Subscribe to the weekly email to get CPW in your inbox days before it is posted to the web. Just send an email to info@chinapoliticsweekly.com.
Download this week’s newsletter as a PDF here: CPW No. 83
Dear friends and colleagues,
Your comments and feedback are always welcome. Old issues are always available at www.chinapoliticsweekly.com. Sign up or unsubscribe by sending an email to info@chinapoliticsweekly.com.
The great communicator?
The Chinese authorities have come in for a lot of well-deserved criticism over the past year for their failure to communicate amidst the turmoil in the equity and currency markets. But there are signs that things might be changing. At Davos a few weeks ago, top Xi advisor Fang Xinghai admitted that the Chinese system “is not structured in a way to communicate seamlessly with the markets…[but] we can learn.” Then, last weekend, PBOC Governor Zhou Xiaochuan broke his nearly six-month silence to explain clearly and in depth the authorities’ approach to the currency.
The push towards better communication continued this week. Xi hosted a symposium on propaganda and the media, saying, “officials should improve their ability to interact with the media and make good use of it to publicize their policies and ideas”.
Xi’s statement echoed similar comments by Li Keqiang at a State Council meeting earlier in the week. According to official media, Li “called on authorities to reveal information to the public and respond to public concerns in an active manner, so that people can have confidence in society and a clear expectation from the market.”
| PBSC Week in Review | ||
| Xi Jinping
Party General Secretary; PRC President; Chairman of Central Military Commission |
Feb 19 | Xi chaired and spoke at a symposium on propaganda and the media.
From Xinhua: “All news media run by the Party must work to speak for the Party’s will and its propositions and protect the Party’s authority and unity, Xi said. “They should enhance their awareness to align their ideology, political thinking and deeds to those of the CPC Central Committee and help fashion the Party’s theories and policies into conscious action by the general public while providing spiritual enrichment to the people, he said. “Marxist journalistic education must be promoted among journalists, Xi added, to make them ‘disseminators of the Party’s policies and propositions, recorders of the time, promoters of social advancement and watchers of equality and justice.’”
|
| Xi went on an inspection tour of China Central Television headquarters. | ||
| Xi went on an inspection tour of Xinhua News headquarters.
|
||
| Xi went on an inspection tour of People’s Daily headquarters.
|
||
| Xi sent Latern Festival greetings on People’s Daily social media platforms.
|
||
| Xi spoke with villagers from Chixi village in Ningde, Fujian, through a live video chat from People’s Daily.
|
||
| Xi visited the editor of People’s Daily.
|
||
| Feb 13 | Xi and Li signed orders to give an honorary title to a unit of the Chinese People’s Armed Police in eastern Shandong Province.
|
|
| Li Keqiang
Premier |
Feb 17 | Li chaired an executive meeting of the State Council.
The meeting focused on a work report on the implementation of the National People’s Congress motions and CPPCC proposals in 2015 and policy measures for the commercialization of scientific and technological research. From Xinhua: “98.5 percent of deputies to NPC and 97.3 percent of members of the national committee of CPPCC are “satisfied” or “basically satisfied” with the implementation results.” Makes you wonder who the dissenters are….
|
| Feb 16 | Li replied to the letter of Ma Xiliang, a resident of Guyuan, Ningxia.
|
|
| Feb 14 | Li chaired an executive meeting of the State Council.
The State Council decided to advance the upgrade and innovation of the pharmaceutical industry, to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine and to carry out pilot projects of the service trade.
|
|
| Feb 13 | Li and Xi signed orders to give an honorary title to a unit of the Chinese People’s Armed Police in eastern Shandong Province.
|
|
| Zhang Dejiang
Chair of the National People’s Congress |
Feb 15 | Zhang chaired a meeting of the chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee.
Next standing committee meeting will be held Feb 24-26.
|
| Yu Zhengsheng
Chair of the Chinese People’s Political |
||
| Consultative Conference | ||
| Liu Yunshan
Head of Party |
Feb 19 | Accompanied Xi on his visits to CCTV, People’s Daily and Xinhua. |
| Secretariat; Head
of Propaganda |
Attended symposium on propaganda and the media | |
| Wang Qishan
Secretary of the Central Commission for |
||
| Discipline Inspection | ||
| Zhang Gaoli
Executive Vice Premier |
||
| About CPW
China Politics Weekly aims to keep business leaders, investors, diplomats, scholars and other China hands up to date on important trends in China. It is produced by Trey McArver, a London-based consultant providing advice and intelligence to firms and investors engaged in China and the region. You can find out more about Trey and CPW in this interview.
Want to help? Please tell us how we can make this newsletter more useful to you. Feedback on both form and content are always welcome, as are suggestions for topics to be covered. Please contact us at info@chinapoliticsweekly.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Want more? We offer tailored briefings and research reports for senior management who need to know more about China. Our network of analysts and associates have experience across a range of sectors. Please email us to discuss your needs and get a quote.
|