CiCM 8th February 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Zhang Youxia urges New Era war preparedness to meet PLA's centenary goal: During the Lunar New Year celebration, Zhang Youxia, vice chair of the Central Military Commission, made a visit to military units in Beijing. Representing President Xi Jinping and the CMC, he delivered New Year wishes to the servicemen and women, underlining the importance of adhering to the leadership's directives. His tour included an inspection of a brigade and a division, where he evaluated training exercises and the well-being of the troops, emphasizing the significance of readiness, discipline, and the innovative application of military strategies to enhance the army's capabilities. Zhang advocated for the continuous ideological education of the forces, focusing on loyalty and the implementation of advanced training techniques to elevate the army's overall operational readiness and support its foundational development at the grassroots level.

China accuses the USA of jeopardizing global cybersecurity: The Chinese Foreign Ministry cited 2 reports on U.S. Cyber Security Threat Capacity Analysis, released by 360 Digital Security Group, which accused the U.S. government of advancing a cyber deterrence strategy that threatened global cybersecurity. The said aggressive activities included widespread cyberattacks on both allied and non-allied nations. Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the report, using several detailed case studies, exposes how the U.S. government misuses its cyber dominance to disrupt international cyberspace norms, compromising global cyber peace and security along with the developmental interests of various countries, including China. Wang further criticized the U.S. for exploiting its significant influence in the digital and technology sectors to engage in extensive surveillance and data theft, violating the privacy rights of citizens worldwide. He condemned the U.S. for developing cyber weaponry aimed at critical international infrastructure and for supporting hacker groups that target government and essential services globally. Wang emphasized that the U.S. poses the most significant cyber threat globally and called for a collaborative international effort to promote a secure, open, and cooperative digital space, urging the U.S. to abandon its harmful cyber practices.

Shenzhen allows registered residents to buy homes without strict social security eequirements: Shenzhen Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau recently announced an update through the "Notice on Optimizing Housing Purchase Restriction Policies." which relaxes the rules for buying homes in Shenzhen. It removed the restrictions on the length of residency and social security payments for local registered residents. For individuals not registered in Shenzhen, the requirement to have paid social security to qualify for a home purchase is now reduced to three years. The updated policy specifies that residents of Shenzhen, including those with family members registered in the city, can now buy up to two properties. Meanwhile, single adults with Shenzhen registration, whether unmarried or divorced, are allowed to buy one property without facing previous restrictions related to residency duration or financial contributions to personal income tax and social security. The adjustment of the social insurance and personal income tax period from five to three years aims to make it easier for both local inhabitants and employees in Shenzhen to fulfil their basic and advanced housing needs.

China makes an effort to facilitate cross-border travel: Wang Wenbin in a press briefing highlighted China’s commitment to an open-door policy for international exchanges. Wang noted the recent initiatives by Chinese authorities and telecom companies to improve telecommunications services, aiming to ease the experience of foreigners in China. To simplify mobile phone number applications for visitors, various telecom providers have launched nine service centres at airports in major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, with an additional six centres in areas frequented by international visitors. To meet the payment needs of overseas visitors, payment service demonstration zones for overseas guests were officially launched at Beijing International Airport and Daxing International Airport. In addition to this, the National Immigration Administration of China introduced five new policies to ease the entry process for foreigners, including relaxed visa requirements and streamlined application procedures. China has also expanded its diplomatic reach by signing visa waiver agreements with 157 countries, simplifying visa processes with 44 countries, and achieving full visa exemption with 23 nations underscoring its ongoing efforts to foster international connectivity.

“Red Notice” fugitive extradited from Singapore to China: Zhou Mouping, a criminal suspect on the international "Red Notice" for fund-raising fraud was extradited from Singapore back to China. This action was the result of coordination led by the Ministry of Public Security. Zhou Mouping is accused of engaging in large-scale fraud from the end of 2008 to 2015, involving fake project bids and foreign exchange transactions, enticing investors with the promise of high returns. He had evaded capture abroad for eight years. Following his flight overseas, the Fujian Public Security Bureau initiated a legal investigation in July 2015, leading to an Interpol red notice by October. Zhou was detained by Singaporean authorities in early February, and through the efforts of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, he was returned to China on February 7. Officials from the Ministry of Public Security's "Operation Fox Hunt" stated that the repatriation marks a success in ongoing law enforcement collaboration between China and Singapore against transnational economic crimes. They emphasized the commitment to continue international cooperation to apprehend fugitives, ensuring the protection of social and economic security and citizens' rights.

China launched high-skilled talent development program for 2024-2026: Seven ministries led by the Ministry of Human resources and social Security, announced a plan to enhance the pool and caliber of highly skilled professionals as a part of 2024-2026 plan. This initiative aims to develop over 15,000 new leading experts and foster around 5 million additional highly skilled talents within three years. The program is aligned with the national strategy to empower the country through talent development, focusing on sectors critical to national interests such as advanced manufacturing and modern services. It emphasizes creating a database for talent training, devising tailored training plans, and leveraging partnerships between educational institutions and enterprises to elevate the skill set and innovative capabilities of these talents. Additionally, the program intends to enhance talent recognition and rewards, encourage the establishment of skill master studios, and foster environment that acknowledge exceptional talent, thereby promoting their continuous advancement and contribution to high-skilled talent development.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER IN CHINA

Spanish influencer gets a taste of China's matchmaking culture: A TikTok video of a 25-year-old Spanish influencer, popularly known as Kejia, is been doing rounds on social media. It has ignited significant online discussions about the matchmaking event in Shanghai’s People’s Park. Relocating to China in 2019 for a language teaching position, Kejia's fascination with Chinese traditions led her to document her experiences at this match-seeking venue on TikTok, where she boasts over 128,000 followers globally. With her journey captured in a video, Kejia and her companions navigated the park, holding signs detailing personal attributes and partner preferences. This attracted numerous Chinese parents, keen on introducing their offspring. One particular instance saw Kejia receiving a marriage proposal from a man double her age, which she found surprising. This incident, alongside her overall experience, rapidly gained traction on TikTok, receiving millions of views and sparking varied reactions from viewers worldwide and within China.

INDIA WATCH

India has over the years implemented several measures to facilitate cross-border travel enhancing connectivity and easing travel restrictions with various countries. Recent examples of streamlined visa procedures include the E-Visa facility restoration in April 2021 for 156 countries. It is applicable for visits related to conferences, medical purposes, or business and has streamlined the process for people from many nationalities, reducing processing time significantly. Currently, India has Visa-free entry for specific durations to citizens of 96 countries (including France and Germany on a trial basis) and visa-on-arrival for 166 countries. Several countries including the UAE, have signed agreements with India for easier visa application processes, like shorter forms, reduced fees, and walk-in services. India has also made infrastructural improvements, modernizing airports to improve passenger experience and connectivity and enhancing immigration facilities by streamlining processes for faster clearance. Collaboration with companies such as VFS Global and curation of travel packages have also been carried out for the interests of foreign tourists. India has agreement with over 200 operators worldwide for roaming services, allowing foreign travelers to use their mobile phones in India, facilitating mobile connectivity. It also introduced e-SIMS in 2019, allowing travelers to easily switch mobile plans upon arrival. The launch of the digital payment platform called e-Rupi in 2021 as well as UPI One World during G20 has allowed foreign tourists to make cashless transactions. They function as the central bank’s digital currency and as a prepaid payment instrument (PPI) integrated with UPI services respectively. Despite progress, concerns remain regarding complex visa requirements for some nationalists and lengthy processing times. Further collaboration with stakeholders including regional initiatives such as that of BIMSTEC is needed to improve travel both regionally and internationally.

Prepared By

Alisha Mehra

Alisha is a 2nd year student pursuing Development Studies with a minor in International Relations at IIT, Madras. Her interdisciplinary course offers her a unique perspective on Public Policy and Global Polity issues. She is passionate about China Studies, Economics and Climate and loves to explore the interconnections between the them.