Xi's Qiushi Article for Young Cadres - New Year Propaganda Report - Wu Dajing on Shaking Hands with Xi
— 新年快乐 folks! Given that it’s the new year, I am trying something new.
I am not keen on monetising this tracker as a paid newsletter. This is an effort to further my own personal learning and research. But there are a number of subscribers who have expressed the desire to support the product.
So, I’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee account. If you find the work I do here useful and would like to show your support, then feel free to share your coffee Hóngbāos here.
Warmly,
Manoj
Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy from the Tuesday, February 01, 2022, edition of the People’s Daily. There’s a lot of stuff about the Olympics and the New Year, which I am not covering.
Page 1: It’s a slow news day, as expected. First, Xi Jinping and Maltese President George Vella exchanged messages (English report) on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Malta diplomatic ties.
Second, a report about Xi’s new article in Qiushi. This one calls on young cadres to make themselves the pillars of the Party and the country, who are capable of shouldering important social responsibilities. Xinhua English has a good summary report too. It says that:
“Young officials serve as a vital force for the cause of the Party and the country, the article says, adding they must work hard for the realisation of the Second Centenary Goal, and live up to the expectations of the Party and the people.”
The article adds that officials should be firm in faith and loyal to the Party. Since its establishment 100 years ago, the Communist Party of China has always been a party with lofty ideals and firm beliefs. These are about the belief in Marxism, the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Beliefs are the spiritual pillar and political soul of the Chinese communists, and also the ideological basis for maintaining the unity of the Party. Young cadres should bear in mind that strengthening their ideals and beliefs is a lifelong task, which requires constant practice and constant training….Firm belief in ideals and loyalty to the Party are closely related. Only when the ideals and beliefs are firm can we be loyal to the Party, and loyalty to the Party is the best example of the firmness of ideals and beliefs. 中国共产党成立一百年来，始终是有崇高理想和坚定信念的党。这个理想信念，就是马克思主义信仰、共产主义远大理想、中国特色社会主义共同理想。理想信念是中国共产党人的精神支柱和政治灵魂，也是保持党的团结统一的思想基础。年轻干部要牢记，坚定理想信念是终身课题，需要常修常炼，要信一辈子、守一辈子。理想信念坚定和对党忠诚是紧密联系的。理想信念坚定才能对党忠诚，对党忠诚是对理想信念坚定的最好诠释.
The next paragraph stresses on the importance of seeking truth from facts. This is not simply about method but also about Party spirit, it says. This is followed by a paragraph on the importance of being brave in taking responsibility and being good at doing things. Here, Xi emphasises not shirking one’s responsibilities. He warns that the purpose of taking over an official position is not to simply become an official or enjoy power. Rather one must act boldly and resolutely do whatever is beneficial to the Party and the people.
The next paragraph talks about the importance of struggle. It says that for the Chinese Communists, being 好好先生 - Mr. Nice Guy is not something that is a good thing. Xi had spoken about this phenomenon during his address at the Party School in September last year. Later, there was an article in PD explaining this phenomenon. Here’s what I had summarised then.
Today, there’s a piece on the page telling us what it means to be 好好先生 and why such folks are not not...well, nice. I am doing a quick paraphrasing to get the point across. The author decries these individuals as “yes men” who nod their heads and never speak about principles, or about right and wrong, sidestepping contradictions instead of addressing them. Often their goal is to stay out of trouble, which of course leads to inaction. They are “selfish” in that their primary goal is to protect their own interests. For instance, they may turn a blind eye to wrongdoing or corruption in order to preserve their relationships. In this sense, these “good people” are actually damaging to the cause, in that they do not have public interest at heart.
The final two paragraphs are summarised in Xinhua English well.
Young officials should strictly abide by rules and follow principles, it says, noting they should always put the Party and the people above everything else, and always act for the public good, remaining completely upright and unstained by corruption. The article says young officials should study and practise diligently, improve their abilities across the board, seize the day and live it to the full, and constantly improve themselves.
Next, there’s a positive reaction piece to Xi’s speech at the Spring Festival banquet, and there’s a long story, detailing the record and focus of the Xi Jinping-led Central Committee’s on sports and the Winter Olympics.
Page 2: There’s an interesting piece on the page about the propaganda campaign that’s been underway to focus on providing positive coverage of developments at the grassroots level ahead of the Spring Festival - 新春走基层. The piece calls this campaign as an important start in the propaganda cycle leading to the 20th Party Congress. The theme of the stories, the article tells us, are around the Spring Festival, fighting the pandemic, the Winter Olympics, highlighting qualities like perseverance and hard work.
There’s a list of the different media groups sending out teams of reporters. Here’s a snapshot, which my colleague Swayamsiddha Samal’s helped translate and summarise:
The piece talks about how more than 100 journalists linked to the People’s Daily visited grassroots communities to do reports
More than 450 reporters from Xinhua News Agency were dispatched to form more than 100 interview teams to go to rural fields, urban blocks, factory workshops, frontier posts, Spring Festival travel sites, and the front lines of epidemic prevention. Reports on medicinal herbs, rural revitalisation in Weijiabao Village and a report on how the Army's Northern Theatre Command frontier defence brigade relied on local technology power to promote the construction of smart border defence were some major stories.
More than 60 reporters from China Media Group’s centre and more than 30 bureaus were engaged in creating related reports. As of January 29, the network had broadcast 38 reports around the theme. The Voice of China published 31 reports. These reports’ major themes included optimism, diligence, and dedication. The report ‘Clear Love for China’ revealed for the first time the Tibet Military Region’s post at an altitude of 4,676 metres. The reporter used his camera to capture the scene of border guard officers and soldiers patrolling the area amid strong winds and snow.
Reporters of the People’s Liberation Army Daily recorded the sentiments of the front-line officers and soldiers towards their homes and country.
Guangming Daily’s reports ‘Street Dry Cleaners’ and ‘Special Guests Come to School’ highlighted touching stories of struggle.
Economic Daily reported on high-quality development in all spheres of life…Workers Daily reporters went to grassroots workers to support and encourage them. Reporters of China Women’s Daily captured the cheerful environment of the new year and all-round development…
Page 4: The one piece to note is in the series on Xi Jinping shaking hands with grassroots cadres. This one’s got a Winter Olympics theme. It is about Xi’s meeting with Wu Dajing. Wu won the only gold at the PyeongChang Games in 2018 and in November at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Dordrecht. In the story, he recalls meeting with Xi, calling it the “proudest and most glorious moment” of his life. He says that “the General Secretary’s earnest entrustment has always inspired me to work hard. I must win glory for my country at the Beijing Winter Olympics.” He talks about how he draws inspiration when things get difficult for him.
Other Stories:
This from Bob Davis in Politico: Biden Promised to Confront China. First He Has to Confront America’s Bizarre Trade Politics.