Xi’s Business Speech: The West has spat into your Porridge

China’s party, military and state leader Xi Jinping spoke to the CPPCC delegates of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce on Monday afternoon local time in Beijing.

One of the takeaways from his speech, probably not surprisingly, was  that he emphasized party leadership over business¹⁾. (Ask Jack Ma if he was surprised.)

^{习近平在看望参加政协会议的民建工商联界委员时强调 正确引导民营经济健康发展高质量发展，新闻联播，2023-03-06}

Maybe somewhat more strikingly, Xi went beyond the usual descriptions of a “difficult” etc. environment for China, and blamed  “containment carried out by Western countries under U.S. leadership” for at least some of the undeniable difficulties China is facing. He combined that with an emphasis on achievements of the past five years, using the phrase of “不易” again – i. e. achievements that hadn’t been easy to come by²⁾

What he did not mention was that no country in the world is obliged to throw first-class technology at China, and that it had been China that tested economic-coercion tools against countries like Australia and Lithuania.

The following is a short translated excerpt from Xi’s speech on Monday.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the five years that followed the party’s 19th National Congress have been extremely unusual and outstanding years. Our country’s external environment has suddenly changed. Uncertain factors that are hard to predict have significantly grown, and especially the Western countries under American leadership have carried out comprehensive containment, blockade and suppression, bringing unprecedented, serious challenges to our country. At the same time, we are facing a multitude of difficulties inside our country, such as repeated corona epidemics and growing downward pressure on the economy. We will adhere to the overall main key of seeking progress within stability, we will rise to the challenges, calmly respond, not believe in evil, we will not fear, won’t seek refuge, average GDP will grow by 5.2 percent, we won the fight against poverty as planned, built a society of moderate prosperity, reached the first two-centenary goal, promoted the party’s and nation’s achievements that have found global attention, and promoted our country’s steps into the construction of a new milestone of comprehensive socialist modernization. The successes of the past five years are the fruit of the entire party and the entire people unitedly struggling, showing the essence of the CPPCC representatives’ contributions.
习近平指出，党的十九大以来的5年，是极不寻常、极不平凡的5年。我国发展的外部环境急剧变化，不确定难预料因素显著增多，尤其是以美国为首的西方国家对我实施了全方位的遏制、围堵、打压，给我国发展带来前所未有的严峻挑战。同时国内也面临新冠疫情反复、经济下行压力增大等多重困难。我们坚持稳中求进工作总基调，迎难而上，沉着应对，不信邪、不怕压、不避难，国内生产总值年均增长5.2%，如期打赢脱贫攻坚战，全面建成小康社会，实现第一个百年奋斗目标，推动党和国家事业取得举世瞩目的重大成就，推动我国迈上全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程。5年来的成就，是全党全国人民团结奋斗的结果，也凝聚着广大政协委员的贡献。

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Notes

1)	「要引导民营企业和民营企业家正确理解党中央方针政策，增强信心、轻装上阵、大胆发展，实现民营经济健康发展、高质量发展。」
2)	「我们动态优化调整防控政策措施，较短时间实现了疫情防控平稳转段，新冠病亡率保持在全球最低水平，取得疫情防控重大决定性胜利。我们完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，着力构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展，在全球通胀达到40多年来新高的情况下，我国物价总水平保持平稳，全年经济增长3%，在世界主要经济体中是很高的。这些成绩的取得，实属不易。」 Previously: 来之不易 (not easy to come by).

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Related

China’s “multilateralism” only for big powers, CNN / Landsbergis, March 7, 2023
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Press Review, Thursday, June 9, 2022

–

1. Guanchazhe headline at 08:50 GMT / 16:50 Beijing standard time /

He Qinghua, first-level inspector at the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control of the National Health Commission, on Thursday morning’s press conference at the health commission’s press conference center, Xizhimen office quarters

Q (“China Daily”):
We have seen that after cluster outbreaks in sections of the city, requirements to nucleic acid test certificates concerning time spans, entering and leaving places have differed from each other. I would like to ask under what specific circumstances is there a need for a test certificate from within 24, 48 or 72 hours? On what basis are the certificate duration limits determined? Will certificate controls on entry and departure from different locations become the normality in the future? Thanks.
中国日报记者：我们看到部分城市发生聚集性疫情后，不同的时间段、出入不同的场所，对于核酸阴性证明的要求都不一样。请问，具体在哪些情形下要提供24小时、48小时和72小时内的核酸阴性证明？确定这些核酸证明有效时长的依据是什么？今后出入不同场所查验核酸证明是否会成为常态？谢谢。
A (He Qinghua):
Thank you for your question. After a disease-cluster outbreak, there is a need to determine and formulate the nucleic acid test strategy in accordance with the requirements of epidemic control and prevention, a need to delimit scope and frequency of testing, to avoid blindly expanding the scope to mass nucleic acid tests, and to [rather] carry out nucleic testing people in accordance with risk levels, from high to low risk. The first nucleic acid screening in a closed area should be completed within 24 hours, and a mass nucleic acid screening in the control area should be completed within 48 hours. In other words, when an outbreak occurs, comprehensive arrangements concerning people to be tested, scope and frequency of tests must be established in accordance with epidemic prevention and control requirements. The closed area definitely completes a mass test within 24 hours and the control area completes the first mass testing within 48 hours. In medium- and high-risk areas’ closed and control areas, people must not leave the area, but if you absolutely have to travel in areas with a low risk of outbreaks, a 48-hours nucleic acid test certificate is required. Any region can adjustments in accordance with the needs arising for epidemic prevention and control.
谢谢你的提问。聚集性疫情发生以后，要根据疫情防控的需要，科学确定制定核酸检测策略，划定核酸检测的范围和频次，避免盲目地扩大开展全员核酸检测的范围，将受检的人员按照风险等级由高到低依次开展核酸检测。封控区应该在24小时内完成首次核酸筛查，管控区要在48小时完成首次的全员核酸筛查。就是说在疫情发生以后，一定是根据疫情防控的需要，把核酸检测的人员、范围、频次统筹安排。封控区一定是在24小时内完成首次全员核酸检测，管控区在48小时内要完成第一次的全员核酸检测。中、高风险地区和封控区、管控区这些人员不得外出，但是疫情发生地的低风险地区和防范区确需出行的，需要持48小时的核酸检测阴性证明。各地可以根据疫情防控的需要进行调整。
Also, in areas with no epidemic outbreaks and no risk of importing [coronaviruses], nucleic acid tests on entry and departure should not become kind of a norm. Beijing has ways of handling this, and we would like to ask director Li Ang for a presentation.
还有一个，没有发生疫情，也没有输入风险的，查验核酸不应该成为一种常态。北京在这方面有些做法，我们想请李昂主任给大家作个介绍。
[…]

2. Where does the Economy go?

“Seize the opportunity, deepen structural reform”

That’s what Professor Zhang Jun, Dean at Fudan School of Economics and an economic researcher, discusses in an interview addressing the “three pressures” of shrinking demand, supply shocks and weaker expectations (需求收缩, 供给冲击, 预期转弱).
After a detailed discussion of options to revive the economy, reducing youth unemployment etc., Zhang says that

I am more and more worried that our country’s economy is entering a vicious circle. In my opinion, the only way to break from this cycle is to seize the opportunity and to promote deeper structural reform, to thoroughly organize government-market relations. Just as Secretary General Xi Jinping emphasized at the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission‘s twenty-third meeting on December 17, 2021, the development of a socialist market economy is a great creation of our party. The key is to handle the government-market relationship well, to let the market have a decisive role in the allocation of resources, and to play a better role as a government.
我现在越来越担心我们国家的经济进入一个恶性循环，而唯一能够打破这个循环的，我认为就是要抓住时机，推进更深层次的结构改革，彻底理顺政府与市场关系。正如习近平总书记2021年12月17日召开中央全面深化改革委员会第二十三次会议时所强调，发展社会主义市场经济是我们党的一个伟大创造，关键是处理好政府和市场的关系，使市场在资源配置中起决定性作用，更好发挥政府作用。

3. Biden stumbles

But there’s good news, too: U.S. President Biden nearly falls, an animated gif informs the exhilarated reader.

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Complete picture of Guanchazhe’s main page this morning GMT:

Link 1 (top section)

Link 2 (section 2)

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Related / Updates

Whereever, you need a test result, BBC, June 9, 22
Inflation isn’t the problem, income is, SCMP, June 9, 22
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You Sikun: Russian-Ukrainian War a “Great Revelation”

The following is a translation of a speech given by Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan’s Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) on Tuesday, opening the national-day preparatory committee. “National day” refers to Taiwan’s double-ten celebrations.
Main link: National Day preparatory committee established – You Si-kun: strengthen the concept of Taiwan consciousness (國慶籌備會成立 游錫堃：強化台灣主體意識概念發想)

UDN coverage, April 19

Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun chaired the national-day celebrations peparatory committee’s opening session this morning. He said that the Russo-Ukrainian war is a great revelation for people worldwide and in Taiwan. This year, the general meeting office and the fireworks office¹⁾ are asked to actively plan and strengthen Taiwanese subject consciousness²⁾ and cohesion as well as the will of the people to protect the land.

立法院長游錫堃今上午主持「中華民國各界慶祝111年國慶籌備委員會」成立大會。他在致詞時表示，烏俄戰爭對全球和台灣人民都有很大的啟示。今年的國慶活動，將請大會處及焰火處積極規畫，朝強化台灣主體意識及凝聚國人守土為國意志的概念來發想。

[The following paragraph is about technicalities concerning SARS-COVID prevention – left out here]

You Si-kun said that under last year’s rising changes and challenges, the national-day celebrations, besides improving preventive measures against the pandemic, also carved out high-quality celabratory activities. In addition to inviting the heros of the Olympics and Paralympics, those fighting the pandemic, those who defended Taiwan and stabilized society, were part of a heros’ motorcade to be cheered and thanked by people all over the country for their efforts and hard work for Taiwan.

游錫堃表示，去年在疫情升溫的變化與挑戰下，慶籌會除了完善防疫措施外，還能同時規畫出優質的各項慶祝活動，除了邀請奧運、帕運、防疫、捍衛台灣、安定社會、護衛國土的台灣英雄，搭上英雄車隊、出席國慶大會、接受全國人民喝采，感謝他們對台灣的付出與辛勞。

This was combined with work for the overseas compatriots, with the Overseas Community Affairs Council taking overseas compatriots to the national day evening banquets and the national-day gathering in front of the presidential palace. They saw the atmosphere of the Kaohsiung fireworks and the exciting events they brought for the Taiwanese. All celebration activities brought the crowds to many places, improving tourism revenues and earning public praise.

同時，還結合僑胞服務工作，由僑務委員會帶著僑胞到新竹市參加國慶晚會，也到總統府前參加國慶大會，再去高雄觀賞國慶焰火，讓大家感受歡樂的國慶氣氛，為國人帶來那麼多精彩的活動內容，各項慶祝活動也確實為各地帶來非常多的人潮，提高了觀光收益，廣獲社會好評。

You Si-kun said that the Russo-Ukrainian war is a great revelation for people worldwide and in Taiwan. This year, the general meeting office and the fireworks office¹⁾ are asked to actively plan and strengthen Taiwanese subject consciousness²⁾ and cohesion as well as the will of the people to protect the land. This year’s national day holiday will be three days, from October 8 to October 10. He believed that the people would certainly the national-day events, hoped that everyone would have fun with combined education and entertainment, and that [the national day celebrations] would be activities with ample vitality, cohesion and consensus-building, and participation.

游錫堃說，烏俄戰爭對全球和台灣人民都有很大的啟示。今年的國慶活動，也請大會處及焰火處積極規劃，朝強化臺灣主體意識及凝聚國人守土為國意志的概念來發想。今年國慶日適逢3天的連續假期（10/8至10/10），相信國人一定會很期待國慶系列活動，希望大家能寓教於樂，讓國慶成為充滿活力、凝聚共識、全民參與的活動。

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Notes

1)	大會處及焰火處, the genereal meeting office and the fireworks office, both of them offices under the preparatory committee
2)	Subject conciousness may not be the perfect equivalent – sociologists would be in a better position than I to judge -, but I found this term in a paper about Korean self-awareness-building, too

Huanqiu Shibao: “Strike the iron while it is hot, Reinforce China’s political self-confidence”

The following are translated excerpts from an unsigned editorial by Huanqiu Shibao. The article was published online on Sunday. Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Main link:
To take a turn for the better, 2021 will require hard work (2021，好转需经艰苦努力才会发生)

[…]

This year, China has ample capital to continue [the process of] becoming the most outstanding country with its successes in fighting the epidemic and in transforming these achievements into fruits of economic development. To accelerate the expansion of domestic markets, to promote the formation of the dual-circulation pattern and its consolidation is crucial, because the trade wars of the past few years have told us that relying on the international markets alone is highly problematic and the political risks of it are growing. Domestic markets that balance and mutually support each other have become the road to follow.

今年中国有充足资本继续成为抗疫成就最突出的国家，并且将这一成就朝着经济发展的成果转化。加快扩大国内市场、促进双循环格局的形成和巩固至关重要，因为过去几年的贸易战已经告诉我们，仅靠扩大国际市场既困难重重，而且其政治风险也越来越高，国内和国际市场的平衡及相互促进已是必由之路。

Even if the global economy shows some recovery in the new year, it will be weak, and if China’s share in this year’s international recovery is disproportionally high, it will cause more jealousy, and this is something we have to be aware of.

全球经济在新的一年里即使有所恢复，也会是微弱的，如果中国今年的经济增长占据过大国际经济恢复的份额，将会引来更多妒忌，这方面的意识我们切不可缺失。

China’s leadership in controlling the epidemic has provided us with a huge comparative advantage over other major countries, and this summary rather belongs to history. As far as China’s society itself is concerned, especially as far as many individuals are concerned, the impact and challenges the coronavirus epidemic has brought about are more real, and China’s policies of this year must address these practical problems, and they must not lower their problem-solving qualities because of the epidemic.

中国率先控制住疫情，这提供了我们相对其他主要国家的巨大比较优势，但这是一笔国家的宏观账，这份总结更多属于历史。就中国社会自身来说，尤其是对很多个人来说，新冠疫情带来的冲击和困难更为真实，今年中国的各项政策仍需针对这些实际问题，不因疫情降低解决它们的质量。

One of the biggest earnings for China’s society in 2020 is the increase in political self-confidence. The epidemic has provided the Chinese people with a rare glimpse on the efficiency of China’s political system and its people-centered objective. America’s idolistic effect has basically collapsed. But one year is too short. Chinese society’s political self-confidence must be reinforced by striking the iron while it is hot. This year is a critical period during which the Chinese people’s self-acknowledgment of last year must go on.

2020年中国社会最大的收获之一是增加了政治自信，国人通过这场疫情提供的罕见可比性看到了中国政治体制的效率，读懂了它以人民为中心的宗旨，美国的长期偶像效应基本垮掉了。然而一年的时间太短了，中国社会的政治自信需要趁热打铁地加固，今年是延续中国人去年自我认知的关键时期。

[…]

It won’t be easy to make China take another step forward while giving the masses another experience of improvement at the same time, but it deserves China’s efforts. Objectively speaking, the number of Chinese people who have suffered losses in 2020 hasn’t been small, and 2021 must allow this great number of people to “turn losses into gains”, and turn China’s victory into a common triumphal hymn for all the people.

要让国家往前再迈一步与人民群众的收获体验再获改善同时发生，这非常不易，但却是值得中国2021年跳跳脚争取摸到的。客观说，2020年受了损失的中国人还是不少的，2021年要让那些绝大多数个人也都“扭亏为盈”，让中国的胜利成为真正全体国民的共同凯歌。

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Related

A test for our Governance System, Jan 24, 2020
Frugal new year, Febr 10, 2018

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Coverage from Beijing: Hong Kong’s unshrinking Police, Purple Banners, and Jimmy Lai himself

The following is a translation of an article published by Beijing Daily online. Chang’anjie Zhishi (长安街知事), the paper mentioned in this article as the main newsgatherer, is another publication from the same publishing house as Beijing Daily. It’s name may be loosely translated as “Familiar with what’s going on on Chang’an Avenue“.

The term cross-border powers (境外势力), in addition to foreign powers (外国势力) most probably refers to Taiwan, a country not recognized by China as independent. Taiwan has in fact been offered (or threatened with) the “one-country, two-system” arrangement by China.

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Main Link: The Police don’t shrink from tough measures!

On the second day of the Hong Kong National Security Law^*), the police don’t shrink from tough measures! Chang’anjie Zhishi has noticed that up to today (July 1) at 3 p.m., two people suspected of violating Hong Kong’s national security laws have been arrested, one man and one woman, and in addition, more than thirty people have also been arrested.

香港国安法正式实施的第二天，警方毫不手软！长安街知事注意到，截至今日（1日）下午3时，已有2人涉嫌违反香港国安法被捕，分别为一男一女，此外还有30余人被捕。

All five photos as published by “Beijing Daily” online (click main link for bigger pictures)

In the afternoon shortly before 3 p.m., Hong Kong police discovered a woman displaying a “Hong Kong independence” slogan poster at Causeway Bay’s East Point Road. She was arrested under suspicion of violating Hong Kong’s national security law, and police seized the related items as evidence. The flags of the US and the UK were also fixed to the poster.

下午将近3时，香港警方于铜锣湾东角道发现一名女子正展示写有“港独”口号的标语。其涉嫌违反香港国安法被捕，警方检取了有关物品作证物。该标语上还粘着美国和英国的国旗。

Before that, at about 1:30 p.m., police stopped and checked a black-dressed man with suspicious behavior at Paterson Street, and found that he had a banner with the “Hong Kong independence” slogan with him. That man became the first suspect of violating Hong Kong’s national security law to be arrested.

此前约中午1时30分，警方于百德新街截查一名形迹可疑的黑衣男子，在其身上搜获一幅写有“港独”口号的旗帜。该男子成为首个涉嫌违反香港国安法的被捕人士。

The police have issued a reminder that Hong Kong national security law has gone into effect with clear regulations about four types of crimes: crimes of national splitting, crimes of subverting state power, crimes of terrorist activities, crimes of colluding with foreign or cross-border powers to endanger national security and corresponding criminal responsibilities. Police would firmly enforce the law, so as to protect Hong Kong citizens’ lives and properties as well as every kind of basic rights and liberties they enjoyed in accordance with the law.

警方提醒，香港国安法已经生效，明确规定分裂国家罪、颠覆国家政权罪、恐怖活动罪、勾结外国或者境外势力危害国家安全罪四类犯罪行为和相应的刑事责任，警方将会坚定执法，以保障香港市民的生命财产及依法享有的各项基本权利和自由。

Police also announced that starting from midday, there were assembled crowds in the area of Causeway Bay’s Paterson Street, East Point Road, and Great George Street, hooting, damaging social peace, and even rushing out onto the road, thus blocking traffic.

警方还通报，自中午起，铜锣湾百德新街、东角道及记利佐治街一带有人群集结叫嚣，破坏社会安宁，甚至一度冲出马路，阻塞交通。

Police have taken a rigorous and restrained approach, reminding people that mass assembly constituted a violation of the Public Order Ordinance and Hong Kong National Security Law, and by warning the crowd to disperse and immediately leave, but a share of them still refused to obey.

警方一直采取严谨而克制的态度，多次提醒群众集结行为已违反《公安条例》及香港国安法，并警告人群停止集结，立即离开，但部分人依然拒绝听从。

“Beijing Daily” caption: 警方举紫旗发出警告 (police holds up purple transparent to issue a warning)

Police thereupon took law enforcement action and arrested more than thirty people under suspicion of illegal assembly, violation of Hong Kong’s national security law, preventing police staff from carrying out their duties, carrying offensive weapons, etc. Police also dispatched specialized crowd management vehicles as well as the well-known water-cannon vehicles.

警方遂采取执法行动并拘捕逾30人，其涉嫌非法集结、违反香港国安法、阻碍警务人员执行职务及携带攻击性武器等。警方还出动了人群特别用途管理车辆，即我们熟知的水炮车。

Chang’anjie Zhishi noted that at around noon, the boss of Next Digital, Jimmy Lai himself, appeared at Paterson Street, together with Hong Kong Democratic Party‘s former chairman Albert Ho, Lee Wing-tat, Lam Cheuk-ting, and others. They set up a fundraising street stand.

长安街知事注意到，中午约12时，壹传媒老板黎智英现身百德新街，与香港民主党前主席何俊仁、李永达，议员林卓廷等人一同摆设站点筹款。

“Beijing Daily” caption: 右一为黎智英 图源：香港东网 (first from right: Li Zhiying / Jimmy Lai)

Jimmy Lai stayed there for about an hour and then left the street to go to Hong Kong Shangrila Hotel with Albert Ho and Lam Cheuk-ting, then returning to their homes.

黎智英在现场逗留了大约一小时就离开街头，前往香格里拉大酒店，何俊仁、李永达同行，后于下午约2时回到其住所。

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Note

^*) There doesn’t appear to be an official English translation of the “national security law” yet, but the HKFP website offers an unofficial translation in English. Chinese ones can be found everywhere, there included.

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Related

“Terrorism breeding, iron fact,” June 3, 2020
“Pillar of Humiliation,”July 25, 2019
Pointing Fingers, Drawing Feet, May 11, 2019
Liu Xiaobo, 1955 – 2017, July 14, 2017
Szeto Wah, 1931 – 2011, Jan 2, 2011

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Updates / Related

Your stability, my passport, HKFP, July 4, 2020

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Hong Kong Security Secretary: “Terrorism breeding in HK, iron fact”

The following is a translation of an RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong) report on yesterday’s LegCo security panel session. Translated off the cuff. If you find mistakes, please let me know.

Links within blockquote added during translation.

Police have said that from last year to now there have been 14 cases involving explosives, four cases of genuine arms, and 76 arrested, of who 30 had already been prosecuted. Security Bureau secretary John Lee Ka-chiu said that this illustrated that local terrorism was breeding in Hong Kong. He emphasized that counter-terrorism was a responsibility of the entire population, and called on the public to cooperate in law enforcement. The authorities would strike with the strictest laws.

警方說，去年至今出現14宗涉及爆炸品及4宗真槍的案件，共拘捕76人，30人已被檢控。保安局局長李家超說，顯示本土恐怖主義正在香港滋生，強調反恐是全民責任，呼籲公眾配合執法，當局會以最嚴厲的法律打擊。

At the Legislative Council’s Panel on Security meeting, John Lee Ka-chiu said he believed that in various violent [events] there had been financial funding organizations and assistance, such as supplies of helmets, gas masks, weapons and umbrellas, etc., and there had been cases where such material had been provided from ranks behind to the first lines. John Lee Ka-chiu described great numbers of resources, and a lot of related material left behind on the streets after insurrection. He believed that because of the authorities’ recent effective strikes, and maybe because of decreasing funding from abroad, such equipment had been reduced in recent violent incidents.

在立法會保安事務委員會會議上，李家超說，相信在不同暴力中都有資金提供組織及支援，例如提供頭盔、防毒面罩、武器和雨傘等，亦出現將有關物品由後方提供到前方的情況。李家超形容資源很多，而在暴動過後很多有關物品留在街上，他相信由於當局近期有效打擊，又或者是外來資金減少，近期暴力事件中，有關裝備已減少。

Legislative Council member Claudia Mo Man-ching asked the authorities to provide evidence for the cases mentioned, and asked if the authorities had been part of terrorism in the Yuen Long July 21 incident of last year. John Lee Ka-chiu retorted that the other side should not trivialize the violence and added that evidence would be seen in court, describing this as an iron fact.

議會陣線毛孟靜要求當局就提到的案件提供證據，又詢問當局去年元朗7.21事件是否屬本土恐怖主義。李家超反駁對方不要淡化暴力，又說上到法庭就會見到證物，形容是鐵一般的事實。

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Related

Attendance list, June 2, 2020
Background brief, June 2, 2020
For discussion, June 2, 2020

HK officers in Xinjiang, SCMP, Jan 9, 2019

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Updates/Related

“Riding roughshod,” RTHK, Jul 4, 2020

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Tsinghua School of Journalism: Improving International Propagation Abilities, “objectively additionally spurred by Global Corona Pneumonia Outbreak”

The following is a translation of a Tsinghua University communiqué, published on the Weixin account of Tsinghua University School of Journalism and Communication’s¹⁾ Youth League committee.

An apparent summary of what the communiqué amounts to can be found there.

Weixin Youth League post
(click photo for main link)

 

Links and footnotes added during translation.

Main Link: Tsinghua University vice chancellor Peng Gang takes part in School of Journalism and Communication plenary teachers and staff meeting (清华大学副校长彭刚参加新闻学院全体教职工会议)

On May 14, Tsinghua University School of Journalism held a combined meeting of people present there, and through online connection. Tsinghua University vice chancellor Peng Gang, Tsinghua University School of Journalism dean Liu Binjie, daily operations vice dean Chen Changfeng, party secretary Hu Yu²⁾ and more than 40 School of Journalism teachers and staff took part. Hu Yu presided over the meeting.

5月14日，清华大学新闻与传播学院通过现场加网络远程在线的方式召开全体教职工会议。清华大学副校长彭刚、清华大学新闻与传播学院院长柳斌杰、常务副院长陈昌凤、党委书记胡钰及全院40余名教职工参加。会议由胡钰主持。

Peng Gang first conveyed the University’s set of recent reform measures. Peng Gang pointed out that the School of Journalism was both the University’s strategic layout branch of learning and a provider of strategic support for national development. The School of Journalism had, in the years since its establishment, achieved successes and broadened its domestic and international influence by cultivating talents, and in other respects, providing good foundations for deepening reform and for comprehensively improving academic strengths. After repeated studies and careful decision-making, it had been decided that the School of Journalism’s scale of masters student graduates should be greatly broadened, and that talent cultivation on the graduate level should be carried out at the School of Journalism in future. This was in line with the school-running objectives³⁾, raising the school-running level, further solidify the School’s educational concept moves of “center on quality, make use of practice, face the mainstream, cultivate dab hands.” Even more profound foundations, even more spacious room for high-level journalistic talents needed to be cultivated, the School needed to amply mobilize all teachers’ enthusiasm, doctoral and graduate student cultivation objectives, course designs and cultivation environmental connections needed to be systematically and thoroughly investigated and reconstructed, and cultivation quality be conscientiously guaranteed and improved. Peng Gang demanded that the School needed to robustly and thoroughly carry out work, implement the demands stated by University Chancellor Qiu Yong on behalf of the University, strengthen theoretical foundations, actively serve the national strategy, value and support young teachers’ development, continuously improve the ranks of qualified teachers, continue to promote internationalized school-running, and improve international propagation abilities⁴⁾.

彭刚首先对近期学校的一系列改革措施进行了传达。彭刚指出，新闻传播既是学校战略性布局的学科，又要为国家发展进一步提供战略支撑。新闻学院这些年来在学科建设、人才培养等方面取得的成绩和不断扩大的国内外影响力，为深化改革、全面提升学科实力和服务国家能力提供了良好基础。学校反复研究、慎重决策，决定大幅度扩大新闻学院硕士研究生规模，今后学院的人才培养主要在研究生层次进行。这是符合学校办学目标、提升学院办学水平、进一步夯实学院“素质为本，实践为用，面向主流，培养高手”教育理念的重要举措。要培养好基础更加厚重、发展空间更加广阔的高层次新闻传播学人才，学院要充分调动全体教师的积极性，对学术型和专业型的博士、硕士研究生的培养目标、课程设计和培养环节，进行系统深入的调研和重构，切实保障和提升培养质量。彭刚要求，学院要扎实深入地推进工作，落实邱勇校长5月6日调研新闻学院时，代表学校提出的改革发展要求，加强基础理论建设、主动服务国家战略，重视和支持青年教师发展、不断提高师资队伍水平，继续推进国际化办学，提高国际传播能力。

Liu Binjie pointed out that carrying out strategic adjustment of news propagation and talent cultivation patterns at the School was an innate need for Tsinghua University’s global top position. The global corona pneumonia’s outbreak had objectively additionally spurred the University’s adjustment pace at strategic academic adjustment. Looking back at the School of Journalism’s recent twenty years of development, eye-catching successes had been achieved in the fields of scientific research, talent cultivation, and international cooperation. In a new situation and at a new stage, the national strategic development needs had to be served further, urgent needs of academic development be directly confronted, and change be actively lead.

柳斌杰指出，学校对新闻传播学科和人才培养模式进行战略性调整，是清华大学建设世界顶尖大学的内在要求。全球新冠肺炎疫情的爆发，客观上促使学校加快了对战略性学科的调整步伐。回顾清华大学新闻与传播学院近二十年的发展过程，在科学研究、人才培养、国际合作方面取得了令人瞩目的成绩，在新形势、新阶段下，要进一步服务国家发展战略需要，直面学科发展的紧要问题，积极引领变革。

Firstly, we must conscientiously research the international situation and the international struggle for public opinion⁵⁾, continue to aim at news propagation disciplines, public-opinion work⁶⁾, developments and changes in the news industry, bring out academic special knowledge in specialized fields, prepare and work ideologically for a rather long period of responding to changes in the external environment;

第一，要认真研究国际形势和国际舆论斗争，继续针对新闻传播学科、新闻舆论工作、新闻传媒行业发展变化，发挥学科专业专长，做好较长时间应对外部环境变化的思想准备和工作准备；

Secondly, the fundamental principles of journalism and fundamental theories’ research must be further strengthened, basic skills be firmly grasped, research of journalism with Chinese characteristics be robustly promoted, and excellent and groundbreaking high-end academic achievements be made;

第二，要持续加强对新闻学基本原理、基础理论的研究，扎实打牢基本功，扎实推进中国特色新闻学研究，做出过硬的有引领性的高端学术成果；

Thirdly, on the foundation of maintaining the stability of the teaching order, the direction of the Schools talent cultivation and positioning should be comprehensively discussed, and, with the objective of cultivating high-class compound talents as needed by the country, this opportunity of broadening the scale of graduate students be grasped, and the quality of graduate cultivation be conscientiously improved;

第三，要在保持教学秩序稳定的基础上，对学院人才培养的方向和定位进行全面研讨，以培养国家需要的高层次、复合型的新闻人才为目标，抓住此次研究生规模扩大的契机，切实提升研究生培养质量；

and fourthly, the educational and scientific research system must be reconstructed, to be oriented towards all the School’s students, to be oriented towards the news industry and to all sectors of society, and a high-level news propagation teaching and research system, in line with Tsinghua University’s future development, and in line with the future of news propagation science and situation, be newly designed.

第四，要重构教学科研体系，面向全校学生、面向新闻行业、面向社会各界，重新设计一个符合清华未来发展、符合新闻传播学科未来格局的高水平新闻传播教学科研体系。

At the meeting, members of the party and administration joint conference also informed about the School’s recent work, discussed enrollment of new students and dissertation defense arrangements during the epidemic, cultivation systematic adjustment objectives, the 14th scientific five-year plan’s direction, international online education and forums etc..

会上，学院党政联席会成员还通报了学院近期各项工作进展情况，讨论了疫情期间招生和答辩安排、培养体系调整目标、十四五科研规划方向、国际线上教学和论坛等内容。

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Notes

¹⁾ School of Journalism is Tsinghua University’s official English translation. “News and Propagation School” (新闻与传播学院) would be a translation closer to the original.
²⁾ the School of Journalism’s party secretary, that is, and dean of the cultural creativity development research institute.
³⁾ I’m not familiar with terms like these, but that article uses the term School-running orientation as the definition of category and type, level and goal of a school. Levels and objectives are also terms used in this Tsinghua communiqué, and research about one’s own university’s positioning may count as “orientation”.

⁴⁾ “International communication capacity”, a term that has been in use for years, is a centrally recommended translation of “国际传播能力”. My guess is that international news propagation abilities / propagation abilities would be translations closer to the sense of the Chinese originals, and I’ve used the latter in this translation.

⁵⁾ More context about the international struggle for public opinion can be found in this translation by China Media Project (CMP), posted some eleven years ago.

⁶⁾ Public-opinion work (新闻舆论工作) is nothing invented by Xi Jinping, and nor is the idea that this kind of work must serve the party and the state. Jiang Zemin, in a “teaching” (教导) for “People’s Daily” in 2010, reportedly told his audience that news and public opinion work “must closely revolve around the central issue of economic construction, and obey and serve the general situation of the entire party and state” (新闻舆论工作要紧紧围绕经济建设这个中心，服从、服务于全党全国工作的大局). Operational handles may be filled with additional content, but the CPC likes the reverent authority that comes with things “we’ve always said”.
Repacked, in this case, by Xi Jinping in 2016, and unpacked by CMP.

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Updates / Related

More difficult than any other period, Liu Binjie, March 2012

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Guangdong Province: Implementing “Equal Treatment and no Discrimination” measures

China News Service (CNS, 中新网) with an article on Guangdong Provincial party committee’s and government’s open letter to nationals and foreigners of April 17, and a package of rules based on that open letter, obliging nine trades to treating nationals and foreigners equally and without discrimination.

The CNS article was published on Saturday, and a thread of tweets (by a Xinhua employee in Brussels) provides a translation. No warranty for accuracy.

A THREAD: Guangdong Province released a package of rules tackling racism and discrimination against foreigners, covering restaurants/bars, hotels, tourism, transportation, (super)markets, health/hospitals, education, house rental, residential compounds.

— Zichen Wang (@ZichenWanghere) May 3, 2020

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Related

Hearts and Minds, Febr 13, 2009
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