Xi’s Kitchen Cabinet (2): Li Qiang

The following is a translation of a report that toes a fine line between coming across as a moderately modest local hero, giving credit to your great sponsor, and still make people aware of your personal rise through the ranks. Li Qiang doesn’t visibly dominate the article and leaves a lot of space to Xi Jinping’s role in “Shanghai’s story”.

The article was published by Xinhua, in June 2021.

Apart from that, readers may get an idea of some of the key words in the megacity’s projects, and not least about the world according to Beijing.

Surveys about other nation’s attitudes towards China, certainly when published by Western media, often focus on OECD countries’ attitudes. At least when it comes to third-world countries’ “elites”, the picture can be different, and given the many failures of development projects in the past of the “global South”, the Chinese model does often sell there – especially when it comes with grants and scholarships.

This is the second part of a series about Xi’s kitchen cabinet, the 20th Politburo’s Standing Commission.

Previously posted:

Xi’s Kitchen Cabinet: (1): For what we are about to receive

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^{Top left: Li Qiang; top right: Song Tao}

Main Link:

The China Communist Party’s Story – the Practice of Xi Jinping Thought on New Era Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in Shanghai

Xinhua, Shanghai, June 16, report by Wu Yu.
Jointly organized by the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee, a dialogue under the name “China Communist Party’s Story – the Practice of Xi Jinping Thought on New Era Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in Shanghai” was carried out in Shanghai on June 16. Titled “Set out for the Dream, Witness the Wonders”, the world was shown the Communist Party of China’s glorious course through the century, and especially the party’s great achievements since its 18th National Congress, [illustrated by] the great changes from Shanghai as the party’s birthplace to the forefront of reform and opening up. 126 political parties and friendly organizatons with more than 740 representatives took part through video link, and ambassadors from more than 40 countries were present at the meeting.
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新华社上海6月16日电（记者吴宇）由中共中央对外联络部和中共上海市委共同主办的“中国共产党的故事——习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想在上海的实践”特别对话会16日在上海举行。对话会以“启航梦想，见证奇迹”为主题，通过上海从中国共产党的诞生地到中国改革开放前沿阵地的沧桑巨变，向世界展现中国共产党百年光辉历程，特别是党的十八大以来以习近平同志为核心的党中央带领中国取得的伟大成就。来自近100个国家、126个政党和友好组织的740多名代表通过视频连线参加对话会，40多个国家驻华大使现场出席会议。
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Li Qiang, member of the CPC Central Committee’s Politburo and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, said in his address that Shanghai is the birthplace of the CPC, the place from where the CPC’s dream set out, a window for the world on China, a hub that connects China with the world, and a main carrier for major national strategies. Since the CPC’s 19th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally visited Shanghai in four consecutive years, issued strategic arrangements for Shanghai’s development, poured in great momentum, Shanghai became more radiant by the day, an even more dazzling pearl of the Orient.
Binding together the vivid stories of the rise of Luziazui Financial City‘s rise, the Huangpu and Suzhou Rivers’ shoreline linkup, the “two networks” in step with the municipality (integrated online government services, “management on one website”), [Li Qiang] described Shanghai’s concrete practice in Pudong’s development and opening up, in people’s city building and megacity administration. He said that under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Thought, Shanghai will unswervingly follow the road of liberating thought, deepening reform, orientation towards the world, and of broadening openness, of smashing routine, creating new breakthroughs, and of constantly producing extraordinary achievements that are worthy of the party’s place of origin.
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中共中央政治局委员、上海市委书记李强在致辞中表示，上海是中国共产党的诞生地，是中国共产党梦想启航的地方，也是世界观察中国的窗口、中国链接世界的枢纽、国家重大战略的重要承载地。中共十九大以来，习近平总书记连续四年亲临上海，为上海发展作出战略擘画、注入强大动力，上海正日益焕发出更加璀璨的光彩，成为更加耀眼的东方明珠。李强结合陆家嘴金融城兴起、黄浦江苏州河“一江一河”岸线贯通、政务服务“一网通办”和城市运行“一网统管”“两张网”建设等生动故事，讲述了上海在浦东开发开放、人民城市建设、超大城市治理方面的具体实践，表示上海将在习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想指引下，坚定走解放思想、深化改革之路，面向世界、扩大开放之路，打破常规、创新突破之路，不断创造无愧于党的诞生地的不凡业绩。
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Song Tao, director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, said that Shanghai, as the place where the dream of the Communist Party of China had set out from, had witnessed the beginnings of the great cause of the CPC’s founding, witnessed the quantum leap of China standing up, prospering and its rise to become a strong country. Over the past century, the CPC had persisted in following the goal of the people’s happiness, in the struggle towards the goal of the nations’s great rejuvenation, and especially since the party’s 18th national congress, under the strong leadership of the party’s central committee with Xi Jinping as the core, all the party’s and the state’s undertakings had achieved historic successes. The masses’ sense of gain, feeling of happiness and sense of security had been enormously improved, and so had China’s international status and influence. The Communist Party had also always striven for the cause of mankind’s progress. As for the future, the CPC wants to work with political parties from all the countries of the world to strengthen friendly contacts, to bring together the majestic power of building the Community of common destiny for mankind, and to make new and greater contributions global peaceful development and the progress of mankind.
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中共中央对外联络部部长宋涛表示，上海作为中国共产党梦想启航地方，见证了中国共产党成立这一开天辟地的大事，见证了中国从站起来到富起来、强起来的伟大飞跃。一百年来，中国共产党坚持把为人民谋幸福、为民族谋复兴作为奋斗目标，特别是党的十八大以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，党和国家的各项事业取得历史性成就，人民群众的获得感、幸福感和安全感极大提升，中国的国际地位和影响力极大提升。中国共产党也一直为人类进步事业而奋斗。展望未来，中国共产党愿同世界各国政党加强友好往来，凝聚构建人类命运共同体的磅礴力量，为世界和平发展和人类进步事业作出新的更大贡献。
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The representatives of political parties etc. participating in the meeting earnestly listened to the story of Shanghai’s economic and social development and the people’s improved standard of living, narrated by representatives from all walks of life in Shanghai. Chairman of the Socialist Party of Serbia and President of Parliament Ivica Dačić, Cambodian People’s Party Central Committee’s Standing Committee and Second Vice President of Cambodia’s National Assembly Khuon Sodary, the Party of the European Left‘s first vice chairperson Mola, Gabonese Democratic Party‘s General Secretary¹⁾ Bounguendza, Panama Democratic Revolutionary Party General Secretary González, People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan vice chairman²⁾ Yousufei etc. warmly congratulated on the CPC’s 100th founding anniversary and its successes that had caught the attention of the world. They said that the CPC’s foundation had not only greatly changed China’s development process, but also contributed significantly to world peace and global development, having become a model for study by the world’s political parties, and an example to learn from. Following the CPC’s 18th national congress, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core had proposed the “Belt and Road” initiative, helping developing countries to achieve greater development, vividly adding to the concept of a Community of common destiny for mankind. They hoped to strengthen exchanges with the CPC about government experience, and to advance pragmatic cooperation in all fields so as to benefit all countries and peoples even better.
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与会政党代表等认真听取了上海各界人士代表讲述上海经济社会发展和人民生活水平提升的故事。塞尔维亚社会党主席、议长达契奇，柬埔寨人民党中央常委、国会第二副主席昆索达莉，欧洲左翼党第一副主席莫拉，加蓬民主党总书记本根扎，巴拿马民主革命党总书记冈萨雷斯，塔吉克斯坦人民民主党副主席尤苏菲等在发言中热烈祝贺中国共产党百年华诞和取得的举世瞩目成就，表示中国共产党的成立不仅极大改变了中国的发展进程，也为世界和平、发展与进步作出了重大贡献，成为世界政党研究、借鉴和学习的榜样。中共十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的中共中央提出“一带一路”倡议、助力发展中国家实现更大发展，生动诠释了人类命运共同体理念。愿同中国共产党加强治国理政经验交流，促进各领域务实合作，更多造福各国和各国人民。
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Notes

1)	the title might look revolutionary, but Wikipedia suggests that his party is center-right
2)	supposing this is a man

To be continued.

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Related

Many Miracles, “China Daily”, June 18, 2021
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Xi Jinping’s Reply Letter to “Global Young Leaders Dialogue”

An organization named “Global Young Leaders Dialogue” has made it into the number-one headline¹⁾ of China People’s Broadcasting Station‘s morning news on Thursday.²⁾ The “Global Young Leaders Dialogue” is, by self-description, a “unique communication, education, and professional development platform for young achievers under the age of 45 with diverse regional, cultural, disciplinary, sectorial, and professional backgrounds across the globe”, “jointly initiated by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS)”.

The “Center for China and Globalization”, in turn, is a “think tank” devoted to the development of “a new narrative system” in track-II diplomacy (possibly not exactly the same, but similar to, “people-to-people diplomacy”.

The project appears to have formed a “partner” organization in Europe, too, the “Europe-Asia Center”, whose colors come across as somewhat EU-China-centered:

“Europe Asia Center” logo

Fittingly, former President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy sent them a “congratulatory letter”, too, dated August 5.

The project is probably some kind of “must-have”, not only among “people-to-people diplomacy” advocates, but in the view of the party leadership, too: cooptation stuff like this forms part of the imperial regalia. After all, the World Economic Forum runs a “Young Global  Leaders” project, too. German Green Party chancellor candidate, Annalena Baerbock, is among them.

But back to the Chinese copy of it.

The following is a translation from a letter reportedly sent by Xi Jinping, to the “Global Young Leaders Dialogue”.

Reply letter
回信

Delegates of the “Global Young Leaders’ Dialogue Project”:
“国际青年领袖对话”项目外籍青年代表：

Hello! I have received your letter. You all study, work, and live in China, and I am very glad that you now have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and understanding of China through thorough travels and visits.
你们好！来信收悉。你们都在中国学习、工作、生活，这次有机会到各地深入走访，加深了对中国的认识和了解，我感到很高兴。

Just as you wrote in your letter, the Chinese people rely on their own wisdom and sweat to build a fertile and beautiful homeland on the earth of China, to create a civilization of many forms and colors, and to achieve the life of modest prosperity it has long yearned for. Happiness demands struggle. The most important thing is to be based on the national condition and to take one’s own road. Practice shows that the new Chinese-style road of modernization becomes ever broader and will help to develop better ourselves and thus benefit the world.
正如你们在来信中谈到的，中国人民依靠自己的智慧和汗水，在中华大地上建设富饶美丽的家园，创造多姿多彩的文化，实现了梦寐以求的小康生活。要幸福就要奋斗。中国幅员辽阔、人口众多，要想发展振兴，最重要的就是立足国情、走自己的路。实践表明，中国式现代化新道路越走越宽广，将更好发展自身、造福世界。

Youth is always accompanied by dreams. The Communist Party of China has passed the 100-years’ milestone, but our original intentions have only grown stronger as time has passed. After 100 years, you are just in your prime time. On our new journey, we will continue to make the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation happen in an indefatigable struggle, and indefatigably struggle to promote the progress of mankind’s development. We welcome more international young people to come to China for exchange, and hopefully, Chinese and foreign young people, as they learn from each other and set examples for each other, will improve understanding, earn friendship, grow together, and devote youthful power to contribute to the building of a community of common destiny for mankind.³⁾
青春总是同梦想相伴。中国共产党走过了百年奋斗历程，但我们的初心和梦想历久弥坚。百年恰是风华正茂。在新征程上，我们将继续为实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而不懈奋斗，为促进人类发展进步而不懈奋斗。我们欢迎更多国际青年来华交流，希望中外青年在互学互鉴中增进了解、收获友谊、共同成长，为推动构建人类命运共同体贡献青春力量。

I wish you all the best in China!
祝愿你们在华一切顺利！

CPC Secretary General and State Chairman Xi Jinping, August 10, 2021 / Xinhua, August 11
中共中央总书记 国家主席 习近平 2021年8月10日 （新华社北京8月11日电）

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Notes

1) That’s no reason for the “young leaders” to get too exhilarated though. If Xi Jinping had opened a parrot-breeding station the day before, it might have been the number-one headline, too. In national news, it doesn’t matter what is done, but by who it is done.
²⁾ CPBS, August 11, 2021, 22:30 UTC
³⁾ More literally translated: a community of common destiny for mankind.
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Related

Center for China and Globalization’s New Narrative System, July 19, 2021
Enhancing Zhou Enlai’s Convivial Diplomacy, Febr 20, 2012 (re Oct 9, 2009)
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Updates / Related

Xi Jinping schrieb zurück, CRI, Aug 11, 2021
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Center for China and Globalization develops “new narrative system”

The following is my translation of an excerpt from a book review by a Chinese think tank named Center for China and Globalization (全球化智库), (re)published by a number of Chinese online media. The book is probably CCG’s own work. The review and the content related there should not be too easily thought of as a possible new trend in Chinese public diplomacy unless it is echoed elsewhere in Chinese politics. An article published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute contains some information about the think tank’s work abroad and its background.

My translation may contain mistakes. Corrections are welcome.

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

[…]

Based on CCG’s practice of track-II diplomacy, this book summarizes the ten experiences CCG went through while developing a new narrative system. Specifically, CCG, in new international narrative exchanges, CCG emphasizes the following aspects.

基于CCG二轨外交的实践，本书总结了CCG打造新叙事体系的十条经验：具体来说，CCG国际交流新叙事注重以下几个方面：

1. Look at China’s topics from a global perspective, talk more about common values and emphasize universality. Let China’s voice in globalization be heard.

第一，全球化视野思考中国问题，多说共同价值，多讲普遍性，向世界发出中国的全球化声音；

2. Less conceptional advocacy¹⁾, and more objective and reasonable ways of expression. Use facts and figures. Talk more about China’s contributions to globalization, and tell China’s story from a multilateralist point of view.

第二，少理念倡导，多客观理性表达，用事实与数据说话。多讲中国对全球化的贡献，从多边角度讲中国故事；

3. Be modest but self-confident, tolerant but not without a position of your own. Practice mutual respect and an interlocutory attitude, without an aim of defeating your counterpart, communicate your own ideas and communicate effectively.

第三，谦和而自信，包容而有立场，相互尊重，对话姿态，不以博倒对方为目的，传递自身理念，做有效沟通；

4. Innovate the popularized narrative discourse system, all-embracing, narrating your case multi-levelled and multi-angledly, from the perspectives of politics, diplomacy, trade, human affairs, and individual experience. Above all, analyze the logic of China’s development with inside information about concrete details of Chinese culture.

第四，创新民间化叙事话语体系，兼容并包，从政治、外交、商业、人文、个体经验多层次多角度讲述个案。尤其通过讲述中国文化底蕴分析中国现实发展逻辑；

5. Take interviews from international mainstream media and make yourself heard on international social media.

第五，接受国际主流媒体访问，通过国际社交媒体发声；第六，走出去主动参与国际主流轮坛平台，积极发言交流；

6. Go out and participate in international mainstream forum platforms, speak out actively and communicate socially.

第六，走出去主动参与国际主流轮坛平台，积极发言交流；

7. Actively set an agenda and expand the topic’s impact on international mainstream platforms.

第七，主动设置议题，在国际主流平台扩大议题影响力；

8. Be creative in building new types of international exchange platforms. Constructively initiate new types of multilateral international organizations.

第八，创造性搭建新型国际交流平台，建设性发起新型多边国际组织。

9. Take the courage to face different opinions, make contact with a multitude of interlocutors. Establish wide-ranged exchange and dialogue in Chinese and foreign political, business, academic and research circles. Promote track-II diplomacy.

第九，勇于直面不同意见，接触多元交流对象，在中外政商学研界建立广泛交流与对话，促进民间二轨外交。

10. Keep up with international and domestic points of strong [public] interest, be flexible in strengthening the think tank’s²⁾ influence through a multitude of channels and methods.

第十，及时紧跟国际国内热点，灵活通过多渠道多方式传播增强智库影响力。

[…]

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Notes

1	conceptual advocacy is just my guess for the Chinese term for 理念倡导 – to argue in favor of a topic, approach, or perspective. It may as well be translated as <em>idea advocacy</em>.
2	the think tank in question here should be CCG.

External Propaganda: Cai Mingzhao’s then, Xi Jinping’s now?

Politburo’s 30th study session, Xinwen Lianbo, June 1, 2021

English-speaking Chinese media translate 传播 (chuánbō) as “communication” – as in this English-language rendition of a Xi speech on May 31, to the “30th collective study session of the CPC politburo. I don’t quite trust the translation, because there is a Chinese habit of making Chinese terms more palatable to a foreign audience by using not-quite-the-closest possible translation.

As a shortwave user, the most familiar translation to me would be propagation, which may stand for a process of information flow, “transmissions of impulses (or triggers) to influence the behavior of others” (传播就是某个人传递刺激以影响另一些人行为的过程), or “social information flows and the information of social information systems” (郭庆光定义传播是社会資訊的流动和社会資訊系统的运行). All that, and more, plus propaganda, I suppose.

So, the official Chinese translation for chuánbō would be communication. But China Copyright and Media, in an October 2013 translation of an article by Cai Mingzhao, director of the State Council Information Office’s Foreign Propaganda Office at the time, referred to chuánbō as dissemination. It’s a translation that leaves room for a lot of interpretation.

What strikes me when reading the China Copyright and Media translation of nearly eight years ago is its similarity with Xi’s speech of May 31. Back then, Cai Mingzhao, the State Council of Information Office’s external propaganda bureau at the time, discussed the future priorities in public diplomacy work in the light of Xi Jinping’s recent speech at the National Propaganda and Ideology Work Conference.

While Xi’s national propaganda conference speech in August 2013 had contained some referals to external propaganda, too, most of it had been about propaganda in general, and ideological work within China. In fact, I’m under the impression that in his May 31 speech, which focused exclusively on external propaganda, Xi borrowed heavily from Cai Mingzhao’s 2013 article.

You can contrast these two English renditions: one by China Daily on June 2, i. e. four days ago, reflecting Xi’s speech, and one by China Copyright and Media, in October 2013, translating Cai Mingzhao’s article.

Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Iran, “thanks to a Friendly Attitude and Unique Wisdom”

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif signed an agreement on a strategic partnership for the duration of 25 years, a deal that, the BBC believes, could give Iran more leverage with the US. While Iran is an important trading partner with even more potential for China, Zarif’s bow to Wang Yi (which apparently isn’t reciprocated) might indicate who needs who more urgently.

Washington reportedly evaluates if a $400 billion investment deal also signed by the two sides “will trigger sanctions under American law”. A day after the signing ceremony, Iran’s foreign radio reported that “major American papers and news outlets have warned about decline in the United States’ power and sphere of influence”.

The following is a translation of a commentary by a People’s University scholar in the Beijing Daily (北京日报), published on April 2 local time and UTC. Links within blockquotes added during translation.

SETV (Fujian) coverage – click photo for details

Main Link:
With the Sino-Iranian 25-years comprehensive cooperation agreement, the “road of Mideast diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” is becoming ever broader (中伊25年全面合作协议，“中国特色中东外交之路”越走越宽)

In the past few days, a Sino-Iranian comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement for the duration of 25 years has been officially signed. This is the first time that Iran has signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with any foreign country, and an important milestone in Sino-Iranian relations.

近日，为期25年的中伊全面合作协议正式签署。这是伊朗首次与外国签署全面战略合作协议，也是中伊关系的重要里程碑。

In 2016, China and Iran established a comprehensive strategic partnership. At the time they also jointly confirmed their intention of achieving this kind of comprehensive cooperation agreement. For five years, there have been high-level exchanges of opinion, a strengthening consensus, and finally the achievements as mentioned above. In the author’s view, the two countries’ movement into the same direction is also a microcosm of China’s Mideast diplomacy. Thanks to a friendly attitude and unique wisdom, we have opened a “road of Mideast diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” within the complicated international relations.

2016年，中伊建立全面战略伙伴关系，当时便共同确认了达成这项全面合作协议的意向。五年间，两国高层多次交换意见、强化共识，最终促成了上述硕果。在笔者看来，中伊两国长期的相向而行，也是中国中东外交的一个缩影。凭借友好态度与独特智慧，我们在中东纷繁复杂的国际关系中开辟了一条“中国特色中东外交之路”。

China has always upheld the spirit of the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”, which has won it the wide-spread recognition of Mideast countries. When China recovered its legitimate seat at the United Nations in 1971, the overwhelming majority of Mideast countries firmly supported China’s legitimate claim. After the “One Belt one Road” initiative had been proposed, the Middle Eastern countries responded positively. During this period, China established comprehensive strategic partnership relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, as well as strategic partnerships with Qatar and Jordan, and an innovative comprehensive strategic partnership with Israel. It can be said that China’s Mideastern “friendship circle” keeps widening.

中国在外交中一直秉持“和平共处五项原则”精神，赢得了中东国家的广泛认可。1971年中国恢复联合国合法席位时，绝大多数中东国家都坚定支持了中国的合法诉求。“一带一路”倡议提出后，中东国家更是积极响应。在此期间，中国与伊朗、沙特阿拉伯、埃及、阿拉伯联合酋长国建立了全面战略伙伴关系，与卡塔尔、约旦建立了战略伙伴关系，与以色列建立了创新全面伙伴关系。可以说，中国的中东“朋友圈”越来越大。

As everyone knows, the Middle East region is located centrally within the Eurasian continent, with numerous countries, complex situations, thickets of contradictions, and traditional interference by foreign powers. Big-power games and internal clashes have kept the Mideast region in war and chaos for a long time, with the economy developing only slowly. Therefore, Mideast countries have a skeptical attitude towards many foreign powers. Why does China have such a good reputation? In its diplomacy, China advocates tolerance and setting mutual example rather than civilizational concepts of bipolar antagonism. China and Mideastern countries, including Iran, have different civilizational backgrounds and political and economic environments, but we have never looked at this as something “other”, but looked at them as those who once established splendid civilizations, and which went through thick and thin with New China, who kept watch and defended one another as good partners. This concept of “goodwill, sincerity and tolerance” as well as China’s diplomatic practice of “non-aligned partnership” has led the politically and geographically troubled Mideastern countries to relax precautions and to develop still deeper and closer development with China.

众所周知，中东地区位于亚欧大陆中心位置，国家众多，形势复杂，矛盾丛生，长期以来频频遭受域外大国的干预。大国博弈和内部冲突让中东地区长期战乱，经济发展缓慢。因此，中东国家对很多域外大国都带有怀疑态度。为什么中国能够做到有口皆碑？正在于我们在外交中倡导包容互鉴而非二元对立的文明观念。中国与包括伊朗在内的中东国家有着不同的文化背景和政治经济环境，但我们从未将其视为“异类”，而是看作曾创立过辉煌文明，又与新中国甘苦与共、守望相助的好伙伴。这种“亲诚惠容”的理念，以及中国“结伴不结盟”的外交实践，让深陷政治地理困境的中东国家可以放下戒备，与中国开展更加深入密切的合作。

The official signing of the agreement is only a beginning, and the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Iran continues to grow stronger. From a wider perspective, China’s Mideast diplomacy also merits expectations: The “One Belt one Road” initiative is advancing steadily, China’s talks on free-trade agreements with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and with Israel are unfolding, Notable achievements have been made in China’s vaccine cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran and other countries, China plays a growing role in the Syria issue, the Palestine-Israel issue and other Mideast hot spots … We have reason to believe that the “road of Mideast diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” is becoming ever broader.

合作协议正式签署只是一个开始，中伊两国全面战略伙伴关系还在不断加强。以更大视野来看，中国的中东外交也值得期待：“一带一路”倡议稳步推进，中国与海合会六国、以色列的自由贸易协定谈判正在开展，中国与阿联酋、巴林、伊朗等国的疫苗合作取得显著成就，中国正在叙利亚问题、巴以问题等中东热点问题中发挥越来越大的作用……我们有理由相信，“中国特色中东外交之路”将越走越宽。

(The author, Li Kunze, is a doctor at the People’s University’s¹⁾ School of International Studies.)

（作者李坤泽系中国人民大学国际关系学院博士）

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Notes

¹⁾ aka Renmin University
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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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Hearts and Minds, Febr 13, 2009
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Chinese Foreign Ministry’s online press conference on Friday, foreign-support statistics

Translation Chinese-English, main Link: 外交部：已有33个国家政府和4个国际组织向中方提供了疫情防控医疗物资

China Daily, February 14, reporter Zhou Jin — Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press conference, conducted online, that 33 national governments and 4 international organizations have supplied China with medical goods for preventing and controlling the epidemic situation.

中国日报2月14日电（记者 周瑾）外交部发言人耿爽14日在网上例行记者会上表示，已有33个国家政府和4个国际组织向中方提供了疫情防控医疗物资，中方对于来自国际社会，特别是来自其他发展中国家的真诚友善的支持和帮助表示欢迎和感谢。

A reporter asked: Can you make public how many national governments have supplied China with medical goods for preventing and controlling the epidemic situation?

有记者问：你能否透露截至目前有多少国家的政府向中方提供抗疫援助物资?

Geng Shuang said that facing the epidemic, China mainly relies on its own strength, and we have the confidence and abilities to do that. At the same time, we express our welcome and thanks for international community’s support and help, particularly from other developing countries.

耿爽表示，面对疫情，中方主要依靠自身的力量应对，我们对此有信心、有能力。同时，对于来自国际社会，特别是来自其他发展中国家的真诚友善的支持和帮助，我们都表示欢迎和感谢。

Geng Shuang explained that according to our diplomatic channels, 33 national governments and 4 international organizations have supplied China with medical goods for preventing and controlling the epidemic situation, including Algeria, Australia, Belarus, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Suriname, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the USA, Uzbakistan, Vietnam, the European Union, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Program, and the International Organization for Migration.

耿爽介绍说，根据我们从外交渠道掌握的情况，截至2月14日中午12时，已有33个国家政府和4个国际组织向中方提供了疫情防控医疗物资，包括：阿尔及利亚、澳大利亚、白俄罗斯、柬埔寨、加拿大、埃及、法国、德国、加纳、匈牙利、印度尼西亚、伊朗、意大利、日本、韩国、哈萨克斯坦、马来西亚、尼泊尔、新西兰、巴基斯坦、菲律宾、俄罗斯、新加坡、苏里南、塔吉克斯坦、泰国、特立尼达和多巴哥、土耳其、阿联酋、英国、美国、乌兹别克斯坦、越南，欧盟、联合国儿童基金会、联合国开发计划署、国际移民组织。

According to his explanations, 17 national governments and 1 international organization had relevant medical supplies to China, including Austria, Brazil, the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Norway, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovenia, and the United Nations Population Fund.

据他介绍，有17个国家政府和1个国际组织宣布将向中方提供相关医疗物资，包括：奥地利、巴西、刚果（布）、哥斯达黎加、捷克、丹麦、厄瓜多尔、爱沙尼亚、肯尼亚、吉尔吉斯斯坦、拉脱维亚、挪威、巴勒斯坦、卡塔尔、沙特阿拉伯、塞尔维亚、斯洛文尼亚，联合国人口基金。

He said that the governments of Chile, Equatorial Guinea, North Korea, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Vanuatu, and the United Nations’ institutions in China had also given China financial and material support. Many people from many countries’ societies, from all walks of life, overseas Chinese, Chinese-invested companies, Chinese overseas students etc. had also given a lot of support in a number of ways.

他称，此外，智利、赤道几内亚、朝鲜、马尔代夫、蒙古、缅甸、瓦努阿图等国政府和联合国驻华机构也向中方提供了其他形式的资金和物质支持。很多国家社会各界友好人士、华侨华人、中资企业、中国留学生等也通过各种方式提供了大量支持。

他称，此外，智利、赤道几内亚、朝鲜、马尔代夫、蒙古、缅甸、瓦努阿图等国政府和联合国驻华机构也向中方提供了其他形式的资金和物质支持。很多国家社会各界友好人士、华侨华人、中资企业、中国留学生等也通过各种方式提供了大量支持。

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Obituary: Li Wenliang, 1986 – 2020

One would like to deny it, but even the crudest of propaganda will leave tireless traces on the hard disks of generations. This defines the way Li Wenliang (李文亮), an eye doctor at Wuhan Central Hospital at his lifetime, will be collectively remembered – as a hero who served the people, not as a serious professional.

His death is a calamity, and so is the way he is going to live on in the people’s memory. The authorities didn’t see him in a position to do his job, unhampered by politics. The CCP can’t deal with professional attitudes – to the leadership and its fat cats at the grassroots, ordinary Chinese people are always children, and daddy (or stepdaddy) always knows better. And of course, only daddy must ever excel at his job – be it running the economy, be it running “vocational schools” for alleged “extremists” in Xinjiang, or be it handing down “instructions on how to handle the epidemic”.

Now, Li’s death is becoming a didactic play that flies into the face of the geniuses in Zhongnanhai. Not everything was wrong with the system. A month after Li had been reprimanded for going public (i. e. on the internet) with his medical findings, the Supreme People’s Court reportedly said that “[i]t might have been a fortunate thing if the public had believed the ‘rumors’ then and started to wear masks and carry out sanitization measures, and avoid the wild animal market.”

The unfortunate thing is that the People’s Court’s utterances come across as a try to defuse a dangerous idol – some kind of uncontrollable modernized Lei Feng, conceived and created outside the CPC’s laboratories. He isn’t a marginal idol – even CCTV is sobbing (supposedly, not only outside the Great Firewall of China).

Still, Zhongnanhai may continue to sleep well behind its firewalls. Not even “Sound of Hope”, a Falun-Gong affiliated radio station, appears to find much criticism of the central leadership online, be it because the usual screenplay – idiots at the grassroots, wise leaders at the top – is still effective, be it because the censors are doing a great job.

Li is reportedly survived by his pregnant wife and one child.

Li Wenliang, born in Liaoning Province on October 12, 1986, died in Hubei Province on February 6 or 7, 2020.