The Two Meetings, and how Red History re-educated Yang Liwei

The following is a translated excerpt from “People’s Daily” online, published there on March 9, during the “two meetings”, i. e. the “National People’s Congress” and the “Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference” sessions earlier this month.

The term “re-education” has never left the Chinese language – there has always been “re-education” in the PRC, even though the use of the term may have peaked during Maoism.

Main Link (original title): Actively Participating in the Management of State Affairs, Fostering the Propagation of Popular Science

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Host: Hello everyone, this is People’s Daily online’s video interview. Today, we have run into Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s committee member and space-flight hero Yang Liwei. Hello, Yang laoshi. First of all, a question that everyone is particularly interested in, how has your past year of duty been?

大家好，这里是人民网视频访谈。今天我们遇到了全国政协委员、航天英雄杨利伟，杨老师您好。首先大家特别关注，在去年一年，您的履职情况是怎样的呢？

Yang Liwei: First of all, by being able to enter the big family of the Political Consultative Conference I have learned and seen many things, because following my participation in last year’s two meetings, especially when attending the meeting, I took the path of a committee member, and by doing so, we from the manned space flight can do good propaganda, and at the same time make the space flight third generation’s selection situation known. As it happens, we have just completed the pre-selection of third-generation astronauts, under everyone’s attention. From here, a completely new work can be touched upon. Following this kind of getting in touch, I like and love this big family more and more, the CPPCC is really good, with people from different trades coming across each other and conducting exchanges which helps you to understand a lot. Especially last year I have participated in many CPPCC activities, going out and conducting investigation and research left a really deep impression on me.

首先能够去加入政协这个大家庭，去年一年对我来讲学到了很多东西，也看到了很多东西，因为随着参加去年的两会，特别是参加会议的时候，我走了委员通道，用这种方式对我们载人航天也进行了一个很好的宣传，同时也介绍了一下第三批航天员的选拔情况，恰恰我们现在第三批航天员的初选已经结束了，大家很关注。从这开始之后，一个全新的工作，就是让自己去接触。随着这种接触，越来越喜欢这个大家庭和爱上这个大家庭，政协真的是很好，不同界别的人交叉在一起进行交流，会让你了解很多。特别是在去年，又参加了很多政协的活动，出去进行了调研，给我留下印象非常的深刻。

Host: To which kind of impression can you think back now, for example, that was very deep?

主持人：比如什么样的印象让您现在回想起来很深刻？

Yang Liwei: We studied and researched the old revolutionary area of Jiangxi, conducting research themed “protection and use of red resources”. Apart from that, after getting to the old revoltionary areas, we looked at the area’s development, and at the same time received a very good re-education of the Red Army of that time, leaving a really very deep impression on us. Before, it could all be seen on the media, but this time’s personal experience, to see these things, spells reeducation to me.

我们调研到了江西老区，进行“红色资源的保护与利用”的主题调研，除了调研红色资源的保护和利用，到了革命老区之后，看到了老区的发展，同时也进一步接受了那个时候红军的一个很好的再教育，给我留下的印象真的非常深刻。以前都是在媒体上看到的，这一次身临其境的去看，看到了一些东西，对我来讲，也是进行再一次教育。

No kidding – it’s a real astronaut

In this process, because we were in touch with the old revolutionary area’s common people, between the lines and idioms they used, besides from red genes and revolutionary continued tradition, as astronauts, I also met many children there. They were very interested in space flight. In this process, after recognizing us, they were really happy, and also, very small children all knowing made me feel gratified. Actually, when you think deeply about what forty years of reform and opening have brought to this country, because of all kinds of development of differing degrees, allows us to even better make contact with the common people, and the common people understanding us better. So, by doing some study and research, I got to know from my own experience how to maintain and how to increase efficiency of this method, how to improve our participation in the management of state affairs, and how to implement it better. Practical study and research is the best way. So, last year, especially by this process, many members still have some interaction, especially with an online app opened by the CPPCC for members. By using modern technology, on this platform, you will understand many members’ proposals and advice quite well, and the information is very helpful at our work. So, this year, apart from my job, I should say that what influenced me most has been this work.

在这个过程当中，因为接触了红区的老百姓，在他们字里行间，除了红色基因、红色传承以外，作为航天员来讲，对我来讲，因为碰到很多孩子，在那个地方。对航天又非常的感兴趣。在这个过程当中，认出来我们之后非常高兴，而且很小的孩子都知道，让我非常的欣慰，实际上深层次去想，国家经过40年的改革开放，给国家带来的是什么，因为各种各样的不同程度的发展，让我们能去更好地接触到老百姓，和老百姓更好地了解我们。所以，通过一些调研，也让我深刻体会到了，怎么样去保持增效这种方式，提高我们参政议政的能力，怎么样把它更好地落到实处。实际的调研是最好的一个方式。所以，通过去年这一年，特别是因为在这个过程当中，很多委员还有一些互动，特别是我们现在政协又开通了委员的网上APP，用现代的技术手段，你在这个平台上会了解很多不同委员的一些建言献策也好，信息也好，对我的工作有很大的帮助。所以，这一年对我来讲，除了本职工作以外，应该说对我影响最大的还是这项工作。

[…]

____________

Related

Xinjiang Re-education Camps, Wikipedia
Uighur’s Today, Han’s Tomorrow, Aug 19, 2018
How Yellow was my Hometown, Febr 14, 2015
Open the Skies for the Young, May 5, 2013
National Tourism and Leisure, Febr 18, 2013
A Role in School Curricula, Sep 1, 2009

____________

Tags: China, communication, Communist Party of China, development, East Turkestan, government, history, human rights, ideology, internet, media, military, propaganda, quote, science, Xi Jinping, Xinjiang