CiCM 23rd February 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Chinese and the US astronomers make lunar history in collaboration to study the moon, the Milky Way and the universe: Scientists from China and the United States will be making joint astronomical observations on the moon with the landing of the first privately made US spacecraft on the lunar surface in half a century, the Odysseus. The Odysseus is a commercial lunar lander constructed by Intuitive Machines, based in Texas, and scientists in Beijing have been invited to utilise two of its cameras. This is primarily an outcome of the partnership between researchers at the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA), a non-profit organisation with headquarters in Hawaii, and the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) in Beijing. Collaboration between NAOC and the Hawaii-based non-profit International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) dates back to 2012, when the Hawaiian astronomers were invited to use an ultraviolet telescope on China’s Chang’e 3 moon lander to capture images of the Pinwheel galaxy from the moon’s surface. The researchers will examine a number of celestial bodies, including the Milky Way's centre, using the Odysseus' cameras. Canadensys Aerospace, a Canadian company, built the imaging suite for the US lander, ILO-X, which weighs 0.6 kg and has two cameras, one for wide-field vision and the other for narrow field. Its mission is to examine the cosmos, Earth, and the surrounding area while operating for one lunar day or fourteen Earth days.
Construction on the second phase of the Zhangzhou Nuclear power project begins in China: China started the construction on the second phase of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant on 22nd of February. The project is located in the east Chinese province of Fujian and uses Hualong One reactors, a set of third-generation reactors that are manufactured domestically by the China General Nuclear Power Group and CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation). The project has been planned on the construction of six nuclear power units with a combined capacity of one million kilowatts each. The initial phase of the project includes two power units; the first unit is scheduled to go into production this year, and the second unit is under preparation for cold testing. The CNCC reported that each Hualong one nuclear power unit can generate more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which would suffice the annual production and domestic electricity demand of approximately 1 million people in the moderately developed countries. This would further reduce the consumption of standard coal by 3.12 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emission by 8.16 million tonnes per year, which is also equivalent to planting of around 70 million trees.
China set to draft laws enhancing private sector growth: China is poised to draft laws aimed at bolstering its private sector to enhance business confidence, stimulate economic growth and create a more favourable environment for private enterprises and address their pressing concerns. The Ministry of Justice, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress jointly hosted a legislative work symposium on Wednesday, in which they informed that the drafting of laws to support the development of the private sector have begun and would be announced soon. The private sector contributes significantly to China's GDP, technological innovation, and urban employment which accelerate growth and detailed steps, including tax cuts and improved market access, are needed to further boost the private economy. Zhao Jiazhen, executive director and co-chief executive officer of Chinese online discounter PDD Holdings, attended the legislative symposium and expressed the greater need for protecting the legitimate rights of small and medium-sized enterprises and improve their technological innovation capacities in the field of international competition.
China witness booming tourism and consumption during the spring festival holiday: The Ministry of Commerce announced that the sales and consumption had boomed in China largely during the spring festival holiday. According to the reports from the Ministry of Commerce, sales of gold, silver and jewellery went up 23.8 percent, sports and entertainment products up 15.6 percent, and communication equipment up 10.4 percent respectively. China's service sectors also witnessed a significant surge during the period. Domestic tourists have spent 632.69 billion Yuan (about 89 billion US dollars), while the national box office during the holiday hit a record high of 8.02 billion Yuan. Following a similar pattern the Instant retail sales via e-commerce platforms monitored by the ministry climbed to 32.2 percent this year. Similarly, reports of the Ministry of Tourism recorded the approximate count of 474 million domestic tourists who had spent a total of 4.91 trillion Yuan on travel marking an increase of 2.87 trillion Yuan over the previous year.
The third "Tiangong Painting Exhibition" was officially launched on the China Space Station: The third "Tiangong Painting Exhibition" was officially launched on the Chinese space station on 23rd February. The Shenzhou 17 astronaut crew presented and showcased the stunning paintings of the young people, marking a new era in the integration of Chinese culture and scientific progress. On October 2023, the "Tiangong Painting Exhibition” began collecting paintings from the entire country. Ultimately, out of over 20,000 registered pieces, 53 paintings were selected and transported to the space station on the Tianzhou 7 supply spacecraft. With the topic "Chinese Modernization in the Eyes of Children," the exhibition features paintings by "little painters" from 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) throughout the nation as well as the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions. The chosen paintings are designed on two silk scrolls demonstrating the beauty of the integration of modern technology and traditional Chinese culture.
The Ministry of Education releases the list of artificial intelligence education bases for primary and secondary schools: The Ministry of Education recently announced a list of artificial intelligence education bases for primary and secondary schools. The ministry of education plans to encourage the administration of various primary and secondary schools with good foundational arrangements to introduce and apply newer and innovative methods of artificial intelligence in their teaching curriculum. After a strict review and recommendation by the provincial education administrative departments, the Ministry of Education ratified the use of 184 artificial intelligence education bases for primary and secondary schools. It aims to explore new concepts and models, promote in-depth development of artificial intelligence to enrich education, teaching resources, learner support services, teacher training and guidance. The ministry of education also plans on developing novel teaching methods through high-quality resources for an overall development of students in the primary and secondary schools.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Images from a set of 100 cars pile up in Suzhou city due to icy roads sparks concern on social media in China: A car pile-up that took place in Suzhou city on Friday morning has sparked concern among nitizens. Images of drivers struggling to deal with icy roads in the generally temperate city had gone viral on Chinese social media platforms. Although no deaths were reported so far, nine injured people are being provided with medical care. In the past weeks, major regions in China have witnessed cold waves, blizzards and icy rain, causing severe stress upon the transportation systems in the country. These severe weather conditions also come at a time when millions of people are travelling home for the Lunar New Year holiday celebrations.

INDIA WATCH

The joint venture between the China-US research organizations in the field of space research is a noteworthy collaboration in a rather tense bilateral relationship between the two countries. This mission is also significant in terms of its low-end costs, portraying a sustainable approach and also the difficulty in execution due to the lunar South Pole region. India too, through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been making significant strides in space research and innovation, particularly highlighted by the successful launch of Chandrayaan 3 on 14th July 2023. The mission marked India's continued commitment to exploring the moon's surface and expanding its capabilities in space technology. Building on the success of Chandrayaan 1 and Chandrayaan 2, this mission aims to further study the moon's surface and potentially make new discoveries that could benefit scientific research and humanity as a whole. On the other hand, China too has been assertive and ambitious in its space endeavours, with an organized space program that has achieved several milestones. It is also the second country after the US to have a robotic rover on Mars. In this interconnected and interdependent world, the aim of the major powers including China lie particularly on the collection and assessment of data and information, that fuels up their strategic diplomacies as well as aggressive conduct of international politics. However, both China and India's projects have implications not just for their own scientific and strategic advancements but also for the entire world. China's mission could provide valuable insights into the composition and behaviour of lunar and celestial bodies, enhancing our understanding of the universe. The continued advancements could establish it as a major player in space exploration, potentially leading to ground-breaking discoveries. Similarly, India's Chandrayaan 3 mission could lead to discoveries that benefit humanity as a whole, such as new insights into the moon's geology and identification of potential resources. India's focus on practical applications of space technology, such as weather forecasting and communication, could improve the quality of life for millions. India's achievements in space research and innovation, particularly exemplified by the successful launch of Chandrayaan 3, are a testament to its growing capabilities and ambitions in the field. As India continues to make strides in the arena of space technology, it is poised to contribute significantly to our understanding of the universe and to the advancement of humanity as a whole.

Prepared By

Agniva Ray

Agniva Ray is an M.A, 2nd year, 4th semester student pursuing Political Science with International Relations in the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University. He holds a deep interest in Socio-economic (Non-Traditional Security) as well as Traditional security issues concerning South Asia and aims to pursue research work in this very field.