Sunday Press: “Resolutely preventing a Return of Large-Scale Poverty”

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1. Headlines

Let’s start with “Guanchazhe, a news portal from Shanghai that is frequently considered as not-so-politicized, but don’t buy into that, because it’s complicated.

New Normal:
Moving across Guanchazhe’s (Shanghai) wbsite top line, we are told that “the most important thing is to boost confidence” – a report on the economic conference held by the central committee and state council on Friday and Saturday – see details further down, under “Economic Work Conference”.

Another New Normal (or who knows):
Nucleic acid test station booths are advised to turn into service stations that provide feverish passerbys with “convenient” treatment and advice (through the booth window). That, the Chinese press and radio suggest, are ideas that had become “hot” among netizens in Suzhou.

“Guanchazhe” on Sunday

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Old Normal:

When Sino-U.S. relations are bad, it must be America’s fault. Will U.S. President Biden come to his senses and stop believing that he can win against China? That’s the teaser for an exchange of opinions between Professors Zhang Weiwei (张维为) and Fan Yongpeng (范勇鹏), both from Fudan University.

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Now, a few words ab out that “economic work conference, as promised. Let’s turn to an article published by CPBS, China’s nation-wide radio network.

2. Economic Work Conference

Reportedly held in Beijing on December 15 and 16. It’s an annual meeting … here’`s Wikepedia, as accessed on December 19:

held in the People’s Republic of China which sets the national agenda for the Economy of China and its financial and banking sectors. It is convened by the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council[1] following themes, keywords, set by the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[citation needed] As of 2012, the meetings, which are closed, were being held for 2 or 3 days during the 2nd or 3rd week of December.[1]

While closed, they do publish some details of what has been said (or what sounds plausible, etc.). The entire party, country and all nationalities have been up to the challenges, achieving that wasn’t easy and should be highly valued, and the foundations of economic recovery aren’t sound yet, as demand contraction, supply shocks and weakening expectations remain the three big pressures¹⁾. To blame were – who would have thought it – “a turbulent and unsafe environment outside China’s borders” (外部环境动荡不安，给我国经济带来的影响加深). A general upturn was expected for 2023, given the strength anbd potential of the Chinese economy.

The two unwaverings (两个毫不动摇) are going to stay with us, and so will the promotion of a policy of opening up to outside world on a high level (持推进高水平对外开放). The three safeguards (三保, people’s livelihood, safe wages, and operation of authorities) are also featuring, and so are greater efforts in attracting and using foreign investsment, and resolute prevention of a large-scale return of poverty (坚决防止出现规模性返贫). High-quality development (高质量发展) is mentioned a number of times.

Have a good pre-Christmas week.
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Notes

1)	demand contraction, supply shocks and weakening expectations

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Patriotic Pep Talk: Angry, angrier, scientific

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^{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!

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Related

“Cold War mentality”, Asia Financial
And now, no news, Nov 20, 2021
By any other name, March 30, 2018
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Press Review, Thursday, June 9, 2022

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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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Biden-Xi Videolink last Friday: “Some People haven’t put the positive statements of Mr. President into practice”

When one guy knows what the other one thinks while saying something completely different, that’s probably called successful diplomacy – at least when relations are rotten. That’s also true for the video meeting of the American and Chinese heads of state last Friday (March 18).
What strikes the reader of the communiqués are the shares of the two participants in each others’ readouts.

Characters count: Biden 224 / 1187 Xi (Xinhua)

The White House’s readout contains only 164 words, none of which can be attributed to the Chinese interlcoutor alone – and it mentions implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia. Xinhua, on the other hand, doesn’t even mention President Biden’s threat.
Let’s focus on the Xinhua communiqué.

The first cross-purposes talk is about the legendary “One-China policy”. This term, probably garaged in every joint statement ever issued by China and a new diplomatic counterpart, can mean very different things from one country to another. The US, for example, “acknowledges that Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States does not challenge that position.” There’s no position taken by the United States here.

So when Biden declares that “that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed”, Xi Jinping knows that this is no recognition of China’s claims concerning Taiwan. Still, as if they mean the same thing, Xi expresses tells Biden how much he values his statement.

Following that, Xinhua’s account moves on to Chinese accusations made by Xi. Sino-US relations hadn’t recovered from the difficulties created “by the previous administration” (i. e. the Trump admin, but without naming it). Rather, even more challenges to these relations were emerging. Xi continues:

In particular, some people in America send wrong signals to the forces [in Taiwan] supporting “Taiwanese independence”. If the Taiwan issue isn’t handled well, this can have a subverting effect on [Sino-US] relations. We hope that America attaches sufficient attention to this. The immediate cause for the situation in Sino-American relations is that some people on the American side don’t implement the significant consensus the two of us [Biden and Xi] have achieved, and that they haven’t put the positive statements of Mr. President into practice either. America’s strategic intentions towards China have created misinterpretations and wrong assessments.
特别是美国一些人向“台独”势力发出错误信号，这是十分危险的。台湾问题如果处理不好，将会对两国关系造成颠覆性影响。希望美方予以足够重视。中美关系之所以出现目前的局面，直接原因是，美方一些人没有落实我们两人达成的重要共识，也没有把总统先生的积极表态落到实处。美方对中方的战略意图作出了误读误判。

Xi ostensibly gives Biden “credit” by condemning the Trump administration. This follows an opportunistic pattern in China by which it also judges its own past dynasties. Every misery and every defect is blamed on (now powerless) sinister guys from the pre-“communist” past, and the CPC is the mother of all progress. That’s how those in power today can talk with each other and be at ease – albeit at the cost of historical accuracy, at least in public.

Also, Xi applies a similar ambiguity to opponents in America, as Biden America applies to the status of Taiwan. Who are those “some people on the American side”? They could refer to quarters within the Biden administration, but also to opposition politicians like Trumps former secretary of state Michael Pompeo – considered a spawn of hell by Beijing, for reasons like these.

As China doesn’t understand the concept of an opposition, those portrayed by Xi as saboteurs may just be some American newspaper columnist who happened to catch his eye.

Then the conversation – according to Xinhua – turns to Ukraine. Xi uses the same keywords as usual – avoiding escalation, paying attention to the tasks of the moment, overcoming “cold-war mentality”, etc.. Both heads of state agree, finally, to make efforts respectively to a) get their countries’ relations back on track and b) to find an appropriate solution for the “Ukraine crisis”.

Main Chinese concerns, apart from more stable Sino-US relations, appear to be economic issues. The situation “it had come to in Ukraine” wasn’t what China wanted to see, Xinhua quotes Xi. He criticizes “comprehensive and indiscriminate sanctions that caused “suffering among the common people, and points to a double challenge – Covid-SARS and economic development, both influenced by the two most recent crises.

There may be one deviation from the usual talk however: “only the one who attached the bell to the tiger  can remove it again”.

If Biden followed up and asked if this referred to him or to Putin (or Zelensky, or everyone) is not passed down on us, but one might guess that Xi didn’t mainly refer to Moscow.

Ding Xuexiang, Liu He and Wang Yi as well as other persons attended on Xi’s side of the meeting.

Trans-Pacific Press Review (TPPR), April 14

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Happy reading …

Date	Item
	—
April 1	Argentina has sought Chinese support in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Argentina started with reaching an agreement with the IMF. China is one of Argentina’s biggest trade and investment partners. According to a report by Argentina’s embassy to China, Argentina’s ambassador to China, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, has had meetings with high-level Chinese officials. The purpose was to ask China to support Argentina in its talks to have deadlines extended and interest on debt lowered.
	—
April 9	Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and a master of innocuous small talk, died last Friday.
	—
April 9	Also on Friday, the world’s biggest Mazu pilgrimage started in Dajia District, Taichung, Taiwan.
	—
April 9	Still on Friday, China’s ambassador to Canada had reassuring news for Michael Spavor‘s and Michael Kovrig‘s fellow citizens: the “vast majority” should not worry about being kidnapped by the police, he reportedly told a Zoom audience Memorial University of St. John’s. (I suppose his wording was a bit different from kidnapped by the police, rather something like “people engage in those criminal activities, whether it’s Canadians or other nationalities”.)
	—
April 12	Gao Fu (高福), head of the Chinese Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has been quoted as saying that China’s current vaccines  “don’t have very high rates of protection”, but later referred to this statement as a “complete misunderstanding”.
	—
April 14	US climate envoy John Kerry is in China, and two authors on Foreign Policy have some advice for him.
	—
April 14	Also, a US delegation is in Taiwan at President Joe Biden‘s request. President Tsai Ing-wen will reportedly meet with the delegation on Thursday morning.

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Related

Universal topics, Mar 22, 2018
RAE adds Chinese programs, Jun 10, 2013

Anchorage Expectations: “The Chinese and American people are wise and competent”

The following is a translation of a news article by “Chinanews Service” newsagency (中国新闻社). Statements quoted by the newsagency have been translated from Chinese into English without checking back what actually has been the original English-language wording.

Main Link: Four Highlights of the Sino-US High-Level Meeting in Anchorage

Four Highlights of the Sino-US High-Level Meeting in Anchorage

中美高层安克雷奇会晤的四大看点

Chinanews, Beijing, March 13, reporter Ma Jiajia

中新社北京3月13日电 / 中新社记者 马佳佳

On March 11, Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China [FMPRC from here] spokesman Zhao Lijian announced that following an American invitation, Central Committee Standing Committee member and Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Director Yang Jiechi and State Council member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold a high-level Sino-US strategic dialogue with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Presidential National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Anchorage, on March 18 and 19. This being the first high-level face-to-face meeting since the Biden administration took office, international media have predicted that this meeting will be “open and difficult” and may well determine the future direction of the two countries’ relations. Which points are there to watch for better or worse in this widely observed meeting?

3月11日，中国外交部发言人赵立坚宣布，应美方邀请，中共中央政治局委员、中央外事工作委员会办公室主任杨洁篪，国务委员兼外长王毅将同美国国务卿布林肯、总统国家安全事务助理沙利文于3月18日至19日在安克雷奇举行中美高层战略对话。作为美国拜登政府执政以来，中美高层的首次面对面会谈，有国际媒体预测，此次会晤将“坦率而艰难”，或将决定两国关系的未来走向。此次备受关注的会晤有哪些看点？

Point 1: Where is Anchorage?

看点一：安克雷奇在哪里？

Anchorage is located at the center of US State Alaska’s mid-south, it is Alaska’s biggest city and also a transit hub for some flights from America to Asia. In 2017, this city’s number of inhabitants was 400,000, more than 54 percent of the entire state’s population, and only New York is another city in the United States whose population exceeds its state’s entire population by more than 40 percent.

安克雷奇位于美国阿拉斯加州中南部，是阿拉斯加州最大的城市，也是一些美国到亚洲航班的中转站。2017年这座城市的人口为40万人，超过全州人口的54%，是除了纽约市以外，全美另外一个人口超过了所在州总人口40%以上的城市。

Anchorage’s connections are convenient. It is an important harbor in Alaska with more than 95 percent of goods entering the state here, and it is also Anchorage’s railways hub.

安克雷奇交通便利，是阿拉斯加州的重要港口，超过95%的货物从这里进入阿拉斯加州，也是安克雷奇铁路的汇集地。

Also, Anchorage is situated at the center of the arctic circle’s air routes, connecting Asia’s, northern Europe’s and northern America’s aviation routes. Anchorage International Airport is the world’s fifth-largest cargo airport.

此外，安克雷奇位于北极圈航空线路的中心，连接亚洲、北欧及北美的航线。安克雷奇国际机场是全球排名第五的货运机场。

Climate in Anchorage is subarctic, with long winters and short summers. There are lots of tourism resources, from Anchorage to Seward in the South, some of the highways built along the coastline are considered to be among the world’s most beautiful landscapes.

安克雷奇属于亚寒带气候，冬季漫长而夏季短暂，旅游资源丰富，从安克雷奇向南到西沃德的公路沿海岸线修建，被评为世界上风景最美的公路之一。

Point 2: Why Anchorage?

看点二：为什么是安克雷奇？

The reasons why Anchorage was chosen as the place to meet also deserves attention. Analysts believe that there are historic and practical considerations.

为什么选择安克雷奇作为会晤地点，同样值得关注。分析认为，这其中既有历史渊源也有现实考量。

As far as practicability is concerned, there is, first of all, geographical deliberation. Alaska is at America’s northwesternmost point, not connected with the American landmass, and Anchorage is quite the same distance from Beijing and Washington [D.C.]. Another point is that with the background of the global new Covid pneumonia pandemic, Alaska is among America’s states which control the pandemic situation comparatively well. According to “New York Times” reporting, 16 percent of Alaska’s population have been completely vaccinated which is the best rate of all the USA. In some of Alaska’s regions, the rate of old people having vaccinated has reached 90 percent.

就现实层面而言，首先从地理位置上考虑，阿拉斯加州位于北美大陆西北端，不与美国本土相连，安克雷奇与北京和华盛顿的距离相当。其次在新冠肺炎全球大流行的背景下，阿拉斯加州属于全美疫情控制较好的州。据《纽约时报》报道，阿拉斯加州16%的人口已经完成了疫苗接种，这一比例居全美之首。在阿拉斯加州部分地区，老年人群体的疫苗接种率已达90%。

As far as contacts with China are concerned, Anchorage has plenty of relations with China. As for the national level, in April 2017, State Chairman Xi Jinping made a technical stop on his route back to China, after the Sino-American summit, and met Alaska’s governor Bill Walker. During the meeting, Xi Jinping pointed out that “local cooperation is one of the most vibrant component of Sino-American relations. Alaska and Anchorage are participants and witnesses of the growth in Sino-American relations’ development.”

就对华往来而言，安克雷奇与中国颇有渊源。从国家层面来看，2017年4月，中国国家主席习近平在中美元首会晤后回国途中在安克雷奇作技术经停，会见了时任阿拉斯加州州长沃克。习近平在会见中指出，“地方合作是中美关系中最具活力的组成部分之一。阿拉斯加州和安克雷奇市是中美关系发展历程的参与者和见证者。”

Under the aspect of regional exchange, China’s heilongjiang provincial capital Harbin and Anchorage are friendship cities. Harbin is mainland China’s closest big city in terms of distance to North America, with 5,500 kilometers. The two cities have a history of 30 years of friendly exchanges. Apart from that, Alaska also used to be a refuelling stop when China and America opened direct flights, because technological limits made a refuelling station necessary which was of special significance in Sino-American interaction.

从地方交流来看，中国黑龙江省省会哈尔滨与安克雷奇是友好城市。哈尔滨在地理上是中国大陆飞北美距离最近的大城市，距离安克雷奇市5500公里，两座城市有着30多年的友好交往历史。此外，阿拉斯加也是当年中美开通直航时，因飞行技术限制中途必须经停加油的一站，就中美交流而言，意义特殊。

Point 3: Which issues will the meeting touch upon?

看点三：会晤将涉及哪些议题？

Concerning the range of topics to be touched upon, both China and America have issued explanations. White House speaker Jen Psaki told a press conference on March 11 that at the Anchorage dialogue, America would mention Hong Kong, Xinjiang, th3e economy and other challenges and concerns, issues like the new corona pandemic transparency; the two sides would also discuss opportunities to cooperate. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian emphasized on a press conference on March 12 that specific topics at this dialogue were bilaterally agreed, and it was hoped that the two sides would be able to have a frank dialogue. China would also clarify its position in this dialogue. The two sides should accurately grasp each other’s policy intentions, enhance mutual understanding, control disagreements, and promote the return of Sino-US relations onto the right track.

对于此次会晤中将会涉及哪些议题，中美双方都作出了表述。白宫发言人普萨基11日在记者会上表示，此次在安克雷奇举行的对话，美方将提到香港、新疆、经济等方面的挑战和关切、新冠疫情透明度等议题；双方也会讨论有合作机会的领域。中国外交部发言人赵立坚12日也在记者会上强调，此次对话的具体议题有待双方商定，希望双方能够就共同关心的问题坦诚对话，中方也将在此次对话中表明立场。双方应该准确把握彼此政策意图，增进相互了解，管控分歧问题，推动中美关系重回正轨。

This being the first high-level meeting in the Biden administration’s term, combined with the current state of Sino-American relations, its issues could be more open and could provide possibilities of the two sides expounding their positions and deep concerns.

作为拜登政府任内中美高层首次会面对话，结合中美关系的现状，在当前时间点上，此次讨论的议题或更具有开放性，而这场对话也为双方阐明立场，表达关切提供了可能。

Point 4: How much influence will [the meeting] have on Sino-American relations?

看点四：对中美关系影响几何？

As a practical move after the lunar New Year’s Eve telephone conversation between the two countries’ heads of state, with the two countries’ high-level diplomacy managers carrying out face-to-face exchanges, it could be said that this could be the two sides’ “first step” in the process of rebuilding Chinese-American relations. A Reuters commentary said that this dialogue means that the world’s two biggest economies are now working to handle the relations which had dropped to “freezing point” during Donald Trump’s term. And according to the “Washington Post”, Blinken said on March 10 that this time’s Sino-American high-level strategic dialogue was “an important opportunity”, the two sides should “frankly declare their positions” and explore if there was space for cooperation between China and America.

作为中美两国元首除夕通话之后的落实行动，两国高层外交主管官员展开面对面交流，可谓双方在重建中美关系的过程中迈出的“第一步”。路透社评论称，这场对话意味着世界上最大的两个经济体正在努力处理双方在特朗普任期内跌至“冰点”的关系。另据《华盛顿邮报》报道，布林肯10日也指出，此次中美高层战略对话是“一个重要的机会”，双方将就关切问题“坦率表态”，并探讨中美间是否有合作的空间。

Although one dialogue can’t solve all problems, opening a dialogue is still an important beginning, and exploring the reconstruction of dialogue mechanisms to control differences is in itself significant. History of Sino-American relations certifies that as long as both sides walk in the same direction and make efforts, the two countries absolutely can solve contradictions and differences through dialogue and broaden mutual benefit through cooperation. The Chinese and American people are wise and competent. The two sides should carry out dialogue by respecting each other and treating each other as equals. Hopefully, China and America have a multi-level dialogue in many fields, and even if a consensus can’t be reached for now, opinions can be exchanged, trust be increased and doubts be dispelled, and this is beneficial to controlling and resolving differences.

虽然一次对话不能解决所有问题，但展开对话即是一个重要开端。通过对话增加相互了解、探索重建对话机制来管控分歧，本身就具有重要意义。中美关系的历史证明，只要相向而行，付出努力，两国完全可以通过对话化解矛盾分歧，通过合作扩大共同利益。中美两国人民是有智慧、有能力的，双方还是要相互尊重、平等相待地进行对话沟通。希望中美有多领域、多层次的对话，即便一时达不成共识，也可以交换意见、增信释疑，这有利于管控和化解分歧。(完)

Editor: Guo Mengyuan

【编辑郭梦媛】

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Related

China wants pre-Trump era back, Taipei Times, Mar 15 (UTC)
“Objective, rational manner”, Xinhua, Mar 15, 2021
The Essence of Big-power relations, Jun 11, 2013

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Updates/Related

Angry words, BBC, Mar 19, 2020
In America, not in China, Die Welt, March 18, 2021

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