26th -27th October 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Chinese Foreign Ministry Responds to Renewed US-Taiwan Arms Deal: The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to the United States’ renewed arms sales deal with Taiwan, and vowed to take resolute countermeasures in order to protect national interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States Defense Department made an announcement of its approval of approximately USD 1.988 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, which includes the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and radar technology. The spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry also said that this undermines the One-China principle, and sends the wrong message to separatist forces in the country. Chinese experts have claimed that this latest decision reveals the United States intention to economically extort Taiwan and benefit US arms dealers, who stand to gain from escalating tensions in the region. However they also noted that the air defense missile systems were tested in Ukraine, and will not enhance Taiwan’s air defense capabilities to a great extent, and thus do not pose a threat to military operations on the Chinese mainland.
China’s Top Grain Producers Secure Harvest: Major Chinese agricultural provinces like Heilongjiang, Hunan and Henan have nearly completed their grain harvest despite extreme weather and natural disasters. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the country’s grain output is projected to reach 700 million tonnes this year, a record high. This is the ninth consecutive year that grain output has exceeded 650 million tonnes. Heilongjiang province, which is China’s top grain producer about 90 percent of its crops or 14.7 million hectares. By the end of October, harvesting is expected to be fully completed. Chinese farmers have had to contend with extreme weather conditions this year, including a drought in June. This underscores the importance of taking swift action for disaster relief, the promotion of smart and modern farming technology, as well as agricultural insurance.
Chinese Navy Conducts Drills in South China Sea: The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) navy conducted a round of tests and drills in the South China Sea, specifically in the waterway contested by Vietnam and Philippines, as they indulge in land reclamation and construction. The PLA Southern Theatre Command Navy carried out assessment and training of air defense and missile interception, vessel damage control as well as anti-surface attack. The drills involved launching attacks on sea and air while the Chinese vessel came under fire, followed by a search-and-attack exercise. This was in order to create a realistic environment of the varied and dynamic situations that potentially arise.
Shenzhou-19 Spacecraft Set to Launch as Simulations Conducted: Over the weekend, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gansu Province of China organised an exercise for the upcoming Shenzhou-19 manned spaceflight mission to China Space Station. This was in order to test the safety and reliability of the launch mission. Completed functional checks on the launch tower, rocket and spacecraft were conducted under the supervision of the launch center and there was a simulation of the entire process from flight preparation and ignition to rocket-spacecraft separation. The crew of the Shenzhou-19 also simulated flight tasks in accordance with procedural protocols. The crew conducted exposure experiments on bricks made out of simulated lunar soil, which could potentially be used to create habitats on the moon. This paves the way for China’s manned space program and its work towards space habitation.
Sixth Meeting of China-US Economic Working Group: In the sixth meeting of the China-US economic working group, the two sides discussed macroeconomic policies and addressed global challenges. Liao Min, the Chinese Deputy Finance Minister co-chaired the meeting with Jay Shambaugh, the undersecretary of international affairs at the US Department of Treasury. The global challenges talked about included joint cooperation to aid low-income countries cope with liquidity challenges and future arrangements. The Chinese side also laid out China’s current macroeconomic situation and a package consisting of targeted incremental fiscal policy measures which it launched recently. It also expressed its concerns regarding the United States’ imposition of further tariffs on its sanctions on China and Russia.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Chinese Youth Use Social Media to Revive Traditional Culture: Data from Chinese social media platforms like Bilibili and Kuaishou revealed that young people are increasingly using the internet in order to revitalize their traditional culture and heritage. Lang Jiaziyu is one of those people. She is known for sharing videos of her dough sculptures online, as well as her creative process, gaining her approximately 2 million followers. She said that these people were not just her fans, but fans of traditional Chinese culture. She has been passionate about traditional Chinese crafts since the age of 3, and was uncertain about how to keep this tradition alive in these changing times, when she started posting her videos. Another video which became viral on Bilibili showcases the folk art performance of throwing molten iron to create fireworks. People online have said that the Chinese youth has tried to explore their own ways of revitalizing, innovating and protecting the intangible Chinese cultural heritage and bringing it into the modern age. Chinese cultural heritage, according to some, is fragile, but will gain resilience via being shared on digital platforms. Netizens speculated that due to the fact of China’s growing economy and people having more money, they are in general turning towards cultural hobbies and pursuits.They also said that the young generation’s love for traditional culture, and its online resurgence, is not a random occurrence, but rather a natural result of their pursuit of a cultural life.

INDIA WATCH

Chinese Opinion Piece on India’s Role at the BRICS Summit and Modi’s Attendance: An opinion piece published by the Chinese media outlet Guancha speculated about India’s approach to the BRICS summit and reflected on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance. The piece explored the question of India’s role within BRICS, particularly in light of its stated aspirations for unity within the group. Since Modi took office, the piece suggested, India’s foreign policy appears influenced by both longstanding alliances and evolving global dynamics. While there is a perception in China that India often aligns strategically with the US, Modi's efforts to foster ties with Moscow were noted as unexpected by some observers in the West. The article highlighted that Modi’s outreach to Russia, including high-profile visits and diplomatic engagements, shows an approach that balances India’s traditional partnerships and emerging challenges. The author also remarked on India's occasional reservations regarding BRICS expansion and reform initiatives. According to the article, India’s positions on these matters have sometimes aligned with Western preferences, reflecting India’s complex relationships on the global stage. The piece also hinted that India’s strategic calculus occasionally runs counter to China's objectives within BRICS.

Prepared By

Veda Jain

Veda Jain is currently a third-year student at Flame University, majoring in International Studies and minoring in Literary and Cultural Studies. She has a strong interest in modern Chinese politics and is keen on analyzing the dynamics of Indo-China relations.