CiCM 27th May 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

General Secretary Xi Jinping Presides Over Politburo Meeting: The Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting to review development policies and provisions concerning financial risk prevention and resolutions. The meeting was presided over by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. The development policies specifically concern the central provinces of Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei and Hunan of Central China, which the CPC strategically posit as significant to the production of grain, energy, raw material, and manufacturing industries. The meeting called for the development of a stronger transportation system in addition to the upgrading of the industrial systems to accelerate productivity and innovation. As part of the development policies, ecological preservation and revitalization of rural areas were specified. The second focus of the meeting was the trial run of financial regulations on accountability to prevent and resolve risks, which call for the CPC to govern and control the financial field. A lack of strict management of financial risks was stated to be an issue of national security and a hurdle in the pathway to development. The policies maintain the Central Committee’s strict supervision over financial departments, institutions and authorities to ensure a CPC-approved, politically correct approach to financial development and risk management.
“Wolf Warrior” Diplomat Hua Chunying Appointed as Vice-Minister of the Foreign Ministry: Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has been promoted to the position of vice-minister. Hua previously served as the head of the department of press, communication, and public diplomacy from 2019 to 2021 before her appointment as assistant minister of foreign affairs in October 2021. She is now the youngest and only female foreign vice-minister under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her “wolf warrior” approach to diplomacy has been lead to her being praised in Chinese media. Her approach to diplomacy has involved direct confrontation through social media and statements, which has led to her being described as smart. Her retaliation against the US’s anti-China statements and accusations have garnered her over 2 million followers on X/Twitter. Her appointment as vice-minister follows a set of recent personnel changes in China’s diplomatic field.
Major Industrial Firms Perform Well in First Quarter: The National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China has reported a 4.3 percent increase in the profit of major industrial firms. The combined profits reached 2.09 trillion yuan between January to April, and the figures show a recovery in China’s economy. In comparison to the figures from 2023, the operating income of industrial enterprises underwent an increase and 70% of all industrial firms showed a growth. According to economist Zhou Maohua, this improvement is attributed to a recovery in market demand and a low base effect, supported by macro policies that minimised the burdens of the manufacturing industry. Similarly, The fiscal issuance of yuan into treasury bonds and real estate support is a positive move in the direction of economic improvement. The upgrading of large-scale equipment is an additional factor in the profit of equipment manufacturing firms, which saw a 16.3 percent increase in profit in the January to April period. The improvement in industrial profit in the first quarter is taken to be a positive sign going in to the second quarter as it signals opportunity for GDP growth.
China Comments on WHA’s Rejection of Taiwan Proposal: The Chinese Delegation to the WHA states that the proposal to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA) is an act of inappropriate and unrealistic political manipulation. Yang Zhilun, minister-counsellor of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations cited the 1971 UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 in his statement defending the rejection. According to the resolution, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is recognised as the only legitimate representative of China in the United Nations, thus delegitimising the DPP and other countries proposal to be invited as an independent observer. This proposal was rejected for eight consecutive years based on the WHA’s support of the one-China policy. The Chinese delegation further emphasised the responsibility the central PRC government takes over the Taiwanese population and denied the existence of a gap between the WHO and the people of Taiwan.
Hong Kong-Shandong Cooperation Thrives with Signing of 30 Deals: The opening ceremony of the Hong Kong-Macao-Shandong Week saw to Hong Kong and Macao signing 30 cooperation deals with Shandong, with another 101 agreements planned for later in the 5-day program. The planned agreements include sixty-nine investment projects in the areas of manufacturing, tourism and energy, etc. The projects will involve government departments and private companies in the industries targeted. Leung Chun-ying, the vice-chairman of the top advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference commented on the situation. His statement opined that Hong-Kong and Shandong entrepreneurs can mutually benefit from the relationship and deepen the cooperation between the mainland province and Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s role in the connection between mainland enterprises and foreign investment, as well as its investment into Shandong enterprises makes it a significant financial platform to Shandong. The connection between the two was supported by the government officials and participants of the opening ceremony, and the events of the week are expected to encourage cooperation between new entrepreneurs and investing professionals.
Intellectual Property Protection Plan Announced: The National Intellectual Property Administration issued an implementation plan for the development of an intellectual property protection system. The plan was constructed in collaboration with the Central Propaganda Department, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation. The plan stipulates a seven-part system through which the major goals will be achieved by 2035. The proposed system will focus on developing a comprehensive and systematic set of intellectual property laws by 2027. These legal systems aim to ensure stricter administration and more effective security and protection. The plan aims for the formation of a modern comprehensive law enforcement department and judicial organs by 2035, which will regulate the intellectual property laws set in place.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Chinese Outcry Over Rafah Bombings Echoes Across social media: The Palestine-Israel issue is a significant international focus of Chinese foreign affairs, and has been reported extensively since the conflict escalated in late 2023. The issue of the conflict is set to be discussed during the 10^th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum between May 28^th to June 1^st. The “Palestinian-Israeli conflict” tag on Weibo generated over 9 billion views and 3 million discussion posts as netizens reacted to the news and footage of the Gaza strip and refugee camps. The bombing of refugee camps in Rafah was greatly condemned by users as they criticised the violence of the Israeli military force and sympathised with the victims. Israel’s hand in the conflict has been consistently condemned by Chinese foreign workers with high-ranking officials calling for Palestine’s sovereignty and a ceasefire. Netizens reflect these sentiments in their posts, comparing the Israeli forces to the Japanese occupation of China and generating a massive outcry against the death of civilians including women, children and elderly members of the Palestinian population. The conflict has been recorded and reported through a constant stream of reports on news sites such as Xinhua and CCTV as well as in several documentaries produced by CGTN. The videos posted and spread by Palestinian users on social media such as X/twitter and Instagram have been circulated through Weibo.

INDIA WATCH

Global Time’s Questions India’s Approach India-China relationship: Global Times published an article by Liu Zongyi, a director and senior fellow at Center for South Asia Studies at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, criticizing India’s role in destabilising the India-China relationship.. The bilateral ties between China and India are said to have degraded in recent times due to the politics of the latter. The weakening of cultural connection between the two was attributed to the Hindu Nationalism and right-wing beliefs associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) power. The author pointedly questions the BJP government’s the systemic denial of the historical two-way connection between India and China. The Indian strategy of cultural de-sinicization through the review of Confucius Classrooms and other such educational collaborations, alongside military actions such as border conflict are critiqued for being short-sighted. The article takes a clear stance against India’s position in the India-China relationship and advocates for further criticism towards the policies of the government.

Prepared By

Aditi Dash

Aditi Dash is an undergraduate student of Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University. Her interests span the academic study of literature and art history, as well as anthropological concepts of culture and social behaviour.