Xi Jinping’s Rabbit of the Year

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

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

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

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

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

[…]

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

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

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

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

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Related

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

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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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Li Keqiang at Yunnan University, in Accordance with their Wishes

“Yunnan University is still amazing” (云南大学还是了不起的), China’s chief state councillor Li Keqiang tells Yunnan University students at a graduation ceremony, and “Yunnan University will surely advance further”.  Not least, he wishes the students “a post in accordance with their wishes” (称心如意的岗位).

Source: Yunnan Univ. weibo channel
– click photo for more

All that seems to go without saying, but the last sentence could be important. After all, China’s “zero-Covid” policy will affect many graduates’ job searches – and Li is only too familiar with cases where that transit from learning to doing went wrong. In early February 2015, he met with students and graduates in Liping County, Guizhou, and heard complaints about student loans with hardly affordable interest rates.

Li, in general, is in charge of the economy – including its dark sides -, while Xi Jinping is in charge of lofty speeches and the spreading of Reagan-like optimism. Xi is becoming known as the man with his happy head firmly above the Olympic clouds: China’s aerospace sci-tech self-reliance, for example (earlier this month), or the skies more in general (May 2013), or with the idea that the party & the state can lock millions into their homes without reliable supplies of daily necessities and income and expect those millions to love the party & the state back for that.

What really surprised many onlookers today is that there was very little Covid policy to be seen during Li’s visit to Yunnan University today – certainly no face masks. In China, too, and on its campuses not least, there seems to be a feeling that China needs to enter the endemic stage, i. e. the era where a society begins “to live with Covid” as its effects become less dangerous or fatal.

But obviously, no hopeful event such as graduation can do without a peek across the clouds:

The Chief State Councillor hopes that the studious sons and daughters of Yunnan University will stand on solid ground, achieving sky-high successes from there (总理希望云大学子站在坚实的土地上，创造高上云端的成就),

he told the crowd before leaving again on his modest minibus.
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Updates/Related

Thank you, you too, May 18, 2022
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SARS-Covid Outbreak: a Meeting with Experts and Entrepreneurs

While the Shanghai lockdown (which must not be called a lockdown) continued, China’s state council held a meeting “with experts and entrepreneurs” on Thursday, to “analyse economic conditions and hear ideas and suggestions about the next steps”, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. Li Keqiang chaired the meeting in his capacities as member of the CPC politburo standing committee and as chief state councillor.

Main Link

Also attending were people representing China Railway Materials and Qingdao AInnovation  Technology company, stating their opinions about economic operation, company situations etc., and making suggestions about safeguarding logistics and rural capital provisions, and about promoting entrepreneurial innovation.

Mentioned as participants were deputy chief state councillor Han Zheng, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher Yang Zhiyong, Bank of China researcher Guan Tao, and, as party of state officials, Hu Chunhua (politburo member and deputy chief state councillor), Liu He (same functions as Hu), Wang Yong (former SASAC chairman, now a member of the state council in charge of issues faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Xiao Jie (member of the state council and Secretary General of the State Council), Zhao Kezhi (Party Committee Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security and heading the ministry as member of the state council), and He Lifeng (member of the state council in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, NDRC).

Xinwen Lianbo, April 8, 2022, evening broadcast

You can probably imagine the importance of Zhao Kezhi’s attendance in the context of the meeting’s hardly-mentioned real topic – but it makes sense to take note of every participant mentioned in communiqués like this one by Xinhua. Their tasks may speak greater volumes than the description of the agenda.

It needs to be said that the article doesn’t exactly emphasize China’s current SARS-Covid outbreak – it is only “casually” mentioned, as one of a number of suddenly emerging factors in international and domestic environment that are confronting the economy with greater uncertainties and challenges.

The obligatory reference to Comrade Xi Jinping is made at the beginning,  although it is technically meaningless. It may, however, indicate the limits of what participants may describe or suggest during such a meeting, and also, you have to mention Xi anyway. With reference to the “sudden domestic Covid outbreak situation” (国内疫情近期多发), a need both  to keep up the faith and to face up to the difficulties is emphasized. More generally, “high-quality development” is restated, and so is a need to deepen reform and individual initiative, and “a flexibility in accepting the challenges” (应变克难). Focus is also given to stable growth, stable employment and stable prices (稳就业, 稳物价).

Li pointed out problems faced particularly by SMEs and self-employed workers & business people. Help and support them pass through the crisis is mentioned, some concrete measures too, but without detailed outlines. Concrete measures are an utmost pace by which to handle VAT rebates, and to make funds arrive at the accounts of those in need.

The primary sector is required to provide ample harvests (farming) and advanced coal production capacities (energy), and “marketization, rule of law and internationalization” are also given a mention.

The meeting ranked fourth as a news item in China’s main evening news broadcast of Xinwen Lianbo” today, after an “important speech” given by Xi Jinping at the end of the Paralympics, a reference to an editorial about the “spirit of the Beijing Olympics”, and news about a telephone conversation between Xi Jinping and the president of the Philippines.

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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.

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Li Keqiang: Unlike SARS, COVID-19 is unlikely to disappear all of a sudden

The following is a translation of an article published by the Chinese State Council on March 24

Original title / main link
Li Keqian: All regions must report the epidemic situation realistically and transparently, and must not conceal or leave out anything ( 李克强：各地要实事求是公开透明发布疫情信息，不得瞒报漏报 )

“All regions must report the epidemic situation realistically^*) and transparently, and must not conceal or leave out anything.” Member of the politburo’s standing committee, chief state councillor, and central small leading group to counter the new coronavirus infection pneumonia epidemic group leader Li Keqiang emphasized that “seeking truth from the facts refers to do the prevention and control work in a focused way, and once an epidemic situation is discovered, accurate control must be carried out immediately, make sure that the range of territory which needs to be controlled for cases and possible infections is big enough to be effective. Openness and transparency means that once a case is discovered, it is reported, and whatever it is, it is. Nothing must be concealed or left out.”

“各地要实事求是、公开透明发布疫情信息。” 中共中央政治局常委、国务院总理、中央应对新冠肺炎疫情工作领导小组组长李克强3月23日在领导小组会议上强调，“实事求是是指有针对性地做好防控，一旦发现疫情，第一时间进行精准管控，把病例和可能传播的场所控制在有效范围；公开透明就是指发现一例报告一例，是什么就是什么，不得瞒报漏报。”

Li Keqiang pointed out that while the national epidemic situation with Wuhan as the main battleground had basically been blocked by now, the risk of sporadic transmission cases and local epidemic outbreaks continues to exist, and in addition, there was a major epidemic globally. The situation therefore remained complicated and serious. By data patterns established by epidemiologists at home and abroad, by trends scientifically researched and judged, it is widely believed that this time’s epidemic is unlikely to disappear all of a sudden, like SARS did at that time. We must therefore be mentally prepared for still more difficult and lasting prevention and control.

李克强指出，当前，以武汉市为主战场的全国本土疫情传播已基本阻断，但零星散发病例和局部暴发疫情的风险仍然存在，加之疫情在全球出现大流行，形势依然复杂严峻。国内外流行病学专家通过建立各类数据模型，对疫情走势进行科学研判，普遍认为，此次疫情不大可能像当年SARS那样突然消失。因此，我们必须做好更加艰巨、更加持久的疫情防控思想准备。

“We can see from the current epidemic situation that that national and foreign experts’ analysis is scientifically founded,” the chief state councillor  said. He said that “this has made the prevention and control work more serious and challenging for us. Although the domestic epidemic situation has been basically blocked by now, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be further sporadic cases of infections spreading. We must resolutely contain the local outbreaks of epidemic situations by practically carrying out the measures of ‘early detection’, ‘early reporting’, ‘early quarantine’, and ‘early treatment’, and keep it from breaking out on an even larger scale.”

“从当前疫情形势看，国内外专家们的分析是有科学依据的。”总理说，“这为我们防控工作提出了更加严峻的挑战。虽然目前国内本土疫情传播已基本阻断，但这并不意味着零星散发病例就不再出现。必须把‘早发现、早报告、早隔离、早治疗’的防控措施落实到位，坚决遏制疫情在局部、甚至更大范围再次爆发。”

Li Keqiang pointed out that currently, most regions continued to report zero new daily confirmed cases, and this was, of course, was what the masses expected. However, one had to bear in mind that statistical data had to be true and accurate and there had to be no strives to report zero cases by concealment and omission.

李克强指出，目前全国大部分地区连续数日新增确诊病例零报告，这当然是人民群众期盼的。但要切记，疫情统计数据一定要及时真实准确，千万不能为追求零报告而瞒报漏报。

Li Keqiang emphasized that prevention and control of infections must always maintain the principles of seeking truth in the facts, openness, and transparency. That way, the masses could develop a more vigilant and active consciousness for being on their guard, and in turn, this wold be beneficial to preventive and control measures to be in place, thus keeping the epidemic situation from emerging once again.

李克强强调，传染病防控必须始终坚持实事求是、公开透明的原则，这样人民群众就会增加警惕性和主动防范的自觉性，反过来这也有利于防控措施落实到位，进而防止疫情出现反弹。

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Note

^*) literally: all places must report the epidemic situation by seeking the truth in the facts, and transparently, …

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National Leading Group on Science and Technology first plenary session held

Main Link: Li Keqiang presides over national science and technology leading group’s first session ( 李克强主持召开国家科技领导小组第一次会议)

Links within blockquotes added during translation — JR

On December 6, CCP central committee standing committee member, chief state councillor and head of the national leading group on science and technology Li Keqiang presided over the national leading group on science and technology first plenary session. Photo by Xinhua reporter Liu Wei Bing

12月6日，中共中央政治局常委、国务院总理、国家科技领导小组组长李克强在北京主持召开国家科技领导小组第一次全体会议。 新华社记者刘卫兵摄

Li Keqiang presided over national leadcing group on science and technology’s first plenary session

李克强主持召开国家科技领导小组第一次会议强调

Deepening reform will further expand arousal of society’s ingenuity

深化改革更大激发社会创造力

Even better bring technological innovation’s supporting and leading role for economic development into play

更好发挥科技创新对发展的支撑引领作用

Han Zheng attended

韩正出席

Xinhua newsagency, Beijing, December 6, CCP central committee standing committee member, chief state councillor and head of the national leading group on science and technology Li Keqiang presided over the national leading group on science and technology first plenary session, explored the strategic plan of technological development, promotion of open cooperation in innovation, to push and implement policies of giving technological organizations and employees greater leeway in decision-making.

新华社北京12月6日电 12月6日，中共中央政治局常委、国务院总理、国家科技领导小组组长李克强主持召开国家科技领导小组第一次全体会议，研究国家科技发展战略规划、促进创新开放合作，推动落实赋予科研机构和人员更大自主权政策。

Han Zheng, member of the standing committee of the CCP central committee’s politbureau and vice premier of the state council, attended.

中共中央政治局常委、国务院副总理韩正出席。

Li Keqiang pointed out that innovation concerns the country’s future destiny. Ever since the party’s eighth national congress, under the the party center’s strong leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the entire nation had implemented a new concept of development, thoroughly carried out the strategy of driving innovation, with technological development achieving major breakthroughs in many fields, society’s innovative vitality bursting forth enormously and technological progress, and old and new kinetic energy conversion constituting a huge promotional force for economic development. The current new round of global technologcial revolution and industrial transformation are pressing issues, our country finds itself at a key moment of upgrading economic transformation, facing opportunities, difficulties and challenges, and [our country] must stand on the strengthening of economic innovation power and competitive power, bringing into play our country’s abundance of manpower and human resources, domestically, the market’s huge advantages etc. must be used, technological innovation and competitiveness be established with greater vigor, and high-quality development be promoted.

李克强指出，创新事关国家前途命运。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，全国上下贯彻新发展理念，深入实施创新驱动发展战略，科技发展在多个领域取得重大突破，社会创新创造活力极大迸发，科技进步和新旧动能转换对经济发展形成了巨大推动力。当前世界新一轮科技革命和产业变革形势逼人，我国正处于经济转型升级的关键时期，面对机遇、困难和挑战，要立足增强经济创新力和竞争力，发挥我国人力人才资源丰富、国内应用市场巨大等优势，更大力度推进科技创新，推动高质量发展。

Li Keqiang said, technological innovation strategies needed to integrate better into the national development’s general situation, orient towards construction of modernity, focus on key core technology, foster and strengthen new kinetic energy, and promote deepened harmonization of technology with the economy. Fundamental research is the source of scientific systems and must provide increased support for the long-term stability of fundamental research, guide companies and society towards more investment, project “hard technology” research, and make efforts to achieve more innovation. Innovation mechanisms needed to be perfected, companies’ main bodies and markets to be upheld, joint innovation in production, education and research be encouraged, leading enterprises leading role in major technological projects be supported, international channels of innovation be expanded, and breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation as well as result transformation be promoted. A level playing field of technological-development resources for common use, and new types of research and development organisations and other innovative platforms as well as industrial internet platforms need to be developed, big, medium-sized and small companies, online and offline circulation, in-depth promotion of mass entrepreneurship and mass innovation must be supported, and a level based on “double innovation” as well as an industry rising to the medium and high-end be promoted.

李克强说，科技创新战略布局要更好融入国家发展大局，面向现代化建设，聚焦突破关键核心技术、培育壮大新动能，推动科技与经济深度融合。基础研究是科学体系的源头，要对基础研究加大长期稳定支持，引导企业和社会增加投入，突出“硬科技”研究，努力取得更多原创成果。完善创新机制，坚持企业主体、市场主导，鼓励产学研用联合创新，支持龙头企业牵头重大科技项目，拓展国际创新合作渠道，促进科技创新突破和成果转化。发展科技资源共享平台、新型研发机构等创新平台和工业互联网平台，支持大中小企业、线上线下融通创新，深入推进大众创业、万众创新，促进“双创”上水平，推动产业向中高端跃升。

Li Keqiang said that reform of technological structures needes to be deepened, intellectual property rights more strongly protected, and a good innovation ecology be built. The law and scientific staff needed to be respected, and the productive forces be further emancipated. Technological organizations and policies giving scientific staff greater leeway in decision-making, [policies of] assessing scientific research projects, and giving incentives to research staff needed to be implemented. As for policies concerning project management, technology route and decision-making, budget adjustments, the allocation of result transformation benefits etc. that have already emerged, the relevant departments need to further sort things out, define responsibilities, and ensure comprehensive redemption.

李克强说，要深化科技体制改革，更大力度保护知识产权，营造良好创新生态。尊重规律，尊重科研人员，进一步解放生产力。要切实抓好赋予科研机构和人员更大自主权、科研项目评价、科研人员激励等政策落实。对项目管理、技术路线决策、预算调剂、成果转化收益分配等方面已出台的政策，有关部门要逐一梳理，明确责任，确保全面兑现。

Li Keqiang said that the scientists minds needed to be vigorously enhanced, that full concentration of scientists and researchers needed to be encouraged, more opportunities for young people to grow and to make something of themselves needed to be created, and help had to be provided to them to solve lingering worries from the past^*). More efforts to build sincere science and research, to avoid fickleness and impatience, serious investigations of improper behavior in violation of scientific ethics, and the building of an academic atmosphere of pursuing excellence and a practice of rigorously striving for realistic results were needed.

李克强强调，要大力弘扬科学家精神，鼓励科研人员潜心钻研，多为青年人成长成才创造机会，帮助解决后顾之忧。加强科研诚信建设，避免浮躁，严肃查处违背科研道德和伦理的不端行为，营造追求卓越、严谨求实的学术风气。

Li Keqiang demanded that all member units of the national leading group on science and technology should take Xi Jinping’s new-era socialism with Chinese charachteristics as guidance, implement the party’s 19th national congress’ spirit, conscientiously plan the project of reforming and developing science and technology, strengthen and overall planning, focus on policy implementation and the advancement of major missions, to mobilize science and technology circles and relatede forces to spare no effort in building an innovative country.

李克强要求，国家科技领导小组各成员单位要以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，贯彻党的十九大精神，认真谋划科技事业改革发展，加强统筹协调，狠抓政策落实和重大任务推进，调动科技界和相关各方面力量，为建设创新型国家不懈努力。

Sun Chunlan, Liu He, Bagatur and He Lifeng attended the meeting.

孙春兰、刘鹤、巴特尔、何立峰出席会议。

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Notes

^*) This could refer to former students’ employment opportunities and student loans repayment problems, issues Li has discussed before.
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Related

Economic transformation, SCMP, Dec 7, 2018
Israel-China Innovation Coop, Embassy, Oct 30, 2018
十三五规划, Wikipedia as of June 10, 2018
孔子说过, State Council, Dec 30, 2016

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Xi Jinping’s “Press Briefing”: BBC, Guardian, New York Times giving way to Borrowed Boats?

China Global Television Network (CGTN or CCTV) published a video on Youtube on Wednesday, with the full remarks by CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping at a press briefing at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday following the 19th CPC National Congress. The first groupies have already issued ringing endorsements:

Applause from all over the world – click screenshot above for Xi’s speech

 

The video provides English subtitles to Xi’s speech. A written Xinhua account (in Chinese) can be found there.

Access to the show was reportedly denied to the BBC, the Financial Times, the New York Times and the Guardian, “in some cases for the first time in more than two decades”. The Guardian’s Beijing correspondent wrote on Wednesday that

[a] series of heavily scripted “press conferences” have been organised, which were attended by a large number of foreign reporters on the payroll of party-run media outlets. Many of the questions appeared to have been pre-screened.

This could refer to China’s innovative guidance of public opinion (abroad). When the Great Hall of the People’s East Hall is full of borrowed boats, access needs to be denied to some of the traditional troublemakers foreign vessels.

No wonder then that the reappointed secretary general was full of praise for the reporters in front of him:

Many of you have come afar. All of you have provided numerous and ample coverage of the congress, and aroused the global public’s attention. You have worked hard, and I give you my heartfelt thanks.

这次来了很多记者朋友，许多是远道而来。大家对会议作了大量、充分的报道，引起了全世界广泛关注。你们辛苦了，我向你们表示衷心的感谢。