Oct 13, 2022 12 min read digest

Official China Digest #5: September 2022 Documents

A monthly list of official Chinese Party and state documents

Hi everyone,

From this issue we are adding the following categories of documents to the digest:

9c. Xi's Instructions and Written Comments 指示批示

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Zhǐshì 指示 and pīshì 批示 are both terms used by the Chinese Party-state to refer to instructions (in a general sense) from top leaders. Both are commonly translated as "instructions" by Chinese and international sources. This translation, however, fails to convey the different meanings they have in Chinese: zhǐshì refers to directives that can be verbal or written; pīshì refers to written directives, usually in the form of written comments on a document, such as a report submitted by a subordinate.

Hence, I prefer to translate Zhǐshì 指示 as "Instructions" and 批示 as "Written Comments" to distinguish the two.

In the Xi era, Xi's "Instructions" are all deemed "Important Instructions" (重要指示), and when the occasion warrants him to issue directives alongside Li Keqiang, then Xi's directives are labelled "Important Instructions" whereas Li's directives are labelled "Written Comments". Simply, the language used tells us about the power relativity between the two leaders. Indeed, in the Hu-Wen era, both leaders issued "Important Instructions" alongside each other.

Here is a concrete example of what I'm talking about:

Four hours after flight MU5735 plunged into a mountainous region in Guangxi on March 21, 2022, Xinhua put out a notice titled Xi Jinping issues important instructions on the Eastern Airlines passenger plane crash 习近平对东航客机坠毁作出重要指示. This notice contains directives from Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang on how officials should deal with the tragedy. The notice refers to Xi's directives as zhǐshì 指示 and Li's directives as pīshì 批示.

- Adam

1. Party Congress

The 20th Party Congress will be convened on October 16 (and most likely run until October 22).

2. Central Committee - plenums

The Seventh Plenum of the 19th Central Committee was held between October 9 and 12.

3. Central Committee and State Council - Central Documents (中央文件)

中共中央办公厅印发《推进领导干部能上能下规定》Rules on Promoting the Ability of Leading Cadres to Move Up and Down [Depending on Merit] (September 19)
中共中央国务院中央军委印发《关于加强和改进新时代全民国防教育工作的意见》 Opinions on Strengthening and Improving National Defence Education for All in the New Era (September 1)

4. Politburo

4a. Politburo meetings

中共中央政治局召开会议研究拟提请党的十九届七中全会讨论的文件审议《十九届中央政治局贯彻执行中央八项规定情况报告》《关于党的十九大以来整治形式主义为基层减负工作情况的报告》中共中央总书记习近平主持会议 Politburo meeting on the Seventh Plenum of the 19th Central Committee (September 9)

4b. Politburo Standing Committee meetings

4c. Politburo group study session

5. State Council - meetings

5a. State Council plenary meetings

5b. State Council executive meetings

李克强主持召开国务院常务会议决定对部分行政事业性收费和保证金实行阶段性缓缴进一步帮助市场主体减负纾困部署推进政务服务“跨省通办”扩面增效举措激发市场活力便利群众生活部署抓好秋粮收获和加强农业农村基础设施建设的措施确保秋收入库提升农业生产能力确定对政策支持商业化运营的个人养老金予以税收优惠满足多样化需求通过《促进个体工商户发展条例（草案）》 State Council Executive Meeting on reducing administrative and other fees (September 26)
李克强主持召开国务院常务会议听取国务院第九次大督查情况汇报要求狠抓政策落实推动经济回稳向上确定深入推进“一件事一次办”改革举措为企业和群众增便利确定强化交通物流保通保畅和支持相关市场主体纾困的政策支撑经济平稳运行通过《中华人民共和国行政复议法（修订草案）》 State Council Executive Meeting on inspections [with respect to economic support policies] and administrative law (September 21)
李克强主持召开国务院常务会议决定进一步延长制造业缓税补缴期限加力助企纾困确定专项再贷款与财政贴息配套支持部分领域设备更新改造扩市场需求增发展后劲部署进一步稳外贸稳外资的举措助力经济巩固恢复基础确定优化电子电器行业管理的措施降低制度性交易成本更大激发市场活力决定核准福建漳州二期和广东廉江一期核电项目要求确保绝对安全 State Council Executive Meeting on enterprise and market support (September 13)
李克强主持召开国务院常务会议部署加力支持就业创业的政策拓展就业空间培育壮大市场主体和经济新动能决定对部分领域设备更新改造贷款阶段性财政贴息和加大社会服务业信贷支持促进消费发挥主拉动作用部署阶段性支持企业创新的减税政策激励企业增加投入提升创新能力确定依法盘活地方专项债结存限额的举措更好发挥有效投资一举多得作用 State Council Executive Meeting on supporting the economy and employment (September 7)

6. State Council - documents (国发, 国办发, 公报)

6a. State Council guofa documents 国发

国务院关于支持山东深化新旧动能转换推动绿色低碳高质量发展的意见 Opinions of the State Council on Supporting Shandong in Deepening the Transformation From Old to New Energy to Promote Green, Low-Carbon and High-Quality Development (September 2)

6b. General Office of the State Council guobanfa documents 国办发

国务院办公厅关于对国务院第九次大督查发现的典型经验做法给予表扬的通报 Circular of the General Office of the State Council on the Commendation of the Model Experience and Practices Found During the Ninth Inspection of the State Council (September 28)
国务院办公厅关于深化电子电器行业管理制度改革的意见 Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Deepening the Reform of the Management System of the Electrical and Electronic Industry (September 23)
国务院办公厅关于进一步优化营商环境降低市场主体制度性交易成本的意见 Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Further Optimising the Business Environment and Reducing Systematic Transaction Costs for Market Entities (September 15)
国务院办公厅关于进一步加强商品过度包装治理的通知 Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Further Strengthening the Control of Excessive Packaging of Goods (September 8)

6c. State Council Gazette 国务院公报

2022/27 (September 30, 2022) [中文 | English]
2022/26 (September 20, 2022) [中文 | English]
2022/25 (September 10, 2022) [中文 | English]

7. State Council Information Office - Chinese government white papers

8. Central/national-level work conferences

9. Xi Jinping

9a. Xi's remarks

习近平会见C919大型客机项目团队代表并参观项目成果展览 Remarks while meeting representatives of the project team developing the Comac C919 aircraft and viewing the exhibition of project results (September 30)
习近平在参观“奋进新时代”主题成就展时强调踔厉奋发勇毅前行团结奋斗夺取中国特色社会主义新胜利 Remarks during visiting the exhibition Advancing Through the New Era at the Beijing Exhibition Centre (September 27)
习近平在上海合作组织成员国元首理事会第二十二次会议上的讲话 Speech at the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (September 16)
Build on the Past to Make Greater Strides in China-Kazakhstan Relations (September 13)
习近平主持召开中央全面深化改革委员会第二十七次会议强调健全关键核心技术攻关新型举国体制全面加强资源节约工作 Remarks during the 27th meeting of Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission (on the whole-of-nation approach to core technologies) (September 6)

9b. Xi's articles

坚持和发展中国特色社会主义要一以贯之 Socialism with Chinese characteristics Must Be Upheld And Developed Consistently (September 16)
新发展阶段贯彻新发展理念必然要求构建新发展格局 The Implementation of the New Development Concept in the New Development Stage Necessarily Requires the Construction of a New Development Pattern (September 1)

9c. Xi's Instructions and Written Comments 指示批示