From 14 to 22 May 2019, People’s Daily, the single-most important mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), published a series of nine commentaries written by “Zhong Sheng” (钟声, “Bell Tone” by literal translation), which is a pseudonym used by People’s Daily’s International Department since November 2008 for commentaries on China’s position and proposition on major international issues and China-related topics. Below is a list of all nine commentaries with their original Chinese title, the English translation of title, and the original People’s Daily web links.
We’ve summarized the main arguments of each commentary, which may be provided upon request. Contact us or send us an email at team[at]plenum.ai to receive the full analysis.
| Date/Page/Section | Chinese Title/English Translation/Link |
| 14 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
谁在“为赋新词强说愁”（钟声）——“美国吃亏论”可以休矣
Who Is “Feigning Sorrow to Compose New Verses”?—Argument of United States Being Taken Advantage of Should Stop by Now http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/14/nw.D110000renmrb_20190514_1-03.htm |
| 15 May 2019
Page 4 Left Section |
不要陶醉于自欺欺人的“胜利”（钟声）——“加征关税有利论”可以休矣
Do Not Be Enchanted by Self-Deceiving “Victory”—Argument of Additional Tariffs Being Good for United States Should Stop by Now http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/15/nw.D110000renmrb_20190515_3-04.htm |
| 16 May 2019
Page 4 Right Section |
谁在“出尔”，谁在“反尔”（钟声）——“中国出尔反尔论”可以休矣
Who Is Contradicting and Backtracking Itself?—Argument of China Being Contradicting Should Stop by Now http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/16/nw.D110000renmrb_20190516_3-04.htm |
| 17 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
从来就没有什么救世主（钟声）——“美国重建中国论”可以休矣
There Is No Supreme Savior—Argument of United States Rebuilding China Should Stop by Now http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/17/nw.D110000renmrb_20190517_3-03.htm |
| 18 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
欲加之罪，何患无罪（钟声）——“中国强制转让技术论”可以休矣
If You Want to Incriminate Someone, You Can Always Create a Suitable Crime—US Should Stop Fabricating ‘Forced Transfer of Technology’ Accusation http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/18/nw.D110000renmrb_20190518_3-03.htm |
| 19 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
香者自香，臭者自臭（钟声）——“中国技术有害论”可以休矣
Fragrant People Will Always Be Fragrant, While Stinky People Will Always Be Stinky—Stop Bogus ‘Harmful Chinese Tech’ Narrative http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/19/nw.D110000renmrb_20190519_3-03.htm |
| 20 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
捕风捉影者，风必摧之（钟声）——“中国盗窃知识产权论”可以休矣
Those Who Speak or Act on Hearsay Evidence Will Eventually Be Destroyed by Hearsay—US Lies of China’s IP Theft to Be Blown Down http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/20/nw.D110000renmrb_20190520_3-03.htm |
| 21 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
不要逆历史潮流而动（钟声）——“对华文明冲突论”可以休矣
Never Go Against the Trend of History—Argument of Clash of Civilization with China Should Stop by Now http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/21/nw.D110000renmrb_20190521_3-03.htm |
| 22 May 2019
Page 3 Left Section |
轻舟已过万重山（钟声）——“中国退步论”可以休矣
The Canoe Has Surfed Past Thousands of Mountains—China Never “Backtracks” and Will Never Stop Efforts for Development http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-05/22/nw.D110000renmrb_20190522_3-03.htm |
Analysis: “Nine commentaries” hold special significance in China’s propaganda front—56 years ago, People’s Daily published a series of nine commentaries on Soviet Union from 1963 to 1964, at a time when China and the Soviet Union were engaged in tense conflicts and debates over Nikita Khrushchev’s revisionist approach to Communism. The series of nine commentaries from 1963 to 1964 became CCP’s conclusion of the stalemate of Sino-Soviet relationship during Khrushchev’s rule of Soviet Union.
Two specific reasons make us believe that the nine commentaries published in May 2019 are comparable to those published in 1963 and 1964. First, the subtitles of all nine commentaries follow the same format, with each one addressing a specific point of the current US-China conflict—this is exactly the same as the nine commentaries published in 1963 and 1964.
Second, before the nine commentaries on Soviet Union, then-First Secretary of CCP Central Committee Secretariat Deng Xiaoping led a CCP delegation to Moscow in June 1963 to negotiate with Khrushchev. The negotiation did not bear any meaningful fruit, while Khrushchev publicly fought back against CCP’s 25 Points on General Roadmap of International Communism Movement, a message relayed during Deng’s June visit to Moscow, by issuing a public letter in July 1963. Khrushchev’s public slapping China became the final trigger of the nine commentaries. The nine commentaries published on May 2019 is under similar circumstances, where Chinese Vice Premier Liu He just finished an unsuccessful trip to the United States, before President Trump slapping China on the face by announcing the 25% tariff and adding Huawei onto Commerce’s Entity List.
Therefore, we highly recommend you to consider these nine commentaries as China’s position papers on China-US relationship, at least in the most immediate future before Trump administration demonstrates any intention to go back to the negotiation table and shows Trump’s commitment to hold his words.