CiCM 1st-2nd July 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

China completed its tests on world’s fastest high-speed trains that speeds up to 453 km/hr. The test train initially ran successfully on the Meizhou Bay cross-sea and later operated in the Haiwei Tunnel at a single-train speed of 420 km/h and a relative velocity of 840 km/h. China Railway conducted performance tests of the new high-tech components critical to CR450 high-speed trains along a section of the railway from Fuqing to Qianzhou in East China's Fujian Province. This was a landmark moment in the development of the CR450 high-speed train and laid the foundation for the implementation of the CR450 Technology Innovation Project. The train will shorten the trip from Beijing to Shanghai to 2.5 hours and is expected to help maintain China's advantage in operating the world's fastest trains.
The examination committee for the "Three Branches and One Support" program for college graduates in Jiangsu Province revealed that a total of 10,065 graduates had applied for 400 positions. Conducted across Nanjing, Xuzhou, Nantong, Lianyungang, Huai'an, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Taizhou, and Suqian simultaneously, the official number also accounted for 1,550 young party members of the CPC reaching almost 21% of total registrations.
China's highest-altitude major water conservancy project entered full operation ahead of schedule in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The Xiang River hydroelectric hub successfully completed installation and operation of all four generating units. With a total investment of more than 2.7 billion yuan ($370 million), the Xiang River project lies in the middle of the Xiang River basin, a major tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, one of the major water sources in Asia, at an elevation ranging from 3,790 to 4,950 metres. It is the first large-scale water conservancy project in Xigaze city to adopt a delegated construction model, consisting of a hub project and a supporting irrigation area. The power station has a capacity of 40,000 kilowatts, with an average annual power generation of 138 million kilowatt-hours.
The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo concluded with 120 projects worth a total of 10.3 billion U.S. dollars being signed. The four-day event, held in Changsha of China’s Hunan province saw the highest ever participation with over 1,700 foreign guests and 10,000 domestic guests attending. The number of exhibitors and the number of African exhibits also witnessed historic highs, with respective figures up 70 percent and 166 percent from the previous expo. The expo was marked by the attendance of all 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China, 12 international organisations, more than 1,700 Chinese and African enterprises, business associations, chambers of commerce as well as financial institutions. Shen Yumou, head of Hunan's department of commerce said that this demonstrated the strong vitality and resilience of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.
A new survey by the Central Bank revealed growing willingness among urban Chinese to increase consumption. The People’s Bank of China survey conducted among 20,000 urban bank depositors across 50 cities revealed that 24.5 percent were willing to increase their consumption in the second quarter of 2023, 1.2 percentage points higher than the previous quarter. The survey also revealed that residents were hoping to increase their spending majorly on education, medical care and tourism in the coming quarter. Residents who deposit more savings accounted for around 58 percent of the total respondents. The survey also provided insights on the investment pattern with the proportion of respondents willing to invest coming in at 17.5 percent, down 1.3 percentage points from the previous quarter.
Trip.com, China’s largest online travel platform announced their childcare subsidy plan for employees. With the announcement, it became the first Chinese tech giant to offer subsidies to its employees having children, offering up to 50,000 yuan ($6,897) for each child. As per the announcement every employee, whether male or female, who worked with the company for three years would receive 10,000 yuan per year for each newly born child. The company also stated that there were no limits on the number of children and the subsidy would be provided during the first five years of the child’s life.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Discussions on benefits or lack thereof of pursuing a degree in journalism gained traction on social media: The discussion was set off by Chinese educational internet influencer Zhang Xuefeng strongly discouraging Chinese youth from pursuing a degree in journalism. While journalism is portrayed as beneficial by scholars and state media, quite a few netizens have questioned its benefits, labelling it as impractical and restrictive. A video of a student and Zhang Xuefeng where the latter is heard saying “Don’t apply for journalism! Any other major you choose blindly would be better than journalism” is what has been identified as the source of the ‘Zhang vs Zhang’ debate which has since gained traction on social media. It started after Professor Dr. Zhang Xiaoqiang from Chongqing University’s School of Journalism criticized Zhang Xuefeng’s comments, describing them as “harmful and misleading to the public”. He also cautioned against being deceived by individuals like Zhang Xuefeng, whom he called a mere “internet celebrity”.

INDIA WATCH

The recent China-Africa Expo highlighted what has become the reality, China’s lead in relations and partnerships with the African continent. With a total trade of more than USD 200 billion, China has emerged as Africa’s biggest bilateral trading partner, Africa’s biggest bilateral lender, as well as one of the biggest foreign investors in the continent. Chinese companies have entered almost all African markets. As of today, there are more than 1,000 of them operating in almost all 53 countries in Africa. It grants China access to the continent’s natural resources like Angola and its oil, Zambia and copper, Democratic Republic of Congo and cobalt while also opening up export markets for Chinese manufactured goods, as well as pursue its economic and commercial interests. These attempts can also be translated into China’s wider strategic influence in the region. India on the other hand, shares a long history of political cooperation with Africa and has a deeply integrated diaspora on the continent with commerce empowering India’s modern ties with the continent. India has as part of its African outreach instituted the India-Africa Forum Summit, several Lines of Credit, India-Africa Trade Council, the ITEC programme among other initiatives. But most often, once official visits and large summits end, New Delhi’s attention on Africa quickly fades. Africa needs to be appreciated in order to regain lost geostrategic ground from China’s strategic endeavours in the continent. India can look towards conducting FTA talks with Africa considering their extensive and profitable trading relations. New Delhi would also benefit by strengthening its private sector engagements particularly in the areas of skill and capacity-building initiatives, health care, agriculture, and the digital revolution. Maritime cooperation with countries like Kenya and South Africa is also a key policy requirement. Partnerships with Asian countries like Japan can also give momentum to initiatives like the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor among other such cooperative initiatives. Hence, India should stay tuned to developments in the African continent as well as the policy initiatives of parties interested in the continent. Africa can no longer be kept as an intermittent and peripheral interest but requires constant policy decisions and active implementation to build viable relations.

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.