CiCM 3-4th August 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Zheng Qinwen Makes History with Olympic Tennis Gold: China's Zheng Qinwen has claimed a historic gold medal in women's singles tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics, defeating Croatia's Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 at Roland Garros on Saturday. This marks China's first-ever Olympic singles gold medal in tennis and only the second tennis gold for the country, following Li Ting and Sun Tiantian's doubles victory in Athens 2004. Zheng, an undergraduate at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, dominated the match, as evidenced by the score.. After her victory, Zheng said, "Nothing can describe my feeling right now, it's unreal. I've always been hoping to get a medal for China. Finally, I made it." This achievement adds to Zheng's impressive recent performances, including winning singles gold at the 19th Asian Games and finishing runner-up at the 2024 Australian Open. The victory underscores China's growing prowess in international tennis competitions.
China Promotes AI Development While Addressing Security Concerns: China is taking a dual approach to artificial intelligence (AI), actively promoting its development while simultaneously addressing potential security risks. CGTN reports that the Chinese government has implemented several policies to boost AI, including guidelines for future industries and an AI Empowerment campaign in education. The country aims to establish over 50 national and industrial AI standards by 2026, with its core AI industry reaching 578 billion yuan (about $81 billion) in 2023, a 13.9% year-on-year growth. However, as Global Times China reports, China's Ministry of State Security has issued warnings about the risks associated with AI and online tools in handling confidential information. The ministry cautions against using AI writing programs for classified materials, warning that these programs could lead to data theft by foreign intelligence agencies. It also advises against discussing sensitive matters in online work groups and using cloud storage for confidential documents. This contrasting approach underscores China's efforts to balance technological advancement with national security priorities in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Deadly Mudslide in Sichuan Prompts Massive Rescue Operation: A severe mountain torrent and mudslide in Kangding, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, has resulted in at least eight deaths, with 19 people still missing in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture as of Sunday afternoon. The disaster, which struck early Saturday morning, toppled a tunnel bridge on the Yakang expressway, sending several vehicles plunging down the mountainside. Local authorities have evacuated and resettled 939 people across four sites, ensuring essential services are in place. A large-scale rescue operation is underway, with 1,448 personnel, 215 vehicles, and various equipment deployed. The incident has also disrupted summer tourism in the popular Western Sichuan region, with main transportation routes closed. Experts attribute the disaster to recent high temperatures accelerating snow melt, combined with continuous rainfall. The event highlights the increasing frequency of extreme weather episodes in China, raising concerns about infrastructure resilience and the need for improved weather monitoring and early warning systems.
China's Marriage Registrations Hit Record Low in First Half of 2024: China's Ministry of Civil Affairs reports a significant decline in marriage registrations for the first half of 2024, with only 3.43 million couples tying the knot. This marks a 12.7% decrease from the same period last year and sets a new record low since 2013. The second quarter saw an even sharper decline, with registrations dropping 34.8% compared to the first quarter. Demographic expert He Yafu predicts that the annual figure for 2024 could fall below 6.6 million couples, potentially setting a record low since 1980. Factors contributing to this trend include a decreasing young population, gender imbalance, delayed marriages, high costs, and changing attitudes towards marriage. Conversely, divorce registrations increased by 20% in the second quarter. Despite a slight increase in newborns in early 2024, possibly due to it being the Year of the Dragon, experts warn that without substantial childbirth support policies, China's long-term birth rate decline may be difficult to reverse.
China Deepens Medical Reform with 'Health-First Strategy': China is transitioning its healthcare approach from primarily treating diseases to maintaining overall health, as outlined in a key reform resolution adopted at the recent third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee. With over 20% of its population aged 60 or above, China is focusing on disease prevention and health management. The country aims to boost capacities for disease monitoring, early warning, risk assessment, and emergency response. Significant progress has been made in combating chronic diseases and forestalling epidemics, with action plans issued to prevent and control four major chronic diseases accounting for over 80% of the country's deaths. China has also established a direct reporting system covering around 84,000 medical institutions to strengthen epidemic monitoring. The reform emphasizes coordinated development of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals, drawing from successful experiences in cities like Sanming in Fujian Province. Experts note that this transition is common in aging societies, with increasing demand for high-quality health management, chronic disease management, and long-term care.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Chinese Fans' Behavior at Olympics Sparks Online Debate: The women's singles table tennis final at the Paris Olympics between China's Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha has ignited a fierce online discussion in China. Weibo users expressed shock and disappointment at the partisan crowd behavior, where Sun received overwhelming support while Chen faced silence and even boos, despite both being Chinese athletes. The topic "Don't let fandom culture erode Chinese table tennis" trended on Weibo, gaining over 170 million views. Many netizens criticized the audience for treating the match like a "talent show" and lamented the loss of "inherent purity" in sports competitions. Sympathetic comments for Chen praised her mental strength, with one user stating, "It's great no matter who wins. It's just that the scene was so off-putting that it created a contrary mindset, and I started to hope that Chen would win instead." The incident has sparked broader discussions about sportsmanship, team unity, and the impact of fan culture on traditional sports values in China.

INDIA WATCH

Deadly Landslides Devastate Kerala, Death Toll Surpasses 300: China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported, severe flooding in India's Kerala state has triggered catastrophic landslides, resulting in over 300 deaths with hundreds more still missing. The disaster has left many communities in shock, grappling with the loss of lives and livelihoods. In Wayanad district, one of the worst-affected areas, 122 bodies were brought to a government hospital in Meppadi, with 15 remaining unidentified. Survivors in relief camps face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from scratch, having lost homes, documents, and means of income. Volunteer organizations are providing psychological support to help survivors cope with trauma. As per the article, the government now faces the significant challenge of relocating residents who are reluctant to return to landslide-prone areas. As rescue efforts continue, including the dramatic rescue of four people from a house days after the flooding, authorities are working to provide immediate relief while planning for long-term rehabilitation of affected communities.

Prepared By

Vanshika Patel

Vanshika is a recent graduate from Ashoka University with a degree in Economics and a minor in Computer Science. Her interests lie in understanding the global economy and its impact on international communities, policy-making, and the social sector. She is particularly drawn to quantitative analysis and has a keen interest in international economics, aiming to contribute to data-driven decision-making in global economic contexts.