Xi's Qinghai Visit - Li on Investment Plans - Wang Warns ROK on 'Indo-Pacific Strategy' - How does one 'inherit the red gene'?
Here are the stories and pieces from the June 10, 2021, edition of the People’s Daily that I found noteworthy.
Page 1: Today’s front page is basically dedicated to Xi Jinping’s visit to Qinghai. So first, Xi visited a carpet manufacturer in Xining city. The PD report talks about Xi carefully examining the entire manufacturing process before talking about the importance of private enterprises.
“Xi Jinping emphasized that to promote high-quality development, we must be good at grasping the most distinctive industries and the most dynamic enterprises, cultivate high-quality enterprises with characteristic industries, and promote industrial upgrading with enterprise development...It is necessary to accelerate the improvement of the enterprise innovation service system, encourage enterprises to increase investment in scientific and technological innovation, promote the organic combination of traditional crafts and modern technologies, and enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises.”
Later he went to the Wenting Alley Community, Wenhui Road, Chengxi District in the city. There the focus was on grassroots party building. He said: “The key to community governance lies in grassroots party organizations and the majority of party members. It is necessary to build the grassroots party organizations into a stronger fighting bastion, give full play to the vanguard and exemplary role of community party members and cadres, improve the grassroots mass autonomy mechanism led by grassroots party organizations, make community work a home, and enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness and security in doing a good job of worrying and worrying things for ordinary people.” 社区治理得好不好，关键在基层党组织、在广大党员，要把基层党组织这个战斗堡垒建得更强，发挥社区党员、干部先锋模范作用，健全基层党组织领导的基层群众自治机制，把社区工作做到位做到家，在办好一件件老百姓操心事、烦心事中提升群众获得感、幸福感、安全感.
The next day, Xi went to Gangcha County in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Here he talked about environmental protection, while visiting Qinghai Lake. He talked about ecology being China’s wealth and treasure, emphasising the need to protect it. He then went to Shaliuhe Township in Gangcha County. This is where he visited a local herder’s house and ate with the family. PD says that the herder:
“sincerely thanked the Communist Party and the General Secretary. Xi Jinping pointed out that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. It is not easy for our party to develop and grow, to seize power, and to build a new China. The people wholeheartedly support the Communist Party of China because the Communist Party of China has always served the people wholeheartedly and strived for the happiness of all nations.”
Finally, on the 9th, Xi listened to the work report of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government. PD says:
“Xi Jinping pointed out that when entering a new stage of development, implementing new development concepts, and building a new development pattern, Qinghai’s status in ecological security, homeland security, and resource and energy security becomes even more important...Based on the unique resource endowment of plateau, we should actively cultivate new industries, speed up the construction of world-class salt lake industrial base, and build a national clean energy industry highland, an international ecotourism destination, and a green and organic agricultural and livestock product export destination.”
Xinhua English has this well summarised: “On Qinghai’s environmental protection, Xi said that the conservation of the source of three major rivers should be the utmost priority. The province should improve the management of national parks, restore the ecology of its various landscapes, protect biological diversity on the plateau, and promote ecological conservation and high-quality development along the Yellow River.”
He then talked about addressing livelihood issues along with security concerns. Qinghai, he said, is a strategically important place for stabilizing Xinjiang and Tibet. Therefore, he urged the full implementation of the Party's general plan for governing Tibet in the new era, and called “for more efforts to build the province into a paragon in ethnic unity and progress.” One key aspect of this is sinicization of religion, which Xi stressed upon.
Finally, there’s a message to Party cadres from the region. He said that all Party members and cadres must:
remind themselves of the oath of loyalty to the Party
work for the benefit of the people
uphold the character of strict self-discipline
Page 2: First, we have the weekly State Council meeting (English report). Li said that the government will be pressing ahead with the implementation of major programs set out in the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan. The major programs span a series of key areas, including scientific and technological advances, infrastructural facilities, environmental protection, people's livelihoods and cultural heritage, among others.
This is important: “the meeting stressed the need to steer clear of massive stimulus, maintain the continuity and stability of macro policies, and make them more targeted”
Li Keqiang said: “Last year, economic growth was mainly driven by tax and fee cuts, and support for market entities. This year, while effectively tapping the fundamental role of consumption, the key role of effective investment will be better brought out. Efforts will be made to coordinate medium- and long-term development and this year's economic operation, and advance the major programs in an orderly way, to keep the major economic indicators within the proper range.”
The report adds that the “catalytic role of government investment, such as central budgetary investment and local government special-purpose bonds, will be further leveraged. Market entities and private players will be fully mobilized to play their part in the implementation of the major programs...Local authorities that take solid measures and achieve notable results will receive greater incentives and support, while those who fail to deliver in advancing the projects will be subject to closer supervision.”
Next, NPCSC discussed measures to implement decisions and plans on building China into a country with an advanced transportation system. Third, a report about the NPCSC discussing “draft laws on data security, the Hainan free trade port, the protection of status, rights and interests of military personnel, stamp tax, and opposing foreign sanctions, a draft revision to the Law on Military Facilities Protection, and a draft decision to amend the Law on Workplace Safety, among others.”
There’s another report about Li Zhanshu telling deputies at the NPCSC meeting to fully grasp Xi Jinping’s thoughts on “the whole process of democracy,” which entails “democratic election, democratic consultation, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision.” He calls this “a distinctive feature of socialist democratic politics.” He then tells them that “the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the fundamental political guarantee for the implementation of democracy in the whole process.” Finally, he talks about the need to strengthen the people’s congress system.
Finally, a short report that tells us that “there are currently more than 1,500 ‘5G + Industrial Internet’ projects under construction, covering more than 20 important industries in the national economy.”
Page 3: First, Wang Yi’s chat (English version) with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong. Wang said that:
“the ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’ promoted by the United States is full of Cold War mentality and provoking group confrontation, which is not conducive to the overall situation of regional peace, stability and development. China firmly opposes it. As friendly neighbors and strategic partners, China and South Korea should grasp the right and wrong, stick to the correct position, abide by the political consensus, and not be biased into the rhythm.”
He also talked about:
China-ROK free trade agreement,
cooperation in high-tech and emerging industries,
continuously promote the high-quality integrated development of the two countries
On Korean Peninsula issues, Wang called on the United Nations Security Council to invoke the reversible provisions in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea-related resolutions and ease sanctions against people's livelihoods in the DPRK.
Next, two reports about the Chinese response to the US Senate clearing a new American Innovation and Competition Act of 2021. Reuters reports that “the measure authorizes about $190 billion for provisions to strengthen U.S. technology and research - and would separately approve spending $54 billion to increase U.S. production and research into semiconductors and telecommunications equipment, including $2 billion dedicated to chips used by automakers that have seen massive shortages and made significant production cuts.”
“The bill has a number of other China-related provisions including prohibiting the social media app TikTok from being downloaded on government devices, and would block the purchase of drones manufactured and sold by companies backed by the Chinese government. It would also allow diplomats and Taiwanese military to display their flag and wear their uniforms while in the United States on official businesses...It would also create broad new mandatory sanctions on Chinese entities engaged in U.S. cyberattacks or theft of U.S. intellectual property from U.S. firms, and provides for a review of export controls on items that could be used to support human rights abuses.”
In response, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress in China said that “the bill is full of Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, slanders and discredits China's development path and domestic and foreign policies, and interferes in China's internal affairs under the banner of ‘innovation and competition’ in an attempt to contain China's development.” It added that the bill is part of a policy that seeks to “deprive China of its right to development through technology and economic decoupling. The bill shows that the paranoid delusion of egoism distorts the original intention of innovation and competition.”
Next we have MoFA’s comments about the bill. Wang Wenbin said that the bill “hypes up ‘China threat’, advocating strategic competition with China, and gravely interferes in China's domestic affairs...” He added: “How the US intends to develop and strengthen its competitiveness is its own business, but we are firmly against the US making an issue out of China and perceiving it as an imaginary enemy. The US is the greatest threat to itself. Getting its own house in order trumps all else.”
Page 4: A short report about the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology’s work for in-depth study and comprehending the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the party history study and education mobilization meeting. PD says that they “carried out distinctive and diverse learning to guide teachers and students to deeply understand the party’s original mission, use the party’s history of struggle and great achievements to inspire fighting spirit, clarify the direction, and effectively transform the learning results into effective motivation.”
Page 7: A short report on the anti-food waste regulations in Beijing. These are now in effect. The report says that the “laws and regulations clarify the responsibilities and behavioral norms of catering service operators, take-out platforms and other operators. In addition, laws and regulations require that food and beverage take-out platforms should not abuse their dominant position in the market, and should not use false or misleading commercial propaganda to induce or deceive consumers to order too much food. In violation of the provisions, the relevant departments will be dealt with in accordance with the anti-unfair competition law and other laws and regulations.”
Combo meals be damned, I guess.
Page 13: There’s a piece by Long Xinmin, former deputy director of the Party History Research Office of the Central Committee, talking about inheriting the red gene. He quotes Xi as having said that “We must tell the stories of the party, the revolution, the base, the stories of heroes and martyrs, strengthen revolutionary tradition education, patriotism education, and youth ideological and moral education, and carry on the red gene well to ensure the red world. Never change color.”
He then talks about the need to tell the Party’s story well. He informs us that the Party’s story is one of “working hard and struggling all the way from small to large, from weak to strong. It has written an unprecedented glorious chapter in the history of the Chinese nation and has created a great miracle that is rare in the world in the history of human development.” 100年来，中国共产党从小到大、由弱到强，一路艰辛、一路奋斗，在中华民族的历史上谱写了前所未有的辉煌篇章，在人类发展史上创造了世所罕见的伟大奇迹.
He adds that “in the course of the party’s hundred years of development, the party has always insisted on doing everything for the people, relying on the people for everything, and has always maintained a flesh-and-blood connection with the people, and shared the fate with the people.” 在党的百年发展历程中，党始终坚持一切为了人民、一切依靠人民, 始终保持同人民群众的血肉联系，与人民心连心、同呼吸、共命运.
He talks about stories about the Party that have become part of the education and propaganda system; for instance, he talks about Xi sharing the story about the quilt being shared with people, Zhu De carrying a pole with fellow soldiers or Grandpa Deng Xiaoping Planting Trees or Xi sharing the story of Gong Quanzhen as examples of the party’s “fine style” of leading the way.
In the next bit, he talks about the party’s history of struggle. Again here he highlights people like Xia Minghan, Jiang Jie, Jiao Yulu, Wang Jinxi, Kong Fansen, Yang Shanzhou, and Guo Mingyi. “The red stories of the party in various periods fully reflect the great character of hard struggle, sacrifice and dedication, pioneering and enterprising that Chinese Communists have possessed over the past 100 years, and the fearless spirit of the revolutionaries that they have maintained.” 党在各个时期的红色故事，全面反映了100年来中国共产党人所具有的艰苦奋斗、牺牲奉献、开拓进取的伟大品格，所保持的革命者的大无畏奋斗精神.
He tells us that the “story of the party is living teaching material that helps inherit the red gene.” Therefore, the next few paragraphs are spent on telling us that telling the story of the Party is important for cadres to keep in mind the “original intention” and ensuring party building. It is also important to focus on young people, but also that the story of the party serves the whole society too. In this he invokes Lei Feng too.
“The new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way has begun, and we are striding forward on the new Long March to achieve the goal of the second century of struggle. To build a modern socialist country in an all-round way, it is necessary to further consolidate the common ideological foundation of the people of all ethnic groups across the country in the unity and struggle, improve the ideological and moral quality and scientific and cultural quality of the whole nation, and further promote the national spirit with patriotism as the core and reform and innovation. As the core of the spirit of the times, cultivate and practice the core values of socialism.” 全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新征程已经开启，我们正在实现第二个百年奋斗目标的新长征路上阔步前行. 全面建设社会主义现代化国家，需要在全社会进一步巩固全国各族人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础，提高全民族的思想道德素质和科学文化素质，进一步弘扬以爱国主义为核心的民族精神和以改革创新为核心的时代精神，培育和践行社会主义核心价值观.
The final section of the piece focuses on the tools to tell the Party’s story. He writes that,
当前，进入大, 中, 小学教材和课堂的新时代党的故事数量与新时代我们党取得的历史性成就还不相匹配，反映新时代我们党团结带领人民奋力推进中国特色社会主义伟大事业的文学艺术作品创作还需要加强. “At present, the number of new-age party stories entering the teaching materials and classrooms of colleges, middle schools, and primary schools does not match the historic achievements of our party in the new era, reflecting the unity of our party in the new era and leading the people to promote the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The creation of literary and artistic works still needs to be strengthened.” So more intense patriotic education I guess.
Also this:
There are so many tear-jerking stories. It is possible to organize a collection of stories about the party in the new era...so that more big stories, small stories, good stories, and more stories that can be passed down to the world...可以在全社会组织开展新时代党的故事创编征集活动，让更多大故事、小故事、好故事，让更多足以传世的故事在新时代源源不断涌现出来.
He also says:
“The stories of the Party in the Chinese textbooks for primary and secondary schools play an extremely important educational role for students and are also very popular among students. You can add stories about the Party in the new era in the compilation of textbooks. Ideological and political courses, history courses, and other related courses should also be written in a vivid way...In addition, the school can also adopt the method of ‘inviting in’ and ‘going out...’” -- the former means getting heroes and role models to visit; the latter means going out to sites and listen to people on the “frontlines.” 中、小学语文课教材中党的故事，对学生有着极其重要的教育作用，也深受学生欢迎，可以在教材编写中增加新时代党的故事. 此外，学校还可以采取“请进来”“走出去”的方式，请英雄模范、先进典型、老党员、老同志等到校园给学生宣讲新时代党的故事；组织学生走出课堂，到社会实践中去收集、了解新时代党的故事，去聆听奋战在第一线的广大干部群众现场讲述新时代党的故事，使新时代党的故事在广大青少年的头脑中深深扎根.