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After several days without being seen in the media, Xi Jinping appears to have drawn up his agenda in the last week to ward off rumors of political weakening. On Wednesday (8), the Central Military Commission released a book containing “Xi Jinping’s views on strengthening and revitalizing the Chinese Armed Forces”.
According to a statement released by the official Xinhua news agency, the work seeks to “help all military personnel understand Xi’s thinking in a comprehensive and systematic way, strengthening political, ideological and action consciousness” in the Armed Forces.
State-owned publishers this week also published four books that chronicle “Xi Jinping’s experience in various parts of China.”
The works describe the activities carried out by the Chinese leader in Hebei, Fujian, Zhejiang and the city of Shanghai, showing, in the words of the government media, “the broad and long-term thinking, in addition to the sincere concern and the realistic, pragmatic and courageous” by Xi.
On Thursday (9), it was his turn to be photographed in Sichuan province, in the southwest of the country. State media reported an “inspection visit” in Meishan city. In a nod to tradition, he made a point of being registered in the villages of Yonfeng and San Su Ci, birthplace of famous Song Dynasty writer Su Xun.
In the afternoon, Xi visited farmers and advocated “development of high-end farmland that promotes rural revitalization and boosts grain production.”
why it matters: In recent weeks, rumors have grown of a possible internal power struggle between him and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. With personality cult strategies that have become so routine, Xi is trying to shake off any credibility ballast from speculation, which has grown during reactions to the Shanghai lockdown.
Propaganda actions concentrated in so few days have a clear objective: to show that he remains firm and strong in office, denying rumors of disagreements in the Communist Party.
what also matters
The Chinese Ministry of State Security offers a reward of up to R$73,000 to those who report “activities that jeopardize national security”. The government tries to find cases of foreign espionage, terrorism and sabotage.
The agency invited all citizens to “actively report” suspected cases. To get the top prize, the report must meet three requirements: (1) providing a clear and detailed target, (2) not already known to national security agencies, and (3) whose threat can be validated.
The ministry justified the decision by saying that “foreign intelligence agencies and hostile forces have significantly intensified their activities of infiltration and theft of secrets from China”, which justifies the urgency, given the complexity and gravity of the issue.
The joy of those who expected to see Beijing completely reopened after almost a month of restrictions brought about by the micron was short-lived. After two days of normality, the city recorded three new cases of Covid transmitted outside control areas.
According to the capital’s Center for Disease Control (CDC), all three infections are linked to a bar/supermarket in Chaoyang district, the city’s most upscale. The new focus was discovered after routine checks, as it has now become mandatory to carry out tests every 72 hours to gain access to enclosed spaces and public transport.
With the outbreak, bars, cafes, karaokes and indoor sports facilities are once again banned. Restaurants have escaped the new restrictions so far.
In the early hours of Friday (10), Beijing United Family Hospital, the city’s main international hospital, announced that it would cancel all appointments for the next few days due to a suspected contamination in its facilities the day before.
keep an eye out
Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense has announced that it will refurbish a naval military base with the support of the Chinese Armed Forces. According to the statement, China will help with the construction and renovation of “a number of structures, including a maintenance workshop, a slipway, a boat repair dock, and the electrical and sewage infrastructure, in addition to construction. of two new piers”.
Chinese Ambassador to the country Wang Wentian denied that China was building new bases in Southeast Asia and said he was “firmly opposed to moves by some countries to defame normal relations” between Beijing and Phnom Penh.
why it matters: China may have publicly assured that support will be more financial and technological than military, but the announcement leaves room for interpretation. In his speech celebrating the partnership, the ambassador did not fail to criticize Western countries that “use democracy as an excuse to interfere in Cambodia’s internal affairs.”
It sends an indirect message to the United States, which since the beginning of the Biden administration has done everything to limit Chinese influence in Southeast Asia, seen as a bastion of resistance to Beijing in the region.
to go deep
- The deadline for researchers in the field of sinology to send abstracts to the 6th Research China Contemporary Seminar, a Unicamp event scheduled for September, is until July 25th. Information here. (free, in Portuguese)
- Applications are open until Wednesday (15th) for those interested in researching China at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Selected candidates will receive 20,000 Mexican pesos (R$5,000) per month to investigate issues related to Sino-Latin American relations. (free, in Spanish)
- In partnership with iFood, the Inova China Hub held an online event to discuss the main trends in the so-called Chinese super apps, especially in the food sector. The recording of the conversation is available on YouTube. (free, in Portuguese)
