CHINA’S POLITICAL BUZZWORDS & HOT-TOPICS:A POST-2015 “TWO SESSIONS” ANALYSIS

中国政治新词及热点解析PREPARED IN NEW YORK CITY & BEIJING

2015-MAR-18

PRINCIPAL AUTHOR – MATT JOHNSON

COPYRIGHT © 2015, ALLEGRAVITA LLC

THE TWO SESSIONS (两会) - 2015 • Refers to two official annual PRC government meetings:

• The National People's Congress (NPC) • The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)

• The Two Sessions top 3 topics of Chinese concern (according to an online live survey result by XinhuaNet):

• 1. Income distribution• 2. Anti-Corruption • 3. Healthcare Reform

• The two sessions are meant to display and review the accomplishments of the previous year and to show approval of policies for the year ahead.

THE MAJOR PLAYERS IN CHINA’S CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

PRESIDENTXI JINPING (习近平)

PREMIER LI KEQIANG (李克强)

SECRETARYWANG QISHAN (王岐山)

BUZZWORDSTHE FOUR COMPREHENSIVES (四个全面）THE CHINESE DREAM (中国梦)

LI KEQIANG’S ECONOMIC POLICIES (经济政策)

THE NEW NORMAL (新常态)

ONE BELT, ONE ROAD (一带一路)

XI JINPING – THE “BENEVOLENT RULER”

HEALTHCARE POLICIES (医疗政策)

OTHER POLICIES

SMASH THE TIGERS AND FLIES (一起打老虎苍蝇)

CYBERSECURITY AND INTERNET POLICIES (互联网政策)

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES (环境政策)

OVERVIEW

CHINA’S PRESIDENT XI JINPING 习近平President XI is a reformer who draws parallels with post-MAOreformer president DENG Xiaoping.

Has the ability, ambition, patience, and vision to transform China at this critical period in time.

Is or aspires to be a globally influential Chinese leader.

He is establishing a “Man-of-the-people” image.

With Xi’s explicit approval, Xi Dada (习大大) (Papa Xi, Uncle Xi, Grandpa Xi) has become his official nickname.

He has approved various cartoon series (Xi Dada and Soccer) and songs (Xi Dada Loves Peng Mama (First Lady, Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛)).

PRESIDENT XI IS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Uncle Xi…

Supports your goals.

Participates and provides guidance.

Makes everyone play by the rules.

Helps youth internalize morals.

Garners respect for China and its family (Taiwan, HK, the diaspora). And eventually…

Is entitled to your support.

IN OTHER WORDS: XI JINPING IS….

The classic Confucian gentleman (君子).

The benevolent, moral, natural ruler.

Confucianism is being reintroduced in high school curriculums.

4册， 孔子 （论语），孟子， 大学·中庸， 道德经

Managing the chaos of soccer:- Cracking down on fraud.- Sweeping away crime.- Opposing gambling.- Returning soccer to pure land.

Uncle Xi loves soccer:-Over the years he has played with friends together. -At every opportunity he likes to play. - In the middle of the night he watches soccer.- Uncle Xi loves the World Cup.

“Like” the Four Comprehensives. Understanding the Four Comprehensives in one diagram.

点赞四个全面

“THE FOUR COMPREHENSIVES”“四个全面”• GOAL: Comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society (全面建成小康社會)

• Indicates social equality and stability. Related to “Datong” (大同), a Confucian concept.

• MAIN DRIVING FORCE: Comprehensively deepen reform (全面深化改革)

• Represents economic reforms and a continuation of market opening measures.

• Refers to improving and modernizing China’s governance systems.

• INSURANCE/SUPPORT: Comprehensively govern the country according to the law (全面依法治國)

• Guarantees modernization of governance while championing social justice. KEY DRIVING FORCES

• GUARANTEE: Comprehensively apply strictness in ruling the party (全面依法治國) (反腐)

• Refers to the anti-corruption campaign in full-swing since Xi entered office.

“FOUR COMPREHENSIVES”“四个全面”CONT.• The relationship between the Four Comprehensives:

• The “Four Comprehensives” are complementary. The first is a strategic goal. The last three contain and cage power with crosschecking and spot checking.

• The Four Comprehensives are not just slogans:

• They are a set of complementary, pragmatic and strategic goals that confirm and reflect on China’s current confidence, its realities, experiences, and challenges (坚定中国自信、立足中国实际、总结中国经验、针对中国难题).

• Linked with Marxist concepts, dialectical materialism, previous PRC policies, and China’s understanding of socialism.

绝对不是口号！

THE CHINESE DREAM (中国梦)• A term introduced by President Xi Jinping during his “Southern Tour” inspired by former

President Deng Xiaoping’s original tour in 1992.

THE CHINESE DREAM:

• Presents a positive vibe for Chinese when faced with complicated domestic and international circumstances.

• Builds Chinese prosperity, collective effort, socialism and national glory.

• Takes inspiration from the American Dream, though the two are said to be different in nature.

“ONE BELT, ONE ROAD” “一带一路”• One Belt, One Road refers to a trade infrastructure “corridor” in two parts:

• “The Silk Road Economic Belt” “The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road”

• Announced by President Xi in September 2013.

• The two routes will: • Improve regional and global rail and sea infrastructure.

• Run through and across the center of the continent.

• Stop at key hubs of global land and maritime trade.

• Most importantly: Improve China’s market access and profile.

• The plan also includes a railroad project connecting Southeast Asia with China.

Proposed routesMap source – South China Morning Post

SMASH THE TIGERS AND FLIES• “要坚持老虎苍蝇一起打” Anti-Corruption Campaign (反腐).

Led by Secretary Wang Qishan. A policy with the least precedent in Party history.

Tigers taken down:

周永康 - Zhou Yongkang - retired senior leader of the Communist Party of China

薄熙来 - Bo Xilai - 2007 and 2012, he served as a member of the Central Politburo and secretary of the Communist Party's Chongqing branch.

令计划 - Ling Jihua – a principal political adviser of Hu Jintao.

徐才厚 - Xu Caihou (former member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission and General of the Chinese People's Liberation Army)

• The campaign is improving President Xi’s reputation but also producing controversy. Some say he selectively punishes his enemies, raising old questions of favoritism. Only seems to attack non-princelings.

CYBERSECURITY POLICY“网络安全政策”• Day before the Two Meetings (两会).

• NPC Spokesperson 傅莹 (FU Ying) described the anti-terror policy as in “accordance with international practice”.

• The draft suggests that foreign firms should:• Submit software source code for inspection. • Use Beijing-approved encryption keys. • Store user data locally.• Hand over communications records.

• Intricately linked with Anti-Terror policy and possibly the Edward Snowden revelations.

• Received stern response from Obama.

• Currently suspended implementation.

INTERNET POLICY “互联网政策”• The Internet is a major focus for the Party. Since January this year, they began

a “special rectification” campaign to “clean up” the Internet.

• They are actively promoting Internet entrepreneurship and enterprise.• Li Keqiang’s “Internet Plus” initiative aims to integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing, big

data, and IOT with modern manufacturing to develop e-commerce, industrial networks, Internet banking, and Chinese international presence.

• Plans to improve fiber optic infrastructure.

• This has had both a positive and negative influence:

• GOOD: Online blackmail and post deletion businesses have dropped by 90% from previous years, according to Xinhua (“自从国家开展‘网络敲诈和有偿删帖’专项整治工作，企业遇到的网络敲诈比前几年减少了90%. 网络空间干净多了。”)

• YET: Many businesses have had trouble accessing foreign websites due to VPN restrictions.

THE “NEW NORMAL” (经济“新常态”)• The official name for the new stage of China’s economic growth.

• China’s economy has grown rapidly in the past few decades, sometimes with double digit growth as high as 14% (2007).

• This positive growth is slowing by degrees to enter a relatively “normal” and healthier stage, an “acceptable” economic growth rate of about 7%.

PREMIER LI KEQIANG’S ECONOMIC POLICIES (经济政策)• China is rapidly “opening up” to new service and manufacturing sectors.

REORGANIZATION EFFORTS• Some major initiatives have included:

• Institutional reform of government regulatory regime. • Structural reforms and delegation of power to local governments.

• Changes in the pipeline: • Restricted foreign investment sectors halved.• Interest rate liberalization. • Deposit insurance later this year.• Credit rating system. • Further floatation and convertibility of RMB. • Further transparency of government budget.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (环境政策)• The pollution discussion has burst on the scene with the March release of documentary《穹

顶之下》”Under the Dome” by Chai Jing 柴静, a former CCTV anchor.

• Chai presented the investigation in a Ted-talk format. The video of this presentation was released a few days after the Spring Festival holiday. It quickly became the number one topic of the New Year before the Two Sessions.

• Tellingly, the film debuted on the website of People’s Daily, a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, and major state-owned news outlets have interviewed Chai and promoted discussion of her work, signaling approval from the highest levels of government.

• However, media coverage about this documentary was officially blocked by the Party when the Two Sessions (两会) began.

HEALTHCARE POLICIES“医疗政策”• CHINA WANTS TO:

Improve coverage of health insurance, particularly emergency medical insurance.

Incorporate IT into the Healthcare system (信息化).

Manufacture at medical facilities in China instead of importing expensive medicine (器械国产化).

Solve the problem of expensive healthcare and poor accessibility (医疗改革是中 国根据现有的看病难，看病贵的医疗现状提出来的改革计划，以维护人民健康权益，为群提 供安全、有效、⽅便、价廉的医疗卫生服务为目的，完善医疗保障体系、医药卫生公共体系、医药卫生制度所实施的法律和政策等).

Work to prevent doctors from overcharging for medicine.

CONCLUSION• Xi wants to establish an image of moral leadership that was lacking in the Hu

Jintao administration.

• There is a concerted effort to make these phrases work and appeal to the general populace.

• They reflect very concrete efforts to implement reform under President XI’s administration.

• CCP leaders have often used pithy phrases that fit easily in slogans. This time may be different.

• China Hands continue debating the purpose of these campaigns, but it is clear the Party has a very specific set of goals for China.

A LOOK FORWARD• 2015-2016 – Deepening of reforms• One Belt One Road and world infrastructure.• Less corruption? (红包, 反奢侈运动, etc.)• Confucian reform? (教育政策）(孔子,孟子）• Decentralization (放管结合改革)• Encouragement for startups (大众创业、万众创新). Internet plus?• The World Cup in 2020? Literal, or symbolic?

China wants to qualify for hosting and potentially winning World Cup 2020.

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THANK YOU!PREPARED IN NEW YORK CITY & BEIJING

2015-MAR-18

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