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NEWS IN CHINA

• China’s Beidou System gets recognized as a global satellite navigation system: The United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)­­ officially recognized China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System as a global standard system. China’s Beidou system is now one of the four globally recognized systems alongside the United States GPS, Russia’s GLONASS, and the European Union's Galileo. The system was developed domestically and has been used by 200 countries and regions worldwide. The Beidou system meets the need for global civil aviation applications that ensure compatibility and interoperability with other navigation systems. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) applied in 2010 to be included in the ICAO standardization by collaborating with various institutes and offices; it has been able to successfully establish and integrate a China-developed system into the ICAO standards for the very first time.
  
• China maintains global shipbuilding dominance: For the first ten months of 2023, China sustained its position as a leading power in the global shipbuilding market. It saw a significant increase in both output and new orders. The China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry released data that showed how China’s shipbuilding output has increased by 12 percent year-on-year, reaching 34.56 million deadweight tonnes, accounting for 49.7 percent of the world's total. New orders increased by 63.3 percent year-on-year to 61.06 million deadweight tonnes, constituting 67 percent of the world's total. The in-hand orders stood at 133.82 million deadweight tonnes, up 28.1 percent from the previous year and accounting for 54.4 percent of the world's total. The Chinese shipbuilders also saw a combined export value record of $21.14 billion in the first ten months of 2023, an increase compared to last year.
• Guangzhou leads in climate financing pilot scheme for carbon trading: Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, has started a climate financing investment scheme in the Greater Bay Area to expand carbon trading. The platform in Nansha district will provide debt and equity financing to companies engaged in climate change-related projects. Several institutions like banks, securities firms, and insurance companies have joined the scheme to assess and evaluate the climate-friendliness of the project. A total of ninety-five project funding applications were received, amounting to a total of 72.7 billion yuan (US$10 billion), according to the state-owned Shanghai Securities Journal. The scheme was started to include a higher number of high-emission industries in China’s carbon market to have more influence in the global market. Investors highlighted the importance of carbon accounting, information disclosing, and standardized systems for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing, following overseas regulations, climate-friendly financial products, and systems that can help prevent and fight climate change-related risks.
• President Xi Jinping attends the 30^th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting: Chinese President Xi Jinping attended and addressed the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in San Francisco, USA, to discuss their commitment towards a free, open, fair and non-discriminatory investment environment. Xi highlighted the responsibility of the APEC members to maintain the Asia-Pacific region’s future amid the unprecedented global changes. He urged the leaders to push for another "golden 30 years." Xi stated that China will maintain its commitment to innovation-driven, open, green, and inclusive development to help contribute to global modernization and provide more significant opportunities to the world. He added about APEC’s role in promoting trade liberalization and facilitation, economic growth, and technological progress, better known as the “Asia-Pacific miracle” since its establishment. He highlighted how, after 45 years of China’s reform and opening up, it has achieved remarkable economic success. Furthermore, Xi expressed China’s commitment to multilateralism and how China is promoting global development through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative. Such initiatives by China and its commitment to support APEC’s economic and technical cooperation and work with all member countries to develop and reach modernization.
• Chinese Special Envoy meets the new Maldivian President: Chinese Special Envoy and State Councilor Shen Yiqin met with the new Maldivian President, Mohamed Muizzu, at the inauguration ceremony held in Malé, the capital of Maldives, forthe 8^th president of Maldives. Upon her visit, Shen expressed China’s commitment to maintain and further develop its relations with the Maldives. She emphasized China’s willingness to strengthen political guidance, develop and align development strategies, and enhance cooperation in several fields. She added that China aims to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and create a friendly and cooperative partnership between the two countries. The new President, Muizzu, clarified Maldives adherence to the one-China policy and expressed her commitment to build and maintain practical cooperation with China through joint initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and further the relationship between China and Maldives. 
• Anhui Provincial Party Secretary Han Jun leads rural revitalization efforts: Jinzhai County is an area of focus for rural revitalization by the Anhui Provincial Party. Han Jun, the Committee Secretary of the party, led two teams to conduct an on-site investigation in the county. The two teams, one of them led by Han Jun himself, visited the villages and interacted with the villagers, farmers, and local enterprises to understand their challenges and solve problems at the grassroots level. He engaged with several villagers about their living conditions, daily life, and production, through which he learned about chronic diseases and medical assistance measures in the village. He encouraged creating employment opportunities and boosting income by expanding agricultural activities. He highlighted the need to implement projects that help upgrade rural infrastructure projects and encourage small-scale revitalization efforts. He emphasized the need to strengthen the party and build teams to help expand the village's collective economy and promote its specialties. Furthermore, he stated that the rural revitalization in Jinzhai County focuses mainly on education, healthcare, and industry growth and the importance of innovation in rural areas to attract talent back to these areas and help their goal of revitalization.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

• Increase in thyroid cancer among young people causes concern: Thyroid cancer has been on a steady increase in China, with a 6 percent increase annually worldwide. The increase in thyroid cancer among young people can be attributed to the lifestyle habit of staying awake late, lack of exercise, and unhealthy eating habits. Users on Weibo expressed their concerns about this issue and pointed out that the pressure young people face today contributes to the rise of the disease. A user recommended that the country implement a policy requiring people to work only 8 hours daily and have a weekend and holiday system. Many shared their stories about their struggles with thyroid cancer and how they were expected to return to work after two weeks of the surgery. Netizens also blamed the expectations from elders that caused the younger generation to overwork themselves and fall sick. Although not all users were so empathetic, many blamed the unhealthy habit of the younger generations of partying, and smoking that caused such issues to arise. Most of the netizens were concerned about the younger generation and expressed concern about the increasing stress and pressure in their lives. 

INDIA WATCH

• About 62 percent of the global GDP is within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), yet India is not a part of it. After the liberalization of the Indian Economy in 1991, India attempted to join the APEC as a member. Although many member countries favored including India, some thought India had “protectionist instincts” in context with the reforms that took place in the country during that time. Since 1991, India has adopted extensive economic reforms like more foreign trade, opened doors to international businesses, and attracted significant foreign investment. New Delhi also improved its trade policies to encourage a more business-friendly environment. India has, however, only been given an observer status by the APEC. India can benefit significantly if it becomes a member of the APEC through closer economic relations and better trade and investment opportunities with major world economies. Membership in the APEC would benefit India by giving it access to technological inputs and other innovations like renewable energy, manufacturing, and informational technology. The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, represented India as a guest economy where he addressed an Informal Dialogue of Leaders’ of the APEC on Sustainability, Climate, and Just Energy Transitions and expressed India’s environment protection role under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The USA inviting Idia to the summit is also significant as it highlights how the US government is interested in developing trade relations with India.