CiCM 3rd October 2023

NEWS IN CHINA

China emphasises adhering to and upholding international system centered around UN: China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dai Bing, emphasized China's strong support for the international system centered around the UN during the opening ceremony of the Fifth Committee of the 78th UN General Assembly. He highlighted the importance of finance as the foundation of UN governance and mentioned a major contributor's long-time arrears as a key factor in the UN's liquidity crisis. Dai stressed China's commitment to promoting a shared future for humanity and upholding the UN-centered international system. He called for member states to strengthen the UN's role, embrace true multilateralism, fulfill their responsibilities, and address both the symptoms and root causes of financial challenges faced by the UN.
China Brazil trade in local currency: China and Brazil have achieved a significant milestone by conducting a full-process, closed-loop trade transaction using their respective local currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary. This development follows an agreement earlier this year between the two major emerging economies and BRICS members to trade in their own currencies. The deal enables direct exchange between the Chinese RMB and Brazilian reais, reducing reliance on the US dollar for their trade and financial transactions. This move reflects the growing global use of the RMB and a trend of more economies being willing to use it for clearing and payments. Financial sanctions by the United States in response to the Ukraine crisis have eroded confidence in the dollar, boosting the use of other currencies like the RMB. This shift is seen as a win-win situation for China and Brazil, reducing exchange rate fluctuations and promoting trade growth.
Martyr’s day celebrated in Beijing: A ceremony marking China's Martyrs' Day was held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping, attended the event where flower baskets were presented to honor fallen national heroes. This was the 10th Martyrs' Day since its establishment in 2014. The ceremony featured a display of a flower basket with the words "Best wishes to the motherland" and 18 wreaths made of white chrysanthemums. It commenced with the national anthem and a tribute to martyrs who contributed to China's development. Children sang patriotic songs and laid flowers, and leaders paid their respects to the heroes. The event symbolized the commitment to building a strong and rejuvenated China under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee. Various political figures and representatives from different sectors attended the ceremony, showing unity and respect for the martyrs.
China hopes for a conducive dialogue amidst upcoming visit by US senators: China has expressed hope that the United States will take steps to promote dialogue between the two nations. This statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry comes after recent improvements in communication between officials from both countries, which have contributed to easing tensions over issues like Taiwan, the origins of COVID-19, and accusations of espionage. China emphasized its desire for the U.S. to meet halfway and engage in actions conducive to Sino-U.S. dialogue. The Chinese government maintains a stance of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation in its bilateral relations. The statement was issued in response to a message from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wishing the Chinese people peace, happiness, and prosperity ahead of their National Day holiday. Additionally, it coincides with an upcoming visit to China by a group of U.S. senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who hope to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their visit.
Xi congratulates Mohamed Muizzu on his election as president of Maldives: Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Mohamed Muizzu on his election as President of the Maldives, emphasizing the long history of friendly exchanges and mutual trust between China and the Maldives. President Xi expressed China's commitment to deepening practical cooperation and promoting a future-oriented, comprehensive, friendly cooperative partnership between the two countries. Chinese experts anticipate that under President Muizzu's leadership, China-Maldives relations will advance, especially in cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Maldives, as a small country, is expected to continue its balanced diplomatic approach between major countries.
China blocks athletes photo referring to Tiananmen incident: A photo of two Chinese female athletes inadvertently referencing the Tiananmen Square massacre by forming the numbers '64' with their race numbers has been censored on Chinese social media. The Tiananmen Square incident, where pro-democracy protesters were shot in 1989, remains a taboo topic in China, with authorities consistently erasing any mention of it online. The athletes, Lin Yuwei and Wu Yanni, celebrated together after a 100m hurdles race at the Asian Games, with Lin wearing lane number 6 and Wu wearing lane number 4 in the photo. While some users congratulated Lin on Weibo, posts containing the photo were replaced with grey squares. China has won nearly 300 medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where discussions of Tiananmen Square events are highly sensitive. The government tightly controls any online content related to the massacre, leading to the removal of such posts and incidents like a livestream ending abruptly when a cake resembling a tank was shown on its 33rd anniversary.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Chinese prodigy makes buzz online: Zhang Xinyang, a Chinese prodigy who gained fame for entering university at age 10 and graduate school at 13, has expressed a change in perspective, now believing that "sitting around and doing nothing is the key to lifelong happiness." In atime of growing unemployment in China news of a prodigy living off dependent on his parents struck a chord with youngsters online. Despite his early academic achievements, Zhang is financially dependent on his parents. In 2011, at the age of 16, Zhang became a PhD student in Applied Mathematics at Beihang University in Beijing, demanding his parents buy him a 2 million yuan (US$275,000) apartment in the city. When his parents rented an apartment instead and lied to him about purchasing it, Zhang completed his doctorate in 2019 and worked as a university lecturer in Ningxia Hui before resigning two years later. He still holds the belief that his parents owe him the apartment they never bought, which he estimates to be worth over 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) now. Zhang's evolving perspective and continued dependence on his parents have sparked discussions online, with some seeing it as the "downfall of a prodigy." However, others believe he still has the potential to achieve significant things if he chooses to do so.

INDIA WATCH

The competition among major powers in the Indian Ocean has significant implications for small island states, including their electoral outcomes based on alignment with major countries. In a recent election in the Maldives, the incumbent President Solih lost, with the country's relationship with India being a central issue as part of the electoral campaign. Despite campaign slogans suggesting a shift away from India, the incoming president, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, is likely to adopt a more balanced approach between India and China due to the ongoing India-China rivalry over the Maldives. The geostrategic importance of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has also led the United States to recognize its value, resulting in a defense agreement between the U.S. and Maldives in 2020. This agreement was welcomed by India due to its close relationship with the U.S. Japan and the Quad group have also strengthened their ties with the Maldives. However, there are challenges in the India-Maldives relationship, with a growing "India Out" campaign led by former President Yameen, primarily concerning issues of sovereignty, including an Indian-funded dockyard for the Maldivian coast guard. The foreign policy of the Maldives is influenced by its domestic politics, and future presidential elections will continue to shape the nation's alignment with major powers. Despite these challenges, the long-term bond between India and the Maldives remains strong and unique, not easily influenced by other countries like China. India should maintain an active role in assisting the Maldives with issues such as climate change and terrorism, regardless of changing political dynamics.

Prepared By

Alok Kumar Chaurasia

Alok has recently finished his M. A. In Politics with International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is currently a China Studies fellow at Takshashila Institution.