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.