CiCM 28th November 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Central Military Commission Member Suspended From Post: Chinese media reported on November 28 that Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the director of the CMC's Political Work Department, has been suspended from his position for alleged “serious violations of discipline”. Since 2017, Miao has served on the commission and as the director of the CMC's political work department. He was the head of the CMC's political work division, which deals with Party ideology and personnel changes within the PLA. Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian confirmed Miao Hua’s suspension from his duty. Miao Hua is also the second CMC member to be removed from office since the current line-up took office in 2022. The first was former defence minister Li Shangfu, who was suspended in October last year. Li and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe, were both expelled from the party in June for “serious violations of discipline”. Miao was last seen in public during the 70th anniversary celebration of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on October 7.

China Issues Guidelines to Promote Digital Trade: China unveiled new guidelines to drive reform and innovation in digital trade, aiming to enhance its global competitiveness and expand foreign investment. The guidelines, issued by the State Council and the CPC Central Committee, target a steady growth of digitally deliverable services, which are expected to exceed 45% of China’s total services trade by 2029 and surpass 50 percent by 2035. The framework focuses on four key areas: fostering digital trade growth, advancing institutional openness, strengthening governance, and boosting organizational support. It prioritizes innovation in digital applications, improving digital content quality, and expanding cross-border digital delivery. Key initiatives include developing e-commerce platforms, supporting cross-border e-commerce pilot zones, and integrating digital trade with domestic and international markets. The guidelines aim to ease foreign investment by improving pre-access national treatment, dismantling market entry barriers, and facilitating the operation of foreign-invested enterprises. Specific measures target the telecommunications, internet and cultural sectors. They seek to establish mechanisms that balance efficient data transfer with robust protection of personal and critical information. The guidelines highlight that China also aims to influence global digital trade rules and strengthen international cooperation, aligning its digital trade strategies with high-standard international norms.

National Autumn Grain Purchase Exceeds 100 Million Tons: The National Grain and Strategic Reserves Administration announced that the nation had already acquired over 100 million tons of autumn grain this year, at a faster pace than the previous year. Major grain crops including rice, corn, and soybeans are being stored and warehoused more conveniently. The implementation plan for the minimum purchase price of rice in the provinces of Henan, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, and Anhui has been initiated in stages this year. There are currently about 200 purchasing warehouses open, with a combined storage capacity of almost 10 million tons. The minimum purchase price has been used to buy over 1.8 million tons of rice, which has helped bottom out policy and successfully stabilized market expectations. The Heilongjiang Branch of the China National Grain and Oils Corporation has actively entered the reserve corn market to enhance purchases. With 52 storage depots operational and a daily purchase volume over 40,000 tons, the market is currently being guided and driven by these depots. In the following step, the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration will keep enforcing policies based on various types, coordinating market-oriented procurement and policy-based storage, enlisting the full support of various entities to enter the market, and ensuring that farmers sell their grain and the market runs smoothly.

Remains of 43 Chinese Soldiers Return to China From ROK: On November 28, China received the remains of 43 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) soldiers who lost their lives in the Korean War from the Republic of Korea (ROK). The remains and 495 personal possessions of the deceased troops were transported by a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Y-20 cargo plane, which landed in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province in northeast China. The remains are to be laid to rest in a martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang. China set up a memorial service at Incheon International Airport after the ROK handed over the remains and belongings of the martyrs to the Chinese side in Incheon. Between 2014 and 2023, China and the ROK completed ten consecutive handovers of the remains of 938 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with associated artifacts, in compliance with international law. On October 19, 1950, Chinese ground forces operating under the CPV entered the Korean Peninsula at the request of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Over 360,000 CPV soldiers were killed or injured throughout the three-year conflict.

China Unveils a Plan to Build Next-Gen Beidou System: China Satellite Navigation Office (CSNO) has unveiled the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Development Plan for 2035, focusing on cutting-edge technologies and enhanced services. Announced at a symposium marking the 30th anniversary of the Beidou project, the plan outlines key milestones, including the launch of three pilot satellites around 2027 and full system completion by 2035. Building on the stable operations of BDS-3, the next-generation BDS will feature advanced capabilities such as greater accuracy, intelligence, and adaptability. In this regard, breakthroughs in core technologies are expected by 2025, followed by pilot satellite launches in 2027 to test innovations. Network deployment is slated to begin in 2029, culminating in a system that delivers global users real-time, high-precision navigation, positioning and timing services with accuracy ranging from meter-level to decimeter-level. The new system will integrate with non-satellite-based navigation technologies and support user terminals across diverse environments, from Earth's surface to deep space. It will employ a hybrid constellation architecture of high, medium and low-orbit satellites to enhance autonomous operation and time-space benchmarks. A ground system will ensure efficient resource management, data sharing and continuous operations.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Law enforcement Officers Catch a Truck Filled With Stolen Dogs, Netizens React: On November 28, law enforcement officers intercepted a truck carrying more than 400 dogs in Henan. Dogs in the truck were trapped in iron cages that are used to carry chickens. Some dogs were abused by the dog dealers and were frozen and bleeding. Some dogs have also been reported to have died during transportation. Volunteers have said that the dogs in the truck were purebred. Many owners gathered around the truck and called out their dogs' names to which their dogs responded. The Agricultural and Rural Bureau has handed the dogs to the local police. It was reported that some dogs could not open their eyes. Netizens on Weibo expressed their concerns and feelings about the incident. Many users said that it was pitiful that such an event occurred and hoped that the case would be investigated properly. Some users were confused as to how so many dogs could have been stolen. One user explained that, in all probability, not all dogs were stolen. The user explained that stealing could be one source, but the other dogs could have been bought from dog farms. Dogs are bred in dog farms but not all of them are favoured by people, so the farms sell them to the dealers.

INDIA WATCH

China’s Defence Ministry Hopes for Better India-China Military Relations: A spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry said on November 28 that China and India should take advantage of the recent meeting between their respective defense ministers to advance their military-to-military relationship. During his recent meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun in Vientiane, Laos, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the two most populous nations, China and India, should prioritize cooperation over conflict and that a friendly relationship between them would benefit world peace and prosperity. Spokesperson Wu Qian expressed that China expects the two sides to take advantage of the favorable momentum and the potential to advance military cooperation with an aim to enhance mutual trust. He described the meeting as positive and constructive. Wu further added that China anticipates a harmonious dance with coordinated steps between the Indian elephant and the Chinese dragon.

Prepared By

Ananya Tandon

Ananya Tandon is a third-year undergraduate student at FLAME University, majoring in International Studies and minoring in Journalism. With a keen interest in political journalism, she gained valuable hands-on experience through her internship at NDTV, where she had the opportunity to explore the field. She is passionate about staying up-to-date on issues that shape the global community.