Xi's speech to Chinese writers & artists

Reading Wednesday's People's Daily front page

Many of you have probably heard - if you haven’t, take a look - of Tracking People's Daily by Manoj Kewalramani, so today Bofei Zheng, a colleague and temporary contributor to this newsletter has been invited by your Pekingnologist to try something similar - help you read the front page of the People’s Daily. (As it happens, Manoj hasn’t published yet today.)

This year was full of sensational controversies, scandals, and regulatory moves regarding Chinese cultural and entertainment celebrities. Quite some regulations have been released by the Chinese authorities, including a notice in September by the Department of Publicity of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee to put the brake on unregulated fandom of celebrities and strengthen the regulation on tax evasion, eye-boggling payment to celebrities and “immoral” practices of celebrities, which Beijing is apparently determined to stop, not least for preventing them from becoming models for minors.

With this in mind, the 11th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 10th National Congress of the Chinese Writers Association, where Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech at their opening ceremony, is in the news - the headline on the front page of the CPC flagship newspaper on Wednesday.

In perhaps the first public speech this year on the subject, Xi Jinping’s speech is condensed in a readout and positioned in the headline. The Chinese leader’s full speech is posted on the second page.

The content will guide the regulation and development of this sector, and here are some summaries (not full translations). It’s worth mentioning that the writers, singers, and other artists are typically called 文艺工作者 officially in China, which can be literally translated as “literary and art workers” - the term used below.

Getting tired of repeating this but please note again this newsletter doesn’t represent anybody else but your Pekingnologist.

习近平给广大文艺工作者提出5点希望。一是心系民族复兴伟业，热忱描绘新时代新征程的恢宏气象；二是坚守人民立场，书写生生不息的人民史诗；三是坚持守正创新，用跟上时代的精品力作开拓文艺新境界；四是用情用力讲好中国故事，向世界展现可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象；五是坚持弘扬正道，在追求德艺双馨中成就人生价值。

Xi named five expectations for the literary and art workers.

First, literary and art workers should base their work on the achievements of the New Era and commit themselves to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Second, stick to the people-centered position writing epics and singing for the people.

Third, uphold the principle of making innovation while remaining on the correct orientation, and remains up to speed with the times with fine works.

Forth, tell the Chinese story well, presenting a reliable, admirable, and respectable image of China to the world.

Fifth, advocate the right and virtuous path by pursuing the virtue of moral integrity and artistic appeal.　 

广大文艺工作者要深刻把握民族复兴的时代主题，把人生追求、艺术生命同国家前途、民族命运、人民愿望紧密结合起来……把握历史进程和时代大势，反映中华民族的千年巨变，揭示百年中国的人间正道，弘扬以爱国主义为核心的民族精神和以改革创新为核心的时代精神，弘扬伟大建党精神，唱响昂扬的时代主旋律

Concerning the point of the focus on the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation Xi said that literary and art workers should firmly combine their life goals and career with the fate of the country, the nation, and the people.

They should base their work on the historical change and development trend of this era, reflect the gigantic change of the Chinese nation over thousands of years, reveal the right path that Chinese people chose in the past one hundred years, and advocate for the national spirit with the core of patriotism and the spirit of reform and innovation in this era.

Literary and art workers should also advocate the Great Founding Spirit of the CPC and publicize the underlying values of the era.

习近平强调，源于人民、为了人民、属于人民，是社会主义文艺的根本立场，也是社会主义文艺繁荣发展的动力所在。文艺要对人民创造历史的伟大进程给予最热情的赞颂，对一切为中华民族伟大复兴奋斗的拼搏者、一切为人民牺牲奉献的英雄们给予最深情的褒扬。广大文艺工作者要坚持以人民为中心的创作导向，创作更多满足人民文化需求和增强人民精神力量的优秀作品，让文艺的百花园永远为人民绽放。不仅要让人民成为作品的主角，而且要把自己的思想倾向和情感同人民融为一体，为时代和人民放歌。要发扬中国文艺追求向上向善的优良传统，用思想深刻、清新质朴、刚健有力的优秀作品滋养人民的审美观价值观，使人民在精神生活上更加充盈起来。

Xi said that socialist literature and art should be from the people, for the people, of the people, which is the fundamental principle and essence to achieve prosperity. Socialist literature and art should hail the great historic achievement realized by the people with full passion, praise the people endeavoring for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, honor heroes making the sacrifice for the wellbeing of the people with the deepest affection.

Literary and art workers should stick to the people-centered orientation and create more outstanding artistic work fulfilling the people’s demand of cultural products and enhancing their spiritual power, allowing the literature and art to blossom for the people.

The people should not only become the main role of their compositions but also an integral part of their beliefs and emotion. Literary and art workers should promote the virtuous tradition of Chinese literature and art by pursuing the upright and kind virtues, cultivate a sense of beauty and values by creating artistic work which is deep in thinking, fresh and simple, strong, thus further enriching the spiritual life of the people.　　

习近平指出，衡量一个时代的文艺成就最终要看作品，衡量文学家、艺术家的人生价值也要看作品。广大文艺工作者要精益求精、勇于创新，努力创作无愧于我们这个伟大民族、伟大时代的优秀作品。要把提高质量作为文艺作品的生命线，不断提升作品的精神能量、文化内涵、艺术价值。要挖掘中华优秀传统文化的思想观念、人文精神、道德规范，把艺术创造力和中华文化价值融合起来，把中华美学精神和当代审美追求结合起来，激活中华文化生命力。要把握传承和创新的关系，学古不泥古、破法不悖法，让中华优秀传统文化成为文艺创新的重要源泉。要正确运用新的技术、新的手段，激发创意灵感、丰富文化内涵、表达思想情感，使文艺创作呈现更有内涵、更有潜力的新境界。　　

Xi said that to measure literary and artistic achievements of an era ultimately depends on the works; to measure the value of literary scholars and artists also depends on their work. Literary and art workers should strive for excellence, innovation, and strive to create excellent works that fit in this great nation and great era.

The improvement of the quality of literary and artistic works is the lifeline of the works, literary and art workers should constantly improve the spiritual energy, cultural connotation, artistic value of their work, tap into the ideology, humanistic spirit, and moral norms of the excellent Chinese traditional culture, integrate artistic creativity with Chinese cultural values, combine the spirit of Chinese aesthetics with contemporary aesthetic pursuits, and spur the vitality of Chinese culture.

Literary and art workers should properly handle the relationship between inheritance and innovation by learning from the past, but not in a rigid manner, making innovation on the premise of not breaking the laws of culture, so that the excellent Chinese traditional culture can become an important source of innovation in literature and art.

New technologies and methods shall be employed to stimulate creative inspiration, enrich the cultural connotation and express ideas and emotions.

习近平强调 …… 传播当代中国价值观念、反映全人类共同价值追求的优秀作品。要立足中国大地，讲好中国故事，塑造更多为世界所认知的中华文化形象，努力展示一个生动立体的中国，为推动构建人类命运共同体谱写新篇章。要坚守中华文化立场，同世界各国文学家、艺术家开展交流。要重视发展民族化的艺术内容和形式，继承发扬民族民间文学艺术传统，拓展风格流派、形式样式，在世界文学艺术领域鲜明确立中国气派、中国风范。　　

Xi Jinping stressed that contemporary Chinese literature and art should spread contemporary Chinese values, reflect the common values pursued by all mankind, tell the Chinese story based on the Chinese land, and develop more widely-known cultural Chinese images to the world, strive to show a vivid and comprehensive China and a new chapter for building a human community with a shared destiny.

Xi asks for the literary and art workers to communicate with writers and artists all around the world based on the stance of the Chinese culture, saying it’s important to pay attention to developing artistic content and forms of the Chinese nations, inheriting and promoting the tradition of national folk culture, expanding its genres, forms, and styles, and establishing the Chinese style in the world’s literature and art sphere.

习近平指出……广大文艺工作者要把个人的道德修养、社会形象与作品的社会效果统一起来……文艺要通俗，但决不能庸俗、低俗、媚俗。文艺要生活，但决不能成为不良风气的制造者、跟风者、鼓吹者。文艺要创新，但决不能搞光怪陆离、荒腔走板的东西。文艺要效益，但决不能沾染铜臭气、当市场的奴隶。创作要靠心血，表演要靠实力，形象要靠塑造，效益要靠品质，名声要靠德艺。广大文艺工作者要珍惜自己的社会影响，认真严肃地考虑作品的社会效果。一个文艺工作者如果品行不端，人民不会接受，时代也不会接受！不自重就得不到尊重！广大文艺工作者要讲品位、讲格调、讲责任，堂堂正正做人、清清白白做事，歌颂真善美、针砭假恶丑。要弘扬行风艺德，营造自尊自爱、互学互鉴、天朗气清的行业风气。

Xi said that literary and art workers should be mindful of the connection between their virtue, social images, and the social impact of their work. Literature and art should be popular but not vulgar. Literature and art must be close to life but must not become a creator, follower, and advocate of bad social influence. Literary work and arts have to be innovative but should never engage in strange and ridiculous things. Nothing wrong between literature and art and economic returns, but they cannot be all about money or become a slave to the market. Creation depends on the heart and soul, good performance relies on ability, positive social image depends on hard work, economic returns depends on quality, fame depends on moral integrity. Literary and art workers should cherish their social influence, take the social impact of their works into serious consideration. A literary and art worker who does not have moral integrity will not be accepted by the people or by the times! Those who don't respect themselves won’t get any respect from others! 

(Note the exclamation marks, which were used in the original Chinese readout.)

Literary and art workers should take their artistic taste, style, and social responsibility seriously. They should remain righteous and uncorrupted, praise the truthfulness, goodness, and beauty and criticize the falsehood and ugliness. They shall promote moral integrity integrated into the literature and art sectors, and form a culture of guarding self-dignity, advocating mutual learning and mutual understanding, promoting a clear and pristine ethos of the industry.

习近平强调，繁荣发展社会主义文艺、建设社会主义文化强国，需要在党的领导下，广泛团结凝聚爱国奉献的文艺工作者，培养造就一大批德才兼备的文学家、艺术家。中国文联、中国作协要发挥文联、作协系统的组织优势，创新工作体系，做好对新的文艺组织和新的文艺群体的教育引导工作，向基层文艺工作者倾斜，用事业激励人才，让人才成就事业……要识才、爱才、敬才、用才，引导青年文艺工作者守正道、走大道，鼓励他们多创新、出精品，支持他们挑大梁、当主角，让当代中国文学家、艺术家像泉水一样奔涌而出，让中国文艺的天空更加群星灿烂。

Xi said that the prosperity and development of socialist literature and art and the construction of a socialist culture in China should depend on the need to unite the patriotic and dedicated literary and art workers under the leadership of the Party, and nourish a large number of talented writers and artists.

China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and China Writers' Association should play an important role in the work of organizing, innovating their work systems, educating and guiding new literary and art organizations and groups, providing more resources to grassroots literary and art workers, motivating more talent with a righteous cause to achieve their career goals.

It’s important to recognize, cherish, respect, and utilize talent and encourage young literary and art workers to adhere to and take the right path, and incentivize them to be more innovative and produce more high-quality products. They should be encouraged to take the lead, become the main character so that contemporary Chinese writers and artists will emerge like springs gushing, adding more stars to the sky of Chinese literature and art.

Here is the English-language report of this speech by Xinhua.

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Apart from Xi’s speech, today’s front page also features the condolence message Xi extends to his U.S. counterpart at a prominent position - above the headline on the right. This is the first message since their virtual meeting sent by Xi to Biden last month. In the message, Xi expressed his condolences to Biden over the disastrous tornado that ripped through the central continental U.S, on behalf of the Chinese government and people. Here is it in English by Xinhua.

Also on the front page is a readout of the virtual meeting between Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and parliament speaker of Moldova, Igor Grosu. Xinhua has an English version.

Lastly, the front page includes a commentary by the People’s Daily’s own editorial writers on the Central Economic Work Conference. Here is the Pekingnology newsletter published shortly after the key meeting, now over 7,600 views.

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Again, if you haven’t, check out Manoj Kewalramani’s Tracking People's Daily substack. He was also a guest at the podcast Pekingology - which precedes, is NOT related to, and spells differently from this Pekingnology newsletter - by Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS.

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Lastly, you are welcome to watch the Documentary | Inside China: A Discovery Tour hosted by my colleague and friend Miao Xiaojuan. She took three Americans - including China Twitter personality Shaun Rein, who follows ZERO people on Twitter and some of you probably have heard of or dealt with him - to 13 cities, 7 counties, and 10 villages - or in the words of its introduction on YouTube “across the nation to learn what the Chinese people have to say about their lives.”

And let’s be adults here - the documentary, despite not mentioning the Summit for Democracy, was released at a time to coincide with it.

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One last bit: in the coming days, Pekingnology will publish translations of three extensive Chinese expert analyses on China’s tech development and regulation, a translation of an interesting self-reflection from some Ph.D. holder who flew himself from the top of the Chinese ivory tower to a construction site in Africa, and an original argument with a mainstream media report over some unreliable numbers quoted in a China-related report - please take your seat and fasten your seatbelt.

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Please note the About page and “Welcome email” of this newsletter have been updated, mainly to add the second picture down there.