Top-ranked articles for week of 30 January-5 February 2022

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Commentary

Officials may have been away from their desks for the holiday to mark spring festival, but messages for them continued to be sent.

Possibly of lesser interest to them, but certainly of most important to the rest of the world, was the week’s second most widely circulated article – on Xi Jinping’s meeting with Vladimir Putin, in Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Blandly headlined “Xi Jinping holds talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin”, the article was in part noteworthy for having no direct mention of Ukraine, the issue currently pushing the two countries closer together. The nearest it came was the comment that: “During the meeting, the two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on the current international and regional situation and major hotspot issues of mutual concern.”

The article’s sting came in its coda and its note that following their talks the two sides issued a “Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on International Relations and Global Sustainable Development in the New Era”.

The statement “focused on the common positions of China and Russia in terms of democracy, development, security and order” – a curious ordering of priorities given the anti-democratic nature of both regimes.

To its readers, the article signals where China’s international priorities stand for now. No great explanation is needed given the perpetually temporary nature of alignments between China and Russia.

Joint Statement in Chinese. In English (from President of Russia’s office).

The week’s most widely circulated article, relating the messages sent out from a CPC Central Committee/State Council spring festival gathering, appeared to have been aimed at United Front figures – the opinion leaders charged with keeping society broadly in line. Largely self-congratulatory, it had one portmanteau sentence itemising the specific issues beyond Covid and the economy which seem to be on China’s leaders’ minds:

Advancing, carbon neutralization work has been fully deployed, national defense and military construction have been vigorously expanded, Hong Kong has been transformed from chaos to governance, the struggle against “independence” and reunification has been continuously strengthened, major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has continued to advance, and Party history learning and education have achieved remarkable results.

The week’s other spring festival item – Xi’s speech to non-Party figures – featured a look back at the achievements of the last year. Quite a list from the CPC’s standpoint:

We solemnly celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, held the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, formulated the third historical resolution, carry out the study and education of Party history, won the battle against poverty as scheduled, built a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way as scheduled, and achieve the first centenary goal, started a new journey to build a socialist modernized country in an all-round way and march towards the second centenary goal. We calmly responded to the changes in the century and the epidemic of the century, fully, accurately and comprehensively implemented the new development concept, and took new steps to build a new development pattern.

The future may continue to look more uncertain than it a few years ago, but the CPC could feel justified in concluding that it is successfully handling the challenges thrown at it.

1. CPC, State Council spring festival meeting

中共中央国务院举行春节团拜会

CPC Central Committee and State Council hold Spring Festival meeting

Date of first publication: 30 January 2022

Article usage: 35%

Article source: Xinhua News Agency

Length: 1,928 characters / 1,531 words

中共中央、国务院30日上午在人民大会堂举行2022年春节团拜会。中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平发表讲话，代表党中央、国务院，向全国各族人民，向香港特别行政区同胞、澳门特别行政区同胞、台湾同胞和海外侨胞拜年。 Full article

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council held the 2022 Spring Festival group meeting in the Great Hall of the People on the morning of the 30th. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered a speech. On behalf of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, he extended New Year’s greetings to people of all ethnic groups in the country, to the compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, Taiwan compatriots and overseas Chinese. Machine translation of full article

2. Xi holds talks with Putin

习近平同俄罗斯总统普京会谈

Xi Jinping holds talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin

Date of first publication: 2 February 2022

Article usage: 33%

Article source: Xinhua News Agency

Length: 1,851 characters / 1,311 words

国家主席习近平2月4日下午在北京钓鱼台国宾馆同俄罗斯总统普京举行会谈。两国元首在热烈友好的气氛中就中俄关系以及事关国际战略安全稳定的一系列重大问题深入充分交换了意见。 Full article

President Xi Jinping held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on the afternoon of February 4. The two heads of state in a warm and friendly atmosphere had an in-depth and full exchange of views on Sino-Russian relations and a series of major issues concerning international strategic security and stability. Machine translation of full article

3. Winter Olympics

第二十四届冬季奥林匹克运动会在北京隆重开幕

24th Winter Olympic Games opens in Beijing

Date of first publication: 4 February 2022

Article usage: 32%

Article source: Xinhua News Agency

Length: 3,946 characters / 2,482 words

筑梦冰雪，同向未来。2022年2月4日晚，举世瞩目的北京第二十四届冬季奥林匹克运动会开幕式在国家体育场隆重举行。国家主席习近平出席开幕式并宣布本届冬奥会开幕。中华文明与奥林匹克运动再度携手，奏响全人类团结、和平、友谊的华美乐章。 Full article

Build a dream of ice and snow, and move towards the future. On the evening of February 4, 2022, the opening ceremony of the 24th Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which attracted worldwide attention, was grandly held at the National Stadium. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and announced the opening of the Winter Olympics. The Chinese civilization and the Olympic Movement once again joined hands to play a splendid movement of unity, peace and friendship for all mankind. Machine translation of full article

4. Xi welcomes Spring Festival with non-Party figures

习近平同党外人士共迎新春

Xi Jinping welcomes Chinese New Year with non-Party figures

Date of first publication: 29 January 2022

Article usage: 31%

Article source: Xinhua News Agency

Length: 2,178 characters / 1,703 words

在中华民族传统节日壬寅虎年春节即将到来之际，中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平29日下午在人民大会堂同各民主党派中央、全国工商联负责人和无党派人士代表欢聚一堂，共迎佳节。习近平代表中共中央，向各民主党派、工商联和无党派人士，向统一战线广大成员，致以诚挚的问候和新春的祝福。 Full article

On the occasion of Spring Festival, the traditional festival of the Chinese nation, this year marking the start of the year of the tiger, the head of the federation and representatives of non-partisan persons gathered together to welcome the festival. On behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping extended sincere greetings and New Year wishes to all democratic parties, federations of industry and commerce, people without party affiliation, and members of the United Front. Machine translation of full article

5. Xi gives video speech to IOC

世界期待中国 中国做好了准备

The world is looking forward to China; China is ready

Date of first publication: 3 February 2022

Article usage: 31%

Article source: Xinhua News Agency

Length: 516 characters / 338 words

国家主席习近平2月3日向国际奥委会第139次全会开幕式发表视频致辞。 Full article

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a video speech to the opening ceremony of the 139th plenary session of the International Olympic Committee on February 3. Machine translation of full article

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