CiCM 10th October 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

Xi Jinping Inspects City of Jiujiang: Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, recently conducted an inspection visit to Jiujiang in Jiangxi province, East China. During his visit, Xi focused on critical aspects of the region's development. He inspected a portion of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park in Jiujiang's urban area, highlighting the importance of environmental and cultural preservation. Additionally, Xi visited the Sinopec Jiujiang Company where he learned about local efforts to enhance the ecological restoration along the Yangtze River shoreline and the company's shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. This is part of the transition towards greener and more sustainable development part of broader national and global goals for ecological protection.
National Bureau of Statistics to Launch Population Survey: The National Bureau of Statistics in China has announced the commencement of a nationwide population sample survey, running from Tuesday to November 30 this year. The primary objective of this survey is to accurately and promptly monitor demographic developments within the country. It also aims to provide the basis for the CPC in their formulation of national economic and social development plans, as well as policies related to population. This comprehensive survey encompasses urban and rural areas across mainland China and covers various critical demographic aspects such as name, citizenship number, gender, age, ethnicity, educational attainment, migration patterns, employment status, marital and childbirth status, mortality data, housing conditions, and more. The survey will be conducted through household visits by government statistical survey agencies or self-reporting on the internet by the respondents. This initiative is to gather accurate and up-to-date demographic information to inform policy decisions and national planning effectively.
IMF Warns China of Economic Deterioration: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a warning to China in its “Global Financial Stability Report” amid growing calls for reform both internally and externally. This is in regard to the ongoing property and lending crises in China extending adverse effects to the global economy. The IMF highlighted challenges faced by China's real estate sector, marked by diminishing investments and declining home prices, and the substantial debt burden of property developers. Furthermore, revenue raised by local governments in China from selling land-use rights has fallen 20 per cent in comparison to a year prior, compared with a year earlier with some regions like Fujian, Hunan, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region etc even reaching over 40 per cent and land bought by top 100 developers fell almost 18 per cent. Additionally, there are apprehensions about the sustainability of local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) that fund infrastructure projects. It also warned of upcoming “sharp repricing of assets.” China’s real estate investment has declined by 8.8 per cent from a year earlier according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, despite stimulus measures taken by the People’s Bank of China to cut policy and mortgage rates.
China Expels a Philippine Warship After Intrusion in SCS: China has expelled a Philippine naval gunboat that intruded into waters in the South China Sea. The Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu stated that the gunboat continued to trespass into the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Island despite repeated warnings given. The Coast Guard vessels took necessary lawful measures such as following and monitoring, warning off and route controlling, to drive the warship away. The operation was conducted professionally, legitimately, and in accordance with regulations. Gan said that China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction. The actions of the Philippine side violated Chinese sovereignty and seriously contravened international law and basic norms of international relations and they urged the Philippine side to immediately stop its acts of infringement. The Philippine military chief denied China’s actions claiming it to be propaganda. China claims the Scarborough Shoal as its own territory based on historical antecedent, whereas, Philippines has a claim to the shoal as its exclusive economic zone under the UNCLOS and fishing boats have been allowed to return to the shoal since late 2016 when there were better bilateral ties. This equation has changed recently amid growing US involvement in the region.
Israel Emergency Consular Protection Initiated after Chinese are Abducted and Reported Missing: A Chinese-Israeli woman, Noa Argamani, who was born in Beijing, has been abducted by Hamas during a peace music festival in southern Israel near the Gaza border. Noa was attending a peace music festival in southern Israel when the Hamas militant group raided the music festival and took her from Israel to Gaza. The Israeli embassy in China has confirmed on its official Weibo account that she is one of many hostages taken by Hamas during their surprise attack on Israel. Four Chinese nationals are reported missing, and three others have been injured as well amid the rising violence according to the ACBI (Organisation for Assistance to Chinese Businesses in Israel). The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has stated that China is currently verifying the situation and has activated its emergency consular protection mechanism to safeguard Chinese nationals and institutions. Mao said that the Chinese embassy is staying in contact with Chinese nationals on the ground and doing everything possible to protect the safety of Chinese nationals and institutions there. China has called for an immediate ceasefire of hostilities between Israel and Palestine. Meanwhile, China and Saudi Arabia have initiated a joint naval exercise, named Blue Sword-2023, with a primary focus on overseas maritime counterterrorism operations. The drill was announced in September but now comes in the midst of the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Chinese Bride Wearing School Uniform Goes Viral on Social Media: A Chinese bride walked down the aisle wearing the school uniform she wore when she met her husband as a student 11 years ago. The tribute enamoured many on social media as a video shows their vow exchange ceremony taking place in Bozhou, Anhui province in eastern China. Instead of a traditional wedding gown, the bride wore a school uniform top with jeans and hair neatly tied in a schoolgirl ponytail. He shared his feelings on Douyin: “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude that we’ve made it to this day.” The love story evoked nostalgia for young romance amongst social media users. “He married his own youth,” one person commented. “The meaning behind this school uniform is much stronger than any wedding gown,” reacted another. “Even when a man reaches success, dressed in a suit and polished shoes, looking back, it’s still the girl from his student days whom he cherishes most by his side,” was another’s view. One user concluded that “From campus to wedding hall, you defeated the challenges of a long-distance relationship”.

INDIA WATCH

India’s policy in the South China Sea is shifting from a long-standing neutrality and ambiguous support for international rules to boldly stating its views against Chinese claims and increasing its support to opposing regional stakeholders. A few months ago, the Indian and Filipino Foreign Ministers issued a joint statement supporting the 2016 UNCLOS arbitration on the South China Sea and calling for China to abide by it. This was the first time India has decisively made statements regarding China’s territorial claims in Southeast Asia. The tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines, finding China’s claims in most of the South China Sea to hold no legal basis. China refused to be involved or comply with these proceedings as its view was that it must be settled between all claimants involved. To counteract this assertion, India has enhanced its maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific. Joint naval exercises such as the India-ASEAN naval drills in the South China Sea have commenced and unprecedented military ties have been initiated with Southeast Asian countries as a part of this new approach. This includes the Brahmos missiles contract with the Philippines and the INS Kirpan along with a $100 million line of credit for high-speed patrol boats deal with Vietnam. Since India’s major maritime national interests lie in the Indian Ocean, specifically around the Andaman it would be much more proactive about responding to increasing Chinese presence in the maritime west. Apart from the benefits gained from freedom of the seas and trade access in the SCS, India would strategically benefit from focusing on slowly shifting the balance of power against China in the region, rather than adopting a security posture in the SCS that would incur further Chinese aggression.

Prepared By

Ananya Singh

Ananya Singh is a student of International Studies and Public Policy at FLAME University. She is actively involved in research pursuits such as taking on corporate risk analysis internships, publishing articles on the conflict and politics in Asia; undertaking research on economic policy; engaging in various national-level youth G20/policy-making/leadership conferences and debates; and creating webinars/media on sociopolitical issues. Her research interests in the field currently include political risk analysis, defence studies, maritime security and international law with a regional focus on West Asia. She has also supplemented her portfolio with proficiency in French and an understanding of German and Persian.