Today’s Essential Eight items:

What signals may there be in Xi’s letter to the Journal of Chinese Humanities《文史哲》?
Competing views of “multilateralism” at UN Security Council
WHO approves Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
Territoriality integrity for the PRC, but not for Bhutan
Increasing global discourse power
Potemkin saplings in Kunming
Not nationalist enough
Meituan founder sees more trouble ahead?

Thanks for reading.

The Essential Eight

1. What signals may there be in Xi’s letter to the Journal of Chinese Humanities?

Xi Jinping knows CCP history better than just about anyone, and we are 51 days from the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party. So Xi’s reply to the editors of a Shandong-based journal seems interesting and has triggered concerns among some of the more politically sensitive people in my network.

The Journal of Chinese Humanities,《文史哲》or Literature, History and Philosophy in Chinese, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The official readout of Xi’s reply to a letter from the editors emphasizes the promotion of Chinese culture and civilization.

Those with a deeper understanding of CCP history may see more signals about the intensifying anti-Americanism in Xi’s New Era. Some will blame Trump, and he certainly helped accelerate it. But it was one of the reasons I left in 2015, long before Trump, but already well into Xi’s New Era.

As Geremie R. Barmé told me this morning over email:

"That noxious journal was the vehicle for the attack on Yu Pingbo in 1954, part of the on-going destruction of Chinese academia and Mao’s purge of pro Hu Shih, pro American academics"

And that is why some of the more politically sensitive people in my network find this concerning.

I recommend re-reading the nasty Xinhua comment 辛识平：“崇美”“跪美”的软骨病得治 “The "Worshipping America" and "Kneeling to America" soft-bone disease must be cured!” from December 2020, which I translated in full for the December 17, 2020 issue:

This Xinhua commentary has a very specific domestic target, with the stark message to pick the correct side or you will be in trouble - "for those "kneeling people" who forget their ancestors and help them abuse, we must resolutely struggle against them, pierce their painted skin, eliminate their influence, and not let wrong values confuse people."
One excerpt: “The people who "worship America" and "kneel to America" are often the ones who will praise the United States and disparage China, they only ask the position, not the right and wrong. They believe that "the moon in a foreign country is rounder than that in China" and they do their utmost to denigrate and slander their own country. They are happy to weave all kinds of "American fairy tales", and even create and spread rumors; when some American politicians go against the grain and cause serious consequences, they either pretend to be confused, or are busy helping to whitewash. In turn, China's development achievements are not worth mentioning in their eyes, a vigorous, flourishing new era of China, in their view, useless.”

Xi calls for promoting innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture - Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on people who work in the field of philosophy and social sciences to promote the evolution and growth of fine traditional Chinese culture in new and creative ways.
Xi…made the remarks when writing back on Sunday to editors of the Journal of Chinese Humanities.
In the past 70 years since it started publication, the journal -- under the Party's leadership -- has done a lot of work to promote Chinese civilization and enrich academic research, Xi said, applauding these efforts which have won recognition from home and abroad.

Xi spoke of the importance of a profound understanding of the Chinese civilization to let the world better know and understand China, and urged efforts to combine theories and practices to expound how to better uphold the Chinese path, promote the Chinese spirit, and pool together the Chinese strength.

The longer Chinese Xinhua readout - 习近平给《文史哲》编辑部全体编辑人员回信-新华网

In his reply, Xi Jinping said that since the publication of Literature, History and Philosophy 70 years ago, under the leadership of the Party, several generations of editors have been upright and innovative, and have done a lot of work in promoting Chinese civilization and prospering academic research, and won a certain reputation at home and abroad. Your efforts are worthy of recognition.

Xi Jinping pointed out that to strengthen the backbone and confidence of being a Chinese and let the world know and understand China better, it is necessary to have a deep understanding of Chinese civilization, and explain in depth how to better adhere to the Chinese road, carry forward the Chinese spirit and unite China's strength from the perspective of combining history with reality, theory and practice. A good answer to this major issue requires the joint efforts of the vast number of philosophy and social science workers to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional culture in the new era. High-quality academic journals should stick to their original intentions, lead innovation, display high-level research results, support the growth of outstanding academic talents and promote academic exchanges between China and foreign countries. I hope you will make persistent efforts to make the publication better.

Literature, History and Philosophy magazine of Shandong University was founded in May 1951. It is the first university journal of liberal arts since the founding of New China, and it is also the oldest comprehensive academic journal of humanities and social sciences in China. Recently, all editors of the editorial department of Literature, History and Philosophy wrote a letter to General Secretary Xi Jinping, reporting the achievements of running the journal in the past 70 years, and expressing their determination to shoulder the mission of the times, give full play to the role of journals and contribute to the national rejuvenation.

习近平在回信中说，《文史哲》创刊70年来，在党的领导下，几代编辑人员守正创新、薪火相传，在弘扬中华文明、繁荣学术研究等方面做了大量工作，在国内外赢得一定声誉，你们付出的努力值得肯定。

习近平指出，增强做中国人的骨气和底气，让世界更好认识中国、了解中国，需要深入理解中华文明，从历史和现实、理论和实践相结合的角度深入阐释如何更好坚持中国道路、弘扬中国精神、凝聚中国力量。回答好这一重大课题，需要广大哲学社会科学工作者共同努力，在新的时代条件下推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展。高品质的学术期刊就是要坚守初心、引领创新，展示高水平研究成果，支持优秀学术人才成长，促进中外学术交流。希望你们再接再厉，把刊物办得更好。

山东大学《文史哲》杂志创办于1951年5月，是新中国成立后创刊的首家高校文科学报，也是我国目前刊龄最长的综合性人文社科学术期刊。近日，《文史哲》编辑部全体编辑人员给习近平总书记写信，汇报了70年来的办刊成绩，表达了担负起时代使命、发挥好期刊作用、为民族复兴贡献力量的决心。

Some background on the journal and its role in the beginnings of the anti-rightist campaign 《文史哲》的1950年代：在学术与政治之间-搜狐新闻

1954年，26岁、大学刚毕业的李希凡与23岁的中学教师蓝翎，在《文史哲》上发表了《关于〈红楼梦简论〉及其它》，意外成为一场政治风雨的开端，也意外地将《文史哲》推向鼎盛。
在这篇文章中，李希凡将马克思主义方法引入红学研究，批判了俞平伯当年3月发表在北京《新建设》杂志上的《红楼梦简论》。他认为俞平伯“未能从现实主义的原则去探讨《红楼梦》鲜明的反封建倾向”，“离开了现实主义的批评原则，离开了明确的阶级观点”。
此文被毛泽东看到，被认为是“三十多年以来向所谓《红楼梦》研究权威作家的错误观的第一次认真的开火”。
1954年10月16日，毛泽东写下《关于〈红楼梦〉研究问题的信》，赞扬了李、蓝“两个小人物”（时任中宣部副部长的周扬以“小人物的文章”为由不同意《人民日报》转载此文），并称：“这个反对在古典文学领域毒害青年30余年的胡适派资产阶级唯心论的斗争，也许可以开展起来了。”
自此，一场批判胡适的全国性运动展开了。

2. Competing views of “multilateralism” at UN Security Council

No screaming or shoe banging, but the sharpening divergence is clear as the PRC pushes harder on its “new world order for the New Era”.

Remarks by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the United Nations Security Council High-level Meeting on the Theme "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the United Nations-centered International System

Last September, at the High-level Meeting to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, President Xi Jinping expounded on the essence of multilateralism and underscored the importance of sticking to multilateralism as the path forward. Leaders of all nations also reiterated, in the declaration on the commemoration of UN’s 75th anniversary, that multilateralism is not an option but a necessity...

As the world goes through a raging pandemic and profound changes rarely seen in a century, we need to firmly commit to the path of cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win, and to put true multilateralism into practice. In this context, China wishes to propose the following:

We should engage in win-win cooperation, not zero-sum games...

We should pursue equity and justice, not bullying or hegemony...

We should focus on action rather than rhetoric...

We should respect diversity instead of seeking one’s own supremacy. Every country has its unique history and culture, and needs to take a path of development suited to its own realities. This diversity, together with the common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, will unleash the great power of multilateralism. On the other hand however, splitting the world along the ideological line conflicts with the spirit of multilateralism and is a regression in history…

Elevating development to the same important status as peace is a vital initiative of the UN. What is important for the UN now is to build global consensus more effectively and promote peace and human rights through development. The UN needs to pay more attention to the difficulties facing developing countries, make their voice heard, address their concerns, and protect their rights and interests...

China will remain a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order, and a provider of public goods. We stand ready to work with all parties to bring multilateralism and the UN forward from a new starting point and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Virtual Remarks at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Multilateralism - United States Department of State

the United States will work through multilateral institutions to stop COVID-19 and tackle the climate crisis, and we will abide by the core principles of the international order as we do.

We’ll also work with any country on these issues – including those with whom we have serious differences. The stakes are too high to let differences stand in the way of our cooperation. The same holds true for stemming the spread and use of nuclear weapons, delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance, managing deadly conflicts.

At the same time, we will continue to push back forcefully when we see countries undermine the international order, pretend that the rules we’ve all agreed to don’t exist, or simply violate them at will. Because for the system to deliver, all countries must abide by it and put in the work for its success...

First, all members should meet their commitments – particularly the legally binding ones...

Second, human rights and dignity must stay at the core of the international order. The foundational unit of the United Nations – from the first sentence of the Charter – is not just the nation state. It’s also the human being. Some argue that what governments do within their own borders is their own business, and that human rights are subjective values that vary from one society to another. But the Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins with the word “universal” because our nations agreed there are certain rights to which every person, everywhere, is entitled. Asserting domestic jurisdiction doesn’t give any state a blank check to enslave, torture, disappear, ethnically cleanse their people, or violate their human rights in any other way...

And this leads me to my third point, which is that the United Nations is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of its member-states.

A state does not respect that principle when it purports to redraw the borders of another; or seeks to resolve territorial disputes by using or threatening force; or when a state claims it’s entitled to a sphere of influence to dictate or coerce the choices and decisions of another country. And a state shows contempt for that principle when it targets another with disinformation or weaponized corruption, undermines other countries’ free and fair elections and democratic institutions, or goes after journalists or dissidents abroad...

I know that some of our actions in recent years have undermined the rules-based order and led others to question whether we are still committed to it. Rather than take our word for it, we ask the world to judge our commitment by our actions.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, the United States has already re-engaged vigorously in multilateral institutions.

Washington's 'small clique' politics exposed as China, Russia battle with US over 'rules', 'multilateralism' at UN - Global Times

Top Chinese and US diplomats clashed again on a China-hosted virtual session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Friday. Compared to the China-US Alaska talks, the atmosphere of the multilateralism-themed session was much milder; however, the division and conflicts were still evident. The session is viewed by analysts as a battle over what "rules" and "multilateralism" mean.

Convened by China and hosted by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the event is the first since China held the UN Security Council's rotating presidency for the month of May. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were also involved in the "fire from a distance."..

Blinken's often-repeated mantra of "playing by the rules" is simply to ask other countries to play by US rules, analysts said. Lavrov's speech was a sharp rebuttal to American hypocrisy.

Lavrov directly slammed the US and its Western allies' hegemonic mentality of sanctions if they refuse to accept their way. West's unlawful unilateral sanctions introduced have no international legal basis, Lavrov said...

One day before the session, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, reiterating the importance of multilateralism, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi holds phone conversation with UN chief - Xinhua

The world needs genuine multilateralism, Xi said, adding that all countries should act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, refrain from pursuing unilateralism and hegemonism, and should not use multilateralism as a pretext to form small circles or stir up ideological confrontation.

China will continue to support the work of the United Nations and that of Secretary-General Guterres, and uphold genuine multilateralism, Xi said.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on May 10, 2021

Over the past few years, a certain country has been pursuing the erroneous policy of unilateralism and protectionism, clinging to the mindset of zero-sum game and hyping up differences of ideology and political system in an attempt to create cliques and divisions and pursue bloc politics. Against such a backdrop, China and Russia always stand side by side to support each other on issues concerning respective core interests, firmly reject hegemony and bullying and jointly uphold international equity and justice. In the face of the once-in-a-century pandemic and changes, China will continue to work with Russia and the rest of the international community to defend the victory of WWII and hard-won peace, firmly safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, adhere to the common value of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom held by all, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

3. WHO approves Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

WHO approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use | | UN News

The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).

It is the first vaccine to carry a vaccine vial monitor. The vials have a small sticker that changes colour as the vaccine is exposed to heat, so health workers know whether it can be safely used.

The vaccine is recommended for adults 18 and older, with a two-dose schedule spaced over a period of three to four weeks.

Although few people over 60 participated in the clinical trials, WHO did not recommend an upper age limit for use as data suggests the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect in older persons.

WHO lists additional COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use and issues interim policy recommendations

Vaccine efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalized disease was estimated to be 79%, all age groups combined.

Chinese jabs dominate Latin American vaccination campaigns | Financial Times $$

As Latin America struggles against a deadly third wave of the pandemic, China has shipped more than half of the 143.5m doses of vaccines delivered to the region’s 10 most populous nations, according to a Financial Times analysis of data provided by governments.

Chinese companies, led by Beijing-based Sinovac, have delivered 75.8m finished doses or key ingredients for doses to those 10 nations so far. The two main western suppliers to Latin America, AstraZeneca and Pfizer, have delivered 59m doses between them, with some AZ doses supplied via the World Health Organization’s Covax facility.

China to promote fair access to vaccines in developing countries - CGTN

China will be true to its word and continues to promote the fair access of COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.

China has announced it will provide 10 million vaccine doses to COVAX for emergency use in developing countries, and is keeping close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) on this topic, Hua told a press briefing.

World Insights: WHO's emergency listing of Chinese vaccine to benefit global COVID-19 fight - Xinhua

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday validated the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm for emergency use, a move widely welcomed by officials and experts worldwide and set to benefit the global fight against the pandemic.

4. Territoriality integrity for the PRC, but not for Bhutan

Chinese Villages, Security Forces Revealed Inside Bhutan's Borders - Robert Barnett - Foreign Policy

This new construction is part of a major drive by Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2017 to fortify the Tibetan borderlands, a dramatic escalation in China’s long-running efforts to outmaneuver India and its neighbors along their Himalayan frontiers. In this case, China doesn’t need the land it is settling in Bhutan: Its aim is to force the Bhutanese government to cede territory that China wants elsewhere in Bhutan to give Beijing a military advantage in its struggle with New Delhi. Gyalaphug is now one of three new villages (two already occupied, one under construction), 66 miles of new roads, a small hydropower station, two Communist Party administrative centers, a communications base, a disaster relief warehouse, five military or police outposts, and what are believed to be a major signals tower, a satellite receiving station, a military base, and up to six security sites and outposts that China has constructed in what it says are parts of Lhodrak in the TAR but which in fact are in the far north of Bhutan.

This involves a strategy that is more provocative than anything China has done on its land borders in the past. The settlement of an entire area within another country goes far beyond the forward patrolling and occasional road-building that led to war with India in 1962, military clashes in 1967 and 1987, and the deaths of 24 Chinese and Indian soldiers in 2020. In addition, it openly violates the terms of China’s founding treaty with Bhutan. It also ignores decades of protests to Beijing by the Bhutanese about far smaller infractions elsewhere on the borders. By mirroring in the Himalayas the provocative tactics it has used in the South China Sea, Beijing is risking its relations with its neighbors, whose needs and interests it has always claimed to respect, and jeopardizing its reputation worldwide...

China’s principal aim in the Beyul is clear from its stance in talks with the Bhutanese government: Ever since 1990, China has offered to give up its claim to 495 square kilometers (191 square miles) of the Beyul if Thimphu will give China 269 square kilometers (104 square miles) in western Bhutan. Those areas—Doklam, Charithang, Sinchulungpa, Dramana, and Shakhatoe—lie close to the trijunction with India and are of far greater strategic importance to China than the Beyul, offering China a foothold only 62 miles from India’s geographic weak point, the 14-mile-wide Siliguri Corridor that connects the Indian mainland to its northeastern territories.

Comment: To quote Wang Yi from his recent comments at the UN “we should focus on action rather than rhetoric”.

5. Increasing global discourse power

When Covid Hit, China Was Ready to Tell Its Version of the Story - The New York Times

What seemed, in each country, like an odd local anomaly looked, all told, like a vast, if patchwork, strategy to create an alternative to a global news media dominated by outlets like the BBC and CNN, and to insert Chinese money, power and perspective into the media in almost every country in the world.

But the study raised an obvious question: What is China planning to do with this new power?

The answer comes in a second report, which is set to be released on Wednesday by the International Federation of Journalists, a Brussels-based union of journalism unions whose mission gives it a global bird’s-eye view into news media almost everywhere. The group, which shared a copy with me, hired an author of the first report, Louisa Lim, to canvass journalists in 54 countries. The interviews “reveal an activation of the existing media infrastructure China has put in place globally,” Ms. Lim, a former NPR bureau chief in Beijing who is now a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, wrote in the report. “As the pandemic started to spread, Beijing used its media infrastructure globally to seed positive narratives about China in national media, as well as mobilizing more novel tactics such as disinformation.”

‘Are you sleeping well?’ How Europe’s China researchers are alarmed by efforts to stifle criticism | South China Morning Post

In the days that followed the sanctions, a group of European think tank directors sent an open letter decrying Beijing’s “targeting independent researchers and civil society institutions”.

One signatory, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had been warned by both Chinese embassy officials and researchers that there “will be costs and consequences for those who soil the good name of China”.

“There is an uptick in this sort of intimidation. Chinese embassies appear to have been tasked by Beijing to systematically follow up to discuss their concerns and worries about the recent interactions between China and the EU,” said the source.

Wipe references to China to protect students, Soas lecturers told | The Times

A university has told academics not to record lectures or class discussions in case students and staff are arrested if they visit Hong Kong or China.

Soas University of London has also said that they risk being jailed for carrying lecture notes, or laptops that have not been wiped of their work, when travelling to those areas.

Soas says that teaching materials and classroom discussions may be used as evidence of violation of Hong Kong’s new security law, potentially leading to lengthy prison sentences.

6. Potemkin saplings in Kunming

And political problems for the provincial leadership, though perhaps not as bad as those for the former Shaanxi leadership.

Chinese city levels Dianchi Lake villas after Beijing sees red at green zone violations | South China Morning Post

The development on the banks of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Yunnan province, was singled out last week in a report by inspectors from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

After a month-long investigation, the inspectors said the project had resulted in the illegal destruction of over 90 per cent of the surface of Changyao Mountain on the south side of the lake, turning the previously lush green hillside into a “concrete mountain”.

The criticism is one of the most high-profile public dressing-downs of a local government authority over an environmental failure since Beijing took Shaanxi government officials to task three years ago for ignoring President Xi Jinping’s orders to demolish illegal villas in a protected zone in the Qinling Mountains.

Unlike the Shaanxi officials who ignored Beijing’s demolition orders, Yunnan Communist Party secretary Ruan Chengfa and governor Wang Yubo urged Kunming authorities to destroy the 813 villas and 294 flats

This may be one of the greatest obfuscation efforts of all times- Potemkin saplings:

Christian 马思潭 @cdcshepherd

Central Environmental Inspection Team visits a golf in Kunming built on protected land. Local officials said they sorted the situation by planting trees. Turned out to just be branches rammed into the ground.

The link to the video on ixigua.

Report on the Kunming issues - 云南昆明晋宁长腰山过度开发严重影响滇池生态系统完整性_中华人民共和国生态环境部

Third, cause analysis

The local party Committee and government political positioning is not high, their attitude on Dianchi Lake protection and governance is not resolute... and they do not properly handle the relationship between development and protection, and they do not protect Dianchi Lake like protecting eyes. Kunming has been slow to prepare and issue the Dianchi Lake protection plan according to the requirements of Yunnan Dianchi Lake Protection Regulations, which has led to the long-term lack of "regulations" for Dianchi Lake protection, and the phenomenon of "development around the lake" and "development along the line" in Dianchi Lake has intensified. The relevant functional departments of Yunnan Province did not perform their duties properly, and failed to point out and stop the illegal development and construction of Changyao Mountain in Dianchi Lake in time.

三、原因分析　　

当地党委、政府政治站位不高，在滇池保护治理上态度不坚决、行动打折扣，标准不高、要求不严，只算小账、不算大账，只算眼前账、不算长远帐，没有正确处理好发展与保护的关系，没有像保护眼睛一样保护滇池。昆明市迟迟不按《云南省滇池保护条例》要求编制出台滇池保护规划，导致滇池保护长期无“规”可循，滇池“环湖开发”“贴线开发”现象愈演愈烈。云南省相关职能部门履职不到位，未及时指出并制止滇池长腰山等区域的违规开发建设问题。

7. Not nationalist enough

Netizen Voices: In Hu Xijin Controversy, Nationalist Netizens Turn On One of Their Own - China Digital Times (CDT) '

One focal point of the ensuing social media storm was a public spat between two prominent outspoken Party supporters: the state-backed Global Times tabloid’s editor-in-chief Hu Xijin, and Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University. Shen Yi had remarked that he thought the comparison of India’s funeral pyres and China’s rocket launch was “very good,” saying “the temper caused by the flirtatious whore that is India is also necessary. As for the holier-than-thou bitches [social justice warriors 圣母婊], if you want to express your feelings, please go to India and burn firewood.” Hu Xijin disagreed, arguing that “ordinary Chinese people don’t have to be social justice warriors, but official accounts should hold high the banner of humanitarianism at this time, express sympathy for India, and place Chinese society firmly on the moral high ground.”
The argument between Shen and Hu led to a division of public opinion on Weibo between a “support Hu faction” and the “support Shen faction.” Many Shen supporters denounced Hu Xijin as a “foreign lap dog” or “two-faced,” among other insults. Meanwhile, the Hu supporters called him a “true patriot” and criticized Shen’s supporters by quoting from the Book of Rites: “When a neighbor is mourning, don’t chant while pounding rice; When people in the village are having a funeral, don’t sing in the alleys.” They decried the Shen faction’s inhumanity, calling them China’s shame.

8. Meituan founder sees more trouble ahead?

Meituan shares slide after chief posts ancient poem | Financial Times $$

The share price of the Chinese food delivery app Meituan fell as much as 9.8 per cent on Monday after its chief executive posted an ancient poem that investors interpreted as criticising Chinese President Xi Jinping on social media.

The original poem was written more than a millennium ago in the late Tang dynasty by Zhang Jie, who also drew from Chinese history to critique the then Tang emperor.

Jie’s verses mocked the actions of an earlier emperor who attempted to quell dissent among intellectuals by burning books, only to have his dynasty overthrown by non-intellectuals.

The poem:

焚書坑
竹帛煙銷帝業虛，關河空鎖祖龍居。
坑灰未冷山東亂，劉項原來不讀書。

An internet entrepreneur explains why he deleted a 1,000-year-old poem on his blog, wiping US$16 billion off Meituan’s value | South China Morning Post

“Before ashes [in the book burning pit] turned cold, revolts rose east of the mountain,” the poem read. In another line, the poet wrote that the two major leaders of the revolt who overthrew the Qin dynasty, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, were not fond of books, belittling the first emperor’s futile efforts of trying to strengthen his rule by punishing intellectuals and suppressing ideas...

“This poem was a reminder to me [that] the most dangerous rivals are often not the usual suspects,” Wang wrote in his post, explaining why he posted the poem. “These years Alibaba has been defending against JD.com but Pinduoduo came out of the left field and it now has more users than Alibaba.” Wang wrote. “Likewise, Meituan’s biggest rival may seem to be Ele.me. But it is more likely that companies and business models we have yet to focus on will disrupt the delivery business,” he added.

April 28 Sinocism - Meituan's mess; Political inspections for universities; Zhao Lijian goes after Japan - Sinocism

If I were a Meituan executive or shareholder I would be nervous about this investigation and would be careful about assuming the fine will be comparable to or lower than Alibaba's. After the Alibaba fine companies were told they had 30 days to self-correct, and yet this Meituan investigation was announced before the end of that 30 day period. And then you have Xi specifically mentioning "food delivery riders". Meituan looks to have missed some key signals over the last few months, and now they may pay the price.

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Business, Economy and Trade

China to unveil census data on Tuesday after delays and speculation | South China Morning Post After a month-long delay, the results of China’s once-a-decade population census will be released on Tuesday, the country’s statistics bureau said on Sunday. The data was originally scheduled to be released in early April, but was put back first until the end of the month and then until an “indefinite” future date.

China iron ore, steel prices hit record as supply worries prompt speculative buying | Reuters China’s benchmark iron ore futures surged 10% to a record high, while steel prices rose 6% to hit a trading limit, as Beijing’s move to limit capacity fuelled worries about a supply shortage and prompted speculative buying. China announced a series of measures on Friday to tighten controls on steel capacity, in an effort to curb pollution in key areas as well as reduce “blind investments and disorderly constructions”.

Seven Apple Suppliers Accused of Using Forced Labor From Xinjiang — The Information $$The Information and human rights groups have found seven companies supplying device components, coatings and assembly services to Apple that are linked to alleged forced labor involving Uyghurs and other oppressed minorities in China. At least five of those companies received thousands of Uyghur and other minority workers at specific factory sites or subsidiaries that did work for Apple, the investigation found. The revelation stands in contrast to Apple’s assertions over the past year that it hasn’t found evidence of forced labor in its supply chain...

India coronavirus crisis, recovering US economy boosted figures, but ‘cyclical peak’ looms | South China Morning Post China’s exports grew by 32.3 per cent in April compared with a year earlier, while imports grew by 43.1 per cent last month China’s imports from the US rose by 51.65 per cent to US$13.94 billion in April, while exports rose by 31.16 per cent to US$42.05 billion

34家互联网公司被督导国家市监总局要求属地落实_财新网_财新网 More regulatory fun for Internet platforms...The State Administration of Market Regulation requires the relevant local market regulation bureaus to immediately carry out mid-term supervision on 34 Internet platforms

China Targets Some Australian LNG Cargoes as Trade Spat Widens - Bloomberg At least two of China’s smaller liquefied natural gas importers have been told to avoid buying new cargoes from Australia, a further example of the impact on trade from souring ties between the two countries.

Yuan Jumps to Three-Year High as China’s Economy Outpaces Peers - Bloomberg The currency rose as much as 0.3% to 6.4114 a dollar, the strongest since June 2018, after breaching its previous year-to-date high of 6.4245 reached in January. The move follows a slump in the greenback on Friday after U.S. jobs data missed economists’ estimates.

发改委发布2021年钢铁去产能“回头看”检查工作通知_经济_宏观频道首页_财经网 - CAIJING.COM.CN 发改委发布2021年钢铁去产能“回头看”检查工作通知 —财经网
The National Reform and Development Commission has launched a nationwide inspection aimed at assessing steel overcapacity reduction goals set in 2016. Among the priorities: phase-out of redundant steel capacities, environmental standards and capacity at new plants, and cruel steel reduction goals set in 2021.

市场监管总局部署加强重点领域反不正当竞争执法 In a notice posted on its website, China’s market watchdog has vowed to strengthen its work on anti-competitive behaviors in a bid to ensure a “fair market environment.” The regulatory drive will continue into December with a focus on key businesses with a wide reach.

易会满：提高上市公司质量持续优化市场生态 _ 证券时报网 One step at a time is the message from the head of China’s securities watchdog as he vows to improve the country’s corporate governance. Yi Huiman, in a recently published book about China’s capital markets, praises the “profound structural changes” in the country’s market reforms. The establishment of stock exchanges decades ago, he says, broke “the shackles of ideology,” paving the way for market-based reforms in China’s capital markets. While Yi extols the progress, he has also warned of the complexity and risks involved. “China is still in the early stage of socialism and its economic transformation has a high degree of complexity,” he argues. “The development of its capital market is not sufficient and mature enough and some deep, structural problems haven’t been addressed in a fundamental way.” To complement market reforms, policymakers must also be vigilant of “systematic risks”, he says. His vision? By 2035, China will have a “modern, multi-layered” capital market, giving full play to tools such as bonds and equities and public offering and private equity funds

Tesla Driver Dies in Rear-end Collision with Truck in South China, Sparking Further Safety Concerns - Pandaily Adriver of a Tesla vehicle died after rear-ending a truck in south China’s Guangdong province, raising a new round of safety concerns involving the US electric car maker’s vehicles. Surveillance video capturing the fatal accident in Shaoguan city on May 7 shows the Tesla sedan traveling through an underpass at high speed before crashing into the truck in front of it.

China’s Inflation to Stay Under Control in 2021, Yicai Chief Economists’ Survey Shows Yicai - The consumer price index, a key inflation measure, should stay below 3 percent in 2021, according to the chief economists of 23 major financial institutions in China. They also think gains in the producer price index, an indicator of corporate profitability, are unsustainable. Six of those polled expect the PPI to rise in the second quarter, with the pace of growth gradually slowing thereafter.

Yicai - Alipay Joins China’s Digital Yuan Tests The Alipay app, which connects 80 million vendors with 2,000 partner financial institutions and over one billion users, now appears in the central bank-backed digital wallet alongside six state-owned lenders, China Fund reported today. Some Alipay users are also able to access an e-yuan column in the app, according to media reports.

政治局会议点名后，宁波制定112个学区房小区二手房参考价_地产界_澎湃新闻-The Paper After the Politburo specifically cites controlling speculation in homes in good school districts, Ningbo becomes the first city to enact measures specifically limiting the prices of those homes

China’s Derivatives Market to Get Boost With First Options Product Open to Overseas Investors - Caixin On Thursday, the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE), a subsidiary of the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SFE), released draft rules for a crude oil options contract along with a notice that simulated trading will take place on the exchange from May 10 to May 21

Chinese billionaire Sun Dawu faces decades in jail, legal team say | South China Morning Post Rural entrepreneur Sun Dawu is accused of provoking trouble and disturbing public order, illegal mining, encroachment on state farmland, obstructing public service and illegal fundraising, among other charges, prosecutors in Gaobeidian in Hebei province said in a document on Wednesday...A source in the legal team, who requested anonymity because they were warned not to speak to the media, said prosecutors asked for Sun’s eldest son Sun Meng to be jailed for 16 years and Sun’s brother Sun Zhihua to be jailed for 11 years

US-China rivalry drives the retreat of market economics | Financial Times - Gideon Rachman As tensions rise between China, the US and other major powers, it is understandable that these countries will look at the security implications of key technologies. But claims by politicians that industrial policy will also produce better-paying jobs and a more productive economy deserve to be treated with deep scepticism. Sometimes ideas go out of fashion for a reason.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warns of challenges over jobs, private sector, red tape | South China Morning Post Li made the assessment at the annual national conference on clean governance on April 26...According to a transcript published on Sunday night by the official Xinhua news agency, Li warned against complacency as he noted difficulties and challenges over employment, the private sector, and government inefficiency and red tape. “The foundation of our economic recovery is still shaky,” Li told the officials. “Small and medium enterprises, as well as self-employed businesses, are suffering from rising costs, which means there is heavy pressure on employment.” // 在国务院第四次廉政工作会议上的讲话--新闻报道-中国共产党新闻网

Exclusive: Sweden faces 'last chance' on Ericsson's fate in China over 5G equipment test involvement after Huawei fallout: source - Global Times Chinese mobile operators have invited Swedish firm Ericsson to participate in their 5G equipment test and the invitation, which offers the Swedish firm an opportunity for "interview" to access China's 5G market, could be the last chance for Sweden to pull back its wrong decision to exclude Chinese firms such as Huawei from participating in its country's 5G construction, a source close to the matter told the Global Times on Monday. The source also stressed that participating in the 5G equipment test organized by Chinese mobile operators does not mean Ericsson will be hired, and Sweden has to carefully reconsider its China policy in the regard.

CBIRC Issues New Rules for Licensing of Chinese Banks and Insurers, Creates Three Licensing Categories - China Banking News The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) has updated its regulations for the licensing of domestic banks and insurers in order to simplify and unify the licensing process...Integration of licenses issued to banks and insurers into the three categories of “financial license” (金融许可证), “insurance license” (保险许可证) and “insurance intermediary license” (保险中介许可证) and clarification of applicable entities.

China’s provinces fall deeper into local government debt mire, study finds | South China Morning Post The debt problem for all but one Chinese provinces is worsening as local authorities continue to rely on borrowings to finance big-ticket spending programmes, according to a joint review of local government finances. The review revealed that with the exception of the hinterland province of Shaanxi, debt ratio, measured as outstanding debt to local GDP, rose in 30 of 31 mainland provinces as of the end of June 2020.

Premier Li stresses importance of structure, layout of state-owned economy - Xinhua Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday stressed the importance of the structure and layout of state-owned economy following the merger of Sinochem Group and ChemChina Group, two state-owned chemical giants. Li made the remarks in a written instruction on the establishment of a new holding company occurring on the same day as a result of the joint reorganization. He added that the move would boost agricultural modernization and competitiveness in the chemical industry. The new company should shore up international cooperation and maximize its role as an industry leader, the premier said, calling for major technological breakthroughs in germplasm and chemical engineering.

Politics and Law

2 face trial as China enforces online control amid pandemic - AP More than a year after two amateur computer coders were taken by police from their Beijing homes, they are set to be tried Tuesday in a case that illustrates the Chinese government’s growing online censorship and heightened sensitivity to any deviation from the official narrative on its COVID-19 response. Authorities have not said specifically why Chen Mei, 28, and Cai Wei, 27, were arrested in April last year, so friends and relatives can only guess. They believe it was because the two men had set up an online archive to store articles deleted by censors and a related forum where users could skirt real-name registration requirements to chat anonymously.

人事观察｜王忠林任湖北省副省长、代理省长_政经频道_财新网 Wang Zhonglin, appointed party secretary of Wuhan in February 2020, is now deputy party secretary, deputy governor and acting governor of Hubei province

Mainland Chinese lawyer delisted after taking up Hong Kong fugitives case barred from leaving country to join US fellowship programme | South China Morning Post Lu Siwei was one of two lawyers delisted by mainland authorities after each represented one of 12 Hong Kong fugitives who had been intercepted at sea Officials stopped him at Shanghai airport on Saturday when he was about to board a flight to Seattle to attend the Humphrey Programme

China launches Civil Code promotion campaign - Xinhua According to the plan of the campaign, which has been approved by the country's top legal authorities including the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the campaign aims to make the public more familiar with the code's content and principles. Civil Code promotion campaign should be conducted annually every May, the plan noted. It also proposed promotion methods including lectures, knowledge contests and cultural activities. 中宣部、司法部等九部门组织开展“美好生活·民法典相伴”主题宣传--新闻报道-中国共产党新闻网

Inside the Communist Party’s Private Sector Push - SixthTone Geographically speaking, the rate of party organizations is higher in the central and western parts of the country than along the eastern seaboard. This is because the private economy in eastern China is generally far more developed than in the western areas and is characterized by a high diversity of firms, making it more difficult to promote party building there. Across industries, the rate of party organization coverage is highest in the manufacturing sector, where firms’ dependence on exports necessitates they maintain close ties with the government to deal with issues like tariffs and trade barriers.

Legislators trained on local legislation in Shanghai - Xinhua A five-day training session on local legislation kicked off in Shanghai on Monday, bringing together legislators from 15 provincial-level regions, as well as those from Beijing and Shanghai. A total of 337 participants received training on the history of the Communist Party of China, the scope and limits of local legislative powers, the procedure and technical standards of local legislation, and the document recording and reviewing work, among others...The Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee plans to hold two sessions this year to give such training to legislators of all local legislatures

China's privacy laws could be stronger than America's - Protocol — The people, power and politics of tech The new law, similar to the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, will give individuals the power to know how their personal data is being used and to consent to it. "It's a good law," Jeremy Daum, a senior fellow of the Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center, told Protocol. "We tend to think of China as not being overly concerned with privacy, and that's just wrong … There's a growing expectation of privacy in the Chinese public, and the government is responding to it by passing high-level authority to try and ensure some protections."

China foreign ministry says planned U.N. event on Xinjiang an insult | Reuters China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that the use of the United Nations as a platform for a virtual event on the repression of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang was an insult to the institution..."The U.S. has banded up with several countries, abused the United Nations' resources and platform, and smeared and attacked China to serve it's own interests," she said at a daily news conference in Beijing.

In Xinjiang, China Targets Muslim Women in Push to Suppress Births - The New York Times While the authorities have said the procedures are voluntary, interviews with more than a dozen Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim women and men from Xinjiang, as well as a review of official statistics, government notices and reports in the state-run media, depict a coercive effort by the Chinese Communist Party to control the community’s reproductive rights. The authorities pressured women to use IUDs or get sterilized. As they recuperated at home, government officials were sent to live with them to watch for signs of discontent

Accurately grasp the new stage of development (in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics), start of a new series by Ren Lixuan in the Monday People’s Daily -准确把握新发展阶段（深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想）任理轩 - --人民网

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Based on the new development stage, implementing the new development concept, building a new development pattern, and promoting high-quality development are the tasks that the whole party and the whole country must pay close attention to at present and in the future." The "14th Five-Year Plan" and the long-term goal outline for 2035 thoroughly implement the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, fully implement the requirements of "based on a new development stage, implementing new development concepts and building a new development pattern", and strive to draw a grand blueprint for building a socialist modernized country in an all-round way. In order to fully, accurately and comprehensively understand the theoretical connotation and practical requirements of basing on the new development stage, implementing the new development concept, constructing the new development pattern and starting the new journey of building a socialist modernized country in an all-round way, this newspaper has launched Ren Lixuan series of articles from today. [Ren Lixuan is the pen name for the People's Daily Theory Propaganda Department]...
“Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron, With firm strides we are crossing its summit”. In the new stage of development, the splendid picture is spreading slowly, and the horn of forging ahead for a new journey has sounded. At the great moment when the historical process of a new stage of development begins, it is especially necessary to realize that building a socialist modernized country in an all-round way and marching towards the goal of the second century cannot be easy and smooth, and it is bound to undergo some hard training and struggle. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, and under the guidance of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we should implement the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the outline of the long-term goal for 2035, and March towards the goal of building a socialist modernization power in an all-round way. China has written great development miracles in history and reality, and will surely create new and bigger miracles that will make the world look at each other with new eyes.
习近平总书记指出：“立足新发展阶段、贯彻新发展理念、构建新发展格局，推动高质量发展，是当前和今后一个时期全党全国必须抓紧抓好的工作。”“十四五”规划和2035年远景目标纲要深入贯彻党的十九届五中全会精神，全面落实“立足新发展阶段、贯彻新发展理念、构建新发展格局”要求，擘画全面建设社会主义现代化国家的宏伟蓝图。为了完整、准确、全面理解把握立足新发展阶段、贯彻新发展理念、构建新发展格局、开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程的理论内涵和实践要求，本报从今天起推出任理轩系列文章

——编者 ...

“雄关漫道真如铁，而今迈步从头越。”新发展阶段灿烂图景徐徐铺展，奋进新征程的号角已经吹响。在开启新发展阶段历史进程的伟大时刻，尤须认识到，全面建设社会主义现代化国家、向第二个百年奋斗目标进军，不可能轻轻松松、一帆风顺，必然要经历一番艰苦磨炼和斗争。我们要在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，贯彻实施“十四五”规划和2035年远景目标纲要，万众一心向着全面建成社会主义现代化强国的目标进军。中国已经在历史和现实中书写了伟大的发展奇迹，必将在未来创造让世界刮目相看的新的更大奇迹。

Comment: That first line of the last paragraph is from Mao Zedong’s poem “Loushan Pass 忆秦娥娄山关 - “雄关漫道真如铁，而今迈步从头越 Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron, With firm strides we are crossing its summit”, commemorating a big victory on the Long March. It has recently been used repeatedly by Xi and People's Daily, among other, as I noted in the November 12, 2020 newsletter.

Foreign and Defense Affairs

China-EU investment deal on its last legs as MEPs unite in opposition | South China Morning Post Members of Parliament (MEPs) plan to introduce a motion this month to put the deal “on ice” – effectively banning debate on it – until Beijing removes its sanctions, something that Chinese analysts say is highly unlikely.

Fu Ying: How China Views Multilateralism – EURACTIV.com While tensions between China and the US are exerting an impact on the world and the political climate is getting more complicated, Europe needs space for independent thinking. There is no need or reason for Beijing or Washington to ask European countries to take sides. Europe has developed close partnership with both China and the US, which means its interests would be undermined whichever side it took. Moreover, to maintain the integrity of the global system, Europe has the responsibility to persuade and help China and the US to grapple with their differences, instead of expanding contradictions and even splitting the world.

Philippines Plans Military Hub, Cameras at Sea Amid China Spat - Bloomberg The Philippine military will ask President Rodrigo Duterte to fund a logistics hub on Thitu Island, its chief General Cirilito Sobejana said, as the nation seeks to sustain patrols in the South China Sea. It’s also planning to place high-resolution, night-capable cameras to monitor activities around islands claimed by the Philippines, he said.

Philippines tells fishermen to ignore Beijing's ban on fishing in South China Sea | Reuters The Philippines has rejected an annual summer fishing ban imposed by China in the disputed South China Sea and encouraged its boats to keep fishing in the country's territorial waters. The fishing moratorium imposed by China since 1999 runs from May 1 to Aug. 16 and covers areas of the South China Sea as well as other waters off China.

China’s new nuclear submarine missiles expand range in US: analysts | South China Morning Post The Type 094A, or Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), was presented last Friday as part of the celebration to mark the 72nd anniversary of the PLA Navy. It was capable of firing the JL-3, or Julang (Big Wave) SLBM with a range over 10,000km (6,200 miles), a source close to the navy said. “The Type 094A is an upgraded version of the Type 094 that overcame one of the key problems – noise – by improving hydrokinetic and turbulent systems, allowing it to carry the more powerful JL-3,” said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

China’s Growing Influence over the Rules of the Digital Road - The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) This essay examines the growing role of China in international standards-setting organizations as a window into its efforts to influence global digital governance institutions and highlights areas where the U.S. can preserve its interests in cyberspace.

美国侵犯人权五宗罪之五：双重标准，抹黑造谣难遮家丑--国际--人民网 #5 in a series of 5 pieces in the People's Daily on the five crimes of the US in violating human rights. This one on double standards and rumormongering to cover up its own problems. others have been on colonialism and the slaughter of native Americans, racism, exporting unrest, "interventionism" and creating humanitarian disasters

Confucius Institutes in Australian universities face closures under veto laws - Brisbane Times A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Senator Payne would decide whether to cancel the institute contracts on a “case-by-case basis”, but all 13 Australian universities were expected to register the contracts for review by the June 10 deadline.

Denmark draws China ire for inviting Taiwan leader to speak at 'democracy summit' | Reuters The Chinese embassy in Denmark criticized the event on Monday, saying "anti-China" activities by foreign forces and separatists to promote independence for Taiwan and Hong Kong were "bound to fail". Inviting Tsai and Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law to the summit violated "the one-China principle and interferes in China's internal affairs", the embassy said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

UK spies warn local authorities over ‘smart city’ tech risks | Financial Times $$ The intervention by the National Cyber Security Centre, a branch of GCHQ, reflects growing fears in the intelligence community that local authorities may inadvertently enter risky contracts which could expose them to cyber attack or compromise individuals’ privacy. A deal that was aborted at the last minute involved Bournemouth council in Dorset, which was preparing a contract with the Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba to provide “smart place” services, the Financial Times has discovered.

Why Kiribati and Kanton Matter - CDR Salamander You cannot classify geography or math. That is why the Chinese are interested in it. I can't blame them. If I were Chinese, I'd do the same exact thing. They know the USA can't rush to the aid of anyone from Taiwan to the South China Sea if they have to clean up what used to be their backyard first. Time and distraction. Defense in depth. None of this can be classified. They are open to all.

Xi Jinping Speaks with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi on the Phone Felix Tshisekedi said, on behalf of the DRC and the AU, I extend warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The DRC and China have a profound friendship. The DRC upholds the one-China policy, and is firmly committed to developing DRC-China friendship and being an important cooperation partner of China in Africa. The DRC is ready to intensify exchanges with China and deepen cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, resources and infrastructure.

Xi Jinping Speaks with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio on the Phone China is a true and trustworthy good friend of Sierra Leone and the African people. Sierra Leone firmly upholds the one-China policy and firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Sierra Leone stands ready to work with China to deepen the friendship between the two countries, strengthen cooperation in such areas as education, health and food security, and advance cooperation within the framework of the FOCAC.

Xi Jinping Speaks with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President Miguel Diaz-Canel on the Phone Miguel Diaz-Canel spoke highly of the historic achievements made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC in the past 100 years. He underlined China's great achievements in building a modern socialist country under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core. He expressed his firm belief that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China will eventually achieve greater progress. Miguel Diaz-Canel said he appreciates China's long-term and firm support for Cuba's just cause, including its timely assistance to Cuba's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Cuba firmly supports the one-China principle and opposes all acts of interference in China's internal affairs. The PCC is willing to strengthen the exchange of experience with the CPC in running a country, make good use of mechanisms such as the Cuba-China intergovernmental commission for economic and trade relations, and promote practical cooperation in such areas as jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to push forward the relations between the two parties and the two countries

赓续对外工作百年辉煌服务中华民族伟大复兴 - 求是网 Song Tao, head of the CCP's International Liaison Department, wrote in the May 1 Qiushi on the achievements of the ILD in its foreign work since the founding of the CCP. Some highlights:

The party's external work is based on maintaining political security, strengthening strategic operations, and faithfully fulfilling its sacred duties as an important front of the party

The party's foreign work takes Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the primary priority, comprehensively strengthens political guidance to the international community, and further enhances the party's international influence, appeal and shaping power

The party's external work relies on deepening the work layout and actively promotes the establishment of a new type of political party relationship, which plays a more prominent role in the diplomacy of a big country with Chinese characteristics

The party's external work is oriented to promoting the construction of a community of human destiny, striving to safeguard world peace and promote common development, and demonstrating the responsibility of a big country and a "bug Party"

党的对外工作以维护政治安全为根本，加强战略运筹，忠诚履行作为党的一条重要战线的神圣职责

党的对外工作以宣介习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为首要，全面加强对国际社会的政治引领，党的国际影响力、感召力和塑造力进一步提升

党的对外工作以深化工作布局为依托，积极推动建立新型政党关系，在中国特色大国外交中的作用更为彰显

党的对外工作以推动构建人类命运共同体为方向，努力维护世界和平、促进共同发展，展现了大国大党责任担当

Xi Jinping Speaks with IOC President Thomas Bach on the Phone Bach congratulated China on its impressive achievements in various fields of development, particularly pointing out that China has taken the lead in successfully putting the pandemic under control and restoring economic growth, and played an important leading role in global anti-epidemic cooperation and economic recovery. The IOC attaches great importance to its sound cooperation with China and is willing to strengthen vaccine cooperation with China. The preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics are currently at an important stage. The IOC adheres to the Olympic Charter, opposes politicization of the Olympic Games, and stands ready to continue its close cooperation with China and offer full support for China hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled. He is confident that the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics will show the world the power of example in fighting the pandemic, promote the global development of winter sports, and make important contributions to the development of the Olympic movement.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Remarks on Deadly Serial Attacks in Afghanistan It needs to be pointed out that the recent abrupt US announcement of complete withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan has led to a succession of explosive attacks throughout the country, worsening the security situation and threatening peace and stability as well as people’s life and safety. China calls on foreign troops in Afghanistan to take into full account the security of people in the country and the region, pull out in a responsible manner and avoid inflicting more turmoil and suffering on the Afghan people.

China needs to make a plan to deter extreme forces of Australia - Global Times - Hu Xijin Given that Australian hawks keep hyping or hinting that Australia will assist the US military and participate in war once a military conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Straits, and the Australian media outlets have been actively promoting the sentiment, I suggest China make a plan to impose retaliatory punishment against Australia once it militarily interferes in the cross-Straits situation. The plan should include long-range strikes on the military facilities and relevant key facilities on Australian soil if it really sends its troops to China's offshore areas and combats against the PLA.

American interventionism as a source of humanitarian crisis - People's Daily Online In a word, the interventionist actions of the U.S. are of good to no one and instead serve as a source of humanitarian disaster and human rights violations. The U.S. may continue to take such rash actions in the future, but more and more countries have realized that they must work together to firmly say no to such interventions, in this way promoting stability and sustained order around the world. (Li Haidong is a professor with the Institute of International Relations, China Foreign Affairs University.)

Washington is playing a losing game with China | East Asia Forum America’s latest policies toward China will prove self-defeating. US–China relations now exemplify Freeman’s third law of strategic dynamics: for every hostile act there is a more hostile reaction.

U.S. policies on China self-defeating: former U.S. diplomat - Xinhua America's latest policies toward China, including the trade war, will prove self-defeating, said former senior U.S. diplomat Charles W. Freeman Jr. in an article in the East Asia Forum online research platform Sunday. The trade war launched by the United States has backfired, said Freeman, who argued that U.S. farmers, companies and families are paying the price by losing the Chinese market, profits and jobs.

China's top political advisor meets with Egyptian Senate speaker via video link - Xinhua China's top political advisor Wang Yang met with Egyptian Senate Speaker Abdel Razeq via video link Monday, pledging to enhance friendly exchanges between the two sides...Abdel Razeq expressed the willingness to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and continue to firmly support China's principled position on the issues of Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong

Why China’s Type 075 warship is more than it seems – the secret is in its hull number | South China Morning Post The first Type 075 Yushen-class Hainan ship was given the pennant number “31” when the PLA Navy commissioned it on April 23, the navy’s 72nd anniversary. Smaller amphibious transport docks already in service have three-digit pennant numbers starting with “9”. Defence experts said the two digits put the LHD on a par with the country’s flagship aircraft carriers, signalling the important role the docks are expected to play in China’s blue-water navy ambitions.

China urges U.N. states not to attend Xinjiang human rights event - Reuters China has urged United Nations member states not to attend an event next week on the repression of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang. The event was planned by by Germany, the United States and Britain. “It is a politically-motivated event,” China’s U.N. mission wrote in the note. “We request your mission NOT to participate in this anti-China event.” “They are obsessed with provoking confrontation with China,” the note said, adding that “the provocative event can only lead to more confrontation.”

Debris of China's Long March rocket reenters atmosphere, most of it burns up - Xinhua The debris of the last stage of the Long March-5B Y2 carrier rocket reentered the atmosphere at 10:24 a.m. on Sunday (Beijing Time), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said. The vast majority of the device burned up during the reentry, and the rest of the debris fell into a sea area with the center at 2.65 degrees north latitude and 72.47 degrees east longitude, said the CMSA

China's Rocket Debris Landed Near Maldives: Here's What to Know - The New York Times The possibility, however slight, that debris from the rocket could strike a populated area had led people around the world to track its trajectory for days. The administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson, issued an unusual rebuke after China’s announcement, accusing the country of “failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.”

U.S. wants COVID vaccine patent waiver to benefit world, not boost China biotech | Reuters The Biden administration is examining ways to ensure that a waiver of COVID-19 vaccine patents to aid poor countries will not hand sensitive U.S. biopharmaceutical technology to China and Russia, responding to a chorus of concerns, U.S. and industry officials say...A question and answer document produced by the administration and shared with industry representatives also acknowledges concerns that intellectual property sharing could damage the United State's competitive advantage over China, an industry source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

The Chinese book at the bottom of Sars bioweapons claims that emerged amid coronavirus pandemic | South China Morning PostThe Weekend Australian reported on Saturday that a document written by People’s Liberation Army scientists and senior Chinese public health officials five years before the outbreak of Covid-19 described Sars coronaviruses as heralding a “new era of genetic weapons”. The report said that in the document the Chinese scientists outlined their ideas that a third world war would be fought with biological weapons...The “document” in question is The Unnatural Origin of Sars and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons . It does discuss whether the coronavirus could be used by terrorists as a weapon against China – but it does not suggest that China was weaponising the coronavirus.

The original report - Chinese military scientists discussed weaponising SARS coronaviruses - The AustralianThe document, written by People’s Liberation Army scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015, was obtained by the US State Department as it conducted an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, The Weekend Australian has confirmed. The paper describes SARS coronaviruses as heralding a “new era of genetic weapons” and says they can be “artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed in a way never seen before”.

Australian media slammed for twisting open book as 'evidence' of 'China weaponizing COVID-19' - Global TimesQuoting a so-called leaked document obtained by the US State Department, The Australian claimed China had been probing whether it could weaponize the coronavirus five years before the COVD-19 pandemic, and even took the document as evidence of China's interest in bioweapons. Yet, the Global Times found the leaked document mentioned by The Australian was a book titled The Unnatural Origin of SARS and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapon. It was published by military doctor Xu Dezhong in 2015 and is on sale on Amazon, although it is out of stock. The book suggests that SARS epidemic during 2002 and 2004 in China originated through an unnatural way of genetic modification originating from abroad.

Hong Kong

Publishing, Media Takeovers Part of China's Two-Pronged Grip on Hong Kong — Radio Free Asia Last month, the chairman of Hong Kong-based Chinese-language broadcaster Phoenix Media Investment, Liu Changle, announced he would sell almost all of his stake in the company to the CCP-backed Bauhinia Culture Holdings and to Common Sense, which is owned by Pansy Ho's Shun Tak empire. According to the Ming Pao, new directors have now been drafted in to helm Bauhinia, suggesting a higher degree of political momentum from Beijing, analysts told RFA.

BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room, Hong Kong: Beijing Tightens Its Grip In Hong Kong a controversial National Security Law has been introduced, democracy activists have been locked up, journalists censured and protests stifled. What's going on and why?

法治精神不容亵渎外来干涉不能得逞（钟声）--观点--人民网 香港是中国的香港，香港事务纯属中国内政，任何外国势力都无权说三道四、横加干涉。美国一些政客不知道哪里来的底气，竟公然造势要求释放已经认罪的被告，企图插手香港正常、正当的司法审判，不仅完全背离了法治精神，而且严重违背国际法和国际关系基本准则。

National security law: Hong Kong police arrest five for alleged acts of subversion on social media, sources say | South China Morning Post Hong Kong national security police have arrested five members of a local student group over social media comments which allegedly constitute acts of subversion, according to sources. Three of the five suspects were scooped up in a series of Thursday morning raids as part of an operation against the student group known as “Returning Valiant”, according to one police source. Two of those three suspects – one male and one female – were secondary school students, while the third was an unemployed man.

Taiwan

US supporting Taiwan to join WHA is pure political manipulation, contradicts own recognition of island's epidemic control: FM - Global Times Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday again expressed strong opposition to the US' support for allowing the island of Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly (WHA), as it violates the one-China principle and provisions of the Three China-US Joint Communiqués, and constitutes blatant interference in China's internal affairs.

PLA holds joint cross-sea landing drill, ‘revealing details of Taiwan secessionist-deterring tatics’ - Global Times Many on the island of Taiwan and foreign countries for a long time believe the Chinese mainland does not possess what it takes to organize a proper large-scale, joint amphibious landing operation on the island due to this kind of mission's high complexity, and that is one of the reasons why they do not think a reunification-by-force operation is possible, a Chinese mainland military analyst who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday. Reports on exercises like this one and daily routine warplane drills near the island, could serve as a deterrent and give secessionist and foreign forces a clear look at the real situation that the PLA is fully determined and capable of safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the analyst said.

Tech and Media

Beijing names and shames Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu and 81 other apps for excessive data collection under new rules | South China Morning Post The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said 36 mobile security apps and 48 online lending apps were found to have infringed personal information through illegal access, over-collection and excessive authorisation, according to a notice on its website on Monday.

Chinese authorities ban competition shows from using voting systems that require fans to spend money to vote following iQIYI's milk-wasting scandal - Global Times Chinese competition reality shows are no longer allowed to set up systems in which fans can spend money to vote for their favorites, according to a new notice issued by the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau on Monday. The announcement comes after the hit show Youth With You Season 3 found itself at the center of a scandal in which tons of bottled milk was bought and wasted by fans who were trying to keep their favorite idols on the show.

Society, Arts, Sports, Culture and History

Frostbitten: China Facing Olympic Ice Hockey Expulsion - China Sports Insider In news that has not previously been reported, China Sports Insider can exclusively reveal that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has threatened to kick the Chinese team out of its own Olympic ice hockey tournament on home soil in Beijing if China doesn’t get its act together quickly, according to multiple sources. Furthermore, the situation is so dire that the IIHF has offered to waive its own eligibility requirements to allow China to bolster its own team through foreign-born recruits...China has in fact been recruiting ethnically-Chinese North American players for several years through the Kunlun Red Star (KRS) club, with the aim of giving them passports in time to represent China at the 2022 Olympics. One such player is Zach Yuen (interview here), but there have been many others. But KRS has fallen out with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association (CIHA), and so it appears that all these potential recruits are now considered by the current Chinese authorities to be tainted by their association with KRS.

Child Acrobats Flee Abusive School, Found After 6 Days - SixthTone The four trainee acrobats aged 11 to 15 were found in Sichuan province on Friday, six days after escaping from their cruel “performance agent” in Chengdu, local media outlet Red Star News reported Monday. According to Xiang Xuehua, the eldest of the four children, the agent had been forcing them to give up to two performances daily since they arrived in Chengdu on April 22, generating 1,000 to 3,000 yuan ($150 to $300) per show. But the young acrobats were to receive just 100 yuan a month, Xuehua said. // 4名杂技学校孩子集体出走背后：学校一周吃一次肉，给人赚钱却吃不饱饭，感觉被利用_国内_新闻首页_红星新闻网

Safari park concealed leopards' escape for 2 weeks for fear of tourist loss; hunt continues - Global Times Before the Hangzhou Safari Park in East China's Zhejiang Province finally admitted that three leopards had escaped from the park, the predators - also first-class national protected animals - had wandered around one of China's most populous cities for more than two weeks. Local authorities reported this shocking concealment on Monday.

Energy, Environment, Science and Health

Fosun, BioNTech in $200 Million China Vaccine Venture - Caixin Under the latest development in their tie-up, Fosun and BioNTech will set up a $200 million 50-50 joint venture in Shanghai that will initially produce the latter’s mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine for sale in China, according to a Fosun announcement on Sunday. Fosun will contribute funds to build the high-tech facility for the drug’s production, while BioNTech will provide the intellectual property in the form of its Covid-19 vaccine co-developed with U.S. drug giant Pfizer.

China maintains COVID-19 prevention on Mt. Qomolangma, reports zero infections - Xinhua 21 expedition permits have been issued this year on the north side of the mountain, all to Chinese citizens. According to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA), no foreign nationals have been allowed into the Qomolangma area since the outbreak began last year. "We put strict anti-epidemic measures into action in all the camps along the climbing route this year," said Nyima Tsering, head of the Tibetan Sports Bureau.

Nearly 15 mln people in Beijing vaccinated against COVID-19 - Xinhua The Chinese capital had administered over 26.61 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with the vaccination rate among people aged 18 and over reaching 76.71 percent, according to a national training program on COVID-19 vaccine inoculation held in Beijing Monday

China's Ningxia logs 449 close contacts of new COVID-19 case - Xinhua The newly-confirmed imported case, a male, arrived in Yinchuan on Friday after 14-day medical observation and three nucleic acid tests in Shanghai. The 32-year-old was found positive during a nucleic acid test after he arrived at Yinchuan Hedong International Airport

Food and Travel

Tourist stranded on glass bridge triggers safety concerns - Xinhua Several pieces of deck glass of the 100-meter-high bridge were blown off by the wind gusting at a speed of up to 150 km per hour around 12:45 p.m. at the Piyan Mountain in the city of Longjing, according to the city government. Under the joint rescue efforts of firefighters, police, and forestry and tourism personnel, the male tourist successfully crawled to safety at 1:20 p.m. He has been sent to a hospital and is receiving psychological counseling.

Matt Knight @MattCKnight

Someone was trapped high up on a suspended glass walkway at a scenic spot in north east China yesterday when high winds caused glass panels to fall out around them. They were eventually able to climb to safety.

Education

Yicai - China Fines Online Education Unicorns Yuanfudao, Zuoyebang for False Advertising Yuanfudao, the world’s most valuable education technology company worth USD15.5 billion as of October last year, falsely promoted its classroom courses as “one-to-one” tutoring and fudged teachers’ experience, the watchdog said. Zuoyebang, another Beijing-based edtech unicorn which raked in another USD1.6 billion in funding last December, lied about “co-operating with the United Nations” on its website and also faked teachers’ credentials, it said.

教师思想政治和师德师风建设经验交流暨师德专题教育启动部署会召开 - 中华人民共和国教育部政府门户网站 On May 10th, the Ministry of Education held an exchange of experiences on teachers' ideological and political work and the construction of teachers' morality and style, as well as a launching and deployment meeting of special education on teachers' morality, to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on education and the important guiding spirit of the construction of teachers' ranks, systematically summarize the achievements and experiences of teachers' ideological and political work and the construction of teachers' morality and style, pay close attention to the implementation of key tasks of teachers' ideological and political work and the construction of teachers' morality and style, and deploy and launch special education on teachers' morality. Chen Baosheng, Party Secretary and Minister of the Ministry of Education, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Sun Yao, Party member and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, presided over the meeting.

教育部关于在教育系统开展师德专题教育的通知 - 中华人民共和国教育部政府门户网站

Chinese teachers urged to enhance work ethic - Xinhua China's Ministry of Education has released a circular on an educational campaign aimed at strengthening teachers' professional ethics...Regular meetings should be held exposing code of conduct violations by teaching staff and their punishments, in an effort to help teachers draw lessons from the past, it said. In April, the ministry made public eight typical cases of ethics violations by teachers, such as public humiliation, corporal punishment and sexual harassment

Sinocism

Xi’s letter to the Journal of Chinese…