CiCM 11th August 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

China’s anti-espionage agency informed that an employee of a Chinese military-industrial group was arrested in an espionage case that, according to the agency, involved leaking “core information” to the USA’s Central Intelligence Agency. The Ministry of State Security, on Friday, announced that the 52-year-old suspect, surnamed Zeng, was recruited by the CIA while he was in Italy, after being sent to study there by his company. The Ministry detailed that an official from the US Embassy in Italy, named “Seth”, took the initiative to get acquainted with and recruit Zeng, who worked for an arms supplier with access to “important confidential” information. The Ministry’s announcement then elaborates how Zeng’s attitude towards the Chinese political system wavered and how he eventually “fell for Western values.” The report also mentions that “Seth”, after revealing his true identity as a CIA agent, promised to help Zeng and his family migrate to the U.S and pay him a handsome amount, in exchange for “sensitive military information.”

China will conduct military exercises around the waters in the East China Sea, according to a notice released on Friday by China’s Maritime Safety Administration. The exercises are scheduled to start on Saturday, August 12 and end on August 14. According to the notice, the exercises will be conducted in waters close to Zhoushan, a coastal city of Zhejiang Province, located 500 kilometres away from the northernmost point of Taiwan’s main island. The Administration has informed that no outside vessels are allowed to enter the drill area. The military exercise coincides with the visit of Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-Te to Paraguay for the inauguration of its new president on Saturday. Lai is reported to visit New York and San Francisco in the United States during his seven-day visit to the South American nation. As per officials, China would carry out combat readiness patrol mission in the drill area during the military exercise.

29 people are reported to have been killed in disasters triggered by heavy rains in Hebei Province in north China, while 16 remain missing. According to local authorities, torrential rains and severe flooding have caused havoc across the areas in Hebei, with key infrastructure like transportation, water, power and communication incurring significant damage. Flooding has affected around 3.89 million people, along with a loss of 131,500 hectares of crops. The economic loss to the province due to the rains and deluge is estimated to be around 95.81 billion yuan. Jilin and Heilongjiang, other northern Chinese provinces, have been issued a blue alert for Typhoon Khanun. Heavy rains have been predicted in these areas from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, with some areas likely to experience rainstorms.

The Ministry of Public Security's Bureau of Network Security Protection announced that around 36,000 cases involving the infringement of citizens' personal information have been solved since 2020, with 64,000 suspects being detained. Sun Jinfeng, political commissar of the Ministry, said that similar cases have exponentially risen in number over the last two years and that stringent measures are being made to fight the perpetrators of cybercrimes and data infringement, especially using tools like cloud computing and artificial intelligence. The Ministry claimed that more than 30 million illegal SIM cards and 300 million illegal internet accounts were seized as part of a drive to regulate the internet. Cybercrime cases where privacy has been breached, have occurred across a wide range of sectors, including education, healthcare, real estate and e-commerce, Sun Jinfeng remarked. The Ministry also reported that AI-based criminal cases, like those achieved through “AI face changing” had risen, and, in response to it, public security organs launched a special campaign, where 515 suspects were arrested in 79 solved cases.

The People’s Bank of China announced on Friday that 345.9 billion yuan (around $48.32 billion) of new yuan-denominated loans were extended in July. The loan figures, however, decreased by $349.8 billion yuan from July 2022, the central bank added. The M0 money supply, which refers to the amount of cash in circulation, increased by 9.9 per cent from last year, while the M1 supply, which covers cash in circulation plus demand deposits, clocked an year-on-year growth rate of 2.3 per cent. The M2 money supply, a broad measure that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, climbed up by 10.7 per cent year on year, the central bank announced. By the end of July, the amount of outstanding loans in Yuan increased to 230.92 trillion Yuan, a growth of 11.1 percent year-on-year.

The Yellow River Water Conservancy Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources officially launched, on a trial basis, a platform for trading the water rights for the Yellow River Basin. The Ministry announced that the China Water Rights Exchange developed the platform for the river basin based on the national water rights trading system. Traders can enter the “Yellow River Basin Water Rights Electronic Trading Hall” by registering and logging in to Huanghe.com and eventually carry out online transactions. The authorities in charge of the Conservancy Committee remarked that the online platform will promote the “standardized, safe and efficient” development of water rights transactions in the Yellow River Basin. The aim of the platform, according to them, was optimizing the allocation of resources and improving the efficiency of water use and conservation.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Viral video leads to social media backlash against “guilt-inflicting” approach by parents: Social media users are urging parents to refrain from resorting to manipulative tactics where they "encourage" their children to study harder or be obedient by inducing guilt about the poor state of affairs in their lives. Netizens have expressed opinions, exhorting parents not to treat their children as "emotional garbage bins." Public outrage was sparked by a video posted by a mother from Zhejiang province, in which the father enumerated his difficulties and struggles to his daughter in an attempt to motivate her to study harder. In the video, the daughter appears distressed as she listens to her father recount his challenges in providing for her. The manner in which the father elicits guilt from the girl has incited strong reactions from viewers on social media. One netizen called for the father to rectify his approach and communicate with his daughter using respect and love. Another user pointed out the potential for such an approach to instil feelings of inferiority, citing expert opinions that suggest this could lead to long-term psychological issues in young adolescents. Another user emphasized that the father's suffering was not caused by the daughter; rather, her own suffering originated from her father's experiences.

INDIA WATCH

The announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security regarding the number of cases involving the infringement of personal information and privacy being solved, and suspects being arrested, sheds light on the various facets of personal data protection addressed by the Chinese government. This reflects their recognition of the changing landscape of cyberspace, largely influenced by the rise of machine learning and artificial intelligence tools. The cornerstone of this endeavour is the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), enacted in August 2021. This legislation is pivotal in addressing personal data protection in China. Government officials emphasized that the PIPL encompasses a stringent set of requirements and protections for data privacy, with "informed" consent at its core. This law is being hailed as China’s inaugural comprehensive and systematic legislation on personal data protection. In contrast, India lacks a dedicated law focused on data protection. The use of personal data is regulated under the Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000, the first-ever cyber-related law of India. While the IT Act underwent necessary amendments to address evolving cybercrimes, personal data was only a small aspect of this legislation. The growing instances of crimes infringing upon personal data security prompted the Indian government to contemplate the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill in 2019. After its withdrawal in 2022, an amended draft was introduced in the same year. Subsequently, in July 2023, the Bill was reintroduced and received approval from both houses of parliament. The Bill’s provisions apply to the processing of digital personal data, whether collected online or offline. It asserts that personal data may only be processed with an individual's consent. However, the Indian State is exempted from certain provisions of the bill, particularly concerning the security of the state and public order. This exemption has led many observers to argue that it violates the right to privacy. Furthermore, the Indian government is considering the introduction of a Digital India Bill. This comprehensive legislation would revamp the IT Act and govern emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The proposed Bill aims to address challenges like data protection, cybercrime, deepfakes, negative impacts of AI, and online security. These new legislations being proposed in India demonstrate an effort to encompass emerging issues like AI and cloud computing, as well as offenses stemming from them, within the stricter regulatory regime. As internet and communication technologies continue to evolve, it will be crucial for Indian policymakers to draft laws and provisions that acknowledge the vulnerability of personal data and privacy in an increasingly perilous cyberspace.

Prepared By

Prejomon Sunny Chummar

Prejomon Sunny Chummar holds a Master's degree in International and Area Studies from MMAJ Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from EFLU Shillong. His interests revolve around the intersection of cinema, culture, and politics, including the intricate dynamics of soft power politics. Additionally, his scholarly interests encompass the rich histories and cultures of China, Russia and Central Asia. With a keen passion for cinema and literature, he is an ardent cinephile and devoted reader.