CiCM 13-14th April 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

German Chancellor Visits China Amidst EU’s Growing Concerns over Trade: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz embarked on a three-day visit to China, amid escalating tensions between Europe and Beijing over allegations of unfair competition. This marks his second trip to China since taking office, making him the first leader from a major Western nation to visit China this year. Scholz is accompanied by a sizable business delegation, including top executives from companies like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Siemens, as well as several German ministers. Starting in Chongqing, Scholz visited Bosch's factory to inspect its sustainable hydrogen power production facilities. He also held discussions with local officials, including Yuan Jiajun, Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Hu Henghua, Mayor of Chongqing. The chancellor was scheduled to visit cultural landmarks in the city, such as the Luohan Buddhist Temple and Kuixing Tower. After Chongqing, Scholz is set to travel to Shanghai, where he will meet with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce for Foreign Trade, engage in a discussion with students from Tongji University, and hold talks with Chen Jining, Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink will also visit China following the US-Japan-Philippines talks held over the contested South China Sea dispute.
China Leads Global Merchandise Export for 7^th Consecutive Year: China maintained its position as the top merchandise exporter in 2023 for the seventh consecutive year, accounting for 14.2 percent of the world's exports, a figure similar to that of 2022, according to the Ministry of Commerce. This information was provided in response to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) "Global Trade Outlook and Statistics," which predicts a gradual recovery in global merchandise trade volume in 2024 and 2025, following a contraction in 2023. China also remained the second-largest merchandise importer in 2023, with a share of 10.6 percent, similar to the level in 2022. Despite the challenges faced by the global economy, China has demonstrated consistent performance in world merchandise trade, showcasing strong growth resilience. The Ministry highlighted that China's high-quality products are well-received in the global market, and imports into China's vast domestic market have contributed to the economic growth of other countries. However, the WTO report cautioned about the high degree of uncertainty in the current forecast due to various risk factors in the global economy, including regional conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and rising protectionism.
China to Set up Coal Capacity Reserve System: China has announced plans to establish a coal capacity reserve system by 2027, with the goal of ensuring energy security through more flexible coal supplies. According to a document jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA), China aims to achieve a yearly coal capacity reserve of 300 million metric tonnes of annual “dispatchable” coal production by 2030. China's coal production reached a record high of 4.66 billion tonnes last year, emerging as the top coal consumer and producer in the world. However, faced with serious blows from the pandemic, China set a goal in 2021 to have coal reserves equivalent to 15% of annual output stocked at mines, ports, power plants and other designated storage areas. The new system builds on this aforementioned target and will allow for the rapid release of coal production in extreme situations, such as fluctuations in the international energy market, adverse weather conditions, or significant changes in supply and demand stability. This is intended to guarantee sufficient coal supply during, ensuring energy security. It focuses on mines that produce coals for electricity and heat generation rather than coking coal. Large scale modern mines with appropriate safety valves are to be prioritised for this program, notably in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang. Additionally, the system is expected to enhance the capacity and flexibility of coal supplies, promoting the high-quality development of new energy and facilitating the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy industry. Despite coal being a mainstay fuel in China, the coal capacity reserve will only be utilized in extreme situations and will remain inactive during normal conditions, according to the NEA.
High-Level Provincial Meetings Held to Tackle Formalism: Since April, several provinces in China have been actively addressing formalism and reducing burdens on grassroots organizations. Provincial party leaders have emphasized the importance of this work, with General Secretary Xi Jinping personally deploying and promoting these efforts. On April 12, Xu Qin, Secretary of the Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee, chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee to discuss formalism. The meeting highlighted the need to rectify formalism and reduce burdens at the grassroots level, emphasizing its significance as a major political task. All departments in the province were instructed to implement these arrangements conscientiously to ensure long-term, solid results. Similarly, Liaoning, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xinjiang, and Jilin also held meetings to combat formalism and reduce burdens at the grassroots level in the last few days. For instance, the Liaoning Provincial Party Committee discussed guiding cadres to establish a correct view of political performance and motivating them to fulfil their responsibilities. In Guizhou, a special meeting was held where members were urged to deepen their ideological understanding and use practical measures to reduce burdens and achieve tangible results. The other meetings aimed at systematically addressing formalism took place in Yunnan on April 10, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on April 11, and in Jilin Province on April 12.
Top Military Industrial Enterprises Appoint New Directors: China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation announced the appointment of Chen Ximing as Chairman and Party Secretary, succeeding Yuan Jie, who has not been seen publicly since early September 2023. Chen is a researcher-level senior engineer and has also served in various crucial positions of other key industrial enterprises in china. The same day, the Party Central Committee appointed Zhang Yujin as the new general manager and Party Secretary of China Ordnance Equipment Group, replacing Chen Guoying whose last public appearance could be traced back to August 25th 2023. These swift leadership changes in China's military industrial enterprises have sparked speculation, with some linking them to the rocket force corruption case that affected the defense industry in China last year. Additionally, China State Construction Engineering Corporation held a leadership team meeting, appointing Wen Bing as director, general manager, and deputy party secretary of China Construction Group Co., Ltd., removing Zhang Zhaoxiang, the former director. Among other key appointments, Fu Cong’s appointment as China’s permanent representative to the United Nations is a major development. Fu was previously the Ambassador of China to the EU.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Chinese Electric "Beng Beng" Vehicles Gain Popularity Over Social Media: The super-cheap Chinese electric vehicles, dubbed "beng bengs," are making waves in the US market, available for as low as $600. These vehicles feature three wheels, a motorcycle-like front with handlebars and a lightweight pickup rear, capturing widespread attention and popularity in the US. The trend started with a vlogger known as Bobo in the USA, born in Beijing and residing in Dearborn, Michigan. Bobo's viral videos on the social media showcased a tricycle she gifted to her American father-in-law for Christmas, which sparked local interest in the vehicle. The videos spread throughout social media, reaching Luo Hao, a resident of New York. Luo Hao, after watching Bobo's videos, partnered with his friend to start a business of importing electric tricycles from China to sell in the US. Their first order placed in January quickly sold out upon arrival at the Port of Los Angeles in March, with Luo's sales revenue reaching $10,000 in a single day and the entire supply sold out within three weeks. The unprecedented popularity on social media further opened up a completely new business avenue and in turn serves as a wage earner for many.

INDIA WATCH

The South China Morning Post reported on the impact of tourism on a tribal village community in Odisha, India and other communities and regions in India. The report covers the story of a native hailing from the indigenous Dongria Kondh tribe, who has witnessed the influx of tourists since the age of nine. Despite having tourism being a major source of earning, he raised serious concerns over the impact of tourist activities on the ecology of the area, the livelihood of locals and culture of the community. The report by SCMP quotes several activists, businesspeople and locals of eco-tourism regions who lament the unregulated condition of eco-tourism.

Moreover, the report also mentions the Indian governments plans to build a port, airport and defence base in Greater Nicobar island, which the report evidences as an example of harmful development for tribal communities like the Shompen tribe. However, the report fails to mention that the process of developing such regions involves lengthy public consultations, compensation for communities, relocation for displaced people and other such mechanisms to balance the impact on local communities. Moreover, the article mentions that international scholars, who are unnamed, have termed the development as “genocide”, an exaggeration of the facts. Chinese media outlets have routinely criticised such developments in India, incorrectly highlighting the absence of any protections for the ethnic and culturally diverse communities in India.

Prepared By

Agniva Ray

Agniva Ray is an M.A, 2nd year, 4th semester student pursuing Political Science with International Relations in the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University. He holds a deep interest in Socio-economic (Non-Traditional Security) as well as Traditional security issues concerning South Asia and aims to pursue research work in this very field.