Xi in state media; Rumors of more real estate support; EU-China; PRC to surpass US in basic science research funding; FreeWeChat

Scheduling Notice: I will be at a conference on Monday and so there will be no newsletter on July 14.

Summary of today’s Essential Eight:

1. Xi in state media - China Media Project has released a new report on Xi and other leaders’ appearance in state media, as a way to test one of the claims feeding the whirlwind of rumors about Xi, that his appearances in the media have dropped off. CMP’s conclusion:

Last month, looking past the rumors — and ignoring the star signs — we tested the assertion that Xi Jinping has been downplayed in the state media. We found not just that he remains dominant, but that there are no signs of advancement by any member of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC). This week, stepping back and getting a broader view of Xi’s performance in the party-state media, we extended our study of his visibility in the official People’s Daily to both headlines and images for PSC members, and made calculations for 6+ months in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Our conclusions are unchanged…