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Xi Jinping's historic power grab in China

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  • Originally posted by hboGYT View Post

    Not sure about the other points, but intention of shuttering private education appears to be reducing burdens on students.
    And increasing the burden on parents

    https://www.scmp.com/news/people-cul...over-daughters

    Originally posted by hboGYT View Post
    Too many students learn things they will never use, because university admission relies heavily on exam scores and the questions get harder and harder to separate the wheat from the chaff. Most resort to private tutoring to have a shot at university.

    This may not be a bad thing. Who knows.
    This has been the state of affairs in China with civil service exams for a very very long time.

    It's the norm in many countries as well.

    In short its a dumb move. XJP has made many of those of late.

    Here is another one that is being compared with the war on the sparrows.
    Last edited by Double Edge; 23 Oct 21,, 02:40.

    Comment


    • Originally posted by DOR View Post
      “Enter Wang Huning. China's Gordon Chang.”
      Enter? Wang has been among the top 1% for 25 years.
      https://www.chinavitae.com/biography/Wang_Huning/career
      I only just heard of the guy

      Originally posted by DOR View Post
      China's Gordon Chang? WTF? Wang Huning is not a writer of bad historical fiction and worse social/political/economic forecasts.
      I'm referring to this work of his that predates Gordon by a decade.

      It is America collapse theory. Hence the Gordon connection.

      Originally posted by DOR View Post
      Wang Huning's “an éminence grise” ? WTF? He's an ideological theoritician. The last such person to hold real power in China was Mao Zedong … The CCP does not elevate ideological theoritician to the top job. Wang has peaked.

      He's certainly being credited with a lot of things.
      Last edited by Double Edge; 23 Oct 21,, 02:43.

      Comment


      • Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
        [SIZE=14px][FONT=Times New Roman]I only just heard of the guy


        I'm referring to this work of his that predates Gordon by a decade.

        It is America collapse theory. Hence the Gordon connection.
        Did you read it?

        I did, and I'm struggling to decide if you have suddenly become Marxist in your approach to analyzing society, economies, and politics; or just didn't know the difference between the sensationalist write-for-profit nonsense Gordon Chang puts out, and serious analysis from a Marxist perspective.


        For the record,
        • I don't agree with the Marxist perspective, but I don't deny it exists.
        • I have studied Marxism, and understand the intellectual structures that it uses.
        Trust me?
        I'm an economist!

        Comment


        • Originally posted by DOR View Post
          Did you read it?
          Yeah i did. Wondered if you had.

          Particularly liked the way he phrased the comparison with Talleyrand, Metternich & Kissinger. We now know how important this guy Huning actually is.

          Way you put it across like he's some academic among many. Nah, he's much more than that.

          Saying he's the one percent ? So is Jack Ma and look how he's doing.

          What he writes or thinks about has a chance of making its way into policy.

          a more assertive foreign policy,
          ^THAT

          Originally posted by DOR View Post
          and I'm struggling to decide if you have suddenly become Marxist in your approach to analyzing society, economies, and politics; or just didn't know the difference between the sensationalist write-for-profit nonsense Gordon Chang puts out, and serious analysis from a Marxist perspective.
          Very simple. Whoever can better explain what is happening wins. In the free world its a matter of match the media to the govt in office. They are supportive of the govt, have better access and can give you a better idea of what's going on. Ignore the opposition. Why haven't more people figured this out ?

          What you say is sensationalist, write for profit nonsense is how the left typically views right media. But its a working model whether you like or not. And i set the bar lower with this group when their guys are in office. They can get 5 out ten things wrong because i know the 5 they get right no other media is talking about. The ideas that the 'intelligentsia' deem not important or fake when its the exact opposite. That's battle of the narratives for you. Whose side you on ?

          With China this isn't so clear cut because the CCP controls the media. More than half the time the govt approved media makes no sense whatsoever. How else to explain why 98% of Chinese think the Americans are behind Covid !!!

          So you go with people that know China.

          This article was tweeted by a former foreign secretary as well as ambassador to China. Legit ?

          Other times outspoken voices. Those that cannot speak freely for whatever reason unless they are out of the country.



          What exactly was Marxist about it ?


          I thought it was an interesting read as to the movers and shakers in the CCP.

          If Marxists known that better than others then i'll use them. They should know especially in a time when XJP is turning full on commie. Yes ?

          In the end who paints a clearer picture wins. Needs to be defendable though. What can you challenge in this article ?

          This is a competitive space with many voices vying to explain better than others what is and isn't happening with the CCP or even XJP.

          Oh yeah XJP, the writeups about him only going to increase into the next year when we get to find out whether he gets his next term.

          Will XJP even make it into next year in one piece ? he's making a lot of enemies. Powerful ones.

          He he travelled much this year. One commentator was saying he's been confined to Beijing for a long time.

          Security ? Suspected attempts on his life. Rumours abound.

          Who knows
          Last edited by Double Edge; 24 Oct 21,, 17:31.

          Comment


          • "Very simple. Whoever can better explain what is happening wins."

            So, propaganda is the key.
            Got it.
            Trust me?
            I'm an economist!

            Comment


            • Originally posted by DOR View Post
              "Very simple. Whoever can better explain what is happening wins."

              So, propaganda is the key.
              Got it.
              Propaganda is just a statement of intent. Nothing wrong with it.

              Those with access to the govt get a better take on that intent and what govt wants to do.

              So keep an inventory on what was promised at the outset and then compare with what they delivered.

              Whether that is in line with what was promised or not.

              This is how i do things with free countries.

              I don't know how well it works with China since there is no negative feedback loop.

              I'll take what i get that fits how I perceive things are going. This may or may not be in line with the experts.
              Last edited by Double Edge; 05 Jan 22,, 19:37.

              Comment


              • Been meaning to make a post here since the plenary concluded several weeks ago. This analysis piece from Nikkei sums up what other people have said

                This piece refers to an article in the People's Daily but I recall Elmer Yuen saying the resolutions passed during the plenary were themselves in favour of former leaders and left out XJP.

                I see the referred article of Qu Qingshan as summary of those resolutions for the masses.

                When China's leading paper ignores Xi, all bets are off | Nikkei | Dec 23 2021

                Xi does not get a mention but earlier leaders do. This means his tenure from now to the next year is on thin ice. Did not need a China expert to figure this one out

                KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer
                DECEMBER 23, 2021 04:04 JST
                Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff writer and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.


                Something unusual is occurring in China.

                This became evident when a commentary was published in the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, without a single mention of Xi Jinping, the party's general secretary and nation's president. For an article titled "Learning deeply about the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party," one would assume Xi would be part of the discussion.

                After all, the four-day session held last month adopted a new "resolution on history" that showered praise on Xi.

                Instead, the commentary heaped praise on the late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, referring to him by name nine times. The reform and opening-up policy that Deng implemented in the 1970s was "a great awakening of the Party," the commentary says.

                Deng also "liberated people's thoughts from the long-running constraint of leftist dogmatism," according to the piece by Qu Qingshan, president of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

                This expression is harshly critical of the mistakes made by Mao Zedong that led to the disastrous Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. The piece stops just short of lashing out at Mao's cult of personality -- a move that would have been, in effect, an implicit criticism of the concentration of power in Xi's hands.

                That the commentary also details the achievements by Xi's two predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, both of whom remained on Deng's reform path, makes clear the point Qu was trying to make. Jiang and Hu made China the second-biggest economy, top exporter and the world's factory, Qu said.

                The article implies that since the Xi Jinping era began in 2012, China has lived on the leftovers from the wonderful feast prepared by Deng, Jiang and Hu.

                What is noteworthy is Qu's position. The president of the Institute of Party History and Literature is a heavyweight whose key role is the interpretation of party history. By definition, he would have also been deeply involved in the compilation of the recently passed "resolution on history," which attempts to portray Xi as surpassing Deng in terms of status

                Furthermore, Qu is a sitting member of the Central Committee, equivalent to a cabinet minister. A participant of last month's sixth plenum, Qu is well aware of the current atmosphere hanging over the party.

                "Two camps of thought exist in the party," one source said. "Historically speaking, it is always better when there is a healthy debate within the party."

                Qu's article elicited a quick counterattack. Four days after it was published, the People's Daily ran an article by Jiang Jinquan, director of the Policy Research Office of the Party Central Committee, on the same theory page.

                Titled "Upholding the party's overall leadership," the commentary praises Xi's policies and echoes the third resolution on history in attacking the distributism and liberalism that preceded the current leader.

                Discussing the party's overall leadership boils down to nothing short of defending the concentration of power in Xi's hands.

                Jiang's article, unlike Qu's, completely ignores Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Mao makes two appearances, and Xi is mentioned by name six times.

                The People's Daily is dubbed "the throat and tongue" of the party. The two articles hint at two ideological camps within the party, with those supporting the path of Deng, Jiang and Hu on one side, and those behind Mao and Xi on the other.

                One major rift is likely over the third resolution on history, which many say carries huge contradictions.

                Jiang Jinquan was only tapped as head of the Policy Research Office last year. He is not a Central Committee member and thus ranks lower than Qu.

                But at this stage, it is hard to say which of the two theoreticians represents the mainstream view.

                What is important is that the struggle over political lines is closely linked to the formulation of actual economic policies.

                Qu's article was published on Dec. 9, during the Central Economic Work Conference, which discusses economic policies for the following year. Xi and Premier Li Keqiang attended.

                The commentary put pressure on the conference to continue with the policy of reform and opening-up.

                Speaking at an economic forum in early December, prominent economist Li Daokui, an adviser to Premier Li, made important remarks on this issue. He warned against economic optimism, citing receding domestic demand.

                Harsh conditions will greet the Chinese economy in the coming years, the economist said. Over the next five years, China will face its most difficult period since the policy of reform and opening-up was put into effect four decades ago, he added.

                His remarks came at a sensitive time and provoked wide repercussions.

                The five years Li Daokui referred to overlap with Xi's upcoming term, presuming Xi remains China's top leader at the party's next national congress, not quite a year from now.

                The economic picture Li Daokui painted was grim. Property prices will be in structural decline, and local governments will have to deal with tight finances, he said. The education and entertainment industries will have to contend with new regulations.

                As a long-term prescription for boosting domestic demand, Li Daokui presented a Li Keqiang-style policy of "integrating urban and rural areas."

                The 58-year-old scholar heads the Academic Center for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking at Tsinghua University. He also serves as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body. He has an influential voice.

                Meanwhile, interesting remarks also came from former Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, who revealed that Chinese statistics do not reflect negative changes in the economy. His words caused a stir because they came immediately after the Central Economic Work Conference.

                Lou essentially said China's economic figures, including the country's growth rate for 2021, which is to be announced early next year, omit anything negative.

                He is a "reformist" close to former Premier Zhu Rongji, who was tapped by Deng to reform state-owned companies in the 1990s. As Lou has kept a delicate distance from Xi's economic line, his latest remarks are meaningful.

                A statement issued after the recent Central Economic Work Conference used the Chinese character that means "stability" as many as 25 times. The repetitiveness, though, implies instability in the Chinese economy.

                The statement and remarks by Li Daokui and Lou Jiwei give clues to how severe China's current economic situation is. So does the announcement on Monday that China is trimming interest rates for the first time in one year and eight months.

                Amid swirling rumors that Qu might have drawn ire from Xi for praising the reform and opening-up policy, Xi quickly moved to tighten his grip on party members.

                The leader issued an important instruction to all party members at a national meeting on the work of the party's internal regulations, using his unique vocabulary, such as "centralized and unified leadership," "long-term governance" and "the country's enduring prosperity and stability."

                The instruction was conveyed by Ding Xuexiang, head of the party's General Office, a close aide to Xi and a skilled administrator.

                The struggle over political lines is playing out between the Mao-Xi disciples, who prefer the concentration of political power, and the Deng-Jiang-Hu believers, who raise the banner of reform and opening-up.

                The third resolution of history, which reflects Xi's ambitions to overtake Deng, has reignited this political struggle, which has also become a battle over how to deal with China's conspicuously slowing economy.
                Last edited by Double Edge; 05 Jan 22,, 19:42.

                Comment


                • Qiu Qingshan, the author being studied, is a member of the 19th (current) Central Committee, an unusual place for someone who was a member of the 18th Discipline Inspection Commission (such lateral transfers are rare). He is dean of the CCP Party History and Documentation Research Institute.

                  When Qiu was on the of Qinghai Province CCP Standing Committee, and head of provincial propaganda (2001-09), PBSC member Zhao Leji was provincial party secretary (2003-07). He then moved to the center, to central committee party history research, under PBSC member Wang Huning. He was named to the Central Discipline Inspection Commission when Vice President (and former PBSC member) Wang Qishan was its head.

                  That's three current heavy hitters he's worked closely with, which implies that he is probably not speaking out of turn. And, it should be noted that on July 5 last year, Qiu issued a standard commentary on Xi Jinping's July 1, 2021, speech, with multiple mentions of Xi's name.
                  Trust me?
                  I'm an economist!

                  Comment


                  • DOR what do you think of this article about Hong Kong by Bloomberg. Factual, partially factual, way off base or what? Were you not in HK for awhile?

                    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...y?srnd=premium

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
                      DOR what do you think of this article about Hong Kong by Bloomberg. Factual, partially factual, way off base or what? Were you not in HK for awhile?

                      https://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...y?srnd=premium

                      I was in HK 1984-2015, 31+ years spanning China's Reform Era, Tiananmen, The Hangover [sic], The Great East Asian Economic Crisis, the North Atlantic Financial Crisis, and Occupy Central.

                      The death knell for Hong Kong has been sounded many times since Britain returned this city to China in 1997. But executives say this time it’s different, and more ominous.”
                      Amen.

                      Combine Beijing's blatant interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs (2003 +) with extreme quarantine measures for a city that exists because of (among other things) the ease with which people can move around Asia, and This Time Is Different.

                      Hong Kong is dying, day by day.

                      Guns N’ Roses and Katy Perry ?
                      How about the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton?
                      The Beatles played Hong Kong.
                      Nixon banged a Chinese spy in Hong Kong.


                      When Hong Kong was just the most expensive city in the world (US$10,000-$50,000 monthly rents), and slots in English-language schools ($100,000 p.a.) couldn't be had for love or (more) money, banks and MNCs put staff in Singapore, because it was a ... an option, if not a good one.

                      When China cracked down, they said “we're not political; we're just here for the business.”

                      When those extremely expensive ex-pats can't fly around the region every week, there is very little reason to keep a large presence in the city. Sure, the banking system is the only world-class one in the Asian half of the world. But, the legal system is no longer in the same ranks, and the quality of life is not nearly up to what it was Back in the Day.

                      We left in late 2015, partly for non-HK reasons, and partly because the Sinofication was making it very difficult to see much of a future.

                      Trust me?
                      I'm an economist!

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by DOR View Post
                        That's three current heavy hitters he's worked closely with, which implies that he is probably not speaking out of turn. And, it should be noted that on July 5 last year, Qiu issued a standard commentary on Xi Jinping's July 1, 2021, speech, with multiple mentions of Xi's name.[/FONT]
                        If XJP wins his third term, he is going to weaken China in the long term.

                        XJP will be 'our man' in Beijing

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by Double Edge View Post

                          If XJP wins his third term, he is going to weaken China in the long term.

                          XJP will be 'our man' in Beijing
                          That's like saying Mao Zedong was a peasant nationalist, and just wanted to be a friend of America.
                          Trust me?
                          I'm an economist!

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                          • BBC News

                            June 4, 2023

                            Tiananmen Square: Hong Kong police detain activists on anniversary of massacre

                            … “Among those detained was 67-year-old Alexandra Wong, a prominent campaigner nicknamed "Grandma Wong". Amid a tense evening in Hong Kong, she was arrested while carrying flowers near Victoria Park, ...”


                            Vicious, regime threatening FLOWERS ??



                            https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-65803053
                            Trust me?
                            I'm an economist!

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                            • Originally posted by DOR View Post
                              BBC News

                              Vicious, regime threatening FLOWERS ??



                              https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-65803053
                              Probably roses, those thorns might injure a party member.
                              If you are emotionally invested in 'believing' something is true you have lost the ability to tell if it is true.

                              Comment


                              • A note on Hong Kong Newspeak...

                                "Broadcasters need not be 'impartial' in programs involving national education, national identity and the national security law, the Communications Authority suggested, as television and radio stations may breach the law if they try to include opposing views in an effort to appear balanced."
                                Trust me?
                                I'm an economist!

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