CiCM 27th December 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

China less likely to join the US-led coalition to deal with the Houthi militants: It has been noted that since October 2023, the Houthi militants have been carrying out drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This is in retaliation to the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. Over 20 nations took part in the US-led patrol to diminish the living space for Houthi militants to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea. China's participation in US-led patrol is less likely unless its ships are threatened, and it also puts its position on the Israel-Gaza conflict at risk. Until and unless it affects China's supply chain, it may not participate in such coalitions. Though China has not directly responded to the invitation to participate in the US-led coalition, the foreign ministry spokesperson staed that China believed relevant parties needed to play a constructive and responsible role in keeping the shipping lanes safe. On the other hand, China has constantly demanded a truce and condemned Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, citing the high number of civilian deaths. As long as China's interests are not threatened, they would not attack the Houthi militatnts nor join in a coalition.
Security agencies urge public to stay alert after foreign spies caught: A landlord in China caught foreign spies when he found a mystery Green Light in a flat. After this incident, China's security agencies urged the public to stay alert. Though the State Security Ministry did not unveil the alleged country's name, it revealed that a foreign company rented a flat that was being used to film 'trump card weaponry' at a naval base at a naval base. The State Security Ministry said it was an attempt to steal the country's secrets and military equipment. The green light is coming from video monitoring equipment used to gather intelligence from the nearby naval base, which is an essential base for China in performing critical military tasks. The State Security Ministry gave all this information through its official WeChat page. It did not explicitly mention when and where this alleged incident occurred and did not detail the arrests. The landlord had received a handsome reward for his timely action. The Ministry added that China's security might have been severely harmed if the collected intelligence had been sent to a foreign nation.
President Xi Jinping’s vision for “common prosperity” outlined: China's government aims to lessen the disparities among various regions, various demographic groups and fundamental public services and is persistently working to cease the digital divide. To achieve this, a strategy to increase the usage of digital technology to boost the growth of China's real economy has been jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the new National Data Administration (NDA). It is widely asserted that this policy is critical to reducing income inequality among people of different regions in China. This also acts as a medium for realising the dream of President Xi Jinping's "Common prosperity." which is one of the pillars of China's modernisation goals. It has been stated that this policy will stimulate a more equitable distribution of wealth across regions and society and fill the existing income gaps. So this is the reason why China emphasises the digital economy and the development of digital infrastructure.
The student exchange programme between the US and China draws attention amid tense ties: The ongoing discussions on the student exchange programme between the U.S. and China would be vital in promoting bilateral relations. The students and educational experts who attended this event revised the history of the US-China student exchange programme and assessed its positive impact. Wang Junglong, a student of international relations at the University of South California, did an internship at the U.S. Heartland China Association in the summer and assisted the pen pal projects for students in China and the U.S. Through this "pen pal project," "students" from China and the USA can connect effectively and discuss their educational and cultural experiences. In 2020, the China-America Student Conference was established by the International Student Conferences. It is a two-week programme that pairs Chinese and American students to research a specific topic related to U.S.-China relations. Students from both nations can learn from and comprehend one another's viewpoints through the platform. This would significantly enhance the bilateral relationship between China and the USA.
China’s scientific achievements in 2023: The year 2023 is a memorable year for Chinese scientists as they made pathbreaking innovations in Quantum Computing, Astronomical observation, and Brain-Computer interface in 2023. Chinese scientists have invented a high-speed key distribution system to generate secret keys at a rate exceeding 110Mb/s over a 10 km standard optical fibre, setting a new world record in the field. According to Xu Feihu, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, the accomplishment is critical to the large-scale implementation of Quantum communication and Quantum. Network. Another noteworthy invention was the development of a superionic hydride ion conductor with high redox potential and robust reducibility. Another praiseworthy development is that China completed the world's first brain-computer interface experiment on a monkey. This experiment was a success since it successfully developed ' a brain-computer interface in monkeys, allowing them to control a robotic arm with their thoughts'. We can assert that the success of this experiment has propelled China to the forefront of technology.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

It’s ‘OK’ to be a loser, Chinese woman opinion goes viral on Chinese social media: Wanwan, who graduated from a top Chinese university, had a 17-minute late-night talk with her friend that went viral last year. Wanwan did several jobs during that period, but none were meaningful to her. In the viral audio, she says, "It is OK to be a loser." At that point, she had failed to clear the postgraduate entrance exam and had a mere savings of 5000 yuan. Wanwan's friend Chaochao had a master's degree yet ended up cleaning tables at a restaurant to support herself. In the viral talk, they referred to themselves as losers but cheered each other up and said that being without anything meant having " a life full of choices". Wanwan thought of building a career as an Internet influencer but realised that unsteady income created anxiety in her, so she gave up on that job and became a short video creator for a large Internet company. Unfortunately, she met with an accident and realised that she didn't want to die before experiencing the world and left that job. Currently, she is jobless but has more money in her savings account (50,000 Yuan) mostly due to her viral video.

INDIA WATCH

The USA formed a coalition to tackle the problem of Houthi militants in the Red Sea who were attacking commercial merchant ships. Officially, India has not joined the US-led patrol, and its position remains unclear. However, India actively engages in this region and cooperates with other countries. It has deployed its warships like INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in the Red Sea but not in the name of anti-Houthi programmes. The reasons for this cautious approach are varied. If we look at the past, India has traditionally been neutral in the Yemen conflict. It aims to maintain neutrality and also consider the public opinions in India, where people are generally against direct military involvement. On the other hand, China has close relations with Iran, which is a great supporter of the Houthis. Joining the US-led patrol would significantly strain China-Iran ties, and China openly criticises the US-led Interventions. The primary reason for its non-participation in the coalition is that Houthis did not attack its commercial ships of China and were less likely to be involved until their ships were attacked. India maintains good relations with Saudi Arabia (which is leading an anti-Houthi coalition) and Iran (a crucial supporter of Houthi), so the position of India is still being determined as it wants to maintain its relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. China and India have similar concerns regarding Houthi militant issues, ranging from strategic to domestic problems.

Prepared By

Siva Kumar Nichenakolla

Siva Kumar is a committed and aspiring international relations scholar with a strong desire to know global dynamics. Siva has a strong academic foundation in international relations and has shown a deep interest in understanding the complexities of international relations.