Xi Jinping Thought: Implications for Chinese Trade and Relations

Astounded I am. I would have never thought that I would be studying Xi Jinping Thought 习近平思想 but here we are. This document was released on 2017 Oct 18 at the 19th Communist Party Congress (CPC), and is the roadmap China will use going forward. I usually do not read much Chinese propaganda, but this one seems to be repeatedly referenced, forcing me to come back and review this in greater detail, from the Chinese source through to translation. The implication of the first point, “Ensuring Party leadership over all work”, has strong implications for international trade, espionage and foreign relations.

The News Source
新时代中国特色社会主义思想 xinshidai zhongguotese shehuizhuyi sixiang translates to a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics philosophy. Often quoted in the media, I wanted to go back to original documents, and analyze the translation myself to ensure accuracy. There is no doubt that this document is very important to all Chinese people.

“This is the compass for the party and people with which to strive for and realise the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he said. source

My source is from 2017 Oct 18. There are many because this was very important news. No Chinese newspaper would dare misquote him.

Importance of the Chinese Communist Party

..明确中国特色社会主义最本质的特征是中国共产党领导，中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势是中国共产党领导，党是最高政治领导力量，提出新时代党的建设总要求，突出政治建设在党的建设中的重要地位。..

The most essential feature of clarifying socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The party is the highest political leadership. It puts forward the general requirements for party building in the new era and highlights political construction in the party. The important position in the construction.

坚持党对一切工作的领导。党政军民学，东西南北中，党是领导一切的。必须增强政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识，自觉维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，自觉在思想上政治上行动上同党中央保持高度一致，完善坚持党的领导的体制机制，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局，协调推进“四个全面”战略布局，提高党把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革的能力和定力，确保党始终总揽全局、协调各方。

Adhere to the party’s leadership over all work.
The party, government, and the people’s studies, the East, the West, the Middle East, the Middle East, the party is leading everything. We must strengthen political awareness, overall awareness, core awareness, and sense of conformity, consciously safeguard the party’s central authority and centralize unified leadership, and consciously maintain a high degree of unity with the Party Central Committee in ideological and political actions, improve the system and mechanism of adhering to the party’s leadership, and adhere to stability. In the overall tone of the work, we will promote the overall layout of the “five in one”, coordinate and promote the “four comprehensive” strategic layout, improve the party’s ability to direction, plan the overall situation, set policies, and promote reform, and ensure that the party always takes over. Global, coordination of all parties. source

The Implications on Chinese International Relations
The first point, “坚持党对一切工作的领导 Stress the party’s leadership over all work” is quite critical. The implications are far reaching for Chinese relations, Chinese companies, and Chinese students studying abroad. The CCP is always first and foremost.

• Chinese Companies Have CCP Board Members
  Taken literally this might explain why all medium or large Chinese companies have a CCP member on the board. Chinese media companies can be censure and/or shut down if the CCP does not approve their work. For example currently game makers such as Tencent are having a tough time because the CCP has put a moratorium on new games. This would never happen in a Western country.

  The company, which sees the bulk of its revenues and growth from gaming, has been hit by a suspension of approvals on new releases as well as worries in Beijing over “addiction” among children. Tencent’s shares are down 28.5 per cent from their January peak.

• Chinese IT products Have Backdoor Code
  Backdoor code that is integrated into hardware would be very difficult to find. It can be hidden, asleep, until a special stream of characters is applied to unlock it. It would be the responsible thing to do for the CCP to have backdoor code for computers, servers, routers and other telecommunications equipment. This is very concerning.

  I do not think it possible for a large Chinese company to decline the request of the CCP for access to customer data, be it domestic or international. They would need to defy the CCP and Xi Jinping’s first socialist point. China’s economy is tightly controlled by state banks and the CCP. Any company that would resist could be blacklisted and have a direct negative impact on the company.

• China Accused of IP Theft
  Foreign companies in China are forced to partner with a Chinese firm. These JV Chinese partners not only have CCP representation, but are obliged, under XJP Thought to provide the CCP with all IP available from the foreign company

• Chinese Espionage in foreign companies
  It does not take much extrapolation to apply this CCP importance to finding foreign IP and sharing them with Chinese leadership.

• Chinese Students in Foreign Countries Organizing and Lobbying for CCP Party Line
  Western countries value openness and free expression. We want to see all sides of a problem. Often this is not to the liking of the CCP. Chinese students studying in Western countries have often organized and lobbied against specific professors who have talked openly contrary to the CCP line. Students who would oppose their professors would be following XJP thought.

• Meng Hongwei, Interpol Chief from China, Disappears
  Meng Hongwei was the head of Interpol. He had a chance to change Interpol to the benefit of the CCP. Because he did not he might have been recalled to China. Of course this is all speculation on my part, because right now no one knows where he is, only that he is being held in China, accused of corruption.

These are but a few examples where adherence to Xi Jingping Thought can influence Chinese relations.

In Contrast with Western Society
Western countries do not have any such concept of a single entity that has such far reaching implications. We separate government, religion and business, by design. We believe that all three pillars will balance each other out, to the benefit of the people overall.

Western countries actually encourage critical thinking by taking both sides of an argument, often times arguing against the government position. If the people do not sufficiently agree with the government we call an election and the government is replaced. This is the root of democracy. Under Xi Jinping Thought this is treasonous.

Espionage in the West is usually for personal gain and not for the good of a nation state. China’s case is very different. While I do believe that state sponsored espionage does exist in the West, it is nowhere near the importance in China.

The contrast cannot be more striking. Western nations need to have a different way to counter China’s state-sponsored movement, or risk infiltration and complete loss of IP and technology. The US is currently doing exactly that, and other countries such as Australia are following.

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