Xi Jinping’s Speech on Sunday: China Towering, but Development remains Overriding Ideology

Both an important speech (重要讲话) itself and the Chinese press coverage are part of the same decoration team, aiming at not only creating a verbal message, but an atmosphere, too. Newly elected state chairman Xi Jinping‘s speech on Sunday was no exception.

Today, our People’s Republic stands towering in the East of the world.

今天，我们的人民共和国正以昂扬的姿态屹立在世界东方。

Comrade Hu Jintao held the post of state chairman for ten years, and with a wealth of political wisdom, excellent leadership qualities, assiduous work spirit, did outstanding deeds to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, won the love and support from all the nationalities of China and the international community’s universal praise. We express our sincere gratitude and greatest respect to Comrade Hu Jintao!

胡锦涛同志担任国家主席10年间，以丰富的政治智慧、高超的领导才能、勤勉的工作精神，为坚持和发展中国特色社会主义建立了卓越的功勋，赢得了全国各族人民衷心爱戴和国际社会普遍赞誉。我们向胡锦涛同志，表示衷心的感谢和崇高的敬意！

Approving the predecessors: vote on last year’s government work report et al.
Click photo for CCTV coverage.

No need to repeat oneself. In Xinhua newsagency’s coverage, it is Xi Jinping himself who stands towering:

Wearing a dark-blue suit and a red tie, the membership hanging on his chest, Xi Jinping, tall of stature, stood smiling, calmly and self-confident. His voice clear, bright and vigorous, looking frank and honest, resolute and steadfast, he revealed the power of stirring people to action.

身着深色西装，佩带红色领带，胸挂出席证，身材高大的习近平微笑站立，从容自信。清朗而浑厚的声音，坦诚而刚毅的目光，透出激奋人心的力量。

“To achieve the construction of a moderately prosperous society, and the goal of a strong and prosperous, democratic and civilized, harmonious socialist modern motherland, to achieve the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, this means achieving modern national prosperity and strength, vigorous national revitalization, and the happiness of the people …”

“实现全面建成小康社会、建成富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家的奋斗目标，实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，就是要实现国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福……”

Witnessed by the Great Hall of the People, under the stars of its dome, under surges of applause, Xi Jinping firmly said:

人民大会堂见证，在繁星点点的穹顶下，在如潮涌动的掌声中，习近平坚定表示：

To bring about the Chinese dream, we must take the Chinese road.
To bring about the Chinese dream, we must advance the Chinese spirit.
To bring about the Chinese dream we must cohere Chinese power.

——实现中国梦必须走中国道路。

——实现中国梦必须弘扬中国精神。

——实现中国梦必须凝聚中国力量。

This is the duty the leaders of the People’s Republic of China take for the motherland, the people: we must never be complacent, we must never be sluggish, we must make persistent efforts, advance boldly, continue to push forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continue to struggle for the achievement of the Chinese dream of China’s great rejuvenation.

这是共和国领导者对祖国、对人民的情怀和担当：我们不能有丝毫自满，不能有丝毫懈怠，必须再接再厉、一往无前，继续把中国特色社会主义事业推向前进，继续为实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而努力奋斗。

This is our promise to the people: The Chinese dream is, after all, the dream of the Chinese people, it must firmly rely on the people to achieve it, it must continuously bring benefit for the people.

这是对民族的承诺：“中国梦归根到底是人民的梦，必须紧紧依靠人民来实现，必须不断为人民造福。”

That much from the Xinhua report, and back to the actual speech:

development remains the overriding (or absolute) strategic ideology (我们要坚持发展是硬道理的战略思想), said Xi, thus quoting “Deng Xiaoping theory”, but added that the fruits from development should benefit the entire people in a fairer way – and that China was still in “the first stage of socialism”.¹⁾

Taiwan didn’t escape a mention either²⁾:

Numerous Taiwanese compatriots and mainland compatriots join hands and support, maintain and promote cross-strait relations and peaceful development, enhance the happiness and benefit of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, jointly set up the new and further prospects of the Chinese nation. Numerous overseas Chinese want to make contributions to carry forward the Chinese nation’s the fine, diligent and kind Chinese tradition, and work diligently to advance the motherlands development, to promote the Chinese people’s and local people’s friendship.

广大台湾同胞和大陆同胞要携起手来，支持、维护、推动两岸关系和平发展，增进两岸同胞福祉，共同开创中华民族新的前程。广大海外侨胞，要弘扬中华民族勤劳善良的优良传统，努力为促进祖国发展、促进中国人民同当地人民的友谊作出贡献。

The Chinese people love peace. We will hold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win high, we won’t change our road of peaceful development, we won’t change the strategy of mutual benefit and opening up, we will make efforts to cooperate friendly with all the countries of the world, fulfill our international responsibilities and duties, continue to work with all people in all countries to advance the lofty cause of humankind’s peace and development.

中国人民爱好和平。我们将高举和平、发展、合作、共赢的旗帜，始终不渝走和平发展道路，始终不渝奉行互利共赢的开放战略，致力于同世界各国发展友好合作，履行应尽的国际责任和义务，继续同各国人民一道推进人类和平与发展的崇高事业。

____________

Notes

¹⁾ 31 members of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) are farmers-turned migrant workers, China Radio International (CRI) reported on Sunday. That number was a tenfold increase from the 11th NPC. But they are hardly a match to the 90 NPC members who appear to be worth at least 1.8 billion Yuan (The Economist, March 16, 2013, page 53).
²⁾ Stability in Hong Kong and Macau was an issue addressed by Xi, too. One day later, on March 18, Xi reminded visiting Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying that implementation was the key to the chief executive’s vision of “seeking change while maintaining stability” in Hong Kong.
“I’m not an idiot either”, replied Leung. (No, Leung said no such thing. This is just a malicious rumor, courtesy of JR.)

____________

Related

» Nods to Public Concerns, NY Times, March 14, 2013
» Delegates make Difference, March 6, 2009

____________

Cordial Conversations: Volunteering on Lei-Feng-Day

Shijiazhuang Daily (石家庄日报) is a paper from Hebei Province’s capital. It is the organ of Shijiazhuang’s CCP party committee and was established on November 18, 1947, six days after the the “People’s Liberation Army” had taken the city. Shijiazhuang Daily also runs a website which is clearly committed to the paper’s heritage. Shijiazhuang Daily and its online platform (Shijiazhuang News Net) aren’t unrivalled in their ideological orthodoxy, but they do live up to the former administrative region’s name of Chili, which, until 1928, included Hebei.

(CCTV cross-regional coverage, March 5, 2013)

Main Link:

Our City Focuses on Carrying out Various Kinds of Voluntary Services – 我市集中开展多形式志愿服务活动

Shijiazhuang News Net, March 6, 2013 —

Yesterday was the 51rst Learning-from-Lei-Feng commemoration day, and it was also fifty years ago that Mao Zedong made his “Learn From Comrade Lei Feng” speech. Yesterday morning, our city held various Lei Feng volunteering service activities.

昨日是第51个学雷锋纪念日，也是毛泽东发表题词“向雷锋同志学习”50周年。昨天上午，我市开展了多种形式的学雷锋志愿服务活动。

Own report (Wang Geng reporting). Yesterday Yesterday was the 51rst Learning-from-Lei-Feng commemoration day,and it was also fifty years ago that Mao Zedong made his “Learn From Comrade Lei Feng” speech. Yesterday morning, our city held various Lei Feng volunteering service activities. Permanent Provincial Party Committee member propaganda director Ai Wenli and municipal committee propaganda department director Sun Wanyong came to our city’s Times Park to participate in some voluntary tree-planting and other volunteer activities, gave the city a “Lei Feng Diary”, “Benefitting Hebei Province) and other books as gifts, advocated volunteer service and promoted the spirit of Lei Feng.

本报讯 （记者 王 更）昨日是第51个学雷锋纪念日，也是毛泽东发表题词“向雷锋同志学习”50周年。昨天上午，我市开展了多种形式的学雷锋志愿服务活动。省委常委、宣传部长艾文礼，市委常委、宣传部长孙万勇来到我市时光公园，参加了在此开展的义务植树等志愿活动，并向市民赠送了《雷锋日记》、《善行河北》等书籍，倡导志愿服务，宣扬雷锋精神。

Ai Wenli and his entourage first came to the park’s plaza to learn about the activities. More than twenty volunteer service groups were on the plaza, carrying out dental services, eyesight tests, Chinese massage, haircut and shaving, legal advice, car, mobile-phone and household appliances repairs, all in all nearly thirty volunteering activities. Ai Wenli had cordial converstations with the participants and Shijiazhuang citizens, asking them about their views and feelings about the Learning-from-Lei-Feng activities. In the park’s rockery, Ai Wenli took part in the task of planting trees and encouraged the volunteers who were with him: “there are more and more young people learning from Lei Feng who are born after the 1980s or 1990s, just like you. Lei Feng’s spirit will never go out of fashion and Lei Feng’s spirit must be inherited and developed ever further.”

艾文礼一行首先来到公园广场，了解志愿服务活动开展情况。在公园广场上，有超过20支志愿者队伍，正在为市民开展口腔义诊、视力检查、中医按摩、理发剃须、法律咨询、汽车手机家电维修等近30项志愿服务。艾文礼与正在这里参加活动的志愿者和市民亲切交谈，询问他们对学雷锋的看法和感想。在公园假山上，艾文礼参加了义务植树并勉励身旁的志愿者：“现在你们这样80后、90后学雷锋的年轻人越来越多。雷锋精神永远不过时，一定要把雷锋精神传承弘扬下去。”

Yesterday morning, at the New Railway Station’s entrance, waiting hall, ticketing hall and inquiry counters, at West King Bus Station and at the main traffic crossroads, etc., one could see young peoples’ silhouettes wearing red caps to attract attention, helping to keep the traffic orderly, showing people the way, advocating standing in line, carrying out civilizational guidance, etc.. They were young volunteers from the provincial capital’s [i. e. Shijuazhuang's] colleges and universities. Shijiazhuang Vocational Technology Institute‘s volunteering student Tian Yudui told this reporter: “being a student, to do some duties in your spare time can help everyone to do something meaningful, something helpful. This is fulfilling and makes you feel that you are valuable.”

昨天上午，在新火车站的进出站口、候车大厅、售票大厅和咨询台，在西王客运站、主要交通路口等地，都能看到一个个年轻的身影，他们头上戴着的一顶顶小红帽格外引人注目，他们在帮助交警维持交通秩序、义务指路、倡导排队、进行文明引导等，他们是来自省会高校的青年志愿者。石家庄职业技术学院志愿者田宇对记者说：“作为一名学生，课余时间闲下来的时候做些义务劳动，能为大家做一点有意义、有帮助的事，这样很充实，觉得自己很有价值。”

Volunteers^*) were active in all community areas, some tidying and cleaning the places, some giving advice to older empty-nesters, some using their expertise to carry out useful services. Han Wei does repair work in some household appliance shop in the provincial capital. Yesterday, in the Zhuoda Rose Garden Park’s community area, he offered some voluntary household-appliance repair work. “Usually, after the [spring festival] holidays, when you come to these small community areas and help everyone reparing and maintaining their household appliances, it’s a service which is really welcomed. After helping others, you feel particularly good yourself, and really happy.”

在各个社区，也活跃着社区志愿者的身影，他们有的整治社区环境卫生，有的慰问空巢老人，有的利用自己的特长开展便民服务。韩伟是省会某家电卖场的维修工，昨天在卓达玫瑰园社区开展家电维修志愿服务活动。“平时过节假日，就到小区里面，帮助大家维修保养各种家电，还挺受欢迎的。帮助了别人之后，自己心情感到特别好，挺高兴的。”

According to provincial civilizational statistics, this city carried out various Lei-Feng activities yesterday, with fourty volunteer groups, nearly two-hundred volunteering organizations, about seven-thousand volunteers in the streets, entering schools, vilages, community areas to popularize knowledge about civilized manners, public civilizational guidance, legal advice, service on the three rural issues, medical services, convenience services, environmental cleaning and maintenance, tree-planting and greening activities, showing care and love for vulnerable groups and other Lei-Feng volunteering activities. Action with a red cap spells the “spirit of Lei Feng”.

据省会文明办统计，昨天，我市广泛开展了多种形式的学雷锋志愿服务活动，全市共有40个志愿服务支队、近200个志愿服务组织、约7000名志愿者，走上街头，深入学校、农村、社区，开展了普及文明礼仪知识、公共文明引导、法律咨询、服务三农、医疗义诊、便民服务、环境清洁、植树绿化、关爱弱势群体等学雷锋志愿服务活动。一顶顶“小红帽”用行动诠释了“雷锋精神”。

____________

Footnote

^*) Here, too, only “silhouettes” were seen. This may be meant to depict a certain atmosphere, or to make all the goodwill appear countless and collective. When it comes to traffic regulation, the silhouette talk could make a lot of real sense, though.

____________

Related

» How Lei Feng Embodies China’s Political Advantage, Febr 26, 2012
» The Good and Respectable Market Stall Operator, Nov 14, 2011
» Propaganda will set you Free, Aug 9, 2009

____________

Stock Taking: Old Cadres and active Dangwais

-

1. Visiting

Xinhua — February 7, 19:49 local time.

On the eve of Spring Festival, party and state leaders have themselves separately visited or assigned comrades to visit Jiang Zemin (江泽民), Li Peng (李鹏), Wan Li (万里), Qiao Shi (乔石), Zhu Rongji (朱镕基), Li Ruihuan (李瑞环), Song Ping (宋平), Wei Jianxing (尉健行), Li Lanqing (李岚清), Zeng Qinghong (曾庆红), Wu Guanzheng (吴官正), Li Changchun (李长春), Luo Gan (罗干), He Guoqiang (贺国强), Zhou Yongkang (周永康) and Zhang Jinfu (张劲夫), Zheng Tianxiang (郑天翔), Liu Fuzhi (刘复之), Tian Jiyun (田纪云), Chi Haotian (迟浩田), Zhang Wannian (张万年), Jiang Chunyun (姜春云), Qian Qichen (钱其琛), Wang Lequan (王乐泉), Liu Qi (刘淇), Wu Yi (吴仪), Cao Gangchuan (曹刚川), Zeng Peiyan (曾培炎), Wang Hanbin (王汉斌), Zhang Zhen (张震), He Yong (何勇), Ni Zhifu (倪志福), Wang Bingqian (王丙乾), Zou Jiahua (邹家华), Wang Guangying (王光英), Bu He (布赫), Tiemu’er Dawamaiti (铁木尔·达瓦买提), Peng Peiyun (彭珮云), Zhou Guangzhao (周光召), Cao Zhi (曹志), Li Tieying (李铁映), Simayi Aimaiti (司马义·艾买提), He Luli (何鲁丽), Ding Shisun (丁石孙), Cheng Siwei (成思危), Xu Jialu (许嘉璐), Jiang Zhenghua (蒋正华), Gu Xiulian (顾秀莲), Re Di (热地), Sheng Huaren (盛华仁), Tang Jiaxuan (唐家璇), Xiao Yang (肖扬), Han Zhubin (韩杼滨), Jia Chunwang (贾春旺), Ye Xuanping (叶选平), Yang Rudai (杨汝岱), Ren Jianxin (任建新), Song Jian (宋健), Qian Zhengying (钱正英), Sun Fuling (孙孚凌), Wan Guoquan (万国权), Hu Qili (胡启立), Chen Jinhua (陈锦华), Zhao Nanqi (赵南起), Mao Zhiyong (毛致用), Wang Wenyuan (王文元), Wang Zhongyu (王忠禹), Li Guixian (李贵鲜), Zhang Siqing (张思卿), Luo Haocai (罗豪才), Zhang Kehui (张克辉), Hao Jianxiu (郝建秀), Xu Kuangdi (徐匡迪), Zhang Huaixi (张怀西), Li Meng (李蒙), Deng Liqun (邓力群) and other comrades, offered their sincere [cordial] holiday greetings, sincerely wish the old comrades a happy Spring Festival, health, and a long life.

新华网北京２月７日电 春节前夕，党和国家领导人分别看望或委托有关方面负责同志看望了江泽民、李鹏、万里、乔石、朱镕基、李瑞环、宋平、尉健行、李岚清、曾庆红、吴官正、李长春、罗干、贺国强、周永康和张劲夫、郑天翔、刘复之、田纪云、迟浩田、张万年、姜春云、钱其琛、王乐泉、刘淇、吴仪、曹刚川、曾培炎、王汉斌、张震、何勇、倪志福、王丙乾、邹家华、王光英、布赫、铁木尔·达瓦买提、彭珮云、周光召、曹志、李铁映、司马义·艾买提、何鲁丽、丁石孙、成思危、许嘉璐、蒋正华、顾秀莲、热地、盛华仁、唐家璇、肖扬、韩杼滨、贾春旺、叶选平、杨汝岱、任建新、宋健、钱正英、孙孚凌、万国权、胡启立、陈锦华、赵南起、毛致用、王文元、王忠禹、李贵鲜、张思卿、罗豪才、张克辉、郝建秀、徐匡迪、张怀西、李蒙、邓力群等老同志，向老同志们致以亲切的节日问候，衷心祝愿老同志们新春愉快、健康长寿。

Pronunciation problems? Speak after Kang Hui! (click picture for news recording.)

The old comrades expressed their thanks and their hope that the entire party, the entire state, and all nationalities would be closely united around Comrade Xi Jinping as the secretary general of the central committee of the CCP, that they would hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, that they would liberate their thinking, unswergingly stay on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics by [carrying on with] reform and opening up, by chohesion cohesion of forces to overcome difficulties, all under the guidance of the Deng Xiaoping Theories, the important ideology [or thought] of the “Three Represents”, and the concept of scientific development, to achieve the tasks issued by the party’s 18th national congress, to comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society.

老同志们对此表示感谢，希望全党全国各族人民紧密团结在以习近平同志为总书记的党中央周围，高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜，以邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观为指导，解放思想，改革开放，凝聚力量，攻坚克难，坚定不移沿着中国特色社会主义道路前进，为实现党的十八大提出的各项任务、全面建成小康社会而奋斗。

____________

-

2. Regrets Only

Xinhua — February 2, February 8, reporter Zhang Shuo.

On February 6, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Yu Zhengsheng and others gathered at Zhongnanhai with non-party members  to celebrate Spring Festival together. On the eve of the traditional Spring Festival holidays of the Chinese people, CCP central committee secretary general and central military commission chairman Xi Jinping invited people from all democratic parties’ central committees, old and new leaders from the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personalities without party membership to gather at Zhongnanhai on Wednesday afternoon to welcome Spring Festival together. On behalf of the central committee of the CCP, he expressed sincere greetings and holiday wishes to all democratic parties, the Federation of Industry and Commerce and to personalities without party membership, and to the broad membership of the United Front.

2月6日，习近平、李克强、俞正声等在中南海同党外人士欢聚一堂，共迎新春。

[.....]

本报北京２月７日电 （记者张烁）在中国人民的传统节日春节即将到来之际，中共中央总书记、中共中央军委主席习近平２月６日下午在中南海邀请各民主党派中央、全国工商联新老领 导人和无党派人士代表欢聚一堂，共迎新春。他代表中共中央，向各民主党派、工商联和无党派人士，向统一战线广大成员，致以诚挚的问候和新春的祝福。

CCP politburo standing committee member and deputy chief state councillor Li Keqiang, politburo standing committee member Yu Zhengsheng, CCP politburo member and General Office of the Communist Party of China director Li Zhanshu attended.

中共中央政治局常委、国务院副总理李克强，中共中央政治局常委俞正声，中共中央政治局委员、中央办公厅主任栗战书出席。

Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang central committee chairman Wan Exiang, China Democratic League central committee chairman Zhang Baowen, China Democratic National Construction Association central committee chairman Chen Changzhi, China Association for Promoting Democracy central committee chairman Yan Juanqi, Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party central committee chairman Chen Zhu, and China Zhi Gong Party central committee chairman Wan Gang, Jiusan Society central committee chairman Han Qide, Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League central committee chairman Lin Wenyi, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce chairman Wang Qinmin, non-party-membership personalities’ representative Lin Yifu and others followed the invitation.

民革中央主席万鄂湘、民盟中央主席张宝文、民建中央主席陈昌智、民进中央主席严隽琪、农工党中央主席陈竺、致公党中央主席万钢、九三学社中央主席韩启德、台盟中央主席林文漪、全国工商联主席王钦敏、无党派人士代表林毅夫等应邀出席。

Yan Junqi spoke for the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and for the personalities without party membership. She said that the year that had just passed had been a journey with important meaning, the CCP’s 18th national congress had clearly stated the general basis of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the general layout, and the general tasks. [...]

严隽琪代表各民主党派、全国工商联和无党派人士致辞。她表示，刚刚过去的一年在我国发展征程上具有极其重要的意义，中共十八大明确了中国特色社会主义的总依据、总布局、总任务。 [.....]

[...]

Xi Jinping pointed out that democratic supervision needed to be strengthened further. The CCP needed to accomodate sharp criticism and accept valid criticism  (有则改之、无则加勉). People without CCP membership should have the courage to speak the truth, including bitter truths, Authentically reflect the aspirations of the masses, and speak their minds without reservation. He hoped that the comrades would actively build on counsel and criticism, as this would help us to investigate problems, analyse problems, solve problems, and help us to overcome work shortcomings. All CCP levels needed to take the initiative to accept and sincerely welcome the supervision from democratic parties and non-party-membership personalities, practically improve their work styles, continuously improve their working levels.

[Following emphasis (bold characters) by Xinhua/source]

习近平指出，要继续加强民主监督。对中国共产党而言，要容得下尖锐批评，做到有则改之、无则加勉；对党外人士而言，要敢于讲真话，敢于讲逆耳之言，真实反映群众心声，做到知无不言、言无不尽。希望同志们积极建诤言、作批评，帮助我们查找问题、分析问题、解决问题，帮助我们克服工作中的不足。中共各级党委要主动接受、真心欢迎民主党派和无党派人士监督，切实改进工作作风，不断提高工作水平。

People in charge at all democratic parties’ central committees, the All China ———– and departments responsible attended the activity.

各民主党派中央、全国工商联有关负责人及中央有关部门负责人参加活动。 ____________

Related

» Learning Chinese with the CCP, Jan 31, 2011
» Unbelievable Justice, Sept 12, 2009

____________

Obituary: Ding Guangen, 1929 – 2012

Ding Guangen (丁关根) was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, in September 1929, according to Xinhua newsagency’s – more or less – standardized – obituary:

An outstanding member of the Communist Party, a soldier of communism of enduring loyalty, an outstanding leader at our party’s ideological and cultural battlefront, the CCP’s 13th alternate politbureau member, secretary of the CCP central committee’s secretariat, member of the 14th and 15th politbureau and central committees’ secretariat secretary, Comrade Ding Guangen, died in Beijing on July 22, 2012, at 6.20 a.m., aged 83, after medical treatment had been unsuccessful.
中国共产党的优秀党员，久经考验的忠诚的共产主义战士，我党宣传思想文化战线的卓越领导人，中国共产党第十三届中央政治局候补委员、中央书记处书记，第十四届、十五届中央政治局委员、中央书记处书记丁关根同志，因病医治无效，于２０１２年７月２２日６时２０分在北京逝世，享年８３岁。

Ding’s death wasn’t in the headlines of CCTV‘s main evening news (Xinwen Lianbo, 19:00 local time) on Sunday, but probably will be on Monday or Tuesday. The obituary was read out during the broadcast’s second half.

新闻联播, July 22, 2012 – click picture for video.

Ding graduated from Jiaotong University, Shanghai (上海交通大学), in 1951, and worked for the ministry of railways for more than 30 years, as an engineer, from 1958 onwards.

He was demoted from the ministry of railways during the “Cultural Revolution”, according to the Xinhua obituary. From 1969 to 1972, when he was sent to a “May-7 Cadre School” (五七干校) – another link here. From 1972 to 1975, he worked at Beifang Jiaotong University’s (北方交通大学) overseas students office.

For the final three years at the ministry, Ding held the office of minister of railways, and resigned in 1988, after a series of train crashes that killed scores of people, writes the Washington Post. He held the post of CCP party group (or cell) secretary at the ministry, too – a task in China that frequently comes along with the leadership at an organization.

Ding’s resignation 24 years ago wasn’t the end of his career. Still in 1988,  he became head of the “Taiwan Affairs Office” at the State Council, and director of the central united-front work department from 1990 to 1992.

In December 1992, he became head of the CCP’s propaganda department, a post he kept until his retirement in 2002. His successor there, Liu Yunshan (刘云山), is still in office.

Anne-Marie Brady wrote in 2008 that Jiang Zemin, party and state chairman in 2002 1992,

[...] was a long time political cadre with a nose for ideological work and its importance. This meeting [Update (July 23, 2012): the first meeting of the politbureau's standing committee / 4th plenum of the 13th CCP central committee on June 1989 - more info here] marked the beginning of a new era in propaganda and political thought work in China. As a direct result of the events of April – June 1989, the Central Propaganda Department was given more resources and power, including the power to go in to the propaganda-related work units and cleanse the ranks of those who had been supportive of the democracy movement.¹⁾

The task for Jiang’s leadership – and therefore Ding’s task, too – was to

[...] both successfully revitalize the Chinese economy and [to] re-emphasize political thought work and control of China’s propaganda system. [...] With the strong support of Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping, from June 1989 onward the Central Propaganda Department and the propaganda system once again began to have a prominent, guiding role in Chinese society.

____________

Note

¹⁾ Anne-Marie Brady, Marketing Dictatorship: Propaganda and Thought Work in Contemporary China, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., pp 44 – 45.

____________

Related

» Open House, May 25, 2012
» The Weeks before June 4, April 17, 2012» June 9 speech to martial-law units, tsquare, accessed July 22, 2012
» The Weeks before June 4, April 17, 2012

____________

Updates/Related

» Bad Deal with Ding’s Son, SMH, Aug 30, 2005

____________

Rough Guessing Games: CRI, somewhere in the Central Government’s Budget

“China isn’t far away, it’s in your ear” (中国不远, 就在耳边) is a regular slogan on China Radio International‘s (CRI) Mandarin service. The organization’s budget seems to be more remote.

China Government Procurement and Supply Net (中国政府采购供应商网) provides comparatively detailed data concerning SARFT‘s (State Administration of Radio Film and Television) budget than other sources. The budget sheet lists twenty-four second-level budget spending units, including China Radio International, but still without specifying those second-level units’ respective budgets.

Their order of appearance in the SARFT budget list may or may not indicate their share in the budget:

Position	Organization
1)	国家广播电影电视总局本级 / State Administration of Radio Film and Television level
2)	中国人民广播电台 / China National Radio (CNR)
3)	中国国际广播电台 / China Radio International (CRI)
4)	中央电视台 / CCTV
5)	国家广播电影电视总局无线电台管理局 / The (wireless) broadcasting management office at SARFT
6)	国家广播电影电视总局监管中心 / SARFT Supervision Center
7)	机关服务中心 / Authority Service Center
8)	中国广播艺术团 / China Broadcasting Performing Art Troupe
9)	中国电影乐团 / China Film Symphony Orchestra
10)	中国爱乐乐团 / China Philharmonic Orchestra
11)	国家广播电影电视总局培训中心 / SARFT Training Center
12)	国家广播电影电视总局电影剧本规划策划中心 / SARFT film and tv series planning center
13)	国家广播电影电视总局广播影视人才交流中心 / SARFT Human Resources Exchange Center
14)	国家广播电影电视总局、电影卫星频道节目制作中心 / SARFT film, satellite programs production center
15)	国家广播电影电视总局广播科学研究院 / Academy of Broadcasting Science
16)	中国电影资料馆 / China Film Archive
17)	中国电影科学技术研究所 / China Film Science and Technology Institute
18)	中国电影事业发展专项资金管理委员会办公室 / China Film Enterprise Development Special Funding Management Committee’s Office
19)	国家广播电影电视总局广播电视规划院 / SARFT Academy of Broadcasting Planning (ABP)
20)	国家广播电影电视总局电影技术质量检测所 / Test Institute of Film Technical Quality
21)	国家广播电影电视总局电影数字节目管理中心 / SARFT film and digital programs management center
22)	国家广播电影电视总局广播影视发展研究中心 / SARFT Radio, Television and Cinema Development Research Center (also China Communication Research Center)
23)	国家广播电影电视总局信息中心
24)	国家广播电影电视总局信息中心 / SARFT (Direct) Satellite Broadcast Radio and Television Management Center

Source for the list above:

http://www.zfcg.com/purchase/2012-04-24/A353038.html
-

Funding Sources

Click picture above for larger table.

For more detailed cost elements, see download.

Where does this leave the SARFT within the total central government’s expenditure? JR isn’t familiar with anything above a billion, but this is the budget-draft amount of planned government expenditure in 2012, as of March this year: 64120亿元.

If 亿 stands for 100,000,000, this would be 6,412,000,000,000 Yuan CNY.

If SARFT has 8,842,025,500 Yuan CNY to spend, that would be 0,14 per cent of China’s central government spending -or, more correctly, 0.09 per cent. After all, only 5,502,344,100 Yuan CNY are officially provided by the government.

____________

Related

SARFT, Wikipedia, accessed June 1, 2012

____________

CRI / Sichuan Online: Will Yang Rui become another Zhao Pu?

Main Link: China Radio International (originally published by Sichuan Online), May 25, 2012

The Weibo message by Wang Rui, a host at CCTV’s English channel, triggered huge controversy. Last Wednesday, he wrote under his real-name account at Weibo that the public security office should clean out the foreign trash, behead the foreign snakes¹⁾, identify foreign spies, expel foreign shrews [or the shrew - the article's wording leaves this open - JR]²⁾, to shut those who demonized China up and to get them out [of the country].  Following that, an American living in China also posted a message, demanding that CCTV should dismiss Yang Rui.  A small number of foreigners, the Wall Street Journal and other Western media supported this demand. (Quoted from Huanqiu Shibao, May 24, 2012.)
中央电视台英语频道主持人杨锐的一条微博引来巨大争议。他在上周三通过其在微博的实名账户写道，公安局要清扫洋垃圾，斩首洋蛇头，识别洋间谍，赶走洋泼妇，让妖魔化中国的闭嘴滚蛋。一名在华美国人随后也在微博发帖，要求央视开除杨锐。少数在华外国人及《华尔街日报》等西方媒体支持这一要求。（5月24日《环球时报》）

A public figure spoke his opinion on public affairs, on a microblog, and was then referred to as “talking a lot of nonsense”, or being “absolutely faceless” [or without qualities] – isn’t it strange that merely for being a CCTV host, he must not express his innermost feelings? A CCTV host, too, is just a mortal. He, too, may express his own views. This has nothing to do with facelessness. This author would rather think that someone who speaks the truth is showing real character. Try to imagine: some years ago, when microblogging didn’t exist, could Yang Rui’s expression of dissatisfaction have triggered so much attention? It is only now that those lines appeared on Weibo that it caught many peoples’ attention, and therefore, netizens “turned a mole hill into a mountain”, blindly expanding the issue’s impact. As Yang’s work unit, CCTV can’t be too harsh, and appropriate freedom of speech must be given. If CCTV “raised hell” every time after being heavily criticized, who among the hosts would still dare to speak the truth?
作为一名公众人物，在微博上表达自己的言论被有些人指为“大放厥词”、“很没素质”，难道就因为他是央视主持人就不能表达内心的想法吗？央视主持人也是凡人，他也能表达自己的观点，这跟素质没有关系。笔者倒觉得一个人敢于说真话才是真正有素质的体现。试想一下，若是几年之前，微博还没有出现之时，杨锐表达一下自己的不满还会有这么多人注意吗？只是现在这句话出现在了微博之上，被很多人关注了，所以网友们便“小题大做”，盲目的扩大了事情的影响。央视作为杨锐的就职单位，也不能对他要求太过“苛刻”，适当的言论自由还是应该给的。如果央视也被众多的批评言论“煽风点火”了，那以后 “主持人”们谁还敢说真话了？

If this needs to be investigated or not, and he is blamed for acting inappropriately in his capacity [as a CCTV host], that Weibo message could affect CCTV’s image negatively. If we, ordinary people, published such a micropost, it wouldn’t cause such a dispute. This author believes that microposts are individual expression, unrelated to “ethnic discrimination” as stated by foreign media. There is only very few “foreign garbage”, and polite and civilized foreigners should not see this shoe as fitting to them.
如果这事非要追究，怪就怪他“身份”不当，发那样的微博可能会对央视的形象造成负面影响，要是我们这些普通人发这样一条微博就不会引起这么多的口舌是非了。笔者认为，微博是个人表达，与央视，更与外媒所称的“民族歧视”无关。“洋垃圾”只是少部分，有礼貌，讲文明的外国人请不要对号入座。

Maybe our “expecations” about public personalities are too high, that they should always be able to show us a positive, uplifting  face, and report “good” rather than “bad news”.  But outside the workplace, they live their own lives, too, and to blindly turn them into opinion leaders and to turn their opinions into mainstream opinion is wrong.
也许我们对公众关心的人物“期望”太高了，希望他们总能给我们传达积极向上的一面，“报喜不报忧”。但在工作之外，他们也是以个人的方式生活的，盲目的把他们作为意见领袖，把他们的观点作为主流观点，是错误的。

Language, however excited, should not startle compatriots. Yang Rui only referred to “foreign garbage”, not to all foreigners. One has to see the essence of the matter, and not dwell on the appearances. The case of a British man assaulting a Chinese woman in the street in Beijing, and the “resting-feet” passenger who spat dirty language  at a passenger in the row in front of him are those who Yang Rui attacked as “foreign garbage”. Yang also clarified his Weibo post in a media statement in that “after seeing those incidents, I called those foreigners ‘foreign garbage’, and I believe that when they violate Chinese law, they should be sanctioned by the law. I want to distinguish between them and the quiet majority in the foreign community who observe and respect the rules of Chinese culture and society. To identify those few garbage [people] helps to protect the reputation of decent Westerners.” His Weibo message of May 15 only had a function in reminding people that no matter if Western or Chinese people, neither were above the law.
语言不过激，不足以惊醒国人。何况杨锐只是针对“洋垃圾”，不是指所有外国人。要看到本质，不能只停留在表象。最近发生的北京街头欲对中国女子实施性侵害的英国籍男子以及不顾前排乘客感受口吐脏话的老外“翘脚哥”，才是杨锐抨击的“洋垃圾”。在周一他发给媒体的声明中，也明确地就其微博内容引发的争议进行了解释，“在看过这些事件后，我将这些外籍人士称作‘洋垃圾’，我认为如果他们违反了中国的法律，就应该受到法律的制裁。我想把他们与外国社区中那些遵守和尊重中国文化和社会规则的安静的大多数区别开来。找出这些洋垃圾可以有助于保护正派的西方人的名誉。” 他5月16日发布的微博只是想起提醒作用，表明无论是西方人还是中国人，都不能凌驾于法律之上。

Obviously, Yang Rui didn’t mean to attack foreigners. He only hoped that people would respect the law, that no special rights would be given to “foreign garbage”, that people would act as equals, and that immoral foreigners would be punished in accordance with the law. He also affirmed that “the majority of foreigners” were good people who “observe and respect the rules of Chinese culture and society”, and that with the expulsion of bad people, prejudices against all foreigners would be avoided.
显然杨锐没有攻击外国人的意思，只希望人们尊重法律，不要给“洋垃圾”特权，真正做到人人平等，给予不道德的外国人以法律的惩罚。而且他也肯定了外国人中的“大多数”是“遵守和尊重中国文化和社会规则的”好人，把坏人单独拎出来，也避免了人们对所有外国人产生偏见。

[The following paragraph may not be correctly translated - just a try - JR]

China [needs?]  more people with Yang Rui’s integrity. If he didn’t say the truth,  maybe there would be more radical compatriots, but we just don’t encourage extremists’ methods  to wake the common people with vain self-sacrifices. Up to now, the power of speech should be believed in.
中国应该多几个像杨锐这样正直的人。他不过是说了几句真话，可能还有更过激的国人，但是我们就不提倡那种极端的妄图以独自牺牲自己生命的方式来惊醒世人的做法了。要相信言论的力量，点到为止。

On April 11, 2012, well-known CCTV host Zhao Pu was the first to publish the inside gelatin story, and advised people not to eat yoghurt and jelly, which, for the moment, was a great stir. The micropost triggered concern about poisoned capsules and everyone could see that the “gelatin inside story” did exist. He spoke the facts, but with the result that he “disappeared” from the microblog and from television. Many netizens guess that he was “blacklisted”, but he only says that he won’t comment. Hard to believe that the mistake [in his case], too, was that he was a “CCTV host”? Maybe because of [something] somewhere within the “regulations”, words like these shouldn’t have come from his mouth.
2012年4月11日，央视著名主持人赵普率先在微博爆出明胶内幕，劝告人们不要再吃老酸奶和果冻，一时激起千层浪。此微博引发了各界对明胶乃至毒胶囊的关注，大家也可以看到，“明胶内幕”确有此事，他是实话实说，结果却从此从电视和微博中”消失”，不少网友猜测赵普被”封杀”，他自己却只表示“无可奉告”。难道这又错在了他是一名“央视主持人”？也许在“规定”中，这样的话不该从他嘴中出来。

The people wants to hear the truth. If Yang Rui becomes a second Zhao Pu, the people may become even more disappointed.
人民更想听到的是实话，如果杨锐成为第二个赵普，恐怕人民会很失望。

____________

Notes

¹⁾ “Snakeheads” would be the literal translation, but that is probably not what it meant in this context.
²⁾ The “foreign shrew” (洋泼妇) is said to refer to Melissa Chan, until recently al-Jazeera‘s China correspondent, and 洋泼妇 has frequently been translated as “foreign bitch”. The translated article doesn’t refer to her specifically. What Yang really meant probably depends on his word power.
____________

Related

» Zhao Pu warns…, “Global Times”, April 9, 2012

____________

Yang Rui and Soft Power

You probably can’t blog about soft power and ignore the weibo message Yang Rui (杨锐), a CCTV-9 presenter, reportedly wrote. But during this busy first half of the week, there are other things to do. Besides, while this is certainly relevant information to be processed, I’m wondering why the response from many foreigner is so heated. True – the message in question is – to put it carefully – running counter to anything like “soft power”, but to me, the only explanation for the angry foreign replies to it seems to be that they expected Yang to do better. I don’t even know Yang as a television personality. I can’t remember that I ever watched the channel. All I know is that CCTV-9 is state-owned, and broadcasts in English, mainly for a foreign audience.

Maybe what Yang wrote about Melissa Chan, the al-Jazeera correspondent who had to leave the country, is actually a semi-official answer to questions foreign-ministry spokesman Hong Lei had previously been asked – questions to which there hasn’t been a really telling answer. Yang’s would be a nasty and strange answer (and maybe that’s  why Hong wouldn’t want to provide it), but basically not a surprising one. The only remaining question for now would be if Yang wrote the message on his own behalf or on behalf of the CCP.

That’s all I can think of – and speculate about – at the moment, and how I should connect this to the topic of soft power, I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll know on Thursday or Friday.

Redoubled Efforts: how Chinese are the Philippines?

菲律宾是中国固有领土 (The Philippines are China’s inherent territory), CCTV anchor He Jia (和佳) told the audience on May 7 – the expert looked somewhat surprised. Maybe he’s no good patriot. Or maybe he was looking on with horror as the news anchor accidentally revealed a state secret.

Either way, Ms He later apologized to her audience on a microblog, Sina Weibo -   a mistake that shouldn’t have happened had happened (发生了十分不该发生的错误). She would redouble her efforts and take her work even more seriously in the future (今后会“加倍努力、加倍认真”).

A report by Singapore’s UDN (Lianhe Zaobao), quoting an initial report from Sina News, and one by Radio Australia.

____________

Related

» The Stupid Mermaid, March 12, 2009

____________