Yang Jiechi on US Ties - Li-Merkel Talks - Xi Invokes Long March - Inspections at Universities - Youth League's Perspective
Here are the stories and pieces from the April 29, 2021, edition of People’s Daily that I found noteworthy.
Page 1: The sixth China-Germany inter-governmental consultation led by Li Keqiang and Angela Merkel gets a small box on the front page today. PD reports (Xinhua English’s report) that the two leaders “listened to the work reports of the heads of 25 departments, such as foreign affairs, economic and trade, justice, finance, industry, transportation, education, science and technology, health, agriculture, environmental protection and social security.”
Li spoke about China and Germany’s “all-round strategic partnership”; he talked about pandemic-related cooperation, rejecting vaccine nationalism, and securing supply chains, and bringing into force the China-EU investment agreement as soon as possible.
He said:
“The current international situation is complex and profoundly changing, the epidemic is still spreading, and protectionism continues to exist. The pandemic calls for a strong voice of cooperation from the international community and to show the strength of unity. China is willing to firmly grasp the general direction of dialogue and cooperation with Germany. As long as the two sides respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, communicate on the basis of equal footing and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, increase trust and resolve doubts, narrow their differences and focus on cooperation, favorable conditions can be created for the further smooth development of dialogue and cooperation, and ensure the long-term healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries.”
PD reports that Merkel spoke about the importance of the investment agreement and the need for smooth exchange of officials; she added that Germany “advocates open cooperation, opposes protectionism, and advocates resolving differences through dialogue and consultation.” The two sides signed a bunch of agreements covering areas like “climate change, social security, health, food safety, international development, transportation, and sustainable development.”
Of course, neither PD and Xinhua have reported her comments about human rights or Comprehensive Agreement on Investment in entirety. In her brief opening comments, Merkel said this:
She called the CAI the “cornerstone” of China’s economic relations with Europe
She mentioned the ILO labour standards, which were discussed; she added that “reasonable working conditions everywhere for all people” are “of great importance.”
She talked about human rights, specifically mentioning the situation in Hong Kong, as something the two sides should be talking about.
Now, while mentioning human rights, Merkel did not talk about Xinjiang or the sanctions imposed on European institutions and individuals, including MEPs. And this becomes even more jarring given that MEPs were debating the issue at the same time.
Opening the debate Josep Borrell tried to soften what was to come:
“We have firmly expressed our dissent to our Chinese counterparts, both in Brussels and in European Union capitals. And we will continue to do so for as long as these measures are in place. We will do this in the framework of the European Union’s strategic approach to China, because with China we also have to engage. We have to continue engaging with China to advance on issues of common interest, while, at the same time, standing firm on our values.”
He then went on about the need to engage China, while also keeping in mind that there’s a systemic rivalry. He also believes that the Biden administration is more aligned to this European approach.
The debate, however, was full of fury. SCMP reports that “more than 30 members took the floor to denounce the sanctions imposed by Beijing...They warned China that the investment deal was ‘on ice,’ and also took aim at European Commission officials who they claimed had prioritised commercial ties with the world’s second largest economy at the expense of human rights.”
Here’s Raphael Glucksmann of France, who has been sanctioned by China: “Are we going to be free or to be nothing? To be a sovereign house, or to be a parliament that is a doormat, that a tyrant would clean his boots on, with pockets full of money.”
From SCMP: “Most of the major parties in the parliament have officially announced they will not support the deal while sanctions remain. Even with the backing of the largest one, the pro-business European People’s Party, the agreement may not have the votes to scrape through, although the EPP is known to be divided in its support in light of the sanctions.”
Anyway, moving back to the People’s Daily. Also on the front page we have follow-up stories from Xi Jinping’s visit to Guangxi. First, there is this really long piece about his visit to the region. It contains all the colourful aspects of his engagement with people and at the places he went. I am going to focus on bits during his visit to the Xiangjiang Battle Memorial Park, where the emphasis was on venturing on a new long march. The piece talks about how the memorial park “was built under the personal care of General Secretary Xi Jinping.” It adds that standing before the Soul of the Red Army sculpture, Xi led others in bowing thrice before he went into the memorial hall “to learn about the revolutionary history of the Red Army fighting bloody battles and breaking through the Xiangjiang River.”
Here’s an excerpt from the story:
“In front of the oil painting Chen Shuxiang, the general secretary stopped and gazed for a long time. In the picture, Chen Shuxiang is lying on a stretcher with blood on his abdomen. In covering for the Red Army, he was seriously injured and was unfortunately taken prisoner. After awakening, tore off his bowels from the wound on his abdomen and sacrificed heroically. He was only 29 years old. ‘Brilliant! Chen Shuxiang is a typical sacrificial hero,’ General Secretary Xi Jinping sighed sincerely.” (An English version of the Chen Shuxiang tale.)
The next bits of the story are about Xi discussing the challenges of the Battle of Xiangjiang. Here are some of his observations from PD. These are really interesting, given that the past is being used to send a message about present thinking and policy.
“It was really dangerous at the time! General Secretary Xi Jinping said, ‘Imagine if there were not such a group of Red Army soldiers who went forward bravely and gave up their lives, how could the Red Army have rushed out of the enemy’s blockade and made such a great sacrifice without breaking up? By what? It depends on the power of ideals and beliefs!” -- “当时真是危险啊！”习近平总书记说，“试想，如果没有这么一批勇往直前、舍生忘死的红军将士，红军怎么可能冲出敌人的封锁线，而且冲出去付出了那么大的牺牲，还没有溃散。靠的是什么？靠的正是理想信念的力量!”
“The revolutionary ideal is higher than the sky. It is precisely because the Red Army was a revolutionary army with ideals and beliefs that it could be brave, to die, to go forward, to be reborn amid despair and generate the heroic spirit of overwhelming all enemies instead of being overwhelmed by all enemies Why did the Chinese revolution succeed when others thought it impossible to succeed? The secret of success is here.” -- “革命理想高于天。正是因为红军是一支有理想信念的革命军队，才能视死如归、向死而生、一往无前、绝境重生，迸发出不被一切敌人压倒而是压倒一切敌人的英雄气概。为什么中国革命在别人看来是不可能成功的情况下居然成功了？成功的奥秘就在这里.”
“We should have such a belief in victory for the realization of the next century's goal and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. No matter how difficult it is, think about the Long March of the Red Army. Think about the bloody battle in Xiangjiang.” -- “横扫千军如卷席。”习近平总书记坚定地说，“我们对实现下一个百年奋斗目标、实现中华民族伟大复兴就应该抱有这样的必胜信念。困难再大，想想红军长征，想想湘江血战。”
Next, a story about PSC member Wang Yang’s visit to Shanghai and Zhejiang, where he spoke about high-quality education. Wang emphasized that building a high-quality education system and strengthening the country’s strategic scientific and technological capabilities are related to the overall construction of a socialist modernization national strategy. Xinhua English reports that this entails work towards developing a quality workforce through high-quality education and pushing forward innovation-driven development. He wants the country to be good at “turning external pressures into internal driving forces, nurture opportunities in crises...”
Next, PSC member Zhao Leji spoke at a conference ahead of the seventh round of disciplinary inspection by the 19th CPC Central Committee. The new round of inspection targets Party committees of the Ministry of Education and 31 centrally-administrated universities, including Peking University and Tsinghua University. (Full list of entities to be inspected) He emphasised the political nature of the inspection work, underscoring the need to “learn and understand” Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. He outlined the agenda for the the inspection further:
“Adhere to the inspection policy of ‘discovering problems, forming deterrence, promoting reform and promoting development’ and give full play to the role of the sword; adhere to the people’s perspective and focus on discovering and promoting the solution to corruption and unhealthy trends around the masses…”
He also pointed to key objectives that educational institutes must focus on:
implementation of the requirements of comprehensive and strict governance of the party
implementation of the party’s organizational line in the new era
Implementation of the party’s educational policy
adherence to the socialist operational orientation
Page 2: PSC member Li Zhanshu spoke at a major conference with legislators from different parts of the world. Xinhua English has a detailed piece on this. Li made a few specific points:
First, Li said peace and trust in the international community have been severely eroded; the international order and the global governance system have been impacted, and there is still a long way to go toward general security and common development, and thus all countries need to make concerted efforts and joint responses.
Second, Li called on legislative bodies to adopt a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept and oppose the emergence of a new “Cold War” and ideological confrontation in whatever form.
Third, legislative bodies should adhere to opening up and cooperation, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, maintain the stability and smoothness of the global industrial chain and supply chain, and promote the construction of an open world economy.
Fourth, he wants legislative bodies to “increase strategic mutual trust and reduce mutual suspicion through candid and in-depth dialogue and communication. We must respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all countries, respect the political systems and development paths independently chosen by all countries, and advocate exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.”
Fifth, “adhere to the true multilateralism of openness and tolerance, strict rule of law, consultation and cooperation, and promote the development of the global governance system in a more just and reasonable direction. We must firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the core role of the United Nations in international affairs.”
Page 3: Just one piece to note. The State Council has issued a new plan to deal with human trafficking. Xinhua English reports that “The action plan calls for improving community-based network for preventing human trafficking, and establishing a working system featuring inter-department coordination and extensive participation by the public. Stressing a severe crackdown on human trafficking using the internet, the action plan urges carrying out a sustained national campaign targeting such crime. It also requires investigation methods to be modernized and upgraded, calling for improving the information release system and the national DNA database for missing children.”
The plan also covers areas like “rescue, resettlement, rehabilitation, and family and community integration victims of trafficking.” In addition, it talks about improving adoption legislation and guardianship system, along with strengthening international cooperation and doing a good job in terms of public education.
Page 4: There’s a piece by Yang Jiechi on Sino-US ties, commemorating the ping-pong diplomacy of April 1971. He talks about how Mao, Zhou, Nixon, and Kissinger “and other leaders of the older generations of China and the United States, proceeding from the common interests of the two peoples, with extraordinary strategic vision and political courage, made a new start” back then.
He then highlights how since then the relationship has benefitted both sides. He highlights high levels trade despite the pandemic, work on the Paris Accord, the recent climate summit, the Asian financial crisis of 1997, the 2008 global financial crisis, managing the Ebola outbreak, couter-terroism, nuclear non-proliferation, etc.
“China and the United States have established 50 pairs of friendly provinces and 232 pairs of friendly cities. During the epidemic, people from all walks of life in the two countries still frequently maintained communication through telephone calls, letters, videos and other ways. These achievements unite the efforts of generations of China and the United States and deserve to be cherished.”
He says that from this historical development, there are three lessons to be drawn:
First, focus on “peaceful coexistence” and “win-win cooperation.” In other words, proceed from the “common interests of the two peoples” and “seek common ground while reserving differences on the basis of respecting each other’s political systems and development models.” He also talks about equality and non-interference in internal affairs, before saying this
“China has no intention of denying the political system and development path of the United States or any other country, nor does it seek to popularize China's political system and development path in the world. However, if someone wants to challenge the Chinese Communist Party, China's political system and leadership system, the Chinese people will never agree.”
Second, he wants the US side to keep the broader perspective in mind and “strive to build a new type of major power relationship that is based on non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation.” Essentially, this is about offering a G2-style formulation, keeping in mind global governance and global challenges. He mentions the pandemic, economic development, climate change, nuclear proliferation, counter-terrorism, the UN, etc.
Third, he talks about people-to-people diplomacy. He says that “in recent years, some people in the United States have embraced the Cold War, zero-sum mentality and have continuously interfered and created obstacles to the normal people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. They are standing on the wrong side of history and opposing the two peoples.” He wants to “create favorable conditions for exchanges and cooperation between localities, enterprises, think tanks, media, and non-governmental organizations of the two countries.”
Part of this makes sense, particularly when one thinks of students, researchers, journalists, business people and so on; but part of it is just incredibly hypocritical. One need not even get into historical issues like blocking of Western social media platforms in China; the fact is that China is still actively taking actions to target individuals and think tanks. Barely two weeks ago, it was reported that Beijing blocked the CSIS website because it did not like criticism on China sanctioning European researchers, parliamentarians and institutes.
Page 10: On the Theory page today, I’d like to highlight this piece by He Junke, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League. Remember He was promoted to the post in 2018, becoming the youngest person in the country to hold a ministerial-level office.
Here are some excerpts:
“To promote the Chinese youth movement in the new era, we should always adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on youth work, strengthen the four consciousnesses, strengthen the four self-confidences, achieve two maintenance, take the banner of the party as the banner, take the will of the party as the will, take the mission of the party as the mission, and unite and lead the broad masses of young people to unswervingly listen to the party's words and follow the party.”
“In the new era, the Chinese youth movement should earnestly shoulder the historical responsibility of passing on the red gene from generation to generation, carry out in-depth publicity and education of Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era among the broad masses of young people, carry out in-depth study and education in the history of party history, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening-up and the history of socialist development, use the rich resources and fresh teaching materials of ‘the rule of China’ to deeply explore and reveal the ideal and belief of Marxism and the spiritual characteristics of the Communist Party of China…”
Here’s more:
“The Communist Youth League in the new era should always keep in mind the original mission of always following the Party, consciously follow the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, firmly promote its own reform, constantly maintain and enhance the political position, advance the mass nature of the league, truly eradicate the problems of ‘organization, administration, aristocratization and entertainment’ from ideological, operational and institutional aspects, and strive to build a Marxist youth organization that has always been loyal to the party…” -- 新时代的共青团要始终牢记永远跟党走的初心使命，自觉按照以习近平同志为核心的党中央决策部署，坚定推进自身改革，不断保持和增强团的政治性、先进性、群众性，真正从思想上、工作上、制度上根除“机关化、行政化、贵族化、娱乐化”问题，努力建设成为始终忠诚于党、密切联系青年、坚持实事求是、勇于自我革命、永葆蓬勃朝气的马克思主义青年组织。