CiCM 11th June 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

State Departments Issue Development Plans: The Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Market Regulations, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and nine other departments released an action plan to revitalize agriculture. The plan targets provincial level bureaus and departments to implement decisions of the Party Central Committee to enhance rural development plans and encourage domestic service consumption. The plan proposes 25 specific measures to increase support for the rural population to find employment through domestic labour and improve support policies regarding housing, loans and taxation. Service quality and supply are expected to be improved by training employees in domestic services and enterprises and the plan specifically calls for increased support to domestic service brands developed by women. Local governments are expected to strengthen support for higher education, business development and credit systems to ensure even salary distribution and incentivise workers to develop skills.
China Retaliates Against Dutch Navy’s Accusation: Chinese Ministry of Defence spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang made a statement regarding an incident involving a Dutch helicopter in the East China Sea. According to the Dutch defence ministry, two Chinese fighter jets and a helicopter approached a Dutch Navy maritime combat helicopter during a regular patrol to supervise UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. Zhang refuted this claim and criticised the Dutch defence ministry for attempting to cover up for an encroachment in Chinese airspace. According to Zhang’s statements, the fighter jets were dispatched by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command in response to provocative actions by Dutch Navy’s helicopter. The statement alleges that verbal warnings were made but were ignored which caused the PLA to escalate the situation through deploying the jets; an act that Zhang described as legal and professional. The Chinese side has expressed firm disbelief in opposing claims and claimed that responsibility for the incident should be shouldered by the Dutch navy for violating Chinese airspace and creating tension.
MCA Uncovers Chinese Charity Foundation’s Fraud: The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) released the results of an investigation into the China Children and Teenager’s Charity Relief Foundation. The charity foundation is a significant children’s foundation with over 150 projects to its name, including the 9958 Rescue Centre which provides emergency services for critically ill children. The charity was accused of fraud online in September of 2023 as netizens reported a volunteer embezzling money which the charity confirmed they had not received. The perpetrator of the fraud, Ke Mouziao, was a volunteer working at the rescue centre who raised private funds of almost 10 million yuan from the parents of children being treated. According to the charity’s statement in September he was not an official employee and was not authorised to raise money. The MCA’s investigation confirmed Ke’s fraud and confirmed further issues with the charity’s functioning, including conducting unauthorised activities and failing to disclose information in accordance to the law. The report calls for the charity to remove relevant authorities for failing their duties and the investigate the head of the 9958 Rescue Centre; additionally, the charity has been placed on a blacklist and has had its activities suspended for three months. An MCA task force has been deployed to ensure the safety of the children under the charity.
Hong Kong Civil Service Bureau Announces Pay Raise: Hong Kong's Executive Council has approved a 3% salary increase for civil servants. The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) announced the approval, clarifying that the increase will apply to upper, middle, lower, and directorate salary bands, with retrospective effect from April 1, 2024. A CSB spokesperson explained that the decision considered the rising vacancy rates within the civil service and the recorded economic growth, both of which have led to an increased workload for civil service employees. The spokesperson also cited competition from pay raises in the private sector, the increasing cost of living, and the need to boost employee morale as justifications for the increase. Despite these factors, the 3% raise falls short of expectations. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung acknowledged that the increase is below the indicated level but stated that the Executive Council believes it to be appropriate, considering economic factors. The announced pay trend suggested an average increase of at least 4%, and union leaders have called for a pay raise that matches these figures to combat inflation, increased workloads, and a shrinking workforce. The Chairman of the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union expressed disappointment with the modest increase, noting that healthcare benefits and other incentives in the private sector are superior.
Hong Kong Commits to Increasing Control Over AI-Use: Hong Kong has issued its first set of guidelines regarding the protection of personal data for businesses making use of generative AI services. The proposed framework recommends enterprises to develop an internal committee with a set strategy to provide directions on where to source the AI and how it should be implemented to ensure ethical concerns are met. Employees should be provided training to understand data protection laws and regulations, cybersecurity risks involved in the work and internal AI related policies to ensure the AI use is legal and appropriate. The framework calls for businesses to ensure a certain level of control be retained to human employees and for stakeholders such as customers and regulators to be informed about the use of AI. The recommendations were developed by the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data’s (PCPD) standing committee in response to a heightened use of generative AI services. The PCPD has recently committed to carrying out checks to examine data collection and security measures and has assured that through following the proposed guidelines businesses will be complying to regulations.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Chinese Drama’s Female Lead Sparks Discourse: China’s new TV drama, “The Tale of The Rose” is the topic of much discussion for its portrayal of working life and women. Based on a 1981 novel of the same name, the drama stars actress Liu Yifei in the role of Huang Yimei, a woman from Beijing whose story revolves around romances as she builds up her career. Liu has been praised for her acting and appearance in the drama and the drama has made a name for its theme of female empowerment and strong female characters. Viewers have also noted the vivid and diverse supporting characters and have commended the directors on the changes made to the plot, setting and characters to modernise the story. The drama has broken records for streaming since its release, but despite its mostly positive reception, some viewers have scrutinised its representation of women and privilege. Social media users have labelled Liu’s character as alienating and difficult to relate to because of her prestigious background, popularity and beautiful looks. Viewers have also pointed out a disconnect in the society the show tries to represent; actions like divorce do not receive the same backlash as it would in modern Chinese society, and Liu’s character navigates education and career seamlessly in the story, despite real Chinese viewers struggling to find jobs or place in educational programs.

INDIA WATCH

Experts Speculate About Modi’s Approach to His Third-Term: An article released by China Daily has reported on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third-term and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) failure to secure a landslide victory compared to previous term elections. The article points out the rarity of a Prime Minister to maintain power for three terms, comparing Modi’s situation to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who is the only other Indian politician to achieve the same results. The article cites experts who are sceptical about Modi’s abilities to turn the slim majority into a public consensus and questions whether the regional support he and BJP rallied will be maintained. Given the strengthening of BJP’s opposition, the experts expect Modi’s governance to adapt to the new political environment. The article specifically addresses the Hindu nationalist sentiments of the BJP party by pointing out Modi’s use of the name “Bharat” over the more commonly used “India”. These sentiments are expected to be minimised out of consideration from the strong opposition of the Indian National Congress which will affect the core supporters of the party. The article brings into question how Modi can proceed and navigate a far more hostile environment than his previous terms.

Prepared By

Aditi Dash

Aditi Dash is an undergraduate student of Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University. Her interests span the academic study of literature and art history, as well as anthropological concepts of culture and social behaviour.