CiCM 14th August 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

China Introduces Industry Standards for Used NEV Batteries: The draft industry standards on the comprehensive utilisation of used new-energy vehicles (NEV) were released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to bolster the sector’s development. According to industry observers and MIIT, with China’s NEV industry leading the global market, it is crucial to set standards for the industry to enable fast-paced expansion of the industry. The draft includes “comprehensive utilisation” which means multi-level, multi-purpose usage of old NEV batteries which includes cascade utilisation as well as recycling. The draft sets standards for different types of utilisation, like factory conditions, equipment and facilities and technical processes, resource utilisation, traceability and energy consumption. The draft has specifications for recycling materials, such as copper and aluminum recycling rates should be 98 percent, lithium should be 90 percent, and nickel, cobalt and manganese should be 98 percent. According to Cui Dongshu, the secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, where he said that having standards for every step of the process is vital to aid the organised development of the sector, avoiding the outflow of resources and technologies, and preventing environmental pollution.

A Hydropower Project under CPEC Connects to the Grid: On Monday, the first unit of the Chinese-built Suki Kinari Hydropower project in northwest Pakistan was connected to the power grid. This is a significant development in the first project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework. This project has the largest greenfield investment made by a Chinese company in a foreign hydropower project. The developing and funding of this project was undertaken by Energy China in January 2017 with an investment of $1.962 billion. The plant is expected to begin operations by the end of August as it will generate 3.21 billion kilowatt-hours per year on average and it will save 1.28 million tonnes of standard coal yearly and reduce carbon emissions by 3.2 billion tonnes. The report highlights that China and Pakistan’s partnership under CPEC has brought nearly $25.4 billion in direct investments, generated 236,000 jobs, constructed 510 kilometers of highways, has created over 8,000 megawatts of electricity in Pakistan.

China-Indonesia Hold “2+2” Ministerial Dialogue: China-Indonesia’s first Senior Officials Meeting of the China-Indonesia Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue (“2+2” ministerial dialogue) was held on Tuesday in Jakarta. During the dialogue, both countries recognised the need for peaceful resolution of their differences to push for regional stability, cooperation and development. The “2+2” ministerial dialogue is the first ever framework that China has established with another country. The meeting underscored the countries’ hope to deepen relations through increased political and security cooperation. The Chinese delegation spoke about how the Third Plenary Session’s revised regulations will pave the way for optimised Chinese modernisation and will create more avenues for cooperation and collaboration between China and Indonesia. China reiterated its policy on Taiwan and the South China Sea; whereas Indonesia reiterated its support for China’s One-China Policy. Both sides also agreed upon the Five Peaceful Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit of multilateralism, building open and inclusive regional architecture, global governance reforms, regional and world peace, stability, cooperation and development. China expressed its desire to establish cooperative and sustainable security and is ready to work with Indonesia to implement dialogue, communication and cooperation towards China’s three global initiatives.

Support for Large-Scale Trade-In Programs to Encourage Demand: In July, the National Development and Reform Commission, along with the Ministry of Finance, initiated measures to enhance support for trade-in programs. This move encourages consumers to trade-in their old goods, such as automobiles, household appliances, and home improvement items, for new ones. Experts and officials noted that this initiative boosts economic growth by motivating consumers to upgrade to more efficient and environment-friendly products, while also contributing to long-term environmental stability and resource conservation. Xu Hongcai, the deputy director of the China Association of Policy Science’s Economic Policy Committee, said that geopolitical conflicts, international trade tensions, sluggish growth momentum in the global economy and low domestic effective demand in China has put constraints on businesses. He stated the focus in the second half of the year will be on implementing policies that revive consumption to increase domestic demand and enhance livelihoods. To support the programs, ultra-long-term treasury bonds worth 150 billion yuan (US$ 21 billion) have been allocated to support local initiatives for trade-ins. Subsidies for purchasing new energy vehicles has been increased to 20,000 yuan from 10,000 yuan, and the subsidies for conventional fuel vehicles has increased to 15,000 yuan from 7,000 yuan. Xu Xingfeng, the director of the market operation and consumption promotion department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that applications for car scrappage and renewal subsidies have exceeded 450,000. Wang Wei, a researcher at the Development Research Centre of the State Council, said that due to the popularity of durable goods, the Chinese market has massive potential for product upgrades and replacements as Chinese households own more than 3 billion household appliances and over 300 million vehicles.

China to Expand Carbon-Sink Capacity to Achieve Climate Goals: China’s forests and grasslands’ annual carbon-sink capacity has surpassed 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, ranking China first in the world to do so. Guo Qingjun, an official from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that China’s carbon emissions are projected to reach roughly 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2060, and forests and grasslands will be able to absorb more than half of the emissions. This will massively contribute to China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality. China has set ambitious goals of peaking in carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060. At a press conference on ecological conservation and restoration ahead of National Ecology Day, Guo said that China also plans to expand its carbon-sink capacity by increasing forest and grassland cover and enhancing its efforts to safeguard these resources.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Female Elite Bodyguard Awes Netizens: Bian Mei, China’s first elite female bodyguard, continues to catch the attention of many online observers in recent times. Her career as a bodyguard has required her to protect many world leaders on their visits to China. She has mastered judo, boxing, shooting, driving as well as criminal psychology through her degree at China People’s Police University. She saw Tim McCarthy, who was the bodyguard of former US President Ronald Reagan, as her role model and was inspired by him. She has been a bodyguard for the first ladies from the US, the former Soviet Union, Japan, India, Thailand, and Pakistan’s former Prime Minister. Her dedication, hard work and courage continue to leave people in awe of her life as a bodyguard to top-level officials. Netizens took to Weibo (a Chinese social media platform) to express their amazement. They praised her determination and combat skills. They highly regarded her courage, and compared her to the likes of Mulan. They commended her ability to live a content life during her bodyguard job, and even her current post-retirement work in real estate.

INDIA WATCH

Reasons Behind India’s Performance at the Olympics: The Paper, a Chinese news agency, released an article in which they offered the Chinese perspective on India’s performance at the Olympics over the years. The article references a general perception among Indians that India can exceed China in five years if it invests the same amount of money in sports. The report mentions that this comment is a common occurrence among Indians because they refrain from stating the real problem. The report claims that despite an increase in sports funding, Indian sports have not benefitted from it due to corruption, leaving little money for athletes and coaches. The author of the report states that the key to improving sports in India is to improve the treatment given to athletes and coaches and to improve the sport facilities. The author claims that India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics is marginally for the development of Indian sports and more for the infrastructural projects it needs. The article proceeds to mention how Indians cite the reason of valuing education more than sports for India’s performance at Olympics. It states that the reality is that excelling in sports requires talent and training from a young age, and that when athletes reach the top, there is no way out of being an athlete after retirement. The author compares this treatment to the Indian cricket players who can gain massive wealth through their sport. Lastly, the author points to the need for grassroot coaches and youth training for India to gain competitiveness. In this regard, many Indian cricket players re-enter the sport as coaches to support the grassroot training system which is relatively absent in other sports in India.

Prepared By

Sanjana Shah

Sanjana Shah is a graduate in International Studies with a minor in Journalism from FLAME University, Pune. Her interests lie in exploring the nuances and intricacies of geopolitics and understanding the complexities that arise from the socio-political-economic nexus. She is deeply interested in history, defence and security studies, and humanitarian studies.