CiCM 23rd January 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

China’s hyperspectral remote sending satellite used for earthquake relief work: Following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake which killed 3 and injured 5 people in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China used the newly launched Gao fen series satellites to assist in the relief work. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that Gao fen – 1 and Gao fen – 4 families were deployed to capture images of the quake-hit areas, which were instantly shared with the emergency departments for damage analysis. The Gao fen is a series of Chinese high-resolution Earth imaging satellites launched as part of the China High-resolution Earth Observation System program. The CNSA also stated that they will continue to mobilize the civil satellites to provide support to the ongoing relief efforts and provide spatial informational for efficient disaster monitoring.
China seeks to build better bilateral business relations with Switzerland: Working towards its attempt to promote good relations with the European nations, China announced a unilateral visa-free policy for Switzerland. In return, the Swiss authorities pledged to provide smoother visa facilitation for both the citizens of China and the Chinese companies investing in Switzerland. This opens wide arenas of opportunities for both the countries. It will facilitate and reduce the costs of functioning of the Swiss entrepreneurs serving in the Chinese economy and vice versa. The president of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) noted that this policy would shorten the lead time to travel to China and allow flexible itineraries. The year 2025 will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The two counties also announced that they will be working to upgrade and update the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) for deeper economic cooperation.
New White Paper reflects China's policy of counter terrorism to have a humanitarian approach: China has amended its criminal laws and upgraded the counterterrorism provisions in its guidelines. The State Council Information Office of China on Tuesday released a seven part white paper titled, “China's Legal Framework and Measures for Counterterrorism". This one-of-a-kind document is the first systematic exposition of the Chinese legal system and practice of its counter-terrorism work. The underlying principle of the document is protection of human rights. The white paper mentions that China is adamant to follow regulated procedures for handling terrorist cases in accordance with the laws. To ensure this, it provides measures to enable a strict accountability system for the judicial agencies and other law enforcement bodies. The paper states that the counterterrorism work carried out by the nation has contributed regional and global stability. Relief and safety measures provided by the government to the victims of terrorist activity have been highlighted. International cooperation by the Chinese government in this regard has been especially focused on with the mention of Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States Agreement on Border Defense Cooperation, playing an important role in maintaining international and regional security and stability.
China urges safety of navigation in the Red Sea: Following the attacks on the ships in the Red Sea and surrounding areas by Houthi rebels, China called for an end to the harassment of the civilian vessels. Houthi rebels backed by Iran are carrying out these attacks in solidarity with Palestine. This violence has led to the US retaliating with strikes on the Houthi bases in Yemen. Being the world’s largest trading country, these attacks are a threat to the Chinese supply chains and international trade. The Red Sea region is important as China uses it to transport crude oil imports from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. The China - EU trade is also dependent on this route. In response, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political leadership, announced that Chinese and Russian vessels will be safe in the Red Sea.
China relaunches a programme to reduce carbon emissions: China discontinued the China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) program in 2017. In a step towards green economy, the program was relaunched on Monday. The initiative allows companies in certain industries to trade their carbon reduction numbers after voluntarily engaging in emission-cutting activities. The pilot phase initially covers four sectors including solar thermal power, forestation, offshore wind power and mangrove vegetation creation. The head of the environmental sociology bureau at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences announced that these sectors have been chosen due to their high profitability and dependence on the sale of carbon credits. The companies working in these sectors may register their accredited carbon reduction numbers in the system and avail its beneficial transactions. This will act as an incentive to the companies in the clean energy sector to create a positive push towards the country’s green transition goals.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Video of man demanding 3 first class tickets goes viral on Chinese social media: A plane flying from Beijing to Chengdu was delayed by three hours when one of the passengers caused a chaotic scene after purchasing 2 first class tickets and demanding three first class seats. In a viral video, the unidentified man is seen surrounded by flight attendants, security guards and passengers as he rages on everyone. The confusion began when the man’s two year old son who was sitting in the economy class started to cry. The man demanded that his son be upgraded to first class within the flight. The man was adamant and no amount of explanation and reading of the air lines’ policy could subdue him. Eventually, security officials and police escorted him out of the plane. Other passengers were forced to rebook different flight tickets to reach their destinations on time.

INDIA WATCH

The Red Sea maritime route is a vital shipping link between Europe and Asia, carrying 15% of the global maritime traffic. It is important for China since it uses the route to import crude oil from the Middle East countries amongst other trade lines. For India, the route is particularly essential since nearly 80% of India's trade with Europe, estimated at $15 billion a month, passes via the Red Sea. Both the countries are facing an economic challenge, amongst which the logistics and supply chain sector is facing a setback with ships and cargoes having to adopt an alternate route around Africa which is very expensive. An increase in the freight costs is likely to impact the energy prices and inflation in both the countries. Moreover, both China and India are seeking to play an essential role in the maritime domain and have an active cooperation system in the Middle East. Given their dependence on the sea lines of communication, it is important that both the countries work towards relieving the hostility in the region.

Initially, the Houthis were attacking ships with direct links to Israel; however, they have now started to attack ships belonging to countries which they see as “providing support” to Israel. India, which has so far officially maintained a neutral position on the Israel-Palestine conflict, was directly drawn into the crisis when a commercial ship heading toward Pipavav, in India’s Gujarat state, was hijacked, allegedly by the Houthis. The Indian Navy also responded to a distress call by a Marshall Island-flagged vessel that was struck by a drone attack and ensured that its crew were safe and free. India must work with the US and other countries to continuously assess the movements of the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea region and be prepared to mitigate their plans. These steps must be taken while monitoring the situation in Gaza. In essence, India will have to maximize its naval ability and diplomatic prowess to ensure the situation remains manageable for its interest. The global partnership that was adopted in 2008 to tackle the Somali pirates issue is an excellent template that can be used to offer some relief, solutions and advice to counter the challenges posed by Houthi today. The USA has already responded. While it is well understood that neither India nor China will join a military attack led by USA, remaining passive to the attacks will be short sighted. The events also showcase that in times to come India could face the knock-on effects from geopolitical realities unfolding in different theatres.

Prepared By

Kanak Mohiley

Kanak Mohiley is one of the founder directors at the Shree Swami Sarang Global Peace Foundation based out of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She completed her undergraduation in Political Science and History from Miranda House, University of Delhi in 2021. Currently, she is a student at the Jindal School of International Affairs where she is pursuing Masters of Arts in Diplomacy, Law and Business. She is also a student of International Humanitarian Rights diploma course at The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad. Kanak is an excellent orator, a well versed researcher and an enthusiastic learner. Her main areas of interest include: security studies, development studies, governance issues and soft power diplomacy.