Xi's Shanxi Visit - Wang-Blinken Call - Zhang Anmin on Xi Thought, Two Establishments & Strategic Thinking

Here are the stories and pieces that I found noteworthy from the Friday, January 28, 2022, edition of the People’s Daily.

Page 1: Much of the page and the entire second page are dedicated to Xi’s pre-Spring Festival visit to Shanxi (English report by China Daily). The report says that Xi was accompanied by Provincial Party Secretary Lin Wu and Governor Lan Fo’an. In addition, Xue Xiang, Liu He, Chen Xi, He Lifeng and other members of relevant departments of the Central Committee accompanied him.

Xi traveled to Fengnanyuan, a village in the city of Huozhou, which was hit hard by severe flooding last year. There he visited the home of a villager named Shi Hongbing. After the flood disaster, his family had been provided two prefabricated houses built through government subsidies.

Then the report says that he visited Duancun village of Fenxi county. There he inspected the progress made in consolidating and expanding poverty alleviation work, continuing rural revitalization effort and strengthening grassroots Party building. Here too, he visited the home of a local villager, Cai Wenming. After inspecting his house, Xi spoke about how the Party fundamentally works to serve the people. 

From here, he traveled to the village square where amid cheering crowds, Xi reportedly made the point that agricultural and rural modernization are key to building a modern country. He added that it is “important to continue to consolidate our achievements in poverty alleviation, make solid progress in rural vitalization, improve people’s lives…”

On Thursday, he went to Pingyao county. This is a UNESCO world heritage site. Here, he spoke about the importance of preserving cultural relics and upholding cultural confidence. He also talked about developing tourism while protecting heritage. The story also has Xi cautioning on the threat of COVID-19 infections, specifically talking about internal spread and protecting against imported cases.

The next paragraph talks about Xi being concerned about winter power supply and heating. He visited the Shanxi Ruiguang Thermal Power Co., Ltd. Here Xi said:

Shanxi, as the national energy and heavy chemical industry base, has made important contributions to national development. The goals of carbon peak and neutrality are not something that others have asked to be done, but they are in China’s self-interest. Yet, these goals cannot be achieved easily; neither can one wait, nor can one rush. One must “respect objective laws, grasp the pace of steps, first establish and then break, and make progress while maintaining stability.” China is rich in coal, but lacks sufficient oil and natural gas. It is necessary to consolidate the domestic energy production base, ensure coal supply security, make overall plans for clean and low-carbon development of coal, diversified utilization and comprehensive storage and transportation of coal, accelerate the research on green and low-carbon technologies, and continuously promote the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure. We should actively yet prudently advance the goals of carbon peak and neutrality and make due contribution to the realization of the second centenary goal and the construction of a community of shared future for mankind.” 他强调，山西作为全国能源重化工基地，为国家发展作出了重要贡献。推进碳达峰碳中和，不是别人让我们做，而是我们自己必须要做，但这不是轻轻松松就能实现的，等不得，也急不得。必须尊重客观规律，把握步骤节奏，先立后破、稳中求进。富煤贫油少气是我国国情，要夯实国内能源生产基础，保障煤炭供应安全，统筹抓好煤炭清洁低碳发展、多元化利用、综合储运这篇大文章，加快绿色低碳技术攻关，持续推动产业结构优化升级。要积极稳妥推动实现碳达峰碳中和目标，为实现第二个百年奋斗目标、推动构建人类命运共同体作出应有贡献.

The next paragraph says that Xi pointed out that power supply and heating is related to the overall situation of economic development and social stability, and it is a major event related to people’s livelihood. It is necessary to implement the decisions of the Party Central Committee on energy supply and demand, take multiple measures to strengthen the regulation of supply and demand, and enhance the energy supply guarantee capability. Large enterprises, especially state-owned enterprises, should take the lead in ensuring the supply and price stability, strengthen the responsibility of people’s livelihood energy supply guarantee, and ensure people’s safety and warmth for the winter. 要贯彻落实党中央关于能源保供各项部署要求，多措并举加强供需调节，提升能源供应保障能力，大企业特别是国有企业要带头保供稳价，强化民生用能供给保障责任，确保人民群众安全温暖过冬。

The last paragraph says that Xi “fully affirmed the achievements in Shanxi's work since the 19th Party Congress.”

A couple of other stories on the page. 

First, Li Keqiang held a symposium (English report) in Beijing with representatives of foreign experts working in China before the Spring Festival. There are some points that Li made, which are worth noting.

In the last year, “the country has prioritized employment in its macro policy and revitalized market entities through tax and fee cuts, said Li. ‘We have implemented policies in proper intensity, leaving policy space for this year to address challenges.’ In the face of new downward economic pressure, Li stressed that the country would strengthen cross-cyclical adjustments to keep the country's economy running within an appropriate range. China will strengthen targeted adjustments, take timely and effective measures to cope with challenges, stabilize market expectations, and boost market confidence, he said. The premier added that China will take bolder measures to alleviate difficulties faced by enterprises, including implementing tax and fee cuts, lowering financing costs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and expanding effective demands. Stressing that opening-up is a fundamental state policy in China, Li said China would continue pushing forward high-level opening-up and provide more convenience for foreign experts to work and live in China.”

Second, a report about Wang Yang meeting with leaders of national religious groups ahead of the Spring Festival. Wang called on them to “conscientiously study the spirit of the National Conference on Religious Work, fully implement the theory, principles and policies of the Party’s religious work in the new era, earnestly strengthen self-construction, unite the vast number of believers around the Party and the government, and gather positive energy for forging a new journey and realizing the Chinese dream.” 他强调，宗教团体是党和政府团结联系宗教界人士和信教群众的桥梁纽带，要认真学习全国宗教工作会议精神，全面贯彻新时代党的宗教工作理论和方针政策，切实加强自身建设，把广大信教群众团结在党和政府周围，为奋进新征程、实现中国梦凝聚正能量.

Xinhua English summarises the rest well: 

“Speaking highly of the work of religious groups in 2021, Wang called on them to enhance their self-education, safeguard the stability and harmony of the religious circle, and guide religious personages and believers to enhance their recognition of the motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Efforts should be made to further develop religions in the Chinese context, and better adapt religions to socialist society as well as to the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

In PD, it says that it is necessary to implement the requirement of comprehensively and strictly governing religions; with courage, resolve prominent problems affecting the healthy inheritance of religions, establish and improve internal management systems and mechanisms, and foster a good atmosphere in which the law is respected, precepts and rules are observed, and integrity is maintained, so as to maintain harmony and stability in the religious field. 要落实全面从严治教要求，以刀刃向内的勇气解决影响宗教健康传承的突出问题，建立健全内部管理制度机制，形成奉法重法、持戒守规、风清气正的良好氛围，维护宗教领域和谐稳定.

Later in the piece, he also talks about “cultivating a group of high-level religious talents who are proficient in classic teachings and excellent Chinese traditional culture” who play a role in terms of teaching at religious educational institutions. 要办好宗教院校，既培养一支规模适当、符合要求、梯次合理的基层教职人员队伍，也培养一批精通经典教义、中华优秀传统文化的高层次宗教人才.

Finally, a report (English report) about Xi sending a message of sympathy to Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih over the latter's COVID-19 infection. In his message, Xi said that learning about the infection of President Solih, he extends sincere sympathy to him and wishes him a speedy recovery.

Page 3: First, there’s a story on the call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Xinhua English reports:

The top priority for China and the United States at present is to truly implement the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden during their video meeting in November last year, said Wang. During the video meeting, Wang recalled, Xi summarized the experience and lessons of China-U.S. exchanges over the past more than half a century, and put forward three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, charting the course for the healthy development of China-U.S. relations. Biden responded positively by then, and said that the United States neither seeks a "new Cold War" with China, nor pursues a change in China's system, the revitalization of its alliances is not anti-China, and the country does not support "Taiwan independence," and has no intention to have conflict and confrontation with China, sending a positive signal which is different from the previous U.S. administration, said the Chinese foreign minister. However, Wang said, what the world has seen is that there has been no substantive change in the tone of the U.S. policy towards China and Biden's pledges have not been fully delivered. The U.S. side is still making erroneous words and deeds related to China, which have dealt a new blow to bilateral relations, Wang added.

Then Wang offered a bit of a lecture, it seems.

“Competition between major countries is not the theme of a post-pandemic world that will encounter new situations and challenges, nor will it address the problems facing the United States and countries worldwide, Wang said. China and the United States, as the world's two largest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should bear in mind the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, follow the trend of global development, and well implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, he said. Wang said the two countries must have a good grasp of the general direction of bilateral ties, take concrete actions to fulfill commitments, expand the positive aspects of bilateral cooperation, and manage differences constructively. Pressure will only make the Chinese people more united, and confrontation will not stop China from becoming stronger, he stressed. At present, the top priority for the U.S. side is to stop interfering in the Beijing Winter Olympics, stop playing with fire by playing the "Taiwan card," and stop forming all kinds of small cliques aimed at working against and containing China, he said.”

The piece quotes Blinken as having said: “The United States and China have shared interests as well as differences, Blinken said, noting the United States is ready to manage differences responsibly. The U.S. stance on the one-China policy remains unchanged…”

The two also talked about the Ukraine-Russia issue. Wang said:

• it is necessary to return to the 2015 Minsk Agreements approved by the Security Council, which is a fundamental political document recognized by all parties and should be implemented in earnest. China will support any effort that conforms to the direction and spirit of the agreements

• China calls on all parties to remain calm and refrain from inflaming tensions or hyping up the crisis. 

• He added security of one country should not be at the expense of the security of others, and regional security should not be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs. 

• He called for forming “a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations.”

• He added that “Russia’s legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously and addressed.”

The US readout says that:

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.  Secretary Blinken underscored the global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine and conveyed that de-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward.  The Secretary and Councilor Wang also exchanged views on how to advance work together following President Biden’s virtual meeting with President Xi on November 15, 2021, including on managing strategic risk, health security, and climate change.”

Also on the international page, there’s a story about the US and NATO submitting their written responses to Russia, and the Russian Foreign Minister saying that “there is no positive reaction on the main issue in this document.” This is a straightforward report, and if I am correct, it’s the second such report in PD ever since the recent tensions began.

Next, a report (English report) about the WTO decision permitting China to impose tariffs on goods imported from the United States totalling up to $645 million a year. The Chinese commerce ministry said that “the ruling is of great significance in rectifying U.S. countervailing duties on imported Chinese goods, protecting the legitimate trade interests of Chinese companies and safeguarding multilateral trading systems.”

The ministry’s spokesperson Gao Feng said that the WTO ruling again proved that the United States had for some time been breaching WTO rules, abusing trade remedy measures and refusing to fulfil its international obligations, which is detrimental to a fair and just international trading environment. It is the second time China has been granted rights to impose retaliatory tariffs on imports from the United States.

Third, a report basically arguing that foreign investors and companies continue to have confidence in the Chinese economy. I’ll list out a few data points mentioned in the piece below. There’s cherry-picking data, of course, and some points are really vague; but that is expected, because the point of the article is not accurate or granular analysis; rather it is to set the narrative.

• It talks about Dow’s March deal with the Zhanjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone to establish a Dow South China specialty chemical manufacturing base. The initial investment was estimated at $250 million. I don’t know what’s come through, however.

• The piece says that Roche’s Severin Schwan is keen to make Shanghai as the group’s third largest strategic center, after Basel and San Francisco.

• It quotes an HSBC survey, which is not dated and neither is the title shared, to say that 97% of the enterprises surveyed plan to continue to expand their investment in China.

• It then quotes a PWC report on Japanese enterprises in China in 2021, which reportedly says that “91% of the enterprises surveyed indicated that they would maintain or increase the scale of investment in China in the next three to five years.”

• There’s also reference to a Reuters report, which apparently quotes positive views about China’s FDI, sustainable development and new economy from UBS Securities and KPMG.

• “According to the business confidence survey report released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China in 2021, 72% of the respondents believe that Chinese local enterprises have strong innovation ability; the fertile ground for innovation is attracting multinational enterprises to increase their R&D efforts and set up innovative R&D centers in China.”

Page 4: Just one story to note, i.e., the new plan for the modernization of market regulation over the 14th Five-Year Plan period. But I am not going into the details here. My colleague Swayamsiddha Samal is translating and summarising the plan document. We’ll share it in our weekly Eye on China newsletter on Sunday. If you are interested in the interim, here’s an English report on this.

Page 9: On the theory page, the lead piece is by Zhang Anmin. He basically talks about understanding the significance of having strategic thinking, and understanding the interplay between strategy and tactics. In the early paragraphs, Zhang shares a quote from Mao, Deng, Jiang, Hu and Xi. He then says that:

“Formulating correct political strategies is a powerful guarantee for the Party to overcome numerous risks and challenges and move from victory to victory. In the course of a hundred years' struggle, the reason why our Party has been able to accomplish great victories and make brilliant achievements in revolution, construction and reform is that it has been guided by Marxism and we have solved both practical and strategic problems.” 制定正确的政治战略策略是党战胜无数风险挑战、不断从胜利走向胜利的有力保证。在百年奋斗历程中，我们党之所以能够取得革命、建设、改革的伟大胜利和辉煌成就，就在于坚持以马克思主义为指导，既解决现实问题，又解决战略问题.

In the next section, he praises Xi and his thought. He says that Xi has displayed “great foresight and creativity” in highlighting that Party leadership “is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system. He then talks about following strategic determinations have been made:

• First, recognising that China is in a new era.

• Second, changing the principal contradiction

• Third, clarifying the 14-point basic policy

• Fourth, identifying that the overall task of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation

• Fifth, pursuing modernisation of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and of the national governance system and governance capacity

• Sixth, profoundly answer the major political question of what it is that must be upheld and consolidated and what it is that must be improved and developed

• Seventh, sharing the five-in-one plan and four comprehensives.

“With the courage of a Marxist politician and strategist, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly revealed the theoretical logic, historical logic and practical logic of the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, greatly improving our understanding of the laws governing the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” 习近平总书记以马克思主义政治家、战略家的胆略，深刻揭示了中国特色社会主义发展的理论逻辑、历史逻辑、实践逻辑，极大升华了对中国特色社会主义建设规律的认识.

The next paragraph builds on this. He writes that Xi has drawn up strategic plans on what kind of modern socialist power to build and how to build a modern socialist power.

“With a strong sense of responsibility, General Secretary Xi Jinping has successfully expanded the path of Chinese-style modernization and enriched and developed the theories and practices of human modernization. He has emphasised that the Party will unite and lead the Chinese people in advancing Chinese-style modernization. This reflects the Party’s deepening understanding of building a modern socialist country, its maturing strategy, and its enriching practice. He stressed that China’s modernization is a modernization that has a huge population; it is a modernization that aims to bring common prosperity to all the people, that balances material and spiritual civilization, a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony, and a modernization that follows the path of peaceful development. He has highlighted the scientific connotation and important features of Chinese-style modernization. These are adhering to the people-centered development philosophy, promoting all-round human development, and making more tangible progress in promoting common prosperity for all people, indicating the Party's fundamental position that the country is the people and the people are the country. Emphasis has been placed on the basic realization of socialist modernization by 2035 and the building of China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the century…” 习近平总书记以强烈的使命担当，成功拓展中国式现代化道路，丰富和发展了人类现代化理论和实践。强调中国共产党将团结带领中国人民深入推进中国式现代化，体现了党对建设社会主义现代化国家认识上的不断深入、战略上的不断成熟、实践上的不断丰富；强调我国现代化是人口规模巨大的现代化，是全体人民共同富裕的现代化，是物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化，是人与自然和谐共生的现代化，是走和平发展道路的现代化，鲜明指出了中国式现代化的科学内涵和重要特征；强调坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，推动人的全面发展，推动全体人民共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展，指明了我们党坚持江山就是人民、人民就是江山的根本立场；强调到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化、到本世纪中叶把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国，明确了全面建设社会主义现代化国家的时间表、路线图；提出立足新发展阶段、贯彻新发展理念、构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展，统筹发展和安全，回答了事关我国发展全局一系列方向性、根本性、战略性的重大问题……习近平总书记极大地深化拓展了建设社会主义现代化强国的科学内涵，明确了实现这一奋斗目标的战略安排、重要原则、路径选择。

In the next paragraph, he talks about how Xi has emphasised the importance of strengthening and upholding the centralised and unified leadership of the Party, as the “political responsibility of the whole Party.” He has emphasised that “deals and beliefs are the spiritual pillar and political soul of Chinese Communists;” that the “courage to carry out self-revolution is what distinguishes the Party from other political parties”; that it is important to take political building of the Party “as the guiding principle and continue to advance the great new project of Party building in the new era.”

In the final section of the piece, he calls for:

• Deeply studying Xi thought; He quotes Xi as having said that Marxism must be a basic/housekeeping skill for cadres. 必须把马克思主义作为看家本领.

• Cadres must take responsibility and have a long-term perspective.

• He wants cadres to “deeply understand the decisive significance of the two establishments; deeply understand the scientific connotation of ‘resolutely safeguarding the core of the Party and the authority of the Party Central Committee’; deeply understand the political requirement of ‘resolutely safeguarding the core of the Party and the authority of the Party Central Committee’; deeply understand what is the most important interest of the Party and the country, what is the most important position to firmly uphold; always pay attention to what the Party Central Committee is concerned about, what is emphasized, to grasp the 国之大者, and accurately grasp one’s own responsibilities.” 坚持用习近平总书记重要讲话、重要指示批示精神和党中央决策部署分析形势、推动工作，深刻认识“两个确立”的决定性意义，深刻领会“坚决维护党的核心和党中央权威”的科学内涵、政治要求，深刻领会什么是党和国家最重要的利益、什么是最需要坚定维护的立场，时刻关注党中央在关心什么、强调什么，对“国之大者”了然于胸，对自身职责准确把握。

• He then talks about the importance of discipline, implementing the Party’s policies and having the spirit to struggle. The one interesting bit here is this: “we must be sincere and firm believers and practitioners of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and truly implement the ‘two safeguards’ into a system of rules and regulations, institutional mechanisms, behavioural code of conduct, working procedures, and words and deeds…” 践行党的战略策略，必须发自内心、坚定不移，自觉做习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的坚定信仰者、忠实实践者，真正把“两个维护”落实到制度规矩、体制机制、行为规范、工作程序、一言一行中

Other Stories:

It’s not in PD, but today the State Council published a white paper titled: China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective. The English version is available here.