No “Troublemaker”: Ma meets Búcaro, advocates Conflict Resolution

Leonel Búcaro, president of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), met with Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday. Radio Taiwan International (RTI) quotes Ma as saying that he had always advocated peaceful resolution of international conflicts, no matter if cross-strait relations (i. e. relations with China), or a fisheries agreement with Japan, was the issue. He would continue to promote international peace and cooperation under the the premise of putting aside disagreements and creating mutual benefit (擱置爭議、共創雙贏).  It had been this attitude which had turned the Taiwan Strait, once a point of conflict, into a road of peace and prosperity, and a place very different from the Korean peninsula’s current status, Ma said.

President Ma also referred to a proposal he said he had issued last year in August, suggesting that mainland China, Japan and Taiwan could have separate bilateral consultations to lower tensions and promote common development of resources in the East China Sea. Ma cited the Japanese-Taiwanese fisheries agreement of earlier this month as an example of how to make sure that fishing vessels from both sides wouldn’t interfere with each other, without affacting either side’s sovereignty.

He also expressed great gratitude and admiration (非常感佩) for the Central American Parliament’s support for his East China Sea initiative (a resolution passed in February), and support for Taiwanese participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (a resolution passed in March), in activities of the UN United Nations Framework Convention on Climate, and Taiwanese participation in international affairs in general.

Búcaro and his delegation arrived in Taiwan on April 28 for a six-day visit, according to Taiwan’s state newsagency CNA. He is a member of El Salvadors left-wing FMLN party and was elected last October for a one-year term. The Central American Parliament was established in Guatemala-City in 1991. According to Parlacen, its twenty direct representatives are directly elected from Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and the Dominican Republic, and the former presidents and vice presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic are also members. It is yet to achieve the goals it would take to make it a real parliament; its objective is to realize the integration of the Central American countries. [...] The parliamentary groups reflect the ideological lines of the members of the Central American Parliament and are organized according to the political orientation of their parties.

Búcaro’s delegation includes members from all six Parlacen member states. They were also scheduled to meet Taiwanese foreign ministry officials including deputy foreign minister Simon Ko (柯森耀), legislative-yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), environmental protection officials, and other officials.

El Salvador is one of currently 22 UN member states (plus the Vatican state) who maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Taiwan, along with Mexico, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico, is an observation state to Parlacen.

Taiwan’s military academy (Republic of China Military Academy, ROCMA) trains military from diplomatic allies. In 2010, this included trainees from El Salvador.  Such exchange programs play a contributing role in cementing diplomatic ties with our allies, Taiwan Today, a ministry of foreign affairs magazine, quoted then ROCMA superintendent Chuan Tzu-jui (全子瑞) in October 2010. Michael E. Allison, a researcher of Central American affairs, didn’t come across much about the Salvadorian-Taiwanese military relationship at the time, but noticed that [i]t doesn’t appear that El Salvador’s relationship with Taiwan (rather than China) has caused any trouble within the FMLN (i. e. Búcaro’s party), which has been in government in El Salvador since 2009.

Not much can be found online about Taiwan’s role in El Salvador’s civil war either, but if Taipei clearly took sides at the time (which doesn’t seem unlikely),  even at home, the incumbent president reportedly disavowed any plans to judge his party’s enemies from the country’s civil war. Either way, political allegiance at home doesn’t seem to define dedication to foreign allies. When Ma Ying-jeou visited El Salvador in summer 2009 to attend the FMLN president-elect Mauricio Funes‘ inauguration, he also met with outgoing president Antonio Saca who is a member of the ARENA party, a party founded by a death-squad leader, Roberto d’Aubuisson. Saca was reportedly late for his meeting with Ma, and cut the scheduled meeting short. According to the Taipei Times, Saca had been close to former president Chen Shui-bian.

On Monday, president Ma, at an event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the “Wang-Koo summit”, vowed [..] that his government would not seek or promote independence from the mainland, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

“We will not push for ‘two Chinas, one China, one Taiwan’, or Taiwan’s independence, within or outside” Taiwan, he said at an event in Taipei marking the 20th anniversary of the “Wang-Koo summit”.

In an interview with the BBC‘s Rachel Harvey, in 2011, Ma said that we do not want to be a troublemaker. We want to be an enabler of peace. It seems that this has remained his constant tune in meetings with foreigners, officials or not.
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Related

» Advocate medical parole for Chen Shui-bian, Carribean News Now, April 30, 2013
» 萨尔瓦多外交部竟三次称“台湾共和国”, Huanqiu Shibao, June 2, 2009

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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。

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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.)

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Related

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

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“Greetings, and Nothing Particular to Say”: Lien Chan’s China Visit

-

-
Nanfang Weekly (南方周末), February 25, 2013 —

At nine a.m. on February 25, CCP central committee secretary general Xi Jinping met KMT honorary chairman Lien Chan in the Great Hall of the People. Lien Chan had come to Beijing on February 24 as head of a delegation and is scheduled to return to Taiwan on February 27. The visit’s theme is to enter spring and revisit the past (走春访旧 – apparently a variation of 走春迎新年 – to greet the new year. Another way of putting it might be a nostalgic, yet forward-looking journey). Taiwan regional leader Ma Ying-jeou had asked Lien Chan to greet secretary general Xi Jinping.

2月25日上午9时许，中共中央总书记习近平在北京人民大会堂会见中国国民党荣誉主席连战。连战于24日率团来京，预计27日返台，此行定调为“走春访旧”。台湾地区领导人马英九请连战代为问候习近平总书记。

China News Service, on February 25, quoted Xi Jinping as saying that this was the first time since he took his new office that he met with Taiwanese friends. Xi Jinping said that when he worked in Fujian for many years, he had been in contact with Taiwanese issues almost every day, frequently met Taiwanese compatriots, and made many Taiwanese friends. It had been quite the same when he worked in Zhejiang Province and in Shanghai.

中新网25日消息援引习近平的说法称，这次是他担任新的职务之后，第一次会见台湾朋友。习近平称，他在福建工作多年，现在想起那个时期，他几乎每天都要接触有关台湾的事情，要经常会见台湾同胞，也结交了不少台湾朋友。到浙江、上海工作，差不多也是这样。

Xi Jinping particularly pointed out that “I and Chairman Lien got to know each other in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, when we met in April and in November 2006, and I vividly remember the circumstances and our conversations, and one can say that with this memory on mind, I and Chairman Lien are old friends. Ever since I left Fujian, I have paid attention to the situation in T the Taiwan Strait, hoping for continuously improving cross-strait relations.”

习近平特别提到：“我和连主席相识于浙江杭州，在2006年4月、11月两度会面，当时的会见情景，谈话情况，我现在记忆犹新，可以说当时情景历历在目，我和连主席是老朋友了。我离开福建到现在始终关注着台海局势，期待两岸关系持续改善。”

Xi Jinping also said that the new generation of collective CCP central committee leadership will continue to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and peaceful unification.

习近平还表示，中国共产党新一届的中共中央领导集体，将继续推动两岸关系和平发展，促进两岸和平统一。

Quoting China News Service (中新网) and CCTV with reports of February 24, Nanfang Weekly mentions some members of Lien’s 30-plus member delegation¹⁾, such as KMT vice chairman Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正), John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), think-tank director Tsai Cheng-wen²⁾, Radio Taiwan International  CEO Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭)³⁾ and New Party chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), plus representatives of public opinion (民意代表), business, farming and fishery, culture and education, the press, and religion.

Lien Chan said that this trip’s purpose was to enhance exchange, to exchange views with [people from] all walks of life, to look at the past and to look to the future. Lien Chan said that this was also the first time after the establishment of the new leadership by the 18th National Congress that he talked with mainland China’s leaders face to face, having the opportunity to listen to their views, thoughts and to the things they focused on. He could also exchange views with them about his understanding of the Taiwanese situation.

连战称，此行宗旨为增进彼此交流，与各界交换意见，看看过去，展望未来。连战表示，这也是中共十八大新领导班子成立后，第一次与大陆领导人面对面会谈过程，可以听听彼此的意见、思维与关注的焦点，他也会把他所了解的台湾情况，与对方交换意见。

According to CCTV reports on February 25, Lien Chan met with KMT chairman and Taiwan regional leader Ma Ying-jeou on February 22, ahead of his trip. Local media said that Ma Ying-jeou had nothing special to say [or to account for, 交待], only that he asked Lien Chan to greet secretary general Xi Jinping. A speaker for Ma Ying-jeou’s office said that the key point of the coming three years was to broaden and deepen cross-strait exchanges, and that therefore, Lien Chan’s visit to the mainland, in his private capacity, was viewed with optimism.

据中央电视台25日报道，连战行前在22号下午与中国国民党主席、台湾地区领导人马英九见面。当地媒体称，马英九并没有什么特别交待，只是请连战代为问候习近平总书记。马英九办公室发言人表示，扩大与深化两岸交流，是未来三年的重点工作，因此对连战以民间身份访问大陆乐观其成。

Lien had declined to go into detail about his scheduled meeting with Xi before leaving Taipei on Sunday night, the South China Morning Post‘s (SCMP) Taipei correspondent wrote on Monday.

But the SCMP also quotes Su Chi (蘇起), a former Taiwan National Security Council secretary-general, as saying that the new mainland leadership is expected to touch on more sensitive issues like political dialogues with Taipei.

Lien’s delegation spokeswoman was quoted as saying that Lien would meet outgoing state chairman Hu Jintao on Tuesday (i. e. on February 26).

Lien Chan was accompanied by his wife, Lien Fang Yu, and his son, Sean Lien (连胜文).

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Notes

¹⁾ According to the Taipei Times, Lien’s delegation included several business tycoons, such as Hon Hai Group chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) and Ruentex Group chairman Samuel Yin (尹衍樑).

²⁾ Tsai Cheng-wen is the National Policy Foundation’s (NPF) president. The NPF is a KMT think-tank.

³⁾ At an earlier trip to China, with a Taiwanese delegation to the Baoao Forum on Hainan in 2012, Chang Jung-kung was scheduled to be the delegation’s spokesman.

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Related

» Journey of Peace, SCMP, April 26, 2005
» United Front Doctrine (Democratization in Taiwan, ed. Steve Tsang, Houndmills, New York, 199

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The Life of Xi Jinping: how they cried

Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Daily (深圳特区报) recently – possibly today – carried a long story about Xi Jinping – republished today by Enorth (Tianjin). The main ideological content of the article is nothing new – rather, it emphasizes continuity (and how Xi has been instrumental in bringing the current ideological status about, but it also points out Xi Jinping’s particularly “cordial ways”. All that along with a number of photos to underline the latter point. The following are excerpts from the article.

Main Link: “Xi Jinping chose the name Mingze for his daugher”

Xi Jinping has always regarded the people’s dream as his own dream. 43 years ago, he was sent to a village in northern Shaanxi as part of the educated youth sent to the countryside, being involved there for seven years. His first “official title” was that of a secretary of a “party cell” in a rural brigade. In 2007, experienced and toughened by many years of grassroots work and local work, he became a permanent member of the standing committee of the politburo, in charge of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, and also director of the party school. Soon afterwards, he became the vice chairman of the People’s Republic of China, and deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission. During the past five years, he has been part of the decisionmaking of the party and the state, and the decisionmaking, organizing and implementation of major policies.

习近平始终把人民的梦想作为自己的梦想。43年前，他曾作为知青到陕北农村插队，一干就是7年，他的第一个“官衔”，是构成中共组织体系“细胞”的大队 (行政村)党支部书记。2007年，经过多年基层和地方工作历练的习近平，当选中共中央政治局常委，担任中央书记处书记，兼任中央党校校长。他随后担任了 中华人民共和国副主席和中央军委副主席。5年来，他直接参与党和国家大政方针的研究制定，参与中央重大决策部署的组织实施。

[...]

He repeatedly emphasized that the party must manage the party, and rule it strictly. On November 17, on the first study meeting of the 18th Politburo, he profoundly pointed out that “things must not get rotten to get infested by worms. A multitude of facts are telling us: if corruption becomes more and more intense, it will, in the end, make the party and the country perhish! We must be vigilant!

他反复强调要坚持党要管党、从严治党。11月17日，他在十八届中共中央政治局第一次集体学习时深刻指出，“‘物必先腐，而后虫生。’大量事实告诉我们：腐败问题越演越烈，最终必然会亡党亡国！我们要警醒啊！”

[...]

There is an indissoluble bond between Xi Jinping and the troops. Early on, he worked at the General Office of the Central Military Commission for three years, and feelings between him and the troops remained deep afterwards. When he served [as a cadre, party secretary etc.] in the regions [and provinces], he served as the country armed forces first political commissar, municipal (regional) military committee first party secretary, the Provincial artillery Reserve Division first commissar, the Party committee of province military region first secretary and and the military region’s Military national defense mobilization committee, and he therefore fully understands the situation of the troops. He supports the army [literally: holds it in his arms], loves the military, and actively helps the troops to solve many practical problems. Having served as the deputy Central Military Commission’s chairman, he actively participated in the leadership work of building the military. At the 18th plenary session of the CCP’s Central Committee, he assumed the chairmanship of the CCP Central Military Commission.

习近平和军队有着不解之缘。早年他曾在中央军委办公厅工作过3年，与军队结下了深厚感情；在地方任职时，他先后担任过县人民武装部第一政委、市(地)军分 区党委第一书记、省高炮预备役师第一政委、省军区党委第一书记和大军区国防动员委员会领导等军队职务，十分熟悉军队情况。他拥军、爱军，积极帮助军队解决 了许多实际困难。出任中央军委副主席后，他积极参与国防和军队建设的领导工作。在中共十八届一中全会上，他接任中共中央军委主席。

“The People’s Liberation Army is the School of the Mao Zedong Thought”, cultural revolution poster. Fair-use Wikimedia Commons, click link for description.

Xi Jinping is tied to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Aomen. Seventeen years of working experience in Fujian Province have led him to deeply understand Taiwan and cross-strait relations. Under his watch, Xiamen built the first mainland [literally: hinterland, 内地] Taiwan trading guild hall, Fuzhou built the first industrial village with mainly Taiwan-invested companies. He did great things in removing worries and problems of Taiwanese compatriots, and many Taiwanese compatriots regard him as a good friend.

习近平心系台港澳。17年的福建工作经历，使他深入了解了台湾及两岸关系。在他任上，厦门设立了内地首家台商会馆，福州建立了第一个以台资企业为主的工业村。他为台湾同胞做了大量排忧解难的事情，许多台湾同胞都把他视为好朋友。

Besides linking Xi to every ideological decision of the past decades, the article also tries to emphasize roles he played in most or every major event of the past decades, including the Olympic Games in Beijing, farming, or biogas promotion.

And, as has to be the case with any model soldier or cadre, villagers accompanied their educated-youth champion when he left the countryside in 1975, after his six rural years, with “very many of them in tears” (很多人不舍地哭了). Xi had been recommended to Tsinghua University to study there.

That’s only from the first page of the article, and by no means a full translation or account of it. The article reads as if a third person had written Xi’s cv and an application letter to the people, for Xi to assume the top posts in the party and the state. And of course, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Daily has an additional reason to sing Xi Jinping’s praise. After all, his first inspection tour in his new capacity as the CCP’s general secretary took him to Shenzhen.

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Related

» The Latest about Xi Jinping Pingping, Dec 14, 2012
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Current CCP Politbureau Members, and a few Guesses

Red line numbers (column 1): new to the politbureau. Red crosses (column 4): new to the standing committee.

#	name	born	stand ing com mit tee	majors	party func tion	state func tion	leanings
1.	Xi Jinping (习近平)	1953	x	chem. engin eering	gen. secre tary	vice chair man	prince ling
2.	Ma Kai (马凯)	1946		pol. eco nomics		state coun cil
3.	Wang Qishan (王岐山)	1948	x	history (fina nce?)	dis cip line	state coun cil	prince ling
4.	Wang Huning (王沪宁)	1955		French inter- natio- nal poli tics	re sear ch
5.	Liu Yunshan (刘云山)	1947	x	journal ism (pro bably)	pro pa gan da		youth league
6.	Liu Yandong (刘延东)	1945		chemi stry		state coun cil	youth league
7.	Liu Qibao (刘奇葆)	1953		econ omic plan ning	Sichu an party secr.
8.	Xu Qiliang (许其亮)	1950		de fense	CMC
9.	Sun Chunlan (孙春兰)	1950		party crash cour  ses			youth league
10.	Sun Zhengcai (孙政才)	1963		agri culture	Jilin party secr.
11.	Li Keqiang (李克强)	1955	x	law, eco nomics		state coun cil	youth league
12.	Li Jianguo (李建国)	1946		literat ure	NPC secre tary gen.	NPC vice cha ir
13.	Li Yuanchao (李源潮)	1950		math, e conom. manag ement	org gan izat. dept.
14.	Wang Yang (汪洋)	1955		political econo mics	Guan gdo ng party secr.		refor mist
15.	Zhang Chunxian (张春贤)	1953		engin eering	Xin jiang party secr.
16.	Zhang Gaoli (张高丽)	1946	x	econon omics	Tian jin party secr.
17.	Zhang Dejiang (张德江)	1946	x	Korean, econ omics	Chon gqing party secr.		hardline
18.	Fan Changlong (范长龙)	1947		Xuan- hua Artillery College & others	CMC
19.	Meng Jianzhu (孟建柱)	1947		systems engin eering		state coun cil (pub lic se curi ty)
20.	Zhao Leji (赵乐际)	1957		philo sophy	Shaan xi party secr.
21.	Hu Chunhua (胡春华)	1963		Chinese, literat ure	Inner Mong olia party secr.		youth league
22.	Yu Zhengsheng (俞正声)	1945	x	electron ic engin eering, automa ted mis siles	Shang hai party secr.		keeper of the Deng Xiao ping grail
23.	Li Zhanshu (栗战书)	1950			centr al com mittee office	Hei long jiang gov er nor
24.	Guo Jinlong (郭金龙)	1947		physics, acou stics	Bei jing party secr.
25.	Han Zheng (韩正)	1954		econom ics		Shang hai mayor	Shang- hai Cli que (but) Hu Jintao

The exclusion of a role held by Zhou Yongkang could be a message for Zhou and his supporters, rather than an indication of policy, suggests the Committee to Protect Journalists blog (CPJ). Zhou ranked 9th in the previous standing committee, and in his state (rather than party) function, he oversaw China’s security forces and law enforcement institutions.

Propaganda, of course, has a seat in the standing committee, with Liu Yunshan, and diplomacy stays out, as it did previously (unless a now sitting member becomes foreign minister next year).

Indirectly, the “United Front” is also represented at the standing committee. Liu Yandong headed that department for special party relations from 2002 to 2007. The “United Front” is also the organization whose website carries news about telegram exchanges between Hu Jintao / Xi Jinping  with Taiwan’s president Ma Ying-jeou, as the top headline. They reportedly communicated in their capacities as former CCP secretary general (Hu), the CCP’s new secretary general (Xi), and the KMT’s chairman (Ma).

Ma, Hu, Xi: Great Rejuvenation

Can’t tell if “sending telegrams” should be taken literally. Technically, the procedure  should still be feasible.

Xinhua Net, Beijing, November 15, 2012 —

China KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou separately sent telegrams to Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping saying that Hu Jintao had made major contributions to improved cross-strait relations, and congratulating Xi Jinping for his election as CCP secretary general. Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping expressed their thanks in separate replies.

新华网北京１１月１５日电 中国国民党主席马英九１５日分别致电胡锦涛、习近平，表示胡锦涛为改善发展两岸关系作出重大贡献，祝贺习近平当选中共中央总书记。胡锦涛、习近平分别复电表示感谢。

In his reply, Hu Jintao said that in recent years, under the common efforts of both parties, the peaceful development of cross-strait relations achieved a number of imortant positive results. I sincerely hope that our two parties, will persist in strenghthening cooperation, in further consolidating and deepening the situation of peaceful cross-strait relations, for the happiness of the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

胡锦涛在复电中表示，近年来，在贵我两党共同努力下，两岸关系和平发展取得一系列重要积极成果。诚挚希望贵我两党再接再厉，加强合作，进一步巩固和深化两岸关系和平发展局面，为两岸同胞谋福祉，为中华民族谋复兴。

Xi Jinping said in his reply that the current cross-strait relations were in a good situation of peaceful development. It is my heartfelt hope that our two parties will grasp the historical opportunity, deepen mutual trust, solidify the policies of peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and the economic, cultural and societal foundations, that they will promote the achievement of ever-new results from the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and together create a wonderful future for the Chinese nation.

习近平在复电中表示，当前两岸关系呈现和平发展的良好局面。由衷期望贵我两党把握历史机遇，深化互信，筑牢两岸关系和平发展的政治、经济、文化、社会基础，推动两岸关系和平发展不断取得新成果，共同开创中华民族美好未来。

In his telegrams to Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping, Ma Ying-jeou said that during the past ten years, the two parties had adhered to the “92 Consensus”, maintained the basic stability across the Taiwan Strait, and the Taiwan Strait had achieved the greatest peace and stability during the past sixty years. As these parties forge ahead, I hope our parties, on a good foundation, will continue to bring about broadened and deepened exchanges and common institutions to mutual significant results. When looking to the future, with the great cause of rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on the rise, there is particularly strengthened mutual trust, sincere cooperation, for the benefit of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

马英九在致胡锦涛、习近平的来电中表示，过去１０年来，贵我两党坚持“九二共识”， 维持了台海基本稳定，台海地区达到６０年来最和平稳定的状态。值此贵党继往开来之际，期待贵我两党在既有良好基础上，继续促成两岸双方在扩大、深化交流及 互设机构等重大事务上获致更显著的成果。展望未来，中华民族复兴大业方兴未艾，两岸之间有待强化互信、真诚合作，造福两岸人民。

On the same day, the China KMT honorary chairmen Lien Chan and Wu Poh-hsiung also separatelz sent telegrams to Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping. Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping separately replied to express their thanks.

同日，中国国民党荣誉主席连战、吴伯雄也分别向胡锦涛、习近平致电，胡锦涛、习近平分别复电表示感谢。

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Related

» Hardtalk in 2006, June 20, 2008

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Huanqiu on HK Survey: It’s not as Bad as you Think

The following is a translation of a Huanqiu Shibao article. It is therefore a mainland Chinese reflection of a Hong Kong survey. I haven’t read the survey itself, or coverage on the survey from elsewhere.

The Huanqiu article has been republished by many Chinese websites, including Sina‘s edition for Taiwan, Enorth (Tianjin), and many other regional or local websites in China.

Main Link: Only 2.4 percent of Hong Kong’s post-1980s…

In cases where the Cantonese pronounciation of Hong Kongers’ names within the Huanqiu article weren’t easily available online, I used putonghua pronounciation in this translation.

Be more Andy Lau: 让世界知道我们都是中国人 (click picture for video)

Links within blockquote added during translation.

Exchanges between Hong Kong and the hinterland become more and more frequent, but a recent survey finds that Hong Kongers see their “Hong Kong identity” with growing clarity. Among them, young respondents born after 1980 feel most strongly about their “Hong Kong identity”. Some Hong Kong media explain that the findings reflect “resistance against Chinese identity” among part of Hong Kongers, and a “low national identity”. However, Anthony Y. H. Fung [Feng Yingqian], head of the Chinese University’s School of Journalism and Communication, and in charge of the survey, told a “Huanqiu Shibao” reporter on Monday that there was no contradiction between “Hong Kong identity” and “national identity”, that while the survey showed a Hong Kong “awareness of their native land”, it also showed that pride in the national flag, the national anthem or the People’s Liberation Army and other national symbols had also risen.

香港与内地的交流越来越频繁，但一项最新调查发现，香港人的“港人身份认同”越来越明显，其中“80后”的年轻受访者“港人身份认同感”最为强烈。有香港媒体在报道中解读称，调查结果反映部分港人“抗拒中国人的身份”、“国民身份认同感低”。不过，负责调查的香港中文大学新闻与传播学院院长冯应谦12日向《环球时报》记者澄清说，香港人对“港人身份认同”与“国民身份认同”并不存在矛盾，调查显示港人“本土意识”增加的同时，也显示过去十多年来香港人对于国旗、国歌或解放军等国家象征自豪感相对有上升。

According to a Hong Kong’s “Oriental Daily” report on Monday, the Chinese University’s SChool of Communication and a polling agency carried out a telephone survey last month, with 819 Hong Kongers as respondents. One question asked the respondents to tell to which category of people they belonged, with “Chinese people”, “Hong Kong people”, “Hong Kong people, but also Chinese people” and “Chinese people, but also Hong Kong people” to choose from. The survey found that 42 percent of the respondents chose that they were “Hong Kong people, but also Chinese people”, a small drop from two years ago, when the number was 44 percent. 23 percent chose the purely “Hong Kong people” identity. 22 percent said they were “Chinese, but also Hong Kong people”, and 12 percent felt that they were purely “Chinese people”, a new low after Hong Kong’s 1997 return. The survey divided respondents into those who were thirty years old or younger, the “post-1980s”, and those older than that. The results tell that the “post-1980s” don’t greatly identify with the “Chinese people identity”, with only 2.4 percent choosing “Chinese people”, while the share of older respondents identified with the “Chinese people” option by 15.9 percent.

据香港《东方日报》12日报道，香港中文大学传播与民意调查中心于上月中进行民意调查，以电话访问了819名港人，其中一个问题要求受访者回答自己属于哪一类人，四项选择为“中国人”、“香港人”、“香港人，但也是中国人”以及“中国人，但也是香港人”。调查发现，有42%的受访者选择自己是“香港人，但也是中国人”，较两年前进行同样调查时的44%的数据稍降。其次有23%的受访者选择纯粹“香港人”身份，是自2008年以来的新高。另外22%的受访者称自己是“中国人，但也是香港人”；觉得自己纯粹是“中国人”的受访者只有12%，是97回归以来的新低点。此次调查又特别将受访者分成两批，一批为30岁或以下的“80后”，另一批则是“非80后”，结果发现“80后”对“中国人身份”不太认同，选择是“中国人”的只有2.4%，但非“80后”的比例却有15.9%。

[...]

The findings triggered controversy in Hong Kong’s public opinion. Hong Kong SAR’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Lew Mon-hung [Liu Mengxiong] said this was related to the SAR government only caring about peoples-livelihood issues and not doing everything to refute “Hong Kong independence” talk. He believes that recently, many determined people repeatedly waved “Union-Jack” flags and seized the opportunity of hyping “Hong Kong independence” thoughts, and the SAR government hadn’t refuted them. This could only lead to further political difficulties. Xu Huajie, Hong Kong United Youth Association advisor and China Im- and Export Chamber of Commerce deputy director, said that if Hong Kong’s young people resisted the hinterland for political reasons, they would lose many opportunities to develop in their working lives. But Basic Law Committee member Liu Naiqiang describes public opinion “as a cloud”, and believfes that it is difficult to rely only on the polls to assess trends in public opinion. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology economic faculty director Francis Lui [雷鼎鸣] says that this survey by the Chinese University “has problems”, because they offered no “Hong Konger, but no Chinese” choice. This would have been necessary to really measure Hong Kongers’ “national identy” identification.

调查结果引发香港舆论的争议。香港特区全国政协委员刘梦熊表示，港人有如此意识，相信与特区政府只顾民生政策，没有全力驳斥“港独”言论有关。他认为，近期不少有心人士多次高举代表港英时期的“米字旗”，乘机炒作“港独”思潮，但特区政府未予以驳斥，这只会令施政进一步困难。兼任香港青联顾问的中华进出口商会副主席许华杰说，若香港青年因政治理由而抗拒内地，将失去很多工作发展机会。但《基本法》委员会委员刘乃强形容“民意如浮云”，他认为很难单靠民调去评估民意趋势。香港科技大学经济学系主任雷鼎鸣表示，此次中大的调查“有问题”，因为他们没有设一个“是香港人，但不是中国人”的选项供受访者选择，只有新增这个选项才能直接测试到港人对“国民身份”认同感的最终态度是什么。

Anthony Y. H. Fung, in charge of the survey, told “Huanqiu Shibao” that there was no contradiction between “Hong Kong identity” and “Chinese identity”. Although the survey had shown the “Hong Kong identity” ever more clearly, it also showed that during the past ten years, Hong Kongers’ feelings of pride for national symbols like the national flag, the national anthem, or the PLA had also risen. From only 30.6 percent of Hong Kongers feeling proud of the national flag in 1996, their share was now 37.6 percent, and while only ten percent felt good about the PLA in 1996, their share was now 21.5 percent.

负责此次调查的香港中文大学新闻与传播学院院长冯应谦12日接受《环球时报》记者采访时澄清说，香港人对“港人身份认同”与“国民身份认同”并不存在矛盾，虽然调查显示香港人的“港人身份认同”越来越明显，但调查同时也显示，过去十多年来香港人对国旗、国歌或解放军等国家象征自豪感上升，比如，在1996年，只有30.6%的受访者对国旗有自豪感，今年的调查则有37.6%；另外，在1996年，只有10%的受访者对解放军有好感，但今年已增至21.5%。

Fung believes that the stronger “Hong Kong identitification” had grown because of discussions in recent years, having everyone considering their identity issues. As for the “post-1980s” leaning towards “Hong Kong identity”, this was because of the Hong Kong government’s promotion of [unsafe translation: lessons in line with hinterland lessons, encouraging independent thinking, and the young generation wanting to participate in public matters and deliberations about identity issues]. He said: “if the survey was carried out during the Olympics or during National Day, I believe Hong Kongers’ identification with the nation would be stronger”.

冯应谦认为，香港人对“港人身份认同”增强，只因近年相关讨论多了，让大家思考自己的身份问题。至于“80后”较倾向认同“香港人的身份”，是因为近年香港教育推行通识课(相当于内地的社会课)，鼓励独立思考，令年轻一代较愿意参与社会事务及思考身份的问题。他说，“如果调查是在奥运或者国庆期间进行，我相信港人的国民身份认同比例会大大增加。”

As for the talk about “Hong Kong independence”, Fung said that the share of respondents who said they were “Hong Kongers, but also Chinese” showed that support for “Hong Kong independence” was very small. In fact, almost sixty percent of respondents had said that they travelled to mainland China every two months or even more frequently, which reflected that Hong Kongers believed that contact with the hinterland had become an unstoppable trend.

对于近日香港出现“港独”争论，冯应谦表示，调查结果显示，受访港人大多数选择“香港人、但也是中国人”一项，可见支持“港独”只是很少数。事实上，近六成受访者表示“两个月一次或更多地”往返大陆，这反映大部分香港人都认为，与内地接触已是不可阻挡的潮流。

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Related

» Patriotic Classes only Optional, BBC, Sep 8, 2012
» A Sense of Affection, July 30, 2012
» If you can’t govern a village, Dec 16, 2011

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One (Belated) Question, Mr President: just what would You do with another Four Years?

Taiwan’s president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is said to be a technocrat – he has never been into “inspiring” speeches. But even if he had been: with popularity (or support) rates at less than ten percent (according to the BBC’s Mandarin website), all he can do is to focus on what pains the public most: the economy, and sagging earned incomes.

We are (going to be) the champions.

Ma’s Double-Ten speech wants to suggest that he knows what needs to be done:

Taiwan should become a supplier of key components and precision equipment, as well as a developer of innovative services. In addition to fostering new growth-driver industries, we must also support the efforts of our businesses to develop critical technologies, produce key components, and carry out research and development efforts aimed at creating precision equipment with intelligent functions and unique competitive advantages. This multi-track approach will ensure that our industrial firms will not be easily replaced by, nor be dependent upon, those of other nations. Aside from manufacturing, we must also keep track of market trends and develop innovative business models, so that the service sector will enjoy a greater share in our industry’s output value and exports. In this way, we can transform our service industry into another engine that can drive economic growth and help to raise pay levels. These efforts to adjust our industrial structure that I have just now discussed are underway already.

“Already” could be used to make fun of a president who, after all, took office almost four years and a half ago. However, “already” should probably be blamed on poor translation into English – in Chinese, “already” or 已經 stands for some kind of present perfect, rather than for a triumphantly “early” accomplishment, or – at least – insight.

Ma’s second term hasn’t seen a honeymoon. The public appeared to be nervous even before May this year, with support and satisfaction rates at between 15 and 22 percent respectively. Ma addressed some of the criticism of this year in today’s speech, such as the issue of communication.

But above all, Nanfang Shuo, a political commentator, suggested earlier this year, much of the public’s unease stemmed from an awareness that Ma was now free from pressure as he faced no further elections. Reforms and decisions could therefore be taken arbitrarily.

Apparently, those fears haven’t gone away.

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Related

» One Question, Mr President, Economist, Sep 1, 2012

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