Xi's next appearance; Navigation needs a helmsman; RMB; Stabilizing the economy; South Pacific
Summary of today’s Essential Eight:
Xi’s upcoming activities - There should be the monthly Politburo meeting tomorrow. Xi will lead the leadership in the annual Martyr’s Day ceremony Friday at Tian'anmen Square, then he and the others will likely disappear October 1 for the weeklong October Holiday. The Seventh Plenum of the 19th Party Congress starts October 9th, so once the National Day holiday starts we may not see him again for eight days. Do not be surprised if another frenzy of Xi-related rumors cycles up.
Pre-Party Congress propaganda - Is Xi going to get the “helmsman” title? There is a massive propaganda push under way around “navigating”, repeated references to Xi as a variant of helmsman, not 舵手 that Mao got but “掌舵“ so far. The Thursday People's Daily will run a 13k+ character commentary from the paper’s "Ren Zhongping 任仲平 'important People's Daily commentary’”- "Grasp the initiative of history and unite the great power of going forward courageously" that includes “it is …