From December 3rd to 4th, the National Conference on Religious Work was held in Beijing. Xi Jinping gave a key speech at the meeting. Many key officials of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attended the meeting, including all Politburo Standing Committee members, Politburo members, Secretaries of the CCP Central Secretariat, officials of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, State Council members, the President of the Supreme People’s Court, the President of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, top officials from the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, top CCP provincial officials in charge religious work, city party heads from key cities in each province, top officials at the CCP Central Departments, the state’s ministries, and the Central Military Commission organs.

Xi Jinping stressed the party’s leadership over religions and the need to develop a group of CCP officials who are experts on Marxist theories and capable of doing religious control work.

Source: China Government Site, December 4, 2021
http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2021-12/04/content_5655877.htm

Guo Shengkun, secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission 0f the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), published an article in the official People’s Daily on December 2, stressing the “Fengqiao Experience” and “grid-based” administration, as well as combat against the infiltration of subversive and destructive activities by hostile forces.

The article proposed to focus on the outstanding issues affecting national security and social stability, and on improving the ability to prevent and resolve major risks and hazards.

It called for “strictly preventing and combating the subversive and destructive activities of hostile forces, carrying out in-depth anti-terrorist and anti-secession battles, and effectively building an iron wall to maintain national security.”

Guo also emphasized the “Fengqiao Experience” to maximize the prevention of social conflicts, reduce confrontation and promote stability.

The “Fengqiao experience” was a Mao-era practice from the 1960’s. It involved mobilizing the masses in order to “strengthen the dictatorship over class enemies.” It was named after Fengqiao Township, a part of the city of Zhuji in Zhejiang province.

Gao vowed to strengthen the grassroots work, deepen the “grid-based” administration, and strive to nip risks in the bud. The Chinese government has divided local communities into a grid pattern, with each grid made up of from dozens up to hundreds of households.  A designated person called the “grid administrator” leads the administration process.

Recently in Beijing, the city government has been organizing a number of community surveillance groups. They include the “Chaoyang Masses” (朝阳群众), the “Haiding Internet Users” (海淀网友), and the “Xicheng Aunties” (西城大妈). These groups have been used to implement the “Fengqiao experience” as part of the CCP’s practice of battling social instability.

Source: People’s Daily, December 2, 2021
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2021-12/02/nw.D110000renmrb_20211202_1-06.htm

On December 3, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, China’s central government decided to establish a national security affairs advisor and three national security technical advisors to be on a Committee for Safeguarding the National Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). Beijing actually made this decision on November 30 in its reply to the Chief Executive of Macau.

The reply also said that the head of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in the Macau SAR in Beijing will take the position of national security advisor and that staff members in the Liaison Office will fill the positions of technical advisors. The Liaison Office works as Beijing’s representative in Macau.

The national security affairs adviser will be in charge of “supervising, guiding, coordinating, and supporting the Macao SAR in the function of safeguarding national security.” The duties of the national security technical adviser shall include “assisting the national security affairs adviser” and advising on matters pertaining to the duties and functions of the office of the Committee for Safeguarding the National Security of the Macao SAR.

In addition, the reply mentioned that the national security affairs adviser shall sit in on meetings of the Committee, and the national security technical advisers shall sit in on meetings of the office of the Committee.

The Hong Kong National Security Law that passed last year also provided for the establishment of a “Committee for Safeguarding National Security.” The Chief Executive would chair the Committee. His duties would include analyzing and assessing the situation of the HKSAR’s national security, planning relevant work, formulating policies, promoting the development of legal systems and implementation mechanisms, and coordinating major operations. The Committee in Hong Kong also has a national security advisor that Beijing appointed. The advisor would attend its meetings and provide advice on related matters.

Source: Xinhua, December 3, 2021
http://www.news.cn/gangao/2021-12/03/c_1128126706.htm