CiCM 21st June 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

China’s manned spaceflight Tiangong Space Station recently achieved a new milestone that allows it to maintain the long-term orbit safety and stability of the spacecraft. This was achieved by successfully installing an electric propulsion gas cylinder through a robotic arm. The installation of the gas cylinder will significantly extend the life of China’s space station’s propulsion system ensuring prolonged viability. The 801-research institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology (CASC), spearheading the ‘gas exchange’ operation completed it through a simplified docking method. This involved a series of in-orbit disassembly and reassembly procedures that accurately attached the cylinders to the space station. The Shenzhou-16 manned spaceflight was launched in May, which sent three astronauts to its space station for five months. The astronauts will continue to conduct in-orbit tests, collecting data for the study of quantum phenomena and space-time frequency systems.
Officials from the State Council Information Office introduced a policy package intended to reduce taxes on the sale of new energy vehicles (NEVs). This move will boost sales of NEVs over the next four years and will award a total tax breaks of approximately 520 billion yuan. Vice Finance Minister, Xu Hongcai also stated that NEVs purchased in the next two years will be exempted from purchase tax of up to 30,000 yuan. Xu also explained how this exemption will help promote high-quality development in the industry. There will also be a focus on boosting not just the ‘quantity’ being manufactured but also the ‘quality’ of the vehicles. Moreover, government departments have been commissioned to work in tandem with NEV-manufacturing companies to ensure the growth of the industry. As China has pushed for innovation in the NEV sector, there has also been a concerted effort to recycle batteries to advance recycling technologies for electric vehicles.
A two-day military forum focused on modernising the national defence forces kicked off in Shanghai recently. Various academics, military officials and industry insiders were participating in the proceedings. Yang Xuejun, the president of the PLA’s Academy of Military Sciences discussed the importance of accelerating growth and modernisation in the defence sector. He emphasised the importance of innovation-driven strategy in military intellectualisation and mentioned that efforts must be made to meet the goals set for the centenary of the PLA. Bai Lyu, political emissary of the Academy of Military Sciences also echoed the Yang Xuejun’s sentiments by expressing how modernising the military is a step for the overall progress of the nation as well. More than 30 guests from different fields of expertise had gathered to shed some light on strengthening the military ecosystem.
Chinese technology giant Ant Group announced that it is developing cutting-edge technology related to large language models (LLMs). The announcement comes amidst conglomerate JD.com stating it will launch its own language model next month. The Hangzhou-based company is working with an in-house team to develop an LLM model named “Zhen Yi”. Meanwhile, Beijing-based JD.com’s vice-president He Xiaodong stated that the company’s upcoming language model potentially named “ChatJD” will focus on commerce and finance related applications. These two tech giants are the most recent players attempting to corner the LLM market ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was released to the internet last year. TikTok parent company ByteDance confirmed in June that it is working on its own LLM-powered chatbot. Tencent Cloud’s LLM solutions will also cater to corporate industries including finance, media, education, travel and China’s state media called China Media Group and the Shanghai University. China is home to more than 70 large AI models, which are mostly focused on language and visual recognition.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, on his first foreign trip since first taking office, explored how China and Germany should cooperate and strengthen economic and technical ties for a mutually beneficial relationship. The Premier is attending the 11^th China-Germany Economic Technical Cooperation Forum where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed how Germany is open to solving problems with China through dialogue and communication. Li and Scholz attended a round-table conference with 30 German and Chinese entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs stressed the fact that China and Germany are important economic partners and extended their support for the China-Germany economic advisory committee between the countries. The China-Germany economic advisory is slated to institute mechanisms for deepening cooperation in areas such as green development, digital economy and trade with a win-win approach.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Nationalist netizens accuse western media of using filters to darken the sky amidst US State Secretary Anthony Blinken’s visit to Beijing: Netizens and Chinese state media has taken to the popular social media site, Weibo to condemn western media outlets over allegedly dimming the footage of the State Secretary’s visit to Beijing. A collection of pictures has taken social media by storm depicting the difference in images. Screenshots from videos posted by the BBC and The Washington Post show the surroundings to be darker and grey looking. Several netizens have reposted the images, stating that it represents the bias of western media. The post has received thousands of likes, with the state media also criticising the footage. Users have shared their own posts commenting on the situation and accusing the west of “playing tricks” to “vilify and slander China”. The BBC Chinese service has since then refuted these claims by stating state media outlet CGTN used the same video in its coverage.

INDIA WATCH

Germany and China have always had a close relationship, with both countries viewing the other as an important trade partner. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine forcing Germany to rethink its economic dependence on Russia, Berlin is having to contend with the same dilemma vis-à-vis its relationship with China. Volatile geopolitical shifts such as the Ukraine invasion and the EU’s shift towards value-based relations may allow India to take centre stage in Germany’s foreign economic policy. Germany has been prompted to formulate a new strategic plan with regards to India and since 2021, the German government has also sought to actively prioritise its relations with India.

In the context of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to India in February of this year, there has been a marked pivot towards cooperation, especially in the domain of defence trading. This is perceived as a mutually beneficial strategy for both countries. With the two countries looking to diversify their military spending, deepening ties could see Germany becoming a significant defence partner for India. However, China and Germany have deeply enmeshed economic ties, which have only strengthened over time, making it difficult for Germany to consider entirely “decoupling”.

However, it would be interesting to consider how Germany and India seek to cooperate on trade, technology, and defence. Given the push towards multipolarity and constant geopolitical shifts, Germany along with the rest of Europe could consider India as a viable member in reshaping the global order.

Prepared By

Toshika Shukla

Toshika Shukla is a 4th year undergraduate student at Shiv Nadar University, majoring in International Relations and Governance Studies. Through the course of her study, she has gained a keen interest in areas such as soft power diplomacy, gender studies, and cultural relations. Her interests also revolve around questions of power, China’s domestic policies combined with theoretical perspectives of analysis.