quick thought: To me, this underscores the extend of anxiety, perhaps bordering on paranoia, about containment that Beijing is dealing with. It’s fascinating how the US government is tremendously inept and unbelievably adept at scheming at the same time in the Chinese narrative.
There’s an entire section on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, with scholars from the region basically expressing scepticism. There’s also criticism from some American scholars about the Indo-Pacific strategy’s lacking a solid economic component, and the challenges owing to the economic policies of the Trump administration. Later, Xu Liping from CASS criticises the “Indo-Pacific Economic Framework” saying that it is “based on exclusivity” and therefore is “inconsistent with the general trend of regional economic integration and economic globalisation” that the region has experienced.
In the final section, the piece argues that “at present, the Asia-Pacific is faced with two completely different choices: to build a big family based on openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, or a ‘small circle’ that pursues the Cold War mentality and engages in camp confrontation? Obviously, only by committing to lasting peace and common development, adhering to open regionalism, and jointly building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, can we create a brighter future.” 当前，亚太面临着两种截然不同的选择：是共建开放包容、合作共赢的大家庭，还是奉行冷战思维、搞阵营对抗的“小圈子”？显然，只有致力于持久和平、共同发展，坚持开放的地区主义，携手构建亚太命运共同体，才能开创更光明的未来.
Other Stories:
The lead article on the theory page is by Zhang Wenxian from the China Law Society, talking about China’s human rights development. Another article on the page is attributed to the Xi thought research centre in Beijing. It talks about practical actions to achieve common prosperity. I would caution against anyone thinking that common prosperity has gone away. In fact, I expect to hear more of this after the 20th PC.
Thanks again for your service!!