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Anti-corruption: the next episode
The lianghui is over. The majority of attention tends to focus on the Government Work Report (though as we always tell you – the NDRC report is more interesting) and the Premier’s press conference (which was particularly boring this year), while giving short shrift to many of the other components of the meetings.
One of the most important functions of the NPC is to set the legislative agenda for the following year. This year’s focus is all about institutionalizing Xi’s anti-corruption campaign. The NPC’s top priority for the coming year is to:
“Revise the Law on Administrative Supervision to turn it into a national supervision law, so as to provide a legal guarantee for our efforts to put in place a centralized, unified, authoritative, and highly-efficient national supervision system.”
Many often portray Xi Jinping as a rule breaker. It is true that Xi has changed the rules of Chinese politics in some respects. But he is not discarding rules altogether; he is as much a rule maker as a rule breaker. He is methodically building systems and institutions to realize his vision: a strong, loyal and discipline Party.
Xi’s China dream
Xi is building something. It is neither the new Maoist cult of personality sometimes ascribed by lazy Xi watchers. Nor is it the arbitrary ruthlessness of a new totalitarianism. It is something more subtle, and it is likely to be more effective than most foreign analysts (want to) believe.
Xi clearly has the Party behind him – at least at the top. This year’s meetings were remarkable for the way that the “core” dominated all official utterances.
This is why there is so much anticipation for the 19th Party Congress. It is the perfect venue for Xi to more fully describe what he wants to do with a disciplined party that supports him. The perfect time to more fully articulate Xi’s own “China Dream”.
Perhaps we shouldn’t expect too much. Xi has already laid out some specific goals such as a strong, advanced military and the end of rural poverty. But there are many other components of the Xi doctrine (like the new development concepts or socialist core values) that still seem too vague and/or overly expansive.
Xi’s focus for his first term has been on Party-building. Will it also be the focus of his second term? Or will he offer us something new?
| PBSC Week in Review | ||
| Xi Jinping
Party General |
Mar 19 | Xi met with United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
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| Secretary; PRC President; | Mar 17 | Xi held talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
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| Chairman of Central Military Commission | Xi accepted credentials of ambassadors from eight countries.
Israel, Iraq, Jamaica, Tanzania, Slovakia, Philippines, Thailand and Canada.
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| Mar 16 | Xi held talks with Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.
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| Xi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on the phone on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
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| Mar 15 | Xi attended the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| Mar 13 | Xi attended the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
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| Li Keqiang
Premier |
Mar 17 | Li met with Saudi Arabian Kind Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.
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| Li chaired an executive meeting of the State Council.
The meeting set out plans for the year ahead and clarified the responsibilities of each department in carrying out the Government Work Report. There are 56 key tasks in 11 areas.
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| Mar 16 | Li sent a letter of congratulations to the opening of the China-ASEAN Tourism Year in Manila, Philippines.
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| Mar 15 | Li held a press conference with Chinese and foreign journalists.
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| Li attended the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| Mar 13 | Li attended the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
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| Li and British Prime Minister Theresa May exchanged congratulatory messages on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
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| Zhang Dejiang
Chair of the |
Mar 17 | Zhang met with Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.
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| National People’s Congress | Mar 16 | Zhang toured the Xinhua News Agency news center in the Great Hall of the People.
He spoke with journalists from Xinhua, People’s Daily, CCTV and China Daily and expressed his thanks for covering the annual session.
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| Mar 15 | Zhang chaired and spoke at the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| Mar 14 | Zhang chaired the fourth meeting of the presidium.
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| Zhang chaired the third meeting of the presidium.
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| Mar 13 | Zhang attended the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
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| Yu Zhengsheng
Chair of the |
Mar 15 | Yu attended the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| Chinese People’s Political Consultative | Mar 13 | Yu chaired and spoke at the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
Full text of his speech (in Chinese).
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| Conference | Yu met with journalists covering the CPPCC annual session.
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| Liu Yunshan
Head of Party Secretariat; Head |
Mar 15 | Liu attended the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| of Propaganda | Mar 13 | Liu attended the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
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| Mar 12 | Liu attended a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Hunan Province.
The session discussed..
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| Wang Qishan
Secretary of the Central Commission for |
Mar 15 | Wang attended the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| Discipline Inspection | Mar 13 | Wang attended the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
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| Zhang Gaoli
Executive Vice Premier |
Mar 19 | Zhang attended and spoke at the China Development Forum.
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| Mar 16 | Zhang met with Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
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| Mar 15 | Zhang attended the closing ceremony of the NPC annual session.
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| Mar 13 | Zhang attended the closing ceremony of the CPPCC annual session.
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| Mar 12 | Zhang attended a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Jiangxi Province.
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| 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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