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”.

________________

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

________________
x
x

President’s Double-Ten Speech 2022: Expect no Walk in the Park

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen looks ahead to her two remaining years in office. The following is an excerpt from her Double-Ten national day speech this morning (Monday), based on the presidential office’s Chinese text, and an English translation by CNA.

^{Double-Ten speech 2022, click picture for video}

…

疫情沒有擊倒我們，反而讓世界看見了臺灣的韌性。我們不只守住了疫情，更把我們往前推進了一步，成為我們心中更好的國家。	Instead of holding us back, the pandemic has helped the world see Taiwan’s resilience. Not only did we manage the spread of COVID-19, we helped Taiwan take a step forward, and made our country a better place.
但正如同棒球比賽一樣，這一局能夠化險為夷，並不代表，我們下一局就會風平浪靜。走過了上階段的疫情風暴，下一個階段我們挑戰更大，更需要我們沉著面對，共同解決。	But just as in baseball, being able to turn one inning around does not mean the next one will be a walk in the park. Having come through the outbreak of the virus, we know that our next challenges will be even greater, requiring a calm and collective response.
疫後的世界秩序，正在劇烈的變化。目前，歐美各國，正苦於通貨膨脹，和隨之而來的經濟衰退；臺灣的通膨，雖然還在可以控制的範圍，但我們仍然必須要因應，全球經濟衰退的變局。	The post-pandemic world order is in a state of rapid change. Countries across Europe and the Americas are suffering from inflation and the resulting economic downturn. While inflation in Taiwan is still at a controllable level, we must nevertheless prepare for the developments that might be triggered by a global economic contraction.
在此同時，全球供應鏈重組，仍在進行當中。臺灣雖然在半導體、以及資通訊軟硬體的領域，已經取得關鍵的地位；但在其他領域也必須要快步跟上，才能立於不敗之地。另外，極端氣候帶來的異常災變，也提醒我們，必須要建立更能夠快速應變的機制。	At the same time, global supply chains are still undergoing restructuring. Though Taiwan already holds a key position in the fields of semiconductors and information and communications technology hardware and software, we must quickly catch up in other fields to ensure our strong footing. In addition, disasters caused by extreme weather events remind us that we must build mechanisms for rapid response.
在經濟局勢的過程當中，我們還要面對的另外一個挑戰，那就是烏俄戰爭持續在進行；中國在南海、東海、以及臺灣海峽的軍事行動，衝擊印太地區的和平穩定。我們絕對不能忽視，軍事的擴張，正在挑戰自由民主的世界秩序。這些變局，都跟臺灣息息相關。	Aside from economic developments, Russia continues its war against Ukraine, while China’s military activity in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. We absolutely cannot ignore the challenge that these military expansions pose to the free and democratic world order. These developments are inextricably connected with Taiwan.
臺灣正處在變局之中。我們不能抱著僥倖的心態。我們必須堅定民主立場，審慎的做出準備，隨時因應瞬息萬變的情勢。	With Taiwan a part of this changing landscape, we cannot leave things to chance. Instead, we must stand up for our democracy, and prepare prudently and sufficiently to respond to any possible contingency.
回顧過去，正是因為臺灣的韌性，我們才能夠度過疫情的挑戰。未來的兩年，在我任期的最後，我們不僅要持續站穩「四個堅持」的立場，更要在經濟產業、在社會安全網、在民主自由體制、在國防戰力，打造更精實的「四大韌性」。	Looking back, we can see that we were able to weather the challenges of the pandemic precisely because of Taiwan’s resilience. Over the remaining two years of my term, we will continue to resolutely uphold our Four Commitments. We will also enhance the resilience of four key areas: our economy and industry, social safety net, free and democratic government system, and national defense.
把中華民國臺灣，打造成為一個更強韌的國家，就是現階段國家發展，最重要的目標。	The work of making the Republic of China (Taiwan) a more resilient country is now our most important national development priority.

____________

Related

An Economy with new Bones, May 20, 2016
____________

Patriotic Pep Talk: Angry, angrier, scientific

–

^{Click picture for CRI video}

The following is a transcript of a video by China Radio International (yes, China’s former foreign radio  broadcaster still exists somehow – CGTN in English and in Russian, CRI in Chinese).

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

大家好！这里是『国际三分钟』。 我是爱丽。	Hello! This is “International – Three Minutes”. I’m Ai Li.
继芯片法案之后，美国又准备在生物科技领域出招了。当地时间１２日美国总统拜登签署了一项鼓励美国生物技术生产和研究的行政命令，旨在促进美国的生物制造。多家美媒体国解读此举仍然是『针对中国』。	Following its CHIPS and Science Act, America is now preparing to make a move in the field of biotechnology. On September 12, U.S. President Biden signed an executive order on a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, aimed at promoting American biomanufacturing. A number of U.S. media read this as yet another move “targeted at China”.
五角大楼说的更为直接。１４日白宫举办生物技术和生物制造峰会，与会人员包括国家安全顾问沙利文，和国防部副部长凯瑟琳·希克斯等人。	The Pentagon is even more straightforward. On September 14, the White House held a biomanufacturing summit which included national security advisor Jake Sullivan and deputy defense secretary and Kathleen Hicks.
希克斯在谈及投资生物技术对国防部的意义时表示，我们知道像中国这样的战略竞争对手也在优先考虑这些技术。他们想取代美国的领导地位，他们想挑战我们的竞争力。	Discussing the significance of biotechnology for national defense, Hicks said that it was known that strategic competitors like China were also considering these technologies a priority. [China] wanted to replace American leadership and challenge its competitiveness.
实际上，美国拥有世界上最强大的生物技术产业，在全球研发应用设施，基础研究方面，美国一直处于优先地位。2020年QS大学排名显示，在生命科学与医学排名前200的高校中，美国有61家入选。2019年全球市场排名前10名的生物医药公司中，美国占6家。截至2021年，在全球所有59座P4级别生物实验室中，美国独占13 – 14座。	In reality, America has the strongest global position in the biotechnological industry. In terms of R&D facilities and fundamental research, America always ranks first in global research. In the 2020 QS World University Rankings, as for life sciences and medical science rankings of the first 200 universities, 61 were American. In the [or a?] 2019 global market ranking, among the first ten biological drug companies, six were American. By 2021, U.S. P4-level biolaboratories dominated globally with 13 or 14 labs.
另外，在生物科技专利数量，专利活跃度，专利资产指数和竞争影响力等方面的领域优势，美国都很明显。中国短期内并不会对美国生物科技的全球地位产生威胁。	Also, as for the number of patents, patent activity, patent investment indices and competitive influence etc., America also has obvious advantages. China won’t be a threat to America’s global number-one position in biotechnology in the short term.
拜登政府之后已把目光转向生物技术。目的在于这背后巨大的经济利益更在于维护其科技霸权。	The Biden administration has since turned its attention to biotechnology. That’s because there are enormous economic interests behind it to protect their technological hegemony even better.
现在生物科技被广泛应用到各个领域。比如说，医疗方面的生物制药，农业方面的有机肥农药，工业方面的化学品甚至燃料，等等都跟生物科技有关。论对国家经济发展影响力，生物科技比之芯片领域毫不逊色。	Biotechnology is applied in a wide range of areas. For example, biological medication production for medical treatment, organic fertilizers and pesticides, industrial chemicals and even fuel are all related to biotechnology. Talking about influence on national economic development, biotechnology matters no less than the field of chips.
近些年中国在生物技术领域确实取得了一定的成绩。目前我们已经初涉形成门类齐全功能完备的生物经济产业体系，在生物医药生物育种，生物材料，生物能源等产业部门已经产生具有影响力的创新型企业。比如科创板上市企业中，生物企业占比就达1/3。	China has, in recent years, achieved certain successes. Currently, we have started shaping a category of fully functional and faultless biotechnological economic and industrial system. In the industrial sections of medicine, biomaterials and bioenergy etc., influential innovative companies have been created. For example, among the companies entering the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market, one third are biotech companies.
从战略角度来看，机械化曾经让英国称霸世界。信息化又让美国问鼎世界第一强国。美国非常担心将来如果生物技术产业化使中国实现超越，自身的国际地位就将不保。也正是基于此美国有些急眼想走老路子，想通过制裁封锁中国生物科技领域的进步达到稳固其全球霸权的目的。	Seen from a strategic point of view, mechanizaton once helped Britain to declare itself the global hegemon. Informatization made America the global number one. America is really worried that in future, if biotechnological production helps China to overtake it, it may not be able to maintain its international position. It is also therefore that America is anxious to take the old path and wants to solidify its global hegemony by putting sanctions on the progress of China’s biotechnological sector.
『美国之音』就报道称，拜登新行政令被人为是对上个月签署的『芯片法案』作出的一项补充。美国『财富』杂志称，拜登的新行政令给美中经济竞争在添新战线。总之新政令是一个『风向表』，他预示着美国对中国的技术限制已经从芯片能源扩大到了生物领域。	According to the “Voice of America”, Biden’s new executive order is believed to be supplementary to the “CHIPS and Science Act”. American “Fortune” magazine said that Biden’s new executive order will add a new battlefront to U.S.-Chinese economic competition. In short, the new executive order is a “wind direction indicator”, foretelling that America’s technological restrictions on China are now expanding from the chip energy field to the field of biotechnology.
按照美国行事风格我们可以预测，如果此次新政令没有达到美方的预期效果，那很有可能像在芯片领域一样。他们会继续寻求对中国的精准打击。遗憾的是，生物领域本可以是一个美方有技术，中方有市场的合作领域，而美国现在非要打破这个平衡。	Because of America’s style of action, we can predict that if this new executive order doesn’t have the effect expected by the U.S., it will most probably resemble that of the CHIPS and Science Act. They will continue to seek for accurate strikes at China. What’s unfortunate is that biotechnology couldbe a field of cooperation, with the U.S. having the technologoy and with China having the market. But the U.S. has inisted on breaking this balance.
奈何。俄罗斯『独立报』评论称，对于美国不断升级的限制措施，中国有不同的应对举措，但最终这将促使中国加大对科技研发的投入，并努力确保独立性。说得不错。我们能做要做的。就是利用好巨大的市场优势，培育，挖掘，吸纳生物领域顶尖人才，加速推进生物科技和产业自立自强！	Nothing doing. Russia’s “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” writes in an editorial that China has different options to respond, but in the end, this will induce China to increase its commitment to technological R&D and make efforts to ensure its independence. Well said. We can and we will. Just make good use of the advantages of a giant market. Nurture, unleash and attract top-notch talents in the field of biotechnology, and speed up the promotion of biotechnology and bioproduction!

____________

Related

“Cold War mentality”, Asia Financial
And now, no news, Nov 20, 2021
By any other name, March 30, 2018
____________

Guesswork: 20th National Congress of the CPC (1)

^{Propaganda video, apparently with material from 2017}

–

Date:	Not specified yet, but most likely in October or November,2022
Location:	“Great Hall of the People”, Beijing
Participants:	2,300 delegates from 38 “electoral” bodies.
In charge of “elections”:	The CPC organization department.
Candidates are selected in five steps, according to Li Cheng, quoting a organization department press release.
Menu
Xi Jinping will officially be declared “The People’s Leader” (人民领袖). It’s not a new term and Xi has been referred to as “people’s leader”*) by party cadres and propaganda before, but it hasn’t joined the ideological principles yet. “Shared development” or “inclusive development” (共享发展), and “innovative”, “coordinated” etc. development in general, is likely to remain a key element of CPC ideology. For details of the CPC development party (from a dedicated technocrat’s perspective) see this preface by Hu Angang, 2018 According to Ming Pao in an article on July 12, annexing Taiwan is high on the agenda, too. The correspondents quote one source (unnamed, of course) “with a military background” as saying that “if cross-strait unification brought about, fame will follow merit” (該人士表示，實現兩岸統一，「人民領袖」這一稱號對習而言也將實至名歸), i. e. Xi Jinping would be a worthy bearer of the “peoples-leader” title.

____________

Notes

^*) “worthy to be called a wise (or brilliant) leader” (不愧为英明领袖) was another trial balloon, released by Cai Qi in 2017.

____________

Earthly Miracles and Stable Expectations

Just a look at a few headlines, mostly “NPC”-session-related, more or less.

“On its own” – former East German SED paper “Junge Welt”
marvels at socialism with Chinese characteristics

1. Creating and overcoming poverty

Xi Jinping declared victory in the fight against poverty on December 4 last year, writes David Bandurski of the China Media Project (CMP), but also quotes voices that consider Xi’s declaration premature, based on previous “poverty creation”, and the “victory” itself to be possibly unsustainable.

It’s all about the Xi himself, CMP concludes, citing an example from China’s English-language propaganda, and the earthly miracles (人间奇迹) he is doing.

2. State Council’s economic policies

China’s authorities will stick to the “six stabilities” and “six guarantees”, and “put employment first”, chief state councillor Li Keqiang told an international press conference on Thursday afternoon local time. China’s “premiers” traditionally do Q &A with the press once a year, in the wake of the annual “National People’s Congress” sessions.

The “six stabilities” (六稳) include stable employment (稳就业), stable finance (稳金融), stable foreign trade (稳外贸), stable foreign investment (稳外资), stable investment (稳投资 – that would be domestic, it seems), and stable expectations (稳预期).

The “six guarantees” (六保) are about ensuring employment among residents (保居民就业), the people’s basic livelihood (保基本民生), the market as the main part (保市场主体), food and energy security (保粮食能源安全), supply chain stability (保产业链供应链稳定) and grassroots operations  (保基层运转, meaning authorities and measures taken at or near the grassroots level).

While the “six stabilities” state domestic and foreign investment all in a row, Li confirmed the main role for the “domestic cycle as the main body” (国内大循环为主体) of a “dual circulation” system as he answered a question from Singapore’s “Lianhe Zaobao” correspondent. Rather than committing China’s leadership, Li quoted an unspecified entrepreneur as saying that to grasp the domestic cycle meant to develop the domestic market further, and that to grasp the “dual circulation” meant to develop the international markets further, and both markets could still open access.

我在代表团讨论的时候，一位企业家说，抓住内循环就是要开拓国内市场，抓住双循环就是要开拓国际市场，两个市场还可以打通。他说得很朴实，但言简意赅。

3. Quote of the Month

Radio has no memory.

Except yours and mine. Just like Jonathan Marks, I taped many radio broadcasts, and occasionally, I’m digitalizing bits of it. Systematically, but very slowly. It’s going to take years.

____________

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。

____________

Related

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

________

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。

____________

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.

____________

Updates / Related

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

____________

Sino-German relations: two Countries, irreconcilable Interpretations, common Ground

The following are excerpts from an article published by Guanchazhe on Friday, written by Huang Ying (黄颖), a researcher with Tongji University’s German Studies Center.

By political turmoil or upheaval, her article refers to the botched attempt of the conservative-liberal parties in Thuringia’s parliament to get to power with support from far-right parliamentarians.

CDU chairperson Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer resigned a few days after she had failed to get her Thuringian partisans back to the federal party line which ruled out cooperation both with the Left Party and the far-right AFD. Huang’s article gives a detailed account of these political events, and then addresses the question about if and how they could affect China’s relations with Germany. The translated paragraphs all deal with this question.

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Related: “Enhancing and deepening”, German foreign office article, Febr 13, 2020 (click picture for text)

Main Link: Will Germany’s political turmoil affect Sino-German relations? (德国政坛动荡，会不会给中德关系带来不确定性？) – page 2

[…]

A lot of people will ask if Germany’s political turmoil could bring uncertainty to Sino-German relations. The author believes that basically, Germany’s China policy won’t be greatly affected. Although Sino-German economic relations are close, China’s strategic significance for Germany – in political terms – comes only after the European Union and the United States. Germany’s domestic political turmoil won’t change its fundamental political system. No matter to which degree the structure of its political parties may be in upheaval, Germany won’t stop denouncing China’s political system and human rights issues. China’s economic and political rise makes it a challenger in the eyes of Germany’s political and academic circles, not only a challenger of its economy, but also a possible challenger for the Western democratic political system. The fundamental and insurmountable conflict between China and Germany concerning the political systems and values, and the two countries’ different interpretations of freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights etc. remains irreconcilable, no matter which political party is in power.

不少人会问，德国政坛动荡会不会给中德关系带来不确定性。笔者看来，德国对华政策基本上不太会受到影响。虽然中德经济关系日益紧密，但是从政治角度来看，中国对德国的战略重要性次于欧盟和美国，德国内政的动荡不会改变其基本政治制度。无论德国政党格局怎么动荡，德国不会停止对中国制度和人权问题上的诟病。中国经济和政治崛起被德国政界和学界都视为挑战者，不仅挑战其经济制度，还可能挑战西方的民主政治制度。中德之间存在着根本的不可逾越的政治制度和价值观冲突，两国对自由、民主、法治、人权等方面有着不同的解读，无论德国哪个党派执政，这一冲突都不可调和。

However, recent Sino-German relations have become somewhat easier, which can be seen from two things above all. The first is where the German government stands on the issue of allowing Huawei participation in the building of Germany’s 5G network. At the end of January, the British government had made it clear that Huawei would be allowed to participate in the building of non-central components of Britain’s 5G network, but not in the construction of the sensitive sites, such as nuclear power stations or military bases. This matches two demands: it doesn’t endanger national security and won’t damage relations with important allies (America), and it allows Britain to use new technology and to maintain its competitiveness in the markets.

不过，最近的中德关系有所缓和，这主要表现在两件事上。第一件是备受关注的德国政府对是否允许华为参与德国5G网络建设的表态。一月底，英国明确表态：允许华为参与英国5G网络非核心部分的建设，但不能参与核电站和军事基地等重要网络和敏感地点的建设。这一表态实现了两全：一方面不危及国家安全和不破坏与重要盟友（美国）的关系，另一方面又可以使英国使用新技术和保持市场竞争力。

Soon after that, the European Union also suggested that there was no need to keep Huawei out, and member countries should be allowed to use Huawei equipment, provided that these installations were up to mobile net operation standards and that national security was protected, thus avoiding too much dependence on one supplier. After Britain and the EU had made their positions clear, it was no surprise that Germany’s governing coalition reached a consensus on February 12, saying that Huawei shouldn’t be automatically excluded from the 5G network construction, but that Huawei would have to comply with the highest safety standards. This decision still needs to be negotiated and passed with the social democratic coalition partner¹⁾. Before, many social democratic members had opposed Huawei’s participation in Germany’s 5G construction. It can basically be safely said that in 5G network construction, Germany won’t exclude Huawei, and this position will also have a positive influence on other EU member states, and will benefit the stable development of Sino-German relations.

随后，欧盟也建议不要一开始就将华为排除在外，允许成员国采用华为的设备，前提是要收紧对移动网络运营商的安全要求，严格实施保护国家安全的设施，避免对一个供应商产生过分依赖。在继英国和欧盟纷纷表态后，果不出意外，德国联盟党议会党团于2月12日便达成一致，表示不应自动将中国的华为排除再5G网络建设之外，但要求华为必须遵守最高的安全要求。这一决定目前还要与执政伙伴社民党协商通过，此前，有不少社民党成员都反对华为参与德国的5G建设。基本上可以确定，在5G网络建设上，德国不会将华为排斥在外，而且德国的表态还会积极影响欧盟其他国家对华为的态度，这将有利于中德两国关系稳定发展。

What also brought about a turn for the better was that when China raised the nationwide strengths to fight the new-type corona virus, Germany gave China essential support and help. In early February, Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas expressed admiration for the Chinese government’s public, transparent and cooperative attitude and vigorous and effective measures against the “epidemic”. The plane that took German compatriots back to Germany had also delivered 5.4 tons of aid supplies to China.

另外，给中德关系带来转机的是，在中国举全国之力抗击抗新冠肺炎的时刻，德国给予了中国必要的支持与帮助。2月初，德国外长海科·马斯（Heiko Maas）对中国政府在抗“疫”过程中采取的公开、透明、合作态度以及有力、有效的措施表示钦佩。借撤侨之机，将5.4吨援助物资运抵中国。

When meeting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Berlin on February 13, Merkel said that Germany highly appreciated the firm and vigorous control measures taken by China to resist the epidemic, and would continue to provide China with support and help. […]

2月13日，默克尔在柏林会见王毅外长时表示，德方高度赞赏中国在对抗疫情时采取的果断有力的防控措施，会继续向中方提供支持和帮助。[…]

While Huang Ying argues that there is common ground, the commentariat (or, maybe, just the comments that remain undeleted) are mixed in their views. On the defensive side, demands for esthetic repairs are made:

The title doesn’t fit, it seems to suggest that China is meddling in Germany’s domestic politics. How about changing it into: How does Germany’s multi-party plight affect China,^*)

标题不当，好像中国要干涉德国内政
改一下如何：德国的多党困境，对中国有啥影响

or

Just a trade partner. Germany only looks at China’s wallets. Don’t count on anything else.

一个商业伙伴而已。德国只看中了中国的钱包。其他难指望。

Replying to the reader who worries about the title, another commenter suggests that

I think you are too sensitive, elder brother. […] The ambassador to Germany has kept saying that “no Huawei, no Audi”. Isn’t that interference in German domestic politics?

我倒觉得大兄弟你太敏感了 […] 驻德大使直接放话了，不能搞华为，否则就搞奥迪了。这算不算干涉德国内政？

____________

Note

^*) Don’t know if the title has hence been changed.

____________

Related

德国政治面临何种变局, 澎湃, Dec 7, 2018

____________