"Xi Jinping’s Marathon Speech: Five Takeaways https://t.co/j5a0von3gm
1. XI SPOKE FOR 205 MINUTES: BEIJING — "As Xi Jinping’s first five-year term as China’s leader ends, he gave himself a shining report card on Wednesday — and a big to-do list for his next five years. Speaking at the start of a Communist Party congress in Beijing, Mr. Xi gave a work report that summed up his achievements so far, while also laying out where he wants to take China in his second term, which starts after this congress. Sitting at a podium before 2,300 delegates, he spoke for 205 minutes, long enough that his predecessor, Hu Jintao, pointed at his watch when Mr. Xi finally finished."
2. XI BELIEVES CHINA IS ON CUSP OF GREATNESS: "Mr. Xi did not mention Donald Trump or North Korea or other specific policy headaches. Party congresses are held every five years, and always start with China’s leader giving a work report that is a broad outline of policy, not a detailed blueprint. Even so, Mr. Xi’s priorities shone through. This is a leader who believes China is on the cusp of greatness, but who worries about domestic security threats and maintaining ideological control."
"Here are some key takeaways from Mr. Xi’s report:"
3. SOUNDER ECONOMIC FOOTING BY CONTAINING FINANCIAL RISKS, ENCOURAGING INNOVATION AND INCREASING CONSUMER SPENDING: "Mr. Xi said he would put China on a sounder economic footing by containing financial risks, encouraging innovation and increasing consumer spending. But he also refrained from calling for the liberalizing overhauls that earlier leaders like Deng Xiaoping used to bring China roaring growth in the 1980s and ’90s."
4. LESS EMPHASIS ON MARKET: "Since then, the Chinese leadership’s enthusiasm for allowing market forces to pick winners and losers has wilted as social inequalities have grown, and Mr. Xi’s speech confirmed that trend. He used the word “market” only 19 times, compared to 24 times by Mr. Hu at the previous congress in 2012, and 51 times by then-President Jiang Zemin at the congress in 1997.
5. MAKE STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES BIGGER, MORE EFFICIENT: "Mr. Xi emphasized making state-owned enterprises stronger and bigger, yet more efficient. He also called for stricter regulation of banks and other parts of the financial system amid a surge of borrowing by companies and local governments. But he did not mention using market tools like improving the disclosure of information by banks and companies alike, which many economists advocate."
6. BREAK UP MONOPOLIES: "Still, Mr. Xi did raise some points dear to economic reformers. He called for breaking up monopolies, even though he oversaw the merger of the two largest rail equipment manufacturers to prevent them from competing against each other for overseas projects. And he made a fleeting promise to “support the growth of private businesses.”
7. CHINA GREAT POWER: "Throughout his speech, Mr. Xi described China as a “great power” or a “strong power” 26 times, a clear departure from the days when leaders in Beijing depicted their country as a poor, modest player abroad. “China will continue to play its part as a major and responsible country,” Mr. Xi said."
8. ONE BELT, ONE ROAD: "Mr. Xi said China was committed to supporting international cooperation, global economic integration and the developing world. He also highlighted his trademark “One Belt, One Road” initiative to build roads, railways and other infrastructure projects that solidify Chinese economic and political influence."
9. CALLED CHINA’S BUILDING OF ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA A HIGHLIGHT OF HIS FIRST FIVE YEARS: "BUT Mr. Xi also took a hard line on some issues. Near the start of his report, he called China’s building of artificial islands in the South China Sea a highlight of his first five years, despite the fact that they have raised tensions with other Asian countries, and the United States Navy."
10. GIRD FOR POSSIBLE CONFLICT. BY MIDCENTURY, HE SAID, CHINA’S MILITARY WOULD BE FIRST CLASS IN EVERY WAY: "Mr. Xi also warned that China had to gird for possible conflict. Having reorganized China’s military during his first term, Mr. Xi promised more changes in the next five years, including greater professionalization of officers and more innovation in weaponry. By midcentury, he said, China’s military would be first class in every way, though he did not give details of what that meant."
11. MILITARY BUILT TO FIGHT: “A military is built to fight,” Mr. Xi said. “Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work, and focus on how to win when it is called on.”
12. HONG KONG, MACAU: "Just days ago, soccer fans in Hong Kong angered many in mainland China by turning their backs to the Chinese national flag during the playing of China’s national anthem. The show of disrespect was the latest sign of the deep unhappiness at Beijing’s opposition to full-fledged democracy in the former British colony, where there are even calls for independence from China.
In his speech, Mr. Xi said that Hong Kong and nearby Macau, a former Portuguese colony, can govern themselves, but only “with patriots playing the principal role.” He also called for the return of Taiwan, a self-governing island, to mainland Chinese control, before delivering the line that won the loudest applause of his marathon speech: “We will never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China.”
13. RISKS FROM SOCIAL TENSIONS CREATED BY DECADES OF RAPID GROWTH: "WHILE Mr. Xi’s report described a more confident, engaged China abroad, it also dwelled on the risks from social tensions created by decades of rapid growth. While Mr. Xi has tightened China’s already strict controls on protest, dissent and unrest, he warned that the sources of social discontent were changing in ways that demanded new responses."
“What we now face is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life,” Mr. Xi said. He said improving people’s lives included reducing pollution, improving schools and health care, and ensuring fairer access to courts and the justice system.
14. NATIONAL SECURITY COMMISSION, A SECRETIVE BODY THAT HELPS STEER DOMESTIC SECURITY. "BUT keeping China under control requires sticks as well as carrots, Mr. Xi told delegates. Mr. Xi has already established a National Security Commission, a secretive body that helps steer domestic security. China would further “improve the national security system, and strengthen national security capacity,” he said."
15. CONTROL OF INTERNET: "To do that, Mr. Xi promised more efforts to control the internet, including the use of censorship to “clearly oppose and resist the whole range of erroneous viewpoints.”
16. LEADING CHINA INTO A NEW ERA
17. “SECURE A DECISIVE VICTORY IN BUILDING A MODERATELY PROSPEROUS SOCIETY IN ALL RESPECTS AND STRIVE FOR THE GREAT SUCCESS OF SOCIALISM WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS FOR A NEW ERA.”
Among the many slogans used by Mr. Xi, one stood out. Time and again, Mr. Xi said China had entered a “new era” under his stewardship, and the phrase also featured in the long-winded title of his report:
“It will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage,” Mr. Xi said."
“It will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage,” Mr. Xi said."
Mr. Xi also made clear that he was the best leader to guide China into this new era. By using that phrase and others like it, Mr. Xi appeared to be making the case that he was to this new era what iconic Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping had been in their times.
Mr. Xi also held out China as a model for the new era, saying his country had developed its economy without imitating Western values. “It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence,” he said.
BEIJING — As Xi Jinping’s first five-year term as China’s leader ends, he gave himself a shining report card on Wednesday — and a big to-do list for his next five years. Speaking at the start of a Communist Party congress in Beijing, Mr. Xi gave a work report that summed up his achievements so far, while also laying out where he wants to take China in his second term, which starts after this congress. Sitting at a podium before 2,300 delegates, he spoke for 205 minutes, long enough that his predecessor, Hu Jintao, pointed at his watch when Mr. Xi finally finished.
Mr. Xi did not mention Donald Trump or North Korea or other specific policy headaches. Party congresses are held every five years, and always start with China’s leader giving a work report that is a broad outline of policy, not a detailed blueprint. Even so, Mr. Xi’s priorities shone through. This is a leader who believes China is on the cusp of greatness, but who worries about domestic security threats and maintaining ideological control. Here are some key takeaways from Mr. Xi’s report:
Economic Changes, Not Market Reforms
Mr. Xi said he would put China on a sounder economic footing by containing financial risks, encouraging innovation and increasing consumer spending. But he also refrained from calling for the liberalizing overhauls that earlier leaders like Deng Xiaoping used to bring China roaring growth in the 1980s and ’90s.
Since then, the Chinese leadership’s enthusiasm for allowing market forces to pick winners and losers has wilted as social inequalities have grown, and Mr. Xi’s speech confirmed that trend. He used the word “market” only 19 times, compared to 24 times by Mr. Hu at the previous congress in 2012, and 51 times by then-President Jiang Zemin at the congress in 1997.
Mr. Xi emphasized making state-owned enterprises stronger and bigger, yet more efficient. He also called for stricter regulation of banks and other parts of the financial system amid a surge of borrowing by companies and local governments. But he did not mention using market tools like improving the disclosure of information by banks and companies alike, which many economists advocate.
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Still, Mr. Xi did raise some points dear to economic reformers. He called for breaking up monopolies, even though he oversaw the merger of the two largest rail equipment manufacturers to prevent them from competing against each other for overseas projects. And he made a fleeting promise to “support the growth of private businesses.”
Foreign Policy and Military Modernization
Throughout his speech, Mr. Xi described China as a “great power” or a “strong power” 26 times, a clear departure from the days when leaders in Beijing depicted their country as a poor, modest player abroad. “China will continue to play its part as a major and responsible country,” Mr. Xi said.
Mr. Xi said China was committed to supporting international cooperation, global economic integration and the developing world. He also highlighted his trademark “One Belt, One Road” initiative to build roads, railways and other infrastructure projects that solidify Chinese economic and political influence.
But Mr. Xi also took a hard line on some issues. Near the start of his report, he called China’s building of artificial islands in the South China Sea a highlight of his first five years, despite the fact that they have raised tensions with other Asian countries, and the United States Navy.
Mr. Xi also warned that China had to gird for possible conflict. Having reorganized China’s military during his first term, Mr. Xi promised more changes in the next five years, including greater professionalization of officers and more innovation in weaponry. By midcentury, he said, China’s military would be first class in every way, though he did not give details of what that meant.
“A military is built to fight,” Mr. Xi said. “Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work, and focus on how to win when it is called on.”
Taiwan and Hong Kong
Just days ago, soccer fans in Hong Kong angered many in mainland China by turning their backs to the Chinese national flag during the playing of China’s national anthem. The show of disrespect was the latest sign of the deep unhappiness at Beijing’s opposition to full-fledged democracy in the former British colony, where there are even calls for independence from China.
In his speech, Mr. Xi said that Hong Kong and nearby Macau, a former Portuguese colony, can govern themselves, but only “with patriots playing the principal role.” He also called for the return of Taiwan, a self-governing island, to mainland Chinese control, before delivering the line that won the loudest applause of his marathon speech: “We will never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China.”
Security at Home, Too
While Mr. Xi’s report described a more confident, engaged China abroad, it also dwelled on the risks from social tensions created by decades of rapid growth. While Mr. Xi has tightened China’s already strict controls on protest, dissent and unrest, he warned that the sources of social discontent were changing in ways that demanded new responses.
“What we now face is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life,” Mr. Xi said. He said improving people’s lives included reducing pollution, improving schools and health care, and ensuring fairer access to courts and the justice system.
But keeping China under control requires sticks as well as carrots, Mr. Xi told delegates. Mr. Xi has already established a National Security Commission, a secretive body that helps steer domestic security. China would further “improve the national security system, and strengthen national security capacity,” he said.
To do that, Mr. Xi promised more efforts to control the internet, including the use of censorship to “clearly oppose and resist the whole range of erroneous viewpoints.”
Leading China Into a New Era
Among the many slogans used by Mr. Xi, one stood out. Time and again, Mr. Xi said China had entered a “new era” under his stewardship, and the phrase also featured in the long-winded title of his report: “Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.”
“It will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage,” Mr. Xi said.
Mr. Xi also made clear that he was the best leader to guide China into this new era. By using that phrase and others like it, Mr. Xi appeared to be making the case that he was to this new era what iconic Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping had been in their times.
Mr. Xi also held out China as a model for the new era, saying his country had developed its economy without imitating Western values. “It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence,” he said.
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