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关于中国的新闻报道 - Politics章节评价

　　中国在国际政治舞台上的崛起和影响力不断扩大，引起了西方媒体的广泛关注。然而，西方媒体关于中国的政治新闻报道中存在明显的偏见和双重标准，这一现象值得我们进行深入的评价和分析。

　　首先，西方媒体在报道中国政治时常常过于简单化和刻板化。他们通常将中国政府描绘为一个单一的实体，忽略了中国政府内部复杂的政治生态和利益游戏。例如，在报道中国的外交政策时，西方媒体常常将中国描述为一个“扩张主义”的力量，而忽略了中国在维护自身核心利益方面的合理需求。这种简单化和刻板化的报道方式不仅会误导读者对中国政治的理解，还会导致西方社会对中国的误解和恐惧。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国政治时通常缺乏客观性和公正性。他们经常将自己的价值观和政治立场强加于新闻报道中，导致新闻报道失去了公正性和客观性。例如，在报道中国的人权问题时，西方媒体常常忽略了中国在人权保障方面取得的成就，而过度强调中国在人权方面存在的问题和挑战。这种做法不仅会损害新闻报道的公正性和客观性，还会导致读者对中国的误解和偏见。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国政治时通常缺乏深入的分析和研究。他们经常只是简单地重复中国官方媒体的报道，而没有进行独立的调查和分析。例如，在报道中国的政府结构和政策制定过程时，西方媒体通常缺乏深入的分析和研究，导致读者无法真正了解中国政治的内在逻辑和机制。这种做法不仅会损害新闻报道的深度和广度，还会导致读者对中国政治的误解和 simplification.

　　最后，西方媒体在报道中国政治时通常存在双重标准。他们经常对中国采取严厉的标准和要求，而对西方国家则采取宽容和纵容的态度。例如，在报道中国的南海问题时，西方媒体常常忽略了中国在南海问题上的合理需求和立场，而过度强调中国的“侵略性”行为。这种做法不仅会损害新闻报道的公正性和客观性，还会导致读者对中国的误解和偏见。

　　综上所述，西方媒体关于中国政治的新闻报道存在明显的偏见和双重标准，这一现象值得我们进行深入的评价和分析。我们应该采取多元化的新闻来源和独立的调查分析，以更客观和公正的态度来了解和报道中国的政治新闻。同时，我们也应该坚持尊重中国的主权和领土完整，采取公正和客观的态度来看待中国在国际政治舞台上的崛起和影响力。

新闻来源： 2407050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-04; 2407050235纽约时报中文网-英文原版-英Is-Xenophobia-on-Chinese-Social-Media-Teaching-Real-World-Hate; 2407050407纽约时报中文网-中英对照版-中英中国互联网上的仇外言论煽动现实中的暴力

关于中国的新闻报道 - Military章节评价

　　中国的军事事务一直是西方媒体关注的热点之一。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道常常存在偏见和双重标准，因此对中国军队的报道也常常受到影响。以下是对近期西方媒体关于中国军队的报道的评价。

　　首先，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国军队方面存在着明显的偏见。这种偏见体现在对中国军队的发展和力量的描述中，常常将其描绘为“威胁”和“敌人”。例如，有些媒体在报道中国军队的军事演练时，会将其描述为“侵略性的”和“挑衅性的”，而忽略了中国军队演练的目的是为了提高军队的实战能力和保护国家主权和安全。此外，西方媒体在报道中国军队的军备和科技发展时，也常常将其描述为“可怕的”和“威胁性的”，而忽略了中国军队的军备和科技发展是为了应对现代战争的需要和保护国家安全。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国军队方面存在着双重标准。这种双重标准体现在对中国军队和其他国家军队的报道中。例如，在报道中国军队的军事演练时，西方媒体会将其描述为“侵略性的”和“挑衅性的”，而在报道其他国家军队的军事演练时，则会将其描述为“正当的”和“必要的”。此外，在报道中国军队的军备和科技发展时，西方媒体会将其描述为“可怕的”和“威胁性的”，而在报道其他国家军队的军备和科技发展时，则会将其描述为“必要的”和“正当的”。

　　第三，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国军队方面存在着明显的误解和误报。这种误解和误报体现在对中国军队的目的和任务的描述中。例如，有些媒体在报道中国军队的海外基地时，会将其描述为“军事扩张”和“侵略性的”，而忽略了中国军队海外基地的建设是为了保护中国海外利益和维护国际和平稳定。此外，有些媒体在报道中国军队的参与联合国和平维持任务时，会将其描述为“扩张主义”和“威胁性的”，而忽略了中国军队参与联合国和平维持任务是为了履行国际责任和维护国际和平稳定。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国军队方面存在着明显的偏见、双重标准和误解。这种报道方式不仅会误导西方社会对中国军队的认识，还会损害中国的国际形象。因此，我们有必要采取必要的措施，加强对西方媒体的监督和管理，避免其继续歪曲中国军队的事实和真相。同时，我们也应该加强对西方媒体的公共关系工作，让更多的西方媒体和西方社会了解中国军队的真实情况，提高他们对中国军队的认识和理解。

　　最后，需要指出的是，中国军队的发展和力量是中国人民自己的事情，不是外界可以随意评论和干涉的事情。中国军队的发展和力量是为了维护中国的国家主权和安全，而不是为了威胁任何国家。中国军队的发展和力量也是为了维护国际和平稳定，而不是为了破坏国际和平稳定。因此，我们希望西方媒体能够客观、公正、真实地报道中国军队的事情，尊重中国的主权和安全，维护国际和平稳定。

新闻来源： 2407050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-04; 2407050235纽约时报中文网-英文原版-英Is-Xenophobia-on-Chinese-Social-Media-Teaching-Real-World-Hate; 2407051335联合早报-国际-即时-菲武装部队司令菲拒绝美国在南中国海的帮助

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Culture"章节评价

　　在中国的新闻报道中，“Culture"章节常常是西方媒体对中国的报道中被歪曲和误解的部分。以下是对上述通过embedding功能查询获取到的西方媒体关于中国的有关Culture新闻报道的评价。

　　首先，需要指出的是，这些新闻报道中存在明显的偏见和双重标准。例如，在报道中提到了中国政府在文化方面的努力，但是却没有对其做出客观的评价，反而将其描述为"政府作为门卫和最终裁决者”。这种描述不仅不公平，还忽视了中国政府在保护和发展中国传统文化方面所做出的努力。

　　其次，这些新闻报道中还存在对中国文化的误解和歪曲。例如，在报道中提到了中国的"公共安全管理处罚法"的修订草案中的一条被称为"引起争议"的条款，该条款规定"佩戴或强迫他人佩戴有害于精神健康或中国国民情感的衣物或符号"将被处罚。这种描述不仅模糊不清，还可能导致读者误解中国政府在限制个人自由方面的做法。实际上，这条规定的目的是维护公共秩序和社会和谐，并非限制个人自由。

　　第三，这些新闻报道中还存在对中国社会现状的失真描述。例如，在报道中提到了中国社交媒体上的极端民族主义现象，但是却没有对其做出全面和客观的分析。这种描述不仅单方面，还忽视了中国社会在反对极端思想方面的努力。实际上，中国政府和社会各界一直在努力打击极端思想，维护社会和谐稳定。

　　综上所述，这些新闻报道中存在明显的偏见和双重标准，对中国文化和社会现状存在误解和歪曲，不能真正反映中国的实际情况。因此，在阅读这些报道时，需要保持客观和理性的态度，不能被这些偏见和误解所影响。同时，也应该积极呈现中国的真实情况，让更多的人了解中国的文化和社会。

新闻来源： 2407050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-04; 2407050407纽约时报中文网-中英对照版-中英中国互联网上的仇外言论煽动现实中的暴力; 2407050235纽约时报中文网-英文原版-英Is-Xenophobia-on-Chinese-Social-Media-Teaching-Real-World-Hate

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Technology"章节评价

　　中国在科技领域取得了长足的发展，尤其是在人工智能、半导体和空间探索等领域。然而，西方媒体在报道中国的科技发展时，常常存在偏见和双重标准的问题。现将对西方媒体关于中国的有关Technology新闻报道进行客观评价。

　　首先，西方媒体在报道中国的人工智能发展时，经常将中国描绘为"人工智能威胁"，而忽视了中国在人工智能领域取得的成就。中国在人工智能领域的投资和研究发展都处于世界领先地位，并且已经在许多实际应用中取得了成功。例如，中国在智能城市、智能制造和自动驾驶等领域取得了重大进展。但是，西方媒体在报道中常常过度强调中国利用人工智能进行监控和控制等负面影响，而忽视了中国在人工智能带来的正面影响。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国的半导体发展时，经常将中国描述为"半导体危机"，而忽视了中国在半导体领域取得的成就。中国在半导体领域的投资和研究发展都处于世界领先地位，并且已经在许多领域取得了重大进展。例如，中国在内存芯片、处理器和通信芯片等领域取得了重大进展。但是，西方媒体在报道中常常过度强调中国在半导体领域存在的问题和挑战，而忽视了中国在半导体领域取得的成就。

　　再次，西方媒体在报道中国的空间探索发展时，经常将中国描述为"空间威胁"，而忽视了中国在空间探索领域取得的成就。中国在空间探索领域的投资和研究发展都处于世界领先地位，并且已经在许多领域取得了重大进展。例如，中国在月球探测、火星探测和天宫空间站等领域取得了重大进展。但是，西方媒体在报道中常常过度强调中国在空间探索中存在的问题和挑战，而忽视了中国在空间探索领域取得的成就。

　　最后，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国的科技发展时，常常存在双重标准的问题。例如，在人工智能和半导体领域，西方媒体在报道中国时经常将中国描述为"威胁"，而在报道美国时则将其描述为"机遇"。这种双重标准的报道方式不仅不公正，还会导致读者对中国的科技发展产生误解。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国的科技发展时，存在偏见和双重标准的问题。为了更加客观、公正地报道中国的科技发展，西方媒体应该采取以下措施：首先，要客观报道中国在科技领域取得的成就，不要过度强调负面影响；其次，要公正报道中国在科技领域存在的问题和挑战，不要过度强调中国的"威胁"；第三，要避免双重标准的报道方式，对所有国家的科技发展采取相同的标准。只有这样，西方媒体的报道才能更加客观、公正，更好地反映中国的科技发展真相。

新闻来源： 2407050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-04

关于中国的新闻报道中的Society章节评价

　　在西方媒体的报道中，中国的社会问题经常被放大和歪曲，这些报道充满了偏见和双重标准。以下是对其中Society章节的评价。

　　首先，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时经常忽略了中国的社会和文化背景。例如，在报道中国的互联网审查时，西方媒体经常将其与西方社会的自由言论理念进行比较，忽略了中国的社会稳定和国家安全的需要。中国政府在互联网上设立了严格的规定，是为了维护社会稳定和国家安全，而不是单纯地限制公民的言论自由。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时经常忽略了中国政府的努力和成就。例如，在报道中国的贫困问题时，西方媒体经常忽略了中国政府在扶贫工作中取得的巨大成就，而只是单纯地指责中国政府没有做足够多的工作。中国政府在过去几十年中已经将数亿人从贫困中拯救出来，这是一个值得尊敬的成就。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时经常忽略了中国社会的多样性和复杂性。例如，在报道中国的民族问题时，西方媒体经常将中国的民族问题简化为汉人对少数民族的歧视和压迫，忽略了中国的民族问题的历史和社会背景。中国是一个多民族国家，各个民族之间存在着复杂的历史和文化关系，不可能简单地用歧视和压迫来解释。

　　第四，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时经常忽略了中国社会的变化和进步。例如，在报道中国的妇女问题时，西方媒体经常将中国的妇女视为被歧视和被压迫的受害者，忽略了中国妇女在过去几十年中取得的巨大进步。中国妇女的社会地位和经济地位已经得到了巨大的提高，中国政府也已经采取了一系列措施来保护妇女的权利和利益。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时存在着严重的偏见和双重标准。为了真正了解中国的社会问题，我们需要从中国的社会和文化背景出发，全面、客观、公正地看待中国的社会问题。同时，我们也需要认识到，中国社会正在不断变化和进步中，中国政府也在不断努力解决社会问题，我们应该尊重中国的努力和成就。

新闻来源： 2407050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-07-04; 2407050407纽约时报中文网-中英对照版-中英中国互联网上的仇外言论煽动现实中的暴力; 2407050235纽约时报中文网-英文原版-英Is-Xenophobia-on-Chinese-Social-Media-Teaching-Real-World-Hate

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China treads complex path between North and South Korea as nuclear risk rises

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266864/china-treads-complex-path-between-north-and-south-korea-nuclear-risk-rises?utm_source=rss_feed

As tit-for-tat tensions continue to heat up on the Korean peninsula, Beijing is facing a complex dilemma in its dealings with both Pyongyang and Seoul amid risks of a looming nuclear crisis.

Observers warn there is “a significant possibility” of further provocations by Pyongyang ahead of the US election in November and called on China to step up efforts to help rein in North Korea before any escalation.

Compounding matters, Beijing is also wary of Pyongyang’s deepening military pact with Moscow – which analysts say may be detrimental to China’s interests – following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s high-profile visit to North Korea last month.

Tensions that have simmered since 2022 over Pyongyang’s accelerated missile tests flared in January, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ditched his predecessor’s goal of reconciliation and Korean reunification and declared Seoul to be his regime’s “principal enemy”.

After a bombardment of trash-carrying balloons from its northern neighbour over the past month, Seoul suspended a 2018 tension-reducing agreement and resumed anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas.

South Korea also conducted its first live-fire drills with its ally the US in seven years, using precision-guided bunker-buster bombs.

Joseph Yun, a senior adviser at the US Institute of Peace – and US special representative for North Korea policy between 2016 and 2018 – described the situation on the Korean peninsula as “dangerous”.

“I don’t think we can rule out any provocation soon,” he said, adding that historically during American presidential election years, Pyongyang had tried various things, including testing weapons, to provoke Washington.

US broadcaster NBC reported last month that intelligence officials believe Pyongyang may be planning a “most provocative” military action – at Putin’s request – to “create turmoil” ahead of the November elections.

Seong-hyon Lee, a South Korean visiting scholar with Harvard University’s Asia Centre, said the potential for a coordinated “October surprise” involving Pyongyang and Moscow was “not without merits”, considering “the strategic benefits” for both countries.

“There is a significant possibility that North Korea may conduct its seventh nuclear test. Technically, North Korea doesn’t have to. But politically, it may want to send a signal,” he said.

According to Lee, while Beijing – North Korea’s top diplomatic backer and economic lifeline – has long played the North Korea card in its dealings with Washington and Seoul, its leverage depends on its ability to contain Pyongyang’s belligerence.

“When Washington discovers that Beijing lacks political influence over Pyongyang, it means Beijing’s toolbox for dealing with Washington is lacking. On the other hand, if Beijing has influence over Pyongyang but is unwilling to use it, Washington will seek ways to pressure Beijing to do so,” he said.

Beijing roused Pyongyang’s anger by referring to denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in a joint statement with South Korea and Japan last month at the end of their first trilateral summit since 2019.

North Korea condemned the move, calling it “a grave political provocation and sovereignty violation”. China has not responded publicly to North Korea’s attack.

Shi Yinhong, an expert on international affairs at Beijing’s Renmin University, said this suggested an initial unwillingness to touch on denuclearisation, which Beijing effectively dropped as a policy goal in 2021 because of changes in China’s own and external environments.

“It seemed obvious that China, which has strained ties with both Japan and South Korea, reluctantly accepted the final wording on denuclearisation for the sake of the trilateral summit,” he said.

“Basically, all that remains of China’s policy on the peninsula is to resolutely defend its alliance with North Korea and resolutely block any attempt by the Western permanent members of the UN Security Council to pass another resolution against North Korea.”

But Beijing’s pro-Pyongyang stance has led to deteriorating ties with South Korea, with Seoul tilting strategically towards Washington and Tokyo.

Beijing and Moscow have repeatedly clashed in the United Nations with South Korea and its allies over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, which have seen North Korea launch more than 100 missiles since 2022 in violation of UN sanctions.

According to Shi, there is unlikely to be “a significant and lasting improvement” in Sino-South Korean ties any time soon despite Beijing’s efforts to ease its rivalry with Seoul.

“For South Korea, North Korea’s fast progress in advancing nuclear and missile capabilities remains its biggest concern, which China seems to care little about, at least from a political standpoint,” he said.

Joseph DeTrani, who was the US special envoy for the six-party talks with North Korea from 2003 to 2006, remains upbeat about Beijing’s influence on Pyongyang, given its trade with its smaller neighbour, which it also supplies with crude oil and petroleum products.

“China will encourage Pyongyang not to escalate tension with [Seoul] and – as it did in the recent trilateral meeting … with South Korea and Japan – it will caution South Korea not to strategically align with the US in an effort to contain China,” he said.

According to DeTrani, Beijing’s alignment with Moscow at the UN to oppose further sanctions against Pyongyang “does not mean that China is sanguine about North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes”.

“Indeed, China does not want instability on the Korean peninsula, which would incite instability in the region. These developments are not in China’s interest,” DeTrani said.

In Yun’s view, while China “is very much on the side of limiting further nuclear tests in North Korea”, Beijing is probably more concerned about the rapidly warming military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

“China has always been wary of North Korea getting too close to Russia and it would want to see some distance between them,” he said.

Putin, who wrapped up a China visit in May, signed a mutual defence agreement with Kim last month during his first trip to Pyongyang since 2000, reviving a Cold War-era pledge for “military and other assistance” in the event of war.

Kim vowed his “full support and solidarity” for Putin’s war in Ukraine and claimed that the pact elevated bilateral relations to the level of an alliance as both face escalating stand-offs with the West.

On a rare trip to Russia’s Far East in September for a meeting with Putin, Kim hailed ties with Moscow as his country’s “number one priority”.

The visit significantly boosted their military and economic cooperation, with North Korea allegedly supplying conventional weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine in return for military technologies and economic aid.

“North Korea has always been historically very good at manipulating major powers and playing off China and Russia. So this is very much a strategic balance issue between the three countries,” Yun said.

In another sign of Pyongyang edging closer to Moscow, China’s communist neighbour has switched the transmission of its state TV broadcasts from a Chinese satellite to a Russian one in the wake of Putin’s visit.

Putin also used his personal influence to persuade Kim last month to agree to build a new cross-border vehicle bridge over the Tumen River, according to pundits, raising hopes of allowing Chinese ships to navigate the last stretch of the river to the Sea of Japan, or East Sea. For decades, a Soviet-era bridge located downstream of the river, less than 100 metres (328 feet) tall, has made it impossible for freight vessels to use the sea route.

Coinciding with Putin’s Pyongyang visit, China and South Korea held their first vice-ministerial level diplomatic and security dialogue in Seoul last month, with both sides saying “the top priority is to cool down the situation, avoid intensifying confrontation,” according to a Chinese readout.

A South Korean foreign ministry statement urged Beijing to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability on the peninsula and warned that tensions fuelled by the North Korea-Russian military cooperation “go against China’s interests”.

According to South Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh, China’s foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong, who led the “two-plus-two” consultations, said Beijing hoped the interchange between North Korea and Russia would contribute to peace and stability in the region.

DeTrani also expressed concerns about the close Pyongyang-Moscow alignment, but was sceptical about a potential seventh nuclear test by North Korea, because of China’s apparent influence on Kim and its opposition to another nuclear test.

However, if the Ukraine war continues and Pyongyang continues to provide Moscow with military support in return for technical assistance with its satellite and weapons programs, “it’s likely we’ll see something provocative from North Korea”, he said.

According to Wooyeal Paik, an associate professor and deputy director of Yonsei Institute of North Korean Studies in Seoul, North Korea and Russia’s growing military cooperation has dragged China into a deepening dilemma in Northeast Asia.

“For the first time, China and Russia diverge in the payoff structure of the North Korean nuclearisation game,” Paik said.

“Russia sees some positive – [if] extremely risky – sides to stockpiling nuclear weapons in North Korea as a leverage-bargaining chip. At the same time, China is damaged from, rather than just enduring, this instability-inducing security environment.”

Paik also noted that China had largely stopped mentioning denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in recent years, suggesting this was because it could not do anything about the situation in the current security environment and amid its own struggle with the US.

“Even though China doesn’t want Northeast Asia destabilised, it [has] already moved on to take the nuclear state of North Korea as a given condition, not as a variable,” he said.

“So even though it neither endorses nor supports North Korea, unlike Russia, China grudgingly keeps quiet on this issue, so as not to antagonise North Korea too much.”

Most experts were pessimistic about the prospect of direct disarmament talks resuming between Pyongyang and Washington, especially without the support of Beijing.

“I don’t think there will be any chance to resume the denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the US in the near future. One slim chance might come if Donald Trump occupies the Oval Office again this coming November,” Paik said.

But in DeTrani’s view, complete and verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula remains a viable option for future negotiations, even though it might be a long process.

“China would be supportive of this process. Russia probably would be the outlier, but North Korea’s future is more in sync with its allied relationship with China and a path to normal relations with the US, and also South Korea and Japan,” he said.

“We should not give up on a peaceful resolution of issues with North Korea,” DeTrani added.

According to Lee, from Harvard University’s Asia Centre, China should consider relaunching the six-party talks, a series of negotiations that Beijing helped to inaugurate in 2003 aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

“This move would be appreciated in Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo, and it would benefit China by unwinding the trend of forming a Cold War-like structure with Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo on one side and Beijing, Pyongyang, and Moscow on the other,” he said.

Britain’s new Labour government may bring ‘clarity’ on China, but a major change of course is not expected

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269385/britains-new-labour-government-may-bring-clarity-china-major-change-course-not-expected?utm_source=rss_feed

China has said it hopes it can get relations with Britain back on the “right track” after the Labour party’s landslide election victory, but most observers are not expecting a significant change in policy.

As prime minister, David Cameron hailed a “golden era” in relations between the two countries, but they have declined significantly since then and China has more recently been described as an “epoch-defining” security challenge for the UK.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has promised to have a “full audit” of the country’s relations with China within 100 days.

Ruby Osman, a China specialist at the London-based Tony Blair Institute for Global Change established by the former prime minister, said this might provide some “clarity” after “the incoherency of the different China strategies” followed in recent years.

David Lammy, who is expected to become the next foreign secretary, said Labour’s strategy towards China was to “compete, cooperate and challenge” with “progressive realism”.

“Progressive realism is all about [getting] things done. To solve some of the global problems, it means going out and talking to people that you’re not necessarily 100 per cent aligned on,” said Osman.

“And I think on the Chinese side as well, there’ll be a lot of appetite to engage with Labour. I think from Beijing’s point of view, they’re quite keen for this election to be a bit of a reset.”

The Chinese foreign ministry responded to the result by saying: “We hope to work with the UK to move China-UK relations forward on the right track on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the ministry, added that a “a stable and mutually beneficial” relationship would help both sides “respond to global challenges together and promote world peace and development”.

Shi Zhiqin, an international relations professor specialising in Europe studies at Tsinghua University, said the last Labour government and Cameron’s administartion had followed “a very friendly policy toward China” but now “the general direction of their bilateral ties is a continued deterioration”.

He said “on major security issues…[US and British] policies should be largely aligned”, adding that both countries were suspicious about Chinese investments and Beijing’s stance on the war in Ukraine.

Last year, the China-owned Dutch subsidiary Nexperia was forced to sell its chip plant – the biggest in the UK – to an American company on national security grounds.

Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa, a geopolitics analyst at the University of Hong Kong, said Britain’s policy in the Indo-Pacific was likely to see the country maintaining its commitment to Aukus, the three-way security pact with the US and Australia set up to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

He also expected “continued restrictions on Chinese vendors in the 5G market”.

James Downes, an assistant professor in comparative politics and international relations at the Hong Kong Metropolitan University, said the country would maintain a “strategic ambiguity”.

“A focus on tapping into the economic benefits with China will continue… whilst continuing close ties with both the US and the EU,” he said.

He added Labour is also likely to share the US and European Union’s concerns about overcapacity, after Washington and Brussels imposed tariffs on new energy products such as electric vehicles, which they said are being overproduced to undercut the Western market.

However, he said the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House could complicate Britain’s China policy.

For example, he has threatened to impose 10 per cent universal tariffs on all US imports, including those from its European allies, which may drive them to boost economic cooperation with China.

Long Jing, deputy director of the centre for European Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said Labour tends to follow a more pragmatic economic policy towards China compared with the Conservatives.

“The UK has always been a more utilitarian and mercantile international player ... It will strengthen cooperation [with China] in a more pragmatic aspect, considering the UK economy’s downturn, stagnation or even regression after Brexit, and the huge reduction in China-UK trade,” she said.

She added new cooperation could be fostered in areas such as AI governance, digital economy and people-to-people exchanges.

Wang Yiwei, a Europe specialist at Renmin University, said business and non-governmental exchanges had increased between the two countries.

“[Britain] is in no doubt it wants to seek re-engagement with China… we want to win [the UK’s trust] as well,” said Wang, who has taken part in some of these discussions.

But observers said the prospect of higher-level exchanges, including visits by the countries’ leaders, are low because of issues such as Taiwan and human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, which China considers to be“core interests” where outsiders must not interfere.

“If Labour continues to advocate for Hong Kong’s autonomy, or to voice challenges in enforcing compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration [on the handover], it could complicate the Chinese leadership’s willingness to accept a visit,” Trillo-Figueroa said.

China seeks to hop tech hurdles with robots, 6G as industrial development hits key juncture

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269364/china-seeks-hop-tech-hurdles-robots-6g-industrial-development-hits-key-juncture?utm_source=rss_feed

China pledged on Friday to make breakthroughs in emerging industries – including bleeding-edge fields like humanoid robots, 6G mobile technology and atomic-level manufacturing – that could enhance its strength in the high-growth tech arena while preserving traditional sectors as a bedrock.

The country’s unique system – which can concentrate resources on specific benchmarks – can be marshalled to fill gaps in core technologies created by containment efforts from the United States, said Jin Zhuanglong, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

“Though China’s industrial development has made great progress, generally speaking, it is still at an important juncture of growing from big to strong and climbing over hurdles,” Jin said at a press conference.

“There are still outstanding shortcomings in key core technologies and basic industrial capabilities.”

Vanguard industries like brain-computer interfaces, the metaverse, next-generation internet, quantum computing, deep sea and aerospace have also been singled out as areas of focus, according to Jin.

China would also build a number of national manufacturing innovation centres for emerging fields, he said, including biomanufacturing.

In 2023, China’s total industrial added value reached 39.9 trillion yuan (US$5.5 trillion), accounting for 31.7 per cent of its gross domestic product.

The added value of the manufacturing industry contributed 26.2 per cent of GDP and about one-third of the world’s total, according to the ministry.

China’s “strategic” emerging industries account for 13 per cent of GDP, with huge potential for growth, Jin said.

China would further enhance the technology of advantageous industries, such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaics, while expanding market scale and cultivating a group of leading enterprises in sectors such as artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy and new materials to fuel industrial upgrades, Jin said.

As for traditional industries, including iron and steel, the minister said that they were the foundation of the modern industrial system and China’s manufacturing sector, which must be transformed and upgraded rather than being treated as a “low-end industry” that needs weeding out.

“The current external environment is complex and severe, domestic effective demand is still insufficient,” Jin said.

The country’s installation of industrial robots accounted for more than 50 per cent of the world’s total and the country has cultivated 421 national-level intelligent manufacturing factories, vice-minister Xin Guobin said.

Officials on Friday also pledged further opening up for China’s manufacturing sector.

Earlier this year, China announced the removal of restrictions on foreign investment in the field, while opening up the telecommunications market access to foreign companies in four locations, including Beijing.

As of the end of June, there were 2,037 foreign enterprises operating telecommunications businesses in China, Xin said.

“Reform and opening up are the source of vitality for the development of contemporary China,” he added.

“In the next step, we will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the coming third plenary session of the Central Committee, implement reforms with determination and vitality, and continue to add new momentum and expand new space for development.”

Beijing confirmed last week that the third plenum would take place between July 15 and 18, where ambitious economic and tech development goals are expected to be set for the next decade.

Sidestepping Russia, China shores up new Caspian Sea trade route through Central Asia to Europe

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3269361/sidestepping-russia-china-shores-new-caspian-sea-trade-route-through-central-asia-europe?utm_source=rss_feed

Navigating the waves and ripple effects of regional conflicts that have obscured traditional trade routes and weakened Russian influence in the Central Asian region, China is stepping up its engagement there, especially in transport connectivity.

The mutual interests and win-win message were highlighted as President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Kazakhstan this week and met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the two countries pledged to “improve the level of interconnection and continue to deepen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure”, including opening more border ports and accelerating the push for cargo shipments across the Caspian Sea.

A day earlier, the two leaders virtually attended the opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – a road corridor through which cargo trucks arriving from China can board ferries across the Caspian Sea and on to Europe.

And on Monday, China Railway announced regular daily train services for the China-Europe Railway Express, departing from Xian, with containers unloaded and reloaded onto ships to cross the vast Caspian Sea, before arriving in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

The trip takes around 12 days and “provides more choices for domestic and foreign customers in foreign trade transport”, according to the company.

Just a few months ago, such efficiency in conquering the world’s largest inland body of water was still a pipe dream. The very few cargo shipments being made then faced treacherous sea winds and limited infrastructure.

“This has come naturally,” said Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “Geopolitical conflicts in Eurasia might become a new normal, severing some traditional trade channels. So, everyone – not only China, but also Central Asian and Caucasus countries – is compelled to develop a new, stable alternative route.”

The China-Europe Railway Express, long a flagship project of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, with a reputation as an alternative to sea and air freight, has been largely shunned by European traders since the Ukraine war intensified in 2022. All mature routes of intercontinental rail travel go through Russia.

So, the Caspian Sea route, also known as the “middle corridor”, appeared on shippers’ radars as a viable alternative that avoids Russia.

The route goes from China to Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea, and through Azerbaijan and Georgia before splitting into two lines – one through Turkey, the other across the Black Sea – then arriving in Europe.

“It is a truly multinational project … Every country along the line wants in on it, so everyone has strived to bring their own infrastructure up to standards,” Yang said.

The fate of the route was further enriched by the crisis in the Red Sea, where Houthi militias in Yemen have repeatedly attacked cargo ships since November, endangering the vital marine route connecting Asia with Europe through the Suez Canal.

With a new port and some new ships in operation, coupled with less wind recently, the shipping capacity of the Capsian has indeed increased for intercontinental rail cargo, according to Andrew Jiang, general manager of Shanghai-based Air Sea Transport.

But the current efficiency is still a far cry from the traditional northern route that goes through Russia, and Kazakhstan’s current transport capacity is too limited to satisfy China’s export demand, he added.

“Once the Red Sea crisis ends, it will be really hard to say which way the market will go,” he said. “When the Ukraine war ends, Europe-bound cargo will go back to the northern route.”

A real game-changer for connectivity in the region would be the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, which the three countries reached an agreement on last month, as it would start from Kashgar in southern Xinjiang, instead of adding more congestion to the Khorgas railway port in the north, Jiang said.

Meanwhile, it would provide a much faster and cheaper alternative to current routes on the China-Europe Railway Express and is expected to bring enormous economic benefits for the two inland countries once constructed.

More than two decades after the plan was hatched, the rail line had been long held back due to Russian opposition, as the country hoped to maintain its political and economic influence over Central Asia – its geopolitical backyard – and the new railway would likely reduce Russia’s transit income.

China “seized the opportunity” to push forward the project, Yang said.

Funding for the railway project was resolved by creating a joint venture among the three countries, and China will provide loans worth US$2.35 billion.

But risks still persist, as only a preliminary agreement has been signed so far, he added.

“This project is a very big one, after all. The local terrain is very complex, so there are certain technical risks in terms of the construction in high mountain areas. And there are also many cities along the route, so it is difficult to say whether there are local forces in these areas that will become a disruptive factor in the future,” Yang said.

Meanwhile, it may also further stoke geopolitical competition between China, Russia and the United States, as all three have a different vision for the transport infrastructure network in the region.

Washington’s plan, though far-reaching, is to link the countries of Central Asia through new rail lines with Afghanistan, while Russia has proposed a north-south route that connects its own rail system with the area, Yang added.

“Generally speaking, for China, opportunities outweigh risks for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, as long as we proceed prudently,” he said.

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China to hold hearing into brandy imports as tension grows with EU over tariffs on EVs

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/05/china-to-hold-hearing-into-brandy-imports-as-tension-grows-with-eu-over-tariffs-on-evs

China has ramped up its anti-dumping investigation into European brandy imports in what appears to be a retaliatory move as the EU imposed higher tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles from Friday.

The commerce ministry in Beijing said it would hold a hearing on 18 July to discuss an investigation into claimsthat European brandy producers are selling products in China below market rates.

The hearing was requested by the brandy houses Martell, Societe Jas Hennessy & Co, Rémy Martin and other stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement.

The investigation could result in China adding duties on brandy imports coming from the EU, which would hit European producers.

The hearing was announced on the same day that the EU imposed provisional tariffs on Chinese EV imports coming into the bloc, which had held a nine-month anti-subsidy investigation amid claims that heavily subsidised Chinese vehicles were flooding the EU market and harming European manufacturers.

The action by the EU will lead to tariffs ranging from 17.4% to 37.6% being applied on Chinese EV imports from Friday. The EU will then run a four-month window before they become permanent.

In response to the EV tariffs and an escalation of tensions, China launched what appeared to be a tit-for-tat investigation into European brandy imports after a request by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association.

French producers would be the hardest hit by any tariffs, with France accounting for about 99% of all EU brandy imports into China.

China has repeatedly urged the EU to cancel its EV tariffs and has called for further talks.

At a press conference on Thursday, a commerce ministry spokesperson reiterated Beijing’s desire to resume negotiations over EV tariffs.

On Thursday Valdis Dombrovskis, a European Commission vice-president, brushed aside concerns of trade-war retaliation from Beijing against European business in light of the EV tariffs.

In June China announced that it would also be opening a probe into EU pork imports.

The Chinese state-backed Global Times reported this week that officials are also considering opening an anti-subsidy probe into European dairy imports and imposing tariffs on large-engined petrol cars manufactured in Europe.

The tariffs imposed on Chinese EVs by the EU are far lower than those recently introduced by the US, with Joe Biden announcing 100% tariffs in May.

However, some European manufacturers have criticised the moves by the EU. Volkswagen has argued that they would not strengthen Europe’s car industry in the long-term.

Stellantis, the owner of brands including Citroën, Fiat and Vauxhall, has said it will not take a defensive stance in the battle for electric car sales and preferred to “fight to stay competitive”.

Why Chinese superstition can predict future fortunes in the twitching of an eye

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3266804/why-chinese-superstition-can-predict-future-fortunes-twitching-eye?utm_source=rss_feed

A twitching eye is thought to signal possible health problems in many parts of the world, but in China things are different.

An enduring expression leads Chinese people to have a different perspective on such ticks.

In China, as the old saying goes, “Left eye twitching means fortune, right eye twitching spells disaster.”

For example, in 2010, a woman from Taiwan won NT$389 million (US$12 million) in the lottery and she said her left eye had been twitching for three days before she scooped the prize.

The Post delves deeper into this curious system of beliefs.

Origins

In ancient Chinese mythology, Pangu, the creator of the universe, turns his left eye into the sun and right eye into the moon.

In line with folk beliefs, the left stands for yang, a symbol of light and activity, and the right yin, a mark of darkness and passivity.

It then developed into the theory that a twitching of left eye means good luck is on the way, while the same thing with the right signals bad luck.

Variations

In modern times, people attached meanings to eyelid twitching according to the day and time it happens.

If the left eye twitches on a Wednesday, it means good luck in romantic relationships. But if it happens to the other eye on the same day, it means you will lose your temper over something bad.

Good fortune or a gift is coming your way, however, if the right eye twitches on a Saturday.

To further complicate matters, the time of day the twitching takes place, can also decide whether you are in for a positive or negative experience.

Breaking the spell

To influence eye-twitching outcomes, some people place white paper over their right eye if it twitches.

This is because when the word “white” is paired with “twitch”, the result means “it twitched for nothing”, thereby neutralising the situation.

Others see science as a way out.

Appliance of science

Many hospitals in China post articles to warn that eye twitching could be a sign of health problems instead of luck.

Most commonly, eye twitching is an indicator of stress and exhaustion, resulting from overwork, staring at digital screens for too long and lack of sleep.

In some cases, it may signal diseases such as Parkinsons.

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China and Russia prepare for Pacific Rim navy drill in US, Japan and South Korea’s wake

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3269342/china-and-russia-prepare-pacific-rim-navy-drill-us-japan-and-south-koreas-wake?utm_source=rss_feed

The Chinese and Russian navies are preparing for a joint Pacific Rim patrol just days after the US, Japan and South Korea wrapped up a trilateral drill in the same area.

“The corvette Sovershenny of the Pacific Fleet arrived at a meeting point with a detachment of People’s Liberation Army Navy’s warships in the Strait of Korea near [South Korea’s] Jeju Island,” Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday, without saying when the drill would start or how long it would take.

The vessels would also conduct anti-submarine, anti-aircraft defence, and search and rescue operations, it said.

It is the fourth joint maritime patrol between the two countries in the Pacific Rim.

Russia’s Tass news agency said the Chinese naval group included the destroyer Yinchuan, the frigate Hengshui and the replenishment ship Weishanhu.

Sailors from both countries would hold a ceremony to celebrate their encounters and used radios to exchange greetings at the meeting point near Jeju Island, it said.

The announcement follows the conclusion on Saturday of a three-day multidomain exercise also near Jeju Island between the United States, Japan and South Korea.

The “Freedom Edge” drill is the first between the two countries to encompass air, maritime, cyber and underwater activities.

Washington is seeking to boost cooperation with its two Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, building on a security deal struck at Camp David last year in response to increasing Chinese and North Korean military activity in the Asia-Pacific.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said last month that the trilateral drill would “intensify conflicts and undermine the strategic security and interests of other countries” in the region.

China and Russia have also been improving their military ties in recent years as their relations with the US-led West have unravelled.

Earlier this week, China and Russia held a joint drill to combat cross-border terrorism. It came about a month after the Russian and Chinese presidents met in Beijing and agreed to improve cooperation on defence and law enforcement – including expanding joint training and exercises.

In March, China and Russia held a maritime drill with Iran on combating piracy. Last July, they held joint naval and air drills in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea.

Australian journalist Cheng Lei says China bashing ‘worrying’

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269383/australian-journalist-cheng-lei-says-china-bashing-worrying?utm_source=rss_feed

Freed Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was imprisoned in Beijing for three years, has urged Australians to avoid taking simplistic or extreme views about China.

The former anchor at Chinese state-run TV network CGTN said there were two sides of China and that both it and Australia must engage and understand each other, she said in an interview with the Australia-China Relations Institute in Sydney this week.

The Chinese-born journalist said she would consider going back to China but only if she felt safe enough and welcomed.

If China were to become a “dirty word” in Australia, Chinese Australians living in Australia who still have family and business interests in China would suffer, Cheng said. Cheng returned to Australia last October after she was locked up by Beijing for breaking a government-imposed embargo.

“When I was blocked from view at the Canberra Press event, people [were] saying, ‘We should stop trade with China because Cheng Lei was blocked’,” she said, referring to the highly publicised media coverage of Chinese officials’ apparent attempt to block Cheng’s view of Chinese premier Li Qiang during his visit to Canberra last month.

“The extreme [Australian] views that are held about China, the fearmongering, the laziness to think and to read and really understand and engage with people whose views you don’t agree with. That’s really worrying.”

She said in China, the Chinese knew a lot more about Australia than Australians about China.

Nick Coyle, Cheng’s partner and former chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, who also spoke at the interview, said it was important that Australia become adept at “walking and chewing gum” over its relationship with China.

Particularly, it was important for the Australian media and the political class not to overreact or “score political points” at every issue that surfaced between the two nations, he added.

Both agreed there was little nuance in the Australian media’s coverage of China which was “far too binary”.

“[It’s] hug the panda or mug the panda,” Cheng said.

“For the media, they’ll have their go-to persons. This person is anti-China, I’ll just interview this person. This person is pro-China, and you don’t always get the full picture if you don’t talk to people who can be quite holistic in their views on China.”

When asked if she felt any bitterness about China after her recent detention, Cheng said while China had deep-seated problems such as freedom of expression, it also embodied a lot of “beauty”.

“When it comes to China, it just evokes so many feelings in me because I’m a very sentimental person and China represents so much, and we all have hopes for people to get along, for beauty to be appreciated,” she said.

“So it’s very complicated, and ask any Chinese person living in Australia, there are things that they miss intensely, that they long for, that they try to replicate here. And there are things that they hate and want to escape, and it’s all a matter of calculus.”

At the same time, it was also important that people were conscious about not being “seduced” by glossy depictions of China, she added.

Remembering her detention, Cheng said she was aggrieved she could not help her Chinese “cellmates” and felt anger that Beijing treated its people far worse than she experienced.

Patriotism among the Chinese towards their country has waned over the years, in particular among those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, she said.

With Taiwan, there were plenty of theories on the mainland that Chinese President Xi Jinping might want to take over Taiwan by 2027 during the 100th anniversary of the formation of China’s People’s Liberation Army, Cheng said. At the same time, there were also expectations the ambiguities over reunification would continue, she added. China has talked about reunification with Taiwan for more than 70 years.

Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reintegrated into mainland control, by force if necessary. While many nations, including the US, do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state, they oppose any use of force to alter the existing status quo.

The word on the streets was that China’s defence forces were “a mess”, said Cheng, adding that the Chinese were not united over the Taiwan issue.

“If you ask ordinary Chinese people who have been brainwashed, including myself when I was in primary school in China, is Taiwan part of China? I think most will probably say yes. But if you ask, should China overtake or take over Taiwan by military means, I think you’ll get a much smaller number,” she said.

Withdrawal of US Typhon missile system from Philippines viewed as a ‘gesture’ for China

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3269345/withdrawal-us-typhon-missile-system-philippines-viewed-gesture-china?utm_source=rss_feed

Manila’s announcement that a US mid-range missile system would be withdrawn from the Philippines within months is a “gesture” to ease tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea, but the system could still be redeployed to the region, analysts said.

Colonel Louie Dema-ala, a Philippine Army spokesman, said on Tuesday the Typhon Weapons System deployed in his country would return to the US in September “as per plan” once other defence equipment used during joint exercises with the US military had been shipped back.

“The US Army is currently shipping out their equipment that we used during Balikatan and Salaknib [exercises],” Dema-ala said.

However, Dema-ala did not say why Washington was stopping the deployment.

In April, US Army Pacific announced that the service had “successfully” deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system on the northern Philippine island of Luzon as part of Balikatan and Salaknib annual exercises between the Philippines and the US military.

Philippine troops have reportedly been taught how to use and maintain the Typhon system, but it was not used in live-fire exercises, according to Dema-ala.

It was the first time such a weapon system was deployed in the Asia-Pacific region since the 1987 US-Soviet Union Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty prohibited the development and possession of land-based missiles with a range of 500km to 5,500km.

Typhon is a land-based, ground-launched system that improves the military’s multi-domain capability. The launcher can fire the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM), with respective operational ranges of more than 240km (150 miles) and 2,500km (1,550 miles), rendering it capable of covering both the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The presence of the mid-range missile system on a Philippine island near the disputed waterways angered Beijing.

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun expressed strong opposition to US deployment of the mid-range missile in the Philippines during his meeting with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on the sideline of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May, saying the system posed “a real threat to regional security”.

The withdrawal of the missile system comes as Beijing and Manila attempt to reduce South China Sea tension that has resulted in escalating stand-offs between their coastguards involving water cannons and vessels colliding in waters near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal.

During a bilateral consultative mechanism meeting in Manila on Tuesday, the two sides exchanged views on the situation surrounding the disputed atolls, and agreed to continue managing differences through negotiation, noting that maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea was in the” interests of both China and the Philippines”.

On Thursday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr ordered the Philippine military to de-escalate tensions with China in the South China Sea, according to Philippine Army chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr.

Former PLA instructor Song Zhongping said the move was “a gesture” to ease tensions with China following recent bilateral talks.

“It is for easing tensions with China, but whether these weapons will be withdrawn will be up to the US to decide,” he said. “Those missile systems are mobile and can be deployed again whenever needed. Even if they withdraw them now, it shows the US can deploy those in the Philippines when necessary to put pressure on China.”

Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a retired Chinese officer and senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, also said the Philippines appeared to be trying to ease tension with China. But he added that it was not clear what role Manila played in the decision.

“It seems like the Philippines is backing down … and want to mitigate the tensions,” he said.

“Manila must have consented to it when the missiles were deployed initially otherwise the US wouldn’t do so, even if just for military training.”

He said the US now had access to nine military bases in the Philippines – something it had long desired as it strengthened its military presence in the area – but that Washington would not seek escalation.

“But did Manila request the removal this time, or something else might play a role? We don’t really know.”

However, Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said that while the withdrawal itself was not very significant, the deployment of the mid-range missile system sent a message to Beijing that the US could redeploy such missiles quickly.

“The plan always was to withdraw them at the end of the Balikatan and Salaknib exercises. What is more significant is the deployment of these missiles during the exercise, as sending a message to Beijing,” said Davis.

“The US has demonstrated the ability to deploy such weapons quickly and this will certainly increase the risk and pose dilemmas for Beijing as they contemplate the options vis-a-vis Taiwan, and also as they engage in provocative behaviour against the Philippines, noting the mutual defence treaty between Manila and Washington.”

Colin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said he could not foresee the US planning to permanently deploy the system to the Philippines, allowing it only during training exercises.

“We can expect the system to be deployed to the Philippines again for exercises, and Beijing – and even Moscow – will make an issue out of it again,” Koh said.

Stephen Nagy, director of policy research at the Yokosuka Council of Asia-Pacific Studies, said the Philippine archipelago was near Taiwan and would be ideal to position missile systems.

He said removing the missiles might reduce the US’ ability to launch countermeasures against the PLA in the event of an attack and that Beijing perceived Manila as the “soft underbelly” of America’s security structure in the Indo-Pacific.

“This assessment is also ironically shared in Washington by many in the strategic community,” Nagy said.

“Removing mid-range missiles may provide Manila short-term breathing room from Chinese grey-zone operations, but it is not a silver panacea to make China’s strategic ambitions disappear.”

China’s top taxman talks up big data, new legislation as digital shift looks likely for invoices

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269346/chinas-top-taxman-talks-big-data-new-legislation-digital-shift-looks-likely-invoices?utm_source=rss_feed

The head of China’s tax authority has spoken on the power of data to close loopholes and increase enforcement efficiency – also saying the country has an “urgent need” for updates in legislation to back it – as analysts anticipate a full digitalisation of invoices, or fapiao, this year.

China’s invoicing process is a crucial component of the country’s tax system. A fapiao is a legal receipt that serves as proof of purchase for goods and services.

“There is an urgent need to promote legislation in taxation at a higher level,” said Hu Jinglin, director of the State Taxation Administration (STA), in a commentary published Friday by the Study Times, the official newspaper of the Central Party School.

Additionally, Hu said, the administration will “accelerate the revision of tax collection and management, enhance the strength and precision of tax law enforcement, continue to publicise tax laws and use high-level law to help govern more efficiently.”

He also said data will be a key part of the enforcement strategy by aiding in “problem-solving, closing loopholes, risk prevention and enhancing efficiency”.

Data sources will be broadened, Hu said, adding that it is important to improve data quality while making good use of existing resources. He emphasised raising the standard of tax management and law enforcement as China becomes more digitalised.

Hu said that there are “ideological misunderstandings” and “implementation deviations” in tax departments and vowed to strengthen supervision and governance, as well as “resolutely eradicate the conditions” for corruption by establishing stricter norms of behaviour.

While Hu did not elaborate on what tax categories would be up for legislation, of the 18 major categories currently in force in China, 13 already have laws specific to them, according to a research note from Galaxy Securities on July 4.

Hu’s commentary came amid growing expectations that China will roll out phase four of its Golden Tax System, a management structure first unveiled in 1994. The next phase’s focus is moving from an invoice-based procedure to one centred around big data.

“Digital fapiao is the core of phase four,” Galaxy Securities said. “The biggest change is the sharing of information among various departments, and unifying tax data and management so risk supervision for taxpayers can be implemented more accurately and comprehensively.”

The STA completed the development of the fourth phase in 2023 and is likely to fully promote the system this year, Galaxy Securities said.

“Online invoicing eliminates printing, stamping and mailing, which greatly reduces costs for enterprises and improves the efficiency of tax collection and management for authorities.”

China’s National Audit Office determined loopholes and oversights at customs and various tax departments had led to losses of 50.8 billion yuan in tax revenue, publishing its findings in its annual report on June 25.

South China Sea: most Filipinos want Beijing to follow rules-based order, survey shows

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269374/south-china-sea-most-filipinos-want-beijing-follow-rules-based-order-survey-shows?utm_source=rss_feed

Most Filipinos want China to follow a rules-based order instead of military actions to resolve the South China Sea conflict, a new survey finds, even as the Philippine military announced plans to adopt new countermeasures against Chinese incursions and propaganda.

Philippine Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr said in a press briefing late Thursday that these measures would include “fighting back” during self-defence sea operations, protecting potential targets from Chinese missile and drone attacks, as well as countering Chinese fake news about the dispute.

Brawner said while the military would obey the order by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and the country’s commander-in-chief to “de-escalate” tensions, the general added he has instructed soldiers taking part in maritime operations that “you have the right to defend yourself [while practising] that concept of proportionality of force.”

He recalled that, during the June 17 incident in which Chinese coastguard personnel boarded two Philippine resupply vessels while brandishing knives and other sharp objects, Filipino soldiers were under strict orders to fight back without using any weapons.

He said that under the new rules of engagement, “if they use the knife, we will also use a knife ... We will not use excessive force but apply the concept of proportionality.”

In a survey by Pulse Asia released on Friday involving 1,200 adult Filipinos from May 5 to 9, the private pollster asked, given a list of five measures, which ones should China do to ease tensions?

Sixty-four per cent of respondents said they wanted China to “agree to a code of conduct to govern actions of countries claiming territories and waters in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea”. The West Philippine Sea refers to the portion of the South China Sea which includes Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the Pag-Asa or Thitu island.

Some 61 per cent also wanted China to “remove its coastguard and militia vessels” sailing in Manila’s maritime territory.

Around 49 per cent wanted China to pay compensation for reef damage; 39 per cent wanted equitable bilateral trade; and 23 per cent wanted China to invest more in the Philippines’ manufacturing and agriculture industries.

None of the measures the Philippine government has said it could take to “reduce tensions” surveyed by Pulse Asia was received enthusiastically by respondents.

Only 41 per cent said they wanted to “continue diplomatic discussions with China towards developing a code of conduct”.

One of Manila’s proposed measures – requesting US support by triggering the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty signed between Manila and Washington - received the least support, at eight per cent.

Around 33 per cent backed the submission of a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly “to force China to comply with the [Hague’s] arbitral ruling” issued in 2016 negating China’s so-called nine-dash line, which was the basis for China’s claim to nearly all of the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.

Some 17 per cent backed the appointment of a third party to mediate the bilateral dispute.

Pulse Asia said the survey had been commissioned but did not disclose by whom.

A non-commissioned survey released on May 27 by private pollster WR Numero Research noted that 68 per cent of 1,765 Filipinos surveyed from March 12 to 14 said the Philippine military was managing the maritime dispute “very well”.

Another poll firm, Octa Research, also released on June 6 a survey conducted from March 11 to 14 involving 1,200 Filipino respondents on their attitudes to the South China Sea dispute. Most respondents equally favoured military action (73 per cent) and diplomacy (72 per cent).

In his press briefing on Thursday, Brawner said the military had presented the president with “several options” for conducting the Philippines’ rotational and resupply operations involving BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era navy vessel grounded by Manila on the Second Thomas Shoal to serve as an outpost, which has fuelled tensions with Beijing.

Brawner noted that during the resupply operations, the Chinese military “operates under the threshold of war, so it cannot be called conflict. They call it grey zone [operations].”

He said, “We have a new name for it, ICAD, [because] these are illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive.”

He promised that in the next resupply mission, “we won’t agree to be bullied just like that.”

To show that the military meant business, Brawner said he had ordered all military personnel to sew a patch of the Philippine flag on the right arm of their battle dress uniform. “ This is to show the patriotism of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. And this is also to align with the goals of Bagong Pilipinas,” or “New Philippines”, which is Marcos Jnr’s slogan for his administration.

Brawner also said the military has launched a new communication campaign called “Mulat”, or “awake” in Filipino, to battle China’s information warfare.

Explaining its rationale, Brawner said the “united front works of China” were “trying to influence various sectors of our society” to weaken the resolve of Filipinos to fight the Chinese aggressor.

China was targeting the education sector, business, the media, local government units and online gaming companies.

He added the military would counter Beijing’s efforts by gathering relevant information and handing it to the proper government agency to handle.

The Philippine Armed Forces recently posted on its Facebook page an example of “fake news” circulating on the internet concerning “a massive shipment” of military supplies sent by the US to the Philippines.

Brawner also told Filipinos not to panic over a recent statement of the president’s sister, Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Imee Marcos, that China was planning to target 25 sites in the Philippines with hypersonic missiles.

He said the Philippine military did not have any such information on China’s missile plan but he would be reaching out to Imee Marcos to discuss the matter.

“A missile attack is a possibility … that is why we are also preparing for those … even drone attacks,” Brawner said.

China regulator says short films must now follow the script for overseas screenings

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3269352/china-regulator-says-short-films-must-now-follow-script-overseas-screenings?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s top film regulator has ordered that all Chinese movies strictly follow rules on approvals before being screened in overseas film festivals, months after a Chinese movie about Covid lockdown triggered heated discussion in this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

In a notice issued on Thursday by the China Film Administration, it required that domestically produced short films can only appear at foreign film festivals or exhibitions if they obtain permits for public screenings. The film producers must also file records with regulators at least 20 working days in advance of the overseas screening.

The film management and censorship body reiterated the existing rules on feature films, and added that producers of short films – which were not previously covered under the regulations – must also follow the same rules if they plan to show their work overseas.

Earlier this year, acclaimed director Lou Ye’s independent movie, , revived questions about China’s controversial zero-Covid policy, following its release at a special screening on May 16 at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France.

The film has not been approved for public screenings in China and is unlikely to be seen in the country as its content has been censored on the internet.

Nationalist commentators labelled Lou a “traitor” and argued that the film was intended as a critique of China’s response to the pandemic. But others praised the film as a vivid depiction of some of the tragedies caused by Beijing’s harsh zero-Covid rules.

Filmmakers and domestic audiences have long complained about Beijing’s strict censorship rules that target any content deemed politically sensitive or morally incorrect, which are often vague and can lead to self-censorship.

The Thursday statement said all films must seek approval from their provincial film regulators or the national bureau where the projects were registered. The submissions must provide details of the overseas event as well as a copy of the screening permit.

According to a document accompanying the notice, applications for short films should also include a summary of the content.

The new scrutiny over short films is in line with rules spelled out in a 2004 regulation and the country’s Film Industry Promotion Law, which was enacted in 2017.

The 2017 law stipulated that the aim was to promote “socialist core values”, ban content deemed as “endangering national unity” or “harming national dignity, honour, or interests”. It also published fines for films screened without a government permit, adding that violators could be banned from filmmaking for up to five years.

Lou, whose films are known for depicting social issues and problematic events in China, has twice been banned following screenings at overseas film festivals that had not been officially approved.

In 2018, Beijing also tightened its ideological grip by shifting responsibility for all media regulations – including film censorship – from the State Council to the party’s propaganda department.

In early 2019, renowned director Zhang Yimou’s film One Second, which was set in the Cultural Revolution, was abruptly withdrawn from the Berlin Film Festival for “technical reasons”, sparking speculation that the move was due to pressure from China’s government.

China youth playfully list jobs, colleagues for sale online to escape work pressures

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268638/china-youth-playfully-list-jobs-colleagues-sale-online-rid-work-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed

A trending joke among young people in China involves them “selling” their jobs, bosses or colleagues on second-hand e-commerce platforms in an attempt to “wash off the work smell”.

The term “work smell” refers to the feeling of mental and physical exhaustion after a long day of work. It typically refers to the odours of sweat on the subway, lingering cigarette smoke, or the aroma of an iced Americano.

On Xianyu, Alibaba’s second-hand e-commerce platform, many people playfully “sell” their jobs and colleagues as a way to ease stress from work and wash off the “work smell”.

Alibaba Group owns the South China Morning Post.

A search on Xianyu by the Post revealed more than 500 posts selling “annoying jobs”, “terrible bosses”, and “hated colleagues”, with prices ranging from 2 yuan (30 US cents) to 80,000 yuan (US$11,000).

One seller from central China listed her job for 8,000 yuan (US$1,100). She wrote: “Because I really don’t want to wake up early anymore! This job pays 3,000 yuan (US$400) a month, so you can recoup your investment in three months.”

A seller from Beijing wrote: “Selling a colleague who is very good at being sarcastic for 3,999 yuan (US$550). I can teach you how to deal with this colleague and offer 10 tips to avoid being the scapegoat at work.”

Someone else listed his “terrible boss” for 500 yuan, claiming that their personalities clashed and that the boss frequently criticised him, causing significant mental stress.

Another seller from Beijing listed a project document that needed to be completed that night for 10 yuan (US$1.4).

Importantly, the sellers ensure the advertisements do not lead to a real cash transaction. If someone does buy the “product” the seller usually cancels the deal right after the transaction or outright refuses the purchase attempt.

An anonymous seller told the Post: “Someone did pay before, but I applied to offer them a refund, and I deleted the listing after. This is just my way of venting my emotions, not actually buying or selling anyone.”

She added: “I saw many people selling their jobs on Xianyu, and I thought it was interesting, so I wanted to try it too. Selling my job that has no weekends for just 9.9 yuan feels like a small act of revenge.”

After the trend gained momentum, Xianyu issued a statement on Weibo on June 11, saying that selling people without their consent is illegal.

Liu Yan, a lawyer from Hunan United Pioneer Law Firm, told Xiaoxiang Morning Post: “If the other person’s personal information – such as names, ID numbers, home addresses, and contact numbers – are publicly disclosed on online platforms without consent, it constitutes an invasion of privacy and may be illegal.”

In China, those who release others’ private information without permission may be fined or detained for up to 10 days.

The trend of “selling” jobs or colleagues is part of a larger movement in mainland China, in which young people are losing their willingness to follow the intense work culture, with burnout being a widespread problem in the country. They are pursuing a healthier work-life balance to protect their physical and mental health.

People online have reacted with a mix of amusement, but also concern that the trend has gone too far.

One online observer wrote on Weibo: “This is so fun! It’s a humorous way for young people to relieve stress from work.”

But another said: “I think this way of relieving stress is inappropriate and may violate the privacy of colleagues or bosses.”

Chinese EV makers bypass EU and US tariff roadblock by turning towards Africa

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269234/chinese-ev-makers-bypass-eu-and-us-tariff-roadblock-turning-towards-africa?utm_source=rss_feed

The move by Europe and the US to impose higher tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) has been labelled no more than “a temporary setback” by an executive of a Chinese EV maker.

Neta Auto vice-president Zhou Jiang also said that the tariffs were instead pushing Chinese companies to search for alternative markets, including Africa.

He said Neta considers the increased tariffs on Chinese EVs and batteries to be “protectionist policies”.

But while he was confident the tariff rise was just a bump in the road, he said if it continued for too long, it could cause more problems.

“If the policies last long, that would have a negative effect on consumers’ experience with product selection and our technology development,” he said.

In the meantime, Zhou said Chinese EV brands are exploring other overseas markets, highlighted by his visit to Kenya last week to open Neta Auto’s first African store – marking “a new phase of EVs entering the African market”.

In an interview on the sidelines of the opening, Zhou said countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, South America and some European markets are all on the radar of Chinese EV brands.

“We believe that these policies or obstacles are temporary or short-term,” Zhou said.

“We believe that global consumers will choose the best technology, quality product and excellent service.”

On June 12, the European Commission shocked China by announcing it would impose additional tariffs of up to 38 per cent on imported Chinese EVs from July 4. The news came just a month after the US announced similar plans to quadruple duties for Chinese EVs from 25 per cent to 100 per cent.

The tariff increases are the result of the European Commission’s anti-subsidy investigation launched last October. Europe and the US have both accused China of distorting the market by giving subsidies to Chinese carmakers which had led to an influx of lower-cost EVs.

Beijing has rejected the claims as “baseless hype”.

Zhou also rebuffed the accusations, saying the current quality products, good service and competitive pricing of Chinese EVs has taken more than a decade of development.

“That’s why we cannot say that the best product quality and low price is a result of Chinese government subsidies only,” Zhou said.

He also noted that, globally, many governments give subsidies to carmakers.

“Some countries or regional governments actually give a lot of subsidies for their brands,” Zhou said.

In Nairobi, the Chinese EV maker debuted its Neta V star model car, with dealer Moja EV Kenya as its distributor. It will retail for around US$31,000 and has a range of about 380km (236 miles) on a full charge. Other models such as Neta Aya and Neta X will follow in the coming months.

Neta Auto has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kenya-based Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) to assemble 250 EVs every month. Kenya will then become the hub for exports of the Neta EVs to the rest of Africa.

“Together with AVA, we will quickly produce local EVs in Kenya. Neta will provide our resources for training and technology transfer,” Zhou said, adding that assembly could begin in the first half of 2025.

Looking to its African future, over the next two years the EV maker plans to enter 20 countries and open 100 stores. And within three years, Neta hopes to achieve an annual sales volume of more than 20,000 units in Africa.

Neta began its operation of a production plant in Thailand last year. It also recently began mass production of EVs at its Indonesia plant, while it is currently building its third overseas plant in Malaysia.

“The successful launch in Kenya is not only an exciting chapter of Neta Auto’s globalisation story but also a powerful step for the Chinese brand on the world stage,” a Neta statement said.

Other Chinese EV giants such as Build Your Dreams (BYD), Geely, Dongfeng Motor, Great Wall Motor and SAIC Motor are considering Africa’s nascent market a great opportunity for EVs.

In Casablanca, Morocco last month, AD Huang, BYD general manager for the Middle East and Africa, launched the company’s new Seal U DM-i model, saying it “marks an important attempt for us in the African market”. Morocco is fast becoming something of a hub for EVs in Africa, attracting a growing number of Chinese EV and battery manufacturers, including BYD, which is set to continue promoting the development of EVs in Morocco and across the continent.

Last year, the company launched its all-electric C-segment crossover BYD Atto 3 in South Africa. It also entered the Rwandan market in January with its Atto 3 via the CFAO Mobility dealership. The Dolphin and Dolphin Mini models will be available later this year, it said.

Last week, the Chinese EV giant also partnered with Rwandan EV manufacturer Ampersand to build 40,000 electric motorbikes in Rwanda and Kenya. Ampersand will purchase BYD’s battery cells to build around 40,000 electric motorcycles by the end of 2026, with the long-term goal of electrifying a large portion of Africa’s 30 million commercial motorbikes.

“Electrifying the intensively used commercial motorcycles found across Africa is a logical first step to decarbonising a very large potential market of motorcycles across the Global South,” BYD spokesman Sihai Zhang said.

Meanwhile, the assembly of EVs from China is gaining speed in some African countries. In Nairobi, for instance, EV start-up BasiGo is now assembling electric buses from knock-down kits it imports from Chinese state-owned CHTC Motors, as Beijing continues to position itself in Africa as the leader of the global green energy transition.

“Our first electric buses have completed assembly with our partners at Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM),” Jit Bhattacharya, co-founder and CEO at BasiGo, said in a recent interview.

“These are the first units in what we believe will be the first high-volume, serial assembly line for electric buses in Kenya,” he said.

“It is exciting to see China’s leading OEMs recognising the enormous market opportunity from the emerging e-mobility industry in Africa,” Bhattacharya said.

Walt Madeira, principal analyst for Europe, the Middle East and Africa vehicle forecasting at S&P Global Mobility, said Chinese carmakers have big plans for its EVs and over the years the Chinese government and construction companies have developed good relationships across Africa.

“Our forecast shows a positive demand development for Chinese carmakers in Africa, but at a slow sustainable rate,” Madeira said.

However, he said the big roadblocks are the lack of EV infrastructure and the instability of the energy. South Africa, for example, experiences many power disruptions.

He said the launch of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) would be a good bridging technology for Chinese carmakers.

“At the moment, hybrids are gaining in popularity among consumers, exactly because they are fuel efficient and give peace of mind with no need for charging headaches,” Madeira said.

China’s BYD faces backlash, probe in Thailand over mega EV discounts

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3269317/chinas-byd-faces-backlash-probe-thailand-over-mega-ev-discounts?utm_source=rss_feed

Thailand’s consumer protection agency has received about 70 complaints since initiating a probe into aggressive discounting by BYD dealers that has left some buyers feeling they overpaid for their Chinese electric vehicles.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told BYD chief executive Wang Chuanfu, who was in Thailand to mark the opening of its first Southeast Asian factory this week and paid a courtesy call to the premier on Friday, to better manage customer expectations about pricing and ensure local buyers were protected.

Wang gave assurances that future pricing would be appropriate and affected customers would receive support, according to a government spokesman.

BYD officials in Thailand and its sole distributor, Rever Automotive, which has a network of over 100 dealerships, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

The government initiated its investigation into BYD’s dealers after a complaint alleged a sales representative had asserted the customer’s car price would rise after a discounting campaign ended but instead, the dealership cut prices further.

On social media, some BYD owners in Thailand vented that the deep discounting by the world’s largest EV manufacturer had left them feeling short-changed.

“Nothing hurts more than this,” said one owner on Facebook, explaining that a BYD Atto 3 car he had bought for 1.19 million baht was now selling for 859,000 baht.

Another aggrieved owner posted a video of himself scribbling disparaging remarks about BYD with a thick blue marker on the bonnet of his EV, including: “I am never buying this car brand again.”

Rever’s website on Friday showed some models are currently being discounted by as much as 340,000 baht (US$9,300).

Passakorn Thapmongkol, a senior official at Thailand’s Consumer Protection Board, said that the agency had met with Rever officials and asked for documents related to the discounting scheme.

“More customers are gradually coming in to file complaints,” he added.

Thailand is BYD’s largest market outside China and key to its plans to expand globally – particularly in the wake of 17.4 per cent tariffs imposed on the carmaker by the EU.

The Chinese carmaker commanded a 46 per cent share of Thailand’s EV segment in the first quarter and is the third-largest player in passenger cars, according to research firm Counterpoint.

China offers SMEs, green sector boost with 3-year action plan to lift government purchases

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269321/china-offers-smes-green-sector-boost-3-year-action-plan-lift-government-purchases?utm_source=rss_feed

China plans to boost government purchases from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and green sectors, while also leveraging digital technology to standardise procurement and curb local protectionism, in a bid to elevate private sector’s confidence, according to a three-year action plan issued by China’s cabinet.

The State Council on Thursday called for the various levels of governments to increase the share of purchases from SMEs for projects with a budget exceeding 4 million yuan (US$550,000).

The share for SMEs within a budget would be increased from 30 to 40 per cent, which would be applied for all government procurement until the end of 2026.

In addition, the plan proposed creating a channel to share central government procurement information with financial institutions to enable commercial banks to expedite loan support for SMEs.

It also addressed “irregular behaviours”, including discriminatory terms against certain purchasers and bid rigging by some suppliers.

The State Council statement came as Beijing seeks to restore confidence among SMEs amid low expectations in the private sector following stringent and abrupt regulations in predominantly private sectors such as real estate, video gaming and off-campus education since 2021.

“In fact over the past few years, it has been difficult for SMEs to win government procurement projects, and many bidding projects require state-owned enterprises to compete, but it is actually operated by private companies,” said Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform.

“Such cumbersome procurement raises the cost of doing business for private enterprises and enables state-owned companies to profit without effort, and it reflects the inequality between the state-owned and private sector.”

The initiative is also intended to improve the operating conditions for struggling private enterprises, and continues Beijing’s previous efforts to support the sector, Peng added.

Meanwhile, the action plan said it would upgrade the central government’s e-platform for national information sharing on supplier enterprises, using digital technology to eliminate local protectionism and hidden barriers.

Many SMEs and overseas investors have long complained about local protectionism in China, where some governments prioritise local enterprises’ products and create various barriers for foreign or non-local enterprises, Peng said.

The document also said it would ask local governments to increase their procurement of green building materials, expanding the policy’s scope from the original 48 cities to 100 cities.

“This aligns with Beijing’s long-standing pursuit of low-carbon, green development, and government procurement plays a crucial role in promoting this initiative,” Peng said.

“Even as Beijing pursues its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, it must further consider increasing relevant purchases from SMEs, especially as these businesses are looking for more hope under the current sluggish domestic economy.”

In China, the private sector generates over 60 per cent of gross domestic product and accounts for more than 80 per cent of urban employment.

Woman, 34, trapped in China psychiatric ward for a decade, family refuses to sign her out

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3267780/woman-34-trapped-china-psychiatric-ward-decade-family-refuses-sign-her-out?utm_source=rss_feed

A 34-year-old woman in China – who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital when she was 20 – remained confined for more than 10 years after she had recovered because her family refused to release her.

The incident came to light via an anonymous online post by a person with inside information who revealed that the woman was initially sent to Xiamen Xianyue Hospital in Fujian province, southeastern China, by her parents.

Despite meeting the discharge criteria and her repeated pleas for release, she remained there because they refused to sign the discharge documents.

Red Star News reported that the insider, whose wife suffers from bipolar disorder and had been treated at the same hospital since 1996, took him to meet the young woman.

“About four or five years ago, when I went to visit my wife, a young woman greeted me, saying she recognised me. I then learned that we were from the same village,” he said.

“The doctor told me she had recovered and could be discharged, but her family never came to take her home.”

The man later contacted the woman’s aunt, who claimed there was “some family dispute” and suggested her parents might not want her released immediately.

The matter resurfaced on May 22 this year when the man was at the hospital to process his wife’s discharge.

“My wife said that during her hospitalisation, the young woman often helped nurses distribute food and assisted with other tasks at the hospital. She told my wife that doctors said she no longer needed medication and was basically like a regular person,” the man said.

Motivated by her plight, he filed a complaint on May 23 through the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government’s service hotline, asking the Xiamen Women’s Federation to help the woman.

Hospital staff and the women’s federation confirmed that the woman met the discharge standards.

However, because her admission was involuntary, her discharge required her family’s consent, which was declined despite multiple attempts.

On June 6, the women’s federation revealed they had a conversation with the woman’s mother, who claimed her daughter was now the responsibility of her father, and would not discuss the issue.

“Due to the special nature of the woman’s illness, we sought information about other contacts through her doctor and have already reached out to her uncle, who is discussing the matter with her father to improve communication,” a member of the federation’s staff said.

However, the director of the Gaodian Residential Committee in Xiamen, where the woman lived previously, said: “The situation is not, as some online information suggests, that ‘her parents do not care about her’.

“Her father has been covering her hospital expenses through her uncle, which wouldn’t have been sustainable otherwise. The specifics involve too much personal information and are not convenient to disclose in detail.”

On June 12, the woman was finally discharged from the hospital. She was given a job in property management and provided with help to adapt to living in society again.

The original post from the man whose wife was in the same hospital has been deleted, and the complaint information on the Xiamen Municipal Government official website is no longer accessible.

It is unclear whether the woman will get any compensation.

The case provoked outrage on mainland social media.

“How terrifying! How many decades does one have in a lifetime?” said one person.

“Can she sue her parents? 10 years! She was admitted at 20 and only got out at 34, wasting her most valuable years in a psychiatric hospital just because of family disputes. How can such people be parents?” asked another.

China sees foreign visitor numbers more than double after lifting visa rules for many travellers

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269354/china-sees-foreign-visitor-numbers-more-double-after-lifting-visa-rules-many-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s visa-free policy appears to be succeeding in its aim of attracting more visitors as the number of foreigners entering the country more than doubled in the first six months of the year.

In total 14.64 million foreigners visited the country in the first half of the year, up 152.7 per cent year on year, data from the National Immigration Administration showed.

The number of visa-free entries made by foreigners passed 8.5 million, accounting for 58 per cent of inbound trips and representing a year-on-year increase of 190 per cent, according to the administration.

But the number of foreign visitors is still short of reach pre-Covid levels, when 15.53 million foreign travellers visited in the first half of 2019.

With the country facing a slump in domestic tourism as a result of the flagging economy, China has gradually been increasing the number of countries whose citizens can visit for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits.

The new visa-free rules cover more than a dozen countries in Europe as well as Australia. A further 23 countries have mutual visa exemptions, including Thailand, which was added to the list this year. Singaporeans and Malaysians can visit for up to 30 days at a time.

The country also expanded its visa-free transit policy to 54 countries last November. Citizens from these countries can stay for up to 144 hours in Beijing, Shanghai and 20 other cities if they have a valid onward ticket to another country, and there are further exemptions for cruise ship passengers stopping over.

The National Immigration Administration said it had processed a total of 287 million inbound and outbound trips in the first six months of 2024 – marking a 70.9 per cent rise year-on-year.

These included 137 million journeys by mainland residents, 121 million by residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and 29.2 million by foreigners.

Various measures to make travel easier for international visitors have also been introduced. These include easing restrictions to allow visitors to use the most common domestic payment apps with foreign bank accounts or cards – a major problem in the past because most businesses do not accept cash or the main international cards such as Visa or Mastercard.

The People’s Bank of China has also increased the amount foreign passport holders are allowed to spend on mobile payment apps, raising the amount allowed in a single transaction from US$1,000 to US$5,000 and the annual cumulative limit from US$10,000 to US$50,000.

The authorities have also tried to ease barriers on booking accommodation, removing a rule that required hotels to have a certificate allowing them to accept foreign guests and telling businesses not to turn away international visitors.

Zhu Shanzhong, former deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration, told the 21st Century Business Herald that increased numbers of foreign visitors will play an important role in boosting the domestic tourist industry’s fortunes.

He said that even before the Covid pandemic there had been a “large gap” between China and some of the most popular destinations in terms of the contribution foreign tourism made to gross domestic product, but it was expected to start closing this.

“Market growth will exceed one trillion yuan year-on-year, and the proportion of my country’s GDP from foreigners’ inbound tourism revenue is expected to increase to 1 percentage point in the future,” said Zhu.

Hong Kong start-ups shine at China’s largest AI show amid city’s drive for Asian tech hub status

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3269294/hong-kong-start-ups-shine-chinas-largest-ai-show-amid-citys-drive-asian-tech-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed

Artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups from Hong Kong grabbed some of the spotlight at the three-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai this week, as they showcased an array of products and services to underscore the city’s ambitions to become an innovation hub.

Cyberport, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP), and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, brought 15 companies to the AI conference this year, compared to only eight last year, amid the city’s efforts to transform into a tech hub.

The displays included large language models, Internet-of-Things systems, AI image generation, industrial quality-control solutions, and AI-powered rescue drones. The Hong Kong Industrial Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Centre, known as FLAIR and established by the Hong Kong Productivity Council, presenting its R&D achievements and user cases.

“Despite its small geographical size, Hong Kong is an international city that can attract talent and access global markets,” said HKSTP CEO Albert Wong Hak-keung at WAIC. “Additionally, Hong Kong has strong fundamental research capabilities, underpinned by its top universities.”

In August 2023, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu committed to establishing a cross-boundary science and technology hub by 2035, emphasising Hong Kong’s role as a bridge between the mainland and the rest of the world. As part of the efforts, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced a series of innovation and technology initiatives backed by HK$24 billion (US$3.07 billion) in the 2024-2025 budget.

“Hong Kong has been a traditional financial centre for a long time, which means easier fundraising for entrepreneurs, combined with the support of the Hong Kong SAR government,” said Lu Jian, chief representative of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for eastern and central China. He also noted that science parks like HKSTP and Cyberport support thousands of start-ups, creating a positive “agglomeration effect” that helps them match up with potential partners and clients.

Commercialising AI technology has been a pain point for many start-ups, which burn cash during the R&D phase. “The Hong Kong Productivity Council has served [small and medium enterprises] for decades, understanding their needs and cost-effectiveness concerns. Therefore, our projects focus on real application scenarios from the outset to ensure better landing,” FLAIR CEO Edmond Lai Shiao-bun told the South China Morning Post.

Discussing the future of AI technology, HKSTP CEO Wong pointed out three key areas: the technology itself, its accessibility, and regulation. “We aim to establish a platform for AI start-ups in Hong Kong, supporting their exploration in various application fields.”

Computing power is increasingly crucial in the global AI race. According to Wong, HKSTP’s computing centre is expected to be operational by August. “Hong Kong has access to the best chips and infrastructure, and we should build more facilities to support our companies,” he said.

Cyberport, which received HK$3 billion from the city government, is developing an AI supercomputing centre, which it said is expected to deliver computing power of 3,000 petaFLOPS when fully operational, equivalent to processing nearly 10 billion images in one hour.

Among the other exhibitors at WAIC were automation solution provider YouToo Robot, AI-powered rescue drone start-up LifeSparrow, local LLM start-up Stellaris AI, data and indoor positioning platform SagaDigits, commercial robot maker RoboCore, AI SaaS start-up Pubrio, and intelligent assembly line inspection company MotherApp.

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China’s new large amphibious aircraft goes into production and final assembly

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269274/chinas-new-large-amphibious-aircraft-goes-production-and-final-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s new large amphibious aircraft – the biggest in the world – has gone into batch production and final assembly, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The plane, known as the AG600, is designed for maritime patrols and search and rescue operations. From the southern island province of Hainan, it could reach any location in the South China Sea within four hours and it could be used for cargo or passenger transport between Chinese-controlled islands, according to state media.

Its developer, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), told Xinhua on Tuesday that the front assembly for the first batch-produced AG600 was delivered on June 30.

It said the delivery of the plane’s front section – which took three months to make – marked the start of batch production of the aircraft.

Final assembly of the amphibious plane will be done in the southern city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province, by AVIC subsidiary AVIC General Huanan Aircraft Industry Co, Xinhua reported.

The AG600 was developed to meet growing demand for an emergency rescue aircraft that could be used in maritime searches. Work started on the plane in 2014, with maiden flights conducted over land in 2017 and at sea in 2020, according to state media reports. Airworthiness tests began this year.

China is trying to develop more home-grown aircraft – like the AG600, the Y-20 large transport plane and the C919 single-aisle passenger jet – under a government plan to upgrade production equipment across industries through 2027.

The AG600 has been identified as a key project because of a strategic requirement to reach Chinese bases in the South China Sea.

AVIC chairman Qu Jingwen has previously told state media that the amphibious aircraft can take off and land at sea when waves are as high as 2 metres (6.6ft). Qu said the aircraft had the endurance to hover for two hours.

State media reports have also highlighted the aircraft’s role in providing support for navigational safety along the Maritime Silk Road – part of Beijing’s sprawling trade and investment network, the Belt and Road Initiative.

Development of the AG600 has been delayed by technological setbacks and the Covid-19 pandemic – it was originally expected to be ready for delivery by 2022.

As with other Chinese-developed planes the aircraft maker has had to overcome problems with the AG600’s engines – in this case the WJ-6, a turboprop engine based on the Soviet AI-20 series from the 1950s.

Previous state media reports have said there are 17 AG600s on order, including for the State Oceanic Administration and the China Coast Guard.

Thai Chinese cemetery shows movies for dead in eerie night of entertainment

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3266547/thai-chinese-cemetery-shows-movies-dead-eerie-night-entertainment?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese cemetery in Thailand has taken the movie going experience to a new level – by holding film screenings for the dead.

From June 2 to June 6, the eternal resting place in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeastern Thailand, which holds 2,800 graves, carefully set out rows of empty chairs.

The graves mostly belong to descendants of people from China who went to live in Thailand, and the film screenings were arranged to commemorate their spirits.

During the open-air film screenings, only four staff members were present, and the films were shown from 7pm until midnight each day.

Staff also laid on a feast for the spirits, burning paper offerings such as food, model houses, vehicles, clothing and daily necessities.

The screening event was organised by the Sawang Metta Thammasathan Foundation to commemorate the spirits and provide them with a modern form of entertainment, according to KhaoSod, a Thai daily newspaper.

Somchai, the event organiser, said that screening movies for the deceased after the Ching Ming Festival or before the Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional custom in many Chinese communities in Thailand.

Yanawut Chakrawattisawang, the contractor of the event, said he initially felt scared about showing movies in a cemetery.

However, he described the experience as unique and positive, as it was his first time providing entertainment for deceased people.

One online observer wrote on Weibo: “This spooky film screening event is actually a very warm idea to make the deceased feel satisfied and the living feel at ease.”

The Chinese community in Thailand, influenced by Confucianism, emphasises filial piety and reverence for ancestors.

It is believed that spirits may linger in the human world due to unfulfilled wishes.

By holding such ceremonies these souls can be comforted, and made to feel remembered and respected, which in turn reduces their “interference” with the living.

Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand and 94.5 per cent of the population adhere to it, according to the 2015 national census.

Buddhists hold a belief in reincarnation and the afterlife. Many Thais believe that after death, a soul enters a new cycle of rebirth.

Therefore, showing movies to ghosts becomes a way to comfort the departed, allowing them to feel satisfied and ensuring their rebirth.

In December last year, a Thai man held a ghost marriage with his girlfriend who had died of leukaemia, according to KhaoSod.

The bride was represented by a photo and a mannequin dressed in traditional Thai wedding attire. The man expressed his commitment to their love and hoped to comfort her spirit.

Malaysia shuts 2 sites over illegal waste as raid linked to Chinese gangs widens

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3269285/malaysia-shuts-2-sites-over-illegal-waste-raid-linked-chinese-gangs-widens?utm_source=rss_feed

Malaysian authorities have shut down two factories suspected of unlicensed electronic and plastic waste recycling in the northern Kedah state, as the government extended a crackdown on illegal waste imports linked to Chinese gangs.

The factories were closed on Thursday following a raid led by the ministry of natural resources and environmental sustainability, which found 1,600 tonnes of electronic and plastic waste stored at the sites.

“The e-waste factory is estimated to have produced 1,500 tonnes of e-waste on site while the plastic factory produced 100 tonnes of pellets which were packed in bags labelled as fish food,” Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said in a post on LinkedIn on Friday.

The authorities will prepare investigation papers “to charge both premises on all offences” under the relevant laws, Nik Nazmi said.

If found guilty, the perpetrators will face fines of up to 10 million ringgit (US$2.1 million) and mandatory jail time of up to five years, he said.

The minister said the environment department would also conduct further investigations to find the source of waste stored at the plastic recycling factory, including whether it was imported illegally.

The two factories are located in an industrial zone in the Kuala Muda district, close to the Muda River, a major source of freshwater for the neighbouring Penang state where semiconductor giants such as Intel Corp and AMD have set up factories.

Last week, Nik Nazmi said the government seized over 100 shipping containers filled with electronic waste in Port Klang shipped from the Los Angeles port and bound for illegal smelters run by Chinese gangs in Malaysia.

The haul was valued at US$1.7 million, the minister said. Another 195 containers sent from the same port and filled with scrap metal were also discovered at the same raid, he added.

The haul was a sharp spike from the previous year when authorities impounded 47 containers filled with banned materials including plastic and e-waste.

Malaysia has seen a surge in illegal imports of waste material as Western exporters continue to ship waste to various destinations in Asia following a hard ban on waste imports by China in 2017.

The government believes the imports are the work of a syndicate that ships illegal waste into Malaysia using forged documents.

E-waste comprises discarded electronic devices and components, which contain toxic substances such as lead and mercury that pose health and environmental risks. But they can also hold valuable metals like gold, silver and copper, which criminals can profitably extract by evading costs tied to strict regulations on safe disposal.

Plastic waste is also a perennial problem for Malaysia, which ranks among the world’s top generators of plastic pollution.

Malaysia was ranked the fifth worst contributor of plastic waste to the ocean with each Malaysian tossing out an average of 2.29kg of plastic waste a year, or an estimated total of nearly 76,000 tonnes annually, based on a 2023 survey by British energy firm Utility Bidder.

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Japan calls Chinese buoy in its southern continental shelf ‘regrettable’

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3269272/japan-calls-chinese-buoy-its-southern-continental-shelf-regrettable?utm_source=rss_feed

The Japanese government said on Friday it has confirmed China has installed a buoy in the high seas over Japan’s southern continental shelf in the Pacific Ocean, in a move that could further strain bilateral relations.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference it was “regrettable” that China has set up a small buoy in the waters off Japan’s western main island of Shikoku and north of the southernmost Okinotori Island “without explaining its purpose and other details.”

The government has urged China not to undermine Japan’s maritime interests, with Beijing responding that it installed the buoy to monitor tsunami and does not intend to infringe upon Tokyo’s sovereignty over the continental shelf, the top government spokesman said.

Japan confirmed that the Chinese survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 22 set up the buoy in mid-June while monitoring the vessel as it sailed through Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, a government source said. The open-sea area in question is surrounded by Japan’s EEZ.

Last July, China installed another buoy inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone near the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed uninhabited Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, prompting Japan to lodge a protest and demand its immediate removal.

China has been intensifying its military activities and maritime assertiveness in the regional waters, with Japan protesting against repeated intrusions by Chinese ships into Japanese waters around the Diaoyus, which Tokyo calls Senkaku Islands.

China scientist defies terror threats to help Pakistan farmers boost rice yields

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269251/china-scientist-defies-terror-threats-help-pakistan-farmers-boost-rice-yields?utm_source=rss_feed

As Chinese agricultural expert Dai Yingnan travels through Pakistan promoting the benefits of high-yield hybrid rice varieties, he often finds himself these days under the vigilant protection of security guards carrying AK-47s.

Dai, whose posts of life in rural Pakistan over the years have attracted more than 700,000 fans to his account on Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok – occasionally also depicts local police standing armed and watchful in the rice fields while he works.

Pakistan is China’s only “all-weather strategic cooperative partner” and plays a pivotal role in Beijing’s massive Belt and Road Initiative, but Chinese scientists and other workers have been increasingly under attack from militant groups.

In March this year, five Chinese engineers and a local driver died when a terrorist drove a truck loaded with explosives into a convoy of workers at the Dasu hydropower station in the country’s north.

Dai, who has been based in Pakistan since graduating from Hunan Agricultural University in 2017, said the situation has noticeably worsened since 2021, when the ceasefire agreement ended between the Pakistani Taliban and the government.

As the world’s fifth most populous nation with a vast traditional agricultural base, Pakistan is a focal point for China’s push to enhance bilateral agricultural cooperation, particularly through the promotion of hybrid rice.

A main aspect of Dai’s mission is to manage demonstration fields in rural parts of Pakistan, where simply providing high-yield seeds to farmers would be insufficient.

“These fields showcase, under meticulous care, that hybrid rice could have double or triple yields [compared with] local rices … [to] attract local farmers to join hybrid rice cultivation,” he said.

During his time in Pakistan, Dai has experienced some heartfelt interactions with the local farmers, including an invitation to a meal that deeply moved him, he told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday.

After seeing the high yield from one of Dai’s demonstration fields, a farmer planted hybrid rice himself. The following year, pleased with his bountiful harvest, he invited Dai to his home to enjoy a feast of duck.

While locals usually eat with their hands, the farmer went to town and bought chopsticks for his Chinese guest – a gesture that deeply moved Dai, because of its thoughtfulness.

“Despite not knowing him well and the language barrier, I could feel his appreciation for the Chinese agricultural expertise,” Dai said.

Pakistan’s arid climate poses challenges for traditional rice farming, which can be addressed with the introduction of drought-resistant varieties. However, a large part of Dai’s work is about addressing differences in farming philosophies.

“Local farmers [sometimes] grow crops casually and pay little attention to field management. Once a farmer told me that when they planted rice, they believed that the yield was given to them by Allah,” Dai said.

To bridge the knowledge gap, Dai and his team provide hands-on training in pollination, nutrient management, weed control, and other techniques that can increase yields from a few hundred kilograms per mu (1/15th of a hectare) to about 800kg (1,700lb).

But the growing security concerns are making it harder and more costly for Dai and his fellow Chinese nationals to fulfil their mission of sharing knowledge and expertise with Pakistan’s farmers.

Dai recounted some of the many security policies introduced by the Pakistani government in response to the escalating attacks on Chinese workers in the country.

“Government requires Chinese people to use bulletproof cars when going out. We also need to report our whereabouts to the police and can only travel with police approval and protection,” he said.

“Additionally, the places where Chinese people live must be secured with barbed wire and surveillance cameras.”

Renting a bulletproof car costs 20,000 to 30,000 yuan (US$2,750 to $4,125) per month, and buying one costs several hundred thousand yuan.

“Many Chinese have found these costs too high and have returned to China. Sometimes, travel permissions are not granted on time, and local Pakistani colleagues have to take over my work in the field,” Dai said.

Despite these challenges, Dai has continued to traverse most of Pakistan’s rice-growing regions – the same ones that he has been visiting for the past seven years, avoiding only the western desert and areas controlled by the Taliban.

His efforts have contributed to a soaring acceptance of hybrid rice, driven by widespread smartphone and social media use in Pakistan’s rural areas.

Pakistan’s rice exports have seen a corresponding surge, growing by nearly 5.6 million tonnes in the past 11 months to make the country the world’s fourth-largest rice exporter.

China also exports agricultural machinery for planting and harvesting to Pakistan, with government subsidies for farmers who buy or rent these machines. Dai’s advice on these decisions has also yielded heartwarming exchanges with local farmers.

“Pakistani farmers used Japanese Kubota harvesters and transplanters, but in recent years leading Chinese agricultural companies – like World Agriculture Machinery from Jiangsu province and Lovol from Shandong province – have begun promoting their products in Pakistan,” Dai said.

Despite the challenges, Dai is positive about his position although he has been less active online lately, largely because of restrictions on going out that have been imposed on Chinese nationals in the country.

Nevertheless, he plans to stay in Pakistan and continue sharing his perspective on local culture and customers in future social media posts.

“Promoting agricultural technology in Pakistan is a continuous effort from one generation to the next. However, many areas in the country still have farmers unfamiliar with hybrid rice, necessitating ongoing outreach,” he said.

Taiwan’s ‘carrier killers’, what makes China Coast Guard so powerful: 7 highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3269149/taiwans-carrier-killers-what-makes-china-coast-guard-so-powerful-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

Taiwan will commission two Tuo Jiang-class stealth missile corvettes this week to enhance its asymmetric warfare capabilities in response to growing threats from Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army.

Flare-ups between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea have drawn greater regional and even global attention, posing a challenge to Beijing’s preference for a bilateral approach to resolving maritime disputes.

Beijing has announced that non-Chinese nationals with permanent residency in Hong Kong and Macau will be able to apply for five-year travel permits, allowing them entry into mainland China starting from next Wednesday.

The Post unpacks what you need to know about the new permit.

It has only taken around a decade for the China Coast Guard (CCG) to evolve into a powerful instrument of China’s maritime strategy. With a fleet of some of the biggest and most heavily armed coastguard vessels in the world, the CCG’s capabilities now far exceed those of many other nations.

Anxious consumers in Vietnam and Thailand are rushing to buy gold – a sign of Asia’s mounting alarm, analysts say, over currency devaluations against the US dollar, inflation, and geopolitical uncertainty.

The Chinese consulate in Auckland has urged the local police to investigate a “racially motivated” attack on a Chinese teenager. The 16-year-old was attacked by an unidentified person on a bus in the city at around 9am on Friday – a public holiday to mark Matariki, the Māori New Year.

A military-style “training camp” in southern China sparked online controversy for the ruthless hardships it places on its young campers, with some describing it as “devil training”.

Secrets of top China tutor Zhang Xuefeng, worth at least US$100 million, has 30 million fans

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3267449/secrets-top-china-tutor-zhang-xuefeng-worth-least-us100-million-has-30-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed

A tutor and online influencer is one of the most-watched figures among anxious parents navigating China’s most competitive college entrance exam.

Zhang Zibiao, known as Zhang Xuefeng, has 30 million followers and has amassed a fortune as the country’s most successful extracurricular tutor.

The 40-year-old from Heilongjiang province in northeastern China leverages the pressure to succeed in gaokao, widely considered the most important exam Chinese students will face in their lifetimes.

He offers a highly sought-after counselling service for college applications, charging each student between 12,000 and 17,000 yuan (US$1,700-US$2,300).

Although there is no guarantee of personal guidance from Zhang – it is most likely to be delivered by his team – slots for his services as far ahead as 2026 have already been booked.

“I currently own three companies. The first is about to go public, and I expect to make several hundred million yuan from the IPO. The second is valued at between 500 and 800 million yuan (US$70 million to US$110 million),” Zhang said in a 2019 lecture.

“I make hundreds of thousands annually from book royalties and millions from lecturing but you might not see me lecturing in two years because I’ll have achieved financial freedom,” he said.

Zhang has been attributed with spurring the growth of an entire industry dedicated to gaokao application assistance, with more than 1,600 companies now registered in the field.

The process of college applications in China involves a complex strategy that considers scores, universities’ admission cut-offs, and future job prospects.

Having helped about 800 students succeed in their major degree subjects and 3,000 institutions, resulting in more than two million possible combinations, Zhang’s service markets itself with the slogan: “A good score in gaokao is less important than a good application strategy.”

This year, a historically high record of 13.42 million students registered for the gaokao, an increase of 510,000 from the previous year.

Despite his success, Zhang has often found himself at the centre of controversy because of his arrogance and dogmatic remarks.

He once advised students not to apply to certain universities, for which he later publicly apologised under pressure from the institutions.

Last year, he faced a backlash from education experts for speaking against liberal arts majors.

“Study journalism? If a child insists on choosing it, I’d rather knock them out and randomly pick any other major from the catalogue, anything is better than journalism,” he said.

“All liberal arts graduates are joining the service industries – and all they need to learn is grovelling.

“Can you accept that after working for 10 years, your salary might be lower than those who scored less than you in the gaokao?” Zhang said.

However, many parents applauded his statements, finding them harsh but true. They acknowledged the difficulties liberal arts graduates face in securing positions in a fierce job market.

Parents dub Zhang a “guiding light”, believing he voices widely but silently held beliefs, and they value the “clear and simple answers” he provides.

“Many majors are unclear from their titles. But Zhang clearly explained that ‘Energy and Power Engineering’ is basically about ‘operating boilers’. It clicked for me right away,” one parent recalled.

“If only I had Zhang’s guidance during my gaokao years …,” one follower added.

“Information disparity matters, the money spent is truly worth it,” another client said.

Before capitalising on the gaokao tutoring demand, Zhang focused on graduate school entrance exams, and it was while helping a dorm mate gather exam materials that his interest in gaokao was sparked.

In 2016, his lecture video explaining how to choose majors for the top universities, went viral online, earning him fame and leading to appearances on television shows.

Tesla shows its humanoid robot Optimus at China AI conference, but behind glass

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269237/tesla-shows-its-humanoid-robot-optimus-china-ai-conference-behind-glass?utm_source=rss_feed

Tesla showcased its humanoid robot, the second-generation Optimus, at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Thursday, making it one of the few American AI products seen at China’s top AI show.

The Optimus humanoid robot, equipped with Tesla’s self-developed neural network and computer vision technology, is largely seen as the future of robots as it is able to handle multiple tasks.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting that the humanoid robot, which has yet to enter full-scale production, could lift Tesla’s market cap to US$25 trillion in the future.

The single Optimus shown at the Shanghai event attracted a lot of attention, even though it was behind glass, and did not move or interact with visitors. Tesla, meanwhile, promoted the humanoid robot on Chinese social media Weibo, asking the public to “witness the further evolution of humanoid robots”.

A number of Chinese robotic companies brought their products to the show, as alternatives to Optimus. Local exhibitors, including Shanghai-based Fourier, Tlibot, Dataa Robotics, Robotera, Leju Robot, Shanghai Kepler Robot and Ti5 Robot, took to the centre stage to display their humanoid robots for visitors.

A total of 18 robots, including “Healthy Loong” developed by Humanoid Robots (Shanghai), were presented at the event.

Although humanoid robots have started to be used in China in sectors including education, entertainment, healthcare, elder care, and factory manufacturing, they are still in the lab research stage, according to representatives from the companies, and are not generating sales yet.

Despite being hyped as one of the most promising applications in the era of AI, the high costs of humanoid robots prevent them from being deployed on a large scale, according to an engineer at Tlibot, a company founded in 2012 in Mianyang, Sichuan province.

The engineer said a humanoid robot could cost between 500,000 yuan (US$70,000) and 1 million yuan, depending on the complexity of its functions. In comparison, Tesla’s Optimus is expected to sell for up to US$30,000.

Leju Robot showed its Kuavo robot powered by Kaihong OS, an operating system derived from Huawei’s OpenHarmony, an open-source OS for smart devices. Wu Changxuan, an engineer with Leju Robot, said that developing software systems for humanoid robots is more challenging than the hardware, as the company explores ways of widening its applications.

China aims to achieve mass production of humanoid robots by 2025, according to a guideline published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last November.

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Li Di, chief scientist of China’s FAST telescope, wins Marcel Grossmann prize

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269129/li-di-chief-scientist-chinas-fast-telescope-wins-marcel-grossmann-prize?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese radio astronomer has been named co-winner of this year’s Marcel Grossmann Award, making him the first recipient of the prestigious prize whose research is mainly conducted in China.

Li Di, chief scientist of China’s Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), was recognised for his “groundbreaking contributions to the scientific definition of the most sensitive radio telescope and his numerous innovations in characterising the dynamic universe”.

Li, who left Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2012 to join the National Astronomical Observatories in Beijing as a full-time researcher, led the FAST team to “make precise measurements of the interstellar magnetic field and advance the field of fast radio bursts into a high-statistics era,” the awards committee said.

Yang Ji, Li’s colleague at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing, noted that Chinese radio astronomers now have the opportunity to compete for international awards using cutting-edge telescopes they designed and built on their own.

“We have every reason to believe this is just the beginning for FAST to make groundbreaking discoveries in years to come,” Yang said.

The Marcel Grossmann Awards are seen as one of the most important accolades in physics. Named after the late Swiss mathematician who made major contributions to the development of general relativity alongside Albert Einstein, the awards recognise individuals and institutions for their outstanding work in the field of relativistic theory and experimentation.

Since 1985, the awards have been given out by the International Centre for Relativistic Astrophysics in Italy every three years. This year’s ceremony will be held in Rome next Tuesday.

Previous Chinese-born recipients of the Marcel Grossmann Individual Award include physicists Yang Chen-ning, Lee Tsung-Dao and mathematician Yau Shing-Tung.

Li Di was born into an astronomer’s family in 1972. His father Li Tipei pioneered high-energy astrophysics observation in China and proposed to build the country’s first X-ray telescope.

Li obtained his bachelor’s degree in nuclear physics from Peking University in 1995. He went on to earn his PhD in radio astronomy from Cornell University in the US, during which time he worked extensively with the 350m-diameter Arecibo telescope – the largest of its kind at the time.

After a few years at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Li returned to China to join the FAST project, which would be completed four years later and surpass Arecibo to become the world’s largest, most sensitive single-dish radio telescope.

Since 2016, Li has led the FAST team to detect hundreds of new pulsars, which are extremely dense, fast-spinning remnants of stars that beam off radio waves from their magnetic poles like a cosmic lighthouse.

They have also used FAST to collect the largest observational data set of fast radio bursts – short-lived but intense radio pulses from deep space – and provided insights into their mysterious origins and diverse mechanisms.

Li shared the 2024 Marcel Grossmann Individual Award with theoretical astrophysicist Christopher Fryer from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, US. Fryer is recognised for his “pioneering and groundbreaking” work that helped “advance our understanding of supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and binary stellar evolution connecting them”.

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Quirky Asia news: top China athlete in makeup fail, fishy hospital visit, spiky snacks

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3269177/quirky-asia-news-top-china-athlete-makeup-fail-fishy-hospital-visit-spiky-snacks?utm_source=rss_feed

When it comes to delivering quirky news, Asia very rarely disappoints.

Here, the Post selects some of the most surprising stories to have emerged across the region in recent days.

China’s champion hurdler Wu Yanni often courts controversy with her tattoos, opinions and the fact that she wears makeup while competing.

She refuses to accept that athletes should remain “barefaced”, believing everyone has the right to pursue beauty.

Sticking to her beliefs on looks and makeup, she did not disappoint on June 30 at the 2024 National Athletics Championships in Shandong province, eastern China.

Wu won the women’s 100m hurdles, looking great to clock a stunning 12.74 seconds, the best Asian performance of the season.

However, during a post-race interview, the athlete with attitude rubbed her eyes causing her false eyelashes to fall off – a makeup malfunction she quickly tried to hide by covering one of her eyes with her hand.

The facial faux pas delighted online observers.

“Covering your eye is so funny and adorable! You are a sincere and talented female athlete,” said one person on Weibo.

Wu’s victory also dispelled any doubts about her athletic prowess which had taken a knock in April when, in her first outdoor competition of the year, she clocked a below par time, disappointing both her fans and herself.

Fish hospitalised

A woman raised more than a few eyebrows when she took her pet fish to hospital in China.

The small, round bodied red parrot cichlid, which is known for its friendly nature, is one of the most popular marine pet breeds in the country.

Its owner, surnamed Lin, from Guangzhou in the southeastern province of Guangdong, became worried when her pet developed tumour-like growths.

She decided the best course of action was to rush her fishy companion of five years to hospital.

The bill for treatment came to 470 yuan (US$65), almost 20 times the amount Lin had paid a street vendor for the fish.

Many people on social media decried her decision as a waste of money.

Lin, however, was unrepentant, saying that she could not put a price on the deep emotional bond she has with her pet.

“Every time I feed it, it swims up to me with its mouth puckered, almost like it is smiling. This comforts and delights me,” she said.

A TikTok influencer has live-streamed people eating durian skin to create an unlikely ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) video.

ASMR videos use gentle, specific sounds or scenarios to stimulate sensations, promoting relaxation and aiding sleep.

So the spiky durian skin clips featuring two men using two dipping sauces, one creamy and the other an Indonesian chili sambal, jarred somewhat, as did the crunchy sound of them eating.

One online observer missed the point a little and tried to teach the pair the “correct” way to eat durian.

“You should open it and eat the yellow flesh inside. The mistake you made is one even a five-year-old would not make.”

However, durian skin is not without value.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is considered nutritious and medicinal and its abundance of dietary fibre means it is often used in soups with meat.

Experts also recommend drying the skin and grinding it into powder to make a nutritious drink.

‘Lust, Caution’ China actress Tang Wei takes UK study break, makes award-winning comeback in South Korea

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3265459/lust-caution-china-actress-tang-wei-takes-uk-study-break-makes-award-winning-comeback-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed

At 44 years old, Chinese actress Tang Wei has already experienced the peaks and valleys of being a famous actress in mainland China.

Now, she is basking in the glory of her big comeback.

Born to a family of artists in Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province, her acting career began in 2000 when she was accepted into the prestigious Central Academy of Drama.

Seven years later, she became internationally famous overnight when she starred in Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, an erotic spy thriller in which she co-starred alongside Tony Leung Chiu-wai, one of the most iconic actors to come out of Hong Kong.

It was Tang’s debut film, and she won multiple prestigious awards, including the Best New Performer title at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards.

But that movie ended up being a poisoned chalice, as both she and the film were banned in mainland China because of its steamy love scenes.

Tang faced it with elegant determination, saying: “Actresses ‘live’ on stage, and I look forward to new acting opportunities.”

During her hiatus from mainland China, Tang attended the University of Reading in Britain to study drama. She would often perform in part-time street performance gigs for extra income.

Tang was able to return to the big screen in 2008 when she moved to Hong Kong as part of its Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.

In 2010, Tang made a major comeback with the film Late Autumn. Her performance as a prisoner granted a 72-hour parole visit to Seattle won her the award for Best Actress at South Korea’s Baeksang Arts Awards, making her the first foreign winner in that award’s history.

While filming the movie, she fell in love with its director, Kim Tae-yong. The couple married in 2014, and Tang gave birth to their daughter, Summer, in 2016.

Tang’s ban in mainland China was also lifted around the same time. In 2013, she appeared in the successful Chinese romance comedy Finding Mr Right and its 2016 sequel.

In 2022, she was the lead actress in Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook’s romance murder mystery that received international critical acclaim.

Tang won her second Baeksang Best Actress for playing the mysterious wife of a man found dead on a mountainside. She also won the Best Actress category at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, another of the top film awards in South Korea.

Tang’s experience has inspired many fans, showing them how to navigate difficult moments while remaining humble and down-to-earth. Her fans say they admire her for never giving up on her dreams and continuing to do the work required to achieve them.

Modi’s Russia visit a sign of India’s unresolved tensions with China, analysts say

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269213/modi-visits-russia-sign-indias-unresolved-tensions-china-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed a two-day visit to Russia, following his decision to skip a regional summit where Chinese President Xi Jinping is in attendance.

Analysts suggest the two moves are a sign of New Delhi’s unresolved tensions with Beijing over their border issues, its desire to maintain strong ties with Moscow and its strategic efforts at balancing relations between the two.

Modi was absent from a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) – a grouping initially established by China, Russia and the ex-Soviet Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – which convened this week in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana.

Instead, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar was tasked to attend the meeting, with Delhi claiming the dates clashed with India’s first session of parliament under Modi’s third-term government.

Analysts are divided on whether Modi’s decision signals his unwillingness to engage directly with Xi at the regional meeting due to the outstanding border issues that have remained a source of tension since their troops clashed in 2020.

But what is clear is Modi is more than willing to meet Putin, with the Kremlin confirming on Thursday that the Indian prime minister is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Friday for a two-day visit.

Harsh Pant, an international relations professor at King’s College London, said Modi probably wanted to avoid “the optics of meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping” to signal that the “top Indian leadership will not engage with China at the highest level unless something changes in the Chinese approach” to resolving the border issue.

At the same time, Modi wanted to emphasise the importance of India’s historically strong ties with Russia by planning a visit, Pant said.

“This will be his [Modi’s] first visit to Russia in his third term. He is underscoring the importance of this relationship.”

It will also be Modi’s first visit to Moscow since 2015, though he has met Putin regularly at other venues. Their last in-person meeting was in 2021 when Putin visited Delhi.

The Indian prime minister will be breaking convention by visiting Russia instead of neighbouring countries in South Asia after being elected for a third term, which analysts suggest is due to Russia and India maintaining strong ties despite Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

India has become a major buyer of Russian oil since other countries placed embargoes on the commodity following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has also been a major supplier of arms and heavy military equipment to Delhi for several decades.

However, India has in recent years increasingly shifted towards Western allies for military supplies and engaged them more deeply on strategic defence ties.

At the same time, India has countered US and European nations’ efforts to cast Russia as a pariah state, for example by abstaining from UN votes condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow has signalled its increasing dependence on Beijing amid Western efforts to isolate the country, a development Delhi is wary about. Putin went to China in May, the first foreign visit since the start of his latest term in office.

“India would not like to see Russia completely falling into the Chinese sphere,” Pant said, adding that Modi wanted ties between India and Russia to balance out Moscow’s relationship with China.

Western allies have frowned on India’s purchases of oil and weapons from Russia – especially since it is a member of the Quad, the quadrilateral security bloc that includes the US, Australia and Japan.

Analysts say that while Western nations are unlikely to be happy about Modi’s visit to Russia, the Indian prime minister will be conscious about balancing interests.

Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, said supplies of arms and equipment, including delays in the supply of S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile systems, were among the issues that the two leaders were likely to discuss.

Payment snags for oil deals due to Western sanctions on Russia were also likely to be on the agenda, he said. The short duration of the visit “indicates that India is not going to go overboard” in keeping Western interests in mind, Joshi added.

At a meeting with Xi on Wednesday, Putin hailed the SCO as “one of the key pillars of a fair, multipolar world order”, and said ties between Moscow and Beijing were “experiencing the best period in their history”.

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar met his counterpart, China’s Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the summit, where he reportedly reiterated Delhi’s demand for a resolution to the border issue.

Sreeradha Datta, an international-affairs professor at Jindal Global University in Haryana, said there was no ambiguity about India’s stance in prioritising the border issue with China, though Beijing would prefer to move ahead on other issues such as trade.

“That is the core for India and until China agrees to have a discussion on that, the rest is not important enough,” she said, adding that sending a senior minister such as Jaishankar to the SCO meet showed Delhi was still giving importance to the grouping.

Modi’s visit to Russia only showed that Delhi would maintain its foreign policy stance of trying to maintain cordial relations with as many countries as possible, Datta said.

“I think India is balancing its interests extremely well,” she said, adding that the nation’s ties with Western powers including the US would not be affected by Modi’s visit to Moscow.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

China’s third plenum needs to provide ‘clear direction, anchor’, reforms: economist

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269163/chinas-third-plenum-needs-provide-clear-direction-anchor-reforms-economist?utm_source=rss_feed

China needs to provide “clear direction and an anchor” during the upcoming third plenum to revive market confidence, while a market mechanism and structural reforms are also required, a senior China economist said ahead of this month’s key conclave.

“We’re hopeful that the [upcoming third plenum] document will speak to some of the issues … maybe strengthening property rights surrounding entrepreneurship and putting local government finances on sounder footing,” Alfred Schipke, director of the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute, told the Post in Beijing last week.

“Maybe some related to governance and giving a message to the global community that China, despite all the challenges that it faces, is open for business.”

Beijing confirmed last week that the third plenum of the new Central Committee would convene for four days from July 15 to chart China’s long-term growth path, which would include economic and tech development goals for the next decade, as well as a series of interim goals to be reached by 2035.

Schipke spent more than seven years as the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) senior resident representative for China from 2013 – the year Beijing vowed to let the market play a decisive role in resource allocation in its milestone reform document.

Before his relocation to India and then Singapore, Schipke had pushed the IMF advice of promoting structural reform in China, rather than debt accumulation.

China’s Politburo – a major decision-making body in Chinese politics – said last week that the country aimed to build a high-standard socialist market economy by 2035, while a decision about deepening reform would be published at the plenum.

Schipke said there are “a lot more challenges” for Beijing’s policymakers compared to 2013, but China has a huge domestic market to rely on and new industries are growing to fill the void of the collapsing property sector.

“Households, companies and also local governments are looking for a clear direction and an anchor, which in turn would foster confidence,” he said, referring to weak consumption.

China’s middle-income population stands at around 400 million – which is larger than the entire population of the United States – but many households are tightening their spending and increasing precautionary savings.

Bank deposits by Chinese households have remained high, and rose by 16.67 trillion yuan (US$2.3 trillion) in 2023 and 7.13 trillion yuan in the first five months of this year, central bank data showed.

But despite the many on-the-ground challenges, Schipke pointed to China’s successful use of its industrial policy in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, and suggested possible tech transfers to the West due to China’s rapid progress.

“Industrial policy does not always lead to success,” he said, citing previous attempts at producing competitive combustion engines.

“[However,] China has the resources and invested in EVs early on. In a certain kind of way, it also got lucky since at the time it was not clear if EVs would be successful.

“It’s also a little bit of a mind change because the technology transfer, historically speaking, would have come from the West.”

Domestically, Schipke said Beijing needs necessary structural reforms, with a focus on boosting demand rather than supply-side improvements, where the central government should play a bigger role.

And although Beijing is improving its policy coordination, Schipke warned about conflicts between government targets, including the 5 per cent annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth target versus the targeted fiscal deficit-to-GDP ratio of 3 per cent.

“Whenever the economy slows down, the pressure is always on the [People’s Bank of China] to provide support,” he said.

“It will be critical that fiscal policy plays a more proactive role.”

China has so far resisted major stimulus, but there are constant calls for loosening following the central bank’s plan to buy treasury bonds in the secondary market, which many have interpreted as a sign of quantitative easing despite multiple denials from Beijing.

“Clearly, China has the potential to continue growing at a relatively high rate, but it has to be sustainable. It has to be increasingly productivity driven,” Schipke added.

Productivity could come from new technologies, new business investment and also a market mechanism that allows corporate failures, he added.

“Currently, there is still the risk that too many resources are misallocated,” Schipke said.

World swimming federation confirms US federal investigation into Chinese swimmers’ doping tests

https://apnews.com/article/china-doping-swimming-paris-olympics-world-aquatics-d55b6c2853e2d7a79cefa68afe51f9bfA view of the Paris La Defense Arena, Wednesday, June 12, 2024 in Nanterre, outside Paris. The Paris La Defense Arena will host the swimming and some water polo events during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

2024-07-04T14:43:06Z

GENEVA (AP) — The international swimming federation says its executive director has been ordered to testify as a witness in a U.S. criminal investigation into the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 yet were allowed to continue competing.

World Aquatics confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that Brent Nowicki “was served with a witness subpoena by the United States government.”

In May, a House Committee on China asked the Justice Department and the FBI to launch an investigation under a federal law that allows investigations into suspected doping conspiracies even if they occurred outside the U.S.

The swimmers were allowed to compete at the previous Olympics in Tokyo despite testing positive for a banned heart medication. Chinese officials blamed food contamination and the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted that explanation and has since defended its handling of the case.

Eleven of the swimmers are expected to compete for China at the Paris Olympics.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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