CiCM 29th May 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

China’s GDP Projected to Rise by 5%: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that China’s economic growth is expected to remain stable at 5%. This prediction is driven by a strong first quarter and the recent policy measures taken. China’s economic development through market-oriented reforms, trade liberalization and assimilation into global supply chains has been simultaneous with a period of imbalance and vulnerability, according to First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, Gita Gopinath. China’s inflation is expected to increase minimally, and the economic growth is temporary and is projected to decelerate by 2029.The newly implemented housing policy measures were noted to be an improvement to the market, alongside the government's focus on local debt. China aims to restructure the economy towards domestic consumption and financial stability through boosting growth potential and employment.
China and Egypt Call for Ceasefire in Gaza: President Xi Jinping held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Xi asserted China’s willingness to continue cooperating with Egypt in the fields of infrastructure, industry, electricity and agriculture and encouraged the development of collaboration in healthcare, information and communications, economic trade and renewable energy. Sisi affirmed Egypt’s compliance to the one-China policy and willingness to work with China in hopes of greater opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation and cultural exchange. A focus of the meeting was the Israel-Palestine conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. China’s stance on the conflict has always been to call for a two-state solution, which XI reaffirmed during this talk. Egypt’s hand in providing assistance to Gaza was noted. The large number of civilian casualties was pointed out and XI states that an immediate cease-fire must be called to prevent further violence. Both presidents mutually concluded with a call for ceasefire and de-escalation of tensions. The talks are a prelude to the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum opening of the 30th.
SCIO Retaliates Against Accusations of Human Right Violations in China: The State Council Information Office (SCIO) of the People’s Republic of China issued a report on the human rights violations in the United States in 2023. The report was published less than a month after the release of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s annual report on the human rights violations of China, which accused China of undertaking forced labour in Xinjiang discriminating against ethnic minorities amongst other humanitarian crimes. The SCIO publication opposes the CECC’s, describing the human rights conditions of the US dire to the point where human rights are a privilege to the citizens, as the ruling minority marginalizes the ordinary people. Issues of gun control, racism, unequal wealth distribution, women and children’s rights and discrimination against immigrants are discussed in the 31-page report which concludes with a call for the U.S. government's response to the crises. The report points out China-centric concerns, such as the discrimination faced by Chinese students and citizens and the consequences of the “China Initiative''. However, a keynote was the mention of forced labour in US prisons and the mistreatment of minorities. The timing and content of the SCIO’s release draws direct comparison between the two opposing reports as the US-China human rights discourse continues.
China Launches 3-Year Plan to Improve Digitization and Informatization Standards: The Office of Central Cyberspace Affair Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have issued a three-year plan to improve technology standards in China. The goal of the plan is to release a set of informatization standards as well as the formation of a team in the field of technological standardization by 2027. The standardization of information is emphasized to drive high-quality economic and social development through strengthening China’s position in the global race for technological development. The plan aims to improve the digitization of industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, service and others through the accelerated promotion of digital frameworks like e-commerce and data control. The Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission aims for the plan to fill in gaps in the current set of standards as well as develop coordination between departments. The plan also includes a section on the improvement of ecologically sustainable development and research into lowering carbon emissions. The plan aims to strengthen standards in the new and improving fields of AI chips, generative AI, quantum information, brain-computer interfaces, etc by creating stricter management and control in certification, inspection, testing and project cost management. AI is currently seen as a possible turning point in the future of China’s economic struggles and the plan aims to cement it as a central point in China’s path to technological self-sufficiency.
SAMR Requests Feedback on Business Environment Optimization Proposal: The State Administration for Market Regulations (SAMR) in China has proposed a draft list of 40 key measures to optimize the business environment. The proposal consists of measures aiming to implement the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and State Council to focus on improving market standards and strengthening the business environment. The goal of these policies is to improve market supervision and standardize market behaviour and drive economic growth with stability. The measures claim to focus on the needs of business entities and propose solutions that comply with the Chinese legal standards by making quality of life improvements to the registration and relocation process, issues of false registration regulation of professional claims and the formulation of local level measures to reach the goal of market optimization. The proposed measures include a call for the revision of the anti-monopoly compliance guidelines in the IT and Pharmaceutical fields. The SAMR calls for a reform to improve infrastructure through research and evaluation to support development through the implementation of the key measures and the public reaction to the measures. The SAMR is accepting revisions and feedback on the proposal between May 30th and June 28th, 2024

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Central Academy of Fine Art’s Graduate Students Artwork Sparks Online Discourse: Chinese social media reacted to a controversial art piece by a student of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). The art piece, “Super Hive '', alternatively called “This Too Shall Pass” outwardly appears to be a large stack of cardboard sheets tied together and boxed atop a screen playing a video of the production process. Displayed at the institute’s graduation exhibition, the artwork’s written introduction explained the piece’s significance as a commentary on the temporality and fragility of materials. Images of the work went viral on Chinese social media, sparking discursive dialogue amongst netizens on the quality and meaning of the exhibit. Viewers were quick to criticise the work, questioning how the work can be described as art and if the outcome of the students' four years of college were worth it. Netizens drew comparisons to trash and waste paper despite art critics appreciating the message and its portrayal. The situation and the intense backlash lead to the artist making a public apology for the misunderstanding caused by her work and the damage it did to the contemporary art movement’s image. Despite the apology and the backlash, reports and viewers who enjoy the art remain outspoken in their approval. Chinese digital newspaper The Paper compared the artwork to the infamous modernist sculpture “Fountain '' by Marcel Duchamp and highlighted the importance of anti-traditionalism as an artform. The discussion about the two perspectives, the denouncement of the work on one hand and its appreciation on the other, continues online with no clear answer in sight.

INDIA WATCH

The South China Morning Post published an article discussing the internet shutdowns taking place in India over the past 6 years. The article places the blame on current Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party administration, which is accused of engaging in “digital authoritarianism”. While temporary internet blackouts of up to 15 days are legal under the Indian Telegraph act of 1885, the framework is stated to be violated through legal loopholes. The author points out the internet blackout of Manipur in 2023, which consisted of over four months of suspended internet services during violent clashes of ethnic violence. The accusations of digital authoritarianism extend further beyond the extremities of blackouts. The author refers to the Indian government order to block over 7,000 URLs and remove social media content and accounts, which is asserted to be a means to disrupt information sharing and organising. Prateek Whaghre, executive director of the Internet Freedom Foundation describes the disruption as a form of collective punishment with disproportionate consequences and points out that the current figures may be inaccurate as the government does not disclose orders. The author refers to the digital authoritarian approach’s impact as a contradiction; the Modi government's push for “Digital India” is undermined by the effect of the shutdowns which affect large volumes of internet users and disable elements of the digital economy including financial transactions, information flow and the mobility and freedom of people. The article concludes with the opinion that the BJP party is likely to retain power, and under their rule the internet shutdowns will not be reduced.

Prepared By

Aditi Dash

Aditi Dash is an undergraduate student of Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University. Her interests span the academic study of literature and art history, as well as anthropological concepts of culture and social behaviour.