CiCM 9th June 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

The Kuaizhou 1A carrier rocket was launched from China’s Gobi Desert on Friday. The carrier rocket placed into orbit the Longjiang 8, an experimental communications satellite. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp reported that the rocket blasted off in the morning and marked the 20th flight of the Kuaizhou 1A rocket. The satellite has been developed in association with researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology who have said that the Longjiang 8 is China’s first plate-shaped satellite. It has been placed into orbit for data accumulation pertaining to space-based high speed communication capabilities. Meanwhile, the carrier rocket, developed by the China Space Sanjiang Group stands at a height of 20 metres and is equipped to send off 200 kilograms worth of payload into low-Earth orbit.
The 25th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) opened its doors, marking the 30th iteration of the event. Several stars such as Michelle Yeoh, Chen Kaige and Chow Yun-fat were invited as special guests to mark the occasion. Moreover, the festival has accrued international regard as Asia’s first and only A-category filmmaking festival. Polish filmmaker, Jerzy Skolimowski is serving as jury president for the festival slated to run from 9th to 18th June. In his opening speech, the filmmaker remarked how films are essential to bridging gaps and serve as an important platform for expression. The event kicked off at Shanghai Grand Theatre and saw 12 films competing for the acclaimed Golden Goblet Award.
Honduran President, Xiomara Castro arrived in Shanghai, marking her first visit since diplomatic ties were established between the Central American nation and Beijing in March of this year. She was greeted by Hua Yuan, Shanghai’s deputy mayor and Hua Chunying, the assistant foreign minister. The trip is significant since Honduras only recently severed ties with Taipei in 2018 before instituting relations with China earlier this year. Castro’s state visit is expected to boost economic and political ties between the two countries with a new-trade agreement in the works as well. Castro is also slated to visit the operations centre of Huawei Technologies which has been functional in Honduras since 2008 as well as the New Development Bank’s headquarters. The trip comes amid the opening of the Chinese embassy in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital.
China’s top court, the Supreme People’s Court released a draft guideline on measures against cyberbullying. The document has invited public opinion on its proposed measures till June 25. With inputs from the Ministry of Public Security and the Supreme People’s Protectorate, the draft details severe penalties on offences such as identity theft, dissemination of fake news, and data infringement practices. In addition to penalties, the draft also proposes cyber manhunts or “human flesh searches” since it is oftentimes difficult to pin down perpetrators online. With a recent spike in social media related violence, specifically harassment and bullying, internet regulator platforms such as the Cyberspace Administration have issued circulars outlining preventative measures. Although China does not have specific laws pertaining to online abuse, there is pressure from several quarters to crackdown on such practices.
Fan Yifei, China’s former central bank deputy has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) over allegations of misconduct. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the nation’s top anti-corruption agency stated that Fan was in complete violation of the principles and values of the CPC. It has also been reported that Fan accepted gifts in the form of cash, which is in strict violation of Party regulations. He also travelled to private clubs, attended unmandated banquets, and accepted invitations to dinners and golf clubs. Fan, aged 59, was placed under investigation in November last year while still serving as deputy of the People’s Bank of China.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Hainan Airlines prevents ‘overweight’ cabin crew from flying, action sparks outrage among netizens: Hainan Airlines has recently rolled out guidelines that detail specific height and weight standards for its female flight attendants. The airlines’ actions have sparked backlash from several Weibo users, condemning the situation as discriminatory and sexist. The airlines responded to the strong criticism by stating that the weight criteria has been set to retain a professional image. The firm has also been quoted saying “as a prominent representative of public service, we should serve as a captivating business card to the world”. The newly instated guidelines also mention that non-compliance to the set standards may result in termination of employment. Weibo users have targeted the firm with some calling out the “obvious objectification of women”. Moreover, Hainan Airlines has also set up a monitoring system that observes weight fluctuations of its female flight attendants.

INDIA WATCH

The Asian space race has long been dominated by India and China. With China mostly trumping India in terms of strategy and efficiency, there is a marked difference in the ways the two countries approach satellite-launches. As of 2020, China owns approximately 13 per cent of all earth-orbiting satellites, as opposed to India’s 2.3 per cent. There is also a marked differences in the frequency of launches itself, with China managing 64 in total and India at 5 successful launches last year itself. Private enterprises have also been allowed to into the space sector in China, although few have managed independent orbital launches. The stark difference also centres around Indian rocket’s reliability issues. Reliability issues coupled with technical misgivings has led to several launches failing as well. However, India’s space industry may be on track for significant growth as the government has eased rules that now allow private players to enter the scene. Moreover, the privatisation of the space sector under the Space Bill (2020) has allowed growth and innovation that has reached beyond relying only on ISRO for technical research and development. China and Russia have long dominated the space industry, however tensions with the US, specifically post the Ukraine crisis and the recent spy-balloon allegations have only fuelled companies such as SpaceX to look at India as a viable alternative. This has also led to around 300 hundred space-tech companies to turn away from China to look at India as a potential launch centre. There is also a growing concern about Beijing accessing American technology, that has garnered security concerns over the years. Lastly, Indian satellite launches have proven to be more transparent in terms of knowledge sharing and based more on cooperation with other international space agencies in Australia and Japan. Developing the Indian space sector would involve allowing comprehensive public-private partnerships, knowledge exchange and a cost-effective game plan.

Prepared By

Toshika Shukla

Toshika Shukla is a 4th year undergraduate student at Shiv Nadar University, majoring in International Relations and Governance Studies. Through the course of her study, she has gained a keen interest in areas such as soft power diplomacy, gender studies, and cultural relations. Her interests also revolve around questions of power, China’s domestic policies combined with theoretical perspectives of analysis.