The Politburo held its September meeting Monday and announced that the Fifth Plenum will convene October 26-29.
The PRC officially confirmed that Xi will travel to the US to meet with Trump from September 23-25. Trump will greet Xi on arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, host him for meetings and a state dinner Thursday, and then Xi will leave Friday. So much for those rumors about Xi last week…
Friday is the 中秋节 Mid-Autumn Festival, so will the White House chef try to make mooncakes for the Thursday State Dinner?
In this issue:
1. September Politburo meeting and Fifth Plenum dates
2. Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli Expelled from Party and PLA
3. Xi’s US visit confirmed as negotiators meet in New York
4. Another state media attack on Anthropic
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Today’s top items:
1. September Politburo meeting and Fifth Plenum dates - The readout from the September 21 Politburo named only one agenda item - “to study major issues concerning persistently advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance” - announced that the Fifth Plenum will convene October 26-29 and that it will deliberate (and of course pass) the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Persistently Advancing Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance 中共中央关于持之以恒推进全面从严治党若干重大问题的决定”.
Xi Thought on Party Building is a centerpiece of that draft, based on the Plenum readout, translated here:
The meeting noted that this consultation process promoted democracy and drew on collective wisdom. All regions, departments, and sectors expressed strong approval of the draft decision. They considered that the draft provides a fact-based review of the achievements and experience of full and rigorous Party self-governance in the new era, offers an in-depth analysis of the circumstances and tasks facing Party building at present and for some time to come, and sets out strategic arrangements for persistently advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance. It reflects the historical initiative of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in strengthening the Party and the country. It has major practical significance and provides long-term guidance for advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era, and for uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country in comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.
会议指出，这次征求意见发扬民主、集思广益，各地区各部门各方面对决定稿给予充分肯定，认为决定稿实事求是总结新时代全面从严治党的成就和经验，深刻分析当前和今后一个时期党的建设面临的形势和任务，对持之以恒推进全面从严治党作出战略部署，体现了以习近平同志为核心的党中央强党强国的历史主动，对于推进新时代党的建设新的伟大工程，团结带领全国各族人民以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，具有重大现实意义和长远指导意义。
The Politburo meeting readout concluded with the usual “the meeting also studied other matters 会议还研究了其他事项.”
2. Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli Expelled from Party and PLA - “Other matters” included deliberating on and adopting the Central Military Commission's "Report on the Results of the Review of Zhang Youxia's Problems and Recommendations for Handling" and "Report on the Results of the Review of Liu Zhenli's Problems and Recommendations for Handling." Zhang and Liu were officially expelled from the Party and the PLA today, per an announcement soon after the Politburo meeting, translated here. The upcoming Plenum will ratify the decision.
According to the announcement of their expulsions:
The investigation found that Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli betrayed their original aspiration and mission, became estranged from the Party in heart and in deed, lost their Party spirit and principles, and crossed red lines and bottom lines. They seriously violated political discipline and political rules, formed cliques and factions, and were disloyal and dishonest to the Party; seriously violated organizational discipline, using the convenience of their positions to help others with promotions and other matters and accepting huge sums of money; seriously violated integrity discipline, accepting gifts and cash gifts in violation of regulations; seriously violated work discipline, failing to fulfill their political responsibility for full and rigorous Party self-governance; and seriously violated life discipline, failing to educate and manage their relatives and the staff around them.
经查，张又侠、刘振立背弃初心使命、与党离心离德、丧失党性原则、逾越红线底线，严重违反政治纪律和政治规矩，搞团团伙伙，对党不忠诚不老实；严重违反组织纪律，利用职务便利为他人职务晋升等提供帮助，收受巨额钱款；严重违反廉洁纪律，违规收受礼品礼金；严重违反工作纪律，不履行全面从严治党政治责任；严重违反生活纪律，对亲属和身边工作人员失教失管。
Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli seriously violated Party discipline and are suspected of serious duty-related crimes. Their political problems and economic problems were intertwined, graft and money-grabbing coexisted with dereliction of duty and malfeasance, the sums involved were especially huge, the nature of the case extremely serious, and the impact extremely vile.
张又侠、刘振立严重违反党的纪律，涉嫌严重职务犯罪，政治问题和经济问题交织，贪腐敛财与失职渎职并存，涉案金额特别巨大，性质极其严重，影响极为恶劣。
I think “formed cliques and factions, and were disloyal and dishonest to the Party” is more about “using the convenience of their positions to help others with promotions and other matters and accepting huge sums of money” than trying to organize any sort of resistance against Xi. “Their political problems and economic problems were intertwined” reinforces my view.
3. Xi’s US visit confirmed as negotiators meet in New York - The US and China negotiating teams met in New York Sunday at the headquarters of JP Morgan. Scott Bessent and Jamieson Greer led the US side, He Lifeng and Li Chenggang, newly promoted to the title of PRC International Trade Representative (中华人民共和国国际贸易谈判代表), led the PRC side. According to the Financial Times’ report on the meeting, they agreed to set up an AI dialogue mechanism, though it will not be called the Strategic AI Dialogue (SAID) as I proposed last week, but they have yet to agree on extending the one-year trade truce that expires November 10:
“The truce does not end until November 10, so it was not critical that it be extended today,” said a second senior US official.
In addition to disagreements about the length of an extension, the US believes China has not fully lived up to the commitment it made on rare earths in Busan to ensure the flow of the metals to the US and its allies.
The first US official said China was fulfilling two-thirds of those commitments. The official also said that the US had proposed extending the truce for six months, but China wanted the extension to last for the rest of Trump’s presidency.
The official added that Bessent and Greer were “encouraged” by what He Lifeng had said on Sunday and that they believed he was “working very hard” to understand why the Chinese system was not fully complying with the Busan deal.
“We don’t know whether it’s a glitch in the system . . . or an intentional haircut,” the official added.
That seems charitable given this has issue has been ongoing for months.
Not agreeing to extend the truce for the rest of Trump’s term is smart, as it is an important piece of leverage for the US side.
The two sides also have “operationalized” the Board of Trade, according to Bessent and Greer in remarks to the media after the meeting.
It is hard to get excited about what we hearing so far about the US-China talks, as President Trump has yet to weigh in.
The PRC side issued a brief statement on the Sunday talks:
On September 20 local time, He Lifeng, China’s lead official for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs and vice premier of the State Council, held economic and trade consultations in New York with the U.S. leads, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Guided by the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, and adhering to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, the two sides engaged in candid, in-depth, and constructive exchanges on important economic and trade issues of mutual concern, including implementing the agreements reached in previous consultations and promoting bilateral trade and investment. They also held a dialogue on issues related to artificial intelligence.
当地时间9月20日，中美经贸中方牵头人、国务院副总理何立峰与美方牵头人、美国财政部长贝森特和贸易代表格里尔在美国纽约举行经贸磋商。双方以两国元首重要共识为引领，秉持相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢的原则，围绕落实历次经贸磋商共识、促进双边贸易投资等双方共同关心的重要经贸问题，进行了坦诚、深入、富有建设性的交流，并就人工智能有关问题举行对话。