CiCM 8th December 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Chinese Urges Syria to Ensure the Safety of Chinese Nationals Amid Political Upheaval: Following the declaration of the end of the Bashar al-Assad regime, China's foreign ministry in Beijing has stated that it is closely monitoring the situation in Syria. On December 8, media sites like Reuters and Al Jazeera reported that Syrian President Assad’s 24-year rule had ended. It was also reported that the “anti-government militants” had issued a statement saying that Assad’s regime had collapsed, he had fled, and that they had captured Damascus. Given the resurgence of Syria's ten-year civil war and the takeover of other cities by the armed opposition, the Chinese embassy in Syria recommended, on December 5, that its people leave the Middle Eastern country "as soon as possible," while commercial flights were still functional. The foreign ministry also urged Syrian authorities to ensure the security of Chinese organisations and individuals in Syria. It also added that the embassy had offered safety guidelines and assisted Chinese nationals fleeing Syria. The ministry said that the embassy in Damascus is still operational and will keep providing aid to Chinese nationals in need.
Book on Xi’s Discourses on the People’s Congress System published: The Central Party Literature Press has published a collection of speeches by Xi Jinping on maintaining and enhancing the People's Congress system. The collection is accessible all around the country. The book, put together by the CPC Central Committee's Institute of Party History and Literature, includes 37 significant publications by Xi that elaborate on the subject from December 2012 to October 2024. A few of these are being made public for the first time. In order to provide the fundamental guidance for maintaining, enhancing, and effectively operating the system of people's congresses, Xi has incorporated the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's unique realities and traditional culture, reports CGTN. The book also includes how Xi has methodically summarized the CPC's practical experience in enhancing socialist democracy, consistently advanced theoretical and practical innovations of the system of people's congresses, and proposed a number of new ideas, requirements, and ways of thinking.
China Increases Medicine Insurance Coverage to Fight Rare Diseases: More than 90 rare-disease medications are now covered by medical insurance in China after 13 new medications were added to the most recent edition of the country's medical insurance drug catalogue. The National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) and pertinent authorities jointly released the newly-added goods to the catalogue, which includes medications for uncommon conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and intractable epilepsy. China has expanded its nationwide network of collaborations for the detection and treatment of rare diseases, in addition to offering more reimbursed medications. Rare diseases have historically received less attention in the healthcare industry because of their extremely low frequency, small amount of patients, and significant expenditures associated with research and development. By October 2024, the network, which encompasses all province-level regions nationwide and includes telemedicine and medical referral procedures, had grown to include over 400 medical institutions.
China’s New Long March Rockets to Facilitate Missions to the Moon and Mars: China's new-generation Long March 10 carrier rocket will enhance China's lunar transfer orbit cargo capability would increase from 8.2 tonnes to 27 tonnes, according to Long Lehao, a rocket designer at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). Long stated that the space vessel had finished its initial power system testing and that its development was proceeding systematically. He also said that the Long March 9 carrier rocket, a future heavy-lift launch vehicle, will be about 114 meters high and 10.6 meters in diameter. It will be able to carry 50 tons of cargo in lunar transfer orbit. Future manned Mars missions could be launched using the Long March 9, which is powered by liquid oxygen and methane as cryogenic propellants, according to Long.
Hubei Province Urges Hospitals to Keep HIV Patients’ Info Confidential: Hubei province's health authorities have called for HIV-designated hospitals to protect the privacy of those living with HIV. This has happened following alleged incidents of some general hospitals denying treatment to those with HIV after learning about their condition through the patient test data-sharing system. The Hubei Health Commission's official website states that in order to prevent repeated diagnoses, medical facilities throughout the province were required to exchange the results of 82 tests in September. The tests included Hepatitis, syphilis, COVID-19, and HIV. Shen Long, an HIV care volunteer said that there was a greater probability of medical institutions refusing treatment and of patients' medical information being exposed due to the medical record-sharing platform. He also stated that a representative of the Hubei Health Commission had informed him that the platform had just recently opened and that if any loopholes were found, the authorities would act promptly. To safeguard the privacy of "people with special diseases," the commission has instructed authorized institutions to prohibit such information.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Netizens React to the Escalation of Conflict in Syria: According to media reports, on 8th December, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule ended with him leaving the state. Guancha, citing Reuters, reported that according to Flightradar data, when rebels were occupying Damascus, a Syrian Airlines Il-76 plane, with Assad on board, took off from Damascus Airport but the whereabouts of the plane are currently unknown. The aircraft first travelled to the coastal region of Syria, which is Assad's Alawite stronghold. However, it abruptly turned around and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before vanishing from the map. Netizens on Weibo compared the collapse of the regime in Syria to Afghanistan. Users said that Syria’s situation could soon be similar to that of Afghanistan’s takeover by the Taliban. One user opined that they hoped for an armed rebellion in Israel as well to overthrow Netanyahu. Some users believed that the next few years would be even more chaotic for Syria, while others were optimistic about a better, free, and democratic Syria.

INDIA WATCH

Chinese Media Reports on India’s Youngest Spiritual Influencer: The South China Morning Post reports on the controversy around India’s youngest spiritual influencer, popularly referred as ‘Bal Sant’ by the media. The 10-year-old Abhinav Arora’s fame has drawn criticism and scrutiny from the media raising questions about faith, authenticity of his claims, and his family’s motives, the article reports. Jyoti Arora, the child’s mother, who also handles his social media, said that Abhinav’s interest in religion began when he was three years old. In December 2023, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari endorsed Abhinav as “India’s youngest spiritual orator,” SCMP reports. The article adds that his fame has recently been met with challenges. The author reports that in October, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a criminal organisation associated with high-profile criminal and murder cases, issued death threats to the 10-year-old. Recently, Abhinav has also faced criticism over his parent’s part in painting his public image, with many arguing that his appearances are scripted. A YouTube channel, OnlyDesi added to the controversy by questioning the authenticity of Abhinav’s religious remarks and accusing his parents of cultivating a personality cult, the article reports. SCMP reports that his parents have denied monetarily benefitting from his content and plan to sue OnlyDesi and 6 other such channels for defamation.

Prepared By

Ananya Tandon

Ananya Tandon is a third-year undergraduate student at FLAME University, majoring in International Studies and minoring in Journalism. With a keen interest in political journalism, she gained valuable hands-on experience through her internship at NDTV, where she had the opportunity to explore the field. She is passionate about staying up-to-date on issues that shape the global community.