CiCM 2nd June 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

Yangpu Police launched a comprehensive security plan ahead of the 2023 Gaokao - the Chinese National College Entrance Examination (NCEE). A special fleet called the Exam Security Express (literal translation) is dedicated to the cause, and includes among its ranks, traffic police, special officers, and members of the district’s fire brigade. The fleet departed around 9:30 am to conduct checks on examination centres. Yangpu has seven centres under its jurisdiction, which includes a middle school affiliated to the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. The fleet monitored the internal safety and fire hazard mechanisms of the exam halls, with the motivation of providing a secure environment for the test-takers. The 2023 Gaokao is scheduled to run from June 7 to June 8, with a record number of 12.91 million expected to take up the test.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mao Ning, commented on the US-Taiwan trade deal that was signed on Thursday. At the regular press conference on Friday, Mao responded to a reporter’s question on the ‘Initiative on 21st Century Trade’ stating that it was merely a “US tool to rip Taiwan” under the guise of trade cooperation. As with the other official responses to the recent intensification of tense US-Sino relations and Taiwan Strait related developments, she reiterated the American violation of the one-China policy and a breach of the three Sino-US joint communiques. Additionally, Mao’s response characterised the DPP government in Taiwan as driven by a selfish separatist agenda- prompting them to “sell Taiwan away.”
China published its first mandatory national standard for the civil drone industry. The standard is applicable to micro, light, and small drones. Model airplanes are exempt from following the regulations. The national standard demands certain mandatory technical requirements- which is said to include 17 areas. These cover areas of remote identification, electronic fences, and emergency disposal processes. The mandatory standard is expected to come into force on June 1, 2024. The State Administration for Market Regulation has said that the policy will help address the quality and safety risks of operating civil unmanned aerial vehicles. The regulations will help streamline the design and production of drone.
The 20th Shangri-La Summit kicked off in Singapore amid heightening US-China tensions. Defence ministers from China and US are running parallel dialogues to garner support from the attending Asia-Pacific nations. The Chinese defence chief, Li Shangfu, directed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers into closed-door bilateral meetings with New Zealand, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Cambodia. The chances for a face-to-face US-China interaction are slim, as the two chiefs are reported to have merely shaken hands and conversed briefly at the summit’s opening dinner. Li had earlier rejected US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin’s request for a meeting on the sidelines of the security summit. The US chose to employ a mix of official and unofficial interactions as Austin engaged with the ASEAN countries as a collective as well as met with some its members individually.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Is it feasible to rent a house for a lifetime, wonder Weibo users: Netizens took to Weibo to discuss if it was possible to rent a house for a lifetime after graduation. The discussion under the tag #毕业后租一辈子房可行吗# was triggered by the statistics unearthed from a relevant report, which indicated that graduates mostly depended on their parents to pay for their rented properties. Additionally, it appeared that the remainder that paid with their own salaries, ended up owing 45 per cent of their income to their landlords. The data appraised that to enjoy renting properties long-term, one would ideally require a monthly income of 20,000 yuan. One user shared a detailed take on the situation- commenting that while it was possible to rent comfortably for a full lifetime, there were other factors to consider. The user pointed out that ownership and subsequently household registration (the hukou system), are linked to access to education, healthcare, and other public services. Moreover, factoring in hike in rent rates, the accumulated money spent on income would equal the cost of a house in a second or third-tier city.

INDIA WATCH

Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies herald a sea-change of possibilities for the global climate change effort; providing room for decarbonisation in an industrial world heavily reliant on fossil fuels. CCUS is endorsed by leading organisations including the IEA and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as it enables the mitigation of emissions from industrial units and removes existing emissions of CO2 from the atmosphere. China’s latest project is part of the growing global momentum, to which India also seeks to contribute. Historically, India has held a very ambiguous position on the use of CCUS tech. The excessive costs involved make it an economically unfeasible option. Moreover, CCUS despite its potential, is very much still in its infancy with only a limited number of functional projects to date. The growing trajectory of the Indian energy market and the lion’s share that fossil fuels command in it, however, have forced a reconsideration of the technology. India with all its global aspirations, needs to successfully manoeuvre between its immediate economic interests and its pressing ecological responsibilities. To do this it has chosen to participate in the research and development process, even though other countries have already captured the role of leading the pack. The Indian government and its concerned ministries- Science and Technology, and Petroleum and Natural Gas for starters, NITI Aayog and relevant industries have been working on proposals and frameworks. The most comprehensive result to emerge from this will be the 2030 Roadmap for CCUS.

Prepared By

Tamiliniyaa Rangarajan

Tamiliniyaa Rangarajan is a fourth-year undergraduate student of International Relations and Governance Studies, at Shiv Nadar University. Her research interests are geared towards understanding the implications of political economy, and culture and soft power- applying these to the Chinese context. In her spare time, she likes to experiment with photography and pick up foreign languages.