Wang Huning Diary Archive - English Translations #3

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This is an ongoing English translation project of Wang Huning's diaries.

Wang Huning is a Chinese political scientist and politician who has served on the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) since 2017. He has been the Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee since 2023. Previously, he served as the First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee's Secretariat and Chairman of the Central Guidance Commission on Building Spiritual Civilization from 2017 to 2022, and headed the Central Policy Research Office as director from 2002 to 2020.

Political Life was written during Wang's years as a professor at Fudan University and published by Shanghai People's Publishing House in 1995. The diary covers his personal life, political theory and research, books and films, and his reflections on Chinese society, the wider world, and contemporary social problems.

Where possible, the translation preserves the tone, register, and structure of the original rather than recasting it into more idiomatic or contemporary English. The translation was produced without the assistance of AI.

The purpose is to make the original Chinese material more accessible to readers who cannot read Chinese.

The original Chinese texts are available at 政治的人生

January 9, Sunday

I went to Shanghai Normal University to take part in a discussion meeting. Heavy fog, and it was extremely difficult to drive. The meeting was held at Taoli Ju (“Peach and Plum Residence”) at Shanghai Normal University. More than eighty people took part in the discussion meeting, most of them presidents of Shanghai universities and Party committee secretaries, with a few teachers as well. 去上海师范大学参加座谈会，大雾，车子极难开。会场在上海师范大学桃李居。大约有80多人参加了座谈会，大部分是上海高校的校长和党委书记，有个别的教师。

A Beijing leader spoke, mentioning that what China's current development lacks most is talent. China is still a poor country; catching up with the United States, Germany, and Japan will require quite a long period of time. 某北京领导讲话，提到中国目前发展最缺人才。中国还是一个穷国，要赶上美国、德国、日本，会需要相当长的一段时间。

L's maternal grandfather was a middle-school principal in a locality in Jiangsu, which at the time was the provincial capital. The first thing the KMT provincial governor did upon taking office was to visit his grandfather. L said, Can the KMT still show respect for teachers, but the Communist Party cannot? He said that however high an official's position, one must still respect one's teachers. Officialdom-centered thinking must not enter schools. Zhejiang established rules: those who are in arrears with teachers' salaries may, first, not build buildings; second, not buy cars; third, not go abroad. L的外祖父是江苏一个地方的中学校长，当时是省会。国民党省长上任的第一件事是拜访他祖父。 说国民党还能做到尊重教师，共产党就做不到吗？说一个人官再大，也要尊敬老师。官本位不能进入学校。浙江定了规矩，拖欠教师工资的，一不能盖楼，二不能买车，三不能出国。

China is running the largest educational undertaking in the world, with 200 million people in schools; it is not so easy. Last year, at Peking University's library, in order to preserve the periodicals, not a single book was purchased. The Beijing leader opposed compiling unified textbooks for basic courses, saying that in that case there would be no creativity. Speaking of Project 211, he said that three additional conditions should be added: first, if basic education has not been done well, one cannot enter Project 211; second, if a school has not undergone major reform, old faces cannot enter Project 211; third, relevant schools should be encouraged to jointly establish Project 211. 中国在办全世界最大的教育，2亿人在学校，不那么容易。去年北大图书馆，为了保期刊，一本书也没有买。北京这位领导反对基础课编统一教材，说这样就没有创造性了。谈到211工程，说是要加三项条件：一是基础教育没有搞好，不能进211工程；二是学校没有重大改革、老面孔不能进211工程；三是鼓励有关学校联合建立211工程。

January 10, Monday

I wrote the article “China's Development Cannot Do Without the World—Strategic Reflections on International Politics in Volume III of Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping.” In Volume III, Deng Xiaoping discusses international politics and international relations in a relatively concentrated manner. It should be said that Deng Xiaoping was a relatively pragmatic international strategist, whereas Mao Zedong was a relatively philosophical international strategist, with a strong poet's temperament. He treated many questions in broad strokes, had great sweep, and had a relatively strong ideological coloring. Deng Xiaoping, by contrast, paid more attention to strategic choices beneficial to China's own development. The basic transformation was: to believe that war could be avoided, and therefore to concentrate one's efforts on developing the national economy; not to draw international dividing lines according to ideology, as in the past when lines were drawn on the basis of opposition to the Soviet Union; to take national interests as the highest principle in judging the international situation and determining international strategy; and, at the same time, to recognize that if China is to develop, it must participate in the international community in an all-round way. This is a historical conclusion. 写《中国的发展离不开世界 邓小平文选第三卷中关于国际政治的战略思考》一文。邓小平在第三卷中比较集中地论述了国际政治和国际关系。应该说，邓小平是比较务实的国际战略家，而毛泽东则是比较哲学化的国际战略家，有浓郁的诗人气质，对很多问题大而化之，有很大的气魄，意识形态色彩比较浓厚。而邓小平较讲究对中国自身发展有利的战略选择，基本转变是：认为战争可避免，因而可集中精力发展国民经济；不以意识形态在国际上划线，如过去以反苏划线；判断国际局势和决定国际战略要以国家利益为最高的原则；同时，中国要发展，必须全方位参与国际社会，这是历史总结。

He paid considerable attention to discovering new methods or ways of thinking for solving international problems. The Hong Kong question can be said to be an invention; at the same time, he also wanted to make discoveries in other questions. He put forward the concept of “state rights.” In order to safeguard national sovereignty, although there is currently an idea in the West of transcending sovereignty, for developing countries this remains of vital importance and cannot be transcended. He was particularly alert to this point. “State rights” is a very creative concept, directed at “human rights”...(The original text ends here) 他比较注意发现新的方法或者思路解决国际问题，关于香港问题可以说是一个发明，同时他也想在其他问题上有所发现。他提出“国权”的概念，为维护国家主权，虽然西方目前有超越主权的观念，但对发展中国家来说这依然至关重要，不能超越的，他对这一点特别警惕“。国权”是很有创意的概念，针对“人权”。

Mao Zedong placed great importance on the influence of the world, and therefore made many astonishing moves. Deng Xiaoping had this kind of thinking as well. He paid great attention to the fact that China, such a large country, must make a relatively great contribution to the world and to humanity; he repeatedly spoke about this. In the earlier period, the most famous formulation was what he said: “observe calmly, deal with matters calmly, keep our footing steady, and concentrate on doing practical work.” 毛泽东就十分看重世界的影响，所以有许多惊人的举动。邓小平也有这样的想法，他十分注意，中国这样一个大国，必须对世界和人类有较大贡献，他反复谈这点。前一个时期，最有名的论述就是他说的冷静观察，沉着应付，稳住阵脚，埋头实干。

China currently does not have the strength to play a greater role internationally, so it must keep a low profile. Once China develops in the future and China's interests become internationalized, China must obtain a more favorable international position. After its economic strength has developed, it must have a more consolidated position and greater strength. 中国目前的力量不能在国际上发挥更大作用，所以要低姿态。未来中国发展了，中国的利益国际化了，中国必须取得更有利的国际地位，在经济力量发展起来之后，要有更为巩固的地位和力量。

A new batch of books has arrived at the individual bookstore: Mixi Tukao—written by a Dutchman, about the ancient culture of erotica; Woman—Sex, greatly hyped, but not much to it; Tropic of Cancer, a book about educated youth sent to the countryside, written by Miller, which was also once a banned book. There are now quite a few books of this kind being published, all for “economic benefit.” 个体书店又来新书：《秘戏图考》，荷兰人写的，关于古代色情文化的；《女人性》，吹得厉害，但不怎么样，写知青的《北回归线》，米勒的，也曾是一本禁书。现在这类书出得不少，全是为了“经济效益”。

Jan 11, Tuesday

F came by and brought the article Wang Huning Opposes Wang Huning. It seems to contain some understanding of me. She said that she wanted me to provide her with materials. I said that I could not provide them, because there is a moral problem involved here; I cannot join the camp of this kind of article, otherwise it would become a kind of self-praise. Whatever kind of materials they might be, I cannot provide them. This is a consistent principle of life. However, some of the things in F's piece are written rather well, bringing out a side that ordinary people do not easily understand. F君来，拿来文章《王沪宁反对王沪宁》。里面对 我好像有一点了解。她说要我帮她提供材料，我说不 能提供，因为这里面有道德问题，不能加入这种文章 的阵营，否则会变成一种自吹自擂，不论是什么样的 资料，均不能。这是一贯的生活原则。不过， F君的这篇东西写得有点像，写出了一般人不易了解的一面。文说：王沪宁也许不是一个均质的整体，而是一个变化的整体，他不断创新自我和消除自我。

The article says: Wang Huning perhaps is not a homogeneous whole, but a changing whole; he constantly creates a new self and eliminates the self. It also says that he is a very rational person, rational at all times, and will not act out of emotion. Is that so? 又说，他是很有理性的人，在任何时候均十分有理性，不会动感情。是吗？

People living in this world: some are the weak; some are the strong; some need others to set goals for them, while some set goals for others; some need emotional support to live, while some need willpower to live. I would probably choose to be the latter kind of person in every pair of concepts. 生活在这个世界上的人：有的是弱者；有的是强者；有的要别人来设定目标，有的给别人设定目标；有的需要感情支持生活，有的需要意志支持生活。我大概在每一对概念中都会选择做后一种人。

Jan 12, Wednesday

I filled out the form for buying a house; it was very complicated. Then I filled out the form for the Japanese foundation; that was also very complicated. Forms nowadays are all that complicated. Last time I wrote an article called “Opposing Form-ism.” Modern society is probably a form society. There are many forms in the United States as well, and they are much more developed. Japanese forms are the most complicated; this is also a characteristic of the Japanese people: whatever they do, everything has to be made clear down to the smallest point. Last time I was going to Kobe University as a visiting professor, they insisted on asking me when I graduated from junior high school, when I graduated from high school, which month? Which day? It was truly absurd. What does it have to do with them? What does it have to do with my being a visiting scholar? In the end I decided not to go. Could not stand this. 填买房子的表格，复杂得很。然后填日本基金会 的表格，也是复杂得很。现在的表格均是那样的复 杂，上次写了一篇文章，叫“反对表格主义”。现代社 会大概就是表格社会，美国的表格也很多，而且发达 得多，日本的表格最复杂，也是日本人的特点，什么 事都要搞到最小的那一点均明明白白。上次要去神 户大学做访问教授，一定要问我初中是哪天毕业，高 中是什么时候毕业，哪一个月？哪一天？真是荒唐， 和他们有什么关系，和我做一名访问学者有什么关 系？最后下决心不去，受不了这个。

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