Xi's Message of 'Struggle' for Workers in the New Era - Wang Yi Speaks to Lavrov & Pakistan FM
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Pages 1 & 2: Across the first two pages today, the main story is the gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and honour model workers and exemplary individuals. Xi Jinping delivered a speech at this event. The front page report predominantly draws on the speech. The full text is available on Page 2. Below, I am providing key excerpts from the speech:
Since the 18th Party Congress, the Central Committee has made a series of important expositions on the working class and trade union work, deployed a series of important tasks, profoundly answered a series of directional, fundamental, and strategic questions, further enriched and developed the Party’s labour movement theory, and promoted the labour movement cause of the Party to achieve historic achievements and make progress in all aspects. Chinese trade unions have united and mobilised the broad masses of workers with the posture of strivers, being self-confident and strong, bravely shouldering heavy responsibilities, displaying their talents in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era, making important contributions to completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects on schedule and promoting Chinese-style modernisation. 党的十八大以来，党中央就工人阶级和工会工作作出一系列重要论述，部署推进一系列重要工作，深刻回答了一系列方向性、根本性、战略性问题，进一步丰富和发展了党的工运理论，推动党的工运事业取得历史性成就、实现全方位进步。中国工会团结动员广大职工群众以奋斗者姿态，自信自强、勇挑重担，在新时代中国特色社会主义伟大实践中大显身手，为如期全面建成小康社会、推进中国式现代化作出了重要贡献.
The 100 years since the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions have been 100 years of combining Marxist labour movement theory with the specific reality of the Chinese labour movement, and 100 years of our country’s working class and trade union organisations resolutely following the Party and struggling together for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Practice has fully proven that our working class is worthy of being the most solid and reliable class foundation of the Communist Party of China, worthy of being the leading class of our socialist country, worthy of being the representative of advanced productive forces and production relations, and worthy of being the main force in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Our trade unions are worthy of being the bridge and link between the Party and the worker masses, worthy of being an important social pillar of the socialist state power, and worthy of being the representative and defender of workers’ interests. No matter how the times and social groups develop and change, the status and role of our working class cannot be shaken, the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class cannot be shaken, and the nature and functions of our trade unions cannot be shaken. 中华全国总工会成立以来的100年，是马克思主义工运理论同中国工人运动具体实际相结合的100年，是我国工人阶级和工会组织矢志不渝跟党走、为实现中华民族伟大复兴团结奋斗的100年。实践充分证明，我国工人阶级不愧是中国共产党最坚实最可靠的阶级基础，不愧是我们社会主义国家的领导阶级，不愧是先进生产力和生产关系的代表，不愧是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的主力军。我国工会不愧是党联系职工群众的桥梁和纽带，不愧是社会主义国家政权的重要社会支柱，不愧是职工利益的代表者和维护者。不论时代条件和社会群体怎样发展变化，我国工人阶级的地位和作用不容动摇，全心全意依靠工人阶级的根本方针不容动摇，我国工会的性质和职能不容动摇.
Over the past 100 years, the most important achievement of theoretical innovation and practical development of the Party’s labour movement cause has been the formation of the trade union development path with Chinese socialist characteristics. This path
adheres to the Party’s comprehensive leadership over the labour movement cause and trade union work, ensuring that the labour movement always advances in the correct direction;
adheres to the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, giving full play to the main force role of the working class;
adheres to the subordination to and service of the Party’s central tasks, so that the workers’ movement and trade union work consciously act within the context of the overall situation;
adheres to the political nature, progressiveness, and mass character of trade union organisations, fully playing the role of the Party’s bridge and link with the worker masses;
adheres to serving the worker masses as its lifeline, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of workers and promoting their comprehensive development;
adheres to carrying out work according to laws and the constitution, promoting trade union organisations and trade union work to continuously enhance vitality in the process of maintaining integrity while pursuing innovation.
All these are profound summaries of the valuable experiences of the Party’s leadership in the labour movement cause and trade union work over the past 100 years, which must be adhered to for a long time.
100年来，党的工运事业理论创新和实践发展的最重要成果，就是形成了中国特色社会主义工会发展道路。这条道路，坚持党对工运事业和工会工作的全面领导，确保工人运动始终沿着正确方向前进；坚持全心全意依靠工人阶级的根本方针，充分发挥工人阶级主力军作用；坚持服从和服务于党的中心任务，使工人运动和工会工作自觉在大局下行动；坚持工会组织的政治性、先进性、群众性，充分发挥党联系职工群众的桥梁和纽带作用；坚持以服务职工群众为生命线，切实维护职工合法权益、促进职工全面发展；坚持依法依章程开展工作，推动工会组织和工会工作在守正创新中不断增强生机活力。这些都是100年来党领导工运事业和工会工作宝贵经验的深刻总结，必须长期坚持.
The 20th Party Congress clearly defined the central task of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernisation. This central task is the theme of the times for our country’s labour movement. In the new era and on the new journey, we must closely focus on the Party’s central task and gather the great strength of the working class and the broad masses of labourers.
We must focus on promoting high-quality development, mobilising and encouraging the broad masses of workers and labourers to make achievements and to innovate and create. High-quality development cannot be separated from high-quality labour creation. We must, in combination with the development of new quality productive forces, thoroughly implement the new development concept, carry out various activities for making contributions and mass innovation and creation, organise and guide the broad masses of labourers to base themselves on their posts, overcome difficulties in the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, forge ahead in the development and growth of emerging industries, boldly explore in the cultivation and growth of future industries, so as to continuously inject new momentum into the construction of a new development pattern and promotion of high-quality development.
We must adapt to the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and comprehensively improve the quality of labourers. This is the inevitable requirement for the Chinese working class, as ‘the most progressive class’, to always stay at the forefront of the times. We must closely focus on implementing the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talents, and the strategy of innovation-led development, thoroughly implement the project of improving the quality of workers, deepen the reform of the construction of the industrial workers' team, widely carry out labour and skills competitions, guide the broad masses of workers to learn throughout their lives, constantly improve their own quality, and strive to build a knowledge-based, skilled, and innovative workforce.
We must deeply practice the core socialist values, and vigorously promote the spirit of model workers, the spirit of labour, and the spirit of craftsmanship. The spirit of model workers, the spirit of labour, and the spirit of craftsmanship forged by the working class and the broad masses of labourers in their long-term struggle are vivid embodiments of the core socialist values. We must vigorously promote the social trend that labour is the most glorious, the most noble, the greatest, and the most beautiful, create a good atmosphere of respecting labour, respecting knowledge, respecting talents, and respecting creation, and encourage all people to realise their yearning for a better life through hard work, honest work, and creative work.
We must focus on promoting common prosperity and steadily increase the well-being of the broad masses of workers and labourers. Common prosperity needs to be achieved through the broad masses of labourers and should be reflected in the broad masses of labourers. We must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, create better employment and labour conditions, promote high-quality employment, increase the weight of labour, skills, knowledge, innovation, and other factors in income distribution in an orderly manner, and continuously enhance the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the broad masses of workers and labourers.
党的二十大明确了以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的中心任务。这一中心任务，就是我国工人运动的时代主题。新时代新征程，必须紧紧围绕党的中心任务，汇聚起工人阶级和广大劳动群众的磅礴力量。要聚焦推动高质量发展，动员激励广大职工和劳动群众建功立业、创新创造。高质量发展离不开高质量的劳动创造。要结合发展新质生产力，深入贯彻新发展理念，广泛开展各种建功立业和群众性创新创造活动，组织引导广大劳动者立足本职岗位，在传统产业转型升级中攻坚克难，在新兴产业发展壮大中开拓进取，在未来产业培育生长中大胆探索，为构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展不断注入新动能。要顺应新一轮科技革命和产业变革，全面提升劳动者素质。这是中国工人阶级作为“最进步的阶级”始终走在时代前列的必然要求。要紧紧围绕实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略、创新驱动发展战略，深入实施职工素质建设工程，深化产业工人队伍建设改革，广泛开展劳动和技能竞赛，引导广大劳动者终身学习、不断提高自身素质，努力建设一支知识型、技能型、创新型的劳动者大军。要深入践行社会主义核心价值观，大力弘扬劳模精神、劳动精神、工匠精神。工人阶级和广大劳动群众在长期奋斗中铸就的劳模精神、劳动精神、工匠精神，是社会主义核心价值观的生动体现。要大力弘扬劳动最光荣、劳动最崇高、劳动最伟大、劳动最美丽的社会风尚，营造尊重劳动、尊重知识、尊重人才、尊重创造的良好氛围，激励全体人民通过辛勤劳动、诚实劳动、创造性劳动实现对美好生活的向往。要着眼推进共同富裕，稳步增进广大职工和劳动群众福祉。共同富裕既要依靠广大劳动者来实现，又要体现到广大劳动者身上。要坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，创造更加良好的就业和劳动条件，推进高质量就业，有序提高劳动、技能、知识、创新等要素在收入分配中的权重，不断增强广大职工和劳动群众的获得感幸福感安全感.
In the final bit of the speech, Xi said:
“Trade unions at all levels must fully implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, promote the high-quality development of trade union work, and write a more magnificent chapter of our country’s labour movement cause in the new era.”
We must adhere to the correct political direction and unite the broad masses of workers and labourers closely around the Party. We must resolutely uphold the authority and centralised unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and implement the Party’s leadership throughout the process and in all aspects of trade union work. Persist in using the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to arm minds, guide practice, and promote work; resolutely shoulder the political responsibility of leading the workers and labourers to listen to the Party and obey the Party; focus on uniting people's hearts, resolving conflicts, and stimulating motivation; and continuously consolidate the class foundation and mass foundation for the Party’s governance.
We must adhere to the worker-centered work orientation, wholeheartedly serve the masses of workers, and promote the comprehensive development of workers. Promote the improvement of labour laws and regulations, perfect the democratic management system of enterprises and institutions with workers’ congresses as the basic form, actively build harmonious labour relations, and earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers. Grasp key points such as skills training, income distribution, production safety, and labour protection, focus on improving the service system for protecting workers’ rights, and put heart, feeling, and effort into solving the urgent difficulties and concerns of the broad masses of labourers.
We must deepen trade union reform and construction, and continuously enhance leadership strength, organisational strength, and service strength. Comprehensively strengthen the Party’s construction within the trade union system, and build a loyal, clean, and responsible high-quality, professional team of trade union cadres. Firmly grasp the reform direction of enhancing political nature, progressiveness, and mass character, strengthen the organisational system, expand service areas, innovate work methods, and always be the trusted close friend and family member of the workers and the masses. Actively carry out foreign exchanges, interactions, and cooperation, and increase friendship with workers from various countries.
要坚持正确政治方向，把广大职工和劳动群众紧紧团结在党的周围。坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，把党的领导贯彻落实到工会工作全过程和各方面。坚持用新时代中国特色社会主义思想武装头脑、指导实践、推动工作，坚决扛起引领职工群众听党话、跟党走的政治责任，着力凝聚人心、化解矛盾、激发动力，不断巩固党执政的阶级基础和群众基础。要坚持以职工为中心的工作导向，竭诚服务职工群众、促进职工全面发展。推动完善劳动法律法规，健全以职工代表大会为基本形式的企事业单位民主管理制度，积极构建和谐劳动关系，切实维护职工合法权益。抓住技能培训、收入分配、安全生产、劳动保护等重点环节，着力完善职工维权服务工作体系，用心用情用力解决好广大劳动者的急难愁盼问题。要深化工会改革和建设，不断增强引领力、组织力、服务力。全面加强工会系统党的建设，打造忠诚干净担当的高素质专业化工会干部队伍。牢牢把握增强政治性、先进性、群众性的改革方向，建强组织体系、拓宽服务领域、创新工作方法，始终做职工群众信赖的贴心人、娘家人。积极开展对外交流交往合作，增进同各国工人的友谊.
The labour movement cause is an important part of the Party’s cause. Party committees at all levels must strengthen and improve their leadership over trade unions, promptly study and solve major problems in trade union work, and create good conditions for trade unions to perform their duties. 工运事业是党的事业的重要组成部分。各级党委要加强和改进对工会的领导，及时研究解决工会工作中的重大问题，为工会履职创造良好条件.
Xi ends with a big emphasis on the need to struggle for the future.
“100 years ago, at the closing of the Second National Labour Conference, the slogan ‘struggle, struggle, struggle to the end’ resounded throughout the venue, inspiring millions of labourers to persevere and forge ahead during the turbulent revolutionary years. Today, the Party leads over 1.4 billion people who are advancing with high spirits on the new journey of Chinese-style modernisation. The times are different, missions and tasks have changed, but the spirit of arduous struggle, united struggle, and unremitting struggle will never change. Let us unite more closely around the Party Central Committee, work solidly with our feet on the ground, strive to forge ahead, struggle and dedicate ourselves, embrace the new era with creativity, forge new glory through struggle, and turn the grand blueprint of realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into reality one step at a time!” 100年前，在第二次全国劳动大会胜利闭幕时，“奋斗，奋斗，奋斗到底”的口号响彻全场，激励千百万劳动群众在风雨如磐的革命岁月奋斗不息、砥砺前行。今天，党领导14亿多人民正意气风发奋进在中国式现代化的新征程上。时代不同，使命任务发生变化，但艰苦奋斗、团结奋斗、不懈奋斗的精神永远不会变。让我们更加紧密地团结在党中央周围，脚踏实地、奋发进取、拼搏奉献，用创造拥抱新时代，以奋斗铸就新辉煌，一步一个脚印把实现中华民族伟大复兴的宏伟蓝图变成现实!
Page 3: There’s a report on Wang Yi’s meeting with Sergei Lavrov in Rio de Janeiro.
“Wang Yi said that there have been many new changes in the international situation recently. Change is the norm of this era, but what remains unchanged is the mutual trust and mutual support between China and Russia. The strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin has always been the fundamental guarantee for the high-level operation of China-Russia relations. The two sides should work together to continuously transform the important consensus of the two heads of state into cooperation results in various fields. Wang Yi stated that currently, the game between unilateralism and multilateralism is being fiercely played out, and the struggle between hegemonism and anti-hegemonism is unfolding globally. The unity and cooperation of BRICS countries are demonstrating increasingly important strategic value. As founding members of BRICS, China and Russia must strengthen coordination and cooperation within the BRICS framework, deepen the unity and cooperation among the vast number of developing countries and emerging economies, and continuously enhance the influence and appeal of the ‘Greater BRICS’.” 王毅说，最近国际形势又出现不少新变化，变化是这个时代的常态，但不变的是中俄的相互信任和相互支持。习近平主席和普京总统的战略引领始终是中俄关系保持高水平运行的根本保障。双方要共同努力，将两国元首重要共识不断转化为各领域合作成果。王毅表示，当前，单边与多边的博弈激烈进行，维霸和反霸的较量在全球展开。金砖国家的团结与合作正在显示出越来越重要的战略价值。作为金砖国家创始成员国，中俄要加强在金砖框架内的协调配合，深化广大发展中国家和新兴经济体团结合作，不断壮大“大金砖”的影响力感召力.
The report adds that Lavrov briefed Wang on Ukraine and reiterated Russia’s readiness to engage in peace talks with Ukraine without preconditions.
Another report informs that Wang spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar. The Chinese readout says that Dar briefed Wang about the tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Kashmir. As per the report, Dar said that “Pakistan has always resolutely combated terrorism and opposed taking actions that may lead to escalation of the situation. Pakistan is committed to managing the situation in a mature way and will maintain communication with China and the international community.”
“Wang Yi said that China is closely following the development of the current situation. Combating terrorism is the common responsibility of all countries in the world, and China has always supported Pakistan’s firm implementation of anti-terrorism actions. As an ironclad friend and all-weather strategic cooperative partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests. China supports an early and fair investigation. Conflict does not serve the fundamental interests of either India or Pakistan, nor is it conducive to regional peace and stability. It is hoped that both sides will exercise restraint, work in the same direction, and promote deescalation of the situation.” 王毅表示，中方密切关注当前形势发展。打击恐怖主义是世界各国的共同责任，中方始终支持巴方坚定实施反恐行动。作为铁杆朋友和全天候战略合作伙伴，中方充分理解巴方合理安全关切，支持巴方维护自身主权和安全利益。中方支持尽快开展公正调查，冲突不符合印巴各自根本利益，也不利于地区和平稳定。希望双方保持克制，相向而行，推动事态降温.
Also on the page is a Zhong Sheng commentary, which basically draws upon the recent IMF report downgrading its global growth forecasts following the announcement of US tariffs. The commentary basically makes the point that the US has “willfuly trampled on multilateral trade rules and is attempting to reshape the global economic order with power”. It adds that “the US’ economic bullying behaviuor deprives the Global South of its legitimate right to development and exposes the hypocritical nature of the US-style ‘fair trade’.” The piece ends with a call for the US to pull back from the brink.
Page 4: There’s a report on the NDRC and others holding a press briefing discussing measures to support employment and foreign trade enterprises. I covered this yesterday.