Upgrades, common prosperity and “no ‘welfarism'” – Xi’s 2021 talk on financial and economic affairs

“Qiushi” published excerpts in October 2021, from a talk given by Xi Jinping about two months earlier, on August 17, 2021 at the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission‘s 10th meeting. Xi touched upon “welfarism” (福利主义), “involution” (内卷) and “lying flat” (躺平). His talk may not describe the current outcomes of the CPC’s recent economic policies well, but it  might say a few things about their intended effects.

“The party recognized that poverty isn’t socialism”, Xinwen Lianbo, 2021
I’ve only translated the first paragraphs of the article. Follow the main link underneath to read more there, or buy yourself a personality-cult-book at Xinhua’s webstore.

Main Link:

“Firmly promote common prosperity” (扎实推动共同富裕)

We are now forging ahead towards the second centenary goal of struggle. To find answers to the changing main contradictions in our society and to satisfiy the growing demand of the people to a good life, promotion of the entire people’s prosperity, as a focus of the people’s happiness, must be laid as a foundation of the party’s long-term government. High-quality development requires high-quality workers. Only by promotion of common prosperity, only by increasing incomes of the inhabitants of the cities and the countryside, upgrades to human resources, the essential overall productivity can be improved and a foundation of motive power for high-quality development be laid.
现在，我们正在向第二个百年奋斗目标迈进。适应我国社会主要矛盾的变化，更好满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，必须把促进全体人民共同富裕作为为人民谋幸福的着力点，不断夯实党长期执政基础。高质量发展需要高素质劳动者，只有促进共同富裕，提高城乡居民收入，提升人力资本，才能提高全要素生产率，夯实高质量发展的动力基础。当前，全球收入不平等问题突出，一些国家贫富分化，中产阶层塌陷，导致社会撕裂、政治极化、民粹主义泛滥，教训十分深刻！我国必须坚决防止两极分化，促进共同富裕，实现社会和谐安定。
At the same time, there needs to be an awareness that there are still prominent imbalances in our country’s development, that development and income allocation between cities and the countryside continue to show rather big differences. A new round of technolgical revolution and industrial revolution have invigorated economic development, but also with deep influence on gaps in employment and income allocation, including some negative influences that need to be reacted to and that need to be solved.
同时，必须清醒认识到，我国发展不平衡不充分问题仍然突出，城乡区域发展和收入分配差距较大。新一轮科技革命和产业变革有力推动了经济发展，也对就业和收入分配带来深刻影响，包括一些负面影响，需要有效应对和解决。
Common prosperity is an essential requirement of socialism and an important characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The common prosperity we are talking about is the entire people’s prosperity, a rich quality of the material and spiritual life of the masses, not the prosperity of a minority nor uniformly-arranged egalitarianism.
共同富裕是社会主义的本质要求，是中国式现代化的重要特征。我们说的共同富裕是全体人民共同富裕，是人民群众物质生活和精神生活都富裕，不是少数人的富裕，也不是整齐划一的平均主义。
We must study the different stages of our goals deeply, and divide the promotion of common prosperity into different stages: With the end of the “14th Five-Year Plan”, initial solid steps towards the entire people’s common prosperity will have been made, differences between people’s incomes and actual consumption levels will have been gradually reduced. By 2035, the entire people’s common prosperity will have achieved even more obvious substantial headway, and basic public services will have achieved levelled performances. By the middle of the century, the entire people’s common prosperity will have been basically achieved, and the differences between incomes and actual consumption levels be reduced to a reasonable size. It is urgently necessary to define the promotion of common prosperity’s operational outline and to issue scientific and feasible assessment criteria in correspondence with our national conditions.
要深入研究不同阶段的目标，分阶段促进共同富裕：到“十四五”末，全体人民共同富裕迈出坚实步伐，居民收入和实际消费水平差距逐步缩小。到2035年，全体人民共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展，基本公共服务实现均等化。到本世纪中叶，全体人民共同富裕基本实现，居民收入和实际消费水平差距缩小到合理区间。要抓紧制定促进共同富裕行动纲要，提出科学可行、符合国情的指标体系和考核评估办法。
To promote common prosperity, we must grasp the following principles well.
促进共同富裕，要把握好以下原则。
Encouragement of hard work and innovation to become rich. A happy life comes from struggle, and the building of common prosperity must rely on hard work and knowledge. We must persist in safeguarding and improving the people’s livelihood during development, put the promotion of high-quality development first. To improve people’s levels of education, we must increase universally fairer conditions for the development of abilities, raise the entire society’s human capital and professional skills, raise abilities to work and and to create, and the ability to become rich. We must avoid the solidification of social stratification, open channels for upward mobility, create opportunities for more people to become rich, shape an environment of participation to avoid “involution” and “lying flat”.
——鼓励勤劳创新致富。幸福生活都是奋斗出来的，共同富裕要靠勤劳智慧来创造。要坚持在发展中保障和改善民生，把推动高质量发展放在首位，为人民提高受教育程度、增强发展能力创造更加普惠公平的条件，提升全社会人力资本和专业技能，提高就业创业能力，增强致富本领。要防止社会阶层固化，畅通向上流动通道，给更多人创造致富机会，形成人人参与的发展环境，避免“内卷”、“躺平”。
We must maintain the fundamental economic system.^*) We must base ourselves on the early stage of socialism and maintain the “two unvaverings”. We must insist on joint development of public ownership as the main part and diverse-ownership economy, resolutely bring the public-ownership economy into play as the important factor to promote common prosperity, develop a healthy non-public-ownership economy at the same time, and the healthy growth of people of the non-public-ownership economy. We must allow some of the people to become rich first and at the same time emphasize that early prosperity carries following prosperity with it and helps following prosperity. The emphasis must be on the encouragement of people leading [on the road of becoming rich] who work hard, respect the law and dare to found entrerprises. dishonest means of becoming rich must not be advocated, and offenses against the law and regulations must be dealt with in accordance with the law.
——坚持基本经济制度。要立足社会主义初级阶段，坚持“两个毫不动摇”。要坚持公有制为主体、多种所有制经济共同发展，大力发挥公有制经济在促进共同富裕中的重要作用，同时要促进非公有制经济健康发展、非公有制经济人士健康成长。要允许一部分人先富起来，同时要强调先富带后富、帮后富，重点鼓励辛勤劳动、合法经营、敢于创业的致富带头人。靠偏门致富不能提倡，违法违规的要依法处理。
Act to the best of your abilities. We must establish a scientific public policy system, divide the cade well, with a pattern by which everyone can hae his appropriate share. It will take greater efforts and more solid measures to give the masses a sense of achievement. At the same time, we must see that there is still a great gap between our country’s level of development and developed countries. Needs and potentialities must match with each other, guarantees and improvements of people’s livelihood must be built on sustainable economic and financial foundations. Don’t be overambitious, rein in your appetite, and don’t make promises that you can’t redeem. The government can’t take charge of everything. the emphasis has to be on strengthening the basic, generally beneficial and observant protection of the people’s livelihood. Even when the future level of development is higher and financial strength more solid, goals mustn’t be set too high, no exaggerated guarantees be given, and falling into the “welfarism” trap and raising idle people must be resolutely avoided.
——尽力而为量力而行。要建立科学的公共政策体系，把蛋糕分好，形成人人享有的合理分配格局。要以更大的力度、更实的举措让人民群众有更多获得感。同时，也要看到，我国发展水平离发达国家还有很大差距。要统筹需要和可能，把保障和改善民生建立在经济发展和财力可持续的基础之上，不要好高骛远，吊高胃口，作兑现不了的承诺。政府不能什么都包，重点是加强基础性、普惠性、兜底性民生保障建设。即使将来发展水平更高、财力更雄厚了，也不能提过高的目标，搞过头的保障，坚决防止落入“福利主义”养懒汉的陷阱。

[…]

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Note

*)	Referring to China’s fundamental economic system as seen by the CPC, i. e. its rules for ownership of means of production

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Related

Preaching water, living in France, Jan 14, 2015
“What else is there to say”, “Global Voices”, Febr 17, 2009
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Ukraine, Russia and China’s 60,000 Tons of Grain

The following is probably no verified observation. The quantity of grain that had been scheduled for shipment to China was also stated by Ukrainian President Zelensky in July. Source:

China has also taken part in the Jeddah peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine. According to Yehor Czerniev, head of the permanent delegation to the NATO parliamentary assembly, Beijing is changing its position regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, due to the non-constructive position of Russian president Putin. Cherniev added that as a result of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine port infrastructure, sixty-thousand tons of grain that had to be shipped to to China were destroyed. “We see that China is also looking for ways to settle and end this war. We see that China’s position is gradually changing from conditionally neutral to more pro-Ukrainian [unreadable] and in fact, China agrees with the peace formula of president Zelensky, and with the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

Radio Ukraine, “Security Issue”, Aug 10, 2023

FMPRC: overstretching concept of security and politicizaton are “counterproductive”

The following is a Q and A between a German newsmagazine correspondent (“Der Spiegel”) and China’s foreign-ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌), who reveals a sense of humor – warning against “overstretching the concept of security and politicize normal cooperation”, something China itself has practiced for decades.

Re competiton: “Global Gateway” as an alternative to “Belt-and-Road”

Q:	Yesterday, the German government revealed its long-anticipated China strategy. How does China view this document and what effect would it have on bilateral relations?	昨天，德国政府出台酝酿已久的“中国战略”。中方如何看待这份文件？它将对中德关系产生什么影响？
A:	China noted the document released by Germany. We believe that it is counterproductive to compete and practice protectionism in the name of “de-risking” and “reducing dependence”, and to overstretch the concept of security and politicize normal cooperation. Such moves will only generate risks. Drawing a line according to values and ideologies and advocating so-called competition of systems, interests and values goes against the trend of the time and will only exacerbate the division of the world.	中方注意到德方发布的有关文件。我们认为，以“去风险”“降依赖”之名行竞争和保护主义之实，将正常的合作泛安全化、泛政治化，只会适得其反，人为制造风险。以价值观和意识形态划线鼓噪所谓“制度、利益、价值观竞争”，更是逆时代潮流而动，只会加剧世界分裂。
	In fact, between China and Germany, there are far more common understandings than differences, and our cooperation far outweighs competition. The two countries are partners, not rivals. Under the complex and volatile international situation, we hope Germany will view China’s development in an all-round and objective way, adopt a rational and practical China policy, and work with China to respond to global challenges and contribute more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development.	事实上，中德共识远多于分歧，合作远大于竞争，双方是伙伴而不是对手。在当前复杂动荡的国际形势下，希望德方全面、客观看待中国发展，制定理性、务实的对华政策，同中方携手应对全球性挑战，为世界和平与发展贡献更多稳定性和正能量。

Xi-Zelensky Phonecall: “China didn’t create the Ukraine Crisis”

The following is my translation of a CCTV / CPBS account of the telephone conversation between Chinese party and state leader Xi Jinping and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday. Links within blockquotes added during translation.

CCTV Xinwen Lianbo, April 26, 2023

The phone conversation ranked second in Central People’s Broadcasting Station’s “News and Press Review” (新闻和报纸摘要) on Thursday morning, and also second in CCTV’s evening news (新闻联播) on Wednesday evening. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the news itself was of greate importance in China, but Xi-related news always comes at the top of China’s news broadcasts.

Main Link: Xi Jinping has phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky (习近平同乌克兰总统泽连斯基通电话)

Xi Jinping has phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky
April 26, 2023, 19:35:09
Source: CCTV newsreader
习近平同乌克兰总统泽连斯基通电话
2023-04-26 19:35:09
来源：央视新闻客户端

On the afternoon of April 26, State Chairman Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky on the latter’s invitation. The two sides exchanged views about Chinese-Ukrainian relations and the Ukraine crisis.
4月26日下午，国家主席习近平应约同乌克兰总统泽连斯基通电话。双方就中乌关系和乌克兰危机交换了意见。

Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese-Ukrainian relations have passed the milestone of 31 years and reached the level of strategic partnership, which had been helpful in the development and revitalization of both countries. I appreciate President Zelensky’s repeated statements that he attaches importance to Chinese-Ukrainian relations and to cooperation with China, and I thank Ukraine for its great support in the evacuation of Chinese citizens last year. Mutual support for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation for Chinese-Ukrainian relations. The two sides should have their focus on the future, be persistent in regarding and mapping¹ the two countries’ relations from a long-term perspective, with lasting mutual respect, in the tradition of treating each other sincerely, and promote the further development of the Chinese-Ukrainian strategic partnership. China’s wish to develop Chinese-Ukrainian relations is consistent and clear. No matter what changes there may be in the unstable international situation, China wants to carry the mutually beneficial cooperation with Ukraine forward.
习近平指出，中乌关系走过31年发展历程，达到战略伙伴关系水平，为两国各自发展振兴提供了助力。我赞赏泽连斯基总统多次表示重视发展中乌关系和对华合作，感谢乌方去年为中国公民撤离提供大力协助。相互尊重主权和领土完整是中乌关系的政治基础。双方要着眼未来，坚持从长远角度看待和谋划两国关系，延续双方相互尊重、真诚相待的传统，推动中乌战略伙伴关系向前发展。中方发展中乌关系的意愿是一贯的、明确的。无论国际风云如何变幻，中方愿同乌方一道，把两国互利合作向前推进。

Xi Jinping pointed out that the complex development of the Ukraine crisis had a major impact on the international situation. Concerning the problem of the Ukraine crisis, China had always stood on the side of peace, with the core position being to urge peace and to promote talks. I put forward a series of “four shoulds”², “four common denominators”³, and “three reflections”⁴. Also on this basis, China issued the document “China’s Position concerning the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis”. China didn’t create the Ukraine crisis, and isn’t a party involved in it. Being a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major power, we will neither [passively] watch the fires burning across the river, nor will we add fuel to it – let alone exploit the situation. China’s conduct and deeds are honorable and aboveboard. Dialogue and talks are the only feasible way out. There are no winners in a nuclear war. In dealing with the nuclear issue, all parties involved should maintain cool heads and restraint, focus on the real prospects and destiny of themselves and mankind, and manage the crisis well together. As the thoughts and voices of reason are gaining ground among all parties, we should seize the opportunity to gather conditions that are favorable for a political solution to the crisis. We hope that all parties will reflect deeply on the Ukraine crisis, and jointly seek a path to lasting peace in Europe. China will persist in encouraging peace and promoting talks, to resume individual efforts for peace to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible. The Chinese government will send its special Euro-Asian affairs representative to Ukraine and other countries to communicate thoroughly with all parties for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis. China has sent several humanitarian consignments to Ukraine before and is willing to provide all help that is in its power.
习近平指出，乌克兰危机复杂演变，对国际形势产生重大影响。在乌克兰危机问题上，中方始终站在和平一边，核心立场就是劝和促谈。我相继提出了“四个应该”、“四个共同”和“三点思考”。中方还在此基础上发布了《关于政治解决乌克兰危机的中国立场》文件。中国不是乌克兰危机的制造者，也不是当事方。作为联合国安理会常任理事国和负责任大国，我们既不会隔岸观火，也不会拱火浇油，更不干趁机牟利的事。中方所作所为光明正大。对话谈判是唯一可行的出路。核战争没有赢家。对待核问题，有关各方都应该保持冷静克制，真正从自身和全人类的前途命运着眼，共同管控好危机。现在各方理性的思考和声音在增加，应该抓住契机，为危机的政治解决积累有利条件。希望各方从乌克兰危机中深刻反思，通过对话，共同寻求欧洲长治久安之道。中方将坚持劝和促谈，为尽快止战停火、恢复和平作出自己的努力。中方将派中国政府欧亚事务特别代表赴乌克兰等国访问，就政治解决乌克兰危机同各方进行深入沟通。中方已向乌方提供了多批人道主义援助，愿继续提供力所能及的帮助。

Zelensky congratulated Chairman Xi on his re-election, praised China’s extraordinary accomplishments, expressed his belief that under the leadership of Chairman Xi Jinping, China would successfully answer to all challenges, and develop further. China upheld the United Nation’s guidance and principles in international affairs and was hugely influential in the international arena. Ukraine scrupulously abided by the one-China policy, hoped to unfold comprehensive cooperation with China, to open a new chapter in Ukrainian-Chinese relations, and jointly make efforts for the protection of global peace and stability. Zelensky presented his views on the Ukraine crisis, thanked China for the humanitarian aid it had provided, and welcomed its important impact in restoring peace and crisis-solving by diplomatic means.
泽连斯基祝贺习近平主席再次当选，赞赏中国取得的非凡成就，相信在习近平主席领导下，中国将成功应对各种挑战，持续向前发展。中方在国际事务中秉持联合国宪章宗旨和原则，在国际舞台上发挥着巨大影响力。乌方恪守一个中国政策，希望同中方开展全面合作，开启乌中关系的新篇章，共同致力于维护世界和平与稳定。泽连斯基介绍了对当前乌克兰危机的看法，感谢中方为乌克兰提供的人道主义援助，欢迎中方为恢复和平、通过外交手段解决危机发挥重要作用。

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Notes

1)	“Scheming”, actually, but that’s probably not the intended meaning.
2)	This refers to a “video conference” between Macron (France), Scholz (Germany) and Xi (China) on March 8, 2022. In a referral to that conference more than a month later, the China Institute of International Studies wrote that Xi Jinping pointed out in a video summit with the French and German leaders that all countries’ sovereignty, that territorial integrity should be respected, that the United Nations Charter’s guidance and principles should be complied with, that the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and that all efforts that were beneficial for a peaceful solution of the crisis should get support.
3)	According to “Qiushi”: Four common denominators (四个共同), i. e. (1) jointly maintaining global peace and stability, (2) jointly advance global sustainable development, (3) jointly achieve mutually beneficial cooperation, and (4) jointly expand openness and harmonization.
4)	No idea what they are about.

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Related

“Now there is an Opportunity”, Zelensky video address, April 26, 2023
“We did not start this war”, President Zelensky, April 26
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Xi Jinping: “Immeasurable Splendor, many Tribulations”

The following is an excerpt from Xi Jinping’s acceptance speech on March 13 after his “re-election” as State Chairman of the PRC.

It starts with some pseudo-history: Xi doesn’t explicitly place “semi-colonialism” and “semi-feudalism” into the same number of years or centuries, but whoever would like to take away the impression that everything that went wrong in China was the fault of foreign imperialists is free to do so.

^{Oh-so honored}

This has become part of building narratives in Chinese propaganda; Xi took a similar approach when “retelling” the history of the Korean War. in 2020. The guise of innocence in international relations isn’t as much about openly lying, but to leave any aspects out of the stories that might be inconvenient.

Main Link:

Speech at the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress (在第十四届全国人民代表大会第一次会议上的讲话)

Delegates!
各位代表：

This assembly has elected me Chairman of the PRC for another term. I would like to express my sincere thanks for the trust all delegates and all the country’s nationalities have placed in me!
这次大会选举我继续担任中华人民共和国主席，我对各位代表和全国各族人民的信任，表示衷心感谢！
This is my third term at the sublime position as State Chairman. The people’s trust is my main motivation for further progress, and also a heavy responsibility to sholder. I will faithfully fulfill my duties as assigned by the constitution, with the needs of the state as my mission, the people’s interests as the criteria, I will work with devotion, wholeheartedly and respectfully, and never betray the great trust of the delegates and all the country’s nationalities!
这是我第三次担任国家主席这一崇高职务。人民的信任，是我前进的最大动力，也是我肩上沉甸甸的责任。我将忠实履行宪法赋予的职责，以国家需要为使命，以人民利益为准绳，恪尽职守，竭诚奉献，绝不辜负各位代表和全国各族人民的重托！

Delegates!
各位代表！

In it’s 5,000 years of civilizational history, the Chinese nation has created immeasurable splendor, and also been through many tribulations. During modernity¹⁾, China, step by step, became a semicolonial and semifeudal society, suffering from the great powers’ bullying and humiliation, being partitioned, undergoing the chaos of war, and the bitterness of the people being in terrible situations. The Communist Party of China has, after its foundation, tightly united and led all nationalities and people of the country, gone through a century of struggle, wiped out the national humiliation, the Chinese people has become master of its own destiny, the Chinese people have welcomed the huge leap²⁾ from standing up to getting rich, from getting rich to becoming strong. The Chinese nation has taken an irreversible historical turn.
具有五千多年文明史的中华民族，在历史上创造了无数辉煌，也经历过许多磨难。近代以后，中国逐步成为半殖民地半封建社会，饱受列强欺凌、四分五裂、战乱频繁、生灵涂炭之苦。中国共产党成立之后，紧紧团结带领全国各族人民，经过百年奋斗，洗雪民族耻辱，中国人民成为自己命运的主人，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程。

From now on to this mid-century, comprehensively building a strong, modern socialist country and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the entire party’s, the entire country’s and the entire people’s central duty. The relay baton of building a strong country and of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people has been assigned to us by history. In accordance with the party’s 20th National Congress’s srategic arrangements, we will coordinate and promote the general concept of the “Integration of the Five Dimensions”, coordinate the concept of the “Four Comprehensives”, accelerate the construction of Chinese-style modernization, unite and struggle, pioneer and innovate, and make contributions on the new journey that live up to the era, to history, to the people’s achievements, so as to promote the construction of a strong country and to the national rejuvenation!
从现在起到本世纪中叶，全面建成社会主义现代化强国、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴，是全党全国人民的中心任务。强国建设、民族复兴的接力棒，历史地落在我们这一代人身上。我们要按照党的二十大的战略部署，坚持统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局、协调推进“四个全面”战略布局，加快推进中国式现代化建设，团结奋斗，开拓创新，在新征程上作出无负时代、无负历史、无负人民的业绩，为推进强国建设、民族复兴作出我们这一代人的应有贡献！

[…]

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Notes

1)	Seems this could be translated as after modernity, but that wouldn’t make sense to me because 近代 – among Chinese, and not among Americans or Taiwanese – usually refers to the times from around 1912 and 1949. Among the latter, it would be from the late Ming dynasty to 1912.
2)	not to be confused with the “great leap forward” (see “Gasps of Admiration”, Xi’s “Resisting U.S., aiding Korea” commemorative speech, 2020)

Xi Jinping’s Lecture: “More efficient and Fairer than Capitalism”

The following are translated excerpts from a speech given by Xi Jinping on Tuesday, at the opening ceremony of a “study class” or seminar of leading CPC and other “democratic parties‘” cadres.

^{Banner: “Seminar for the implementation of Xi Jinping’s ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the spirit of the party’s 20th national congress”}

Main Link: Xinwen Lianbo, Febr 7, 2023

Links and footnotes within blockquotes added during translation.

Newly-joined members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and alternate members as well as provincial-level leading cadres studied the implementation of Xi Jinping’s ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the spirit of the party’s 20th national congress.¹⁾ The seminar took place at the Central Party School (aka Chinese Academy of Governance) in the morning of February 7th. CPC Central Committee secretary general, State Chairman and Central Military Commissions’ chairman Xi Jinping gave an important speech there and emphasized that summarizing and deepening the theory of Chinese-style modernization is a major innovation from the 20th national congress of the CPC and the latest fruit of scientific socialism. Chinese-style modernization is a great fruit of a long and difficult search and practice conducted by the people of all nationalities, under the leadership of our party, achieved under great deprivation and at a huge price. We must add to it and cherish it, adhere to it forever and continuously expand and deepen it.

新进中央委员会的委员、候补委员和省部级主要领导干部学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想和党的二十大精神研讨班7日上午在中央党校（国家行政学院）开班。中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平在开班式上发表重要讲话强调，概括提出并深入阐述中国式现代化理论，是党的二十大的一个重大理论创新，是科学社会主义的最新重大成果。中国式现代化是我们党领导全国各族人民在长期探索和实践中历经千辛万苦、付出巨大代价取得的重大成果，我们必须倍加珍惜、始终坚持、不断拓展和深化。

Member of the politburo’s standing committee Li Qiang presided over the class opening ceremony, politburo standing committee members Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi were present.

中共中央政治局常委李强主持开班式，中共中央政治局常委赵乐际、王沪宁、蔡奇、丁薛祥、李希出席。

Xi Jinping pointed out that achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been the common dream of the Chinese people ever since modernity²⁾, and countless people with lofty ideas had struggled for it and tried all kinds of ways, but failed in the end. Historically, the heavy responsibility of China’s modernization fell to the Communist Party of China.
习近平指出，实现中华民族伟大复兴是近代以来中国人民的共同梦想，无数仁人志士为此苦苦求索、进行各种尝试，但都以失败告终。探索中国现代化道路的重任，历史地落在了中国共产党身上。

Xi’s speech continues with a generous appropriation of the northern expedition, the agrarian revolution war, the Sino-Japanese war, and the civil war from 1945 to 1949 – those are all the CPC’s feats, in its own books. The CPC had overthrown the “three big mountains” (三座大山) – imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism³⁾, made the People’s Republic of China “with the people in charge of its own affairs” or “master of their own house” (建立了人民当家作主的中华人民共和国),  achieved national independence (民族独立), people’s liberation (人民解放) so as to create the right conditions for modernization (为实现现代化创造了根本社会条件).

Xi Jinping emphasized that ever since the 18th national congress of the CPC, our party has continued its advance on foundations already laid by itself, continuously bringing about theoretical and practical innovative breakthroughs, successfully promoting and broadening Chinese-style modernization. We have deepened our knowledge, created the ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, brought about the epochally soaring sinicization of Marxism, and new standards to follow in Chinese-style modernization.
习近平强调，党的十八大以来，我们党在已有基础上继续前进，不断实现理论和实践上的创新突破，成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化。我们在认识上不断深化，创立了新时代中国特色社会主义思想，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃，为中国式现代化提供了根本遵循。

[…]

We have continuously perfected our strategies, such as the strategy of relying on science to rejuvenate the nation, the strategy of developing a quality workforce in the new era, and the rural vitalization strategy, thus providing support for Chinese-style modernization.
我们在战略上不断完善，深入实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略、乡村振兴战略等一系列重大战略，为中国式现代化提供坚实战略支撑。

[…]

Xi Jiinping pointed out that the party’s leadership was directly related to the fundamental direction of Chinese-style modernization, it’s future fate, and the final decision between success and failure. The leadership by the party decides the fundamental quality of Chinese-style modernization. Only if adhering to the party’s leadership without the slightest wavering, Chinese-style modernization will see a shining future and an economic renaissance. Otherwise, it will get off course, lose its soul and even commit subversive mistakes.
习近平指出，党的领导直接关系中国式现代化的根本方向、前途命运、最终成败。党的领导决定中国式现代化的根本性质，只有毫不动摇坚持党的领导，中国式现代化才能前景光明、繁荣兴盛；否则就会偏离航向、丧失灵魂，甚至犯颠覆性错误。

In this context, Xi also mentions five aspects that – in the leadership’s view – characterize a uniquely Chinese path towards modernization. “China Daily” provided an overview of them in English about a year ago, in an article published in March 2022.

Xi’s core message was “brimming with assertiveness”, German correspondent Fabian Kretschmer noted in an article for Germany’s green-leaning “taz” on Wednesday, one day after Xi’s classroom lecture. Also, Xi had described China’s development path as a role model for the Global South. Beijing had been trying for years to export its autocratic model of government.

Indeed,

Practice confirms that Chinese-style modernization is feasible, works in a stable fashion, and is the only correct path for national rejuvenation.

实践证明，中国式现代化走得通、行得稳，是强国建设、民族复兴的唯一正确道路。

[…]

Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese-style modernization was deeply rooted in China’s excellent traditional culture, embodied the advanced quality of scientific socialism, drew on all of mankind’s excellent civilizational fruits, represented a civilizational development direction for mankind, unfolded a mental picture different from Western modernization, was a completely new type of human civilization. Chinese-style modernization had broken the myth that “modernization = westernization, unfolded another mental picture of modernization, broadened the choices of developing countries towards modernization, and provided a Chinese plan for searching a better human society system.
习近平指出，中国式现代化，深深植根于中华优秀传统文化，体现科学社会主义的先进本质，借鉴吸收一切人类优秀文明成果，代表人类文明进步的发展方向，展现了不同于西方现代化模式的新图景，是一种全新的人类文明形态。中国式现代化，打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，展现了现代化的另一幅图景，拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的路径选择，为人类对更好社会制度的探索提供了中国方案。中国式现代化蕴含的独特世界观、价值观、历史观、文明观、民主观、生态观等及其伟大实践，是对世界现代化理论和实践的重大创新。中国式现代化为广大发展中国家独立自主迈向现代化树立了典范，为其提供了全新选择。

If you forecast cadres’ working plans based on this rendition of Xi’s speech, the central-committee members and candidates as well as the “provincial-level cadres” are going to face difficult tasks:

Both [of these goals] are important: to create greater efficiency than in capitalism, and more efficient protection of social fairness, a better balance between efficiency and fairness at the same time – both of them promoting each other, and both of them integrating with each other.
既要创造比资本主义更高的效率，又要更有效地维护社会公平，更好实现效率与公平相兼顾、相促进、相统一。

In addition to that, Xi demands “continuously broadening high-level opening up” (不断扩大高水平对外开放), and “thorough participation in global division of labor and cooperation” (深度参与全球产业分工和合作) so as to create more room for “Chinese-style modernization”.  How far this spells cooperation with, say, America, the Netherlands or Taiwan, or rather with the “Global South”, remains to be seen. The speech is careful enough not to mention potential cooperation partners explicitly, as not all of them may be happily available for the “great rejuvenation”.

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Notes

1)	Only the last lines of the article mentions another group of participants: dangwais (党外 or 党外人士). In this case, i. e. the Tuesday morning study class, this referred to “comrades from the democratic parties’ central committees, the all-China industrial and trade association, and others” (各民主党派中央、全国工商联及有关方面负责同志列席开班式).
2)	“Modernity” may not be the best choice to translate 近代 – jìndài may refer to modern times, recent history, or the years since the establishment of the PRC in 1949.
3)	官僚资本主义, translated “crony capitalism” by Baike-Baidu: “bureaucrat-capitalism, also described as crony capitalism (裙带资本主义), clique capitalism (朋党资本主义), bigwigs capitalism (权贵资本主义), close-friends capitalism (密友资本主义) or relationship capitalism (关系资本主义), describes an economy where success in business depends on close relationships between entrepreneurs, business people, and government officials. […]”

Related

“Personal experience”, Jan 5, 2013

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Wuxiwooshee: Trying to transcribe Major-General Jin Yinan

–

That’s Major-General Jin Yinan (金一南), a Chinese Major-General, Professor, author and CPBS radio columnist with peculiar opinions about the Netherlands and Norway (click picture underneath for more info):

Also, I find him difficult to understand.

Here goes:

Question: 欢迎收听一南军事论坛。我是[Zhou Yuting]。 北约军事委员会主席罗伯·鲍尔^*)一月二十八日在接受媒体采访时公开表态说，北约准备与俄罗斯直接对抗。他的这个表态迅速引发国际社会的广泛关注。对此，俄罗斯国家杜马回应称，这种言论正在将整个世界投入和战争。那么北约真的要直接与俄罗斯开战吗？ 和战争的威胁是否离人类越来越近。这些就是今天一南军事论坛要关注的话题。首先欢迎金一南教授。金一南教授，您好！

Jin Yinan: 你好！

Question: 我们都知道自从俄乌开战以来，以美国为首的西方国家在对俄罗斯实施多轮建立制裁的同时，还…不断的向乌克兰提供各种军事援助。那么，北约军事委员会主席罗伯·鲍尔的自谈表态是否意味着北约已经做好准备将直接与俄罗斯开战？

Jin Yinan: 他这种讲话就北约准备与俄罗斯直接对抗－－这种话的份量非常重。不是间接对抗。与俄罗斯直接对抗。几乎就说就让往这个欧洲大战faran中。这是一个非常严重的采取啊。我觉得一辈子两次世界大战see-sai和现在有长效和平的欧洲人应该对鲍尔的话感到非常震惊。 原来北约的整个态度－－谴责俄罗斯，制裁俄罗斯，提供优先的军备－－这个优先军备是什么呢？就wuxiwoosheewooshee现在慢慢转进wuxiwoosheewooshee。现在向乌克兰提供美国的Abrahams坦克，德国的”豹”式坦克等等适于最先进的一种坦克…，那就完全不是wuxiwoosheewooshee了，是wuxiwoosheewooshee。
[…..]

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Notes

Clues:	防御性的武器 — 进攻性的武器
*)	Robert Bauer
—	Want to try yourselves? Give it a go there (starts at 19′ 45”)

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Xi Jinping’s Rabbit of the Year

The following are translated excerpts of China’s main evening TV news, Xinwen Lianbo, on January 20th, 2023.
Links within blockquotes added during translation.
–

CCTV News (Xinwen Lianbo): The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council held a Spring Festival meeting in the Great Hall of the People in the morning of December 20th. Communist Party of China Secretary General, State Chairman and Central Military Commissions Chairman Xi Jinping gave a speech on behalf of the Central Committee and the State Council, wishing a happy new year to the entire nation’s and the entire people’s nationalities, to the compatriots in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, to the compatriots in Macau Special Administrative Region, and to the Taiwanese and overseas Chinese compatriots.
央视网消息（新闻联播）：中共中央、国务院20日上午在人民大会堂举行2023年春节团拜会。中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平发表讲话，代表党中央和国务院，向全国各族人民，向香港特别行政区同胞、澳门特别行政区同胞、台湾同胞和海外侨胞拜年。

^{Absolutely rabbit: Kang Hui announces the happy gathering}

Xi Jinping emphasized that the outgoing year of the tiger’s thirty-ninth year I3 of the 60 year cycle [i. e. 2022] had been a year of utmost importance in the history of the party and the country. Facing an unusually stormy international environment and formidable duties of reform, development and stability at home, the entire party, the entire army and the entire country with all its nationalities rose to the challenges, fought unitedly, and based on the enthusiasm of the soaring tiger and the leaping dragon, dared to enter the tiger’s cave, and wrote, with fortitude and tenacity, a new chapter of socialist modernization.
习近平强调，即将过去的壬寅虎年，是党和国家发展史上极为重要的一年。面对风高浪急的国际环境和艰巨繁重的国内改革发展稳定任务，全党全军全国各族人民迎难而上、团结奋斗，凭着龙腾虎跃的干劲、敢入虎穴的闯劲、坚忍不拔的韧劲，书写了社会主义现代化建设的新篇章。

Li Keqiang presided over the meeting, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Wang Qishan attended the meeting.

李克强主持团拜会，栗战书、汪洋、李强、赵乐际、王沪宁、韩正、蔡奇、丁薛祥、李希、王岐山等出席。

[…]

Xi Jinping pointed out that in traditional Chinese culture, the Rabbit is referred to as the auspicious Jade Rabbit, standing for resourcefulness and nimbleness, honesty and kindness, serenity and beauty. The auspicious rabbit represents symbolizes the increasingly auspicious peace, abundant vitality and youthful energy of the Chinese lands. In the lunar year of the Rabbit, we hope that the entire people, and especially many young people, will leap ahead in the way of the Rabbit and exert themselves in all areas of life in a graceful manner.

习近平指出，在中华传统文化中，兔被称为瑞兔、玉兔，代表着机智敏捷、纯洁善良、平静美好。吉兔呈祥，象征中华大地愈发安宁祥和、生意盎然、朝气蓬勃。在农历兔年，希望全国人民特别是广大青年像动如脱兔般奋跃而上、飞速奔跑，在各行各业竞展风流、尽显风采。

Leading and old comrades from the Central Committee, the National People’s Congress’s Standing Committee, the State Council, theNational Supervision Commission,  the Supreme People’s Court, the People’s Republic of China Supreme People’s Procurate, and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attended the gathering.

中共中央、全国人大常委会、国务院、国家监委、最高人民法院、最高人民检察院、全国政协、中央军委领导同志和老同志出席团拜会。

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Related

“Open the Skies for the Young”, May 5, 2013

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