CiCM 12th June 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

China Flames EU for Protectionist Tariffs: The European Union has made the decision to impose an increased 21% tariff on electric vehicles (EVs) made and imported from China, which will be added to a pre-existing 10% import duty. The increase follows the results of a seven-month anti-subsidy investigation into China’s EV production line and companies that did not cooperate with the probe are set to face higher tariffs. General secretary of the automobile committee under the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, Sun Xiaohong, described the imposition as a violation of World Trade Organisation regulations and implied the action to be the beginning of a trade war if not rectified. The decision was seen as targeted as the United State’s EV producer Tesla was excluded from the policy. Sun alleged that the EU’s investigation was unprecedented and lacked the necessary transparency to comply with global standards and criticized the EUs complaint of non-compliance with the probe. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian similarly criticized the EU for protectionist practices and violation of trade principles and assured that China will take retaliative measures when necessary.
China Responds to Uyghur Forced Labour Ban List: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has made statements to refute the US’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bans under claims of forced labour in Xinjiang. The statement issued by the DHS places three Chinese companies on a ban list The listed companies are the seafood export Shandong Meijia Group Co., Ltd., Dongguan Oasis Shoes Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Shenhuo Coal and Electricity Co., Ltd. All of which are accused of exploiting Uyghur minority labour and are prohibited in the United States under the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act of 2021. MFA spokesperson Lin Jian addressed the accusation in a press conference, stating that the imposed sanctions are illegal and condemning the narrative that the US perpetuates about Xinjiang. The sanctions were claimed to have disrupted the market and violated the international trade rules. The statement further accused the US of human rights violations through domestic issues of racial discrimination, drug abuse and gun violence and described the ban list as discriminatory. Lin stated that the United States is making use of human rights violation claims to interfere in China’s internal affairs and that China will take measures to safeguard the interests and rights of their citizens.
Data Indicates Stability in Inflation in China: The National Bureau of Statistics released data to confirm an increase in China’s national consumer price index (CPI) in May 2024. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.3% year-on-year and fell by 0.1% month-on-month, indicating stable growth in the Chinese consumer market despite rising inflation. Excluding food prices, which rose as a result of environmental factors such as rain and heat, and energy prices which declined due to reduced travel, the core CPI maintained an increase of 0.6%. The national industrial producer price index (PPI), which indicates prices of industrial enterprise products, fell by 1.4% year-on-year and rose by 0.2% month-on-month basis. The PPI is thought to have been affected by increasing prices of international commodities and improvement in domestic supply and demand.
Unmanned Cargo Plane Completes Maiden Flight Successfully: On 12^th June, China’s first unmanned aerial cargo transport plane, the HH-100, completed its maiden flight. The flight was completed with stable performance and the necessary systems functioned appropriately during the 35-kilometer flight. Developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) of China, the plane is designed as two separate parts which consist of the vehicle and a ground-based command and control system. The developers aim for the cargo plane to effectively contribute to transport logistics with its capacity of approximately 4 cubic meters in cargo. The AVIC is planning unmanned aerial transport systems in the low-altitude economy to provide large, reliable and low-cost commercial transport. The plane and its components are entirely domestically made and boasts a maximum cruising speed of 300 kilometers per hour at a maximum altitude of 5,000 meters. While the initial aim is to produce a cargo vehicle which cuts down on costs and manned labour, the AVIC also suggests the plane may find use in other businesses such as fire monitoring and suppression, supply delivery and others.
Four Jailed for Selling Celebrities' Personal Data: Four individuals have been sentenced to imprisonment and fined for illegally obtaining and selling celebrities' personal information, such as identity numbers, contact details, and flight itineraries. Exploiting airline website security loopholes, they acquired the data in bulk from suppliers and sold it online for 5 to 10 yuan each, making over 35,000 yuan before being caught in 2023. The investigation exposed gaps in the airlines' security systems, which have since been corrected. Prosecutor Zheng Yi highlighted that purchasing personal information infringes on privacy rights and carries legal consequences under China’s Criminal Law.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Influencers Warn Against the Adverse Effects of Plastic Surgery: Cosmetic surgery and the unfortunate possible side effects of going under the knife have been discussed at large by Chinese netizens. Cosmetic surgery related legal disputes are rampant in China as women aim to reach impossible beauty standards and face pressure from society to appear beautiful. While always a hot topic in society, the recent case of Meina, a transgender influencer who recently underwent facial feminization procedures has been the trigger point for questions about whether surgery is worth the risk. Wang Yafei, also known as Meina on Chinese platform Douyin recently revealed that she has spent 1.3 million yuan on various procedures but was now facing the side effects of botched healing. Influencer Taohua Baobao revealed similar issues following 8 years of surgery history and over 400 hyaluronic acid injections. She reported that a recent procedure she underwent lead to infection and serious damage to her facial nerves. Both influencers, alongside other victims of botched procedures, have taken to social media to encourage netizens to avoid the risks associated with the processes.

INDIA WATCH

Experts Criticize Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s Approach to China-India Relationship: Global Times has reported on India’s China policy following news of Mr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar retaining his position as India’s Foreign Affairs Minister. Jaishankar has stated that India’s focus will be to resolve issues at the border, which is a claim that has been made since his previous term. The article cites Long Xingchun, professor at Sichuan International Studies University, in stating that the border conflict between India and China is an issue that far precedes Jaishankar’s term. Despite approaching the conflict from a positive stance, India’s actions in the past few years are perceived as anti-China and the result of a strategic alignment with US. The article invokes the Bharatiya Janata Party’s nationalistic stance to point towards China’s portrayal as an enemy to India. The article notes that China’s stance towards the relationship is far more positive and Beijing is consistently sending out positive signals and making attempts at improvement, which India shuts down. As many senior officials of the Modi administration have retained their positions for the current term, the article takes a pessimistic view towards improvement in the India-China bilateral relationship and is critical of India’s attempts to antagonize and place pressure on China. Experts on the Chinese side are quoted to be critical of Jaishankar’s approach to diplomatic issues and claim that the India-China relationship is likely to stagnate or worsen under his term, rather than see improvement.

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.