Russia in the Indo-Pacific

The following is a translation of an introduction by Radio Taiwan International’s (RTI) Mandarin program “Serving the People” (為人民服務), discussing Russia’s role in the region loosely defined as the “Indo-Pacific”.

Russian-built Gepard 3.9 frigate Quang Trung,
public domain

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Lu Ssu-pin (魯斯濱), a columnist on Russian military affairs, discusses Russia’s involvement in the Indo-Pacific, and especially its ties with ASEAN, in “Serving the People’s” December 23 edition. The discussion can be listened to there (button top right).

No great secrets are revealed there, but while Russia’s business in the region doesn’t go unreported by Western media, it may often be underestimated. This includes areas of conflict with China.

Ssu also touches on the revival of the Russian language in Vietnamese lesson plans. The numbers don’t look overwhelming, but according to Ssu, Russian technology (such as military technology or its Global Navigation Satellite System) can be rather well absorbed by ASEAN countries, and is affordable, while a lot of Western technology isn’t.

Main link:
Russia also gets involved in Indo-Pacific, Russia and China singing different tunes (俄羅斯也插手印太 俄中各唱各的調)

The statement issued on December 12 after the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Liverpool emphasized that the G7 member states wanted to establish an investment and trade circle democracies so as to respond to China’s coercive economic policies more unitedly. Russia was also warned not to rashly use force against Ukraine as [Moscow] would face serious economic costs. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken travelled right on for visits to Southeast Asia, with the clear intention to draw in allies to crowd around China.
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12月12日在英國利物浦落幕的G7外長會議發表聲明，強調G7成員國要在民主國家間建立投資圈經貿圈，以便團結應對中國的脅迫性經濟政策，而且還警告俄羅斯不要輕易對烏克蘭動武，否則將面對沉重經濟代價。美國國務卿布林肯在會後更直奔東南亞訪問，拉近盟友圍攏中國的意圖非常明顯。
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This G7 foreign ministers’ meeting’s main emphasis appears to be on building a united front in response to China and Russia. However, if the Chinese friendship with Russia is what it appears to be is a different story. Concerning the South China Sea, for example, Russia’s approach is rather indistinct. It does, by no means, support China as imagined by the outside world when it comes to the South China Sea.
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這次G7外長會議，統一陣線應對中國與俄國，顯然是最大重點。不過，中國與俄羅斯之間是否如表面的友好，又是另當別論。比方在南海，俄羅斯的態度就非常模糊，並不像外界所想像的那樣在南海事務上支持中國。
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A confrontation erupted in waters disputed between China and Indonesia not long ago. Beijing accused Indonesia of building exploratory wellheads in oil and gas fields delimited by China. A Russian state-owned energy giant happens to be this oil and gas field’s owner¹. Before that, Russia also helped Vietnam with oil and gas extraction work, among them some fields also delimited by China in accordance with its so-called nine-dash line². This lead to Chinese dissatisfaction.
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中國與印尼不久前在南海有爭議水域爆發爭執對峙。北京指責印尼在中國所劃定的海疆線內為一處油氣田區塊開鑿探井。俄羅斯國有能源巨頭恰好是這塊油氣田的所有人。而在印尼之前，俄羅斯也幫越南從事油氣開採，其中的一些油氣田區塊因為同樣位於中國所劃定的所謂「九段線」內而導致中國不滿。
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All the same, Russia’s cooperation with Indonesia and Vietnam has continued.
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儘管中國不滿，俄國與印尼和越南的能源合作一直在進行中 。
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Also, early in December, ASEAN carried out the first joint maritime exercise with Russia. In the southeast Asian region As relations between the southeast Asian region and China continue to intensify, the question against who these may be directed is also up to the outside world’s imagination.
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另外，12月初, 東南亞國家協會（ASEAN）也跟俄羅斯舉行了第一次聯合海上軍事演習。在東南亞地區和中國的緊張關係不斷升溫的同時，聯合軍演到底針對誰，也令外界有無限想像空間。
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We have asked Lu Ssu-pin to discuss his observations with us.
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今天節目我們請魯斯濱談談他的觀察。

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Notes

1	Zarubezhneft, according to reports
2	Wikipedia, accessed Dec 24

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Related

America, Japan: a more equal Relationship, May 22, 2016
Gas Deal, but no Military Alliance, May 23, 2014
“Like Polar Bears, no bit of humanity”, July 22, 2012
Indonesia-Russia Relations, Wikipedia
Russia-Vietnam Relations, Wikipedia
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Merry Christmas, …

Stay in touch

… and keep warming your hands here in this cold war.
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Xi Jinping’s Heroes (2): Martyrs, Wave upon Wave

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The following is my second instalment of an article gathering notable Xi quotes concerning heroes; part one is there. No excerpts in this second part; every Xi word within the following paragraphs has been faithfully translated. All errors are my own; corrections or suggestions are welcome.

For the particularly pious, there’s “A Daily Word from Xi”,
a regular morning meditation on
China People’s Broadcasting Station (CPBS)

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Main Link: “The Secretary General has talked about Heroes like these”, by Wen Hongyan and Song Jingsi, published on Sept 29

For the beloved motherland of their ideals, countless revolutionary martyrs held high the torch of faith, with an honor that doesn’t look back, they entered the powerful historical torrent of the people’s independence and the people’s liberation. Facing danger without fear and advancing dauntlessly in wave upon wave, they fought a brave, blood-soaked fight despite all setbacks.

为了理想中“可爱的中国”，无数革命先烈高擎信仰的火炬，义无反顾地踏入为了民族独立、人民解放的历史洪流中。他们临危不惧、前赴后继，他们浴血奋战、百折不挠。

On July 24, 2020, secretary general Xi Jinping, ending inspection work in Jilin province, pointed out:

2020年7月24日，习近平总书记在吉林考察工作结束时的重要讲话中指出：

“During the war of resistance against Japan, under extremely vile conditions, General Yang Jingyu led armed forces braved temperatures of minus 40 degrees fighting blood-soaked battles with enemies several times stronger in numbers while having nothing but dry grass, tree bark and cotton wadding in their stomachs. Their achievements were shaking popular feelings.”

“抗日战争时期，在极其恶劣的条件下，杨靖宇将军领导抗日武装冒着零下四十摄氏度的严寒，同数倍于己的敌人浴血奋战，牺牲时胃里全是枯草、树皮、棉絮，没有一粒粮食，其事迹震撼人心。”

On September 18, 1931, Japanese imperialism manufactured the Mukden Incident and began the large-scale invasion and occupation of northeastern China. In 1932, Yang Jingyu was commissioned by the party central committee to organize the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and led the Northeast military-civilians in a bloody battle at the White Mountain and Black Water . Facing the Japanese army’s frantic pressure, Yang Jingyu was brimming with fighting spirit: “A Revolution is like fire. The snow may be sealing the mountains and hiding the birds’ and animals’ traces, but as long as we carry the spark, we can chase away the bitter winter and bring light and warmth.”

1931年9月18日，日本帝国主义制造九一八事变，开始大举侵占中国东北。1932年，杨靖宇受党中央委托到东北组织抗日联军，率领东北军民与日寇血战于白山黑水之间。面对日军疯狂镇压，杨靖宇充满斗志：“革命就像火一样，任凭大雪封山，鸟兽藏迹，只要我们有火种，就能驱赶严寒，带来光明和温暖。”

In February 1940, Yang Jingyu, in a world of ice and snow and out of ammunition and food, fought a lone fight against a great number of Japanese invaders, and heroically sacrificed his life after fighting for five days and nights, in Mengjiang County (now Jingyu County in Jilin Province).

1940年2月，杨靖宇在冰天雪地、弹尽粮绝的情况下，孤身一人与大量日寇周旋，战斗五昼夜后，在濛江县（今吉林省靖宇县）壮烈牺牲。

In times of difficulty, circumstances create heroes. In this great struggle in the war of resistance against Japan, the sons and daughters of China independently and freely casted their lives, sprinkled warm blood, mothers sent their sons to fight the Japanese invaders, wives sent their young husbands to the battleground, men and women, old and young equally mobilized.

天下艰难际，时势造英雄。在抗日战争这场救亡图存的伟大斗争中，中华儿女为中华民族独立和自由不惜抛头颅、洒热血，母亲送儿打日寇，妻子送郎上战场，男女老少齐动员。

It was Jiawu 2014. In a commemorative ceremony for the whole nation’s war of resistance that had started 77 years earlier, Secretary Xi Jinping, with deep emotion, told a heroic story: a mother from Miyun County in Beijing named Deng Yufen sent her husband and five children to the front, and they all died in battle.

2014年，岁逢甲午。在纪念全民族抗战爆发七十七周年仪式上，习近平总书记深情讲述了一位英雄母亲的抗战故事：“北京密云县一位名叫邓玉芬的母亲，把丈夫和5个孩子送上前线，他们全部战死沙场。”

Deng Yufen clenched her teeth and stood firm under these blows, smiling less than before but becoming more active in the anti-japanese war and closer to the younger generations of soldiers.

面对沉重的打击，邓玉芬硬是咬牙挺住了。她脸上的笑容少了，但对抗日工作更积极了，对子弟兵更亲了。

In August 1945, the Chinese people finally defeated the Japanese aggressor. Deng Yufen had tears in her eyes, comforting her husband and her sons under the nine springs: we are victorious! Before her death in February 1970, Deng Yufen told her fellow villagers, “bury me next to the roadside, I want to see the children return”.

1945年8月，中国人民终于打败日本侵略者，邓玉芬眼噙泪花，告慰九泉之下的丈夫和儿子们：咱们胜利了！1970年2月临终前，邓玉芬对乡亲们说：“把我埋在大路边，我要看着孩子们回来。”

In the extraordinarily difficult years of the anti-Japanese war, the Chinese people fought against powerful enemies, built a great wall out of blood and flesh, with always another one stepping into the breach to replace the fallen, and wrote a majestic epos, for a shaken world to read and to make even supernatural beings cry²⁾, thus winning the fist war by Chinese against foreign aggressors in modern times³⁾.

在艰苦卓绝的抗日战争中，中国人民以铮铮铁骨战强敌、以血肉之躯筑长城、以前仆后继赴国难，谱写了惊天地、泣鬼神的雄壮史诗，赢得了近代以来中国抗击外敌入侵的第一次完全胜利。

Secretary-general Xi Jinping pointed out on a symposium commemorating the 69th anniversary of the Chinese people’s anti-Japanese war of resistance’s victory and the world’s war against fascism’s victory: “High-ranking officers like Yang Jingyu, Zhao Shangzhi, Zuo Quan, Peng Xuefeng, Tong Linge, Zhao Dengyu, Zhang Zizhong, Dai Anlan and others from numerous heroic entities such as the Eight-Route Army’s ‘Five Heroes on Langya Mountain’, the New Fourth Army’s ‘Liulaozhuang company’, the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army’s eight female warriors, the KMT Army’s ‘eight heroes’, are outstanding representatives of the Chinese people undefiant,self-sacrificing stance.”

习近平总书记在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利69周年座谈会上指出：“杨靖宇、赵尚志、左权、彭雪枫、佟麟阁、赵登禹、张自忠、戴安澜等一批抗日将领，八路军‘狼牙山五壮士’、新四军‘刘老庄连’、东北抗联八位女战士、国民党军‘八百壮士’等众多英雄群体，就是中国人民不畏强暴、以身殉国的杰出代表。”

While fighting the liberation war, the Communist Party of China relied closely on the masses, obtained a power that toppled the mountains and overturned the seas, and ended the KMT’s reactionary rule, establishing a brandnew People’s Republic.

解放战争中，中国共产党紧紧依靠人民群众，获得了排山倒海的力量，结束了国民党的反动统治，建立了崭新的人民共和国。

“With no care for their heads, their warm blood irrigated the country.” To win national independence and the people’s liberation, countless revolutionary martyrs marched forward bravely, building the great wall of steel that rescued the nation in peril and defended the nation’s dignity. According to incomplete statistics, there were 3.7 million martyrs among revolutionary the troops led by the party from 1921 until 1949.

“未惜头颅新故国，甘将热血沃中华。”为争取民族独立和人民解放，无数革命先烈勇往直前以赴之，筑起拯救民族危亡、捍卫民族尊严的钢铁长城。据不完全统计，从1921年到1949年，党领导的革命队伍中，有名可查的烈士就达370多万人。

Secretary-general Xi Jinping emphasized: “The republic is red, and can’t weaken this color.⁴⁾ The blood of countless martyrs gave our flag its color. There is no way that we would not build the republic well that they hoped, fought and sacrificed for.”
“We absolutely must engrave the martyrs’ final wishes and never forget the great ideals they sacrificed their blood for.”

习近平总书记强调：“共和国是红色的，不能淡化这个颜色。无数的先烈鲜血染红了我们的旗帜，我们不建设好他们所盼望向往、为之奋斗、为之牺牲的共和国，是绝对不行的。”“我们一定要铭记烈士们的遗愿，永志不忘他们为之流血牺牲的伟大理想。”

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Notes

¹⁾ White Mountain + Heilongjiang = Dongbei
²⁾ Xi Jinping appears to have a particularly strong liking for warm blood “irrigating” the motherland, but also for borrowing from the world on the other side of the cupboard: supernatural beings have played a role in his commemorative speech about the Korean war, too, and – if a verbatim quote of what Xi said back then – in his September 2015 speech.
³⁾ Among Chinese – not among Americans or Taiwanese – “近代” usually seems to refer to the times from around 1912 to 1949. The term is discussed by a Wikipedia article, too.
⁴⁾ xCompare commemorative speech about the Korean war in October with the same phrase: 共和国是红色的，不能淡化这个颜色. Another translation for “weaken” could be “dilute” or “trivialize” its color.
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CPC Economic Work Plan 2022: Manufacturing Chain Resilience, Discipline Inspection Regulations, and a warm Two-Festivals Season

The following Xinhua report was also broadly reported on Monday night’s (China local time)  main evening news, Xinwen Lianbo. “Stability” enjoys a preference among China’s leadership, and that also seems to be the case for “social development”, along with economic development (统筹疫情防控和经济社会发展).

In addition to the meeting described in the following translation, Xi Jinping also “solicited opinions and suggestions concerning economic work” from dangwais, also on Monday. Contrary to the Xinwen Lianbo report on the CPC politburo meeting, the coverage of the dangwai ceremony was accompanied by video footage.

Maome

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Not daring to speak

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Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Main link: Xi Jinping chairs politburo meeting, analyzes 2022 economic work

 

According to Xinhua, Beijing, December 6, the central committee’s politburo held a meeting on December 12, analysed and researched 2022 economic work, heard the central disciplinary national inspection and supervision work report, studied and arranged the 2022 clean-party-building and fighting-corruption work, and gave consideration to the “work regulations for the CPC discipline inspection commission”. CPC secretary general Xi Jinping chaired the meeting.

据新华社北京12月6日电 中共中央政治局12月6日召开会议，分析研究2022年经济工作;听取中央纪委国家监委工作汇报，研究部署2022年党风廉政建设和反腐败工作;审议《中国共产党纪律检查委员会工作条例》。中共中央总书记习近平主持会议。

The meeting believed that this year had had milestone historical significance for the party and the state. We have calmly esponded to situations with lasting effects and to the global pandemic, did our outmost to complete the enormous tasks of reform and development, and put the “14th five-year plan” to a good starting point. Our national economic development maintains a leading global position, th national strategic technological strength sees accelerated development, manufacturing chain resilience and advantages have been upgraded, reform and opening have been promoted in-depth, the people’s livelihood has been efficiently guaranteed, and construction of ecological civilizsation continuously promoted.

会议认为，今年是党和国家历史上具有里程碑意义的一年，我们从容应对百年变局和世纪疫情，奋力完成改革发展艰巨任务，实现“十四五”良好开局。我国经济发展保持全球领先地位，国家战略科技力量加快发展，产业链韧性和优势得到提升，改革开放向纵深推进，民生保障有力有效，生态文明建设持续推进。

The meeting demanded next year’s economic work to be done well, to be guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and to fully implement the spirit of the Party’s 19th National Congress and the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth plenary sessions of the CPC’s 19th Central Committee. [The meeting demanded] that the spirit of the great construction of the party be enhanced, the overall main key of making progress while ensuring stability be persisted in, the new development concept be completely, accurately and thoroughly be carried out, the construction of the new development pattern be accelerated, reform and opening be comprehensively deepened, innovation-driven development be persisted in, high-quality development be promoted, the central line of supply-side structural reform be maintained, wholistic plans for epidemic prevention and economic as well as social development be applied, wholistic plans for development and security be applied, the good work on the “six stabilities” and “six guarantees” be continued, the hard work at stability be maintained, the economy be kept operating within reasonable ranges, general social stability be maintained, and the victorious 20th CPC national conference be welcomed.

会议要求，做好明年经济工作，要以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，全面贯彻落实党的十九大和十九届二中、三中、四中、五中、六中全会精神，弘扬伟大建党精神，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，加快构建新发展格局，全面深化改革开放，坚持创新驱动发展，推动高质量发展，坚持以供给侧结构性改革为主线，统筹疫情防控和经济社会发展，统筹发展和安全，继续做好“六稳”、“六保”工作，持续改善民生，着力稳定宏观经济大盘，保持经济运行在合理区间，保持社会大局稳定，迎接党的二十大胜利召开。

The following paragraph re-emphasizes the need for ” making progress while ensuring stability” (and putting stability first – “稳字当头”), for expanded domestic demand, a steady monetary policy, consumption recovery, supply chain resilience, and also it mentions affordable housing (including support for the commercial building industry), plus a “virtuous circle” of science & technology, industry, and finance. In Chinese:

会议强调，明年经济工作要稳字当头、稳中求进。宏观政策要稳健有效，继续实施积极的财政政策和稳健的货币政策。积极的财政政策要提升效能，更加注重精准、可持续。稳健的货币政策要灵活适度，保持流动性合理充裕。实施好扩大内需战略，促进消费持续恢复，积极扩大有效投资，增强发展内生动力。微观政策要激发市场主体活力。要强化知识产权保护。结构政策要着力畅通国民经济循环，提升制造业核心竞争力，增强供应链韧性。要推进保障性住房建设，支持商品房市场更好满足购房者的合理住房需求，促进房地产业健康发展和良性循环。科技政策要加快落地，继续抓好关键核心技术攻关，强化国家战略科技力量，强化企业创新主体地位，实现科技、产业、金融良性循环。改革开放政策要增强发展动力，有效推进区域重大战略和区域协调发展战略，抓好要素市场化配置综合改革试点，扩大高水平对外开放。社会政策要兜住民生底线，落实好就业优先政策，推动新的生育政策落地见效，推进基本养老保险全国统筹，健全常住地提供基本公共服务制度。

The meeting pointed out that the importance of doing good work concerning the turn of the year and making sure that the masses’ were going to have a good “two-festivals” season¹⁾. Maintain prevention of the coronavirus re-entering the country and causing a new epidemic, and do the prevention work precisesly and solidly. Have a wholistic plan for the arrangement of coal, electricity, oil and gas transportation guarantees, ensure that the laobaixing keep warm during winter. Payment of the migrant workerss’ wages need to be ensured. the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics work be well done, and a marvelous distinguished Olympic gathering be guaranteed.

会议指出，要做好岁末年初各方面工作，确保人民群众过好“两节”。坚持“外防输入、内防反弹”，科学精准扎实做好疫情防控工作。统筹安排煤电油气运保障供应，确保老百姓温暖过冬。要保障农民工工资发放。要做好北京冬奥会、冬残奥会筹办工作，确保办成一届简约、安全、精彩的奥运盛会。

The meeting pointed out that under the strong leadership of the party central committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had, at all levels, faithfully carried out the responsibilities assigned to them by the party constitution and statute. closely centered around the “four consciousnesses”, strengthen the “four confidences”, achieve strengthened political supervision of the “two upholds”, promote solid progress in political inspection, unremittingly pursue the promotion and implementation of the spirit of the central eight-point regulations, correct and punish the chronic “four winds” diseases, promote the struggle for the building of “party work style and clean government” without a single pause, resolutely bring problems with corruption and work style under control that affect the masses, unfold supervision and law enforcement in line with the rules and regulations, solemnly change the general attitude towards discipline, deepen the use of the “four forms”, deepen reform of the disciplinary inspection and supervision, increase the degree of self-constraint and self-purification, continuously improve the integrated promotion of effectiveness of not daring to, not being able to and not wanting to commit corruption, and to provide strong guarantees for a good start for the 14th five-year plan.
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会议指出，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，中央纪委国家监委和各级纪检监察机关忠实履行党章和宪法赋予的职责，紧紧围绕增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”强化政治监督，扎实推进政治巡视，持之以恒推动落实中央八项规定精神，着力纠治“四风”顽瘴痼疾，一刻不停推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争，坚决整治群众身边腐败和作风问题，依规依纪依法开展监督执纪执法工作，严肃换届纪律风气，深化运用“四种形态”，深化纪检监察体制改革，加大自我约束、自我净化力度，不断提升不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐一体推进综合效能，为“十四五”开好局起好步提供了坚强保障。

The meeting pointed out that the courage to conduct self-revolution is a significant mark that makes our party different from other political parties. The sixth plenary session of the 19th central committee had comprehensively summarized the party’s one-hundred years of struggle, its successes and historic experience, so as to show the way to deepening and promoting the new-era party’s self-revolution, and to comprehensively and strictly govern the party. Discipline and supervision work must be guided by Xi Jinping socialism-with-Chinese-characteristics-in-the-new-era ideology, comprehensively implement the spirit of the party’s 19th national conference’s as well as its 19th central committee’s second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth plenary sessions, maintain the overall main key of making progress while ensuring stability, maintain seeking truth from facts, keep to the right path and innovate and, based on the new development phase, to completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new-development concept, construct a new development pattern, promote high-quality development, make conscious use of experience from the party’s century of historic struggle, always maintain the spriit of self-revolution, keep to the strategic guideline of strictly governing the party, unswervingly carry the clean-party-building and fighting-corruption to the end, continue to deepen the integrated promotion of not daring to, not being able to and not wanting to commit corruption, integrated exercise of power to achieve awe through punishment, institutional constraints and improved awareness, efforts for the achievement of more institutional results and greater administrational efficiency, strengthen the standardization of inspection and supervision organs, the construction of rule of law and standardization, and bring the supervision, guarantee, implemantation and promotion of development still better into play.

会议强调，勇于自我革命是我们党区别于其他政党的显著标志。党的十九届六中全会全面总结党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验，为深入推进新时代党的自我革命、全面从严治党指明了前进方向。纪检监察工作要以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，全面贯彻党的十九大和十九届二中、三中、四中、五中、六中全会精神，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，坚持实事求是、守正创新，立足新发展阶段，完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，构建新发展格局，推动高质量发展，自觉运用党的百年奋斗历史经验，永葆自我革命精神，坚持全面从严治党战略方针，坚定不移将党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争进行到底，持续深化不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐一体推进，惩治震慑、制度约束、提高觉悟一体发力，努力取得更多制度性成果和更大治理成效，加强纪检监察机关规范化、法治化、正规化建设，更好发挥监督保障执行、促进完善发展作用。

Before this, secretary general Xi Jinping chaired a meeting of the politburo’s standing committee, heard the central discipline inspection commission’s 2021 work report and 19th central discipline inspection commission’s sixth plenary session peparatory report.

此前，习近平总书记主持召开中央政治局常委会会议，听取中央纪委国家监委2021年工作情况和十九届中央纪律检查委员会第六次全体会议准备情况汇报。

The meeting agreed to next year’s 19th central discipline inspection commission’s sixth plenary meeting to take place from January 18 to January 20.

会议同意明年1月18日至20日召开十九届中央纪律检查委员会第六次全体会议。

The meeting pointed out that the central discipline inspection commission members at all party levels are the party’s internal organs with specific responsibilities, with the “work regulations for the CPC discipline inspection commission”, since the 18th national conference, deepening and summarizing the theoretical, practical and institutional results from comprehensively and strictly governing the party, promoting party work style and clean government & deepening discipline inspection institutional reform, having provided operational, duties and comprehensive standards for discipline inspection leadership systems at all levels.

会议指出，党的各级纪律检查委员会是党内监督的专责机关，《中国共产党纪律检查委员会工作条例》深入总结党的十八大以来全面从严治党、推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争、深化纪检监察体制改革的理论成果、实践成果、制度成果，对党的各级纪律检查委员会的领导体制、产生运行、任务职责等作出全面规范。在建党百年之际制定出台《条例》，彰显了我们党勇于进行自我革命的坚强决心。

The meeting emphasized the need to promote discipline inspection and supervision work to serve the party’s and state’s work better, to bring more effectiveness into play at organizational setups, to link discipline and law enforcement together into a new structure, to maintain systematic treatment of both causes and symptoms. There is a need for clear-cut limits of power, for strict internal control mechanisms by a rule-by-law line of thought and lawful methods strengthen supervision, for corruption prevention, to continuously build comprehensive organizational systems, operational guidelines and approval procedures, in accordance with supervisory work regulations. There is a need for the building of high-quality and specialized disciplinary inspection cadre units, a strengthening of achieving a political consciousness of the “two upholds”, for strengthening ideological training, political experience, practical training, professional training, continuous improve one’s self-immunity and ones’s sense of duty, fulfillment of duty, unity of sense and fulfillment of duty, and to be a model for respecting discipline and the law.

会议强调，要推动纪检监察工作更好服务党和国家工作大局，在组织体系上发挥新效能，在贯通执纪执法上形成新机制，坚持系统施治、标本兼治。要明确权力边界，严格内控机制，以法治思维和法治方式强化监督、防治腐败，不断健全符合纪检监察工作规律的组织制度、运作方式和审批程序。要建设高素质专业化纪检监察干部队伍，增强做到“两个维护”的政治自觉，加强思想淬炼、政治历练、实践锻炼、专业训练，不断提高自身免疫力，知责于心、担责于身、履责于行，自觉做遵纪守法的标杆。

Editor: Zhao Xi
Source: Xinhua News Agency

编辑 赵熹
来源：新华社

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Notes

1)	international and lunar new year / new year’s eve and spring festival
2)	formalism (xíngshì zhǔyì) bureaucracy (guānliáo zhǔyì), hedonism (xiǎnglè zhǔyì) and luxury (shēmí)

Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) Christmas Program Changes on Shortwave

According to Radio Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), Northern German Radio (NDR) schedules this year’s “Gruss an Bord” (Greeting all Ships) as follows:

Dec 24, from 18:00 to 21:00 UTC (3 hours only)
Europe	6080 kHz	Tashkent
Atlantic (N)	15770 kHz	Miami (WRMI)
Atlantic (S)	11650 kHz	Nauen, Germany
Indian O. (SW)	9820 kHz	Issoudun, France
Indian O. (E)	9610 kHz	Moosbrunn, Austria

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Windrose, Leer Reformed Church, East Frisia

So, there will be only three hours instead of the traditional four, and they’ll start one hour earlier than in the past, (18 instead of 19 h UTC), but there’s a small compensation: you won’t need to re-tune your radio receiver for the second half – all frequencies are booked for the entire three hours from 18 to 21 hours UTC (or Greenwich time).

The RBB author seems to be glad to see the Armenian Gavar transmitter replaced by Tashkent as he didn’t like the transmitters’ sonic effect. I actually liked the discreet background hum there, and enjoyed the extra seconds at the end, as NDR’s audio arrived there with some delay, apparently by internet connection or very slow satellite.

Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) appears to cut “Gruss an Bord” down to Three Hours

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U p d a t e !

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Christmas is approaching, and so is a German shortwave classic – “Gruß an Bord” (“Greeting all Ships”), produced by Northern German Radio (Norddeutscher Rundfunk, NDR) and transmitted on shortwave (to Europe, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean) as well as on VHF/FM in Hamburg and in its neighboring northern German states.

All ears

Unfortunately, there’s conflicting information about the duration of the program. According to info posted by NDR itself only yesterday (Friday), they cut the program from the usual four to only three hours (and only two hours on VHF/FM). As that is the more recent info, I’ll post it first.

1. NDR timetable

According to them (and they published their schedule only on Friday), the broadcast begins at 18 UTC and ends at 21 UTC – that would be a one-hour reduction, compared to previous years. (The VHF/FM broadcast has even been cut back to two hours only.)

This could be plausible, too, because there will be no recordings from the usual venues in Hamburg and Leer, and most greetings will be taken and read out by e-mail, to avoid gatherings during the fourth “corona wave”.
But to reduce the airtime would still be bad style, especially as they haven’t mentioned this explicitly, leaving it to their global audience to find out.

2. ADDX timetable

“ADDX-Kurier”, probably Germany’s biggest printed media magazine, published the following schedule (copy deadline around Nov 15 Dec 15).
The first half of the program is (or was, originally, who knows?)  scheduled to run from 19 to 21 hours UTC (aka Greenwich Mean Time), on the following frequencies:

target area	frequency	transmitter
Europe	6030 kHz	Gavar
Atlantic (N)	6080 kHz	Nauen
Indian Ocean (E)	9570 kHz	Moosbrunn
Indian Ocean	9740 kHz	Nauen
South Africa	9800 kHz	Issoudun
Atlantic (S)	11650 kHz	Issoudun

Frequencies would change around 21:00 UTC as follows:

target area	frequency	transmitter
Europe	6155 kHz	Gavar
Atlantic (N)	6145 kHz	Nauen
Indian Ocean (E)	9675 kHz	Moosbrunn
Indian Ocean	9740 kHz	Nauen
South Africa	9590 kHz	Issoudun
Atlantic (S)	9830 kHz	Issoudun

Gavar is a transmitter site in Armenia, Nauen is a transmitter site west of Berlin, Germany, Moosbrunn is an Austrian transmitter site (also known for daily broadcasts of Austria’s domestic “Ö1” ORF public radio), and Issoudun is a transmitter site in central France, known as a relay for Radio France Internationale (RFI) and Radio Japan (NHK).
Updates will follow here, if available.