CiCM 17th February 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

People’s Liberation Army Releases Statement on the Movement of Canadian Ship in the Taiwan Strait: Li Xi, the spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, stated that the PLA deployed naval and air assets to monitor the movement of the Canadian frigate HMCS Ottawa through the Taiwan Strait. He also highlighted that the Theatre Command would remain on high alert and would not hesitate to take any countermeasures as a response to any threats or provocations. However, the sailing of the Canadian ship was welcomed by the external affairs department of Taiwan. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, argued that the transit of the Canadian warship sent misleading signals to the Taiwanese authorities that external forces were ready to support their separatist ambitions. Zheng Jian, a professor at Xiamen University, emphasized that the Taiwanese authorities are cautious of being used as a bargaining tool by the US and any perceived external support is going to be exaggerated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan. Zheng also added that Canada has increased its presence in the Asia-Pacific region and many vessels are sailing under the banner of “Freedom of Navigation”.
Chinese Search Engine Giant, Baidu, Incorporates DeepSeek Big Model: Baidu Search, a subsidiary of Chinese search engine giant Baidu, has fully integrated the model of DeepSeek. Baidu Search and the Wenxin Intelligent Agent Platform have announced the full integration of DeepSeek's advanced research capabilities and Wenxin Big Models. Users will now have free access to Deepseek enhanced features and the Wenxin Big Model for their use. Following Tencent confirmation that its application, WeChat, has integrated DeepsSeek’s large model, Baidu became another technology company which has opened the model to some users for testing. Earlier, Robin Li, the founder of Baidu had highlighted the advantages of the closed-source models and stated that open-source models will soon fall behind. However, the global success of the open-source model DeepSeek R1 has prompted Robin Li to reconsider his opinions. Baidu has also announced that its artificial intelligence (AI) chat robot, Wenxin Yiyan will be fully free and open to the public from the 14th of February.
President Xi’s Addresses Anti-Corruption Situation at the Politburo Session last year: Qiushi magazine, the official publication of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China published a speech by President Xi Jinping which he delivered at a Politburo session last year. The speech addresses the need for a strict party governance system amidst a complex anti-corruption situation as new situations and problems continue to emerge. Xi points out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party, the party has promoted strict governance and has achieved theoretical, practical, and institutional innovations. However, problems like ideological, organizational, and work style impurity have not yet been resolved. Xi Jinping suggested five aspects to improve the system of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. First, to improve the organizational system from top to bottom. Xi Jinping suggested that local and grassroots organizations should be strengthened and should be led by strong leadership. Second, to improve the education system which will strengthen the foundation and the mind. Mastering scientific theories and consolidating the ideological foundation is necessary. Third, to improve the supervision system which will effectively address the symptoms as well as the root cause. Fourth, to improve the scientific, complete, effective, and practical system. Xi Jinping pointed out that the strict governance of the Party should be regulated by a set of scientific systems. Fifth, to improve the responsibility system with clear subjects and requirements. Xi Jinping believes that the strict governance of the party is the common responsibility of the entire CPC.
China Launches Vessel with World’s Largest Pile Driving Capacity: According to a report by Chinese Media Group (CMG), the “Erhai Changqing” pile-driving vessel set sail from Nantong, Jiangsu Province. Built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), the pile-driving vessel includes the world’s tallest derrick at the stern and has the highest pile-driving capacity. The vessel, which is 130.5 meters in length, 40.8 meters in width, and 8.4 meters in depth, marks a new milestone in China’s hydraulic engineering capabilities. The vessel includes a hydraulic cylinder generating 5000 tons of thrust and a high-precision positioning system for deep-sea piling. The previous record holder which was the “Yihang Jinzhuang” was also constructed by the ZPMC, and it featured a derrick height of 142 meters which is slightly shorter than “Erhai Changqing”. The production of hydraulic cylinder seals and other corrosion-resistant materials has mostly relied on foreign suppliers. However, on this occasion, The China Communications Construction Company Second Harbor Bureau collaborated with six other domestic companies and four universities to develop domestic alternatives for hydraulic cylinder components. The vessel is currently en route to the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge construction site, where it will play a critical role in the construction of major infrastructure projects.
Premier Li Emphasises the Need to Develop Winter Games: Premier Li Qiang stressed the need to step up the development of winter sports and related industries to create new opportunities for service consumption and boost the economy. Li made the remarks during his inspection of the Heilongjiang Province. He also highlighted the need to utilize advantageous resources, enrich the supply of quality products, and improve the overall well-being of the people. He further urged the province to continue the development of new consumption scenarios and new forms of business while expanding and improving service consumption. The premier also visited the local ice sports center and noted that the recently concluded 9th Asian Winter Games has created public enthusiasm for winter sports and addressed the need to use this opportunity to promote mass participation in winter activities. While interacting with local cultural and tourism companies, Li emphasized that more work should be done to increase the appeal of ice and snow cultural products and strengthen international exchanges in the sector.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Divorce Case of Shanghai Man Sparks Online Discussion: The case of a Shanghai man who divorced his wife because she insisted that their son would have her surname, instead of the husband’s, has ignited a widespread discussion on social media platforms. The man surnamed Shao and his ex-wife Ji have a daughter who took his surname and a son who took her surname. They eventually separated as Shao kept on insisting that their son should take his surname. Shao also requested the custody of the children during the court case, but the court decided to grant the custody to Ji, considering that it was in the best interests of the children. The case has prompted netizens to voice their opinions, sparking lively discussions. One user commented that he supports the court’s judgment and criticized the man for divorcing his wife over such a trivial matter. While another user emphasized that it is the harmonious relationship that should matter for couples rather than which surname their children should have. The online discussion reflects a rising trend among young people in China who are keen to defy the old patriarchal tradition of children inheriting their father’s surname. In recent years, many online voices in China have highlighted the various sacrifices women are required to make during childbirth and children’s upbringing. Hence, a growing number of women are insisting that at least one of their children take their surname.

INDIA WATCH

Article in the South China Morning Post Focuses on the Developments in the Indian Aviation Sector: An article in the South China Morning Post highlights the developments of the Indian Aviation sector. According to industry insiders, the growth of the aerospace sector in India is driven by companies like Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Pratt Whitney, Rolls Royce, etc, who have expanded sourcing of aviation parts from India. This has also pushed local firms to improve their performance. Anuj Jhunjhunwala, CEO of JJG Aero, an aviation component manufacturing firm stated that earlier they were looking for foreign consumers, but now they are even more interested in evaluating opportunities in India. Various Western plane and engine manufacturers, whose output has been constrained by strikes and labour shortages since the pandemic, want to source more from India amidst rising demand for air travel. Huw Morgan, vice president at Rolls Royce stated that India is the best cost market and provides the best solution for supply chain challenges. The article points out that India is the world’s third-largest and one of the fastest-growing markets driving the demand for maintenance services and parts. Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India emphasized that massive aircraft orders from Indian air carriers like Indigo and Air India are fostering the growth of the aviation ecosystem. Michel Narchi, head of international operations at Airbus noted that India is contributing more than 1 billion euros currently in the Airbus supply chain and it is projected to double. The Indian civil aviation ministry is also keen to boost component manufacturing and local sourcing of raw materials like steel and aluminum with the estimation that India’s aerospace industry will constitute about 10% of the global supply chain market within a decade.

Prepared By

Ruchir Ketkar

Ruchir Ketkar is a First year student pursuing Masters in Diplomacy, Law and Business at OP Jindal Global University. After completing graduation in Political science, he found his interest in International Relations and Global Affairs. With a keen inclination towards security and conflict studies, he has also authored several articles and research papers. He also tries to keep himself updated with the happenings around the world and tries to analyse them using his perspective and understanding.