ARCID China Update Vol.5, No.1-2

Asian Research Center for International Development (ARCID), Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand

ARCID China Update

Volume 5, No.1 and No.2 August – December 2022 (A special issue for 2022)

Compiled by Nuttawadee Jensiripon Research Associate Asian Research Center for

International Development (ARCID)

School of Social Innovation Mae Fah Luang University Thailand

© All Rights Reserved

Compiled by Nuttawadee Jensiripon

ISSN: 2630-0885

First published in 2018 by ASIAN RESEARCH CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (ARCID) School of Social Innovation, Mae Fah Luang University 333 Moo 1, Thasud, Muang, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand

Tel : +66 5391 7137 Fax : +66 5391 6685

E-mail : arcid.social-innovation.school@mfu.ac.th

Website : https://socialinnovation.mfu.ac.th/social-research/social-arcid/arcidindex.html

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Cover Photo by Usukhbayar Gankhuyag on Unsplash

Preface

With economic reforms and the opening up of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the outside world by Deng Xiaoping and post-Deng leaders, China is now the largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis). All indications show that China will be a superpower. The meteoric rise of China in the 21st centurysignals thesuccessful comeback ofChinain regaining itsrespectful place in regional and international affairs. It also means challenges as well as opportunities for other parts of the world, especially for countries in the Asia Pacific region.

For many of us, the big question is: how should we deal with such a rising superpower? Other question may include the following:

Is China’s rise goingto be sustained?What are the new directions mappedout by Xi Jinping todevelop China? What sort of developmentalchallengeswill it face? Is China a threat according to some analysts? How can we promote a win-win relationship with China? How can we manage our problems, if any, with China in order to preserve peace and development?

To answer these questions, the Asian Research Center for International Development (ARCID) of the School of Social Innovation at Mae Fah Luang University has established a Monitor and Analysis (M&A) Unit surveying and analyzing major developments in China. Located in Northern Thailand, ARCID would take advantage of its geography and focus its research more on Mekong region and its relations with East Asia, including China. We hope this strategy could help a young research center to establish a niche in the academic, intellectual and policy community. In this regard, the ARCID China Update, normally a biannual publication, is produced by the M&A Unit to keep track of the developments in China with special reference to its interactions with the Mekong region and Southeast Asia The publication includes a chronology, selected documentation, selected analysis, and at times, appendices. Essentially, the publication is a record of the events and issues under review.

Lee Lai To, Ph.D. Senior Professor and Director ARCID

N.B.For2022,ChinaUpdatecanonlycovertheperiodfromAugusttoDecember 2022 because of the shortage of manpower. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Contents

Part I : The Chronology .........................................................................................1

(I) Major Events................................................................................................. 1

(II) Highlights of China-Southeast Asian Relations......................................... 11

Part II : Selected Documentation......................................................................... 15 August............................................................................................................... 15

(A) The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era.......... 15 September 40

(A) Jointly Upholding True Multilateralism and Starting a New Journey of Maritime Governance.................................................................................... 40

(B) Ride on the Trend of the Times and Enhance Solidarity and Cooperation to Embrace a Better Future............................................................................ 45

October.............................................................................................................. 52

(A) the Communique of the First Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China............................................... 52 November.......................................................................................................... 55

(A) Joint Statement on The 20th Anniversary of The Declaration on The Conduct of Parties in The South China Sea .................................................. 55

(B) Working Together to Meet the Challenges of Our Times and Build a Better Future.................................................................................................. 58

(C) Joint Statement between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s Republic of China on Working towards a Thailand - China Community with a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability ........ 63

December.......................................................................................................... 67

(A) Full text of Xi Jinping's speech at memorial meeting for Comrade Jiang Zemin............................................................................................................. 67

(B) Full Text: 2023 New Year Address by President Xi Jinping.................. 78

Part III : Selected Analysis .................................................................................. 82

August

............................................................................................................... 82

(A) US shoots itself in foot over Taiwan

....................................................... 82

(B) Why silencing debate over China’s economy is bad for the country ..... 85

September 87

(A) China’s technology is a mixed blessing for MENA states ..................... 87

October

.............................................................................................................. 90

(A) How Xi can strengthen China's economy............................................... 90

(B) The 20th Party Congress is another step in Xi’s rise.............................. 93

November 96

(A) Why is China’s youth unemployment so high? ..................................... 96

December

.......................................................................................................... 99

(A) What's next in zero-Covid China drama................................................. 99

Part IV :

Special Issues

102

the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.......................................102 Xi Jinping's visits to Southeast Asia (Bali and Bangkok)...............................105

G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia (November 14-16, 2022)...........................105 APEC in Bangkok, Thailand (November 17-19, 2022)...............................106

Part I : The Chronology

(I) Major Events

August 2

NancyPelosi,speakeroftheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives pays a visit to Taiwan.

August 4

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts joint exercises around Taiwan Island at an unprecedented scale.

August 5

China announces eight countermeasures in response to Pelosi's Taiwan visit, including canceling 2 Talks and 1 meeting, and suspending 4 cooperations and 1 talk.1

August 13

Estonia and Latvia have withdrawn from cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC Cooperation)

August 14

Several regions in China are witnessing the strongest heat wave in six decades since 1961. It is also predicted the long-lasting heat wave will become a "new normal" in the future due to aggravating global warming.

August 15

The Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit731 of theJapaneseImperialArmyin Harbin revealed a roll of a Japanese chemical warfare unit which contains the real names and personal information of 414 members of Unit 516.

August 16

(1)A total of 17 Chinese government departments jointly released a guideline on support policies in order to create a fertility-friendly society and encourage families to have more children, as the country faces growing pressure from falling birth rates.

(2)China'sscientificresearch vessel Yuan Wang 5 arrived at the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.

1 For more details, see: Global Times. (2022, Aug 5). “China announces eight countermeasures in response to Pelosi’s Taiwan island visit”. Retrieved fromhttps://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272295.shtml

August 24

(1)Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea.

(2)China continues to ease its visa restrictions for foreigners after the suspension due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 27 China and South Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on supply chains and agreed to further strengthen economic cooperation in a virtual ministerial meeting, namely, “the 17th South Korea-China Meeting on Economic Cooperation”.

August 29 Chinese police have arrested 234 suspects linked to one of the country's biggest-ever banking scandals, which triggered rare mass protests in Henan.

August 31

China sent Army, Navy and Air force units under the ChinesePeople'sLiberationArmy (PLA)NorthernTheater Command, with more than 2,000 troops, to participate in the military drills Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise at the Sergeyevsky training ground in Russia.

September 5

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Luding county in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

September 8

The US Department of Defense moved to halt deliveries of F-35 stealth jets after a Chinese rare-earth component was discovered in the aircraft.

September 10 ChinesePresidentXiJinpingsentacongratulatorymessage to King Charles III on his accession to the British throne.

September 14 ChinesePresidentXiJinpingarrivedinUzbekistantopayastate visit and attended the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai CooperationOrganization(SCO). This is hisfirsttripabroadsincetheCOVID-19pandemic.

September 15 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.2

September 16 The first case of monkeypox disease was reported in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

September 20 State Councilor & Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in New York.

September 21 China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

September 22 China's ex-minister of justice Fu Zhenghua was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes worth more than 117 million yuan ($16.5 million) and bending the law for personal gains, according to the Intermediate People's Court of Changchun in Northeast China's Jilin Province. After the expiration of two years' reprieve for his death sentence, the sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment, with no possibility of commutation or parole, according to the court ruling.3

September 23

Sun Lijun, former Chinese vice minister of public security, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking more than 646 million yuan of bribes, manipulating the stock market, and illegally possessing firearms, according to the Intermediate People's Court of Changchun in NortheastChina'sJilinProvince.Aftertheexpirationof the two-years reprieve, the sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment, with no possibility of commutation or parole, according to the court ruling.4

2 For more details, see: Wang Qi (2022, Sep 15). “Xi, Putin meet at SCO summit, forging closer ties amid US-caused world turbulence”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275348.shtml

3 Formoredetails,see: GlobalTimes.(2022,Sep22).“China’sex-ministerofjusticesentencedtodeathwithtwo-year reprievefortakingbribesworth117millionyuan”.Retrievedfromhttps://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275845.shtml

4 For more details, see: Global Times. (2022, Sep 22). “China’s ex-vice minister of public security sentenced to death with two-year reprieve”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275951.shtml

September 29 Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations.

October 8

China slammed a recent report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which claimed that China is attempting to "spread false narratives and suppress information on a range of topics" in the Solomon Islands.

October 13 Beijing authorities removed rare banners of political protests from an overpass in the Chinese capital.5

October 16

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened at 10 am on October 16 at the Great Hall of the Peoplein Beijing,and willconcludeon October 22, lasting seven days.6

October 22 A resolution on the revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) agreed to add statements on the Party's self-reform.

October 23

XiJinpingwaselectedgeneralsecretaryofthe20thCentral Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), for a historicthird term as China'sleader,at the committee's first plenary session.7

October 25

Shanghai is the first city in China to provide a new type of Covid-19 vaccine for booster shots that is inhaled rather than administered via injection.

October 26

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden both sent a congratulatory message to the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations.

5 For more details, see: Reuters (2022). “Political protest banners removed in Beijing”. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2413846/political-protest-banners-removed-in-beijing

6 For more details, see: Global Times. (2022). “20th CPC National Congress: Global Times Special Report”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/special-coverage/20th-CPC-National-Congress.html

7 Formoredetailsaboutthepolitburoandthecentralcommittee,see: SCMP Graphics and SCMP China desk (2022, Oct 23). “The 20th Politburo”. Retrieved from https://multimedia.scmp.com/infographics/news/china/article/3195576/20thpolitburo-standing-committee/

October 27

China's Ministry of National Defense urged Japan to honor its political commitments, refrain from interfering in the Taiwan question, and stop playing up the so-called China military threat.

October 30

The revision of the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests ofWomenwas passedbytheStandingCommittee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) during its 37th session, and it will come into effect on January 1, 2023.8

November 1

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is embarking on his first official visit to China since taking office.

November 2

(1)SamiaSuluhuHassan,PresidentoftheUnitedRepublic of Tanzania, kicked off her three-day visitto China.

(2)The Chinese central government will set up a preparatory office for the establishment of an international court of mediation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).9

November 3

The Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit was hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority held between November1-3as asignalthatHongKongisbackinbusiness after recently lifting some of the COVID-19 restrictions. “Notably, the Chinese mainland attempts to revitalize the international atmosphere for foreign investments in Hong Kong again and pull its economy out of recession after the domestic political turbulence and the Zero-COVID policy. Although some western media mentioned the economic downturn of the HKSAR, many Chinese presses insisted on its steady status as the global financial hub.” – Compiler10

8 For more details, see: Zhu Haoning. (2022, Oct 30). “Revision of law on protection of women passed, stresses gender equality, dignity”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1278327.shtml

9 For more details, see: Global Times. (2022, Nov 2). “Chinese central govt to set up preparatory office for intl court of mediation in HK”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1278518.shtml

10 For more details, see: Chen Qingqing and Xie Jun. (2022, Nov 3). “HK summit attracts Wall Street titans, financial elites, ‘showing confidence in HK as hub under One Country, Two Systems’”. Retrieved from

November 4 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholzon the latter’s official visitto China in Beijing.

November 7 China's State Council Information Office issued a white paper titled "Jointly Build a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace" to introduce China's vision of internet development andgovernancein the new era and its actions.

November 10 The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met to hear a report on the COVID-19 response, and discussed and arranged 20 measures for further optimizing epidemic prevention and control work. The meeting said that antiCOVID-19 measures should not be relaxed, but a "onesize-fits-all" approach and local governments taking excessive policy steps should be avoided.11

“It can be said that China is one country that has a strict Zero-COVID-19 policy. For many years, this rigorous implementation not only affected social activities, especially the Chinese people's behaviors, but had also a vast impact on the Chinese economyone of the bases of the Chinese Communist Party's legitimacy. Therefore, I believe we can see new approaches for managing COVID-19 modifying the Zero-COVID-19policy from CCP soon.” - Compiler

November 14

(1)Hong Kong Government demands full investigation after the 2019 protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” was played at the men's final match between Hong Kong and South Korea of the second leg of the AsianRugbySevenSeriesinsteadofChina’snational anthem.

(2)China voted against a resolution at the United

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1278608.shtml and Cindy Sui. (2022, Nov 4). “Hong Kong Hopes Summit of Business Leaders Signals Comeback as Financial Hub”. Retrieved from https://www.voanews.com/a/hong-konghopes-summit-of-business-leaders-signals-comeback-as-financial-hub/6819917.html

11 For more details, see: Global Times. (2022, Nov 11). “China's central leadership calls for optimized COVID response,precisemeasuresamiddynamic-zeropolicy”.Retrievedfromhttps://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1279278.shtml

November 24

Nations General Assembly (UNGA) calling for Russia to be accountable for the alleged invasion of Ukraine and suggesting that Russia pay reparations for the loss during the military invasion.

(1)Many provinces across China have started recruiting civil servants for departments and institutions under the provincial governments for the 2023 intake with obvious expansions as seen in the recruitment of fresh graduates this year, a latest move to cope with college graduates' unemployment in recent years, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

(2)A fire broke out in an apartment building in Urumqi, the longest lockdown city and the capital of the Xinjiangregion,killingat least 10 people.Thevideos of this situation had widely spread on social media.

November 27

(1)In Taiwan's local elections, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party won just five of 21 city- and county-levelraces and the China-friendlyopposition Kuomintang(KMT)wonmayoralseatsinfourof six special municipal districts, including the capital Taipei.PresidentTsai Ing-wenresignsas head of the DPP to take responsibility for the losses.

(2)TheBBCsaidoneofitsjournalistsinChinahadbeen arrestedand beatenby policewhilecoveringprotests against the country’s zero-Covid policy.

November 28

(1)There were many protests against the country's zeroCovid policy, using blank sheets of paper as the symbols of their discontent on social media, on streets, and at top universities. The fire in Urumqi was the catalyst for these public angers against COVID-19 lockdown measures. The rallies erupted nationwide, especially in major cities like Xi'an,

Chongqing, Nanjing, and Shanghai.12

Many experts analyzed this nationwide movementasthelargestprotestsincethe1989 student-led demonstrations. These movements also shaked the legitimacy of CCP and Xi Jinping’s political status. – Compiler

(2)British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the socalled“golden era”of relations with Chinawas over, saying that Beijing’s systemic challenge to Britain’s interests and values was growing more acute.

November 30 Chinese former president and the third-generation Chinese paramount leader Jiang Zemin passed away due to leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai at the age of 96.

December 1 Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting President of the European Council Charles Michel in Beijing.

December 2 Several major Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu and Guangzhou, started to remove COVID testing requirements on public transportation and outdoor public venues.

December 7

(1)Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and paid a state visit to Saudi Arabia from December 7 to December 10.

(2)The second part of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Montreal, Canada, between December 7-19 with China as chair. (The first part of the COP15 was held in 2021 in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, while the second part was

12 For more details, see: James Palmer. (2022, Nov 28). “Will China’s Protests Survive? : A nationwide movementofthisscalehasnopost-1989precedent.”.Retrieved fromhttps://foreignpolicy.com/2022/11/28/chinaprotests-beijing-ccp-xi-jinping-urumqi/

postponed and relocated to Canada due to the country’s grave COVID-19 situation, with China retaining the presidency of the conference.)

December 12 China expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the visit of Koichi Hagiuda, a senior official of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to Taiwan and his meetingwithTsaiIng-wen andtheDemocraticProgressive Party authorities.

December 14

China's NationalHealth Commission admitted that the true scale of coronavirus infections in the country is now impossible to track, with officials warning cases are rising rapidly after the removal of COVID testing requirements.

December 19

Xiao Yaqing, former Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), has been expelled from the Party and removed from his post for disciplinary and duty violations.

December 21

ThenaviesoftheChineseandRussianarmedforcesheldthe Joint Sea 2022 military exercise in the waters east of the coastlinestretchingfromZhoushantoTaizhou,EastChina’s Zhejiang Province from December 21 to December 27.13 “The location for joint drills was in the East China Sea, not far from Taiwan and Japan’s Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures. This year, many Chinese politico-military drills were conducted near Taiwan and Japan, as a result of the visit of Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan and China-Japan disputes on maritime sovereignty. Therefore, these joint naval exercises could be seen as the Chinese emphasis on Taiwan, namely, One China Policy and its territorial claims on the East China Sea.14” – Compiler

13 For more details, see: Liu Xuanzun. (2022, Dec 20). “China, Russia to hold joint naval drill in East China Sea, displaying capability amid US, Japanese provocations.”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1282265.shtml

14 Some interesting editorial from a Japanese author’s view related to this topic, see: Takahashi Kosuke. (2022, Nov 3). “China’s Navy Sets Record Pace for Intrusions Into Japan’s Territorial Sea.” Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/chinas-navy-sets-record-pace-for-intrusions-into-japans-territorial-sea/

December 23

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and Chief Executive of the Macao Ho Iat Seng during their annual duty report trip to Beijing. During the meeting, Xi Jinping asserted the importance of the One Country, Two Systems policy for sustaining prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao.

December 25

China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced that it will stop publishing daily COVID-19 case data and the duty will hand over to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China's CDC).

December 26 The Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) issued a notice announcing the downgrading of coronavirus infections management to Class B from January 8, 2023, thus resuming people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries.

December 27

Zhilian Zhaopin, Chinese job-hunting platform, released the results of the survey indicating that Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen were the top three most attractive cities for people born after 1995. Young generations also prefer work-life balance, innovative environment, and growth of entertainment industries in the cities.

December 30

Qin Gang, Chinese Ambassador to the US, was appointed as the new Chinese foreign minister, according to a decision made by the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

“Qin became one of the youngest foreign ministers in the historyof the PRC. His promotion couldbe the CCP's implicit signal to seek a way for the reconciliation with the US after the relentless trade wars between the two hegemonies.” – Compiler

(II) Highlights of China-Southeast Asian Relations

August 2

China aids Timor-Leste in building a digital television system.

August 5

In a joint communique of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers'Meeting released on August 5, 2022, the ASEAN foreign ministers said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would be a key contributor to the region's recovery strategy.

August 7

At the 2022 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum, government and media officials, representatives of think tanksand expertsfrom Chinaand ASEANcountries highly valued the role of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) andcalledforjointeffortstoaddressnegativeelementsthat threaten peace and development.

August 14

(1)Falcon Strike 2022, the fifth edition of the ChinaThailand annual air force joint drills, kicked off in Thailand's Udon Thani Wing 23 of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF).

(2)The Department of Transportation (DOTr) of the Philippines had agreed with the Chinese Embassy in Manilatorestartnegotiationsformajortransportation projects in the country.

September 16

The19thChina-ASEANExpo is held inNanning,Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and concludes on September 19, 2022.15

September 27 A jointemergency exerciseaimedat respondingto security incidents on China-Laos Railway was held in the Lao capital of Vientiane.

15 Formoredetails,see:ZhuWenqianandShiRuipeng.(2022,Sep16).“19thChina-ASEANExpounderwayin Nanning”.Retrievedfromhttps://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202209/16/WS6323dd22a310fd2b29e78097.html

October 1

TheChinese-investedPhnomPenh-SihanoukvilleExpressway inCambodiawasopenedtothepublicforamonth'strialusefor free to attract motorists driving on the first-everexpressway in theSoutheastAsian nation.

October 30

At the invitation of Chinese president Xi Jinping, Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), visited China from October 30 - November 2.

November 1

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng kicked off his two-day visit to Singapore and will co-chair with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat several in-person meetings held for the first time in three years.

November 3

The hospital ship Peace Ark of the Chinese People's LiberationArmy(PLA)NavysetoutforavisittoIndonesia to provide medical services to the locals there.

November 8

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attended the 25th ChinaASEAN Summit, the 25th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit and the 17th East Asia Summit which were held in Cambodia from November 8 to November 13.

November 14

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the G20 summit which was held in Bali, Indonesia from November 14 to November 17.

November 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo inspected via video link the inauguration of trial operation for the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway (HSR), the first high-speed rail line in Southeast Asia.

November 17

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 29th AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Summit which was held in Bangkok, Thailand from November 17 to November 19.

November 23

The 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (the 9th ADMM-Plus),underthetheme"SolidarityforHarmonized Security'', was held in Cambodia. Defense ministers from ASEAN and its dialogue partners, including China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, Australia and the US attended the meeting.

November 29

Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, paid a three-day visit from November 29 to December 1 at theinvitationofChinesePresidentXiJinping.Thetwosides issued a joint statement in which, they agreed to strengthen defense and security cooperation, maintain high-level communication between defense officials at all levels, and jointly safeguard regional peace. In addition, they called on all parties to continue to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and reach consensus on a code of conduct at an early date.

December 7

The Type 071E landing platform dock (LDP) China built forThailandrecentlycompleteditsseatrial.Theagreement for China to build this LDP for Thailand's navy was signed in Beijing in 2019, marking the first time China has exported a LDP.

December 21

The UN Security Council's first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years was passed. It demanded an end to violence and the junta to free all political detainees. The 15-member Security Council passed it with 12 yes votes and three abstentions from China, India and Russia. China's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Zhang Jun explained that there is no quick-fix solution to the Myanmar issue and UNSC should respect the ASEAN Way.16

16 Formoredetails, see: Global Times. (2022,Dec22).“ChinaurgescautionasUNSecurityCounciladopts first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1282402.shtml

December 22

ThePhilippinesmilitaryboostedtheirpresenceintheSouth China Sea in response to China's reclamation of more land in the Spratly Islands.

Part II : Selected Documentation

August

(A) The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era

The Taiwan Question and China's

17

Reunification in the New Era The People's Republic of China

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and The State Council Information Office August 2022

Preamble

Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a shared aspiration of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. It is indispensable for the realization of China's rejuvenation. It is also a historic mission of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The CPC, the Chinese government,andtheChinesepeoplehavestrivenfordecadesto achievethisgoal.

The 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 heralded a new era in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committeewith Xi Jinpingat the core, the CPC and the Chinese government have adopted new and innovative measures in relation to Taiwan. Theyhavecontinuedtochart thecourseofcross-Straitsrelations,safeguardpeace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and promote progress towards national reunification. However, in recent years the Taiwan authorities, led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), have redoubled their efforts to divide the country, and some external forces have tried to exploit Taiwan to contain China, prevent the Chinese nation from achieving complete reunification, and halt the process of national rejuvenation.

The CPC has united the Chinese people and led them in fulfilling the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled, and in embarking on a new journey towards the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a modern socialist country.

17 Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun. (2022, Aug 10). “Full Text: The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era”. Retrieved from http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0810/c90000-10133593.html

The Chinese nation has achieved a historic transformation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength, and national rejuvenation is driven by an unstoppable force. This marks a new starting point for reunification.

The Chinese government has published two previous white papers on Taiwan. One was The Taiwan Question and Reunification of China in August 1993, and the other was The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue in February2000.Thesetwowhitepapersprovidedacomprehensive andsystematic elaboration of the basic principles and policies regarding the resolution of the Taiwan question. This new white paper is being released to reiterate the fact that Taiwan is part of China, to demonstrate the resolve of the CPC and the Chinese people and their commitment to national reunification, and to emphasize the position and policies of the CPC and the Chinese government in the new era.

I. Taiwan Is Part of China - This Is an Indisputable Fact

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. New archeological discoveries and research findings regularly attest to the profound historical and cultural ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. A large number of historical records and annalsdocument the development ofTaiwan bythe Chinesepeoplein earlier periods.

The earliest references to this effect are to be found, among others, in Seaboard Geographic Gazetteer compiled in the year 230 by Shen Ying of the State of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period. The royal court of the Sui Dynasty had on three occasions sent troops to Taiwan, called Liuqiu at that time. Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan.

In 1624, Dutch colonialists invaded and occupied the southern part of Taiwan. In 1662, General Zheng Chenggong, hailed as a national hero, led an expedition and expelled them from the island. Subsequently, the Qing court gradually set up more administrative bodies in Taiwan. In 1684, a Taiwan prefecture administration was set up under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province. In 1885, Taiwan's status was upgraded and it became the 20th province of China.

In July 1894, Japan launched a war of aggression against China. In April 1895, the defeated Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan. During the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945), China's Communists called for the recovery of Taiwan. Talking with American journalist Nym Wales on May 15, 1937, Mao Zedong said that China's goal was to achieve a final victory in the war - a victory that would recover the occupied Chinese territories in Northeast China and to the south of the Shanhai Pass, and secure the liberation of Taiwan.

On December9, 1941,the Chinese governmentissued a declarationof war against Japan, and proclaimed that all treaties, conventions, agreements, and contracts regarding relations between China and Japan had been abrogated, and that China would recover Taiwan and the Penghu Islands.

The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom on December 1, 1943 stated that it was the purpose of the three allies that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China.

The Potsdam Proclamation was signed by China, the United States and the United Kingdom on July 26, 1945, and subsequently recognized by the Soviet Union. It reiterated: "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out." In September of the same year, Japan signed the instrument of surrender, in which itpromisedthatitwouldfaithfullyfulfill theobligationslaiddowninthePotsdam Proclamation. On October 25 the Chinese government announced that it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan, and the ceremony to accept Japan's surrender in Taiwan Province of the China war theater of the Allied powerswasheldinTaibei(Taipei).Fromthatpointforward,Chinahadrecovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect.

On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, becoming the successor to the Republic of China (1912-1949), and the Central People's Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The new government replaced the previous KMT regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change and China's sovereignty and inherent territory did not change. As a natural result, the governmentofthePRCshouldenjoyandexerciseChina'sfullsovereignty,which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan.

As a result of the civil war in China in the late 1940s and the interference of external forces, the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have fallen into a state of protractedpoliticalconfrontation.Butthesovereignty and territory ofChinahave never been divided and will never be divided, and Taiwan's status as part of China's territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.

At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adoptedResolution2758,whichundertook"to restoreall its rightsto the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it". This resolution settled once and for all the political, legal and procedural issues of China's representation in the UN, and it covered the whole country, including Taiwan. It also spelled out that China has one single seat in the UN, so there is no such thing as "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan".

The specialized agencies of the UN later adopted further resolutions restoring to the PRC its lawful seat and expelling the representatives of the Taiwan authorities. One of these is Resolution 25.1 adopted at the 25th World Health Assembly in May 1972. It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN Secretariat that "the United Nations considers 'Taiwan' as a province of China with no separate status", and the "'authorities' in 'Taipei' are not considered to... enjoy any form of government status". At the UN the island is referred to as "Taiwan, Province of China"[1].

Resolution 2758 is a political document encapsulating the one-China principle whose legal authority leaves no room for doubt and has been acknowledged worldwide. Taiwan does not have any ground, reason, or right to join the UN, or any other international organization whose membership is confined to sovereign states.

In recent years some elements in a small number of countries, the US foremost among them, have colluded with forces in Taiwan, to falsely claim that the resolution did not conclusively resolve the issue of Taiwan's representation. Puffingup the illegaland invalid Treaty ofSan Francisco[2]and disregardingthe Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and other international legal documents, they profess that the status of Taiwan has yet to be determined, and declare their support for "Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system".

What they are actuallyattemptingto do isto alter Taiwan'sstatusas part of China and create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" as part of a political ployusingTaiwanto containChina.Theseactionsinviolationof Resolution2758and international law are a serious breach of political commitments made by these countries. They damage China's sovereignty and dignity, and treat the basic principles of international law with contempt. The Chinese government has condemned and expressed its resolute opposition to them.

The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations. To date, 181 countries including the United States have established diplomatic relations with the PRC on the basis of the one-China principle. The China-US Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, published in December 1978, states: "The Government of the United States of America acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwanis part of China."It alsostates:"TheUnitedStates of Americarecognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan."

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, adopted at the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress (NPC) in December 1982, stipulates: "Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China. It is the inviolable duty of all Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan, to accomplish the great task of reunifying the motherland."

The Anti-Secession Law, adopted at the Third Session of the 10th NPC in March 2005,stipulates:"Thereis onlyoneChina in the world.Both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brooknodivision.SafeguardingChina'ssovereigntyandterritorialintegrityisthe common obligation of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included. Taiwan is part of China. The state shall never allow the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces to make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means."

The National Security Law, adopted at the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC in July 2015, stipulates: "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of China brook no violation or separation. Safeguarding

national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity is the common duty of all Chinese citizens, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots."

We are one China, and Taiwan ispart of China.This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable. Any attempt to distort these facts and dispute or deny the one-China principle will end in failure.

II. Resolute Efforts of the CPC to Realize China's Complete Reunification

The CPC has always been dedicated to working for the wellbeing of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Soon after its foundingin1921,theCPCsetitselfthegoaloffreeingTaiwanfromcolonialrule, reuniting it with the rest of the country and liberating the whole nation, including compatriots in Taiwan. It has made a tremendous effort to achieve this goal.

The CPC is committed to the historic mission of resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification. Under its resolute leadership, people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits have worked together to de-escalate tension across the Straits. They have set out on a path of peaceful development and made many breakthroughs in improving cross-Straits relations.

After the founding of the PRC in 1949, China's Communists, under the leadershipofMaoZedong,proposedtheessentialguideline,underlyingprinciple, and basic policy for peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question. The CPC prepared and worked for the liberation of Taiwan, thwarted the Taiwan authorities' plans to attack the mainland, and foiled attempts to create "two Chinas" and "one China, one Taiwan". Through their efforts, the lawful seat and rightsofthePRC intheUnitedNationswererestoredandtheone-Chinaprinciple was subscribed to by the majority of countries, laying important groundwork for peaceful reunification. The CPC central leadership established high-level contact with the Taiwan authorities through proper channels in pursuit of a peaceful solution to the Taiwan question.

Following the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978, with the establishment of diplomatic relations between the PRC and the United States, China's Communists, led by Deng Xiaoping, defined the fundamental guideline for peaceful reunification in the vital interests of the country and the people and on the basis of the consensus for peaceful settlement

of the Taiwan question. The CPC introduced the creative and well-conceived concept of One Country, Two Systems, and applied it first in resolving the questions of Hong Kong and Macao. It took action to ease military confrontation across the Taiwan Straits, restore contact, and open up people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, opening a new chapter in cross-Straits relations.

After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee in 1989, China's Communists, led by Jiang Zemin, made eight proposals for the developmentof cross-Straitsrelations and the peaceful reunification of China[3]. The CPC facilitated agreement across the Straits on the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle. It initiated cross-Straits consultations and negotiations, resulting in the first talks between heads of the non-governmental organizations authorized by the two sides of the Straits, and expanded crossStraits exchanges and cooperation in various fields. The CPC took firm action against separatist activities led by Lee Teng-hui, and struck hard at the separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence". It ensured the smooth return of Hong Kongand Macao to China, and appliedthe policyof One Country,Two Systems, which had a constructive impact on the settlement of the Taiwan question.

After the 16th CPC National Congress in 2002, China's Communists, led byHuJintao,highlightedtheimportanceofpeacefuldevelopmentofcross-Straits relations. The CPC pushed for the enactment of the Anti-Secession Law to curb separatist activities in Taiwan, hosted the first talks between the leaders of the CPC and the Kuomintang in six decades since 1945, and defeated attempts by Chen Shui-bian to fabricate a legal basis for "independence". The CPC effected profound changes in moving the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations forward by promoting institutionalized consultations and negotiations that produced fruitful results, establishing overall direct two-way links in mail, business and transport, and facilitating the signing and implementation of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement.

Afterthe18thCPCNationalCongressin2012,China'sCommunists,under the leadership of Xi Jinping, took a holistic approach to cross-Straits relations in keeping with changing circumstances, added substance to the theory on national reunification and the principles and policies concerning Taiwan, and worked to keep cross-Straits relations on the right track. The CPC developed its overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, and set out the overarching guideline and a program of action.

At its 19th National Congressin October2017, the CPC affirmed the basic policy of upholding One Country, Two Systems and promoting national reunification, and emphasized its resolve never to allow any person, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China.

In January 2019, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and president of China, addressed a meeting marking the 40th anniversaryofthereleaseoftheMessagetoCompatriotsinTaiwan.Inhisspeech, XiJinpingproposedmajorpoliciestoadvancethepeacefuldevelopmentofcrossStraitsrelations and thepeacefulreunificationof Chinain the new era. Theseare: first, working together to promote China's rejuvenation and its peaceful reunification; second, seeking a Two Systems solution to the Taiwan question and making innovative efforts towards peaceful reunification; third, abiding by theone-Chinaprincipleandsafeguardingtheprospectsforpeacefulreunification; fourth, further integrating development across the Straits and consolidating the foundations for peaceful reunification; fifth, forging closer bonds of heart and mind between people on both sides of the Straits and strengthening joint commitment to peaceful reunification.

The CPC and the Chinese government have thereby adopted a series of major measures for charting the course of cross-Straits relations and realizing China's peaceful reunification:

- TheCPCandtheChinesegovernmenthavefacilitatedthefirstmeetingand direct dialogue between leaders of the two sides since 1949, raising exchanges and interactions to new heights, opening up a new chapter, and creatingnew space for cross-Straits relations.This is a new milestone.The departmentsinchargeofcross-Straitsaffairsonbothsideshaveestablished regular contact and communication mechanisms on a common political foundation, and the heads of the two departments have exchanged visits and set up hotlines.

- Upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, the CPC and the Chinese government have facilitated exchanges between political parties across the Straits, and conducted dialogues, consultations, and indepth exchanges of views on cross-Straits relations and the future of the Chinese nation with relevant political parties, organizations, and individualsinTaiwan.Theseeffortshaveresultedinconsensusonmultiple

issues, and promoted a number of joint initiatives exploring the Two SystemssolutiontotheTaiwanquestionwithall sectorsofTaiwansociety.

- Guided by the conviction that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are of the same family, the CPC and the Chinese government have promoted peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and integrated development of the two sides for the benefit of both the mainland and Taiwan. We have also refined the institutional arrangements, policies and measures to promote cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, designed to advance the wellbeing of the people of Taiwan. These include the delivery of water from the coastal province of Fujian to Kinmen Island, electronic travelpasses for Taiwanresidentsto enter or leave the mainland,residence permits for Taiwan residents, progressively ensuring that Taiwan compatriots have equal access to public services so as to facilitate their studying, starting businesses, working and living on the mainland, and an ongoing effort to pave the way for Taiwan to benefit first from the mainland's development opportunities.

- While countering interference and obstruction from separatist forces, the CPC and the Chinese government have called on the people of Taiwan to promote effective and in-depth cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in various fields across the Straits. Having overcome the impact of COVID-19, we have held a number of exchange events such as the Straits Forum, and maintained the momentum of cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation.

- Resolute in defending state sovereignty and territorial integrity and opposing separatist activities and external interference, the CPC and the Chinese government have safeguarded peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. We have taken lawful action against and effectively deterred separatist forces. We have handled Taiwan's external exchanges in a sound manner, and consolidated the international community's commitment to the one-China principle.

Under the guidance of the CPC, great progress has been made in crossStraits relations over the past seven decades, especially since the estrangement between the two sides was ended. Increased exchanges, broader cooperation and closer interactions have brought tangible benefits to people across the Straits,

especially of Taiwan. This fully demonstrates that cross-Straits amity and cooperation are mutually beneficial.

The volume of cross-Straits trade was only US$46 million in 1978. It rose to US$328.34 billion in 2021, up by a factor of more than 7,000. The mainland has been Taiwan's largest export market for the last 21 years, generating a large annual surplus for the island. The mainland is also the largest destination for Taiwan's off-island investment. By the end of 2021 Taiwan businesses had investedin almost124,000projectson the mainland,to a totalvalueof US$71.34 billion[4].

In 1987 less than 50,000 visits were made between the two sides; by 2019 this number had soared to about 9 million. In the past three years, affected by COVID-19, online communication has become the main form of people-topeople interactions across the Straits, and the numbers of people participating in and covered by online communication are reaching new highs.

TheCPChasalwaysbeenthespineoftheChinesenation,exercisingstrong leadership in realizing national rejuvenation and reunification. Its consistent efforts over the decades to resolve the Taiwan question and achieve complete national reunification are based on the following:

First, the one-China principle must be upheld, and no individual or force should be allowed to separate Taiwan from China.

Second, it is imperative to strive for the wellbeing of all Chinese people, including those in Taiwan, and to realize the aspirations of all Chinese people for a better life.

Third, we must follow the principles of freeing the mind, seeking truth from facts, maintaining the right political orientation, and breaking new ground, and defend the fundamental interests of the nation and the core interests of the state in formulating principles and policies on work related to Taiwan.

Fourth, it is necessary to have the courage and skill to fight against any force that attempts to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity or stands in the way of its reunification.

Fifth, extensive unity and solidarity must be upheld to mobilize all factors to fight against any force that would divide the country, and pool strengths to advance national reunification.

III. China's Complete Reunification Is a Process That Cannot Be Halted

Against a backdrop of profound and complex changes in the domestic and internationalsituation, our cause of completenational reunification is facing new challenges. The CPC and the Chinese government have the strength and the confidence to deal with complexities and overcome risks and threats, and the ability to take great strides forward on the path to national reunification.

1. Complete Reunification Is Critical to National Rejuvenation

Throughout China's 5,000-year history, national reunification and opposition to division have remained a common ideal and a shared tradition of the whole nation. In the modern era from the mid-19th century, due to the aggression of Western powers and the decadence of feudal rule, China was gradually reduced to a semi-feudal, semi-colonial society, and went through a period of suffering worse than anything it had previously known. The country endured intense humiliation, the people were subjected to great pain, and the Chinese civilization was plunged into darkness. Japan's 50-year occupation of Taiwan epitomized this humiliation and inflicted agony on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Our two sides face each other just across a strip of water, yet we are still far apart. The fact that we have not yet been reunified is a scar left by history on the Chinese nation. We Chinese on both sides should work together to achieve reunification and heal this wound.

National rejuvenation has been the greatest dream of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation since the modern era began. Only by realizing complete national reunification can the Chinese people on both sides of the Straits cast aside the shadow of civil war and create and enjoy lasting peace. National reunification is the only way to avoid the risk of Taiwan being invaded and occupied again by foreign countries, to foil the attempts of external forces to contain China, and to safeguard the sovereignty, security, and development interests of our country. It is the most effective remedy to secessionist attempts to divide our country, and the best means to consolidate Taiwan's status as part of Chinaand advancenationalrejuvenation.It willenableus to poolthe strengths of the people on both sides, build our common home, safeguard our interests and

wellbeing, and create a brighter future for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. As Dr Sun Yat-sen, the great pioneer of China's revolution, once said, "Unification is the hope of all Chinese nationals. If China can be unified, all Chinese will enjoy a happy life; if it cannot, all will suffer."

In exploring the path to rejuvenation and prosperity, China has endured vicissitudes and hardships. "Unification brings strength while division leads to chaos."Thisis a law ofhistory.Therealizationof completenational reunification is driven by the history and culture of the Chinese nation and determined by the momentum towards and circumstances surrounding our national rejuvenation. Never beforehave we been so close to, confident in, and capableof achievingthe goal of national rejuvenation. The same is true when it comes to our goal of complete national reunification. The Taiwan question arose as a result of weaknessand chaos in our nation,and it willbe resolvedas national rejuvenation becomes a reality. When all the Chinese people stick together and work together, we will surely succeed in realizing national reunification on our way to national rejuvenation.

2. National Development and Progress Set the Direction of Cross-Straits Relations

China's development and progress are a key factor determining the course of cross-Straitsrelationsand the realizationof completenational reunification.In particular, the great achievements over four decades of reform, opening up and modernization have had a profound impact on the historical process of resolving the Taiwan question and realizing complete national reunification. No matter which political party or group is in power in Taiwan, it cannot alter the course of progress in cross-Straits relations or the trend towards national reunification.

International Monetary Fund statistics show that in 1980 the GDP of the mainland was about US$303 billion, just over 7 times that of Taiwan, which was about US$42.3 billion; in 2021, the GDP of the mainland was about US$17.46 trillion, more than 22 times that of Taiwan, which was about US$790 billion.[5]

China's development and progress,and in particularthe steady increasesin its economic power,technologicalstrength, and national defense capabilities,are an effective curb against separatist activities and interference from external forces. They also provide broad space and great opportunities for cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation. As more and more compatriots from Taiwan,

especially young people, pursue their studies, start businesses, seek jobs, or go to live on the mainland, cross-Straits exchanges, interaction and integration are intensifiedinallsectors,theeconomictiesandpersonalbondsbetweenthepeople on both sides run deeper, and our common cultural and national identities grow stronger, leading cross-Straits relations towards reunification.

The CPC has united the Chinese people and led them in embarking on the new journey of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. Following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the mainland has improved its governance and maintained long-term economic growth; it enjoys a solid material foundation, a wealth of human resources, a huge market, strong resilience in development, and social stability. It therefore has many strengths and favorable conditions for further development, and these have become the driving force for reunification.

Grounding its effort in the new development stage, the mainland is committed to applying the new development philosophy, creating a new development dynamic, and promoting high-quality development. As a result, the overall strength and international influence of the mainland will continue to increase, and its influence over and appeal to Taiwan society will keep growing. We will have a more solid foundation for resolving the Taiwan question and greaterabilityto doso.Thiswillgivea significantboostto national reunification.

3. Any Attempt by Separatist Forces to Prevent Reunification Is Bound to Fail

Taiwan has been an integral part of China's territory since ancient times. Moves to separate Taiwan from China represent the serious crime of secession, and undermine the common interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. They will lead nowhere.

The DPP authorities have adopted a separatist stance, and colluded with external forces in successive provocative actions designed to divide the country. They refuse to recognize the one-China principle, and distort and deny the 1992 Consensus. They assert that Taiwan and the mainland should not be subordinate to each other, and proclaim a new "two states" theory. On the island, they constantly press for "de-sinicization" and promote "incremental independence". They incite radical separatists in and outside the DPP to lobby for amendments

to their "constitution" and "laws". They deceive the people of Taiwan, incite hostility against the mainland, and obstruct and undermine cross-Straits exchanges, cooperation and integrated development. They have steadily built up their military forces with the intention of pursuing "independence" and preventing reunification by force. They join with external forces in trying to sow the seeds of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan". The actions of the DPP authorities have resulted in tension in cross-Straits relations, endangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and undermining the prospects and restricting the space for peaceful reunification. These are obstacles that must be removed in advancing the process of peaceful reunification.

Taiwan belongs to all the Chinese people, including the 23 million Taiwan compatriots. The Chinese people are firm in their resolve and have a deep commitment to safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and this resolve and commitment will frustrate any attempt to divide the country. When Taiwan was invaded by a foreign power more than 100 years ago, China was a poor and weak country. More than 70 years ago, China defeated the invaders and recovered Taiwan. Today, China has grown into the world's second largest economy. With significant growth in its political, economic, cultural, technological, and military strength,thereisnolikelihoodthatChinawillallowTaiwantobeseparatedagain. Attempts to reject reunification and split the country are doomed, because they will founder against the history and culture of the Chinese nation as well as the resolve and commitment of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.

4. External Forces Obstructing China's Complete Reunification Will Surely Be Defeated

External interference is a prominent obstacle to China's reunification. Still lost in delusions of hegemony and trapped ina Cold War mindset,some forces in the US insist on perceiving and portraying China as a major strategic adversary and a serious long-term threat. They do their utmost to undermine and pressurize China, exploiting Taiwan as a convenient tool. The US authorities have stated that they remain committed to the one-China policy and that they do not support "Taiwan independence". But their actions contradict their words. They are clouding the one-China principle in uncertainty and compromising its integrity. They are contriving"official"exchanges with Taiwan, increasing arms sales, and colluding in military provocation. To help Taiwan expand its "international

space", they are inducing other countries to interfere in Taiwan affairs, and concoctingTaiwan-relatedbillsthatinfringeuponthesovereigntyofChina.They are creating confusion around what is black and white, right and wrong. On the onehand,theyinciteseparatistforcestocreatetensionandturmoilincross-Straits relations. On the other hand, they accuse the mainland of coercion, pressurizing Taiwan, and unilaterally changing the status quo, in order to embolden these forces and create obstacles to China's peaceful reunification.

The important principles of respecting state sovereignty and territorial integrityas enshrinedin the Charter of the United Nations are the cornerstones of modern international law and basic norms of international relations. It is the sacred right of every sovereign state to safeguard national unity and territorial integrity. It goes without saying that the Chinese government is entitled to take all measures necessary to settle the Taiwan question and achieve national reunification, free of external interference.

Behind the smokescreens of "freedom, democracy, and human rights" and "upholdingtherules-basedinternationalorder",someanti-Chinaforces inthe US deliberatelydistortthe natureof theTaiwanquestion - whichis purelyan internal matter for China - and try to deny the legitimacy and justification of the Chinese government in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. This clearly reveals their intention of using Taiwan to contain China and obstruct China's reunification, which should be thoroughly exposed and condemned.

These external forces are using Taiwan as a pawn to undermine China's development and progress, and obstruct the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. They are doing so at the cost of the interests, wellbeing and future of the people of Taiwan rather than for their benefit. They have encouraged and instigated provocative actions by the separatist forces; these have intensified cross-Straits tensionand confrontation,andunderminedpeace and stabilityin the Asia-Pacific region. This runs counter to the underlying global trends of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and goes against the wishes of the international community and the aspiration of all peoples.

Shortly after the PRC was founded, even though the country itself had to be rebuilt on the ruins of decades of war, China and its people won a resounding victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953). We defeated a powerful and well-armed enemy through gallantry and tenacity. In doing so, we safeguarded the security of the newly founded People's Republic,

reestablished the status of China as a major country in the world, and demonstrated our heroic spirit, our lack of fear, and our will to stand up against the abuse of the powerful.

China is firmly committed to peaceful development. At the same time, it will not flinch under any external interference, nor will it tolerate any infringement upon its sovereignty, security and development interests. Relying onexternalforceswillachievenothingforTaiwan'sseparatists,andusingTaiwan to contain China is doomed to fail.

Tranquility, development and a decent life are the expectations of our Taiwan compatriots, and the common aspiration of those on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Under the strong leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have stood upright, won prosperity, and grown in strength. A moderately prosperous society in all respects has been built on the mainland, where a large population once lived in dire poverty. We now have better conditions, more confidence, and greater capabilities. We can complete the historic mission of national reunification, so that both sides of the Straits can enjoy a better life. The wheel of history rolls on towards national reunification, and it will not be stopped by any individual or any force.

IV. National Reunification in the New Era

Taking into consideration the overall goal of national rejuvenation in the context of global change on a scale unseen in a century, the CPC and the Chinese government have continued to follow the CPC's fundamental guidelines on the Taiwan question and implement its principles and policies towards Taiwan, and have made concrete efforts to promote peaceful cross-Straits relations, integrate the development of the two sides, and work towards national reunification.

1. Upholding the Basic Principles of Peaceful Reunification and One Country, Two Systems

Nationalreunificationby peacefulmeans is the first choiceof the CPC and the Chinese government in resolving the Taiwan question, as it best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including our compatriots in Taiwan, and it works best for the long-term stability and development of China. We have worked hard to overcome hardships and obstacles to peaceful reunification over

the past decades, showing that we cherish and safeguard the greater good of the nation, the wellbeing of our compatriots in Taiwan, and peace on both sides.

The One Country, Two Systems principle is an important institutional instrument created by the CPC and the Chinese government to enable peaceful reunification. It represents a great achievement of Chinese socialism. Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification. Embodying the Chinese wisdom - we thrive by embracing each other - they take full accountof Taiwan'srealities and are conduciveto long-term stability in Taiwan after reunification.

We maintain that after peaceful reunification, Taiwan may continue its current social system and enjoy a high degree of autonomy in accordance with the law. Thetwo socialsystems willdevelopsideby sidefor a longtime to come. One Country is the precondition and foundation of Two Systems; Two Systems is subordinateto and derives from One Country; and the two are integrated under the one-China principle.

WewillcontinueworkingwithourcompatriotsinTaiwantoexploreaTwo SystemssolutiontotheTaiwanquestionandincreaseoureffortstowardspeaceful reunification. In designing the specifics for implementing One Country, Two Systems, we will give full consideration to the realities in Taiwan and the views and proposals from all walks of life on both sides, and fully accommodate the interests and sentiments of our compatriots in Taiwan.

Ever since the One Country, Two Systems principle was proposed, certain political forces have been misrepresenting and distorting its objectives. The DPP and the authorities under its leadership have done everything possible to target theprinciplewithbaselesscriticisms,andthishas led to misunderstandingsabout its aims in some quarters of Taiwan. It is a fact that since Hong Kong and Macao returned to the motherland and were reincorporated into national governance, they have embarked on a broad path of shared development together with the mainland, and each complements the others' strengths. The practice of One Country, Two Systems has been a resounding success.

For a time, Hong Kongfaced a periodof damagingsocialunrest caused by anti-China agitators both inside and outside the region. Based on a clear understanding ofthesituationthere,theCPC and theChinesegovernmentupheld

the One Country, Two Systems principle,made some appropriateimprovements, and took a series of measures that addressed both the symptoms and root causes of the unrest. Order was restored and prosperity returned to Hong Kong. This has laid a solid foundation for the law-based governance of Hong Kong and Macao and the long-term continuation of One Country, Two Systems.

To realize peaceful reunification, we must acknowledge that the mainland and Taiwan have their own distinct social systems and ideologies. The One Country, Two Systems principle is the most inclusive solution to this problem. It is an approach that is grounded in democratic principles, demonstrates good will, seeks peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question, and delivers mutual benefit. The differences in social system are neither an obstacle to reunification nor a justification for secessionism. We firmly believe that our compatriots in Taiwan will develop a better understanding of the principle, and that the Two Systems solution to the Taiwan question will play its full role while compatriots on both sides work together towards peaceful reunification.

Peaceful reunification can only be achieved through consultation and discussion as equals. The long-standing political differences between the two sides are the fundamental obstacles to the steady improvement of cross-Straits relations, but we should not allow this problem to be passed down from one generation to the next. We can phase in flexible forms of consultation and discussion. We are ready to engage with all parties, groups, or individuals in Taiwan in a broad exchange of views aimed at resolving the political differences between the two sides based on the one-China principleand the 1992 Consensus. Representatives will be recommended by all political parties and all sectors of society on both sides, and they will engage in democratic consultations on peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, integrated development of the two sides, and the peaceful reunification of our country.

2. Promoting Peaceful Cross-Straits Relations and Integrated Development

Peaceful cross-Straits relations and integrated development pave the way for reunification and serve to benefit our people on both sides. Thus, both sides should work together towards this goal. We will extend integrated development, increase exchanges and cooperation, strengthen bonds, and expand common interests in the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. In this way, we will all identify more closely with the Chinese culture and Chinese nation, and

heighten the sense of our shared future. This lays solid foundations for peaceful reunification.

We will explore an innovative approach to integrated development and take the lead in setting up a pilot zone for integrated cross-Straits development in Fujian Province, advancing integration through better connectivity and more preferential policies, and based on mutual trust and understanding. Both sides should continue to promote connectivity in any area where it is beneficial, including trade and economic cooperation, infrastructure, energy and resources, and industrial standards. We should promote cooperation in culture, education, andhealthcare,andthesharingofsocialsecurityandpublicresources.Weshould support neighboring areas or areas with similar conditions on the two sides in providing equal, universal, and accessible public services. We should take active steps to institutionalize cross-Straits economic cooperation and create a common market for the two sides to strengthen the Chinese economy.

We will improve the systems and policies to guarantee the wellbeing of Taiwan compatriots and ensure that they are treated as equals on the mainland, and we will protect their legitimate rights and interests here in accordance with the law. We will support our fellow Chinese and enterprises from Taiwan in participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, major regional development strategies, and the strategy for coordinated regional development. We will help them integrate into the new development dynamic, participate in high-quality development,shareinmoredevelopmentopportunities,andbenefitfromnational socio-economic development.

We will expand cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation in various fields and overcome any obstacles and obstruction. We will encourage our people on both sides to pass on the best of traditional Chinese culture and ensure that it grows in new and creative ways. We will strengthen communication among the general public and the younger generations on both sides, and encourage more fellow Chinese in Taiwan - young people in particular - to pursue studies, start businesses,seek jobs,or live on the mainland.This will help peopleon both sides to expand mutual understanding, strengthen mutual trust, consolidate a shared sense of identity, and forge closer bonds of heart and mind.

3. Defeating Separatism and External Interference

Separatism will plunge Taiwan into the abyss and bring nothing but disaster to the island. To protect the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including our compatriots in Taiwan, we must resolutely oppose it and work for peaceful reunification. We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification; but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form.

WeChinesewilldecideourownaffairs. TheTaiwanquestionisan internal affair that involves China's core interests and the Chinese people's national sentiments, and no external interference will be tolerated. Any attempt to use the Taiwan question as a pretext to interfere in China's internal affairs or obstruct China'sreunificationwillmeetwiththeresoluteoppositionoftheChinesepeople, including our compatriots in Taiwan. No one should underestimate our resolve, will and ability to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We will work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification. But we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities. In no way does it target our fellow Chinese in Taiwan. Use of force would be the last resort taken under compelling circumstances. We will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces should they ever cross our red lines.

We willalwaysbereadytorespondwiththeuseofforceorothernecessary means to interference by external forces or radical action by separatist elements. Our ultimate goal is to ensure the prospects of China's peaceful reunification and advance this process.

Some forces in the US are making every effort to incite groups inside Taiwan to stir up trouble and use Taiwan as a pawn against China. This has jeopardized peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, obstructed the Chinese government's efforts towards peaceful reunification, and undermined the healthy and steady development of China-US relations. Left unchecked, it will continue to escalate tension across the Straits, further disrupt China-US relations, and severely damage the interests of the US itself. The US should abide by the oneChina principle, deal with Taiwan-related issues in a prudent and proper manner, stand by its previous commitments, and stop supporting Taiwan separatists.

4. Working with Our Fellow Chinese in Taiwan Towards National Reunification and Rejuvenation

National reunification is an essential step towards national rejuvenation. ThefutureofTaiwanliesinChina'sreunification,andthewellbeingofthepeople in Taiwan hinges on the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, an endeavor that bears on the future and destiny of the people on both sides. A united and prosperous China will be a blessing for all Chinese, while a weak and divided China will be a disaster. Only China's rejuvenation and prosperity can bring lives ofplentyandhappinesstobothsides.Butitrequiresthejointeffortsofbothsides, as does the complete reunification of the country.

Separatistpropagandaandtheunresolvedpoliticaldisputebetweenthetwo sides have created misconceptions over cross-Straits relations, problems with national identity, and misgivings over national reunification among some fellow Chinese in Taiwan. Blood is thicker than water, and people on both sides of the Straits share the bond of kinship. We have great patience and tolerance and we will create conditions for closer exchanges and communication between the two sides, and to increase our compatriots' knowledge of the mainland and reduce these misconceptions and misgivings, in order to help them resist the manipulation of separatists.

We willjoinhandswithour fellowChineseinTaiwanto strivefor national reunification and rejuvenation. We hope they will stand on the right side of history, be proud of their Chinese identity, and fully consider the position and roleofTaiwaninChina'srejuvenation.Wehopetheywillpursuethegreatergood of the nation,resolutelyopposeseparatismand any form of external interference, and make a positive contribution to the just cause of China's peaceful reunification.

V. Bright Prospects for Peaceful Reunification

Oncepeaceful reunificationis achievedunderOne Country,Two Systems, it will lay new foundations for China to make further progress and achieve national rejuvenation. At the same time, it will create huge opportunities for social and economic development in Taiwan and bring tangible benefits to the people of Taiwan.

1. Taiwan Will Have a Vast Space for Development

Taiwan boasts a high level of economic growth, industries with distinctive local features, and robust foreign trade. Its economy is highly complementary with that of the mainland. After reunification, the systems and mechanisms for cross-Straits economic cooperation will be further improved. Backed up by the vast mainland market, Taiwan's economy will enjoy broader prospects, become more competitive, develop steadier and smoother industrial and supply chains, and display greater vitality in innovation-driven growth. Many problems that have long afflicted Taiwan's economy and its people can be resolved through integrated cross-Straits development with all possible connectivity between the two sides. Taiwan's fiscal revenues can be better employed to improve living standards, bringing real benefits to the people and resolving their difficulties.

Taiwan's cultural creativity will also enjoy a great boost. Both sides of the Taiwan Straits share the culture and ethos of the Chinese nation. Nourished by the Chinese civilization, Taiwan's regional culture will flourish and prosper.

2. The Rights and Interests of the People in Taiwan Will Be Fully Protected

Provided that China's sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region. Taiwan's social system and its way of life will be fully respected, and the private property, religious beliefs, and lawful rights and interests of the people in Taiwan will be fully protected. All Taiwan compatriots who support reunification of the country and rejuvenation of the nation will be the masters of the region, contributing to and benefitting from China's development. With a powerful motherland in support, the people of Taiwan will enjoy greater security and dignity and stand upright and rock-solid in the international community.

3. Both Sides of the Taiwan Straits Will Share the Triumph of National Rejuvenation

The people of Taiwan are brave, diligent and patriotic, and have made unremitting efforts to improve themselves. They revere their ancestry and love theirhomeland.Workingtogetherandapplyingtheirtalents,peopleon bothsides of the Taiwan Straits will create a promising future. After reunification, we Chinese will bridge gaps and differences caused by long-term separation, share a stronger sense of national identity, and stand together as one. After reunification, we can leverage complementary strengths in pursuit of mutual benefit and

common development. After reunification, we can join hands to make the Chinese nation stronger and more prosperous, and stand taller among all the nations of the world.

The people separated by the Taiwan Straits share the same blood and a common destiny. After reunification, China will have greater international influence and appeal, and a stronger ability to shape international public opinion, and the Chinese people will enjoy greater self-esteem, self-confidence and national pride. In Taiwan and on the mainland the people will share the dignity and triumph of a united China and be proud of being Chinese. We will work together to refine and implement the Two Systems solution to the Taiwan question, to improve the institutional arrangements for implementing the One Country,TwoSystemspolicy,andtoensurelasting peaceandstabilityinTaiwan.

4. Peaceful Reunification of China Is Conducive to Peace and Development in the Asia-Pacific and the Wider World

Peaceful cross-Straits reunification is of benefit not only to the Chinese nation, but to all peoples and the international community as a whole. The reunification of China will not harm the legitimate interests of any other country, including any economic interests they might have in Taiwan. On the contrary, it will bring more development opportunities to all countries; it will create more positivemomentumfor prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacificand the rest of theworld;itwillcontributemoretobuildingaglobalcommunityofsharedfuture, promoting world peace and development, and propelling human progress.

After reunification, foreign countries can continue to develop economic and cultural relations with Taiwan. With the approval of the central government of China, they may set up consulates or other official and quasi-official institutions in Taiwan, international organizations and agencies may establish offices, relevant international conventions can be applied, and relevant international conferences can be held there.

Conclusion

Over its 5,000-year history, China has created a splendid culture that has shonethroughouttheworldfrompasttimestopresent,andhasmadeanenormous contribution to human society. After a century of suffering and hardship, the nation has overcome humiliation, emerged from backwardness, and embraced

boundless development opportunities. Now, it is striding towards the goal of national rejuvenation.

Embarking on a new journey in a new era, the CPC and the Chinese government willcontinuetorallycompatriotsonbothsidesof theTaiwanStraits, and lead the efforts to answer the call of the times, shoulder historic responsibilities, grasp our fate and our future in our own hands, and work hard to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.

The journey ahead cannot be all smooth sailing. However, as long as we Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits devote our ingenuity and energy to the same goal, let there be no doubt - we will tolerate no foreign interference in Taiwan, we will thwart any attempt to divide our country, and we will combine as a mighty force for national reunification and rejuvenation. The historic goal of reuniting our motherland must be realized and will be realized.

Notes

[1] United Nations Juridical Yearbook 2010, p. 516.

[2] Between September 4 and 8, 1951, the United States gathered a number of countries in San Francisco for what they described as the San Francisco Peace Conference. Neither the PRC nor the Soviet Union received an invitation. The treaty signed at this meeting, commonly known as the Treaty of San Francisco, included an article under which Japan renounced all rights, title and claim to Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. This treaty contravened the provisions of the Declaration by United Nations signed by 26 countries - including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and China - in 1942, the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, and the basic norms of international law. The PRC was excluded from its preparation, drafting and signing, and its rulings on the territory and sovereign rights of China - including the sovereignty over Taiwan - are therefore illegal and invalid. The Chinese government has always refused to recognize the Treaty of San Francisco, and has never from the outset deviated from this stance. Other countries, including the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam, have also refused to recognize the document's authority.

[3]Inhisspeechtitled"ContinuetoPromotetheReunificationoftheMotherland" on January 30, 1995, Jiang Zemin, then general secretary of the CPC Central

Committee and president of China, made eight proposals for the development of cross-Straits relations and peaceful national reunification. He emphasized, "Adhering to the one-China principle is the basis and prerequisite for peaceful reunification", and "in not promising to renounce the use of force, we are in no way targeting our Taiwan compatriots, but rather foreign forces conspiring to interfereinChina'speacefulreunificationandbringaboutTaiwanindependence". (See Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. I, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2009, pp. 407-412.)

[4] Thisfiguredoes not include reinvestment by Taiwan investors througha third place.

[5] From the statistics of the April 2022 edition of the World Economic Outlook databases of the International Monetary Fund.

September

(A) Jointly Upholding True Multilateralism and Starting a New Journey of Maritime Governance18

Jointly Upholding True Multilateralism and Starting a New Journey of Maritime Governance

Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi State Councilor and Foreign Minister of The People’s Republic of China At the Opening Ceremony of “UNCLOS at 40: Retrospect and Prospect”

The Honorable Under-Secretary-General Miguel de Serpa Soares, Distinguished Guests, Friends,

It is a pleasure to meet you all via video link to mark the 40th anniversary of the opening for signature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Adopted in 1982, UNCLOS opened a new chapter of global maritime governance, and has greatly helped humanity better understand, protect and utilize the sea.

Friends,

As an extensive legal instrument on maritime affairs, UNCLOS, together with other international treaties and customary international law, constitute the main pillars of the global maritime order in modern times. A review of its conclusion process, purposes and application gives us three main inspirations in addressing today’s global maritime issues.

First, it is important to uphold multilateralism. UNCLOS was concluded by over 160 countries including China through nine years of unremittingeffortsofequal-footedconsultationandmutualaccommodationfrom 1973 to 1982. It made a set of arrangements to address humanity’s common interests as well as the concerns of various types of countries, and thus has been widelyaccepted by the internationalcommunity.The Convention entitles coastal States with sovereign rights and jurisdiction in their exclusive economic zones

18 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. (2022, Sep 2). “Jointly Upholding True Multilateralism and Starting a New Journey of Maritime Governance” Retrieved from https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202209/t20220902_10760374.html

while protecting the lawful freedoms of navigation and overflight of other States in such zones. It provides multiple means for the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes, with full respect for States Parties’ own choices of peaceful means. It also established three major regimes, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which are useful multilateral platforms for the discussions of and settlement of maritime issues. All these are a result of successful multilateral diplomacy and important outcomes of multilateralism.

Second, it is importantto promote fairnessand justice. China and other developing countries are committed to revising outdated maritime rules and to defending the legitimate rights and interests of all, especially medium and small countries, and have made good progress in these efforts. In its Preamble, UNCLOS stresses the imperative to realize “a just and equitable international economic order which takes into account the interests and needs of mankind as a whole”.It establishedmanagementmechanismsand decision-makingprocedures concerning the international seabed. This has consolidated, by legal means, the principle of the common heritage of mankind, thus providing an institutional frameworktoensuretheeffectiveparticipationofdevelopingcountriesinmatters related to the international seabed. Facts have proved that UNCLOS has been instrumental in opposing maritime hegemony, protecting maritime interests, and promoting maritime cooperation.

Third, it is important to stay open-minded and move forward. UNCLOS affirms that “matters not regulated by this convention continue to be governed by the rules and principles of general international law”. It also mentions several times that actions should be taken “through competent international organizations” and in compliance with “generally accepted international regulations”. This shows that UNCLOS respects other sea-related organizations and international rules. Following the adoption of the Convention, twoagreements,oneontheinternationalseabedandtheotheronfishstocks,were concluded. Negotiations on an international agreement on maritime biodiversity are now well underway. All this showsthat UNCLOSis not isolatedor insulated, but rather inclusive and adjustable. It should keep pace with the times to better adapt to international maritime practices.

Friends,

As a major developing maritime country, China seeks to balance its legitimate rights and interests with the overall interests of the international community,andalwaysstandstogetherwithotherdevelopingcountries.Wehave participated in the whole process of UNCLOS negotiations, and was among the first countries to sign the Convention. China always honors the spirit of UNCLOS, strictly fulfills its obligations, and fully supports the work of the three major institutions under the Convention. It actively carries out international maritime cooperation, and does its best to help other developing countries with theirmaritimecapacity-building.Chinafirmlydefendstheintegrity and authority of UNCLOS, and opposes attempts at abusing the dispute settlement procedures oftheConvention.Chinaalwaysbelievesthatmaritimedisputesshouldbesettled by the parties directly concerned through friendly consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and international laws including UNCLOS. Friends,

As we speak, the world is facing once-in-a-century changes that are evolving more rapidly, and the international maritime order is undergoing profound adjustments. At this new historical starting point, we should safeguard firmly the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. We should continue to embrace the spirit of multilateralism in UNCLOS, promote the development of international maritime laws including the Convention, and build an equitable and just international maritime order, as part of our collective efforts to usher in a new journey of maritime governance.

We need to act as a community with a shared future to promote sustainable development of the sea. We need to pursue the purpose of the Convention to “promote the economic and social advancement of all peoples of the world”, and act on the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. We need to deepen practical maritime cooperation, develop blue partnerships, build a high-quality 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and fulfill the UN sustainable development goals. We need to tap into the development potential of the sea and turn it into an enduring driving force for sustainable development of all countries.

Weneed to championdialogueandconsultationto maintainpeaceand tranquility of the sea. The Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping provides China’s solutions to global security challenges. We should

remain faithful to the Convention’s founding aspirations to maintain “peace, justice and progress for all peoples of the world”, take coordinated efforts to safeguard both traditional and non-traditional maritime security issues, always settle maritime disputes through peaceful means, and jointly tackle challenges such as piracy and armed robbery against ships. We should uphold “freedom of navigation” and oppose “freedom of willfulness”. We should advocate dialogue and consultation, and say no to sabre-rattling. All parties must bear in mind that humanity is an indivisible security community, and all should work together to safeguard maritime peace and tranquility of the world.

We need to promote international cooperation to preserve the ecologicalenvironmentof the sea. We need toaim at thegoaloftheConvention to realize “protection and preservation of the marine environment”, act on the philosophy of green development, fulfill environmental protection obligations under the Convention, and advance global cooperation to protect the marine environment. We should prioritize science and technology, take seriously the impactof landactivitiesandclimatechangeon marineenvironment, and domore to address both the symptoms and root causes. We should strike a balance betweenpreservationand reasonable utilization,and work togetherto leave clean oceans and blue sky for our future generations.

We need to uphold the international rule of law to improve global maritime governance. The Convention should be interpreted and applied in its entirety, accurately, and in good faith. Any attempt to use UNCLOS as a tool to suppress or smear other countries must be rejected. We need to improve the dispute settlement mechanisms, respect the voluntary choice of the State Parties concerned, and oppose inappropriate expansion or abuse of power by judicial bodies. The UN, the ISA, and the International Maritime Organization should work in coordination to study emerging maritime issues, and make and improve equitable and reasonable international maritime rules that can stand the test of history and reality.

Friends, The sea is the common home of humanity, and its protection and sustainable use is the shared responsibility of us all. In sea voyages, the most crucial work is to keep to the right direction. China is ready to work with all parties to uphold the purposes of UNCLOS, deliver its aspirations, and strive for a higher-standard global maritime governance and greater maritime welfare of mankind.

In conclusion, I wish this conference a full success. Thank you!

Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China

At the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of The Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Samarkand, 16 September 2022

Your Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Colleagues,

I am delighted to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). I would like to thank you, President Mirziyoyev, for your warm hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. I salute Uzbekistan for the great job it has done to promote SCO cooperation in various fields during its presidency over the past year.

Samarkand, renowned as the pearl on the Silk Road, witnessed the glory of the ancient Silk Road, a route that greatly boosted the flow of goods, spread of science and technology, interaction of ideas, and integration of diverse cultures on the Eurasian continent. Indeed, the ancient Silk Road has remained a historicalsourceofinspirationforusSCO memberstatesas wepursue peaceand development.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the SCO Charter and 15th anniversary of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between the SCO Member States. Over the years, guided by these two founding documents, we have succeeded in exploring a new path for the development of international organizations, and there is much we can draw on from SCO’s rich practices.

19 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. (2022, Sep 16). “Ride on the Trend of the Times and Enhance Solidarity and Cooperation to Embrace a Better Future” Retrieved from https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202209/t20220916_10767110.html

(B) Ride on the Trend of the Times and EnhanceSolidarityand Cooperation to Embrace a Better Future19

Ride on the Trend of the Times and Enhance Solidarity and Cooperation to Embrace a Better Future

Political trust. Guided by the vision of forging enduring friendship and peace among the SCO member states, we respect each other’s core interests and choice of development path and support each other in achieving peace, stability, development and rejuvenation.

Win-win cooperation. We accommodate each other’s interests, stay true to the principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits, enhancesynergybetweenour respective developmentstrategies,and keep to the path of win-win cooperation toward common prosperity.

Equality between nations. We are committed to the principle of equality among all countries regardless of their size, consensus-based decision-making, and addressing issues through friendly consultations. We reject the practice of the strong bullying the weak or the big bullying the small.

Openness and inclusiveness We stand for harmonious coexistence and mutual learning between different countries, nations and cultures, dialogue between civilizations and seeking common ground while shelving differences. We are ready to establish partnership and develop win-win cooperation with other countries and international organizations that share our vision.

Equity and justice. We are committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; we tackle major international and regional issues on the basis of their merits, and opposethe pursuit of one’s own agenda at the expense of other countries’ legitimate rights and interests.

These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, namely, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. It has been shown that this spirit is the source of strength for the development of the SCO. It is also the fundamental guide we must continue to follow in the years to come. We owe SCO’s remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead.

Colleagues, Human society, like the natural world, has both sunny and rainy days in its development. Our world today is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in

a century,and it has entered a new phase of uncertainty and transformation.The once-in-a-century pandemic has continued unabated. Regional conflicts keep flaring up. The Cold War mentality and group politics are resurfacing, so are unilateralism and protectionism. Economic globalization has encountered headwinds. Deficit in peace, development, trust, and governance has grown. Human society has reached a crossroads and faces unprecedented challenges.

Under these new conditions, the SCO, as an important constructive force in internationaland regionalaffairs, shouldkeep itselfwell-positionedin the face of changing international dynamics, ride on the trend of the times, strengthen solidarity and cooperation and build a closer SCO community with a shared future.

First, we need to enhance mutual support. We should strengthen highlevel exchanges and strategic communication, deepen mutual understanding and political trust, and support each other in our efforts to uphold security and development interests. We should guard against attempts by external forces to instigate “color revolution”, jointly oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and hold our future firmly in our own hands.

Second, we need to expand security cooperation A proverb in Uzbekistan goes to the effect that “With peace, a country enjoys prosperity, just as with rain, the land can flourish.” The Global Security Initiative put forward by China is to addressthe peace deficit and global security challenges. It calls on all countries to stay true to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. We welcome all stakeholders to get involved in implementing this initiative.

We should continue to carry out joint anti-terrorism exercises, crack down hard on terrorism, separatism and extremism, drug trafficking as well as cyber and transnational organized crimes; and we should effectively meet the challenges in data security, biosecurity, outer space security and other nontraditional security domains. China is ready to train 2,000 law enforcement personnel for SCO member states in the next five years, and establish a ChinaSCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, so as to enhance capacitybuilding for law enforcement of SCO member states.

We should ensure that the SCO-Afghanistan contact group and the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan’s neighbors continue to play their roles; and we should encourage Afghan authorities to establish a broadly-basedand inclusive political structure and remove the ground that breeds terrorism.

Third, we need to deepen practical cooperation. To deliver a better life for people of all countries in the region is our shared goal. The Global Development Initiative launched by China aims to focus global attention on development, foster global development partnership, and achieve more robust, greener and more balanced global development. China is ready to work with all other stakeholders to pursue this initiative in our region to support the sustainable development of regional countries.

We need to implement the two statements on safeguarding international energy and food security to be adopted by this summit and better protect energy and food security. China will provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan.

We welcome the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027 to be adopted at this summit. We should fully implement the cooperation documents in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure building, protecting supply chains, scientific and technological innovation and artificial intelligence to be adopted within the framework of the summit. It is important to continue our efforts to achieve the complementarity of the Belt and Road Initiative with national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, expand sub-multilateral cooperation and sub-regional cooperation, and create more growth drivers in cooperation.

We need to ensure implementation of the roadmap for SCO member states toexpandsharesoflocalcurrencysettlement,betterdevelopthesystemforcrossborder payment and settlement in local currencies, work for the establishment of an SCO development bank, and thus speed up regional economic integration. Next year, China will host an SCO ministers’ meeting on development cooperationand anindustrialandsupplychainsforum, andwillset uptheChinaSCO Big Data Cooperation Center to create new engines of common development. China stands ready to carry out space cooperation with all other

parties and provide satellite data service to support them in agricultural development, connectivity and disaster mitigation and relief.

Fourth, we need to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Exchanges promote integration among civilizations, which, in turn, enables civilizations to advance. We should deepen cooperation in such areas as education, science and technology, culture, health, media, radio and television, ensure the continued success of signature programs such as the youth exchange camp, the women’s forum, the forum on people-to-people friendship and the forum on traditional medicine, and support the SCO Committee on GoodNeighborliness,FriendshipandCooperation andothernon-officialorganizations in playing their due roles. China will build a China-SCO ice and snow sports demonstration zone and host the SCO forums on poverty reduction and sustainable development and on sister cities next year. In the next three years, China will carry out 2,000 free cataract operations for SCO member states and provide 5,000 human resources training opportunities for them.

Fifth, we need to uphold multilateralism. Obsession with forming a small circle can only push the world toward division and confrontation. We shouldremain firm in safeguardingthe UN-centered internationalsystem and the international order based on international law, practice the common values of humanity and reject zero-sum game and bloc politics. We should expand SCO’s exchanges with other international and regional organizations such as the UN, so as to jointly uphold true multilateralism, improve global governance, and ensure that the international order is more just and equitable.

Colleagues, The Eurasian continent is home to us all. Upholding its peace and development is the shared goal of countries both in our region and the world at large, and the SCO shoulders an important responsibility in meeting this goal. In recent years, an increasing number of countries have applied to join our SCO family. This fully demonstrates the power of SCO’s vision and the widely shared confidence in its future. By promoting the development and expansion of the SCO and giving full play to its positive impact, we will create strong momentum and new dynamism for ensuring durable peace and common prosperity of the Eurasian continent and the whole world. China supports advancing SCO expansion in an active yet prudent manner, and this includes going through the procedure to admit Iran as a member state, launching the

procedure for Belarus’ accession, admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myanmar as dialogue partners, and granting the relevant applying countries the legal status due to them. We need to seize the opportunity to build consensus, deepen cooperation and jointly create a bright future for the Eurasian continent.

Here I wish to express China’s congratulations to India on assuming the next SCO presidency. We will, together with other member states, support India during its presidency. Colleagues,

This year, facing a complex and challenging development environment both at home and abroad, China has stayed committed to the general principle of making advances while maintaining stable performance, and it has striven to ensure both effective COVID-19 containment, economic stability and developmentsecurity.We have continuedto respondto COVID-19 and promote economic and social development in a well-coordinated way. Thus, to the greatest extent possible, we have both safeguarded the life and health of the peopleand ensuredoveralleconomicand socialdevelopment.Thefundamentals of China’s economy, characterized by strong resilience, enormous potential, ample room for policy adjustment and long-term sustainability, will remain sound. This will greatly boost the stability and recovery of the world economy and provide more market opportunities for other countries.

Next month, the Communist Party of China will convene its 20th National Congress. It will be an important meeting to be held at a critical time as China embarkson a new journeytoward its secondcentenarygoal of building amodern socialist country in all respects. At this national congress, the Communist Party of China will fully review the major achievements made and valuable experience gained in China’s reform and development endeavors. It will also formulate programs of action and overarching policies to meet China’s new development goals on the journey ahead in the new era and the new expectations of the people. We will continue to follow the Chinese path to modernization to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we will continue to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. By doing so, we will create new opportunities for the world with new advances in China’s development and contribute our vision and strength to world peace and development and human progress.

Colleagues,

Long as the journey is, we will surely reach our destination when we stay the course. Let us act in the Shanghai Spirit, work for the steady development of the SCO, and jointly build our region into a peaceful, stable, prosperous and beautiful home!

Thank you.

(A) the Communique of the First Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China20

Communique of the First Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

(Adopted at the First Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on October 23, 2022)

The first plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held in Beijing on October 23, 2022.

The session was attended by 203 members and 168 alternate members of the20thCPCCentralCommittee.Membersofthe20thCPCCentralCommission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) attended as non-voting participants.

Xi Jinping presided over the session and delivered an important speech after being elected general secretary of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

The members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC CentralCommitteewereelectedatthesession.Alsoelectedwasgeneralsecretary of the 20th CPC Central Committee. The session endorsed the members of the CPC Central Committee Secretariatnominatedby the Standing Committeeof the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and named the members of the Central Military Commission. It approved the secretary, deputy secretaries and members of the Standing Committee of the CCDI elected at the first plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI.

The name lists are as follows:

The members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee(in the order of the number of strokes in their surnames):

20 Xinhua. (2022, Oct 24). “Communique of the first plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee”. Retrieved from http://english.www.gov.cn/news/topnews/202210/24/content_WS6355cfccc6d0a757729e19b4.html

Ding Xuexiang, Xi Jinping, Ma Xingrui, Wang Yi, Wang Huning, Yin Li, Shi Taifeng, Liu Guozhong, Li Xi, Li Qiang, Li Ganjie, Li Shulei, Li Hongzhong, He Weidong, He Lifeng, Zhang Youxia, Zhang Guoqing, Chen Wenqing, Chen Jining, Chen Min'er, Zhao Leji, Yuan Jiajun, Huang Kunming, Cai Qi

The members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee:

Xi Jinping,Li Qiang,Zhao Leji, Wang Huning,Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang,Li Xi

General secretary of the CPC Central Committee: Xi Jinping

The members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee: Cai Qi, Shi Taifeng, Li Ganjie, Li Shulei, Chen Wenqing, Liu Jinguo, Wang Xiaohong

Chairman, vice chairmen and members of the Central Military Commission:

Chairman: Xi Jinping

Vice chairmen: Zhang Youxia, He Weidong

Members: Li Shangfu, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua, Zhang Shengmin

Secretary, deputy secretaries and members of the Standing Committee of the CCDI

Secretary: Li Xi

Deputy secretaries: Liu Jinguo, Zhang Shengmin, Xiao Pei, Yu Hongqiu (f.), Fu Kui, Sun Xinyang, Liu Xuexin, Zhang Fuhai

Members of the Standing Committee of the CCDI (in the order of the number of strokes in their surnames):

WangXiaoping(f.),WangAiwen,WangHongjin,LiuJinguo,LiuXuexin, Xu Luode, Sun Xinyang, Li Xi, Li Xinran (Manchu), Xiao Pei, Zhang

Shengmin,ZhangFuhai,ChenGuoqiang,ZhaoShiyong,HouKai,YinBai (Naxi), Yu Hongqiu (f.), Fu Kui, Mu Hongyu (f.)

November

(A) Joint Statement on The 20th Anniversary of The Declaration on The Conduct of Parties in The South China Sea21

Joint Statement on The 20th Anniversary of The Declaration on The Conduct of Parties in The South China Sea

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION ON THE CONDUCT OF PARTIES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 11 November 2022

We, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter: the Parties), gathered on the occasions of the 25th ASEAN-China Summit and the 20th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, on 11 November 2022.

RECOGNISING the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation;

RECALLING that the Parties signed the DOC on 4 November 2002, as well as adopted the Guidelines for the Implementation of the DOC in 2011, the Joint Statement of the 15th ASEAN-China Summit on the 10th Anniversary of the Declarationon the Conductof Parties in the South China Sea in 2012,and the JointStatementof theForeignMinistersof ASEANMemberStates and Chinaon the Full and Effective Implementation of the DOC in 2016;

REAFFIRMINGthattheDOCisamilestonedocumentinASEAN-China Dialogue Relations that embodies the collective commitment of the Parties to promotepeace,stability,mutualtrust,andconfidenceintheregion,inaccordance withinternationallaw,includingthe1982UnitedNationsConventionon theLaw of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is commemorating its 40th anniversary this year;

21

ASEAN Secretariat. (2022, Nov 12). “Joint Statement on The 20th Anniversary of The Declaration on The Conduct of Parties in The South China Sea” Retrieved from https://asean.org/joint-statement-on-the-20thanniversary-of-the-declaration-on-the-conduct-of-parties-in-the-south-china-sea/

RECALLINGthe achievementsby ASEANMember States and Chinaon the implementation of the DOC, which contributeto the peace and stability in the South China Sea and the promotion of friendly relations and practical maritime cooperation;

NOTING that the situation in the South China Sea has changed tremendously since the signing of the DOC and recognising in this regard the imperative of strengthened efforts and heightened goodwill towards the full and effective implementation of the DOC;

APPRECIATING the progress in the COC negotiations, and reaffirming that the future adoption of the COC would further promote peace and stability in the region.

WE HEREBY

:

1. Reaffirm our commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), the 1982 UNCLOS, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and other universally recognised principles of international law which shall serve as the basic norms governing state-to-state relations;

2. Reaffirm our mutual respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law;

3. Reaffirm our shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea;

4. Reaffirm that the Parties concerned undertake to resolve territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS;

5. Reaffirm our respect for and commitment to the safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS;

6. Reaffirm our commitment to fully and effectively implement the DOC in its entirety;

7. Continue to explore and undertake practical maritime cooperation initiatives, including in fields such as marine environmental protection, marine scientific research, safety of navigation and communication at sea, search and rescue operation and combating transnational crime;

8. Continue to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation;

9. Commit to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the full and effective implementation of the DOC and to the early adoption of a substantive and effective COC, based on consensus, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

ADOPTED inPhnomPenh,Cambodia,on theEleventhof Novemberin theYear Two Thousand and Twenty-Two.

Working Together to Meet the Challenges of Our Times and Build a Better Future

Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China

At Session I of the 17th G20 Summit

Bali, 15 November 2022

Your Excellency President Joko Widodo, Colleagues,

It gives me great pleasure to attend the G20 Bali Summit. At the outset, I wish to thank PresidentJoko Widodo and the Indonesian government for making these thoughtful arrangements for the Summit. I also salute the Indonesian presidency for its important role in promoting G20 cooperation.

We meet at a timeof momentouschangesunseenin a century,changesthat are consequential to the world, to our times, and to history. The COVID-19 pandemic still drags on with cases surging here and there. The world economy is getting more fragile. The geopolitical environment remains tense. Global governance is seriously inadequate. Food and energy crises are compounded with one another. All this poses formidable challenges to our development.

Faced with these challenges, it is imperative that all countries embrace the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, and advocate peace, development, and win-win cooperation. All countries should replace division with unity, confrontation with cooperation, and exclusion with inclusiveness. All countriesshouldjoinhandstogetherto answerthequestionof our times “what is wrong with this world, what we should do about it” so as to tide over difficulties and create a better future together.

22 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. (2022, Nov 15). “Working Together to Meet the Challenges of Our Times and Build a Better Future”. Retrieved from https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202211/t20221115_10975360.html

(B) Working Together to Meet the Challenges of Our Times and Build a Better Future22

All G20 members should take the responsibility inherent in being major international and regional players, and should lead by example in promoting developmentof all nations,improvingthe well-being forthe wholemankind,and advancing progress of the entire world.

We should make global development more inclusive. Solidarity is strength,butdivisionleadsnowhere.Livingin thesameglobal village,we should stand with each other in the face of risks and challenges. Drawing ideological lines or promoting group politics and bloc confrontation will only divide the world, and hinder global development and human progress. With human civilization already in the 21st century, the Cold-War mentality has long been outdated. What we need to do is to join hands together and elevate our win-win cooperation to a new height.

Countriesshouldrespecteachother,seekcommongroundswhilereserving differences, livetogetherin peace,and promotean open worldeconomy.No one shouldengageinbeggar-thy-neighborpractices,building“asmallyardwith high fences”, or creating closed and exclusive clubs.

I always believe that the G20 should stay committed to its founding purpose of unity and cooperation, carry forward the spirit of solidarity, and uphold the principle of consensus. “Sugarcane and lemongrass grow in dense clumps.” This Indonesian proverb well captures the value of solidarity. Division and confrontation serve no one’s interest. Only solidarity and common development is the right choice to make.

Weshouldmakeglobaldevelopmentbeneficialtoall. Developmentisreal only when all countries develop together. Prosperity and stability cannot be possiblein a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer. Everynationaspiresforabetterlife,andmodernizationisnotaprivilegereserved for any single country. Frontrunners in development should sincerely help others develop, and provide more global public goods. All major countries should perform their due responsibilities, and do their best for the cause of global development.

TheGlobalDevelopmentInitiative(GDI) thatI proposedis aimedatmeetingthe long-term objective and immediate needs of common development of the world, fostering international consensus on promoting development, cultivating new

drivers for global development, and facilitating common development and progress of all countries.

Within one year, more than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. China has established the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and will increase its funding for the China-UN Peace and DevelopmentFund.We will make a listof items for practicalcooperation,set up an open-ended pool of GDI projects, and draw up a roadmap for GDI implementation. We are working with 100-plus countries and international organizationson the GDI, thusprovidingnew impetusfor the implementationof the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has submitted 15 projects to the “G20 Action for Strong and Inclusive Recovery”, and has participated in five other projects within this framework. We will work with fellow G20 members to deliver on these projects.

We should make global development more resilient. Economic globalization is encountering headwinds, and the world economy is at risk of recession. Everyone is having a hard time, but developing countries are bearing the brunt. It is therefore more imperative than ever for us to focus on the issue of development. The theme of the Bali Summit, “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”, sends a positive message of the G20’s commitment to supporting the growth of developing countries and preventing divergent and unbalanced global recovery.We need to builda globalpartnershipfor economicrecovery,prioritize developmentandputthepeopleatthecenter,always keepinmindthedifficulties faced by developing countries, and accommodate their concerns. China supports the African Union in joining the G20.

All parties should continue to deepen international cooperation against COVID-19, and raise the accessibility and affordability of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic and treatment methods in developing countries so as to create a sound environment for economic recovery. We should curb global inflation, and defuse systemic economic and financial risks. In particular, developed economies should mitigate the negative spillovers from their monetary policy adjustment, and keep their debts at sustainablelevels. The IMF should speed up the on-lending of SDRs to low-income countries. International financial institutionsandcommercialcreditors,which arethemaincreditorsofdeveloping countries, should take part in the debt reduction and suspension for developing countries. China is implementing the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative

(DSSI) in all respects, and has suspended the largest amount of debt service payment among all G20 members. Meanwhile, China is working with some G20 members on the debt treatment under the Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyondtheDSSI,thushelpingrelevantdeveloping countries navigate through the difficult time.

Global trade, digital economy, green transition and fighting corruption are key factors driving global development. We should continue to uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, actively push forward WTO reform, enhancetrade and investment liberalizationand facilitation,and promote anopen world economy. China has proposed the G20 Action Plan on Digital Innovation and Cooperation. We look forward to working with all parties to foster an open, fair, and non-discriminatory environmentfor digitaleconomy so as to narrow the North-South digital divide. In tackling climate change and transitioning toward green and low-carbon development, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be upheld. It is also important to provide funding, technology and capacity-building support for developing countries and promote cooperation on green finance. International cooperation is very important for fighting corruption. G20 members must maintain zero tolerance for corruption, step up international cooperation on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery, and refuse to provide “safe havens” to corrupt individuals and assets.

Global development would be impossible without a peaceful and stable international environment. With this in mind, I have put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI). Our goal is to work with all parties to champion the spirit of the UN Charter, act on the principle of indivisible security, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, advocate the resolution of conflicts through negotiation and settlement of disputes through consultation, and support all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises.

Colleagues,

Food and energy security is the most pressing challenge in global development. The root cause of the ongoing crises is not production or demand, but interrupted supply chains and international cooperation. The way out of this is for all countries to, with the coordination of the UN and other multilateral international organizations, enhance cooperation on market supervision and regulation, build partnerships on commodities, develop an open, stable and

sustainablecommoditiesmarket,and worktogethertounclog supplychains and stabilize market prices.

Wemust resolutelyopposetheattempttopoliticizefoodandenergyissues or use them as tools and weapons. Unilateral sanctions must be removed, and restrictions on relevant scientific and technological cooperation must be lifted. In reducing the consumption of fossil fuel energy and transitioning toward clean energy, we need to give balanced consideration to various factors, and make sure that the transitional process does not hurt the economy or people’s livelihood. Developing countries face more acute risks in food and energy security. The G20 should keep this in mind, and provide necessary support in production, collection, storage, funding and technology. Since the UN has established the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance, the G20 should voice its support for it.

Over the years, China has made major contribution to global food and energy security. This year, China has proposed, together with six partners including Indonesia and Serbia, the Initiative of International Cooperation on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, joined other countries in calling for the establishment of the Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership, and put forward the International Cooperation Initiative on Global Food Security in the G20. We look forward to deepening cooperation with all parties in these areas.

Colleagues,

The Communist Party of China has recently convened its 20th National Congress, laying out the goals, tasks and guiding policies for the cause of the Party and the country in the next five years and beyond. China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development, stay committed to deepening reformand opening-up,and stay committedto promoting nationalrejuvenation onallfronts throughaChinese pathtomodernization.AChinamarchingtoward modernization will bring more opportunities to the world, inject stronger momentum for international cooperation, and make greater contribution to human progress!

Thank you.

23

Joint Statement

between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s Republic of China on

Working towards a Thailand - China Community with a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability

19 November 2022, Bangkok

At the invitationof H.E. General PrayutChan-o-cha,Prime Ministerof the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, attended the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand and visit Thailand on 17 - 19 November 2022. On 19 November 2022, President Xi Jinping held talks with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House. Both sides reached a new important consensus on building a Thailand - China community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainabilityand discussed the presentand future development of bilateral relations.

China congratulated Thailand for its success in hosting the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which has showcased the Asia-Pacific’s concerted effort in advancing the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 of an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community with a shared future through enhanced solidarity and cooperation. Thailand congratulated China on the completesuccessofthe20thNational Congressof theCommunist Partyof China (CPC) and President Xi Jinping on his re-election as the General Secretary of the

23 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand. (2022, Nov 19). “Joint Statement between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s Republic of China on Working towards a Thailand - China Community with a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability” Retrieved from https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/thchnjointstatement19112565-2?cate=5d5bcb4e15e39c306000683c

(C) Joint Statement between the Kingdom of Thailand and the People’s RepublicofChinaonWorkingtowardsa Thailand - ChinaCommunitywith a Shared Future for Enhanced Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability

Central Committee of the CPC and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and expressed confidence that China will realise the Second Centenary Goal of building itself into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation.

Both sides agreed that on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Thailand - China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, the announcementof buildinga Thailand - Chinacommunitywitha sharedfuturefor enhancedstability,prosperityand sustainability will chart the future directions of therelations,andreaffirmedthat“ThailandandChinaareas closeas onefamily”, as the two countries prepare for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand - China diplomatic relations in 2025.

Both sides reaffirmed commitment to further enhancing mutual trust, understanding and support on major issues of principle concerning national sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity. The Chinese side respects the nationalindependence,sovereigntyand territorialintegrityof Thailand.The Thai side firmly upholds the One China Policy, and recognises Taiwan as an inalienable part of China and the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The Thai side supports China’s “One Country, Two Systems” principle.

Both sides applauded the progress in terms of practical cooperation in all fields in Thailand - China relations despite the challenges posed by the COVID19 pandemic, as evidenced by high-level exchanges and convening of meetings under various bilateral cooperation mechanisms. Both sides agreed to strengthen strategic communication and emphasised the importance of full and effective implementation of the Joint Action Plan on Thailand - China Strategic Cooperation between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the GovernmentofthePeople’sRepublicofChina(2022 -2026)andtheCooperation Plan between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Jointly Promoting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21stCentury MaritimeSilkRoad, with a view to advancingpractical cooperation in all fields and supporting the building of the Thailand - China community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to realise the Thailand - LaosChina Connectivity Development Corridor Outlook connecting the China - Laos railway with Thailand’s railway system, which will enhance logistics networks to promote trade and investment as well as sub-regional development. Both sides also placed importance on promoting synergies between Thailand’s Eastern EconomicCorridor(EEC)andChina’sGuangdong-HongKong-MacaoGreater Bay Area (GBA) as well as the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), particularly in industrial cooperation in high potential industries, including electric vehicles.

Bothsides reaffirmedtheircommitmentto cooperatingin the post-COVID social and economic recovery, alleviating impacts from global economic downturns and disruption of supply chains as well as securing energy and food security through expansion of bilateral trade volume and facilitation of trade, including agricultural products and other fields. Both sides also recognised the importance of expanding cooperation in areas which are supportive to future development, such as digital economy, clean energy, and supply chain security. Both sides agreed to expand investment in high-tech industries such as green economy and artificial intelligence to achieve high-quality development.

Bothsides agreed to exchangebest practices andgovernanceexperiencein areasofmutualbenefit,suchas health,povertyalleviationandruraldevelopment, and strengthen cooperation on combating transnational crimes, in particular drug trafficking, online gambling and call center scam operations.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges for promoting goodwill, friendship and cross-cultural understanding. In this regard, both sides expressed satisfaction with the resumption of international flights between Thailand and China. The Thai side looked forward to welcoming tourists from China upon relaxation of travel measures in China. The Thai side also expressed appreciation to the Chinese side for authorising the gradualreturnofThaistudentstoChinatocontinuetheirstudy.Bothsidesagreed tocooperateontherevitalisationofhigh-qualitytourismandenhancecooperation in the fields of education, culture, media and information, and between sister cities in accordance with the principles of equality, mutual benefit and sustainability.

Both sides agreed to work closely to drive forward sub-regional cooperation and promote synergy between the Ayeyawady - Chao PhrayaMekongEconomicCooperationStrategy(ACMECS) and the Mekong - Lancang

Cooperation (MLC), with a view to deepening sub-regional integration, promoting connectivity, trade and investment, as well as strengthening resilience through cooperation on health, food and energy security, water resources and In this connection, Thailand reaffirmed its readiness to assume the MLC’s Cochairmanship in next term.

Both sides will implement the consensus reached at the ASEAN - China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN - China Dialogue Relations, uphold regionalism and jointly maintain ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture, and advance the ASEAN - China ComprehensiveStrategicPartnershipthroughthe buildingof a peaceful,safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home. Both sides will promote mutuallybeneficialcooperationbetweentheASEANOutlookontheIndo-Pacific (AOIP)and theBelt andRoadInitiative(BRI)and ensurequality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Both sides attached great importance to strengthening cooperation under theGlobalDevelopmentInitiativetoacceleratethemomentumtowardsachieving theSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)by 2030.ChinacommendedtheBioCircular-Green (BCG) Economy proposed by Thailand and stood ready to seek balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth together with Thailand based on a people-centered development philosophy.

Both sides agreed that Thailand and China share broad common interests in many aspects in maintaining regional and global peace and stability, and will explore cooperation under the framework of the Global Security Initiative and maintain close communication and coordination in addressing the impacts of traditional and non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and cyber-security.

Both sides will make joint efforts to promote multilateralism and international cooperation at all levels, by strengthening coordination and cooperationat the UnitedNationsand othermultilateral frameworks,witha view to promoting peace, security, prosperity and sustainable development for all as well as responding to new threats and challenges.

Other cooperation documents in such fields as investment, e-commerce, and science and technology were signed during the visit.

24

Speech at the memorial meeting for Comrade Jiang Zemin Dec. 6, 2022 by Xi Jinping

Comrades and friends, Today, with profound grief, we hold a memorial meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mourn our beloved Comrade Jiang Zemin.

At this moment, the people in Party and government organs, business and public institutions, the countryside, schools, military units, and urban neighborhoods across the country, staff with Chinese embassies and consulates as well as institutions stationed abroad, compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the Macao SAR and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, are together with us to cherish the memories of Comrade Jiang Zemin's extraordinary achievements and outstanding qualities and to express our grief.

The whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groupsare in profoundgrief for the lossof a great man in the passingof Comrade Jiang Zemin. People all over the world, leaders of other countries and international friends in various fields have also expressed their heartfelt condolences.

Comrade Jiang Zemin was an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He was thecoreof theParty'sthirdgeneration ofcentralcollectiveleadershipand the principal founder of the Theory of Three Represents.

24 Qiushi Journal. (2022, Dec 7). “Full text of Xi Jinping's speech at memorial meeting for Comrade Jiang Zemin”. Retrieved from http://en.qstheory.cn/2022-12/07/c_837054.htm

(A) Full text of Xi Jinping's speech at memorial meeting for Comrade Jiang Zemin

We hold Comrade Jiang Zemin in high esteem, and cherish the memory of Comrade Jiang Zemin because he devoted his life to the Chinese people, and worked tirelessly throughout his life to contribute to the cause of national independenceandtheliberationofthepeople,andtotheprosperityofourcountry and the well-being of our people. In particular, the great achievements of our Party and the country in the 13 years following the fourth plenary session of the 13th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee are inseparable from Comrade Jiang Zemin's great talent, bold vision, key role, and exceptional art of political leadership. The immortal feats Comrade Jiang Zemin had accomplished for the Party and the people won him the heartfelt love and esteem of the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, as well as the wide acclaim of the international community!

Comrades and friends!

Ever since his adolescent years, Comrade Jiang Zemin had committed himself to seeking truth and actively involved himself in the people's revolutionarymovements.HewasfromYangzhouCityinJiangsuProvince.Born into a patriotic intellectual family in August 1926, he was enlightened by patriotism and the ideas of the democratic revolution from a young age. In the winter of 1943, he took part in patriotic progressive student movements led by underground CPC organizations. In April 1946, he joined the CPC and had since devoted all his life to the Party and the people.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Comrade Jiang Zemin had successively worked at enterprises, scientific research institutions,and state ministriesand commissions.He was dedicated,responsible andhardworkingateachandeveryposthewasassignedto,anddevotedhisprime years to the cause of socialist revolution and construction. He did a lot of pioneering work for the endeavor of reform and opening-up. At the 12th CPC National Congress, he was elected member of the CPC Central Committee.

Starting from 1985, Comrade Jiang Zemin served as mayor of Shanghai, deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and then secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. He led the work to chart the course for the city's economic development and urban construction, and put forward the goal of building Shanghai into a socialist modern city that is open, multifunctional, industrially well-structured, scientifically and technologically advanced, and culturally advanced by the end of the 20th century. He stressed

building Pudong into a world-class new urban area that can serve as a modern international hub. He also pushed for institutional arrangements to address the people's practical concerns. He had made outstanding contributions to helping Shanghai open new ground in reform, opening-up and socialist modernization drive. He was elected member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee atthe first plenary sessionof the 13th CPC Central Committee. In the late spring and early summer of 1989, a severe political disturbance took place in China. Comrade Jiang Zemin resolutely upheld and implemented the CPC Central Committee's correct decision on taking a clear stand against the turmoil, defending China's socialist state power and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the people, and effectively maintained the stability of Shanghai by relying on the solid support of Party members, cadres and the masses.

Comrades and friends!

In June 1989, Comrade Jiang Zemin was elected member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and general secretary of the CPC Central Committee at the fourth plenary session of the 13th CPC Central Committee. In November that year, at the fifth plenary session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, it was decided that he would serve as the chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CPC. The Party's third generationof central collective leadershipwith Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core took shape.

At the time when Comrade Jiang Zemin assumed principal leading posts in the Partyand the military,Chinawas at a criticalmoment,facingbothpressure from abroad and difficulties at home. Comrade Jiang Zemin took charge at a challenging time. "For the cause of the Party and the people, I would give my best, give my all, till my heart ceases to beat," Comrade Jiang Zemin had said with a strong resolve.

Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, political disturbances erupted in the international arena and in China. World socialism experienced serious twists and turns. Some Western countries imposed so-called "sanctions" on China. The development of China's socialist cause faced unprecedented difficulties and pressures. At this historical juncture critical to the future and destiny of the Party and the state, Comrade Jiang Zemin led the central collective leadership of the CPC whichfirmlyreliedonthewholeParty,theentiremilitaryandtheChinese people of all ethnic groups in unswervingly taking economic development as

the central task, unequivocally upholding the Four Cardinal Principles, adhering toreformandopening-up,resolutelycarryingout rectificationsandstrengthening ideologicalworkinallrespects.Healsoledtheleadershipinfurtheringtheefforts to improve Party conduct, build clean government and fight corruption, in strengthening the Party's ties with the masses, and in actively carrying out diplomatic struggles and resolutely safeguarding national independence, dignity, security and stability. All these safeguarded the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. After painstaking efforts, the Party and the people successfully stabilized the general situation of reform and development, laying a solid foundation for our country's development.

During the 13 years between the fourth plenary session of the 13th CPC Central Committee and the 16th CPC National Congress, China's reform, opening-up and socialist modernization drive unfolded with great momentum amid a highly volatile international situation.

In a complexenvironmentbothabroad andat home,ComradeJiangZemin led the central collective leadership of the CPC in holding high the great banners of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, unswervingly adhering to the Party's basic line, and firmly relying on the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Comrade Jiang Zemin put forward the basic principle of seizing opportunities, deepening the reform and opening China wider to the outside world, promoting development and maintaining stability. He expounded on the 12 major relationships that should be properly handled in boosting socialist modernization, which deepened our understanding of the laws that underlie socialist modernization.

Stressing the importance of seizing opportunities without fail, and blazing new trails instead of following the beaten track, he led the formulation and implementation of a raft of principles, policies and major strategies to promote reform, development and stability. He led the establishment of the Party's basic program for the primary stage of socialism, providing strong guidance for upholding and developing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

He led us in defining building a socialist market economy as an objective of reform and setting a basic framework in this regard, and establishing a basic

economic system for the primary stage of socialism under which public ownership is the mainstay and diverse forms of ownership develop together, as wellas an incomedistributionsystemunderwhichdistribution accordingto work isthemainstaywhilemultipleformsofdistributionexistalongside.Heledefforts to advance economic and political structural reforms as well as reforms in the cultural sector and other fields.

Comrade Jiang Zemin engaged in forward-looking strategic thinking on building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and attaining the thirdstep strategic objectives for the modernization drive. He pointed out that efforts should be concentrated on fully building a moderately prosperous society of a higher standard for the benefit of well over 1 billion people in the first two decades of the 21st century.

He stressedthat confidenceis derived from prosperitywhilebackwardness makes a country vulnerable to attack. It is essential for the Party to give top priority to development in governing and rejuvenating the country, and focus wholeheartedly on developing the economy and pursuing development. He proposed a combination of bringing in foreign investments and going global, and the promotion of reform and development through opening-up. He led China in joining the World Trade Organization and reaching a new stage of opening-up.

He led us in developing socialist democracy, implementing the rule of law as a basic strategy, developing advanced socialist culture, realizing the smooth return of Hong Kong and Macao, pushing for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to reach the1992Consensus embodyingtheone-Chinaprinciple,and makingmajor moves to fight against separatists and oppose "Taiwan independence."

He remained committed to developing keen insights into the overall trend of the changing global situation with a global vision, and put forward a series of thoughts on diplomacy and international strategies. He actively promoted the building of a multipolar world, pushed for greater democracy in international relations,respected thediversity ofthe world,pushed for the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and led us in breaking new ground on the diplomatic front.

He stressed that to do a good job of governing the country, we must first do a good job of governing the Party, and that means governing it strictly. He underscored commitment to study, political integrity, and rectitude, and the

advancement of the great new project of Party building. He stressed the need to resolve two historical problems, namely improving the Party's performance in leadership and governance, and increasing its ability to resist corruption, prevent degeneration and ward off risks. He stressed the need to unswervingly improve conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption, always maintain the vigor and vitality, dashing spirit and integrity as communists, and always maintain the Party's advanced and pure nature.

He led us in properly handling the relations between reform, development and stability, making impressive and new progress in material, political and cultural-ethical advancement and Party building, and successfully advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics to the 21st century.

Comrade Jiang Zemin had a thorough understanding of the development trend of the new military transformation taking place in the world and led the formulation of the military strategy in a new period. He stressed the necessity of advancing military transformation with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly adhering to a Chinese approach of having fewer but better troops, and making them more revolutionary, modern and standardized. "To put it in a nutshell, the issues that I have concentrated on in recent years are whether the armed forces could fight to win while never degrading in character," he said.

He underscored unswervingly upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the people's military, adding that the armed forces should be qualified politically and competent militarily and have fine conduct, strict discipline and guaranteedsupport.Theyshouldpreservetheirnature,characterand fineconduct as the people's armed forces.

Comrade Jiang Zemin stressed placing the focal point of military preparedness on winning local wars in the information age, and speeding up the development of national defense and weaponry and equipment. He made the strategic decision to stop military and armed police units, as well as judicial, procuratorialand publicsecurityorgansfromdoingbusiness.ThankstoComrade Jiang Zemin's leadership and efforts, great achievements had been made in modernizing the national defense and the armed forces.

Committed to emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and respecting the practice and the people, Comrade Jiang Zemin put forward a series of new ideas, viewpoints and judgments on building

socialism with Chinese characteristics, and made outstanding contributions to upholding and developing the Party's basic theory, line, program and experience. Inparticular,bypoolingthewisdomofthewholeParty,heformulatedtheTheory of Three Represents, which further answers the questions of what socialism is and how to build it, and creatively addresses what kind of Party to build and how to build it. The Theory of Three Represents has deepened our understanding of rules to advance the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strengthen Party building in the new conditions. With its new ideas, viewpoints and judgments, it serves as a continuation, enrichment and development of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.

In the 13 years following the fourth plenary session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, Comrade Jiang Zemin led us in effectively tackling a series of international emergencies concerning China's sovereignty and security, overcoming difficulties and risks cropping up in the political and economic spheres and those brought by natural disasters, and in particular, successfully coping with the impact of the Asian financial crisis and winning a victory in the disasterreliefeffortsduringthedevastatingfloodsin1998,thusguaranteeingthat the great ship of China's reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization forges ahead on the right track.

Comrade Jiang Zemin attached great importance to the major strategic issuesthat were vitalto the causeof the Party and the people.When preparing for the 16th CPC National Congress, he proposed that he would no longer serve in the central leading posts and that he would retire from the CPC Central Committee to facilitate the leadership transition of the Party and the state. The CPC Central Committee accepted his proposal. In 2004, he offered to retire from his posts as chairman of the CMC of the CPC and chairman of the CMC of the PRC, which fully displays his great foresight for the development of the cause of the Party and the state.

After retiring from leadership posts, Comrade Jiang Zemin firmly upheld the work of the CPC Central Committee and gave it his support. He cared for the great causeof socialismwithChinesecharacteristicsand resolutelysupportedthe efforts to improve Party conduct and combat corruption. In 2006, Comrade Jiang Zemin was personally in charge of editing and finalizing the first, second and third volumes of "Selected Works of Jiang Zemin." These works are a major

textbook that we can use to advance the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the great new project of Party building.

Comrade Jiang Zemin developed a distinctive revolutionary spirit and demeanor through long years of revolutionary practice. Comrade Jiang Zemin was far-sighted, and could make correct assessments of different situations. He always observed and reflected on issues by taking into consideration the general development trends of China and the world, as well as the overall work of the Partyandthestate,continuouslyadvancing theoretical innovationand innovation in other fields.

Comrade Jiang Zemin was firm in his convictions and decisive in his actions. He always put the Party and the people first, and unswervingly adhered to the ideals and beliefs of communists. At critical moments, Comrade Jiang Zemin had the great courage to make resolute decisions and theoretical innovation. He valued practice and kept pace with the times. He always grasped the trends and opportunities of the times, summarizing experience and seeking new ways based on the vibrant practice of the Party and the people, thus advancing the work of the Party and the state in a down-to-earth yet enterprising manner.

Comrade Jiang Zemin respected and cared for the people, always paying greatattentiontotheirsecurityandwell-being,andassessingandadvancingwork basedonthefundamentalinterestsofthegreatestpossiblemajorityoftheChinese people. The distinctive revolutionary spirit and demeanor of Comrade Jiang Zemin will remain immortal in our hearts and will always educate and motivate us on the way forward.

The passing of Comrade Jiang Zemin is an inestimable loss to our Party, our military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. The CPC Central CommitteecallsonthewholeParty,theentiremilitaryandthepeopleofallethnic groups to turn grief into strength, carry forward Comrade Jiang Zemin's legacy, mourn his passing with concrete actions, and write new chapters in the development of the cause of the Party and the country on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and our country are founded and thrive. The most valuable asset Comrade Jiang Zemin leftusistheTheoryofThreeRepresents.Hesaid:"Iraisedthisafteralongperiod

of thinking." "The thought of Three Represents didn't spring fully-formed into existence, but had been the result of 13 years of theoretical and practical explorations and trail-blazing." The Theory of Three Represents is a guiding ideology that the Party must adhere to on a long-term basis. On the new journey, we mustadaptthe basictenetsofMarxismto China'sspecificrealities and itsfine traditional culture. We must proceed from reality, keep responding to the questions posed by China, by the world, by the people, and by the times, and ensure that Marxism always retains its vigor and vitality.

The leadership of the CPC is the fundamental guarantee for the cause of the Party and the people to go forward in spite of all difficulties. Comrade Jiang Zemin once said, "as a veteran CPC member, I sincerely hope that all CPC members,especially comrades inthe centralleadership,alwaysput the Party first and always consciously uphold and maintainthe CPC leadership in various fields of work. This is where the hope of the Party and the country lies." On the new journey, we must always stay sober and determined. We must enhance the Four Consciousnesses, reinforce the Four-Sphere Confidence, and ensure the Two Upholds. We must carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party, stay true to our founding mission, have the courage to advance self-reform, and see that the Party always serves as the strong leadership core in the course of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The path of socialismwith Chinesecharacteristicswill allow China to catch up with the times in great strides and play a leading role. In 2001, at the ceremony marking the Party's 80th anniversary, Comrade Jiang Zemin emphasized in his speech that the practice over the past 80 years had taught us we must unswervingly adhere to our own path, which was the most fundamental experience we gain from summarizing the Party's history. On the new journey, we must stick to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the Party'sbasictheory,basicline,andbasicpolicy,stayconfidentandbuildstrength, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. We must keep moving confidently forward in broad strides along the right path that we have chosen for ourselves, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

The people are the fundamental force that determines the future of our Party and our country. Comrade Jiang Zemin was utterly loyal to the people, and had always put the people in his heart. He put forward the idea of putting the people

first, and repeatedly stressed that it is a basic viewpoint of Marxism to consider the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as the most critical and decisivefactor,and thatwe mustrealize,safeguard,and advancethe fundamental interests of the greatest possible majority of the Chinese people. On the new journey, we must put the people front and center, serve the people wholeheartedly, apply a people-centered development philosophy, develop whole-process people's democracy, and maintain close ties with the people. We must breathe the same air as the people, share the same future, stay truly connected to them, and make more notable and substantive progress toward achieving well-rounded human development and common prosperity for all.

-- Reform and opening-upis a crucial move in determiningthe futureand destiny of contemporary China. "We should promote institutional innovation, technological innovation, cultural innovation and innovation in other aspects through theoretical innovation, and make explorations and advances amid practices, without ever getting complacent or slackening our efforts. That is the way of governing the Party and the state that entails long-term adherence," Comrade Jiang Zemin stressed. On the new journey, we must accurately identify changes, adeptly respond to them, and work to steer them in our favor. We must applythenewdevelopmentphilosophy,createa newpatternofdevelopment,and promote high-quality development. We must comprehensively promote reform and opening-up, constantly improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and advance the modernization of the state governance system andcapacityso as to gaintheedge,seizethe initiativeand embracea goodfuture.

-- China cannot develop without the rest of the world, and the world needs China for prosperity. Comrade Jiang Zemin stressed that we must adjust ourselves to the historical trends, promote the establishment of a new international political and economic order that is just and reasonable, strive for a long-term peaceful international environment, comprehensively safeguard our national security and interests, and constantly make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of humankind's peace and development. On the new journey, we must always keep global well-being in mind, holding high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit and promoting the common values shared by humankind.Effortsshouldbemadetojointlyadvancehigh-qualityBeltandRoad cooperation, facilitate the establishment of a new type of international relations, push forward the building of a community of shared future for humankind, and join hands and press ahead with all the progressive forces in the world.

Having the courage to fight and the mettle to win is an invincible source of inspiration for the CPC and the Chinese people. Comrade Jiang Zemin stressed, "Our Party is leading the people in conducting a great struggle of developing socialist modernization, which will be inevitably confronted with many complications. The grave situations both outside and inside the country, and the confrontations and conflicts between different social systems and ideological systems frequently pose challenges to every Party member." "We must have the heroicbraverytodefeatalltheenemies.""Onecannotbowhisorhernoblehead."

On the new journey, it is imperative for us to race against time and keep striving forward, uphold a fighting spirit to rise to difficulties and grasp the historical initiative. We must foster a firmer sense of purpose, fortitude, and self-belief in the whole Party and among the Chinese people of all ethnic groups so that we cannot be swayed by fallacies, deterred by intimidation, or cowed by pressure, and thus dig deep to surmount the difficulties and challenges on the road ahead.

Comrades and friends!

Comrade Jiang Zemin has parted from us forever. But, his name and reputation, deeds of merit, thoughts and outstanding qualities will go down the annalsof history and remain immortalin the hearts of the people from generation to generation. The whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups must rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee, forge ahead with enterprise and fortitude, and strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

Eternal glory to Comrade Jiang Zemin!

(B) Full Text: 2023 New Year Address by President Xi Jinping25

On New Year's eve, President Xi Jinping delivered his 2023 New Year Address through China Media Group and the Internet. The following is the full text of the address:

Greetingsto you all. The year 2023 is approaching. From Beijing, I extend my best New Year wishes to all of you.

In 2022, we successfully convened the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). An ambitious blueprint has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, soundinga clarion call of the times for us forging ahead on a new journey.

The Chinese economy has remained the second largest in the world and enjoyed sound development. GDP for the whole year is expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan. Despite a global food crisis, we have secured a bumper harvest for the 19th year in a row, putting us in a stronger position to ensure the food supply oftheChinesepeople.Wehaveconsolidatedourgainsinpovertyelimination and advanced rural revitalization across the board. We have introduced tax and fee cutsand othermeasures to ease the burdenon businesses,and made activeefforts to solve the most pressing difficulties of high concern to the people.

Since COVID-19 struck, we have put the people first and put life first all along. Following a science-based and targeted approach, we have adapted our COVID responsein lightof the evolvingsituation to protect the life and health of the people to the greatest extent possible. Officials and the general public, particularlymedicalprofessionalsand communityworkers,have bravelystuckto their posts through it all. With extraordinary efforts, we have prevailed over unprecedented difficultiesand challenges,and it has not been an easy journey for anyone. We have now entered a new phase of COVID response where tough challenges remain. Everyone is holding on with great fortitude, and the light of

25 Xinhua.(2022,Dec 31). “Full Text: 2023New Year Address by President Xi Jinping”. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1283000.shtml

hope is right in front of us. Let's make an extra effort to pull through, as perseverance and solidarity mean victory.

Comrade Jiang Zemin passed away in 2022. We pay high tribute to his towering achievements and noble demeanor, and cherish the great legacy he left behind. We will honor his last wishes and advance the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Wave upon wave, the mighty river of history surges forward. With the persistent efforts of one generation after another, we have taken China to where it is today.

Today's China is a country where dreams become reality. The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games concluded with a resounding success. Chinese winter sports athletes gave their all and achieved extraordinary results. Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 soared into the heavens. China's space station was fully completed and our "home in space" is roving in the deepblue sky. The people's armed forces marked the 95th birthday and all service members are marching confidently on the great journey of building a strong military. China's third aircraft carrier Fujian was launched. C919, China's first large passenger aircraft, was delivered. And the Baihetan hydropower station went into full operation... None of these achievements would have been possible without the sweat and toil of the numerous Chinese people. Sparks of talent are coming together, and they are the strength of China!

Today's China is a country brimming with vigor and vitality. Various pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port are booming, innovations are gushing out in the coastal areas, development is picking up pace in the central andwesternregions,themomentumfor revitalizationis buildingin thenortheast, andthereisgreaterdevelopmentandaffluencein theborderregions.TheChinese economy enjoys strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. The fundamentals sustaining its long-term growth have remained strong. As long as we stay confident and strive for progress while maintaining stability, we will realize the goals we have set. On my visit to Hong Kong earlier this year, I was deeply glad to see that Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive again. With determinedimplementationof OneCountry,TwoSystems,HongKongand Macao will surely enjoy long-term prosperity and stability.

Today'sChinais a countrythatkeepstoitsnationalcharacter.In thecourse of 2022, we encountered various natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, droughts and wildfires, and experienced some workplace accidents. Amid those disconcerting and heartbreaking scenes, there have emerged numerous touching stories of people sticking together in face of adversity or even sacrificing their lives to help others in distress. Those heroic deeds will be forever etched in our memories. At every turn of the year, we always think of the great character of resilience that the Chinese nation has carried forward through millennia. It gives us still greater confidence as we continue our way forward.

Today's China is a country closely linked with the world. Over the past year, I have hosted quite a few friends, both old and new, in Beijing; I have also traveled abroad to communicate China's propositions to the world. Changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, and the world is not yet a tranquil place. We cherish peace and development and value friends and partners as we have always done. We stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress. We work hard to contribute China's wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity.

Afterthe20thCPC NationalCongress,mycolleaguesandI visitedYan'an. We were there to relive the inspiring episode in which the Party's central leadership overcame extraordinary difficulties in the 1930s and 1940s, and to draw on the spiritual strength of the older generation of CPC members. I often say, "Just as polishing makes jade finer, adversity makes one stronger." Over the past 100 years, the CPC has braved wind and rain, and forged ahead against all odds. That is a most difficult yet great journey. Today, we must press on courageously to make tomorrow's China a better place.

Going forward, China will be a country that performs miracles through hard work. Here I want to quote Su Shi, a renowned Chinesepoet, "Charge at the toughest and aim at the farthest." It means to take on the biggest challenges and go after the most ambitious goals. Long as the journey is, we will reach our destination if we stay the course; difficult as the task is, we will get the job done if we keep working at it. As long as we have the resolve to move mountains and the perseverance to plod on, as long as we keep our feet on the ground and forge

ahead with our journey by making steady progress, we will turn our grand goals into reality.

Going forward, China will be a country that draws its strength from unity. Ours is a big country. It is only natural for different people to have different concerns or hold different views on the same issue. What matters is that we build consensus through communication and consultation. When the 1.4 billion Chinese work with one heart and one mind, and stand in unity with a strong will, no task will be impossible and no difficulty insurmountable. The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are members of one and the same family. I sincerely hope that our compatriots on both sides of the Strait will work together with a unity of purpose to jointly foster lasting prosperity of the Chinese nation.

Going forward, China will be a country that has great expectations of its youngergeneration.A nationwill prosperonly when its young peoplethrive. For China to develop further, our young people must step forward and take on their responsibilities. Youth is full of vigor and is a source of hope. Youngsters should keep their country in mind, cultivate keen enterprise, and live youth to the fullest with great drive, to prove worthy of the times and the splendor of youth.

Tothemanypeoplewhoarestillbusyworkingatthisverymoment,Isalute you all! We are about to ring in the New Year. Let us welcome the first ray of sunshine of 2023 with the best wishes for a brighter future.

May our countryenjoyprosperityandour peoplelivein harmony.May the world enjoy peace and people of all countries live in happiness. I wish you all a happy New Year and may all your wishes come true.

Thank you.

Part III : Selected Analysis

August

(A) US shoots itself in foot over Taiwan

26

Even pro-democracy critics of China’s authoritarian ways would have to call United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan an undue provocation that ended up as a lose-lose outcome for all concerned, including the 82-year-old congresswoman. Everything about it was misguided and selfindulgent, designed for domestic consumption in the US rather than regional peace and securityin Asia. The US, by way of Mrs Pelosi,has unnecessarilyshot itself in the foot big time, leaving regional states and societies to deal with the consequences.

First and foremost is the aftermath regarding the US’ role and credibility abroad. Some in the Western media are spinning the Pelosi controversy as “no big deal”, suggesting that it should not be seen as a “crisis” because anyone should be free to visit the island, despite governments worldwide recognising the well-known one-China policy in favour of mainland China. But Mrs Pelosi is not just anybody. She is second in line in the US’ presidential succession after the vice president and the most senior member of the US legislative branch. Her unilateral decision to go to Taiwan was a big deal indeed.

Others have noted that Mrs Pelosi is not the first in her position to visit Taipei. Yet when Newt Gingrich did it as House speaker in April 1997, he also stopped in China and Japan first. More importantly, China then and now is a vastlydifferent country.In the late 1990s, China was still considered a struggling developing country nowhere near having the economic strength and military might as a superpower it has in the 2020s. Back then, geopolitics in Asia were relativelycalm and stable. Today,the globalgeopolitical environment amongthe major powers is full of tension and conflict, underscored by Russia’s war in Ukraine. There is no need to stoke war fears in Asia, especially when China appears weak from its zero-Covid strategy and prolonged closure of borders.

26 Thitinan Pongsudhirak. (2022, Aug 5). “US shoots itself in foot over Taiwan”. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2362037/us-shoots-itself-in-foot-over-taiwan

The author is a professor and director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science.

Moreover, Mrs Pelosi’s Taiwan gambit undercuts the White House’s foreignrelations and underminesthe US’ own separation of powers,wherebythe executive branch is supposed to lead on policy while Congress provides checks and balances and accountability. President Joe Biden’s foreign policy team will nowneedto makeup forthePelosisetbackand shiftthefocusto itsbroaderIndoPacific strategy.

ItappearstheUSHousespeakerhaddomesticconsiderationsinherforeign policy move. With the US midterm elections slated for November, perhaps this misguided manoeuvre could win more votes for the Democratic Party of which Mrs Pelosi is a top leader, as polls suggest the Republican Party may retake the lower chamber.

Perhaps Mrs Pelosi also acted out of her own volition and conviction as she has been known as an anti-China hawk for decades. Whatever her real motives,herdismaltimingmeansher legacyis likelytobe taintedby thisTaiwan incident.

What’s worse is that Mrs Pelosi has given a freebie for China to look measured and moderate. Despite its fiery rhetoric about potentially preventing Mrs Pelosi’s flight from landing by all means possible, Beijing did not do anything hasty. China is often seen as the neighbourhood bully but in this case, the US via Mrs Pelosi did the bullying. China’s consequent bluster and live-fire military drills that amount to a blockade of Taiwan are par for the course. Even the Taiwanese are accustomed to it, and nearby states are bracing for the same.

The Chinese are expected to cause enough of a stir to ensure that its intimidation and threats remain credible but will likely not overdo the military responsetothePelosivisit.In short,thestatusquowilllikelyprevailafterBeijing ends its bristling and chest-thumping which Mrs Pelosi instigated at the expense of the whole neighbourhood. When all this happens, she will be back in the comfort of her home.

For Taiwan, the Pelosi stopover was a mixed bag. Naturally, the government of President Tsai Ing-wen wants to be recognised as widely as possible as it is under constant pressure from Beijing. But the upside gains from Mrs Pelosi may not be worth the cost.What Taiwanwantsis not recognitionwith this kind of controversy where it is being used as a ploy in US domestic politics and a pawn in US-China rivalry.

Taiwaniswellreceivedandrecognisedbutithasto bedefacto,as opposed to de jure. Developing Asian societies and others elsewhere want to be more like the Taiwanese, who have blended their Asianness with a flourishing democracy and an advanced economy with high-tech innovation. If surveys were taken among younger demographics in Southeast Asian countries whether they would like their country to be more like China or Taiwan,the latter is likely to come out on top by a large margin.

Building up Taiwan’s de facto recognition is thus the key, with the aim of reaching de jure equivalence. The Milk Tea Alliance among young prodemocracy Asians fighting against authoritarian governments is a good example. Taiwanshouldtakemoreownershipofitanddeployit as a soft-powerinstrument to show and entice other societies to want to adopt and adapt Taiwan’s ways and attributes. At issue for the US and other neighbour governments is how to make de facto recognition of Taiwan the norm and how to fight back when China pushes back.

Even for the European theatre of geopolitics, the Pelosi visit was a costly sideshow. It will likely embolden and strengthen the China-Russia alliance, as Beijing may have reached the conclusion that whatever it does will be rejected by the West. China is likely to throw in its lot with Russia more and more. This is no help for the Ukrainians trying to fight for their sovereignty and survival.

SimilarlyforSoutheastAsia,thePelosivisitwashighlyunhelpfulasittook place just days before Asean was to hold its 55th foreign ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh. Already dominated by the Myanmar crisis and the Russian aggression, Mrs Pelosi's adding fuel to the China fire will raise the risks for Southeast Asia which has to rely on China for trade and development while standing up to Beijing’s geopolitical belligerence.

Thanks to Mrs Pelosi, Beijing is now likely to be more assertive, not less.

(B) Why silencing debate over China’s economy is bad for the country27

Accordingto a recent jokeshared among Chineseeconomists,few of them are willing to talk about the domestic economy these days, finding a lot more comfort instead in debating topics such as the risk of recession in the US.

The reluctance to raise questions about China’s economic situation or Beijing’srelatedpoliciesisunderstandable,asChineseauthoritiesaregettingless tolerant of dissenting voices.

Expressing contradictory views on a government policy could be seen as a deliberate affront to central authorities. Even a well-intended reminder of market riskscan be seen as somethingthat “bad-mouths”thegovernmentor a “malicious attempt to short the Chinese economy”.

AnumberofvoicesinChinahavealreadybeensilenced,withtheirChinese social media accounts shut down and their names blacklisted by local media outlets.

Anymentionof economicdangerscouldcome underaccusationsof failing to spread “positive energy”, despite the country’s economic failings becoming too real to ignore.

In March, when China announced its annual growth target of 5.5 per cent for 2022, it was widely hailed as pragmatic. Four weeks later, the Shanghai lockdown happened.Nowit seems unlikely thatthe country willbe able to match that goal in any single quarter this year.

Domestic commentaries and analyses about the world’s second-largest economy increasingly read like they are lifted from government documents.

The consequences are significant when there is insufficient debate about economic policies, causing results that policymakers did not intend. Even when the policy direction is correct, a top-down, cookie-cutter approach to implementation can generate new problems.

27 Zhou Xin. (2022, Aug 16). “Why silencing debate over China’s economy is bad for the country”. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188909/why-silencing-debate-over-chinaseconomy-bad-country?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3188909

The author is Tech Editor of the Post, following stints as Political Economy Editor and Deputy China Editor. He has previously worked for Reuters and Bloomberg in Beijing.

For instance, China’s intention to reduce bubbles in the property market is laudable, and the government is right to think that the debt levels of property developers have become too high. Still, a heavy-handed approach of restricting credit access from those companies might be reckless amid a sharp economic slowdown.

For now, many big questions are clouding China’s economic future. The elephant in the room is how the country can balance economic growth and its zero-Covid policy. Is it possible to achieve both goals down the road, as the country did in 2020 and 2021? If not, what is the way out?

Is Deng Xiaoping’s maxim of “development is the hard truth” still valid? In other words, is China still choosing pragmatism over ideology?

These questions are important, as they matter for all Chinese people and even the whole world, and they require thorough discussions and debate. It is certainly not a good sign when the country’s wisest experts are withholding their answers.

(A) China’s technology is a mixed blessing for MENA states28

China’s growing influence in the global technological market reflects Beijing’sambitionto be a leadingplayerin digital technology.ChinesePresident Xi Jinping has called for China to dominate advanced technology manufacturing by 2025. The Digital Silk Road (DSR), launched in 2015 as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, reflects this goal of developing digital infrastructure at home and overseas.

The world has witnessed China’s digital transformation in telecommunications, artificial intelligence, satellite navigation systems, sea cables and surveillance systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the DSR, increasing China’s digital projects and high-tech investment abroad.

Chinese technology firms have a significant presence in the Middle East and North Africa. Industry commentators have described Huawei as the world’s largest telecommunications supplier, second largest smartphone manufacturer and a global leader in fifth generation (5G) telecommunication networks. Since 2018, Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu have invested heavily in regional commerce and telecommunications.

Huawei became one of the first fully-owned technology companies in Qatar in 2018, contributing to the development of 5G technology and providing better communication between individuals, vehicles and appliances. In 2019, Huawei signed a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia’s leading telecommunicationsproviderZainto launchthefirst 5G local area networkin the Middle East and North Africa. United Arab Emirates telecommunication companies Du and Etisalat have also signed deals with Huawei to provide 5G network services.

In 2017, Huawei launched the Cairo OpenLab to serve as a hub for conducting research and development (R&D) in North Africa and established partnershipswithmanyuniversitiesintheregiontotrainlocalstudents.InTunisia

28 Passant MamdouhRidwan - East Asia Forum.(2022,Sep20).“China’s technologyis a mixedblessing for MENA states”. Retrieved from https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2022/09/20/chinas-technology-is-a-mixedblessing-for-mena-states/ The author is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Belt and Road & Global Governance Institute, Fudan University.

and Algeria, China has used its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in agriculture, telecommunications, maritime monitoring and disaster relief.

ChinaisseekingagreatertechnologicalpresencethroughtheDSRinmany regions making it difficult for Western companies to compete. In the postpandemic era, the Middle East and North Africa will be more dependent on China, especially in the digital telecommunications industry. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, digital connectivity has become more prominent. Similar to the rest of the world, the use of the internetfor onlineeducation,shoppingand health services has become essential for daily life in the region.

Inequality in internet access remains a critical challenge across the region, especially in countries with poorer infrastructure capabilities. The number of internet users in the region exceeded 300 million in 2021, with internet penetration due to reach 50 per cent of the population by the end of 2022.

Affordability is one of the major factors behind the spread of Chinese smartphones in the region. Phone brands such as Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi are increasingly popular choices for consumers. Competition between Chinese phones and other brands is limited due to the cheaper price and 5G technology offered by Chinese brands.

ImplementingChinesetechnologyintheMiddleEastandNorthAfricawill not only improve countries’ economies but will also contribute to improvements in education, health, transportation, agriculture and services.

The adoption of Chinese technology will also have economic and political implications for the region. On the economic front, China is expanding its technological firms,creatingmore opportunities forChinato dominatethedigital market in the region. That may affect the ability of local and Western companies to compete.

On the political front, the internet was an important tool used to fight autocratic regimes during the Arab Spring in 2011. As politicians in the region have become aware that the internet poses a potential threat to their power, the level of internet censorship has intensified.

The DSR is an attractive idea to many countries looking to improve their economic growth and work towards digital transformation. But the security challenges behind engaging with China in this sector remaina critical issue. Data

security isa key concernfor countries thatare usingChinesetechnology.Huawei has helpedrolloutsurveillancesystems across Africaand was accusedof helping African governments spy on citizens for political reasons in 2019.

As China develops stronger political and economic ties with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, policymakers must consider the implications ofadoptingChinesetechnologicalsystems.Giventheregion’shistoryof political suppression, these systems could be used to hinder political freedom.

(A) How Xi can strengthen China's economy29

Xi Jinping is poised to become the first three-term president in Chinese history when the Communist Party of China's 20th National Congress starts tomorrow. That gives an opportune time to take stock of his economic-policy record from the past ten years and explore some obvious steps to improve economic performance in the next term.

When Mr Xi assumed China's top political position in 2012, the economy was thriving, but it also had many serious problems. GDP had been growing at an average annual rate of 10% for over a decade. But a slowdown was inevitable, and GDP growth rates have indeed declined almost every year since 2008. Moreover, inequality was rising, with the Gini index having increased by 13% between 1990 and 2000. By the start of this century, inequality in China had surpassed that of the United States for the first time in the post-1978 reform era.

Meanwhile,pollutionwasliterallykillingChina.By2013,Beijing'sairhad an average of 102 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic meter, whereas Los Angeles a city historically known for its air pollution had a PM2.5 reading of only around 15. Chinese city dwellers increasingly complained about the cardiopulmonary illnesses and early mortality associated with pollution. And China was also plagued by waterpollution,owing to the chemical runofffrom its factories, farms, and mines. In rural areas, entire villages and towns sometimes had to move because their water supply had been irreparably contaminated.

China was also gradually losing its workforce. Historically high fertility ratesofaroundsixchildrenperwomanstartedtodeclineinthe1970sandreached their current levels of under two children per woman in 2000. China's workingage cohort shrank from 80% of the total population in 1970 to only 37% in 2012. The share of individuals over age 65 doubled, from 4% in 1970 to 8% in 2012. These trends left the government stuck between a rock and a hard place. Though policymakersneededto keep the overall populationfrom ballooningfurther,they

29 Nancy Qian. (2022, Oct 15). “How Xi can strengthen China's economy”. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2414930/how-xi-can-strengthen-chinas-economy

The author is a co-director of Northwestern University's Global Poverty Research Lab, and the Founding Director of China Econ Lab.

also needed to maintain the supply of young working people to support the growing elderly population.

Social discontent was rising and, according to one popular index, public perceptions of government corruption had doubled between 1991 and 2012. Around 1,300 labour strikes were documented in 2014; by 2016, that figure had more than doubled, to 2,700.

When Mr Xi came to power, he took great pains to confront these challenges head-on. But the results have been mixed. On a positive note, PM2.5 readings in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have been halved over the past ten years, and China's Gini coefficient today is back below that of the US and 13% below its 2010 peak.

But other indicators are less favourable. Between 2012 and the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, China's annual GDP growth rate has either remained flatordeclined.Eventhoughthegovernmenthasabolisheditsstringentone-child policy, fertility rates have remained very low. The share of individuals aged 65 and oldertodayis nearly13%, a new peak for the modern era. And ten years after Mr Xi launched a highly touted anti-corruption campaign, public perceptions of corruption are higher than ever.

Still,itwouldbemisleadingtolayallof thepastdecade'saccomplishments and failures at Mr Xi's feet. Mr Xi inherited the biggest problems he has faced, which were the unavoidable consequences of China's previous rapid growth and political and economic history. At the same time, Mr Xi also inherited the main policy solutions to these problems.

After all, China started requiring state-owned energy grids to invest in renewable industries all the way back in 1994, and earlier governments also emphasised policies to improve conditions for the poor. Basic medical insurance was introduced to urban areas in 1998 and to rural areas in 2003. Aggregate inequality began to decline two years prior to Mr Xi taking office, and earlier governments regularly pursued their own anti-corruption drives.

As Mr Xi continued many of his predecessors' policy initiatives,the things thatwere improvingcontinuedto improve,and theproblemsthat were hard to fix remained unfixed.What changed most under Mr Xi was not the ostensiblepolicy aims but the mode of implementation. With a few exceptions, such as the one-

child policy,post-1978 Chinese policymakersbefore Mr Xi tended to be cautious and discreet. Important changes, like the introduction of rural elections, were usuallypilotedquietlyandonlyannouncedasa"nationalpolicy"whenthecentral government felt confident that it understood how the policy would work.

This trial-and-error method had the advantage of creating political space for deliberation among important stakeholders, leading to the success of highly complex initiatives such as China's national health policy. It also allowed for flexibility, with policies being revised to account for changing conditions or unforeseen side effects. And because these policies were not associated with any one person, the political costs of admitting mistakes were low.

Mr Xi has dispensed with such subtleties, announcing policies personally, suddenly, and without much, if any, apparent deliberation. This modus operandi has clearly been economically harmful, even when the motivations behind the policies are benign or well-meaning.

Consider the 2021 ban on private tutoring, which was intended to curb the punishing hours that Chinese children spend studying and to reduce wealthier students'advantagesovertheirpeers.Butthe rolloutwas so bluntand suddenthat it reduced major Chinese education companies' market capitalisations by tens of billions of dollars and simply created a black market for the same services. The economic ramifications reach beyond education. The possibility of sudden and unanticipated policy changes discourages future investments in all sectors.

Another example is Mr Xi's zero-Covid policy. Though it was very successful in keeping the coronavirus at bay when there were no vaccines, it has fared poorlywithchangingconditions.Whileall othercountriesare shifting back to business as usual or have already done so China seems stuck in an endless game of Whac-a-Mole.

(B) The 20th Party Congress is another step in Xi’s rise

30

Opening on 16 October 2022, China’s 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party is virtually certain to see general secretary Xi Jinping confirmed as China’s top leader for a third term. This will mark yet another step in China’s steady slide towards a more personalist regime centred on a single individual.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is projected on a video screen at an event in Beijing on 12 October 2022 to disseminate the achievements of China's leadership under President Xi Jinping over the past 10 years. In the near-term, this will increasingly saddle Beijing with all the governance weaknesses associated with single-man rule. In the long-term, it will make China’s domestic politics more unstable and increase the risk of Beijing’s policies veering dramatically based on the whims of the top leader and his close associates.

Sincehis rise to powerin 2012,Xi has pursueda consistentset of domestic policies tighten the Party’s grip over state and society alike, strengthen Beijing’s hold over economic elites, forcefully assimilate minority populations, wipe out dissent, and harden the system against ideological infiltration, particularly from the West.

All of these have a single consistent thread to strengthen the power of the Chinese Communist Party, which Xi views as having been undermined over the course of the post-1978 reform era, and avoid the fate of the Soviet Union under former general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev.

Increasing Xi’s personal control has been core to this process. The purge of rivalssuch as Bo Xilaiand ZhouYongkang,the steady elevationof Xi himself in China’s ideological pantheon, propaganda efforts to cultivate a cult of personality around himself, the refusal to designate a political successor at the 2017 Party Congress and now his steady march towards extended (and perhaps lifetime) rule all of these reflect a one-party system that is sliding in the direction of a personalist regime.

30 Carl Minzner - East Asia Forum. (2022, Oct 16). “The 20th Party Congress is another step in Xi’s rise”. Retrieved from https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2022/10/16/the-20th-party-congress-is-another-step-in-xisrise/

The author is a Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Professor at Fordham Law School, specialising in Chinese politics and law.

On the surface, this looks strong. But it is actually a recipe for massive problems. Indeed, by steering China back towards a system of one-man rule, echoing that of Maoist China or Russia under President Vladimir Putin, Xi risks replicating all of their governance failures as well.

As a political system deteriorates towards personalist rule, decisionmakingerodes and yes-menproliferate. Aides hesitateto report bad news and the supreme leader starts believing his own propaganda about his infallible wisdom and ultimate power. Previously, he merely sought to avoid stepping down. Now, having cultivated a cult of personality, he never wants to back down for fear of appearingweak.ThatisnotonlyhowPutinfirstcameto invadeUkraine,butwhy he is now doubling down on a war that could quite likely wreck his regime and Russia’s future.

China is not at that level of political deterioration yet. But Putin has had a quarter of a century to deform Russian politics to his will. Xi has only been at the top for a decade. But in Beijing’s stubborn unwillingness to modify or question Xi’s COVID-19-zero policies, even at the cost of massive domestic economic damage, one can already see the outlines of a similar dynamic at work.

Political decay into personalist rule has a second effect as well. Court politics multiply and infect the day-to-day operations of the bureaucracy. Officials start to rapidly fall in and out of favour with the paranoid, declining monarch. State policies begin to careen wildly as aides pander to his whims and smear their rivals.

The United States experienced its own strain of this virus under Trump. China’s variant in the 1960s and 1970s under former chairman Mao Zedong was far more lethal.

Mao’s first two designated political successors experienced gruesome deaths the first expiring as a result of medical neglect on the cold floor of a prison cell after repeated abuse at the hands of radical Red Guards. The second perished in a mysterious plane crash after allegedly attempting a coup and trying to flee to the Soviet Union. This is what happens when China’s elite politics devolve into blood sport. That changed with the birth of the reform era. Deng Xiaoping edged former chairman Hua Guofeng out of power in the early 1980s. Reform-minded general secretary Zhao Ziyang was purged after the bloody

suppression of the 1989 pro-democracy protests, and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. But neither was killed.

Butas Chinadeterioratespolitically,such practicesare eroding.Xi’spurge of former security czar Zhou Yongkang, and his 2015 sentence to life in prison, marked the first time a former or current member of the Politburo Standing Committeehad been sentencedon corruptioncharges.Rootingout elite ‘political cliques’ aimed at challenging the top leader is back in fashion as reflected in the suspended death sentence handed down to former deputy public security minister Sun Lijun on 23 September 2022.

Such measures are clear warningsto Party cadres in the lead-upto the 20th National Party Congress that any rivals to China’s top leader no longer risk merely their careers, but quite possibly their lives. Continue down this path and elite Chinese politics could steadily regress to a far more lethal era.

Strategically,XimaybeseekingtoavoidthefateoftheSovietUnionunder Gorbachev. But the tactics he is adopting may result whether intentionally or not in repeating that of China under Mao, or Russia under Putin.

(A) Why is China’s youth unemployment so high?

31

This year’s cohort of college graduates has been facing China’s toughest job market in recent memory.

Nearly onein every five youngChineseurbaniteswas unemployedin July, a record since data began to be released at the start of 2018. Their chances of finding a job have been hit by a perfect storm of economic disruption and uncertainty.

Covid-19 lockdowns have forced millions of firms to shut their doors, while regulatory clampdowns on the tech, property and private tutoring sectors have prompted massive waves of lay-offs. Below, Caixin explains the reasons driving the youth unemployment crisis, as well as how young people and policymakers have been responding to the job drought.

Why is youth unemployment so high?

Around 16 million people need to enter China’s urban labour market this year, Premier Li Keqiang said at a press conference in March. Among them are 10.76 million fresh college graduates, an increase of 1.67 million from 2021, accordingto educationministrydata,settinga recordinboththetotalnumberand year-on-year growth.

Youthunemployment usuallypeaksduringgraduationseason,aroundJuly and August. While China’s headline jobless measure the official surveyed unemploymentrateforurbanworkers was5.4percentonaveragefortheJuneto-September period, unemployment among 16- to 24-year-olds was more than triple that at 19 per cent.

Yet these gauges miss some groups, including those who’ve not participated in the labour market for more than three months, suggesting the reality could be even direr. On the supply side, many firms are vanishing as they have borne the brunt of Covid-19 lockdowns and other disruptions that have exacerbated an economic slowdown, impacting demand for workers nationwide.

31 Zhang Ziyu. (2022, Nov 14). “Why is China’s youth unemployment so high?”. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/why-is-china-s-youth-unemployment-so-high

A total of 13.2 million market entities including corporations, partnerships, as well as self-employed people and households deregistered in China in 2021, up nearly 30 per cent year-on-year, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. Newly registered market entities grew at a much slower pace of 15 per cent to 28.9 million for the period.

Meanwhile, the central government has launched regulatory crackdowns on sectors dominated by privately owned companies that previously employed millions of young people.

Internet giants have been hit with huge fines for monopolistic behaviour, the real estate sector has been mired in a year-long crisis of liquidity and confidence sparked by deleveraging policies, and dramatic reforms have all but wiped out the private education industry.

Asthelightattheendofthetunnelisyettoappear,companieshave slowed hiring and implemented waves of layoffs.

Companies’ demand for fresh college graduates dropped 12.2 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, while the total number of such job applicants soared91.3percent,accordingtoareportjointlyreleasedlastmonthbytheChina Institute for Employment Research and Chinese jobs board Zhaopin Ltd.

How have young people reacted?

Young jobseekers have lowered their expectations.

Fresh graduates aim to get paid around 6,295 yuan (S$1,205) per month, down 6 per cent from last year, a Zhaopin survey conducted in March and April showed.Manyofthemprioritizestability,droppingdreamsofhigh-flyingprivate sector jobs and choosing safe careers in the state sector.

This year, almost 2.6 million eligible candidates signed up for the 2023 national civil servant exam, the test that one needs to pass to land a sought-after job in China’s sprawling bureaucracy, with only a one-in-70 chance of getting a covetedjob,according to theNationalCivilServiceAdministration.Thisnumber of applicants is up 22 per cent from last year, when the chance was one in 68.

Some graduates opt for flexible employment, a broad term that covers various kinds of informal, temporary and “gig” workers, including construction workers, delivery drivers and livestreamers.

China’s flexibly employed has reached more than 200 million, Premier Li said in the March conference. The number constitutes roughly 14 per cent of the total population and 27 per cent of the entire working population, according to Caixin calculations based on government data.

What measures have policymakers taken?

Governments at all levels have been attempting to beef up youth employment through measures such as subsidizing companies that have hired fresh graduates, opening more public sector positions for them, supporting them starting their own businesses, and offering high salaries to those who are willing to work in less developed regions.

One long-term structural issue is the mismatch between companies’ demandsand graduates’skillsand expectations.Forinstance,whilegraduatesare reluctant to take on factory jobs, manufacturers face a shortage of skilled technicians.

Authoritieshave been tryingto fix this imbalancethroughdifferent means, including providing students with targeted vocational programs, and amending relevant law to elevate the status of vocational education.

(A) What's next in zero-Covid China drama

32

China's leaders always knew that they would have to abandon their zeroCovid policy eventually and that the longer they waited, the more painful the transition would be.

Yet they seemed mired in the policy, unable to leave it behind and move on. Then an apartment-building blaze in locked-down Xinjiang killed 10 people whose escape was thwarted by locked doors and blocked entrances. This sparked China's largest anti-government protests since the Tiananmen movement of 1989 and became the catalyst for the authorities' decision finally to begin easing restrictions.

The protests were an expression of the frustration and anger accumulated over nearly three years of aggressive lockdowns. Compared to 1989, the government's response was notably moderate: police dispersed demonstrations with relatively little violence.

China's government has also apparently listened to the protesters. It has now scrapped some of its harsher Covid policies, such as the requirement to quarantine in state facilities. But the path out of zero-Covid will be long and difficult and not only from a health perspective. The recent upheaval points to broader political challenges that China will face in the years to come.

The action plan for exiting zero-Covid has been known to Chinese leaders for some time. They must boost the population's immunity especially that of the elderly through some combination of higher vaccination rates and more effective foreign vaccines. Otherwise, epidemiologists estimate that opening up could cause 1–2 million Covid deaths in China.

To be sure, for a population of 1.4 billion, even 2 million deaths would amountto a much lowermortality rate thanin the UnitedStates,where more than 1 millionhave died in a populationof 330 million. But after years spent suffering

32

Nancy Qian. (2022, Dec 12). “What's next in zero-Covid China drama”. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2458182/whats-next-in-zero-covid-china-drama

The author is a co-director of Northwestern University's Global Poverty Research Lab, and the Founding Director of China Econ Lab.

under strict lockdowns as the government touted its zero-Covid credentials, the Chinese people are unlikely to find this distinction comforting.

Chinahas attemptedtoease itspandemicrestrictionsbeforeonlyto tighten them when cases surged. This pattern is likely to continue until enough of the elderly are vaccinated and both the government and public accept the increased risk of infection and death.

What sets China apart are the political stakes. Zero-Covid was the subject of a power struggle which played out largely behind closed doors between President Xi Jinping, who was committed to the hardline approach, and moderatessuch as Prime MinisterLi Keqiang,who advocatedless stringentrules for the sake of economic growth.

Mr Xi won hands down. China maintained zero-Covid, he was appointed to an unprecedented third term as the Communist Party of China's General Secretary and the leadership of the Standing Committee, including Mr Li, was replaced by his loyalists.

Notably in his moment of political victory at the CPC's 20th National Congress in October Mr Xi re-emphasised the importance of zero-Covid. Abandoningthe policyless than two monthslater is a blow to Mr Xi's credibility.

But this is not about one man. The zero-Covid drama could threaten the legitimacy of the entire Chinese government and nearly 75 years of one-party rule.Thisis becauseChineseautocracymaskssystemicinstability.When citizens ofdemocraciesaredissatisfiedwiththeirpoliticians'performance,theyvotethem out of office. But China lacks a formal mechanism for citizens meaningfully to affect policy, so unhappy citizens must resort to "illegal" forms of expression, like protests.

Since these activities are outside the rules, they erode the country's institutional structure. Moreover, in a one-party system, a protest against government policy amounts to a protest against the Party, and thus, the entire regime. In today's China disagreeing with any government policy is tantamount to disagreeing with Mr Xi and, thus, the CPC.

As for the protests, the government will undoubtedly adopt measures to preventthem from recurring.Before thepandemicprotestsin Chinesecitieswere often followed by increased investment in police surveillance and a decline in popular resistance. This time is unlikely to be different. Even as the government eases pandemic restrictions it will tighten further control over the public sphere.

Recent developments thus bring mixed tidings for the Chinese people. Optimists can say that the end of zero-Covid is finally in sight, the government respondedto thedemands ofthepeopleand theprotestswere dispersed with little bloodshed. Pessimists, meanwhile, will point to the public's rejection of the government's Covid rules, note how it raises the political stakes of the next controversial policy and predict that the coming years are likely to bring ever tighter government control amid rising instability.

Part IV : Special Issues

the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party

Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping [69]

Li Qiang [63] Zhao Leji [65] Wang Huning [67]

Li Xi [66] Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee

Cai Qi [66] Ding Xuexiang [60]

Ma Xingrui [63] Wang Yi [68] Zhang Youxia [72] He Weidong [65] Yin Li [60]

Shi Taifeng [66] Liu Guozhong [60]

Zhang Guoqing [58]

Chen Wenqing [62]

Li Ganjie [58] Li Shulei [58] Li Hongzhong [66]

Chen Jining [58]

Chen Min'er [62]

He Lifeng [67]

Yuan Jiajun [60] Huang Kunming [66]

Shi Taifeng [66]

The Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee

(General Secretary) Xi Jinping [69]

Li Ganjie [64] Li Shulei [58] Chen Wenqing [62]

Cai Qi [66] Liu Jinguo [67]

Wang Xiaohong [65]

The Central Military Commission (Chairman) Xi Jinping [69] (Vice Chairman) Zhang Youxia [72]

(Vice Chairman) He Weidong [65]

Li Shangfu [64] Liu Zhenli [58] Miao Hua [67] Zhang Shengmin [64]

Note: The number in the square brackets is the age of each person.

(For the full name lists, see Part II, Page 52)

Viewpoints

- The breaking of traditional norms in the PRC politburo history

- The third term appointment as the general secretary of CCP of Xi Jinping became possible because of the abolition of the presidential two-term limit in 2018.

- The“end”of theage limit Normally,members whoare 68 years old or older must retire. However, this 20th congress was an exception. Many whose ages exceeding 68 were elected to the politburo as Xi Jinping was 69, Zhang Youxia was 72, and Wang Yi was 68

- Two members of the 19th Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) have not been elected to the 20th PSC. The first was Premier Li Keqiang, and the second was Wang Yang, the chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Both were well-known to be close to former paramount leader, Hu Jintao. Therefore, whether their ages were over 68 or not, the stepping down of these two members can be described as the fall of Hu's allies in the politburo.

- The rise of Xi and the ascent of his proteges. All members of the new politburo can be regarded as members of the Xi’s faction. It reaffirmed the supremacy of Xi Jinping in Chinese politics.

- The number of politburo members decreased from 25 to 24.

- There were no females elected.

33 There are some useful analytical sources and comprehensive infographics. Please see:

(1) Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. (2022). “Decoding the 20th Party Congress”. Retrieved from https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/decoding-chinas-20th-party-congress

(2) James Gethyn Evans and Yuanzhuo Wang. (2022, Nov 6). “Infographic: China’s New Leaders after the 20th Party Congress”. Retrieved from https://fairbank.fas.harvard.edu/research/blog/infographic-chinasnew-leaders-after-the-20th-party-congress/

(3) Ling Li. (2022, Nov 3). “China’s 20th Party Congress: The Implications for CCP Norms”. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/chinas-20th-party-congress-the-implications-for-ccp-norms/

Xi Jinping's visits to Southeast Asia (Bali and Bangkok)

G20

Summit

November 14, 2022

in Bali, Indonesia (November 14-16, 2022)

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden which lasted about three hours.

- The Chinese leader maintained that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. The other redline is China's development in science and technology, especially in the semiconductor industry.

- The Chinese and US leaders agreed to make joint efforts to push the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) to reach success.

- The two leaders reached the consensus to take concrete actions for pushing the China-US relations return to a stable track for development, and agreed to keep contacts constantly.

- “Official cooperation, frozen after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, has been revived for the global climate gathering after the Biden-Xi meeting in Bali.” – The Wall Street Journal34

November 15, 2022

The key messages excerpted from Xi Jinping’s speech titled "Working Together to Meet the Challenges of Our Times and Build a Better Future".

- Food and energy security is the most pressing challenge in global developmentandtherootcauseofthecurrentcrisisisnotproduction or demand but disrupted supply chains and international cooperation. The solution lies in coordination among countries under the UN and other multilateral international organizations.

34 Chao Deng and Sha Hua. (2022, Nov 17). “Resurrection of U.S.-China Ties Boosts COP27 Climate Talks”. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/resurrection-of-u-s-china-ties-boosts-cop27-climate-talks-11668698953

- “Drawing ideological lines and promoting group politics and bloc confrontation will only divide the world and undermine global development and human advancement," and “the Cold War mentality is obsolete as human civilization has already entered the 21st century.”

- China supports the African Union to join the Group of 20.

(For the full speech, see Part II, Page 58)

“This speech is one signal of the change in Chinese foreign policies. Besides the inadequacy in food and energy are also the major problems in China that are urgent to be solved We can notice China’s promotion of the word ‘Global Development Initiative,’ ‘Global Security Initiative’ and ‘Multilateral Cooperation,’ which are currently raised into prominence instead of ‘Belt-Road Initiative’ since the outbreak of COVID-19 situation.” – Compiler.

APEC in Bangkok, Thailand (November 17-19, 2022)

November 17, 2022

In written remarks to regional and business leaders at the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) CEO Summit, Xi Jinping said

- "The Asia-Pacific is no one's backyard and should not become an arena for big power contests. No attempt to wage a new cold war will ever be allowed by the people and by our times."

- “The disruption and demolishing of the industrial and supply chains formed in the Asia-Pacific will only lead Asia-Pacific economic cooperation to a dead end.”

“Chinese media repeated an opinion that US President Joe Biden, who just attended the G20 Summit in Indonesia, skipped the APEC Summit in Thailand because the US only focused on geopolitical interests and was uninterested in regional cooperation.” – Compiler.

November 18, 2022

- “The Asia-Pacific is our home as well as the powerhouse of global economic growth.”

- Xi Jinping’s Four specific proposals:

- upholding international fairness and justice and building an Asia-Pacific of peace and stability.

- staying committed to openness and inclusiveness and bringing about prosperity for all in the Asia-Pacific.

- striving for green and low-carbon development and ensuring a clean and beautiful Asia-Pacific.

- bearinginmindthesharedfutureandmakingtheAsia-Pacific a region where all are ready to help each other.

November 19, 2022

- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chano-cha witnessed the signing of a bilateral strategic cooperation joint action plan (2022-26).

(For the full statement, see Part II, Page 63)

The APEC Summit issued the 2022 APECEconomic Leaders' Declaration and the Bangkok Goals on Bio-Circular-Green Economy.

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