25 September-1 October 2023

After several weeks of technology upgrading, Five Things on China’s Leaders’ Minds finally returns. Now better able than ever before to track and evaluate China’s media, government and Party organs, we’re reverting to our weekly format. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at fivethings@bilby.ai.

Commentary

As China’s economy slows, an issue facing China’s propagandists is finding winning formulations to talk about the long-term future, and in particular of explaining how things can be made to work better in general. This approach was on view in last week’s five most widely circulated articles in China’s official media – preparations for the 74th anniversary of the PRC’s founding, a trip by Xi Jinping to Zhejiang, a call to reform the World Trade Organization, more of Xi’s thoughts on Chinese-style modernization, and a call for more attention to be paid to the needs of women and children in China’s development.

None of these articles sets the pulse racing. But between them they propose a view of China as a country pushing forward on multiple fronts at home and abroad, guided by a leader who’s both keeping an eye on the big picture and following what’s happening on the ground via his inspections of regions across the country.

The article about Xi’s inspection visit to Zhejiang (original/machine translation) is mostly anodyne, but it does mention “Common Prosperity” four times, reminding readers that making China a fairer place remains one of his top commitments. It is also worth noting that Zhejiang, as well as being one of the provinces where Xi led the government for several years before being further promoted, was also where his Common Prosperity campaign was first trialled in 2021. That trial was thought to be over; it appears it might be making a comeback. Could a wider campaign be forthcoming soon?

The article on promoting the interests of women and children points to attention being paid to two groups of people that have been neglected in recent decades.

Most concrete are Xi’s thoughts on modernization, drawn from an article in Seeking Truth magazine (original/machine translation), which offer his view of China’s future as a modern nation via definitions of six relationships:

First, the relationship between top-level design and practical exploration, in which appropriate goals for development are set while experimentation is used to find out how to achieve them.

Second, the relationship between strategy and tactics, with strategy there to “connect history, reality and the future, and connect China with the world”, while tactics allow people to “be flexible, adapt to changes, and make decisions on the fly, and seize the strategic initiative by adapting to local conditions, moving according to the situation, and following the trend”.

Third, the relationship between innovation and integrity, with integrity being ensuring that innovation remains basically Chinese.

Fourth, the relationship between efficiency and fairness: “Chinese-style modernization must not only create higher efficiency than capitalism, but also maintain social fairness more effectively”.

Fifth, the relationship between vitality and order. “In the historical process of modernization, handling this relationship is a worldwide problem. Chinese-style modernization should and can achieve a dynamic balance that is lively but not chaotic, active and orderly.”

And sixth, the relationship between being self-reliant and being open to the outside world: “To promote Chinese-style modernization, we must insist on independence, self-reliance and self-improvement, on placing the development of the country and the nation at the base of our own strength, and on keeping the destiny of China’s development and progress firmly in our own hands. [At the same time,] it is necessary to continuously expand high-level opening up to the outside world and expand the development space for Chinese-style modernization.

China’s collapsing real estate sector of course merits more attention than China’s official media grants it, along with the issue of how local governments can fund their many commitments. But so do the ideas which Xi and China’s other leaders have on where they think they can take their country. When these meet calls for action, such as those seen in Zhejiang, it pays to dig a little deeper. Xi’s vision of China as a modern, technocratic and fair nation might have more appeal to people in the country than many of those outside it might think.

Top-ranked articles for 25 September-1 October 2023
% = percentage of publications monitored carrying the article

1. Celebrating the 74th anniversary of the PRC’s founding at a reception in Beijing.
庆祝中华人民共和国成立74周年招待会在京举行
Xinhua News Agency, 28 September 2023
Chinese / Machine translation / 63%

2. Always work hard, walk in the forefront, bravely stand at the forefront, and strive to write a new chapter of Chinese path to modernization in Zhejiang
始终干在实处走在前列勇立潮头 奋力谱写中国式现代化浙江新篇章
Xinhua News Agency, 25 September 2023
Chinese / Machine translation / 46%

3. Actively participating in the reform of the World Trade Organization, improving the ability to manage high-level opening up to the outside world
积极参与世界贸易组织改革 提高驾驭高水平对外开放能力
Xinhua News Agency, 27 September 2023
Chinese / Machine translation / 38%

4. Promoting Chinese-style modernization requires handling a number of major relationships
推进中国式现代化需要处理好若干重大关系
Xinhua News Agency, 30 September 2023
Chinese / Machine translation / 38%

5. Make greater efforts with sincerity and sincerity to promote the high-quality development of women and children's cause and make new and greater contribution
带着真心真情付出更大努力 为推动妇女儿童事业高质量发展作出新的更大贡献
Xinhua News Agency, 28 September 2023
Chinese / Machine translation / 33%

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