CiCM 17th August 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP held a meeting under the chairmanship of Xi Jinping to discuss the flood related situation. The meeting emphasized how party committees and government representatives at all levels carried out their responsibilities and worked together under the steadfast leadership of the Party Central Committee. Measures have been taken in order to prevent flooding, provide aid, and safeguard people's homes. It noted that the vast majority of the populace has remained united throughout the flooding. The fight to prevent flooding and provide disaster aid has made significant progress. North China, including Beijing, witnessed a heavy downpour at the end of July—the worst in decades. The meeting suggests the end of the Beidaihe summer retreat as Xi Jinping and other Party leaders return to official duties.

Ministry of Commerce insisted the United States must immediately rescind its Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum exports from China that are against WTO rules and urged the US to work with other WTO members to jointly maintain the multilateral trading system based on rules. It added that since March 2018, the U.S. has expanded its definition of "national security" and imposed duties on steel and aluminum exports from many WTO countries, including China. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the WTO had ruled that these American actions were against WTO rules in December 2022.
Ministry of State Security issued a statement cautioning citizens about increasing risks related to data security. It stressed the explicit connection between data security, national security and public interests. Additionally, it emphasized the bolstering of critical information infrastructure security and the early detection of data security threats. The statement also argued that access to China's critical data was attempted by certain foreign organizations. Data from the Cyberspace Administration of China, which indicated that China's data output reached 8.1 zettabytes in 2022, ranking second globally, with a storage capacity of 724.5 exabytes, accounting for 14.4% of global capacity, was cited by the ministry to emphasize the significance of high-quality data security resources in fostering scientific and technological innovation. The declaration was made following the discovery, during a recent investigation, that the backdoor virus employed in a cyberattack against the Wuhan Earthquake Monitoring Centre shared characteristics with that of foreign intelligence services.
State Administration for Market Regulation has issued comprehensive recommendations relating to the selection of appropriate gas appliances as well as instructions for their proper use. The recommendations also stress particular safety precautions for each category of gas appliance, such as checking product nameplates and guaranteeing appropriate installation, routine maintenance, and the quick replacement of devices that have gone over their specified usage durations. It also states that the suggestions of specialists should be taken into consideration. The regulation was made public owing to the increasing number of gas explosions in 2023 so far. 57 people died and 190 people were injured in 294 gas explosion events in the first half of 2023, according to data from the China Gas Association. LPG was responsible for more than half of all accidents.
The 19^th Asian Games which is going to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang will be the first carbon-neutral Asian Games in history. Hangzhou has made arrangements for all 65 venues and office buildings for the event to run entirely on green electricity from March through December this year in order to organize a "Green, Smart, Economical and Ethical" Asian Games. Ultra –edge high voltage grids are being used to bring electricity produced from renewable energy resources from the distant places. In addition to building a green travel service system in important areas related to the event, including Hangzhou's Xiaoshan district and Binjiang district, as well as their surrounding areas, the State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Company is pushing forward with the full coverage of charging piles at venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Chinese Foreign Minister urged Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang to jointly protect the safety of the regime and institutions and uphold ideals of communist party and it socialist directions. The foreign minister also expressed his intention to take the relationship to the next level. He also requested ASEAN member states including Vietnam to thwart the interference of the external forces in the South China Sea for ensuring peace and stability in the region. In the following week, negotiations between China and ASEAN are expected to resume. Both leaders of China and Vietnam met on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the China-South Asia Expo in southwestern city of Kunming in China. The discussion took place after a Chinese coastguard ship fired a water canon at a Philippine vessel to restrict it from conducting a resupply mission to the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Top 10 Most Hated Chat Icons among Youths in China: A study on the ten WeChat emojis conducted by the Chinese research institute Oh! Youth which was based on more than 1,600 questionnaires went viral. The study finds that the Tencent’s WeChat is the most widely used messaging service on the mainland, with more than 1.2 billion monthly active users. The built-in emojis in the app, which are yellow faces with varied expressions and differ significantly from those on smart phones, are still widely used, and some of them have come to imply things other than what they were initially intended with the emojis.

INDIA WATCH

China is trying to mend its strained relationship with Vietnam as its Deputy Prime Minister participated in the opening ceremony of the China-South Asia Expo in the southwestern city of Kunming. It is using every available opportunity to repair its bilateral engagement with Vietnam. China extended a helping hand to Vietnam when Vietnams defense minister visited China and met with Chinas defense minister Li Shangfu in June. Strengthening cooperation between the militaries of both countries was part of the agenda.

China’s intention to establish a better relationship with Vietnam can affect India’s interests in the region since Vietnam is an ASEAN member, with which India has a positive relationship. Since ASEAN is a pivotal element in India’s Look East Policy, India’s relationship with Vietnam should have good foundations. India was one of the foremost countries to support Vietnam after its victory over against the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Since then, both the states have established economic and commercial relations, defense and economic cooperation along with joint ventures in the science and technology field. India is an active participant with Vietnam in capacity building and other efforts.

Prepared By

Mohammed Afnan

Mohammed Afnan completed Masters Degree - MA in "Politics:International and Area Studies" from MMAJ Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He completed Bachelor of Arts ( BA) in Political Science from University of Calicut, Kerala. His main research areas include India's foreign policy, geopolitics of South Asia, peace and conflict.