CiCM 23rd January 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

China Emphasizes Green Transformation and Technological Innovation at the Davos Summit: In his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang expressed his belief in China’s economic growth and emphasized the need for global cooperation for open and inclusive development. At the Davos Forum, China emphasized technological innovation and green transformation for high-quality development and the need for a fair competition market. Over the years, China has made significant progress in technological development across various sectors by actively advancing its industrial landscape while focusing on emerging, sustainable, innovative, and future-oriented industries to drive its economic growth. Major industries include high-tech and smart manufacturing, new energy, Artificial Intelligence, biotechnology, and aerospace. Ding also highlighted China’s significant contributions to addressing Climate change and its remarkable progress in low-carbon transformation. Since 2012, China’s carbon emission intensity and energy consumption per unit of GDP have decreased by 35% and 26%, respectively. Additionally, with the completion of the world’s largest new energy industrial chain and renewable energy sources accounting for more than 35% of its total power generation, China has been playing a significant role in spearheading global green development. Ding noted that China’s strong and stable economic development will advance strong and sustained global economic development. He also stressed the need for all countries to strengthen international cooperation in emerging technologies to bridge the gap between the Global South and North while fostering an inclusive and non-discriminatory environment.
Commission of New Generation of Missile Frigate: The People’s Liberation Army Navy commissioned its first type of 054B guided missile frigate “CNS Luohe” in Qingdao, Shandong province. According to the media report, the Luohe, with hull number 545, represents a new generation of Frigates with technological advancements in stealth, combat command, firepower control, and the ability to conduct better naval battles and other missions. The Type 054B has better capabilities than its predecessor, Type 054A, in all aspects. Additionally, the Luohe is important for the transformational development of the navy, and its service will extensively bolster the naval fleet's overall operational ability. Xiao Liang, a senior hardware researcher in the shipbuilding industry, noted that the large size of the ship facilitates better transport of ammunition and fuels. He also added that unlike previous frigate models, which are mainly responsible for anti-submarine operations, the new type 054B could also perform fleet air-defense missions. Moreover, the propulsion and the latest radar systems of the frigate are highly advanced.
Capital Market Regulator Unveils Plan to Attract Foreign Investors: Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), Wu Qing, stated that CSRC will optimize the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) program and promote the supply of foreign investments and risk management products. CSRC, which is China’s capital market regulator, plans to make the process of cross-border investment more convenient and attract foreign players to invest in the Chinese A-Share market by improving political stability, transparency, and predictability. According to Wu Qing, by the end of last year, around 866 QFIIs had received investment approval, and foreign investors owned approximately 3 trillion yuan in A-shares through various initiatives like the QFII and the Stock Connect program. He further added that China’s capital market would be more accessible with the CSRC program, striving towards creating a good environment for international investors and supporting the participation of foreign-funded entities in the capital market. Zhao Xijun, co-president of the China Capital Market Research Institute at Renmin University of China, added that the QFII program was designed to allow foreign investors to invest in China’s domestic capital markets and onshore securities market, which includes stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Zhao added that various international financial companies like Morgan Stanley and Standard Chartered have recently established their new branches in China which illustrates the growing optimism and appeal of the Chinese market for foreign investors.
China Stresses the Importance of Monitoring Nuclear Contaminated Water Discharge: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning stated that Japan has permitted the independent sampling and monitoring of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge into the sea. On completion of surveying the water levels, Chinese research institutions found no containment of harmful substances like Tritium, Cesium-137, and Strontium-90. However, Mao reiterated China’s strong opposition to Japan’s decision to discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, emphasizing that the action was taken without adequate consideration of the concerns raised by neighboring countries and the international community. Mao added that in the absence of any international mechanism regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, continuous testing and independent sampling by stakeholder countries is necessary to monitor potential risks. Mao also mentioned that China supports a scientific approach, and the decision to resume Japanese seafood imports will depend on data from ongoing testing and monitoring. Zhang Yanqiang, a professor of law of sea studies at Dalian Maritime University, asserted that radioactive substances are different from other materials because many radionuclides have no effective treatment methods, and there is a possibility that some long-lived radionuclides can spread through ocean currents and harm the marine life. He further pointed out that despite the current radiation levels being within normal limits, it is uncertain whether it will remain the case in the next five to ten years. Therefore, long-term and continuous monitoring is essential.
Travel and Tourism Experiences a Surge With the Growth of Visa-Free Policies: With China relaxing and optimizing its visa-free policies to simplify travel for foreign visitors, “China Travel” is increasingly becoming a top choice for foreign tourists. The latest data of 2024 from the National immigration administration of China showed a significant surge in the arrival of foreign tourists with the authorities handling about 610 million border crossings, which is a 43.9% increase as compared to 2023. This includes 291 million border crossings that were made by Chinese mainland residents, 254 million were residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and 64.88 million were foreign nationals. In comparison with 2023 data, these three figures have risen by 41.3 percent, 38.8 percent, and 82.9 percent, respectively. The ease in the travel process has created new opportunities for foreign tourists to understand the diversity and vibrant image of the country. Since the end of 2023, China’s visa-free policies have increased rapidly with full mutual visa exemptions for 26 countries, unilateral visa-free policy for 38 countries, and visa-free transit policy for 54 countries. The Visa-free policies are already showing significant results as “Travel to China after work on Friday” became a trending topic on South Korean social media. Following the announcement of China’s visa-free policy for Poland in June 2024, searches for travel information related to China showed a surge of 40 percent among Polish users. In 2024, the number of tourists visiting China reached pre-pandemic levels, with expectations for continued growth in 2025. According to Daniel Lee, CEO of Gofay Airways, the surge in “China travel” has also fueled expansion in the aviation sector. Zeng Bowei, director of the China Tourism Economy and Policy Research Center at Beijing Union University, stated that Visa-free travel not only stimulates inbound tourism but also shows China’s efforts to open up to the world.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Lack of Walking Streets Becomes a Rallying Cry for the Chinese Youth: Several Netizens are complaining about the lack of walking streets in various urban cities. It all began when a netizen shared his experience complaining that there are no streets left to stroll in Guangzhou, especially in the Dong Shan Kou neighborhood. Other netizens also expressed similar opinions based on their living experiences in other major cities and blamed mega malls for taking over outdoor commercial spaces which has made walking through streets a luxury. Mega malls have become an essential part of commercial life in China, catering to the shopping needs of families with luxury goods and items. However, these giant business and commercial complexes are encroaching on public spaces that once belonged to open neighborhoods. Beijing was one of the first cities to be impacted, with the small backstreet stores of the iconic Sanlitun neighborhood that was once a famous gathering spot for pubs, concerts, and soccer matches being replaced by massive shopping malls. Urban planning in China has prioritized drawing high-income consumers, leading to a shift from an open street district to a mall-centric economy. Another city that has been affected by the mall-centric economy is Chengdu. The city known for its slow pace of life has transformed with indoor shopping malls taking over city stores. Therefore, young walkers in China have become increasingly disconnected from their surroundings, often choosing to take photos for social media instead of enjoying the simple joys of exploring the cities and immersing themselves in the vibrant city atmosphere.

INDIA WATCH

Article in China Daily Addresses the Need for India to Develop Stronger Ties With China: An article in China Daily by Wu Yixue emphasizes that India should realize the potential benefits of developing bilateral relations with China. The article highlights how India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has expressed a positive outlook for long-term India-China relations which have significant implications for the global order. The article also emphasizes that since both countries are leading and emerging economies, they should strive towards creating better relations, and the problems between the countries should not hold back the development of relations. The article points out that during the BRICS Summit in Kazan last year, the leaders of both countries reached a consensus that India and China view each other as development and long-term cooperative partners rather than threats or competitors. The author also emphasizes the longstanding boundary dispute between the countries, and if both countries focus on the bigger picture and avoid taking drastic actions that could escalate tensions, a solution will eventually be found. The meeting of the special representatives of the two countries on December 18 was also significant in fostering a conducive political environment for growing economic and trade cooperation between the two nations. The author also points out that 2025 being the 75th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic ties between both countries serves as the perfect opportunity for the two countries to further advance the development of bilateral relations. Additionally, India should avoid being influenced by external forces wanting to contain China’s development.

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.