Xi's New Development Stage, Evaluating Party Secretaries, & Pessimism over Afghan Withdrawal
Hello Readers,
Before we begin today, I wanted to share details about my first book on China, which will be releasing next month. It’s now available for pre-order. Do please check it out here.
Here are the stories and pieces from the May 10, 2021, People’s Daily edition that I found noteworthy.
Page 1: Let’s begin with a story discussing the annual debriefing, appraisal and assessment meeting of Party Committee secretaries focusing on grassroots Party building work. This sort of performance appraisal and course-setting began in 2014. The article talks about the work done in 2020, which it calls an “extraordinary” year. In general, the work done by party committees in 2020 gets a positive review. But here are the key points that are highlighted:
It talks about secretaries leading committees and many of them emphasising strict governance as a “a political responsibility and a main responsibility.”
It praises the Party’s ability to mobilise cadre effectively during the pandemic or in dealing with floods, or in the poverty alleviation campaign, etc. This essentially tested the “effectiveness of grass-roots party building work” along with the “quality of party organization secretaries at all levels.” The conclusion is that closer integration of grassroots party building based on central task priorities serves the Party well.
There’s praise for the secretaries who provided the debriefing to the extent that they took responsibility for failures and limitations of the cadre under them.
The next point talks about how this system of appraisal has achieved “full coverage of cities, counties, townships, government agencies, state-owned enterprises, universities and public hospitals.”
The next point is on optimization and improvement, i.e., “We should not judge whether the work is good or bad based on meetings, issuance of documents…” and the focus should be on “preventing formalism, and reducing the burden on grassroots units.”
So what should be the focus going ahead? Here’s a list
“Through debriefing and appraisal, we will promote grassroots party organizations and the majority of party members to understand and implement Xi Jinping's socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and consciously arm their minds, guide practice and promote work with the innovative theory of the Party.” The paragraph preceding this talks about activities across different regions like Zhejiang, Fujian, Shanxi, Heilongjiang and Henan, that are praiseworthy.
Next, “adhere to political construction in the first place, put the ‘two maintenance’ throughout the whole process of debriefing appraisal and all aspects of grassroots party building work, and resolutely implement the major decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping.” The goal is that through this, officials must “continuously strengthen the party’s political leadership, ideological leadership, mass organization, and social appeal.” Again here the piece cites examples from provinces. In one it says: “Tibet has thoroughly studied and implemented the party's strategy for governing Tibet in the new era, organized party members to carry out commitment activities, and resolutely put an end to those politically two-faced people.”
Next, “through debriefing, appraisal and assessment, the grassroots party-building work is promoted to better focus on the center and serve the overall situation. Grassroots party organizations can better play a leading role in the implementation of major tasks.”
The next two points are about ensuring appropriate rectification to address problems and weaknesses, along with emphasising the responsibility of the secretaries.
Page 2: Premier Li Keqiang’ speech on anti-corruption work/strict supervision in the government is reproduced in full on the page. This speech was delivered in late April at a State Council meeting on clean governance in Beijing. I am not going into the details, but if you’d like a short summary of the key points he makes, you can check out the edition from April 27 where I covered it.
I thought this bit was interesting, however: “At present, the number of market entities has reached 140 million, the activity rate is about 70%, and at least 100 million are in actual operation. These hundreds of millions of market entities are the foundation of economic development. In the face of a huge impact last year, we did everything possible to keep the main players in the market, thereby maintaining employment, stabilizing the economic fundamentals, and supporting people’s livelihood security. This year, in order to stabilize the economy and maintain the economic operation within a reasonable range, we will continue to focus on market entities to implement macroeconomic policies, maintain policy continuity, stability, and sustainability. There will be no ‘sharp turn’.”
Page 3: Wang Yi’s been working the phones; the page has a report about his conversations with his Sudanese counterpart Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, his Surinamese counterpart Albert Ramdin, and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmes. Xinhua English has much more detail on each conversation. So I am drawing from there.
Xinhua reports that “Mariam thanked China for its strong support in Sudan's fight against COVID-19, saying that the two countries share a long friendship and a relationship founded on mutual respect, and that China has played a great role and made important contributions to Sudan's economic and social development.” The report also adds that Wang promised to “firmly support the Sudanese people in exploring a development path in line with its own national conditions, bolster up Sudan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, oppose any external forces' interference in Sudan's internal affairs, and continue to speak out for Sudanese friends on international occasions...The Chinese foreign minister also appreciated Sudan's unequivocal support for China on major issues related to China’s Xinjiang, Hong Kong and human rights. The two countries will work together to safeguard each other's legitimate interests as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, Wang said.”
To Ramdin, Wang said that “over the past 45 years, the two countries have always understood and supported each other, setting an example of equal treatment and friendly relations between big and small countries...China appreciates Suriname for abiding by the one-China principle and always standing firmly with China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns.” They spoke about BRI, investments and pandemic-related support.
Finally, in his chat with Belgium’s Wilmes, Xinhua says that Wang noted that “Belgium is mired in the COVID-19 pandemic” and said “China is willing to provide necessary support to Belgium according to its needs, and to join hands with Belgium to promote economic recovery.” He spoke about the Chinese market being “open to the whole world and hoped that “Belgium will provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.”
Interestingly, Xinhua also reports that “Wang briefed the Belgian side on China's position on affairs concerning Hong Kong and Xinjiang, stressing that these are China's internal affairs concerning China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and allow no external interference. As China and Europe have different social systems and historical and cultural backgrounds, the two sides should respect each other, treat each other as equals, and enhance mutual understanding through dialogue, which is what a comprehensive strategic partnership should be.” There’s no comment in the report by Wilmes about these issues.
Next, we have a piece on the Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar. This is going to be one of the key venues during the FIFA World Cup that will be held in the city next year. The stadium is being constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation. It should be ready by September 2021, the story says. This is currently the largest such stadium built Chinese companies overseas.
Third, there is a piece on the UNSC discussion on multilateralism. The piece carries comments by UNGA president Volkan Bozkir, who said that “I urge all member states of the United Nations, including members of the Security Council, to strengthen compliance with the UN Charter. This is the bottom line of a rule-based international order.” It also carries comments by Russian, Mexican, Vietnamese and Irish foreign ministers.
Finally, and this is important, we have a story about a parade on Moscow’s Red Square commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Why this is important is evident in Xinhua’s top story today (English version). It talks about Xi’s visit to Moscow in 2015 for the 70th anniversary parade and how Putin had “let him take up the most distinguished position on the right hand side.” It talks about Xi prioritising ties with Russia soon after assuming power in 2013. The idea is that Sino-Russian ties are the “model for harmonious coexistence between major countries.”
It talks about the economic relationship saying: “China has been Russia’s largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years, while Russia is China's 10th largest trading partner. Major programs, including a second line for the China-Russia oil pipeline and the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline, were successfully put into production. The two countries have also signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly building an international scientific research station on the moon.”
The next bit is about pandemic diplomacy before we head to how the two countries are “guardians of international equity and justice.” This refers to the recent joint statement between Lavrov and Wang Yi in Guilin and their coordination at the UNSC.
Page 4: The two historical figures covered on the page today are Deng Zhongxia and Su Zhaozheng. Deng was among the earliest members of the Party. Under Li Dazhao’s leadership, he played a role in initiating the organization of the Peking University Marxism Research Association. He also participated in the May 4 movement and the burning of the house at Zhaojialou during the protests in Beijing against the Treaty of Versailles. Deng then progressively rose up the ranks of the Party. He was arrested in may 1933 and executed in September that year. The piece, towards the end, hails is courage and commitment to the Party’s cause despite the “enemy’s (Kuomintang’s) coercion, inducement and torture.”
Su, meanwhile, joined the Party in 1925. He and Deng were both linked through the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. He rose up the ranks of the Party fairly rapidly, thereafter. But he died fairly young in 1929.
Page 15: One piece to note here is under the byline Ren Lixuan 任理轩; it talks about the new development stage. Here are key excerpts:
“The decision on entering the new stage of development is based on the strategic judgments made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core by scientifically analyzing the basic characteristics of the primary stage of socialism and profoundly grasping the general trend of domestic and international development.”
The author argues that “scientific analysis of the dynamic development process of the primary stage of socialism will give us a deeper understanding of the theoretical basis for China to enter a new stage of development.”
He writes that “Marxists insist on the combination of lofty ideals and realistic goals, and the unity of historical inevitability and stages of development. They firmly believe that human society is bound to move toward communism, but realizing this lofty goal must go through several historical stages. In the practice of solving China’s practical problems with the basic principles of Marxism, our party has gradually realized that socialist development is not only a long-term historical process, but also a process that needs to be divided into different historical stages. In the process of opening up the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, our party proposed that our country is and will be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time. Only by scientifically grasping this greatest national condition and firmly standing on this greatest reality can the party’s theory, line, principles and policies keep pace with the times, neither lag behind the times, nor divorce from reality and transcend the stage.”
He then quotes Xi as saying: “The primary stage of socialism is not a static, unchanging, stagnant stage, nor is it a spontaneous, passive stage that can be crossed naturally without much effort. Rather it is dynamic, positive and always full of vigor and vitality. It is a process of gradual progress, continuous development and progress, and a process of quantitative accumulation and development and change that is getting closer to a qualitative leap.” 习近平总书记指出：“社会主义初级阶段不是一个静态、一成不变、停滞不前的阶段，也不是一个自发、被动、不用费多大气力自然而然就可以跨过的阶段，而是一个动态、积极有为、始终洋溢着蓬勃生机活力的过程，是一个阶梯式递进、不断发展进步、日益接近质的飞跃的量的积累和发展变化的过程.
Essentially the argument that builds hereafter is about China still being in the primary stage of socialism and this new development stage being one of the stages is it moves higher up the ladder of stages of socialism.
Here’s more: “The next 30 years will be a new stage of development for us to complete our historic ambition of building a modern socialist country. Today, our country is in a historical position to build a well-off society in an all-round way, realize the first centenary goal, take advantage of the situation to build a socialist modern country in an all-round way, and march towards the second centenary goal; our goal is to be comprehensive, prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country. From ‘building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way’ to ‘building a modern and powerful socialist country in an all-round way’ is a great leap in the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This stage is undoubtedly a new development stage.”
Another notable quote from Xi: “‘To understand and grasp the staged characteristics of China's social development, we must adhere to the methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, think from the combination of history and reality, theory and practice, domestic and international, and think from the historical position of China's social development. Thinking from the overall situation of the development of the party and the country, and drawing correct conclusions.’ This provides a scientific guide for us to deeply grasp the characteristics and requirements of the new development stage.”
The piece then talks about unprecedented political and technological changes that are reshaping the world.
“The world has entered a period of turmoil and change, unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism pose a threat to world peace and development, China’s development will face more headwinds...More importantly, we should see that time and momentum are on our side, which is where our determination and confidence lie. The fundamentals of China’s long-term economic improvement have not changed, and external shocks will only force us to accelerate the pace of reform and innovation.”
Thereafter, we have a three-point prescription for the future:
Maintain strategic determination.
“Our strategic determination is derived from and embodied in our confidence in the path we are taking...Our strategic determination is derived from and embodied in adhering to the leadership of the Communist Party of China...We must firmly maintain the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping's Party Central Committee and the core position of the entire party, and firmly maintain the authority and centralized leadership of the Party Central Committee. As long as we maintain strategic determination and persevere in handling our own affairs well, we will be able to firmly grasp the strategic initiative.”
Strengthen the awareness of opportunities and risks, because this moment is “rare and easy to lose.”
“We must firmly establish a bottom-line thinking, carry forward the spirit of struggle, strengthen the ability to fight, guard against long-term considerations, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and treat prevention and resolution of major risks as an extremely important task.”
Implement the new development concept, build a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development.
Page 19: A piece on the situation in Afghanistan. This is a fairly pessimistic assessment of the future of the country after the US and NATO withdrawal.
“U.S. and NATO troops officially began their withdrawal from Afghanistan on May 1, and plan to finish this before September 11. In recent days, attacks have occurred frequently in various parts of Afghanistan, and the security situation has been deteriorating. The analysis points out that the war in Afghanistan that lasted nearly 20 years has plunged the United States and its allies into a quagmire, and also brought profound disasters to the Afghan people, and the regional situation has been turbulent for a long time. The withdrawal of foreign troops will likely bring more uncertainty to the future of Afghanistan.”
Here’s another bit:
“Public opinion generally believes that the current security situation in Afghanistan is still complex and severe, and the terrorism issue is far from being resolved. If foreign troops cannot withdraw in a responsible and orderly manner to allow a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan, it may cause terrorist forces to take advantage of the chaos and aggravate the turbulent situation in Afghanistan.”
The story also talks about the recent spate of Taliban attacks and informs that the International Conference on Afghanistan, originally scheduled to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from April 24 to May 4 was postponed because the Taliban refused to attend. It then quotes Wang Shida, Deputy Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, predicting continued confrontation between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
“The Afghan government has almost no bargaining chips in the negotiations. On the one hand, the Taliban refuses to form a coalition government. On the other hand, it is difficult for them to conquer some of the core cities currently controlled by the Afghan government. It is difficult for both sides to fully control the situation in Afghanistan.”
Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Afghanistan Research Center of Lanzhou University, is very critical of the US troop withdrawal process. He says that “in the eyes of the United States, the so-called ‘responsibility’ is first to be responsible to the US military and the interests of the United States, second to allies, and finally to Afghanistan, including the Taliban.”
Eventually, the assessment is that the United States “should earnestly assume its responsibilities to maintain the results of peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.” It also says that the international community should strengthen mediation efforts jointly and play a more constructive role in promoting and persuading parties for peace talks.