CiCM 3rd July, 2024

NEWS IN CHINA

Chinese Spokesperson: Any Act Challenging the One-China Principle, Provoking Chinese Compatriots Doomed to Fail: Spokesman for the Chinese mainland Chen Binhua remarked, that any action that goes against the one-China policy would face severe consequences. The comments were given in response to a press inquiry concerning the separatist sentiments recently expressed by Lai Ching-te and an official of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council. It has been noted that since taking over as the new head of the Taiwan region, Lai has openly promoted the so-called "two states" thesis, which is based on distorted facts and legal basis. This has incited a great deal of discontent and steadfast resistance on both sides of the Strait. The history and legal precedents unequivocally establish Taiwan's status as an integral part of China. Although the two sides of the Strait have not yet been fully reunited, Taiwan's position as a component of China's territory has never changed and will never be let to change and China's sovereignty and territory have never been separated.
Chinese premier urges unswerving efforts on flood control, disaster relief: Chinese Premier Li Qiang, a member of the CPC Central Committee’s Standing Committee, made remarks about the need to maintain risk awareness, bolster readiness, work tirelessly on flood control and assess the work being done to avoid and manage flooding in Jiujia, Jiangxi Province. During a visit to a hydrologic station situated at the meeting point of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, Li emphasized the critical role that early warning systems and forecasts play in averting disasters. He called for more efforts to enhance interdepartmental collaboration and boost forecast accuracy. Li was also given an update on the Yangtze River levee strengthening project and how the flood control supplies were being stored. In his discussions with local emergency response personnel, he emphasized the necessity of improving embankment inspection and protection in severe weather, as well as storing sufficient supplies. Li advocated for disaster prevention during a time when landslides and debris flows happen often at a geological disaster site in Bailu Town, Lushan, and for quickly evacuating inhabitants in disaster-prone regions after threats have been identified.
China to intensify efforts for digital infrastructure construction: According to officials, China will step up efforts to build digital infrastructure quickly and use cutting-edge digital technologies to support industrial upgrading. These actions are part of a larger drive to develop new, high-quality productive forces and encourage deeper integration of the digital and real economies. The chairman of China's Cyberspace Administration, Zhuang Rongwen, emphasized the need to develop future-focused enterprises, nurture strategically emerging domains, and make strides in core technologies in critical areas to create internationally competitive digital industrial clusters. To create a "Digital China" by 2025, China produced a plan outlining the general framework for the nation's digital growth, and it intends to lead the world in digital development by 2035. According to ministry statistics, by the end of May 2024, the Chinese state constructed 3.837 million 5G base stations or 60 per cent of the total worldwide. Owing to its extensive background in intelligent manufacturing, BOE Technology Group Co Ltd has created an industrial internet platform offering manufacturing companies nationwide digital transformation services that increase their output.
Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim Set to Expand Operations in China: One of the biggest pharmaceutical firms in the world, Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim, plans to expand operations in the Chinese market further recently. According to an official release, Chairman Hubertus von Baumbach and Eric Tse of Sino Biopharmaceutical Co. met with Chen Jining, secretary of the Communist Party of China's Shanghai Municipal Committee, in Shanghai. Shanghai offers support with the whole research and development of the manufacturing chain, as well as in technical innovation and industrial growth, and considers biomedicine to be one of the three important industries to concentrate on. Apart from the collaboration agreement with Sino Biopharmaceutical, Boehringer Ingelheim has been augmenting its investment in the Chinese market through several means. Boehringer Ingelheim's increased investment in China is part of a wider trend of German companies growing their operations in the Chinese market, even as attempts are being made by certain European politicians to undermine trade and economic cooperation with China on the grounds of "de-risking."
Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route Opens to Enhance Central Asia’s Role as a Key Hub Between the East and West: By unveiling the route, Chinese freight vehicles shall be directly going towards the ports along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Additionally, the route completes an intricate network of transportation that combines pipeline, rail, aviation, and road transit. Development of the Trans-Caspian international transportation corridor and support for Central Asia’s economic growth as a major hub between the East and West are anticipated outcomes of the transportation route’s development. China declared its intention to work with other nations on the development of a new logistics corridor across the Eurasian continent connected by direct rail and road transportation, as well as to take part in the construction of the Trans-Caspian international transportation corridor, during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation arranged in Beijing in October 2023. In light of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Red Sea issue, the new logistic corridor across the Caspian Sea is essential for the operation of freight trains between China and Europe. It also bears tremendous importance for ensuring the effectiveness and security of cargo transit. The China-Europe freight train's network will expand as a result of frequent operations over the Caspian Sea. It will also provide fresh momentum to the promotion of commercial and economic ties between China, Europe, and other countries along the route.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Chinese Parents Scrutinised as They Use a Surveillance Camera on Their Son During Study Sessions: A Chinese couple have come under severe scrutiny online for having had a camera in their son’s bedroom, which they recently took down after he cleared a university admission exam. According to the parents, he studied better due to the camera. The mother posted a video of the father pulling the camera down in the hopes of winning acclaim for the way their child was disciplined. However, the parents met with a negative reaction on social media. Online users exclaimed breach of privacy and space of the child, while the mother defended herself under the justification of studies, as she was worried about her child wasting his time on video games. Her justifications also noted significant academic progress, post-surveillance. The audience however believed that this disciplinary method was rather suffocating and that a healthy relationship can only be built with the right guidance towards the attitude a child should have for education, as well as patience from the parent.

INDIA WATCH

At Least 121 People Killed in a Stampede in India’s Uttar Pradesh: An article from China Daily reported that police in the state of Uttar Pradesh had allowed 80,000 people to congregate at a religious gathering in a village called Hathras, where a stampede took place. According to a local official, while the permission was given for a gathering of 80,000, approximately 200,000 people attended the event. According to state officials, at least 121 people died and 31 were wounded. Among the deceased were seven children and 112 women. The cause of death was identified as suffocation in the stampede. According to the FIR, there was an utter chaos when the congregation's speaker, Surajpal, popularly known as "Bhole Baba," was leaving in his car as thousands of devotees yelled and rushed in the direction of him. This led to people crushing others who were still seated in the assembly. To escape the rush, several devotees had fled towards adjacent open fields, but things took an ugly turn when some slipped and fell into the path of the mob. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Yogi Adityanath reached the spot to meet the injured and asked for a detailed report about the incident. The author also states that two Public Interest Litigations have been filed in High Court of Allahabad and the Supreme Court.

Prepared By

Diksha Takale

Diksha is currently an undergraduate student at FLAME University, Pune. She is pursuing her degree in BA with a major in Literary and Cultural Studies and minor in Sociology. Writing is a part of her primary focus in building her career and one way to cater to that is by diversifying her academic reach in a field such as international relations. She is an avid reader and writes fiction in her leisure time.