Politburo meeting; No date for Third Plenum; More Party in foreign affairs work; Support for private enterprises; Myanmar-PRC border; 蛋炒饭

Summary of today’s Essential Eight:

1. Politburo meeting; No Third Plenum Dates - The Politburo held its monthly meeting Monday. There was no announcement of dates for a Third Plenum, so it looks increasingly unlikely there will be a Third Plenum in 2023. According to the official readout the meeting reviewed “guidelines on policies and measures for further promoting the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt” and “pointed out that the 'Regulations on the Communist Party of China Leading Foreign Affairs Work' stipulate the Party's leadership in foreign affairs” and “emphasized the need to further strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over foreign affairs work”. Whether this strengthening of Party leadership over foreign affairs work is a reaction to the Qin Gang mess is unclear but what looks clear is that this is another “Party eating the State” move, this time for foreign affairs. And expect that all of us are going to …