CiCM 17th July 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

A red flash flood warning was issued on 17th July 2023 by the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration. Heavy rains are expected in most parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan Island and southern Hunan. Many places have been alerted with an orange and yellow typhoon warning. According to the Central Meteorological Observatory, Typhoon “Tali” is predicted to move into the Beibu Gulf by 18th July, 2023 and will dissipate near northern Vietnam on 19th July, 2023. Shipping, Railway and several other departments along the coast of South China have temporarily suspended their operations. All the routes from Guangxi Beihai to Weizhou Island have been closed for the time being and 18,800 citizens have been evacuated since 16th July from the affected areas.
The National Space Science Centre of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a solar telescope array in Daocheng county, Sichuan Province in Southwest China and has begun its trial observation. The Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope (DSRT) is a vital part of China's phase 2 Meridian Project which comprises of deploying 16 stations and building a stereo monitoring capability to monitor space weather chain in the solar terrestrial system. The array is the world’s largest synthesis aperture radio telescope and it consists of 313 six-metre wide parabolic antennas circling a 100-metre high calibration tower in the centre. It will constantly monitor the sun and explore methods to warn of pulsars, fast radio bursts and asteroids. To improve the quality of its image processing, the researchers are going to look into various high-precision data processing methods.
The Zhuzhou Healthcare Security Bureau has released a notice to standardise the application requirements for maternity insurance. According to the notice, marriage certificates and birth certificates are no longer required to avail the insurance policy. This new policy shift has recently allowed a single mother in Zhuzhou, Hunan province to avail childbirth allowance. Before this change, mothers with registered marriages were the only ones allowed for a childbirth allowance. The new changes require the mothers to submit their allowance application with the medical birth certified or the original discharge record with the hospital seal, making a headway for single mothers and their reproductive rights.
The National Bureau of Statistics released new data on Monday, indicating the rise of youth unemployment rate in China. The unemployment rate among people of age 16 to 24 rose to 21.3 percent in June. The unemployment rate in the month of May was recorded as 20.8 percent and 20.4 percent in the month of April. NBS spokesman Fu Linghui states that the youth unemployment rate is experiencing “seasonal fluctuations” which indicates an influx of young graduates into the job market. The unemployment rate is expected to decrease starting from the month of August. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security have released China’s first regulation on the management of human resources agencies to create a safer job market for the youth.
The annual event organised by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the All-China Journalists Association commenced on Sunday as 40 reporters from 23 media outlets from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong participated in a nine-day trip to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu. They will embark on the journey to conduct in-depth interviews and write reports on the latest local developments to boost mutual understanding. The event will help boost cross-Strait exchange and cooperation. Chen Binhua, the new spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office was part of the first group of journalists that went to Taiwan for a month-long reporting trip in February 2001. In 2008, Chen was also selected as one of the “Top 10 Journalists” by Xinhua News Agency.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Introduction of “Tranquillity Period” policy creates controversy: Shangqiu, an ancient capital city in the Henan province announced that the first 20 days of every month will be dubbed as “business tranquillity period”, according to which no local law enforcement actions will be taken against business such as regular inspections or administrative punishments. The new policy was implemented on July 7 and it aims to regulate some administrative departments that conduct repetitive actions and interfere with business operations. Many cities in China have reportedly implemented this new policy as Linyi City in Shandong observed its “business tranquillity period” at the end of last month. This new policy has generated mixed responses as netizens raise doubts about the effectiveness of the policy. China’s state broadcaster CCTV has argued that this policy is unnecessary if inspections are timed appropriately. Many have raised concerns about the policy becoming a way for businesses to avoid inspections and run afoul of local regulations. Due to the rise in public complaints, the Shangqiu business environment office announced on Sunday that production safety, food safety and other inspections that require immediate attention will not be restricted by the new policy.

INDIA WATCH

The fluctuations in the job market and employment of the younger generation have become a global issue as China experiences a new record in the youth unemployment rate in June, which rose to 21.3 percent compared to 20.8 percent in May. The rising pressures of unemployment creates an imbalance in the business cycle of the economy. To manage the employment prospects of fresh graduates, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Justice of China has launched various campaigns and programs. Job fairs have been organised in the month of July along with supervising agencies that offer consultancy and guidance on job opportunities. Although India has launched various initiatives such as Start-Up India, Make in India and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, the unemployment rate reached a 45-year high of 6.1% in 2018 with the lowest rates of female participation in the workforce. India needs to analyse its current economic policies to provide support for skill development of the younger generation. The Ministry of Women and Child Development can also expand its implementation of advanced policies for women to obtain skills as per the demands in the job market.

Prepared By

Aanchal Budhwar

Aanchal Budhwar is currently pursuing her Masters degree in International Studies from Symbiosis School of International Studies in Pune with a specialisation in Asia Area Studies. She completed her Bachelors degree in English Honours from MCM DAV College, Chandigarh. She is an avid reader and is passionate about learning new languages. She is keen on learning about Asian culture and geopolitics and deciphering the strategic meaning behind the political, diplomatic, cultural, economic and social developments taking place in China and its impact beyond the borders.