CiCM 13th June 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

Direct flights reopened between Changchun and Nha Trang. The first flight flew from Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province, to Nha Trang, a coastal city in Vietnam, with over 200 Chinese tourists, marking the start of their 8-day trip. The operations are carried out by VietJet Air, a Vietnamese low-cost airline, conducting a round trip between the two destinations every Sunday. After three years of pause in operations due to China’s strict COVID-19 policy, this is now seen as the first step for Changchun to restart its relationship with the Southeast Asian market. The operation is considered as greatly significant in promoting the development of Jilin tourism economy. YangShuo, a representative of VietJet Air in Changchun, articulated China’s importance as a tourist source for Nha Trang. The company has since resumed several direct flights from Chinese cities like Chengdu, Changsha, Shijiazhuang and now Changchun, with plans to open new routes in due course. The newly reopened operations are predicted to be a major boost for tourism and economic cooperation between the two destinations.
Xu Baoyi, former deputy general manager of China Grain Reserve Corporation, was sentenced to 17 years in prison. On June 13, the Intermediate People's Court of Datong City, Shanxi Province publicly sentenced Xu Baoyi to 11 years in prison and a fine of 1.3 million Yuan for accepting bribes, 4 years in prison for the crime of dereliction of duty in a state-owned company as well as 6 years in prison and 1000 yuan in gold for the crime of insider trading, which was then aggregated to a fixed-term imprisonment of 17 years and a total fine of 1,310,000 yuan. The properties obtained by Xu Baoyi using bribes and other crimes, between the years 2006 and 2021, were determined to be recovered in accordance with the law and turned over to the state treasury. Xu was found guilty by the court for taking advantage of his positions of state-owned assets supervision and at Sinograin, to offer help in project contracting and enterprise operation and was found guilty of taking bribes worth some 13.8 million yuan. Illegal financing under his leadership at the China National Petroleum Corporation in 2014 had led to the loss of 101 million yuan in State assets and additionally, he had encouraged other people to buy stocks of a company after obtaining inside information illegally in 2015, which led to transactions worth over 46.8 million yuan. However, considering that Xu confessed to most of his crimes and returned the illegal gains, he was granted leniency and a combined sentence.
Chairman of China’s National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, Zhao Leji held talks with the Chairman of the National Assembly of Nepal, with both pledging to advance cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries. The talks culminated in the elevation of the China-Nepal relationship to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. Zhao made it clear that China is willing to work with Nepal to deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields especially infrastructure projects, with an allusion to the continuation of the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network. He also made clear that China welcomes Nepal's support for and participation in the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative to jointly promote regional and world peace, stability and prosperity. Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Chairman of the National Assembly of Nepal noted that both countries have, since ancient times, been closely linked in the areas of geography, culture and tradition. Nepal affirmed its support for the one-China policy and reiterated that the country will not allow any force to use its territory for anti-China activities.
Shanghai released rankings of medical equipment brands for the first time. The rank list released during the 25th Shanghai International Forum on Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industry showcased domestic brands in the lead, a testimony to the competitiveness of Chinese companies in the global market. The top 100 consisted of eleven domestic brands, including United Imaging, Mindray, Yuwell and Winner. The rankings were given based on feedback surveys conducted in 120 hospitals and was released by the Medical Equipment and Technology Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Medicine. Shanghai's medical equipment market is highly internationalised, relying heavily on imports, especially for high-end equipment, the institute noted. It provides a base for reference and evaluation regarding product advancement, service quality and brand competitiveness, considering that China’s medical equipment industry is heavily import reliant. The rankings also revealed particular areas of progress for domestic brands. For instance, United Imaging, was seen to be exemplary in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine, while Mindray excelled in patient monitoring. According to the institute, the rankings were released with the aim of supporting high-quality development of the domestic medical equipment and healthcare industry of China which could project its product strength and brand recognition.
China and Honduras signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Belt and Road cooperation. The National Development and Reform Commission revealed that the two countries have come to an agreement to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative and explore the converging points of the two economies; actively promote policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people exchanges; strengthen practical cooperation in various fields; promote mutual benefit and mutual learning of civilizations; and achieve common development and prosperity. It has been further revealed that agricultural cooperation and an FTA are also on the agenda of the Honduran President’s ongoing state visit to China. These developments have come in the few months since the two countries established diplomatic relations in March 2023.
The billion-yuan milestone was hit in record time by the Chinese summer box office since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 13th June, the total summer box office earnings amounted to 1.11 billion yuan, exceeding the revenue generated during the same period in any year since 2020, according to movie data platform Maoyan. It has been observed that American titles, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," continue to lead China's summer box office chart, with earnings of 303 million yuan and 250 million yuan to date, respectively while a number of major Chinese titles are also set to be released on the big screen by the end of June. The box office growth closely aligns with the recovery of the entertainment industry from the impact of the pandemic and the diverse mix of titles is seen as a means of sustaining this growth.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

The rescue of a Chinese mountain climber on Mt. Everest goes viral on social media yet again: Recently the news of two Chinese mountaineers giving up on their dream of reaching the summit of Mount Everest in order to rescue a stranded female climber had gained traction on Chinese social media. It gained popularity online once again with the news of the female climber, Ms. Liu, declining to assume the full US$10,000 rescue fee, with netizens debating on courage and gratitude or in this case ingratitude. It was revealed by one of the rescuers, Fan Jiangtao that the woman had given a tip of merely $1,500 to the Sherpas, while other members of the team gave $1,800 and that she expressed willingness to pay only $4,000 of the total $10,000 rescue fee. Consequently the hashtag “Woman Rescued on Everest Does not Want to Pay the Full Rescue Fee” (#珠峰被救女子不愿支付全部救援费用#) received over 370 million views on Weibo, sparking a fierce debate online. Divided opinions were observed among the netizens, with a few arguing against criticising Ms. Liu without knowing her personal financial circumstances while others condemned her, stating that her refusal extends beyond a mere financial issue. One Weibo user expressed, “If I were her, even if it meant going bankrupt, I would still borrow money to cover the training and preparation fees of those two rescuers, let alone $10,000!”. It has now been revealed that the Kaitu Mountaineering company, responsible for the three climbers involved, has stepped forward with their commitment to bear the financial burden of Liu’s rescue. Many netizens are content with the current outcome as well as the role played by social media in pushing the responsible parties to provide financial compensation: “Without the internet, this never would have happened”, a Weibo user wrote.

INDIA WATCH
In the short time since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and Honduras, bilateral ties between the two countries have witnessed rapid development. It has reached a high point with the signing of the MoU on Belt and Road cooperation. BRI is a crucial tool in Beijing’s push for both regional and global leadership, serving as an extension of its soft power policies. Under the Belt and Road initiative, China has brought together 151 countries that account for more than half of the world’s GDP. As a steady provider of 'no strings attached' development assistance and infrastructural investments, Beijing has been able to put forward a Chinese development model, or the ‘Beijing Consensus’, simultaneously improving its global image. It is aiming at partnerships with developing countries in the global south and earning their loyalty and support through assistance, investment and cultural exchanges. India has maintained diplomatic relations with Honduras since 1981 and has also been involved with low-income developing nations through programmes like the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and ICCR scholarships. However, with Honduras, bilateral relations remain largely underdeveloped while ITEC and other initiatives still remain a small part of India’s foreign policy and soft power calculus. At a time when China’s influence is on the rise, it is essential for India to enhance economic cooperation, strengthen development assistance and utilise its cultural advantages in enhancing India’s influence, simultaneously countering China and establishing an enduring and sustainable balance of power.

Prepared By

Maria Sony

Maria Sony is currently pursuing my master's in International Studies from Symbiosis International University. She completed her bachelor's in History honours from St. Stephen's College, New Delhi. She has a keen interest in Asian area studies and soft power projections. She also loves learning new languages and she is currently completing a course in Mandarin.