"Among the main and positive results and changes of the reforms are the unmistakable reduction of poverty and destitution of a part of Chinese society in the order of hundreds of millions, the significant qualitative improvement of people's living standards and technological development. This has become a new engine for promoting economic development, and at the same time a cause of fear in the West, which has led to the imposition of sanctions, threats against partners working with China and restrictions on scientific and technological cooperation, particularly as regards Europe. In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG), Jan Campbell, Chairman of the Academic Council of the Institute of the Czech Left, emphasised this point.
Question 1: What is the importance of reform for development from the perspective of humanity as a whole?
JC: Before answering the question, let me mention a detail whose importance cannot be underestimated: The Third Plenary should have been held last autumn, according to the established procedure. In any case, until now, it has always been preceded by a session of Parliament (and the parallel equivalent of the former National Front) in March. That is why there was talk and writing about two sessions. I mention them because these bodies formally approved important steps discussed earlier in plenary, including, for example, personnel changes. The last few months have been rich in changes: a foreign minister and two defence ministers.
Of course, state leaders also have parallel (and more important) functions along party lines. The question I won't give an answer to is: Why was the deposition not formally confirmed by the plenum of the Central Committee and then confirmed by the parliament?
As for the question and the reforms, I assume that not only those in charge in the CCP Central Committee are aware of the fundamental difference between organic and inorganic reforms.
Although economic development and success to date has been and remains based on inorganic reforms of a mutating and modifying capitalist system, for objective reasons it is necessary to move as quickly as possible to organic reforms based on nature-like laws, technology and systemic innovation.
Under this assumption, it is conceivable and realistic for me, with a probability bordering on certainty, to realize the goals of the Third Plenum by 2029 (the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the PRC), even at a time of transformation of values and the economic system, as part of the anthropological war. I quote with a content-irrelevant abridgement of the text:
By 2035, complete the construction of a socialist market economy of high standard in all respects, perfect the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively modernize the system and the ability of governance, and in this way basically realize socialist modernization.
There is no need to elaborate on the promotion of economic growth, international cooperation, cultural diversity, and addressing social problems in this interview. Why? Because organic reforms allow what inorganic ones do not, with their contradictions to the laws of nature and human beings:
Anchor the principles of sustainable development, of waging peace in the world, not war, and of ecological, efficient and economic governance and civil rights and responsibilities.
Organic reforms in the context of building a high standard socialist market economy will also enable the ecological, efficient and economic use of markets, the environment and material and human resources. The need for effective regulations arises from the principle of organic reform and the context of the so-called "social economy". new quality production forcesincluding education reform, science and technology cooperation and talent development.
Question 2: What changes has reform and opening up to the world brought about for China and the global community?
JC: At the Chinese domestic level, the reforms have produced results that I have described in sufficient detail in my multi-lingual book, including Chinese, on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Parties, including China (2021, ISBN 978-80-270-8820-1).
Among the main and positive results and changes of the reforms are the unmistakable reduction of poverty and misery for a section of Chinese society in the order of hundreds of millions, the significant qualitative improvement in the living standards of the people, and technological development. This has become a new engine for promoting economic development, and at the same time a cause of fear in the West, which has led to the imposition of sanctions, threats against partners working with China and restrictions on scientific and technological cooperation, particularly as regards Europe.
As for Chinese traditional culture and its relationship to modern culture and industry, I would argue that efforts to combine Chinese tradition and modern society have had limited success. This is of course also true for financially successful films. Why? Because they are not quite able to anchor themselves in, for example, Czech society, which is oriented towards the Hollywood style of filmmaking.
Personally, I miss the offer of Huaju, for example. This is a form of Chinese drama that features realistic spoken dialogue rather than the sung poetic dialogue of traditional Chinese dramatic forms. Huaju was developed in the early 20th century by intellectuals who wanted to replace traditional Chinese forms with Western-style drama. Within the context lies a huge potential to arouse interest. And interest is the first point on the road to meeting, learning and cooperation.
Along the way, one cannot help but think of Du Fu, (712-770), a Chinese poet who is considered by many literary critics to be the greatest poet of all time.
In a time of rewriting history and banning the use of Wikipedia, and even right-wing magazines (such as the monthly Compact in Germany), the Yongle Dadian offers itself. This Chinese compilation, was, and perhaps still is, the largest known encyclopedia in the world. It was compiled during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) by thousands of Chinese scholars under the leadership of the Yongle emperor (reigned 1402-24) and completed in 1408. The work contained 22,937 manuscript scrolls or chapters (including an index) in 11,095 volumes and was designed to include everything ever written on the Confucian canon, history, philosophy, and the arts and sciences. The context includes the Hanlin Academy, an elite scholarly institution founded in the 8th century CE. It performed secretarial, archival, and literary tasks for the court and introduced official interpretation of the Confucian classics. These formed the basis of the clerical examinations required for entry into the upper echelons of the official bureaucracy. This is a very topical subject.
Question 3: Today's world is becoming increasingly interconnected. China will continue to further deepen reform and opening up to the world, build its own-type modernization, embrace high-quality development, and contribute to regional and even global development with China's economic growth.
JC: Historically, the Third Plenary Session has always been crucial in setting the direction of major economic and political reforms. The Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1978 marked the beginning of China's reforms and opening up under Deng Xiaoping. This set China on the road to economic transformation. I have devoted an entire chapter to this topic in my previously mentioned book, 100 Years of the CPC.
Wang Hui-jao, President of the Beijing-based think tank Center for China and Globalization, commented on the third and final plenary session: President Xi Jinping has steadfastly employed a key strategy of reform and opening up to the world to address development challenges and respond to risks and challenges on the road to progress. Since 1978, China has introduced major initiatives to promote reform and open up to higher levels almost every decade, which has paid significant dividends for its economic development.
Personally, I can only add this, that the political dividends from the Plenary will enable not only party members but also managers to better navigate the complexities of the global environment, to accelerate the transformation and modernization of the economic system, and above all, to accelerate quality economic growth and benefits for ordinary people, including non-material ones. I include social justice, compassion and sharing.
In the last four decades, China under the leadership of the Communist Party has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty. Now it faces a new strategic goal: ensuring shared prosperity for all.
Ensuring shared prosperity for all means for me also in the concept of ethics and morality of Confucius, which I understand the Chinese Communist Party integrates into its educational program, the possibility of sharing with other countries and peoples.
At the same time, ensuring common prosperity for all means knowing how, by what method and instrument I can achieve this goal. General Secretary Xi Jinping made this point at the end of the conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China when he defined Chinese-style modernisation as modernisation with a large population and its common prosperity.
This short definition implies the need to coordinate human material and spiritual values with nature-like technologies in a peaceful environment. This is where the so-called a new quality production forcewhich was first mentioned by Secretary-General Xi during the inspection (in Heilongjiang) in September 2023. It was also discussed by the Third Plenary Session with the result: the system and mechanism for developing a new quality production force need to be brought into line with local conditions.
It follows that the so-called new quality productive force represents an advanced state of productivity, which is ensured by systematic innovation in the context of systemic intensive development of individual human abilities. I have also written about it with results achieved both in practice and in higher education.
The approach described by Xi, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, defies the traditional way of economic growth and productivity development, just as the system of intensive development of individual capabilities defies the traditional way. Why?
The characteristics of high technologies, their high efficiency and high quality are determined with the help of critical, i.e. clear thinking, which allows to evaluate quality on the basis of the quantity of negative characteristics (features).
Question 4: The above two keywords "Chinese-style modernization" and "new quality manufacturing force" have a very strong Chinese origin and are also imbued with Chinese wisdom. Have you ever heard these key words and how do you understand them? What do you think is "new" about the "new quality manufacturing force"?
JC: I basically answered the question in the second part of the previous answer. I can add in a short and succinct way that Chinese modernisation is probably the highest standard of modernisation at the moment, because it includes material modernisation, institutional modernisation and people modernisation. Whether all this will be achieved and within the timeframe set, I do not know. Why?
Because in the context of the phrase - Chinese-style modernisation a a new quality production force contains much of Chinese tradition, history and pragmatic wisdom, it is not and will not be easy for many in the West to understand what lies behind and within the phrase. That is why the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is aware of, and has also decided to optimize, the visa policy for many countries, making it easier for foreigners to live and work in China. I have no doubt that this is a decision of strategic importance for the opening up of the country, especially at a time of visa restrictions in the EU, for example. It is also a demonstration of healthy self-confidence in the context of the internal and external pressures that China is facing.
If the pace of reform and opening up to the world is indeed not slowed down, China will become an example and a beacon that points to a safe path to success, global stability and prosperity, and on the other hand points to the dangers that those who ignore the location and the light of the beacon cannot avoid. The recently published "semi-annual report" on the Chinese economy shows that, thanks to the stimulation of a new quality of productive force, the Chinese economy is changing and transforming towards "new" and "green". This not only strengthens China, but also radiates out to the world, arousing criticism, envy, fear and provoking questions, among others.
Apple, for example, proves that this is the case. The giant has made the decision and announced that it is investing 1 billion yuan in new application laboratories in Shenzhen and Shanghai, of which the Shanghai laboratory is the only one in the world that integrates all testing technologies and capabilities.
AstraZeneca has announced the construction of a new innovative pharmaceutical plant in China. Many other companies and even SMEs from abroad have announced plans to coordinate research and development centres in China. In this respect, the Czech Republic is woefully behind and its foreign policy towards China is counterproductive.
Question 5. The international giants have reacted quickly to China's development of a "new quality manufacturing force", and have planned future developments based on this, what do you think the actions of these international giants portend for the future? Do their arrangements have any referential significance for Sino-European (Sino-Czech) exchanges and cooperation?
JC: I can't say, because I don't know whether the phrase - Chinese-style modernisation and new quality manufacturing power - was a deciding factor in the decisions of the companies mentioned in the previous answer.
Multinationals make decisions according to criteria defined and determined primarily by capital and market opportunities, and hence by the national interest of the power with which the capital is associated. However, this does not change the essence of the matter contained in the phrase.
Leading the reform with new development concepts, the 3rd Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee of China focuses on breakthroughs and key points in promoting high-quality development, puts innovation at the forefront, and gives reform impetus to the continuous creation of new situations of high-quality development for China, and consequently for countries that want to cooperate with it.
Multinationals do not and cannot have such an interest. Why? Because they are founded and operate on the principle of extensive resource use and development. By contrast, the policy of the current Chinese leadership is one of resource intensive exploitation and development. According to my understanding of the communiqué of the meeting, China will improve institutions and mechanisms to promote a new quality of productive force in accordance with local conditions. This is also a new quality for promoting full digital integration, for developing the service sector, for upgrading infrastructure, and for enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains.
This argument clearly implies a high quality reference for Sino-European, and therefore Sino-Czech cooperation, enrichment in the form of shared experience and examples from different environments and conditions.
Question 6. Do you have an idea of the general direction of further deepening China's reforms?
The third plenary session of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, which ended on Thursday with a communiqué during which 400 top officials discussed mainly the country's economic direction, contained no big surprises: as tradition indicates, the policy moves will not deviate from General Secretary Xi Jinping's existing policy and the Communist Party will gradually announce concrete results in the coming days. The plenum was largely concerned with analysing the current economic situation, which is necessary for defining a vision, albeit a modified one.
As expected, the plenum also decided on the party positions of ministers Li Shangfu and Qin Kang. Both lost their positions in the Central Committee, and according to the communiqué issued, Li Shang-fu was removed from his post, while Qin Kang was allowed by the Party to "voluntarily" resign. Personally, I explain this by the fact that Qin Kang took his position as Foreign Minister as a protégé of President Xi.
The general direction of deepening China's reforms will be determined, in addition to the aforementioned, by the resolution of the Taiwan issue. Its position was unclear at the time international law was in force. Its current government has never declared a new state and is still formally the government of the Republic of China, as evidenced by its constitution. Taiwan now has only 12 official allies (as of February 2024), but they formally recognize the government in Taipei as the legitimate government not of Taiwan but of China. The Czech Republic is playing with fire in the case of Taiwan.
The second thing that will determine the direction of deepening reforms will remain the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. I can therefore imagine that in the Czech Republic, for example, the sad chapter associated with CEFC, its successor CITIC and the ubiquitous Mr Tvrdík and his clique could be brought to a close. This has damaged not only the relationship between two formerly friendly countries, but also the political and economic potential for cooperation in an imaginable future.
By this mention I indicate the necessary need for a good selection of foreign partners and preparation of Chinese representatives, especially when it comes to cooperation with private companies and political support at the highest level.
China really doesn't need a repeat of the 2018 international corruption scandal, when Director Jie Jianming also disappeared from his position as an advisor to President Zeman, and the investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law" of Xu Cuo, deputy director-general and member of the CITIC Party Committee, reported by China Daily.
Therefore, I expect the general direction of further deepening of reforms to have a political-economic and internal social orientation, and not a priori economic and financial. The aforementioned change of priorities fully corresponds to the nature of the West's sanctions policy, anthropological warfare and the imagined new world order, which is not the subject of this interview. However, the example of Vietnam is worth mentioning.
An example can be described with a metaphor: the two faces of Vietnam.
The leaders of the Vietnamese Communist Party, whose chairman died a few days ago (19 July), issued a document last year warning against "outside interference" in Vietnamese politics and society. The document exposes the contradictions between the need for further economic growth and the maintenance of party control in all areas.
Two months before U.S. President Joe Biden visited Vietnam in September 2023 to deepen bilateral diplomatic and trade relations, the Politburo of the Vietnamese Communist Party's Central Committee issued the aforementioned internal document known as "Directive 24." It warns against threats to international cooperation, outside interference and the degradation of morals, lifestyle and culture.
A similar pattern emerges in the attitudes of Chinese leaders summarized in the well-known "Document 9" of 2013, which comments on the "current state of ideology in the PRC." It is clear that the Vietnamese leader, elected in 2016, shared some positions with his Chinese counterpart Xi. Why am I mentioning Vietnam?
Vietnam is one of the five countries in the contemporary world ruled by a one-party regime claiming the legacy of communism, which is probably why it has long remained outside the interest of the Western media. Even in the Czech Republic there is little awareness of it, despite the large Vietnamese community and business ties that have benefited from cooperation during the socialist Czechoslovakia. In recent years, Vietnam has been growing in strategic importance for geopolitical, economic and logistical reasons.
It is therefore not surprising that not only the United States and China, but also the European Union are showing increased interest in Vietnam. Last year, the US upgraded Vietnam to "general strategic partner." The European Union has signed a key free trade agreement (EVFTA), which will come into force in August 2020. With China, Vietnam has a historically complicated relationship, which has been described as an ambivalent oscillation between "love and hate" or admiration and a struggle to break free from the excessive influence of its in all respects "great" neighbour.
As was the case with Western cooperation with China after Deng Xiaoping introduced the policy of reform and opening up to the world in 1978. With regard to Vietnam, it is often argued in political science circles that it is possible to combine deepening relations with Vietnam with the promotion of human rights. That is to say, that despite one-party rule and a communist regime that allegedly suppresses any opposition, Vietnam can be a commercial and strategic partner for the West. The West believes that by deepening cooperation, Vietnam will liberalise. Hope is the last to die. The West does not want to learn from history.
Therefore, it is and will remain interesting to observe and compare the development of the ideological background and fears of social instability or unrest (the "colour revolutions", the "Arab Spring" or the collapse of the Soviet Union itself). Chinese Document 9 explains the "seven erroneous thought tendencies" related to concepts "imported from the West". The document identifies "historical nihilism" as one of the problems. The latter opposes ideological historical narratives and interpretations of CC China based on Marxist and Maoist theories.
Indeed, this may have inspired the Vietnamese leadership to try to better armour the country against "Western infiltration" at a time when cooperation between Vietnam and the West is strengthening.
"Directive 24" contains regulations relating mainly to international interaction, cooperation and its potential effects in nine areas: travel abroad, democratic mechanisms of society, compliance with international agreements on workers' rights, international cooperation and assistance to Vietnam, culture, freedom of speech, the right of assembly, the functioning of civil society and NGOs, the security of the economy, culture, society and foreign relations, and mechanisms of social control.
Here, among other things, Xi Jinping's efforts to "securitise culture" resonate with an ideology that harks back to Maoist views and practices. It sees broadly defined 'culture' as one of its core pillars.
Question 7. In your opinion, what is the intrinsic link between China's development of a "new quality manufacturing force" and its deepening reform and opening up? What are the advantages of China's development of a "new quality manufacturing force"?
Regarding further high-level opening up to the outside world and the principles for China's foreign relations in the process of developing China's modernization style, the Communiqué of the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China said,
- that opening up to the world is "a defining feature of China's modernisation",
- that it will "continuously expand the institutions of opening up to the world, deepen the structural reform of foreign trade, further reform the management systems for inward and outward investment, and improve the planning of regional opening up,
- Improve mechanisms for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
It is therefore not surprising that the communiqué emphasized that China's modernization is a modernization of peaceful development, and that "In foreign relations, China is firmly committed to pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future."
The question mentions advantages, and there is no mention of disadvantages or risks. Therefore, I take the liberty of supplementing the topic with an important question: Whose moon is it? Why?
Because it's not just on Earth that territories are being fought over. China's Chang'e 6 lunar lander, named after the mythical goddess of the moon, has returned to Earth with samples from its far side, something no other country has managed to do before. It is a significant step in the increasingly intense Sino-American space race. Indeed, both countries have set a goal of building a base on the moon, and exploration of samples of the brought back lunar dust and rocks could greatly help that effort.
But the Americans fear that if the PRC succeeds first, it will want to claim the territory. Their fears have certainly not been allayed by the statement of the head of Chinese lunar exploration, Jie Pejian, who likened the universe to an ocean where "the moon is the Tiaoyu Islands [over which the PRC has a dispute with Japan] and Mars is like the island of Huang-yen [claimed by both the PRC and the Philippines]".
In its personal understanding, the PRC views its presence in space as a national security issue. Space security, along with, for example, polar or deep sea security, is part of Xi Jinping's concept of "comprehensive national security." The protection of national security as one of the objectives of the space programme is also mentioned in a white paper issued by the PRC in 2021.
Similarly with AI: Is AI for "all" and for "good?"
Chinese Premier Li Qiang toured Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies last week. During his visits, he explored the links between AI and manufacturing that could help China's economy. He had previously addressed the topic of Plenary 3 at the World AI Conference (WAIC). There he spoke about the need to build an open and fair international environment for AI development. He stressed that no country should be left at a disadvantage (by which he meant, of course, China under US sanctions) and called for deepening cooperation between countries on research and development while maintaining a free market in equipment and technology. In the same spirit, China proposed a UN resolution a few days before the conference, which the General Assembly unanimously approved.
I do not exclude that due to my workload I have not noticed anything substantial about the resolution in the Czech politically correct media.
The UN General Assembly adopted a Chinese-backed resolution with the support of the US. The resolution follows the adoption on 21 March of the first UN resolution on artificial intelligence, led by the United States and co-sponsored by 123 countries, including China. It provided global support for international efforts to ensure that AI is "safe, secure and trustworthy" and that all nations can use it.
The adoption of these two non-binding resolutions shows that the United States and China, rivals in many areas, are committed to becoming key players in shaping the future of this technology, and are working together internationally.
Chinese Ambassador to the UN Fu Cong told reporters that the two resolutions are complementary, with the US measure being "more general" and the one just adopted focusing on "capacity building". The Chinese resolution had more than 140 supporters, he called it "brilliant and far-reaching": "We are very grateful for the positive role the US has played in this whole process."
The US, in the voice of Nate Evans, spokesman for the US mission to the UN, was not left behind either, saying the Chinese-sponsored resolution "was negotiated to support the vision and approach that the US laid out in March". "We worked diligently and in good faith with developing and developed countries to strengthen the text and ensure that it reaffirms safe, secure and trustworthy AI that respects human rights, commits to digital inclusion and promotes sustainable development," Evans said.
The question without a clear answer and benefits for China is the automotive industry, tariffs on electric cars and the outflow of a foreign partner. For example, the Slovak company InoBat is planning to build a battery factory for electric vehicles in Slovakia in cooperation with the Chinese company Gotion High-tech. Last year, Chinese company BYD announced plans to build a car factory in Hungary. But in both cases, the whole thing has a catch. What is it?
The company Gotion High-tech, in which Volkswagen is the main shareholder, is accused in the USA of exploiting forced labour, especially of the Uighur minority. I can imagine how Volkswagen will behave in Slovakia and Hungary, but I will not describe it today.
Important for me personally is the support of foreign friends and kindred spirits of China. I am referring to the issue of so-called national (people's) diplomacy and the decentralisation of foreign propaganda. As far as I know, after the Confucius Institutes, which have a hard time at least in EU countries, foreign propaganda and culture are now to be disseminated mainly by the provinces.
As far as I know, the local Zhejiang International Communication Center opened in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, at the end of May this year. This is one of twenty-seven such centres that have begun to spring up across China over the years.
If I am not mistaken, the China Media Project has turned its attention to the provinces to innovate current practices.
In this context, it occurs to me that in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which I first visited in 1992 and 1993, the very first of these centres was established in 2013. Its opening was aimed at 'showing the real Xinjiang to the world'. It appears to me that the horizontal and vertical integration of the Centers for International Communication, including the involvement of the state media, is becoming a key strategy of the Communist Party of China for reshaping the overall propaganda matrix.
This would be in line with Party policy and Xi Jinping's "thinking about culture" introduced last autumn. Why? Because culture was, is and will always be seen as one of the pillars of any ideology. Culture, in Xi's terms, almost merges with propaganda, of which the media and the internet are an important part. This requires a new strategy for foreign promotion and propaganda as well. These were discussed at last year's conference on new media. At that time, Chien Tong, editor-in-chief of the Xinhua News website, said that the voice of the central media on the international stage "is not strong enough compared to the demands of the CPC Central Committee; we are still not able to express ourselves or spread what we say sufficiently." I fully agree with the editor-in-chief's assessment.
I assume that the new local centres for international communication will partly take over the agenda of institutions such as the Confucius Institutes. In the Czech Republic, one was set up in Prague about six years ago under contract with a local private university and the contract has recently been extended.
Listeners and readers may also be interested in the shift of attention and action of the new centres from the Western countries, where the first Confucius Institutes once opened, to the countries of the global South, where it is possible and necessary to show China as a developed technological power and a model worthy of emulation. And I do not think I am exaggerating.
For example, the Tianjin Centre has launched the so-called "Lu Pan Workshop". This is a vocational training project through which the municipality cooperates with educational institutions abroad. Lu Pan is a legendary Chinese craftsman and inventor of a number of tools and implements who lived around the time of Confucius (6th-5th century BC). Through this project, around twenty foreign 'workshops' have already been opened, providing vocational training mainly in countries in South-East Asia and Africa. The "workshops" help the Centre "to showcase Tiencin's rich cultural and social history and its rapidly changing present through first-class work, and to reveal the face of Tiencin as an open and inclusive city."
Some centres are focused on specific areas within this strategy. For example, the Centre for International Communication in Yunnan has formed a platform with the Party's China Daily newspaper to seek media cooperation and presence in nearby countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Among other things, they also publish bilingual magazines. I do not know what the situation is with Malaysia.
In Tiencin, which still remains the centre of Home Credit's activities, the media reported on the opening of the local centre that the local Haihe Media Group, as the centre's main media partner, had launched a project called "a friendly city on a tour of the Under Heaven". As part of it, it will "send over ten filmmaking teams to many countries and regions to use lens and pen to reveal and show the undying contributions of Tiencin to building the shared destiny of humanity, the Belt and Road and the overall foreign image of our country."
Question 8. Having understood the future direction of Chinese policy in the above two aspects, what is your view on the impact that China's continued opening up to the world will have at a high level and on the development of China-foreign relations?
JC: The comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU has been in place for 20 years. Over these past 20 years, the two sides have gradually grown into mutually important partners on many different levels.
In 2023, the trade volume between China and Europe reached USD 600 billion and bilateral investments exceeded USD 230 billion. One might believe that China and Europe have formed a strong mutual economic pair and relationship for many decades. The question: is this really the case at a time of anthropological war and EU dependence on the US?
In terms of connectivity, in the first 11 months of 2023, a total of 16,145 Sino-European freight trains were dispatched, carrying 1.749 million TEUs of goods, representing a year-on-year increase of 7 % and 19 % respectively. In terms of personnel exchanges, China has introduced a visa-free entry policy for 6 countries since December 1, as far as I know, 5 of which are European countries.
In the context of the above, I would like to mention a fact worth following, with risks that cannot be ignored: the Chinese government has managed to build a sophisticated strategy of knowledge and technology transfer from abroad and an extensive network of scientists and scholars working in France, which makes it possible to mobilize information gathering, technology transfer and implement scientific and technological cooperation. Like all talent recruitment programmes, it is associated with misconduct and theft of intellectual property, national security and imaginable political influence.
The research sample of 20 French associations involved in knowledge and technology transfer to China includes 71 talent recruitment sites operated by French-based entities on behalf of PRC agencies, local governments, companies and universities. The leaders of some of these associations simultaneously hold positions in French research institutions and vice versa.
In one case, it has been confirmed that laser specialist and Nobel laureate Gérard Mourou is on the advisory board of Peking University, which includes He Xiantu, who designed China's first neutron bomb.
All associations maintain ties with the Chinese Communist Party. However, the status of French associations has allowed them to gain recognition as a legitimate partner of French institutions and access to senior officials. One association has for several years run the official Chinese program of Station F, France's largest startup incubator. Its president was invited to join the prime minister's delegation during a visit to China in 2018.
I don't know whether the PRC's agency partners serve as instruments of political influence for the Chinese Communist Party. But I do know that repeating the story and the French example in other EU Member States is not realistic today, but as a reference for the future, the example is valuable for many reasons, including the sophisticated knowledge of the French.
Question 9. What space will the comprehensive deepening of China's reforms and Chinese-style modernization create for cooperation and exchange between China and Europe (Czech Republic)?
JC: In recent years, thanks to technological innovation, complete industrial and supply chains and market competition, China's new electric vehicle industry, among others, has developed, and a large number of high-quality, user-friendly models have emerged, which are welcomed by both domestic and foreign consumers. At the same time, some Chinese technologies, for example in the production of various batteries, are almost unrivalled and therefore popular.
Here are some statements from European political and business leaders and global new energy vehicle giants about new energy vehicles from China. Let's listen to them together.
The Chairman of the Slovak-Chinese Joint Business Committee, Pavol Antalic, recently highly praised cooperation with China in the field of green energy development and appreciated China's technological advances in the development of high-quality batteries and electric vehicles. He stated that "Local (Slovak) customers are very interested in Chinese electric vehicles."
Multinational carmaker Stellantis said it is confident it can compete price-competitively through its own affordable electric vehicles and its collaboration with Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor.
Hildegard Mueller, chairman of the Association of the German Automotive Industry, said that "The fact is that we need China to solve global problems, and this is especially true for the successful fight against the climate crisis," Mueller stressed China's role in the field of electric vehicles and the digital transformation of the global automotive industry.
Question 10. What do you think of their views?
JC: It's not easy to answer the question objectively because the answer is partly political and part of the irreconcilable competitive struggle between different economic systems, both of which are in transition, and one system even at the end of its life cycle. It should therefore be replaced by a more ecological, efficient and economic one.
However, the problem and challenge is the timing, length, content and objectives of the green deal concepts and the form of the transformation process. The time cannot be bought, the length depends, among other things, on the form of the transformation process, the green deal is not in line with the laws of nature and the form of the process today already takes the form of a war of values in the broadest sense.
Nevertheless, I agree with the essence of the statements of the above-mentioned personalities because, among other things, they indicate the need for exchange of experience, the need for cooperation and fair sharing, which capitalism by its very nature does not allow.
In this sense, China must address challenges that, if not addressed in a timely and principled manner, will inevitably transform into real economic and financial dangers and socio-political risks associated with a young generation addicted to entertainment, fashion trends and information technology products.
Are there any Chinese new energy products or Chinese high-tech products in your area? For example, cars, mobile phones, etc. How do users perceive these products?
JC: Everything mentioned in my environment and from the feedback I get is being used with a high degree of satisfaction. I myself am a satisfied user of some Chinese high-tech products, I am an active supporter of competitors in the high-tech sphere and therefore a supporter of a few select Chinese products.
Question 11. What is the importance of supporting China in further opening up to the world at a high level to strengthen economic, social, civilizational cooperation and exchange between China and Europe (Czech Republic)?
JC: There is no doubt that with the development of China, there is a growing curiosity and interest in Chinese culture in many countries around the world and also in organizations. On February 6 of this year (2024), UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a speech at the Lunar New Year of the Dragon celebration at the United Nations headquarters. In his speech, he mentioned that "for the first time this year, the United Nations has designated the Spring Festival as a United Nations holiday."
I will be glad if this news finds a proper response in the Western and Czech politically correct media with a proper explanation of the significance of Spring Festival, if only because Spring Festival activities have spread to almost 200 countries and regions around the world, and almost 20 countries have designated Spring Festival as a legal holiday. China's Spring Festival has thus gradually become a worldwide international festival.
I am sincerely happy about this fact. I had the opportunity to actively enjoy the celebrations first in London, then in Malaysia and later in China. I know what I am talking about.
Question 11. What do you think about the popularity of Chinese Spring Festival culture in the international community?
JC: I think I already answered the question a moment ago.
Question 12. In China, festivals originating from the West such as "Christmas" and "Valentine's Day" have become very popular and have become holidays for more and more Chinese. Can you feel the atmosphere of the Chinese Spring Festival during the Chinese Lunar New Year? If Chinese New Year or Chinese Valentine's Day is celebrated in your country, is it Qixi (the 7th lunar month of the Chinese lunar calendar)?
The story of the Czech Mole is very popular in China, and Chinese pop music called "Prague Square" has been widely sung.Now more and more foreign friends, including young people in Europe, are learning Chinese, they understand Chinese culture, many of them believe that learning Chinese and Chinese culture is a very important investment in their lives. Some of them are already in related professions or going to school. What do you think about this?
JC: Whatever the political situation, whatever the natural and man-made threats, the vast spatial distances, and the differences in concepts and systems, the study of China, its history, culture and present will continue, albeit in private and without the support of the official politically correct media. The same applies to exchanges between China and the Czech Republic. These are still continuing, albeit on a small scale.
Personally, I have been working with Czech for 20 years. About 15 years ago, when I was working on letters from radio listeners in Czech, a Czech listener expressed his love for Chinese products by giving the example of a pair of leather shoes from China that he had bought. He believed that Chinese products were of good quality and cheap, and among ordinary people in his neighbourhood, products from China were very popular.
As China's reform and opening up to the world continues to move forward, more distinctive products are flowing smoothly between China and foreign countries. Last winter, the temperature in Europe was very low, and Chinese electric blankets, hot water bottles, hand warmers and other "winter artifacts" are highly sought after by Europeans. In recent years, Chinese tea, chili sauce, European chocolate, ham and other regional specialties have become part of the daily life of ordinary people in China through e-commerce platforms and Sino-European freight trains. So I would like to ask you:
1. Do you have anything from China at home? What is it?
JC: Yes, not only do I have a phone, but also a radio, books, a good coat, shirts, tea and a whole host of memorabilia and old and new memories.
2. How did you get into these things? Did you buy it yourself or did you get it as a gift?
JC: Some of the things I bought during my visits to China, some I got as gifts from friends, and also from officials of Chinese authorities and institutions.
3. What do you think about when you see or use these things?
JC: I am thinking and thinking about how to get back to China at a time of high inflation, limited finances and rapid change to recharge my strength, energy and encourage the younger generation to trust in a better tomorrow. Because life experience tells me that today is worse than yesterday, but still better than tomorrow.
4. Have you bought any new Chinese items for your home in recent years? Why were these items acquired?
JC: I am not a materialistic person. Therefore, my acquisitions of items are limited to tea, TCM herbs and clothing accessories. Otherwise, I appreciate all the prizes I have managed to win or obtain in competitions organized by the Chinese or in recognition of my publishing work.
5. Would you recommend China or Chinese things to others?
JC: Yes. That's why I'm trying to prepare two young people for possible studies in China. Therefore, I will continue to disseminate and promote two Chinese high-tech products as much as possible and, if there is interest from the Chinese side, I will help in the realization of a second TCM center in Germany, similar to the one in Bad Kötzing, in a beautiful location overlooking the Rhine River, 45 minutes from Frankfurt.
6. Is there anything else from China that you wish you had?
JC: Yes. To have the opportunity to work as a mentor by participating in the systemic intensive development of human skills of young Chinese, to realize the possibility of supporting young internships in some EU countries and of course to realize a TCM center in Germany or Austria.
7. Have you been to China? How did you feel at that time?
JC: Yes, he was, several times. The first time in 1983-84 privately, and later on business (first in 1992-1994) or by invitation, for example to the IDCPC. And I always felt good. Even as a senior after participating in the Shanghai Marathon. I have described all the highlights in my book Consent is Not Needed (2016), 100 Years of the CC (2021), Symposium (2023) and in many articles in the form of commentaries and/or analyses for the public.
8. Is China attractive to you? What are the main aspects that attract you?
JC: The answer to the question follows from my previous answers. One of the main aspects that attract me is the issue of youth. It is a challenge for all countries of the world. I am interested in the return from the mega cities to the provinces and how ethics and morality are implemented in the Chinese Communist Party organizations.
9. Do you like Chinese culture and food? What Chinese cultural symbols do you know? Do you usually go to eat at Chinese restaurants in your country?
JC: We assume that by "cultural symbol" we mean anything that describes and serves as a representative of an idea related to a given culture. Cultural symbols in this sense can have an internal meaning, such as a religious icon, or they can serve as an external representation of a given culture, such as a recognizable building or style of dress. Therefore, cultural symbols may be religious or spiritual, or they may represent the ideology or philosophy of a culture's language, values and traditions. Cultural symbols include signs, emblems, hand gestures, flags, animals and much more.
In my experience, Chinese people tend to honor tradition but also uncritically embrace many parts of Western popular culture. It seems to me that because of the lingering influence of Confucianism, Chinese customs include a strong sense of family, a deep respect for hierarchy and a sense of harmony in conflict.
Generally, these are mostly non-verbal illustrations of proverbs, parables and maxims that portray the philosophical thinking and way of life of a certain group of people.
My favorite is the Phoenix, a symbol of harmony and renewal. In Chinese, Fenghuang is a mythical bird that reigns supreme among the symbols of birth and life in Chinese culture.
10. Direct flights between China and the Czech Republic were restored in June 2024. What impact do you think this has on exchanges between China and the Czech Republic? Would you or your family and friends consider coming to China to learn about local customs and traditions?
JC: It is certainly good that direct flight has been restored. I know nothing about the economic and financial parameters of the decision to resume flights between Prague and Beijing. Given the political situation and the government-sponsored Sinophobia, I have my doubts that the resumption of direct flights will be long lasting. Nevertheless, I would like the Chinese side to hold out, even with the government's financial support. As life teaches: far from everything is solved by private capital and the market, especially today. And what will happen tomorrow, no one knows.
As for me, it is my wish, maybe even my need, to visit China at least once more, to meet some friends I respect and to visit some places I really like. Some of my favourite ones include Dali City.
It is located in western Yunnan, approximately 250 km northwest of the provincial capital of Kunming, in the transition area between the dramatic valleys of the Hengduan Mountains on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the rugged mountains of the western Yungui Plateau. The township is surrounded at county level by Lake Erhai between the Cang Mountains to the west and the Jizu Mountains to the east.
Life permitting, I will make the trip to China this fall. And, if it is possible, with a young friend, a law student who is learning Chinese and has the prerequisites to study in China.
A note to think about how to avoid nuclear war and sanctions
Thesis 1: Since the dollar system is cross-border, anyone using it would have to pay a transaction tax - a commission on each dollar payment of, say, 1 %. Technically this is not difficult, just change the software for dollar payments.
This 1 % stabilizes the dollar system, which is beneficial to all participants. Why? Thanks to the dollar system, the Morgenthau Plan (the transformation of post-war Germany into a purely agrarian country) was replaced by the Marshall Plan, after which Germany (even in its truncated form without the GDR) was third in the world in terms of GDP by 1960, behind the United States and the USSR.
The huge Western investment and technology in China, as well as the open markets for Chinese goods, are also the result of a dollar system whose profitability could only be sustained through its constant expansion. All countries, with rare exceptions, have received a strong boost in their development when dollar investment and Western technology have come to them.
A tax on dollar transactions is therefore a very good deal for anyone who wants to maintain their participation in the international division of labour and the common market based on the dollar system.
Thesis 2: However, before a new dollar system could be created, a new conference, similar to the Bretton Woods conference, would have to be organised and held at which the old dollar system would be reformed and its provisions agreed by all participants.
A new dollar system with a transaction tax for all its participants can therefore be called a symbiotic union, where one of the participants in such a union has something that the others do not, and vice versa. The result is that they all depend on and need each other:
- The United States will maintain a leading position in financial institutions, and especially in international settlements, for which it will collect a transaction tax from other participants in this trade. At the same time, the United States will have to sacrifice part of its markets for goods from other countries (a policy of mercantilism in reverse);
- China is a leader in the organization of industrial production, i.e. highly dependent on foreign markets. Since the United States controls a significant part of the solvent markets, China is committed to conduct all foreign economic transactions only in US dollars to access these markets, which of course contradicts the current trend and official policy of the Communist Party of China.
- Russia also agrees to make all its international settlements in US dollars only, but under certain conditions, which of course also contradicts the current trend and the Kremlin's official policy.
As a result, all three major players are stabilising their economies without resorting to war as a way to achieve a new global balance of power.
A model for reformatting a world without wars could become an important complement to the concept of a shared future, which also opposes hegemonism and advocates a multipolar world. A new dollar system would preserve US leadership in the financial sphere, but also maintain China's leadership in industrial production, and Russia would restore security and normal relations with European countries.
Another confrontation and attempt by the collective West to reconquer the rest of the world would objectively not lead to anything good for the West - the forces are no longer the same.
CMG CRI/gnews.cz-roz
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