Xi's Vision for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms & Opening Up - Security Concerns Key in China-Pakistan Dialogue - Lashing out at US on Tariffs & Overcapacity
Before we get to today’s edition, Vladimir Putin landed in Beijing earlier in the day; the meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin is already done, and the two are shortly expected to meet with the press. You can watch CGTN’s live coverage here.
So far, state media has informed that the two sides have inked a “joint statement on deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries”. I’ll do a breakdown of this document as and when it is available.
Cheers,
Manoj
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People's Daily’s edition on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Page 1: First, there’s a report on Xi Jinping’s letter to villagers living at the foot of the Badaling Great Wall. Xi told them that “the Great Wall is a representative symbol of the Chinese nation and an important symbol of Chinese civilization. It embodies the Chinese nation’s spirit of continuous struggle for self-improvement and patriotic sentiments of unity and perseverance. It is our common responsibility to protect and inherit this historical and cultural heritage.” 长城是中华民族的代表性符号和中华文明的重要象征，凝聚着中华民族自强不息的奋斗精神和众志成城、坚韧不屈的爱国情怀。保护好、传承好这一历史文化遗产，是我们共同的责任.
Xi expressed “hope that the villagers will continue protecting the Great Wall as they protect their homes, carry forward the Great Wall culture and tell stories about the Great Wall well. The villagers are encouraged to contribute to building a strong socialist culture in China and promoting Chinese modernization.”
Next, the book compiling Xi’s discourses on Chinese-style modernisation has been published in Russian.
Third, there’s a report on Xi’s article in the latest edition of Qiushi. This one is a collection of Xi’s quotes on comprehensively deepening reform and opening up from December 2012 to March 2024. This is useful to go through ahead of the third plenary session, scheduled for July.
The PD report says:
“The article emphasises that reform and opening up is an important magic weapon for contemporary China to make great strides to catch up with the times and is a key move that determines the success or failure of Chinese-style modernization…Looking back on the reform work over the years, we have proposed a series of innovative theories, taken a series of major steps, and achieved a series of major breakthroughs. They are all revolutionary and have created a new situation in which reform and opening up are used to promote historic achievements and changes in various undertakings of the Party and the country.” 文章强调，改革开放是当代中国大踏步赶上时代的重要法宝，是决定中国式现代化成败的关键一招。党的十八届三中全会以来，全面深化改革取得历史性伟大成就。回顾这些年改革工作，我们提出的一系列创新理论、采取的一系列重大举措、取得的一系列重大突破，都是革命性的，开创了以改革开放推动党和国家各项事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革的新局面.
“The article points out that to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must constantly adapt to the development of social productive forces, adjust production relations, and constantly adapt to the development of the economic base and improve the superstructure. Our proposal to carry out comprehensively deepening reforms is to adapt to changes in the basic contradictions of our society to promote social development. Reform and opening up are ongoing processes and will never be complete. Reform and opening up also have a direction, a position and principles. Our direction is to continuously promote the self-improvement and development of the socialist system. To achieve the goals and tasks of the new era and new journey, comprehensive deepening of reform must be regarded as the fundamental driving force for advancing Chinese-style modernization, as an important starting point to stabilise the overall situation, adapt to the situation and open up a new situation, and write a new chapter in reform and opening up on the new journey.” 文章指出，坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，必须不断适应社会生产力发展调整生产关系，不断适应经济基础发展完善上层建筑。我们提出进行全面深化改革，就是要适应我国社会基本矛盾运动的变化来推进社会发展。改革开放只有进行时、没有完成时。改革开放也是有方向、有立场、有原则的。我们的方向就是不断推动社会主义制度自我完善和发展。实现新时代新征程的目标任务，要把全面深化改革作为推进中国式现代化的根本动力，作为稳大局、应变局、开新局的重要抓手，把准方向、守正创新、真抓实干，在新征程上谱写改革开放新篇章.
“The article points out that to promote Chinese-style modernization, it is necessary to further comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, continuously liberate and develop social productive forces, and liberate and enhance social vitality. The 20th Party Congress proposed a series of major reform measures, which are major strategic arrangements made by the Party Central Committee to comprehensively deepen reform in the new era and new journey. It is necessary to closely focus on the goal of building a comprehensively modern socialist country; launch a number of strategic, creative, and leading reforms; strengthen the integration, coordination and efficiency of the reform system; and achieve new breakthroughs in important areas and key links. It is necessary to plan major measures to further comprehensively deepening reforms and continue to inject strong impetus into promoting high-quality development and promoting Chinese-style modernization. It is necessary to highlight the problem orientation, focus on solving the bottlenecks and obstacles that restrict the construction of a new development pattern and the promotion of high-quality development, the pressing and difficult issues related to the development environments and people’s livelihood, focal points and hotspots that are contrary to social fairness and justice, and effectively prevent and resolve major risks, thereby continuously adding impetus and vitality to economic and social development.” 文章指出，推进中国式现代化，必须进一步全面深化改革开放，不断解放和发展社会生产力、解放和增强社会活力。党的二十大提出了一系列重大改革举措，这是党中央对新时代新征程全面深化改革作出的重大战略部署。要紧紧围绕全面建设社会主义现代化国家的目标，推出一批战略性、创造性、引领性改革，加强改革系统集成、协同高效，在重要领域和关键环节取得新突破。要谋划进一步全面深化改革重大举措，为推动高质量发展、推进中国式现代化持续注入强劲动力。要突出问题导向，着力解决制约构建新发展格局和推动高质量发展的卡点堵点问题、发展环境和民生领域的痛点难点问题、有悖社会公平正义的焦点热点问题，有效防范化解重大风险，不断为经济社会发展增动力、添活力.
Let me also highlight some excerpts from Qiushi. Here is Xi Jinping speaking at Mao’s 130th birth anniversary in December last year.
“It is necessary to further deepen reform and opening up. Reform and opening up is an important magic weapon for contemporary China to catch up with the times in great strides, and it is a key move that determines the success or failure of Chinese-style modernisation. To promote Chinese-style modernisation, it is necessary to further deepen reform and opening up in an all-round way, constantly liberate and develop the social productive forces, and liberate and enhance social vitality. We must conform to the new development trend of the times, the new requirements of practical development, and the new expectations of the people, and with a strong determination to reform to the end, we must be serious, dare to tackle tough problems, make precise, coordinated, and continuous efforts, and resolutely break down all institutional obstacles that restrict the smooth progress of Chinese-style modernisation. It is necessary to deepen the reform of the economic system, give full play to the decisive role of the market in the allocation of resources, give better play to the role of the government, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, build a unified national market, improve the macroeconomic governance system, stimulate the vitality of various business entities, and accelerate the formation of an institutional mechanism conducive to high-quality development. It is necessary to deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system, give full play to the advantages of the new national system, strengthen the national strategic scientific and technological power, strengthen the main position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, optimise the allocation of innovation resources, strive to break through key core technologies, and promote the realisation of high-level scientific and technological independence and self-reliance. It is necessary to work together to promote the reform of the cultural system, social system, ecological civilisation system and other fields, and continuously inject new impetus into Chinese modernisation in an all-round way.” 要进一步深化改革开放。改革开放是当代中国大踏步赶上时代的重要法宝，是决定中国式现代化成败的关键一招。推进中国式现代化，必须进一步全面深化改革开放，不断解放和发展社会生产力、解放和增强社会活力。我们要顺应时代发展新趋势、实践发展新要求、人民群众新期待，以改革到底的坚强决心，动真格、敢碰硬，精准发力、协同发力、持续发力，坚决破除一切制约中国式现代化顺利推进的体制机制障碍。要深化经济体制改革，充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，更好发挥政府作用，加快构建新发展格局，构建全国统一大市场，健全宏观经济治理体系，激发各类经营主体活力，加快形成有利于高质量发展的体制机制。要深化科技体制改革，发挥新型举国体制优势，强化国家战略科技力量，强化企业科技创新主体地位，优化配置创新资源，努力突破关键核心技术，推动实现高水平科技自立自强。要协同推进文化体制、社会体制、生态文明体制等各领域改革，全方位为中国式现代化源源不断注入新的动力.
And Xi’s comments in January 2024 at the Politburo’s 11th collective study session:
“Production relations must be adapted to the requirements of productive force development. To develop new quality productive forces, it’s necessary to further deepen reforms comprehensively, forming new production relations that match them. Deepen reforms of economic and technological systems, focusing on unblocking constraints on the development of new quality productive forces, establishing a high-standard market system, innovating ways of allocating production factors, and allowing various advanced and high-quality production factors to flow smoothly towards developing new quality productive forces. At the same time, expand high-level opening up to create a favourable international environment for developing new qualitative productive forces.” 生产关系必须与生产力发展要求相适应。发展新质生产力，必须进一步全面深化改革，形成与之相适应的新型生产关系。新质生产力既需要政府超前规划引导、科学政策支持，也需要市场机制调节、企业等微观主体不断创新，是政府“有形之手”和市场“无形之手”共同培育和驱动形成的。因此，要深化经济体制、科技体制等改革，着力打通束缚新质生产力发展的堵点卡点，建立高标准市场体系，创新生产要素配置方式，让各类先进优质生产要素向发展新质生产力顺畅流动。同时，要扩大高水平对外开放，为发展新质生产力营造良好国际环境.
From Xi’s speech at the second plenary of the 20th Central Committee in February 2023.
“…It is necessary to uphold and improve the basic socialist economic system, further deepen the reform of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises, and improve the competitiveness of state-owned enterprises; optimise the development environment of private enterprises, enhance confidence in the development of the private economy, and promote the development and growth of private enterprises. Improve the modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, build a high-standard market system, improve the macroeconomic governance system, give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and better play the role of the government. Strengthen and improve modern financial supervision, strengthen the financial stability guarantee system, and regulate and guide the healthy development of capital in accordance with the law. Promote high-level opening up to the outside world, steadily expand institutional opening up through rules, regulations, management, and standards, and promote the joint construction of high-quality BRI. While focusing on promoting the reform of the economic system, it is necessary to coordinate and plan reforms in the fields of education, science and technology, talent, politics, rule of law, culture, society, ecology, national security and Party building. Focus on improving the reform implementation mechanism, promote the implementation of reform measures to achieve results, continuously demonstrate the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, continuously enhance the power and vitality of socialist modernization, and better transform China’s institutional advantages into national governance effectiveness.” 党的二十大提出了一系列重大改革举措，这是党中央对新时代新征程全面深化改革作出的重大战略部署。要紧紧围绕全面建设社会主义现代化国家的目标，推出一批战略性、创造性、引领性改革，加强改革系统集成、协同高效，在重要领域和关键环节取得新突破。要坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度，进一步深化国资国企改革，提高国企竞争力；优化民营企业发展环境，提升民营经济发展信心，促进民营企业发展壮大。完善中国特色现代企业制度，建设高标准市场体系，健全宏观经济治理体系，充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用和更好发挥政府作用。加强和完善现代金融监管，强化金融稳定保障体系，依法规范和引导资本健康发展。推动高水平对外开放，稳步扩大规则、规制、管理、标准等制度型开放，高质量推进共建“一带一路”。在重点推进经济体制改革的同时，要统筹谋划好教育科技人才、政治、法治、文化、社会、生态、国家安全和党的建设领域的改革。注重完善改革落实机制，推动改革举措落地见效，不断彰显中国特色社会主义制度优势，不断增强社会主义现代化建设的动力和活力，把我国制度优势更好转化为国家治理效能.
Fourth, there’s a report on Premier Li Qiang meeting with a delegation of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC).
“Li Qiang said that as permanent members of the UNSC and two major global economies, maintaining good relations between China and the UK is beneficial to both sides and the world. China has always attached great importance to China-UK relations and is willing to strengthen dialogue, deepen cooperation with the UK, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and promote the continued development of bilateral relations along the right track for steady and long-term development. Li Qiang pointed out that the economies of China and the UK have strong complementary advantages and huge potential for cooperation. China is willing to close economic and trade exchanges with the UK, share development opportunities, expand cooperation in finance, new energy, biomedicine, digital economy and other fields, and carry out more third-party cooperation under the BRI framework in order to ensure that mutual benefit and win-win results always remain the main theme of the relations between the two countries.” 李强表示，中英作为联合国安理会常任理事国和全球两大经济体，保持良好关系有利于双方，也有利于世界。中方始终高度重视中英关系，愿同英方加强对话，深化合作，尊重彼此核心利益和重大关切，推动两国关系沿着正确轨道持续发展、行稳致远。李强指出，中英两国经济有较强互补优势和巨大合作潜力。中方愿同英方密切经贸往来，分享发展机遇，拓展金融、新能源、生物医药、数字经济等领域合作，在共建“一带一路”框架下开展更多第三方合作，让互利共赢始终成为两国关系的主旋律.
“China has always adhered to the basic national policy of opening up to the outside world. China will further expand market access, strengthen service guarantees for foreign investment, and provide a more favourable environment for foreign companies to do business in China. We welcome companies from the UK and other countries to continue to invest in China. It is hoped that the CBBC and the British business community will inherit and carry forward the ice-breaking spirit, be the transmitters of Sino-British friendship, the promoter of mutually beneficial cooperation, the maintainers of stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, and continue to contribute to the development of China-UK relations.” 中国始终坚持对外开放的基本国策，将进一步扩大市场准入，加强外商投资服务保障，为外资企业在华经营提供更好环境，欢迎英国等各国企业继续投资中国。希望英中贸协及英国工商界传承弘扬破冰精神，做中英友好的传递者、互利合作的推进者、产业链供应链稳定畅通的维护者，继续为中英关系发展贡献力量.
Next, there’s a report on Ding Xuexiang meeting with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Xinhua reports:
“Noting China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad brothers, Ding said China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level strategic communication, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, coordinate development and security, deepen people-to-people ties, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and bring more benefits to the two peoples.”
On Page 3, there’s a report on Wang Yi’s meeting with Dar. I’ll cover that here too. The two men chaired the fifth round of the Foreign Minister-Level China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. Xinhua reports:
Wang “noted that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Over the years, Pakistan has firmly adhered to the one-China principle and offered China valuable support without reservation on issues concerning China's core interests. China also firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and in playing a bigger role in international and regional affairs. It is believed that under the leadership of the new government, Pakistan will enter a new stage of political unity, social stability, controllable security and sustainable development. China and Pakistan will support each other, share weal and woe, and work hand in hand to push China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, Wang added. China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, pool efforts to promote the construction of an upgraded version of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and work together to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, Wang said. In addition, China will not waver in its determination to deepen cooperation with Pakistan, and hopes that Pakistan will continue to do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan and eliminate the worries of Chinese enterprises and personnel, he added.”
A more detailed readout by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has Wang outlining “four commitments.”
“First, stay firmly committed to supporting each other in safeguarding core interests. China appreciates Pakistan's unswerving commitment to the one-China principle and firm support for China on the Taiwan question and issues relating to Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong. China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, resolutely combating terrorism, and playing a greater role in international and regional affairs. The two sides will fully leverage the role of various consultation and cooperation mechanisms in the political and security fields and unwaveringly understand and support each other on issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns.
Second, stay firmly committed to advancing all-round practical cooperation. Both sides agreed to strengthen synergy of development strategies and policy coordination, upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and help Pakistan better achieve economic growth, improve people's livelihood and promote scientific innovation and green development. At the same time, both sides will actively and properly promote the third-party participation in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor cooperation. Efforts should also be made to strengthen cooperation in industry, agriculture, mining, new energy, information technology and other fields based on local conditions to help Pakistan achieve independent, balanced and sustainable development. Existing major connectivity projects should be advanced to contribute to Pakistan's national development, further unleash Pakistan's geographical advantages and promote the process of regional economic integration.
Third, stay firmly committed to ensuring common security. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the investigation results of the terrorist attack on a convoy of Chinese nationals en route to the Dasu Hydropower Project in Pakistan on March 26, and once again extended its deep condolences for the Chinese victims. The Pakistani side pledged to continue to do its utmost to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and protect the safety of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan. China and Pakistan will further deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation, and call on the international community to further build a united front against terrorism, take a zero-tolerance approach in combating all forms of terrorism, and eliminate the breeding ground of terrorism by addressing both its symptoms and root causes.
Fourth, stay firmly committed to upholding international fairness and justice. The two sides will continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral mechanisms to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. The Pakistani side reiterated its support for the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and major proposals such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. On the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China is consistent in its position, and has been calling for the full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2728, the immediate realization of an unconditional and enduring ceasefire, and the effective protection of civilians. Both sides agreed to oppose unilateralism, hegemonism and power politics, oppose any attempt to create bloc rivalry and camp-based confrontation, and jointly safeguard peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large.
While we are on the subject, let me highlight a few related stories.
First, as per Dawn, Dar “highlighted the threats posed to regional peace and security due to India’s illegal occupation of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, and appreciated China’s principled stance on the dispute.”
Second, there is this detailed DW report on the development of ports built by China. On Gwadar, the report says “Gwadar, despite being completed in 2007, has only logged 22 ships in its best year to date. It has also failed to attract any regularly scheduled deep-sea shipping lines. This means Gwadar processes almost no cargo that could generate income for Pakistan — or, for that matter, for the Chinese operating company. And it's no wonder: Gwadar is operating at very limited capacity. The port's three berths, where loading and unloading takes place, can handle 137,000 standard 20-foot shipping containers per year. In contrast, Karachi and its 33 berths can handle the equivalent of 4.2 million 20-foot containers per year…”
Third, this report in The Hindu, which cites data from the World Bank’s latest International Debt Report 2023. It says:
Pakistan’s total external debt stocks owed to China rapidly surged from $7.6 billion in 2016 to $26.5 billion in 2022.
In the same period, Sri Lanka’s total debt owed to China almost doubled from $4.6 billion to $8.8 billion.
Bangladesh’s increased from $0.97 billion to $6 billion.
Maldives’ increased from $0.3 billion to $1.2 billion.
Nepal’s increased from $0.07 billion to $0.26 billion.
Finally, getting back to the front page, there is a long, long Ren Ping article, which makes the argument to improve the level of people's livelihood security in the process of development. Some excerpts:
More than 70% of the national fiscal expenditure is used for people's livelihood. In 2024, the central government budgeted 66.7 billion yuan for employment subsidy funds, 408.5 billion yuan for transfer payments related to shared fiscal responsibilities in the education sector, and 76.5 billion yuan for basic public health service subsidies. 全国财政支出中，约有70%以上用于民生。2024年，中央财政安排就业补助资金预算667亿元，安排教育领域共同财政事权转移支付4085亿元，安排基本公共卫生服务补助资金765亿元……
In the ‘development plan’, people’s livelihood is the most important thing. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: ‘Developing new quality productive forces does not mean neglecting or abandoning traditional industries.’ Traditional industries are related to employment and people's livelihood. The concept that ‘we cannot throw away our means of living first…’, reflects consideration for people's livelihood. “发展大计”中，有民生之重。习近平总书记指出：“发展新质生产力不是忽视、放弃传统产业”。传统产业事关就业民生，“不能把手里吃饭的家伙先扔了”，体现的正是民生考量。
The article touches on medical care, housing, environment and pollution, elderly care, employment, education, support for the disabled etc.
By the end of 2023, the number of people insured by China’s basic medical insurance reached 1.334 billion, and nearly 80 million low-income people enjoyed insurance subsidies. The total number of drugs in the new version of the National Medical Insurance Drug Catalog has increased to 3,088.
Page 3: During the press conference with Pakistan’s FM Dar, Wang Yi took some shots at the US too. Xinhua reports:
Wang “noted that recently, the United States has frequently imposed unilateral sanctions on China, abused Section 301 tariffs, and obsessively suppressed China's normal economic, trade and technological activities, representing the most typical form of hegemonic bullying in the world today. It demonstrates that certain individuals in the United States have become irrational in their attempt to maintain U.S. unipolar hegemony, Wang said. The unscrupulous suppression of China by the United States does not prove U.S. strength, but on the contrary exposes the loss of that country's confidence and composure. Such behavior does not help address domestic problems in the United States, but only results in a greater disruption of the normal operation of the international industrial and supply chains, Wang said, adding that the U.S. move will not deter China's development and rejuvenation. He pointed out that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has made it clear that the Section 301 tariffs imposed by the United States violate WTO rules and international law, saying it is also believed by people with basic common sense in international trade that the U.S. approach will only lead to a lose-lose situation. As one of the WTO's founding members, the United States not only fails to set a good example, but instead leads the way in violating its rules and making one mistake after another, Wang stated. He also said that the United States has claimed commitment to "fair competition," but the U.S. actions go against its words and cast serious doubt on its ability to gain the trust of the international community. Wang stressed that such unilateral and protectionist actions are contrary to the trend of the times, and are bound to be crushed by the wheels of history. ‘At this critical time of global economic recovery, the international community should warn the United States not to cause new troubles for the world,’ said Wang.”
While on this, on Page 18, there is a Zhong Sheng commentary that talks about the overcapacity issue. The article argues that “equating China's exports with overcapacity is inconsistent with economic common sense and objective facts…As an open market integrated into globalization, China's new energy companies must consider not only domestic but also international considerations in their vision and resource allocation. If countries produced only to meet domestic demand, there would be no cross-border trade. In recent years, China's exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, photovoltaic products, etc. have increased, which is the result of international division of labour and market demand.” 将中国出口产品等同于产能过剩，不符合经济常识和客观事实...作为一个融入全球化的开放市场，中国新能源企业的视野和资源配置不仅要考虑国内，还要考虑国际。如果各国生产仅满足国内需求，就不会有跨境贸易。近年来，中国电动汽车、锂电池、光伏产品等出口增多，这是国际分工和市场需求的结果.
“In fact, there is not a surplus of green production capacity globally; rather there is a serious shortage. Taking new energy vehicles as an example, according to the International Energy Agency, global demand for new energy vehicles will reach 45 million units in 2030, which is 4.5 times that of 2022; global demand for new photovoltaic installed capacity will reach 820 GW, approximately four times that of 2022. Especially in the context of more than 130 countries and regions proposing carbon neutrality goals, the global demand for green production capacity far exceeds output. Judging from the huge potential on the global demand side, China's green production capacity is in short supply, and the so-called ‘impact on the world market’ is completely baseless. An article published on Bloomberg’s website has argued that the hope of global energy transformation is largely due to the cheap and clean products provided by China.” 事实上，全球范围内的绿色产能不是过剩，而是严重不足。以新能源汽车为例，根据国际能源署测算，2030年全球新能源汽车需求量将达4500万辆，是2022年的4.5倍；全球光伏新增装机需求将达到820吉瓦，是2022年的约4倍。特别是在超过130个国家和地区提出碳中和目标的背景下，全球对绿色产能的需求远远大于产出。从全球需求侧的巨大潜力来看，中国的绿色产能供不应求，所谓“冲击世界市场”更是毫无根据。彭博社网站刊文认为，全球能源转型之所以有希望，很大程度上要归功于中国提供了廉价、清洁的产品.
“In today’s era, both supply and demand are global in nature, and the level of production capacity in different countries is determined by their respective comparative advantages. This is an economic principle that is not subject to human will. The reason why China's new energy products have strong competitiveness is mainly because earlier of the layout of relevant industries, which has led to the development of leading technological advantages through long-term research and development investment, along with the reliance on China’s strong industrial support capabilities, ultra-large-scale market, abundant human resources, etc., which has established a comprehensive competitive advantage. Even though the overseas prices of Chinese new energy vehicles and other products are generally higher than the domestic prices, they are still selling well in many countries. From this, it can be seen that China's competitive advantage in relevant production capacity is determined by factors such as global market demand and the efficiency of Chinese enterprises, i.e., it is the result of market laws.” 当今时代，供给和需求都具有全球性，不同国家的产能高低是各自比较优势决定的，这是不以人的意志为转移的经济学原理。中国新能源产品之所以具有较强的竞争力，主要是因为相关产业布局较早，通过长期研发投入形成了领先的技术优势，同时依托国内强大的产业配套能力、超大规模市场、丰富的人力资源等，形成了综合性的竞争优势。中国新能源汽车等产品在海外售价普遍高于国内售价的情况下，依然在许多国家热销，可见中国相关产能竞争优势是由全球市场需求和中国企业效率等因素共同决定的，是市场规律发挥作用的结果.
Some people label China’s new energy industry as being riddled with ‘overcapacity’ because of their underlying desire for protectionism. They are hyping up the so-called ‘overcapacity’ of China's new energy industry to find excuses for restricting China's exports by setting up artificial trade barriers. The real surplus is not China’s new energy production capacity, but these people’s attempts to abuse protectionism and suppress the legitimate development of other countries. Some people claim to oppose ‘unfair trade and non-market practices’, but in fact it is they who are politicising economic and trade issues and interfering with free trade through non-market practices. They spread the false narrative of ‘overcapacity’ in China's new energy sector in order to conceal their evil intentions to curb and suppress the development of Chinese industries, with the aim of seeking more favourable competitive positions and market advantages for their own countries. Protectionist words and actions will not make oneself better; they will only disrupt the stability and smooth flow of the production and supply chain, dragging down the global economy’s green transformation and the development of emerging industries…Any attempt to politicize or securitize economic and trade issues goes against economic laws. It is not conducive to the development of domestic industries or to global economic recovery. Deliberately hyping up ‘overcapacity’ with ulterior motives, aiming to trip others while trying to run faster oneself, is neither ethical nor practical. China hopes to work with all parties to uphold the basic principles of market economy, including fair competition and open cooperation, and make due contributions to global green and low-carbon transformation. 一些人给中国新能源产业扣上“产能过剩”的帽子，是其骨子里的保护主义在作祟。他们炒作所谓中国新能源“产能过剩”，是为其通过人为设置贸易壁垒限制中国出口寻找借口。真正过剩的不是中国的新能源产能，而是这些人滥用保护主义、打压他国正当发展的图谋。一些人口口声声反对“不公平贸易和非市场行为”，但实际上正是他们在将经贸问题政治化，以非市场行为干扰自由贸易。他们散布所谓中国新能源“产能过剩”虚假叙事，包藏的是遏制打压中国产业发展的祸心，旨在为本国谋求更有利竞争地位和市场优势。保护主义言行不会让自己变得更好，只会破坏产供链稳定畅通，拖累全球经济绿色转型和新兴产业发展... 任何将经贸问题泛政治化、泛安全化的言行，都是违背经济规律的，既不利于本国产业发展，也不利于世界经济复苏。别有用心地炒作“产能过剩”，企图在绊倒别人的同时让自己跑得更快，既不道德也不现实。中方希望同各方一道，坚持公平竞争、开放合作的市场经济基本准则，为全球绿色低碳转型作出应有贡献.
Back to Page 3, there’s a report on Vice Premier Liu Guozhong’s visit to Uzbekistan. Xinhua reports:
“Liu said that the heads of state of both countries have jointly announced developing an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and promoting the building of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point, ushering in a new chapter in China-Uzbekistan relations. China is willing to work with Uzbekistan, guided by the consensus of the two heads of state, to firmly support each other on issues of core interests, and continuously deepen and expand cooperation in various fields, enriching the substantive content of the China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future, Liu said. Mirziyoyev and Aripov asked Liu to convey their warm greetings to President Xi and Premier Li. They said that Uzbekistan highly values its relations with China, will steadfastly adhere to the one-China principle, continuously elevate the level of comprehensive reciprocal cooperation between the two countries, and contribute to the common development to benefit the well-being of the people of both countries. On Monday, Liu and Aripov co-chaired the Seventh Meeting of the China-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, where they thoroughly reviewed the cooperation between both countries. They exchanged views on cooperation in key areas such as economy and trade, energy, transportation, agriculture, science and technology, cultural exchanges, and poverty reduction, and made new arrangements for future cooperation. After the meeting, both sides signed the minutes of the meeting. During his visit, Liu inspected several bilateral cooperation projects, including the Peng Sheng Industrial Park and the China-Uzbekistan Medicine Technical Park.”