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Dear friends and colleagues,

I will be in Beijing the week of March 7th. Any readers interested in meeting up should get in touch.

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Glass houses

After a year in which China’s economic management has been summarily criticized, Li Keqiang used his speech to the meeting of G20 Finance Ministers this weekend to offer a pointed rebuke to the world’s developed economies. Li said that that quantitative easing has failed, and caused “negative externalities”.

In his speech, Li said that China “will expand aggregate demand”. It’s the latest sign that increased fiscal support is front and center of the economic agenda in 2016.

PBSC Week in Review
Xi Jinping

Party General Secretary; PRC President; Chairman of Central Military Commission

Feb 23 Xi chaired a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform.

The meeting heard reports on the implementation of reforms on ecological improvement, judicial system, the CCP’s discipline inspection system, legislation to adapt reforms, science and technology system, public security as well as reforms in Shanghai, Hubei Province, Sanming City, and Kaihua County.

Officials were urged to lead by example, city- and county-level organs were urged to seek public opinion so the results of reform measures are in line with the people’s expectations.

 

    Xi sent a written instruction to a meeting on urbanization.

Said efforts should be focused on raising the number of registered urban residents, providing equal public services for rural and urban dwellers, and making cities more people-friendly.

 

    Xi sent a written instruction to a meeting of the National Working Commission on Aging.

Xi called for better top-down design based on current situations and future expectations.

 

  Feb 22 Xi chaired a meeting of the Politburo.

Discussed drafts of 13th Five-Year Plan outline and 2016 Government Work Report.

 

Li Keqiang

Premier

Feb 26 Li sent a video message to the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting.

Speech had three themes: 1) more macro policy coordination among G20 countries; 2) need to focus on structural reforms; and 3) need to improve international monetary system.

Full text of his speech (in Chinese).

 

  Feb 24 Li chaired an executive meeting of the State Council.

Meeting focused on promoting new energy vehicles and protecting historical and cultural relics.

 

    Li met with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

 

  Feb 23 Li attended a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform.

 

    Li sent a written instruction to a meeting on urbanization.

He stressed that urbanization is China’s only path to modernization and called for further efforts to integrate rural residents into cities.

 

    Li sent a written instruction to a meeting of the National Working Commission on Aging.

Li urged authorities to take a scientific approach to policies and suggestions on the aging issue.

 

  Feb 22 Li attended a Politburo meeting.

 

Zhang Dejiang

Chair of the National People’s Congress

Feb 26 Zhang chaired the closing meeting of the NPC Standing Committee bi-monthly session.

Passed draft report on the work of the NPC Standing Committee and the country’s first law on deep seafloor resource exploration.

Approved draft agenda for the annual session, a draft list of candidates for the session’s presidium and secretary-general, as well as the list of observers at the session.

 

    Zhang presided over a ceremony of oath-taking for newly appointed officials.

 

  Feb 24 Zhang chaired the opening meeting of the NPC Standing Committee bi-monthly session.

 

  Feb 22 Zhang attended a Politburo meeting.

 

    Zhang met with the leader of the Japanese General Assembly.

 

Yu Zhengsheng

Chair of the Chinese People’s

Feb 26 Yu attended a symposium to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fang Yi, a veteran revolutionary and former vice premier.

 

Political Consultative Conference Feb 25 Yu chaired a CPPCC Chairpersons meeting.

Heard report on preparations for the annual meeting.

 

  Feb 22 Yu attended a Politburo meeting.

 

Liu Yunshan

Head of Party

Feb 23 Liu attended a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform.
Secretariat; Head of Propaganda Feb 22 Liu attended a Politburo meeting.

 

  Feb 21 Liu chaired and spoke at a meeting to urge publicity and culture workers to learn and implement the spirit of Xi’s speech on the Party’s media work.

 

Wang Qishan

Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection

Feb 23 Wang chaired and spoke at a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Discipline Inspection.

The meeting announced a fresh round of anti-corruption inspections into 32 entities and four provinces, including the CCP Publicity Department, the NDRC, MIIT and SASAC. The four provinces are Liaoning, Anhui, Shandong and Hunan.

  Feb 22 Wang attended a Politburo meeting.

 

Zhang Gaoli

Executive Vice

Feb 23 Zhang attended a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform.

 

Premier   Zhang chaired a State Council teleconference on driving new-type urbanization.

Said China will fully implement the urban residence permit system so all city residents will have access to basic public services.

 

  Feb 22 Zhang attended a Politburo meeting.

 


 

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.

 

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