Collected Pekingnology newsletters in 2021 & some thankful words
And Christmas fundraising for cat residents at Xinhua
This newsletter lists every piece that Pekingnology published so far in 2021, in reverse chronological order. The top ten most-read ones are highlighted. Hope it will come in handy for you.
Before that, your Pekingnologist wishes to thank every one of you who has apparently spent some of your precious time reading this newsletter. While fully aware of my limitations, the original inspiration of Pekingnology remains the same - a good-faith, serious newsletter that strives to provide added value on China and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of China, or, in the more official language, helps shape 一个真实、立体、全面的中国 a true, multi-dimensional, and panoramic view of China.
Your Pekingnologist would also like to use this opportunity to refresh the invitation for your feedback. Your comment on the newsletter, opinion on a certain matter, recommendation on subjects that shall be covered, etc. are all welcome. Please feel free to write to zichenwanghere AT gmail DOT com, or just reply to this email.
Your Pekingnologist happens to be a cat lover and is taking the opportunity to raise some funds for the cat residents within the walls of Xinhua News Agency. Please note they are not “China state-affiliated cats” and Xinhua has no relation whatsoever to this fundraising - it just happens to be where the cats reside.
Below are pictures of some truly brilliant souvenirs made in the cats’ image coupled with their residence. I swear they make very good New Year gifts. The souvenirs can be shipped within the PRC. We the (unofficial) cat lovers have a store on WeChat, which you can shop by yourself but unfortunately, that isn’t accessible outside the app. So write me an email to directly purchase some of the souvenirs, or get my WeChat there and do your own shopping. That will be highly appreciated. And I mean it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
December
The reflection of a Chinese idealist in Africa
From Tsinghua to Tanzania, civil engineer Dr. Cao Fengze reviews his journey to Africa and how it has changed his life
Sun Yang's training on his own in an open-to-public facility likely legit, says lawyer
Hunter Shen, a lawyer through the State Bar of Texas, who also goes by the Chinese pen name 赵括 ZHAO Kuo, wrote an English-language analysis on his personal WeChat blog in response to reports alleged that China’s famous swimmer Sun Yang’s has violated his suspension terms.
Presentation of PKU's half-year research on China's "platform economy"
Prof. Huang Yiping with the Peking University gave a presentation on innovation and supervision of China’s platform economy, with detailed comments about opportunities and challenges brought by the Big Tech companies.
Xi's speech to Chinese writers & artists
A partial translation of the readout of Xi’s speech on the 11th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 10th National Congress of the Chinese Writers Association
Central Economic Work Conference readout & notes
A near-full translation and analysis of the readout of the annual Central Economic Work Conference immediately
Justin Yifu Lin on China's reform path and "shock therapy"
A translation of an article by Prof. 林毅夫 Justin Yifu Lin, former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank, talking about the “Collapse of China” narrative.
Four Major Changes in China’s Overall Social Structure
Senior Tsinghua social scientist, Li Qiang, dived into changes in China’s overall social structure
Chinese securities regulator responds to new SEC rules on listing in U.S.
China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) released a statement in response to the adoption of final amendments to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules implementing the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act of 2020 (HFCAA)
New govt rule impacting dynamics between ride-hailing platforms and drivers
Eight Chinese ministries led by the Ministry of Transportation published an opinion on strengthening the protection of worker’s rights of transportation business such as Didi
November
What if China "opens up" like the U.S. and Britain on COVID?
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a paper to evaluate the corresponding consequences if China “opens up to” the virus like many countries do
Beijing's lingering concerns for Washington's macroeconomic policy
In the past year or so, key Chinese officials, former officials, and scholars in economics have publicly highlighted their concerns for Washington's macroeconomic policies
Prof. Zheng Yongnian: SOEs driving force for China-U.S. trade, not an impediment
Prof. Zheng from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) talks about the importance of China’s SOEs
Beijing‘s consensus with Washington on media issues
China and the United States reached three points of consensus on media issues before the video meeting between the heads of state on November 16th
Rapid roundup of the Xi-Biden video summit
A translation of the readout of the two state leaders’ virtual meeting
China's ex-securities regulator on green finance
Xiao Gang, former CSRC head, elaborated his vision for a financial system toward China's carbon goals
Transcript: Chinese Climate Envoy's press conference at COP 26
Xie Zhenhua's answers on the climate crisis to journalists in Glasgow
Govt procurement: Finance Ministry reiterates foreign-invested companies must not be discriminated
Notice on the implementation of policies related to the equal treatment of domestic and foreign-invested enterprises in government procurement activities
Ministry of State Security revealed three data security breaches
A foreign spy agency hacked multiple Chinese airlines
October
What's the Baumol Effect that Vice Premier Liu He recently mentioned and how to overcome it
Jiang Xiaojuan, former Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council, wrote an article about a concept mentioned by Politburo Member and Vice Premier Liu He.
Tump's WeChat ban cost United States $900k in legal fees to plaintiffs
Biden Admin's lawyers settled with the U.S. WeChat Users Alliance
Yan Xuetong's criticism & suggestions on China's international relations studies
Top IR scholar preaches “more on academics, less on policy and online fame”
Tsinghua scholar advocates progressive carbon tax in China
Jiandong Ju, Unigroup Chair Professor at PBC School of Finance in Tsinghua University, talked about why he thinks a carbon market alone is insufficient to stimulate Chinese market entities towards carbon neutrality and his proposal of a progressive carbon tax
Sinopec's vision under China's carbon peak & neutrality goals
Ma Yongsheng, Director of the Board and President of Sinopec Group, talked about reaching the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals in China
Senior executive at battery giant CATL on power storage, lithium, etc.
Meng Xiangfeng, a senior executive of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited, elaborated on battery development and power storage system
A nuanced reading of "reduce non-medically necessary abortions"
Painting a more complete picture of China’s abortion policies
Senior ex-diplomat suggests fine-tuning China's nuclear weapons policy
Full speech on arms control made by China’s former Chief negotiator of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
Guest Post: Does Chinese funding really account for more than 70% of all coal plants built today?
Tan Hao, Associate Professor at Newcastle Business School, wrote his opinion on China’s withdrawal from overseas coal-fired projects
September
Comprehensive Q&A on China's power supply, electricity rationing, etc.
The National Development and Reform Commission explained in detail about measures that China is taking to address the supply of energy
China National Nuclear Power appeals for bigger role in carbon neutrality
Lu Tiezhong, head of China National Nuclear Power Co., LTD., talked about nuclear power development
Huawei founder's farewell remarks to Honor
Huawei’s outlook for the future with Honor
New rule makes preserving history a top priority in cities & villages
Chinese government’s vision on the protection of historical and cultural heritage
New regulation signals China to add fewer skyscrapers
Chinese authority solicited public opinions on a draft regulatory document that will significantly de-incentivize building skyscrapers
End of an era in China's urbanization & beginning of a new one
China’s breathtaking urbanization is now shifting gears
Mr. Ren Zhengfei went to Moscow
A translation of Ren’s article on his journey to Russia
Chinese vaccines and strategy on the Delta variant
China’s two key tools against Delta variant
August
(New) labor rules for gig workers & Big Tech in China
Guidelines on protecting the rights and interests of workers in new forms of employment
Did 'the Wuhan lab' spend $606 mln on air conditioning/ventilation?
What WashPo and WSJ opinion pages didn't catch
Connecting some of the dots before Meituan sheds $60 bln in valuation
How Chinese government ensure the right of delivery men
Wuhan Institute of Virology was under cyberattack. Three WIV employees allegedly being sick?
Some other information on COVID-19 origin tracing
July
The Chinese side of the COVID data withdrawal controversy
A talk with a Wuhan University researcher about the mysterious withdrawal of early COVID-19 sequencing data from a U.S. database
Why did Wuhan University researchers delete COVID-19 data at NIH?
The Chinese side of the story about the deletion of early COVID-19 sequencing data
Ren Zhengfei's trip to the U.S. almost three decades ago
A translation of Ren’s article where he recounted his trip to the United States
How Ren Zhengfei grew up, in the Huawei founder's own writing
A deep dive into the family background of Huawei’s founder
June
Former Deputy Secretary-General of State Council on foreign investment, WTO, industrial policy, etc.
A selected translations of the Academic Autobiography of Jiang Xiaojuan
How geopolitics imposes test on AIIB as a multilateral institution
Speeches made by China’s three top financial regulators
Xi Jinping's speech on science & tech on May 28, 2021
Xi’s speech to top scientists & engineers (Academicians) and China Association for Science and Technology
May
"Rapid appreciation of the RMB is not sustainable"
Sheng Songcheng, professor of China Europe International Business School and former director of the Department of Investigation and Statistics of the People's Bank of China, talked about the appreciation of the RMB
Fmr Central Bank Governor Zhou on Digital Currency & Electronic Payment (DC/EP)
Zhou Xiaochuan, the former governor of the People’s Bank of China from 2002 to 2018, gave a detailed speech on China’s DC/EP (Digital Currency Electronic Payment)
Round-up of recent China news
An offline event with a group of foreign diplomats on Huawei
Wang Jun, an associate professor with the China University of Political Science and Law, on Huawei's Ownership & Governance Structure
In Xi's own words: What's "dual circulation?" Why it's New Development Stage?
Internal speech to senior Party cadres now in public view
April
Fake Twitter accounts impersonate Chinese media journalists overseas
Some fake Twitter accounts who claim to belong to Chinese overseas journalist
On Ant Group and 34 tech companies: analyzing 2 latest official meeting readouts
meeting readouts between financial regulators and Ant Group and 34 tech companies
Beijing's anti-monopoly findings on Alibaba: a deep dive
A complimentary reading of Beijing’s anti-monopoly movement
Ex-govt spokesperson Zhao Qizheng on China's external messaging
A speech by Zhao Qizheng, former Director of the State Council Information Office, on the preparation of authoring a 14th Five-Year Plan for China Media Group (ENG)
De-facto stern warning from Beijing towards Tokyo ahead of Suga's meeting with Biden
Beijing has drawn its red lines
Josh Rogin's WashPo column & book misrepresents a U.S. diplomatic cable from Wuhan
A piece in response to a Washington Post Opinion Column
March
Beijing's pivotal commitment to carbon peak & carbon neutrality
The floodgates of support for renewable energy have been opened
Meeting on "Platform Economy" and new SAMR rule on e-commerce
Translation on a key meeting involving the Platform Economy and a key document governing e-commerce
Select translations of 14th FYP draft -Third/Final Part
This is the Final part of a three-part series of SELECT translations of the draft of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035
Part II of select translations of 14th FYP (2021-2025) and Objectives through 2035
This is Part II of a three-part series of SELECT translations of the draft of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035
Select translations of the 14th FYP (2021-2025) and Objectives through 2035 - Part I
This is Part I of a three-part series of SELECT translations of the draft of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035
Highlights in recent extraordinarily frequent press briefings ahead of Two Sessions
Highlights of press briefings inviting ministers before the start of Two Sessions
"Suggestions" and "Proposals" from Two Sessions
Going through some institutional arrangements related to the Two Sessions
February
The "Spirit" of the 5th Plenum 五中全会精神
New Development Stage, Philosophy, and Paradigm
Prof. Balding has (apparently) responded to this newsletter on Huawei
The voice from both sides should be heard
Who Really Owns Huawei? A response to Professors Balding and Clarke
Examining the historic and legal context in 10,000-word detail
January
Beijing to Chinese consumers: imported food on the market is safe, BUT
BUT there's an abundance of caution
Top financial regulator refutes “state capitalism” accusation, directly
The most direct and detailed rebuttal by a senior Chinese official of the popular narrative that China engages in “state capitalism”
(RESEND END)Putting Anne-Marie Brady's and Adrian Zenz's characterization of Gao Wei into context
(RESEND PART 1)Putting Anne-Marie Brady's and Adrian Zenz's characterization of Gao Wei into context
Fact-checking unfair allegations against Prof. Gao Wei in New Zealand
Kissinger in the New Era, who will it be?
The balance of power between the two countries has significantly changed, posing a different set of challenges to build consensus between the two capitals
People's Daily commentary hints at building a firewall for HK elections
The People’s Daily on WeChat released a scathing criticism (CHN) against Hong Kong’s current election system
One crucial thing missing from press reports
A practical guide to China's 29 ”national high-end think tanks”
Come with a google sheet of them
Xinhua published unusual Op-Ed with unfamiliar byline and explicit calls, apparently signaling Biden
About an unusual Op-Ed with an unfamiliar byline and explicit calls
Death sentence for Lai Xiaomin and round-up of recent under-reported China news
A round-up of some recent China news that went under-reported or under-analyzed
Is there gonna be war in the Taiwan Strait? A first-person Xinhua dispatch from Taipei
No war-mongering, but how the mainland sees the clouds over the Taiwan Strait in 2020
After microchips, what's the next big (small) thing on Beijing's self-reliance list?
Implications for Dupont, Monsanto, Syngenta, and genetic modification in agriculture
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