Xi Jinping Thought Research Articles

Daoism and the Project of an Ecological Civilization or Shengtai Wenming 生态文明

For China today, environmentalism is central. The socialist doctrine of “Xi Jinping Thought” prioritizes transitioning to sustainability in the goal of building an “Ecological Civilization”. This creates unprecedented opportunities for Daoist practitioners to engage in state-coordinated activism (part 1). We show how the science of the planetary crisis (part 2) resonates with Daoist values (part 3), how these values integrate in national policy goals (part 4), and how this religious environmental activism plays out in case studies (part 5).

Constitutional Supervision in China after the 2018 Amendment of the PRC Constitution: Refining the Narrative of Constitutional Supremacy in a Socialist Legal System

Since the drafting of the 1982 PRC Constitution, constitutional supervision has been a key topic of discussion in China’s political-legal reform process. In 2018, the Chinese Party-state took steps to address this unresolved reform issue. While the 2018 constitutional amendments attracted widespread attention outside of China, foreign commentators focused on provisions covering presidential term limits, new anti-corruption organs, and the constitutional status of the Party and “Xi Jinping Thought.” Another, largely overlooked, amendment reconstituted one of the National People’s Congress (NPC) special committees as the “Constitution and Law Committee,” and a subsequent NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) decision tasked this Committee with detailed constitutional functions. In a related step, new official reports enhanced transparency in the system for filing and review of legislation. This paper provides an introduction to these recent reforms and assesses their significance. It argues that the reforms should be understood as components of a broader constitutional rationalization intended to refine the Party’s narrative of constitutional supremacy, strengthen the legal system as an instrument to discipline China’s bureaucracy, and marginalize citizen constitutional activism. The reforms demonstrate the Party’s confidence that its grip on China’s political-legal system is sufficiently strong that it can reap the legitimacy and governance benefits of building new constitutional supervision infrastructure without incurring material risks that citizens might leverage it to challenge Party authority.

Interwoven ‘Destinies’: The Significance of Xinjiang to the China Dream, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Xi Jinping Legacy

ABSTRACT The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) has been an uncomfortable fit within the Chinese state. However, XUAR’s location on the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) has increased the importance of this frontier region and it is now an important element in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China’s future. Moreover, given the BRI now underpins Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, XUAR has increasingly become interwoven into the China Dream, the BRI and Xi’s legacy, resulting in serious human rights violations there. This article argues that the repressive control of XUAR demonstrates Beijing’s acute anxiety over opening this region up to external influences, particularly from Central Asian and Middle Eastern SREB states.

Doing Things with Metaphors in Contemporary China Analysing the Use of Creative Metaphors in the Discourse on the Chinese Dream

The ‘Chinese dream’ sums up China’s goals in the twenty-first century. Since its first appearance in 2012, the concept of the Chinese dream has been the core of Xi Jinping’s “new thoughts, new ideas and new arguments”. At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China it was elevated as one of the guiding principles of ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’, which represents the latest effort towards the Sinicization of Marxism. This paper aims at casting light on whether the discourse on the Chinese dream carries new contents or is based on old concepts ‘camouflaged’ as new. To do so, it will analyse the ideological implications of those ‘creative metaphors’ that compose the discursive mosaic of the Chinese dream as used by Xi Jinping in his political speeches. Drawing on the studies on conceptual metaphors and frame analysis, this study analyses those metaphorical expressions that are purposely outlined in the transcription of the speeches with the aim of signaling the originality of “Xi’s language style”. The final aim is to provide insight into what these ‘creative metaphors’ are doing in contemporary China. Results show that ‘creative metaphors’ in the discourse on the Chinese dream are meant to set the agenda on revitalising morality within the Party as well as ‘unifying’ values in today’s Chinese society, and most of them are far from being new in Chinese political discourse.

Doing Things with Metaphors in Contemporary China Analysing the Use of Creative Metaphors in the Discourse on the Chinese Dream

The ‘Chinese dream’ sums up China’s goals in the twenty-first century. Since its first appearance in 2012, the concept of the Chinese dream has been the core of Xi Jinping’s “new thoughts, new ideas and new arguments”. At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China it was elevated as one of the guiding principles of ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’, which represents the latest effort towards the Sinicization of Marxism. This paper aims at casting light on whether the discourse on the Chinese dream carries new contents or is based on old concepts ‘camouflaged’ as new. To do so, it will analyse the ideological implications of those ‘creative metaphors’ that compose the discursive mosaic of the Chinese dream as used by Xi Jinping in his political speeches. Drawing on the studies on conceptual metaphors and frame analysis, this study analyses those metaphorical expressions that are purposely outlined in the transcription of the speeches with the aim of signaling the originality of “Xi’s language style”. The final aim is to provide insight into what these ‘creative metaphors’ are doing in contemporary China. Results show that ‘creative metaphors’ in the discourse on the Chinese dream are meant to set the agenda on revitalising morality within the Party as well as ‘unifying’ values in today’s Chinese society, and most of them are far from being new in Chinese political discourse.

China after Reform: The Ideological, Constitutional, and Organisational Makings of a New Era

In late 2017, the Chinese Communist Party proclaimed the “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.” Most observers interpreted this step as just another update of the party's ideological canon to accommodate Xi's ambition to increase his personal power, following in the footsteps of Mao Zedong. This contribution argues that we can achieve a better understanding of the claim about a “new era,” if this claim is analysed diachronically as an ongoing process of constructing “chrono-ideological narratives” that link past and future, as well as synchronically in the larger context of recent constitutional and organisational changes. It finds that the “new era” discourse might, in the longer term, have ramifications not only for China's domestic politics but also for the country's self-image in the international arena too.

China–ASEAN Relations April 2018 to June 2018: Chronology of Events

China–ASEAN Relations April 2018 to June 2018: Chronology of Events Chen Juan (bio) As a research institute based in Singapore, the EAI monitors developments in relations and interactions between China and the individual countries of Southeast Asia as well as the ASEAN grouping as a whole. This material is presented in the form of (i) a chronology of events and (ii) important documents. —the Editors APRIL 2018 1st–2nd Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Hanoi, Vietnam for an official visit and meets separately with Vietnam’s General Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Both sides agree to speed up the alignment between the “Belt and Road Initiative” and the “Two Corridors and One Economic Circle”. Wang also suggests that both sides should adopt a prudent approach when addressing sensitive matters such as maritime issues. 4th The Fifth ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network Conference convenes labour officials, private companies and other stakeholders from the ASEAN member states, as well as partners from the State Administration of Work Safety of China, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, the International Labour Organization, International Association of Labour Inspection, and the Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organization in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The conference discusses issues on occupational safety and health, as well as work injury compensation in the informal sector and rural employment. 6th–7th The seminar on “Migrant Workers’ Contribution to an East Asia Economic Community”, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, convenes officials, academics and representatives from the private sectors of the ASEAN member states, China and Republic of Korea to participate in discussions on methods to improve the conditions of migrant workers engaged in low-income jobs and those without social protection. The seminar also touches upon overseas job opportunities, vocational training, reduction of migration costs, protection from abuses, labour inspections, and occupational safety and health, among others. Recommendations for actions are developed for the consideration of the ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting. 8th Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing during his working visit to China (Beijing, Hainan and Shanghai) at the invitation of Li. Both leaders jointly witness the signing of bilateral documents in fields such as cooperation in third-party markets, and people-to-people and cultural engagement. The foreign ministers of both countries also meet to discuss bilateral diplomatic relations as well as issues relating to China–US trade friction. 9th Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets with Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan. Wang expresses that “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” will guide China in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and heading for the second centenary goal. The concept of opening up in the new era has rich connotations. China will unswervingly expand opening-up at a higher level. China–Singapore relations are of strategic and forward-looking significance and bilateral cooperation will enjoy mutual benefits and win–win results. China is willing, together with Singapore, to learn from each other to promote all-round development in bilateral relations. Lee expresses optimism about a sound development in Singapore–China relations and China’s positive role in the building of a global governance system. The ASEAN–China Governors/Mayors’ Dialogue, held in Hainan, China, is a part of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018. Representatives from China, the ASEAN region, Croatia and Finland participate in discussions on cruise tourism cooperation along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The dialogue focuses on the operation of international cruise routes, particularly the coordination of various sectors for infrastructure construction, development of policies and regulations, training of service and sales personnel, and relaxation of cruise visa policies. 10th Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in China’s Hainan province to attend the Boao Forum. Both leaders witness the signing of cooperation documents. Xi points out that China–Philippines relations have undergone the “turnaround” stage to “consolidation” over the past two years, and the task for 2018...

The Governance of Higher Education According to the Marxist View of Fairness

According to Marxism, fairness or equity is concrete, evolving, and practice-based, and has as its ultimate aim the realization of the full and free development of man. Xi Jinping Thought on Fairness and Justice underscores governing the country according to law, improving work styles, innovating the social governance model, and making social welfare and people's full and free development the point of departure and ultimate goal, in a fresh development of the Marxist approach to equity in the contemporary era. Guided by this approach, Chinese higher education institutions should break free of the traditional regimen, shifting the governance structure from bureaucratic management to shared governance and from the traditional rule of man to the rule of law. Through institutional measures and observance of the basic laws of higher education development, we can build a new type of collaborative relationship among governments, institutions of higher learning, academics and students, and society as a whole. In this way, all participants will find their proper place and realize their full potential, thus activating and enhancing the innovative capacity of higher education. Only thus will higher education institutions be able to modernize their governance systems and capacity.

Research on Xi Jinping's Thought of Ecological Civilization and Environment Sustainable Development

Since the reform and opening up, China’s sustained and rapid economic development, but the environment problem increasingly is prominent in our country. It has seriously affected the sustainability of economic development in China. Environment overall situation is not optimistic, and environmental management is imperative. Since the 18th national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi Jin-ping has put forward the thought of building a beautiful China with ecological civilization and realizing the sustainable development of economic construction and environmental protection. Sticking to Xi's Thought of Ecological Civilization is a fundamental guarantee for the sustainable development of environment and building a new era of ecological civilization.

China’s New Guiding Ideology: The Unfolding of the Xi Jinping Era

Unveiled at the 19th Party Congress, China’s new guiding ideology of “Xi Jinping Thought of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” offers a blueprint for development to mid-21st century. Xi is in a position to demand loyalty, enforce strict discipline and fight the centrifugal forces within the Party. Domestically Xi faces the challenge of motivating the cadre corps demoralised by anti-corruption campaigns. Internationally a more assertive foreign policy is expected.

Examining Strategic Narratives in Chinese Official Discourse under Xi Jinping

Research suggests that over the last two decades China has undergone dramatic changes in its communication climate. The former mono-glossic environment has made way for a plurality of voices, now debating (non-sensitive) political, social and economic issues on online fora. While this has contributed to a more consultative state-society relationship, the leadership still wields the conductor’s baton over the ensemble of voices to ensure adherence to the main melody. The uneasy coexistence of transformation and conservatism is especially salient when it comes to propaganda and soft power, which the Chinese authorities fully deploy to disseminate their vision of the ‘China story’ abroad and to legitimize continued CCP rule at home. This paper examines the various strategic narratives that cumulatively constitute this ‘China story’, designed for the international as well as domestic audiences. It looks into divergences/convergences with the political discourse of previous generations of leadership by examining argumentation patterns and discursive strategies used in speeches and texts produced by top-level officials and their ‘core’ leader, Xi Jinping. While, on the surface, new slogans, such as ‘the Chinese dream’, the ‘New Normal’, the ‘Four Comprehensives’, the ‘Community of Common Destiny’ appear to be Xi Jinping’s hallmark, and cumulatively contribute to the all-encompassing official doctrine of ‘Xi Jinping Thought’, no paradigmatic ideological change emerges from the narratives. Yet, the strategies utilised to spread ‘the China story’ are more diverse, the conductor’s baton is held more tightly, the main melody is chanted more loudly and the echoes are carried further abroad over the mountains and seas via the new Silk Road initiatives to present an alternative world order of ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’.