CiCM 15th May 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Taiwanese Influencers to be Punished for Perpetrating Misinformation and Hostility Toward the Mainland: Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Chen Binhua responded to reports of Taiwanese influencers fabricating information about the mainland of China at a regular press conference. Television host Liu Baojie, commentator Edward Huang, politician and television host Lee Cheng-Hao, Democratic Progressive Party official Wang Yi-Chuan, and former army general Yu Pei-Chen have been named as the perpetrators of negative and misleading information, leading to hostility and antagonism between the mainland and Taiwan. The comments in question were jokes ridiculing financial hardships caused by economic issues in China such as the inability to afford daily provisions like eggs. These statements were criticized for portraying the mainland as economically backward thus misconstruing the progress and development made by the Chinese government and mainland society through widely accessible mediums of television, newspapers and social media. Chen announced that the offenders and their family will face punishment for the comments, though it was not specified what the punitive actions taken would be.
Bohai Sea Thermal Recovery Oil Field Commences Work: China has officially begun the use of its first offshore multi-layer heavy oil thermal recovery oil field. Situated in the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea, the oil field will use thermal recovery methods to extract high-density heavy oils in various layers of the seabed, which are typically difficult to process. The thermal recovery system uses a “steam flooding” method to reduce the viscosity of the crude oil. Jinzhou 23-2 utilizes four drilling ships over a projected area of 3,600 square meters, making it China’s largest offshore thermal recovery oil field. China’s large population and increasing energy needs have prompted research and development into additional energy sources. The dense oil fields in the Bohai seabed have been the focus of extensive research, and the reserves are projected to be significant enough to impact the nation’s energy security substantially. The oil field and its production are set to guarantee an increased energy supply to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and are expected to be the first of many projects extracting the reserves of the Bohai seabed.
YouTube Complies With Hong Kong Court Order: Online video-streaming platform YouTube has responded to Hong Kong’s court order to stop the circulation of videos featuring the song “Glory to Hong Kong”. The song became a subject of negative reception due to its unofficial status as an anthem to protests in Hong Kong. Described as a weapon, ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ is stated to be a romanticization of violent emotions and confrontations associated with Hong Kong’s past, and its accessibility was a major point of concern. The court called for the ban of broadcasting, performing, distributing, or reproducing the song due to its association with anti-government separatist activity. The ban outlaws the playing of the song in a manner that implies Hong Kong to be an independent state with its own national anthem and is a response to the mistaken use of the song instead of the Chinese national anthem at oversea events. YouTube was instructed by the Hong Kong city’s justice minister to remove links to the song, with which the US-based company complied. The statement released by a YouTube spokesman displayed a reluctance to abide by the reduced access to information, however the video clips featuring the song were made inaccessible to Hong Kong viewers.
New Visa-Free Entry Policy for Cruise Tour Groups Announced: The National Immigration Administration announced a new visa-free entry policy for foreign tourist groups on cruise ships. The policy permits tourist groups of two or more people to enter China at the thirteen designated ports along the coastline without a visa. The temporary visit can extend for up to fifteen days, after which the tourists must travel to the next port on the cruise until the ship leaves Chinese territory. The tour groups will be able to access coastal activities planned by the domestic travel agencies, including sightseeing experiences, exposure to local specialties and experiences such as business districts and neighborhoods. Travel agencies are aiming to implement specialized events such as plays and concerts for tourists to engage in on the routes. The National Immigration Administration approved the development of further measures to facilitate the new tourism opportunities. This includes improvements to the customs clearance systems, cruise maintenance and entry and exit procedures.
Wang Yi holds Fifth China-Pakistan Foreign Minister Strategic Dialogue in Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Isahq Dar met to discuss the China-Pakistan partnership. Pakistan’s firm adherence to the one-China policy was commended and Wang conveyed hope for the relationship to deepen and remain stable. The focus of the talk was to establish willingness from China’s side in counter-terrorism operations, cooperation in industrial sectors and promote trade liberalization between the two sides. Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s positive perspective of China’s stances and assured the safety of Chinese personnel in Pakistan. Collaborative projects such as the corridor link between Gwadar of Pakistan and Kashi of China were discussed and the parties reached a consensus that collective efforts will be necessary to establish improvement. The shared future of similar goals of successful cooperative partnership relies on China’s present and visible willingness to maintain the existing cooperation. Pakistan’s new government priority to deepen the China-Pakistan bond is similarly visible, given that Dar chose to visit China first following his appointment as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Wang Yibo Successfully Promotes the Olympic Qualifier Series: The opening ceremony for the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Shanghai was well received by Chinese netizens. The Shanghai stop for the event will be held between 16^th and 19^th May and the ceremony preceded the qualifying events which include BMX freestyle, break dancing, skateboarding and sports climbing. Held in the centre of Shanghai Urban Park, the celebration showcased the artistic elements of the four OQS sports and built anticipation for the events coming up. The performances by China’s celebrities and stars were a hot topic across Chinese social media, with names such as Zhang Jie, Amber Liu, Justin Huang and Wang Yibo trending. Wang, the promotional ambassador of the OQS Shanghai stop performed “Vibrant Shanghai”, specifically produced to celebrate the event and has been praised for his powerful dancing style, with fans describing him as hard-working and passionate. Wang Yibo’s official Weibo post prior to the performance encouraged the youth to work hard and grow. His message received over a million likes and forty-four thousand comments praising the sentiment and the celebrity behind it. The hashtag used by fans to discuss the topic received over 200 million views and his younger generation fans are seen to be showing an interest in the events of the OQS.

INDIA WATCH

An opinion piece posted on the South China Morning Post suggests that the India-China relationship may see an improvement if Modi is re-elected. The rift between the two countries has existed since 2017, with territorial disputes being the root of the issue. Modi’s approach to China upon re-election is likely to focus on economic and regional stability, with efforts to strengthen bilateral ties. This approach could be more pragmatic and may lead to long-term issues being discussed constructively. The article highlights concerns about China’s continued support of Pakistan and Beijing’s presence in the Indian Ocean; the potential encirclement of India by Pakistan and China is viewed as a threat to national security and regional stability. These issues will need to be addressed to improve China-India relations. On India's side, the article asserts that China requires assurance that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Australia, Japan, the US, and India does not hold anti-Chinese sentiments. The complexity of India-China tensions creates uncertainty about whether a third term under Modi’s rule will lead to significant improvements.

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.