CiCM 25th-26th November 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

Beijing Criticizes US Naval Presence in South China Sea, Citing Regional Security Concerns: Beijing condemned the United States as the "biggest disrupter of peace" in the South China Sea after a US warship entered disputed waters near the Xisha Islands (Paracels). The Chinese military warned off the USS Hopper, claiming it "illegally" entered Chinese territorial waters, and mobilized forces in response. This incident, the first since the Xi-Biden summit aimed at easing tensions, highlights ongoing disputes in the region. The US Navy cited international law for its operation, underscoring commitment to a free and open order. The event coincides with joint US-Philippines patrols near Taiwan and Australia-Philippines operations in the South China Sea, intensifying regional maritime tensions.
Report Critiques China's Global "Consular Volunteers" Network as Part of Its United Front Operations: A recent report published by Spanish-based human rights group recently stated that the Chinese Communist Party operated a global network of "consular volunteers," which are essentially unofficial personnel working in the embassies and consulates. These volunteers are engaged in influence and enforcement activities abroad and the network was formalized by a State Council decree also remaining undisclosed to host countries. The report reiterated that China already employed illegal overseas network of “police service centers” which monitors and harasses dissidents in other states. These volunteers are known to have access to personal data, potentially aiding in controlling overseas Chinese communities and dissidents. The report urged democratic nations to scrutinize these practices, citing risks of espionage and transnational repression.
China Announces Maritime Silk Road Projects, Aiming to Increase Global Connectivity and Economic Opportunities: China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), encompassing the Maritime Silk Road, has spurred significant international projects over the past decade, exemplified by ventures like Egypt's Benban solar power plant and Cambodia's Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway. The cumulative two-way investment between China and BRI partner countries reached 380 billion U.S. dollars, including 240 billion U.S. dollars from China. These initiatives aim to boost local economies and connectivity. China Solar's role in the Benban project highlights China's contribution to renewable energy, while the expressway in Cambodia enhances tourism and travel efficiency. Overall, the BRI has facilitated a substantial increase in China's trade and investment with partner countries, evidencing its growing global economic influence.
China and Japan Aim for Enhanced Strategic Cooperation and Stability in Bilateral Ties: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the need for China and Japan to earnestly follow leaders' consensus for advancing bilateral relations on a sound and stable track. Meeting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Wang proposed three key points: establishing correct mutual perceptions as cooperative partners, respecting legitimate concerns including Taiwan and Fukushima's nuclear issues, and bolstering mutually beneficial cooperation. Kamikawa affirmed Japan's commitment to these goals, including addressing global challenges and managing the nuclear wastewater issue constructively.
President Xi Stresses Importance of Civilizational Exchange for Global Progress: President Xi Jinping emphasized the significance of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations for common progress, in a letter to the World Conference on China Studies — Shanghai Forum. The conference highlighted the significance of trans-cultural exchanges, with a special focus on Dunhuang culture. A book on Dunhuang artifacts from the National Library of France, presented at the conference, underscores the global relevance of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dunhuang studies, seen as a heritage of all humanity, were a central theme, demonstrating the integration of Chinese civilization with others. On 26th, a day after, Xi also wrote a congratulatory letter for the aforementioned conference. He highlighted that understanding China's historical and contemporary aspects is vital and that Chinese civilization, enriched through global interactions, underpins China's modernization. The forum, attended by over 400 experts from 60 countries, underscored the importance of multilingual, globally-oriented Chinese studies.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Geert Wilders’ Election Victory Sparks Debate on Weibo: The Rise of Right-Wing Populism: Geert Wilders' right-wing Freedom Party (PVV) secured a major win in the Dutch general elections, capturing 37 seats and sparking discussions on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Commentators posed the following questions: ‘Why did we witness a UK ‘Trump,’ a Brazilian ‘Trump,’ an Argentinian ‘Trump,’ a Dutch ‘Trump?’. Commentators also linked Wilders' triumph to a global trend of right-wing populism, comparing him to Trump and noting his anti-immigrant, anti-EU, anti-Islam stance. Wilders' win is seen as part of a larger pattern of 'democratic illusion,' where voters, disillusioned with traditional politics, turn to unconventional leaders. Despite the victory, forming a coalition government remains uncertain, with Weibo users debating the implications of this rise in populist politics.

INDIA WATCH

The expansion of the maritime silk road under BRI underscores China’s ambition to cement its role as a global economic leader. While this initiative offers significant economic benefits to participant countries, it also involves areas in the Indian Ocean region which are of critical strategic importance to India. These recent events are also an example to the normative trend of China strengthening ties with its allies and BRI member states. India, positioned as a significant power in the region has attempted to counterbalance these initiatives with its own connectivity projects, such as the Sagarmala project, which predominantly involves port connectivity. India could furthermore consider participating in alternative regional cooperation frameworks like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. This approach, if applied with investment in diverse sectors within South-East Asia and Africa, could be essential in establishing India as an attractive alternative or complementary partner. Specifically, if its strong IT and service sectors are leveraged to forge new trade partnerships and investments. India has been following this trajectory by enhancing its digital infrastructure, as announced by Prime Minister Modi recently. Overall, India’s response to these developments should be a blend of strengthening its domestic capabilities, forging strategic alliances and actively participating in regional and global forums. India will not only safeguard its interests but also contribute to the stability and prosperity in a broader sense.

Prepared By

Krisha Trivedi

Krisha Trivedi is a student of International Studies and Business Analytics at FLAME University. Her active involvement in risk analysis is supplemented with her corporate experience in asset and fund management. She is also involved in research projects relating to economic policies, international law and geopolitics. In addition, her skillset includes proficiency in Programming languages, Japanese, French and German.