CiCM 10th June 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Heatwave Alerts Issued in Northern China: Several areas in China have taken measures to respond to the extreme heatwave in Northern China. The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) issued a yellow alert on the 9^th which was raised to an orange alert during the morning of the 10^th. The NMC measured temperatures of upto 36 degrees Celsius in Beijing and other Central areas of China. Northern China has recorded temperatures up to 40 degrees, with some areas predicted to reach 42 degrees later in the week. Hebei Province, certain cities in Shangdong updated to red alert to signify the extreme threat to public safety and citizens were advised to stay indoors. Meteorologists confirmed that dry heat in early June is a normal occurrence, however temperatures in Shandong and Hebei are expected to reach record-breaking highs. Amidst the extreme heat in the North, Southern China is facing harsh weather too in the form of heavy rainfall and flooding in areas such as Guangdong, Hunan and Guanxi among others.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Opposes US Military Presence in South China Sea: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong led a delegation to Laos for ASEAN-related meetings from June 7 to 8, discussing a range of global issues. The discussions encompassed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Ukraine crisis, the Korean Peninsula, Myanmar, climate change, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Sun reiterated China’s stance on these matters and countered the US and Western narratives concerning China. Progress on the 10+3 cooperation work plan (2023-2027) was positively evaluated, to maintain cooperation in various sectors like finance, digital economy and culture, as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The East Asia Summit's role in promoting security and development was recognized, emphasizing the importance of confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy. China reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful development, supporting ASEAN's centrality and advocating for a cooperative security concept. On the South China Sea issue, Sun asserted China’s sovereignty, promoting dialogue and adherence to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties. Criticism was directed at the US for escalating tensions with missile deployments, with calls for peace, dialogue and cooperation among regional countries to maintain East Asian stability. He also reiterated China’s objection to cold war mentality, arms race and use of ASEAN countries for hegemonic goals by external powers.

ACFTU Issues Notice on Heatstroke Prevention and Employee Safety: In response to the extreme heat affecting several regions in China, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) issued a notice to trade unions. The notice encourages the unions to urge employers to maintain safe working condition for employees amidst high temperatures. The suggestions mentioned in the notice include implementation of cooling systems, development of heatstroke prevention plans, a supply of protective equipment and rest areas as well as increased pay for high-temperature exposure. A focus will be placed on occupations which require sustained exposure to the sun including construction workers, public security and transportation workers, alongside new employment forms such as food delivery and online cab drivers. Trade unions at all levels are expected to carry out supervision activities and represent employees in matters concerning labour protection in high-temperature areas. As part of the federation’s plan to combat heatstroke and other heat related health issues, employees will be educated on the hazards and protective measures against high temperatures and relevant laws. The unions will further assist by delivering cooling supplies and publicising legal rights for protection, health training and health examinations.

Cement Industries to Cut Down on Energy Consumption and Reduce Carbon Emissions by 2025: The National Development and Reform Commission and various other industrial and technological ministries have issued a special action plan for the reduction of carbon and conservation of energy in the cement industry. The goal of the action plan is to reduce the energy consumption ratio by 3.7 per unit annually by 2025 and to save 5 million tons of coal, meeting the energy saving targets of China’s 14^th 5-year plan. Additionally, the plan aims to cut down carbon emissions by 13 million tons. Low efficiency processes and equipment will be phased out and replaced by safer and higher quality ones to promote pollution prevention and worker safety while meeting technical industry requirements. As part of this, coal-fired units will no longer be used, and companies will instead be encouraged to implement clean and renewable energy sources. The proposal states that by the end of 2025, 30% of all cement kilns will use alternative fuel technology in their production lines and will account for 10% of all alternate fuel consumption. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other government bodies will take responsibility of implementing the action plan.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi Participates in BRICS Meeting: Chinese Foreign Minister and CPC Politburo member Wang Yi attended the BRICS Foreign Minister Meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. He praised the cooperation between countries and pointed out hopes for the BRICS members to continue working together in the future. His statement mentioned a global need for BRICS to oppose a unipolar hegemony and the Cold War mentality that is beginning to take hold in smaller nations. As part of a plan to maintain BRICS long-term priorities, Wang emphasised the political and strategic significance of developing the cooperation and maintaining the current international status quo with the United Nations at the centre. His statement included a call for ceasefire in Gaza, pointing out the need for the resolution of the humanitarian crisis being faced as a result of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Russian-Ukraine conflict was similarly discouraged, and Wang called for a peace conference to discuss solving the issue. Prior to the BRICS meeting, Wang met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the bilateral relation and international crises regarding Ukraine. China maintained that the conflict should be concluded peacefully through discussion.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

The Prioritization of Education over Emotions: A tragic incident has recently gone viral on Chinese social media site Weibo. The post was made by a user who found out about their younger sibling’s death 20 days after the incident as the news was intentionally kept from them during the exam period. The Chinese Gaokao national college exam was held on 7^th June with a record-breaking number of students partaking in the tests. The post was made on 10^th June and was subject to much discussion as the tag was read by over 220 million users. The post generated discourse on the importance of education in China and the strict prioritization of doing well academically over the emotions of the students. Some users expressed disappointment with the parent’s decision to hide the death, calling modern society “sick” for prioritizing the exam over the grief of the sibling. Netizens mentioned their own similar experiences of family members hiding serious illnesses and issues from them to avoid affecting their exam performance and questioned whether the act was correct. On the other hand, many users praised the user’s mother for hiding the tragedy so effectively and maintaining a brave face despite the grief. Many agreed that the annual exam’s importance and effect on a student’s life justify the act of hiding the truth, stating that while the brother’s death cannot be undone, the living sibling must continue and succeed in their own life. The general consensus reached was that the situation would be a lose-lose regardless of how it was handled as a result of modern societal dynamics.

INDIA WATCH

Oxford University’s Ashmolean Museum Agrees to Return Ancient Indian Bronze Statue: The China News Service (ECNS) reported on Oxford University’s decision to return an Indian artifact to its home-country. Dated to about 500 years ago, the piece is a bronze statue of Hindu saint Tirumankai Alvar and is believed to be stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu. An independent researcher alerted Indian authorities about the statue in 2019 and a formal claim was issued soon after, however the procedure to verify the claim was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the museum, the bronze was purchased from the private collection of Dr. J. R. Belmont, and the museum claims ignorance to the method by which the collector sourced the piece, stating that it was purchased in good faith. The article points out the new trend in former colonies in Asia and Africa beginning to claim ownership over artifacts sourced from within their borders. The case of the Koh-i-Noor and the historical complexities and the various disputes over the rightful owner was mentioned as an example of the campaigns against displaying artifacts from colonial times and makes note that the host of the diamond, the Tower of London, acknowledges it as a colonial symbol. While the author does not take a stance on which party should take responsibility for the bronze, the “questionable” circumstances under which the British collections have formed was pointed out.

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.