PLA Daily on political cadres; EU-China summit expectations; US-China talks next week; Lab-grown diamonds

Summary of today’s top items:

1. PLA Daily on political cadres - The PLA Daily has started a new commentary series on the regulations announced yesterday. The first installment in "On Firmly Establishing the Image and Authority of Political Cadres" is titled "Strengthen Political Loyalty, Always Preserve the Original Aspiration and True Character" and appears on page 1 of the July 22 paper. It is not long and I have included a full translation. It will not dampen the rumors that whatever has been behind the PLA purges includes more than just corruption.

The commentary opens with:

Loyalty to the Party is the soul and true nature of political cadres; it is the foremost political requirement for them. Once loyalty is diluted or falsified, in the face of complex struggles and tests of interest, the “self” will outweigh the “greater good,” even to the point of betraying the original aspiration of joining the military and abandoning the oath of Party membership.

Bringing up Zhang Guotao, who sp…