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In Personnel Tracker, Public

Former ACFTU vice chairwoman appointed Ningxia Organization chief

News: Former All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) Vice Chairwoman Shi Dai (石岱) was appointed Ningxia Organization Department Chief today. Quick Take: Shi has more than 20 years of experiences working in SOEs, with 13 years in Sinochem. She entered active politics in 2017 by joining ACFTU, and became its Vice Chairwoman in October 2018. Shi’s predecessor Sheng Ronghua (盛荣华) has departed for another post as Cyberspace Administration of China General Office Deputy Director on 16 May. Up till now, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi and Fujian are still lacking their Organization Chiefs.

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In Quick Takes

Quick take on China’s position paper on trade talks

On Sunday, June 2, the State Council Information Office (SCIO) published China’s position paper on trade talks with the U.S. Here’s the link to the full-text. Our quick take: 1) This is the first time that China attributed setbacks in the trade talks to U.S. backtracking – in fact, the position paper listed three U.S. breaches of commitment, calling it the “first, second and third U.S. backtracking”. The intention is clearly to rebut U.S. claim that China backtracked in the days leading up to the 11th round of talks in early May, laying blame on the U.S. side as an effort to reassure both domestic and international audiences that it wasn’t China’s fault that the talks broke down. 2) No surprises in the rest of the criticisms of the U.S. and in the defensive talking points. However, the position paper did make it clear that it was U.S. “exorbitant demands” which included “mandatory requirements concerning China’s sovereign affairs” that resulted in the breakdown of talks. 3) What’s most interesting in this position paper is the use of the phrase “China is looking forward, not backward” in the conclusion paragraph. In the weeks following the 1999 U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Chinese leaders used similar phrases after a period of heightened tensions with the U.S. We believe that the message China is hoping to convey to the Trump White House through this position paper is that as long as the “exorbitant demands” are lifted, China remains willing to commit to the reform promises it had already made in the agreement.  

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In Quick Takes

Propaganda campaign continues: People’s Daily lists 9 (more) reasons why the U.S. is “bound to fail”

People’s Daily, one of China’s official newspapers, published yet another series of nine op-eds, accusing the U.S. for inflicting the trade war. Similar to the previous nine commentaries published just a week ago, the new series or articles all follow the same format, each highlighting a specific area where the U.S. is “bound to fail” (必将失败). Quick take: Unlike the previous series, the new op-eds are much more aggressive in calling out the U.S., striking an offensive, rather than defensive tone seen in the previous commentaries. Furthermore, the first batch of nine commentaries was published in sequence – from 14-22 May, whereas the new ones were published simultaneously, taking up a full page in People’s Daily. Below are the verbatim translations of the titles of all nine commentaries. We’ve also included a few English translations done so far by People’s Daily. Note the nuance in the official translation, where the translators softened the tone of some of the more aggressive phrases. The international order cannot tolerate reckless and capricious behavior – Disregarding the rules is bound to fail Fair cooperation is the only right choice – Zero-sum games are bound to fail A storm cannot overturn the ocean – Going against the trend is bound to fail Hegemony in science and technology hinders development and progress – Rejecting competition is bound to fail Abusive use of power toward an unjust cause is doomed to lose support – Supremacy and arrogance is bound to fail American exceptionalism is a toxic theory of civilization superiority – double standards are bound to fail [Official translation]: American exceptionalism argument harmful to the world Bankruptcy of credibility is the most destructive form of bankruptcy – Breaking one’s own word is bound to fail [Official translation]: US faces severe credibility crisis as it frequently breaks promises Why insist on hitting the point of no return – Marching toward a dead end is bound to fail [Official translation]: US should wake up and pull back before it’s too late Clever calculations will lead to nothing – Petty tricks are bound to fail

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In Personnel Tracker, Public

Chongqing NDRC chief appointed vice mayor

News: Chongqing NDRC Chief Xiong Xue (熊雪) was promoted to Chongqing Vice Mayor today. Quick Take: A Chongqing local, Xiong has never left his home city during his career. He entered active politics in 1982 as a Communist Youth League official, and was appointed Chongqing NDRC Chief in March 2018. Two of Chongqing’s previous vice mayors Liu Guiping (刘桂平) and Li Dianxun (李殿勋) have already departed for other posts this year—the former was appointed China Construction Bank President on 20 March, and the latter was appointed Hunan Political and Legal Affairs Commission on 29 May.

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In Personnel Tracker, Public

Former central propaganda official appointed Inner Mongolia vice chairman

News: Former Central Propaganda Department Vice Secretary-General Zheng Hongfan (郑宏范) was appointed Vice Chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region today. Quick Take: Before the appointment today, Zheng has had a long career in propaganda-related works—he spent 12 years working in People’s Daily, the most prestigious mouthpiece of CCP, and was transferred to Central Propaganda Department as General Office Deputy Director in January 2004. Then in April 2014 he became Central Propaganda Department Vice Secretary-General. Zheng’s political career has been completely based in central offices up till today, and he is to take the seat left by Zhang Shaochun (张韶春), who was appointed the region’s CCPSC member and Secretary-General on 21 May.

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In Personnel Tracker, Public

Xi’an executive vice mayor resigned from Shaanxi NPC  

News: Xi’an CCPSC member and Executive Vice Mayor Lv Jian (吕健) resigned from  Shaanxi NPC today. Quick Take: A Shaanxi local, Lv’s political career is completely based in the province since 1996. He became a CCPSC member of his home city Xi’an in 2012, and was appointed Xi’an Executive Vice Mayor in July 2016. Lv’s resignation is very likely related to the province’s notorious Qinling illegal villa construction scandal in July 2018, which has already caused a number of ousters and demotions, including former Shaanxi Party Secretary Zhao Zhengyong (赵正永) who was taken down in January 2019.

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In Personnel Tracker, Public

Former central official appointed Qinghai vice governor

News: Former Central and State Organs Working Committee (CSOWC) General Office Director Liu Tao (刘涛) was appointed Qinghai Vice Governor today. Quick Take: Liu is essentially a central official whose entire career is based in the central government. He started his political career in 1986 as a Communist Youth League official under the then-State Development Planning Commission, a commission that was later folded into NDRC. Liu was transferred to CSOWC in 2003, and had then served respectively as its United Front Works Chief and Organization Chief, and in 2016 was appointed its General Office Director. Liu is to fill up the seat left by Han Jianhua (韩建华), who was transferred out of the province in March to take the post of CPPCC Vice Secretary-General. Seems like Qinghai has conducted a central-local official exchange.

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In Personnel Tracker, Public

Former Chongqing vice mayor appointed Hunan political and legal affairs commission chief

News: Former Chongqing Vice Mayor Li Dianxun (李殿勋) was appointed Hunan CCPSC member and Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chief today. Quick Take: Following Huang Guanchun (黄关春)’s appointment yesterday, Li Dianxun will now take up his seat as Hunan Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chief. Li’s entire political career is based in Chongqing since 1991, and has previously been serving in Chongqing Legislative Affairs Office for a long period of time. He was appointed Chongqing Vice Mayor in January 2018 during the city’s massive personnel restructuring, after the ouster of the “tiger” Sun Zhengcai and a number of related officials. Li’s appointment today is the 6thadjustments of provincial political and legal affairs commission posts since 2019.

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In Personnel Tracker

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou (孔铉佑) becomes China’s new Ambassador to Japan

On 29 May 2019, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou, who covered the portfolio of Asian affairs and served as China’s Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs, was appointed Chinese Ambassador to Japan. His vice minister position is being taken by former Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui. Notably, Luo was Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)’s Department of Asian Affairs Director from 2011 to 2014, and was succeeded by Kong who then served in the same position from 2014 to 2015. In other words, Luo had a head-start in his career, but was later surpassed by Kong, who was promoted to assistant to minister position in 2015 and then vice minister position in 2017. The reason is simple—Kong is a protégé of former State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tang Jiaxuan (唐家璇)—Tang has been the single most influential voice on any appointment related to China-Japan relationship—it was under his direct advice that current Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) was appointed Chinese Ambassador to Japan in 2004, and it was also under his direct recommendation that Wang Yi outcompeted Zhang Zhijun (张志军) to become Foreign Minister in 2013. Tang was a Minister to Japan from 1988 to 1991, and was in charge of Japan affairs in MFA for most part of 1990s.

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In Personnel Tracker

State Council Development Research Center (DRC) President Li Wei (李伟) retires

On 29 May 2019, State Council DRC President Li Wei retired from his post due to exceed age limit. Li Wei was born in August 1953, who will turn 66 in three months. Li’s retirement came later than expected—Xi has been retiring most ministerial-ranking officials before they reached their age limit of 65—especially for provincial party secretaries and governors during the transition from 18thto 19thParty Congress—most of these principal provincial officials retired before 65, usually around 63 to 64, in an effort to clear way for Xi’s confidants. One example is former Jiangsu Party Secretary Luo Zhijun (罗志军), who retired from his position one and a half year before reaching age limit, so that Xi can promote his confidant Li Qiang (李强), then-Zhejiang Governor and now Shanghai Party Secretary, to Jiangsu for a brief period as party secretary, prepping his for the Shanghai seat. Li Wei’s delayed retirement is likely a result of Xi’s favor over confidants of former Premier Zhu Rongji (朱镕基)—Li Wei was Zhu’s chief of staff from 1998 to 2003, during the entire tenure of Zhu as Premier of the State Council. Officials related to Zhu have been favored in recent promotions—another secretary of Zhu, Li Bingjun (李炳军), who worked under Li Wei in 1990s, was promoted to Jiangxi Vice Party Secretary position in May 2018. Born in 1963, Li Bingjun is a contender for full provincial positions in the coming years.

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