Daily Briefs


Photo : Global Times/ VCG

21 June 2022 | Tuesday | China Reader Evening Brief | Vol.1, No. 215

China urges the US, Canada and Australia to address violation against indigenous women

At the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, China urged the US, Canada and Australia to take responsibility for their crimes and rectify their discriminative actions the indigenous communities.

IN BRIEF
By Avishka Ashok

INTERNATIONAL
United Nations: China urges the US, Canada and Australia to address violation against indigenous women 
On 20 June, China’s representative at the United Nations attended the ongoing 50th session of the Human Rights Council where the Special Rapporteur on violence against women deliver a speech. The Chinese representative urged the member countries to pay attention to the human rights violations against indigenous women and girls in the US, Canada and Australia. The representative said: “China is deeply concerned about the issues reported at the meeting by the Special Rapporteur including the violence against politically active indigenous women in the US, obstacles for indigenous women and girls to seek justice in the US, and genocide crimes by Canada against indigenous people” China urged countries to own up to their historical crimes and eliminate the discimination and violence metted against indigenous women and girls. (“China calls on UN to address human rights violations against indigenous women and girls in US, Canada, Australia,” Global Times, 21 June 2022)

International Criminal Court: Activists and Lawyers appeal to investigate human rights situation in Xinjiang 
On 20 June, activists and lawyers presented a dossier of evidence and urged the International Court of Justice to open an investigation into China’s human rights violations against the Uighur minorities in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in the country. The group which filed the latest appeal to begin the investigation submitted the evidence which includes testimony by an individual who escaped from a camp in 2018. The statement by the group said: “The ICC has jurisdiction over these crimes that commence on ICC territory and continue into China and is urged to act immediately to open an investigation.” (“Lawyers call on intl court to investigate Uighur treatment,” The Asahi Shimbun, 21 June 2022)

WTO: Ministry of Commerce claims China’s role in waiver of patents on COVID-19 vaccine
On 20 June, an official from China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that China had played an influential role in the World Trade Organization in facilitating the waiver of intellectual property rights for the COVID-19 vaccines. The WTO’s Ministerial Conference Twelfth Session (MC12) which is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland authorized developing member countries to produce the COVID-19 vaccines without any copyright issues for a period of five years. The Chinese official said: “At a pivotal stage of MC12 negotiations, China, as a major producer and a supplier of COVID-19 vaccines, announced that it will forego the flexibility of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver on COVID-19 vaccines.” China made the vaccine a global public good in May 2020, making it affordable and more accessible to the developing countries. Xinhua Net reported that China as donated over 2.2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to almost 120 countries. (“China makes significant contributions to WTO waiver of COVID-19 vaccine patents: official,” Xinhua Net, 20 June 2022)

Global Development Report: Foreign Minister promotes GDI at launch of report 
On 20 June, the Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the launch of the Global Development Report and said that the report would provide intellectual support for global development. The report focuses on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its current challenges. The report is launched by the Centre for International Knowledge on Development. WangYi referred to the report and said: “Drawing on the useful experience in China and other countries, it also lays out policy recommendations in eight aspects for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.” He further promoted the Global Development Initiative and called on the countries to focus their attention on development and make it a centre of the international agenda. Wang highlighted the capacity of the initiative to coordinate development policies, deepen practical cooperation, pool resources, address difficulties and promote efficiency. (“Global development report shares Chinese wisdom with world: FM,” Xinhua Net, 20 June 2022)

Belt and Road Initiative: Pakistan and Cambodia appreciate China’s infrastructure and economic support
On 20 June, experts from different countries participated in the international webinar on “Big Power competition in the post-pandemic World Order and the Belt and Road Initiative” and rejected the idea of a Cold-War and pushed for cooperation over confrontation amongst countries in the world order. The participants of the conference encouraged the connectivity and cooperation facilitated under the Belt and Road Initiative and urged world leaders to promote the initiative further to tackle other global challenges. Pakistan’s Senate Defence Committee Mushahid Hussaid Syed appreciated the CPEC, a part of the BRI in the country, and said: “Pakistan is in a strategic location where huge transformations and transitions are taking place... the country is endeavoring to be the hub of regional connectivity through CPEC, by making a transition from geopolitics to geo-economics.” Other than Pakistan, experts from Cambodia also praised the BRI and its impact in the country. (“Experts call for greater cooperation under China-proposed BRI,” Xinhua Net, 21 June 2022)

South Africa: Illegal donkey trade to China endangers population within the country
On 21 June, the Strait Times reported on the trade of donkeys from South Africa to China, an industry which has recently become sought after by China’s middle class for the gelatin called ejiao which is derived from donkey skins. The gelatin is used as blood thinners and are also increasingly becoming an alternative to rhino horns. However, the trade has put other businesses dependent on donkey milk at risk due to heightened exportation in African countries like Burkina Faso, Kenya, and South Africa. The co-founder of Donkey Dairy Jesse Christelis said: “In South Africa we have seen a rapid decline of the donkey population due to illegal slaughter to supply the Chinese skin trade.” According to another study conducted by the University of South Africa, the donkey population fell from 210,000 in 1996 to 146,000 in 2019. South Africa exports about 10,500 donkey hides in a year to China. However, the illegal exports may be much higher. (“South Africa's latest hot export to China? Donkeys,” The Strait Times, 21 June 2022)

Horn of Africa: China’s envoy to the region offers to mediate in conflicts
On 20 June, China’s first special envoy to the Horn of Africa Xue Bing offered to mediate in the disputes in the region. The move comes as China aims to strengthen its influence in the region and protect its investments from the conflict. Bing addressed a press conference in Ethiopia and said: “I myself am ready to provide mediation efforts for the peaceful settlement of disputes based on the will of countries in this region.” China has a number of interests in the region such as its first overseas military base in Djibouti, oil investments in Sudan and South Sudan, manufacturing hubs in Ethiopia and a number of other infrastructure projects. (“China’s 1st Horn of Africa envoy offers to mediate in region,” The Asahi Shimbun, 21 June 2022)

INTERNAL
Tesla: Electric car by the company banned from summer retreats of the CPC
On 20 June, the Strait Times referred to an announcement by the local traffic police and reported that Tesla cars will be banned from entering a coastal district towards the East of Beijing city that hosts the Communist Party of China’s summer retreats. The report explained that the cars have been banned for a period of two months but failed to explain the reason behind the restrictions. Tesla cars have previously been banned from entering military complexes, houring compounds and other sensitive regions to prevent the cars from capturing sensitive data with their cameras. The company, which has its highest sales in China, has pledged to store any data collected inside the country and said that cameras were not activated outside North America. (“Teslas banned from Communist Party resort town in China,” The Strait Times, 21 June 2022)

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