NIAS Area Studies
PAKISTAN READER
Photo : CGTN
IN BRIEF
By Avishka Ashok and Arshiya Banu
INTERNATIONAL
The US: China refutes remarks on its foreign aid having double intentions
On 21 July, the head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Luo Zhaohui addressed the Anti-Corruption Forum organized by the CIDCA and the Ministry of Commerce and refuted statements made by US officials on the country’s foreign aid policy. Luo stressed on China’s attached importance to foreign aid in the past 73 years and called out the US’ “empty checks” laced with personal gains and intent to intervene in the internal affairs of foreign countries. He said: “The United States never shies away from using aid as a tool to advance its own interests and to openly meddle in the internal affairs of other countries. The U.S. side has put forward at least 60 foreign aid initiatives in recent years. Though the initiatives appear to offer substantial funding, they are difficult to implement and are "empty promises" or merely a game of numbers.” He further reassured that China's aid had no political strings attached and aimed at building the recipient countries’ self-development capacities. Luo also shed light on China’s response to the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative which suspended debt service payments of over USD 1.3 billion and accounted for 30 per cent of the total debt service suspension. (“U.S. attempts to smear China's foreign aid policy denounced,” Xinhua Net, 22 July 2022)
AUKUS: Chinese academic institutions denounce nuclear proliferation undertaken by the West
On 22 July, Xinhua Net reported on the research report by the China Arms Control and Disarmament Associations and the China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy titled “A Dangerous Conspiracy: The Nuclear Proliferation Risk of the Nuclear-powered Submarines Collaboration in the Context of AUKUS.” The report is a first of its kind on the AUKUS submarine collaboration published by Chinese academic institutions. The findings of the report claimed that the AUKUS nuclear powered submarine collaboration set a dangerous precedent for illegal transfer and nuclear proliferation. According to the report: “The AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine collaboration runs counter to the spirit of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and also undermines ASEAN countries' efforts to establish the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. In addition, it ferments potential risks and hazards in multiple aspects, such as nuclear security and arms race in nuclear submarines, with a profound negative impact on global strategic balance and stability.” (“AUKUS submarine collaboration risks nuclear proliferation: report,” Xinhua Net, 22 July 2022)
World Youth Development Forum: All China Youth Federation convenes meeting between 2000 youth representatives
On 21 July, China President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the World Youth Development Forum organized by the All China Youth Federation which began in Beijing on the same day. On behalf of President Xi, the Foreign Minister Wang Yi read out the congratulatory note. The Forum was attended by over 100 distinguished guests such as the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab. Antonio Guterres also addressed the forum virtually and delivered his address. The forum was also attended by over 2000 young representatives from 100 countries. The forum focused on employment and entrepreneurship, climate change and green development, digital economy and high-quality education. (“World Youth Development Forum opens in Beijing," Xinhua Net, 22 July 2022)
International Union for Conservation of Nature: New endangered species list classified Chinese Paddlefish and wild Yangtze Sturgeon to go extinct
On 22 July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which proclaimed the Chinese Paddlefish and wild Yangtze Sturgeon to be extinct, sparked a lot of comments calling for greater environmental protection on China's social media platforms. According to the IUCN’s most recent list of endangered species, 100 per cent of the 26 remaining sturgeon species worldwide are now threatened with extinction, up from 85 per cent in 2009. The Union said: "The assessments are based on new calculations which show their decline over the past three generations to be steeper than previously thought," and confirmed the extinction of the Chinese Paddlefish. (“Chinese Paddlefish and wild Yangtze Sturgeon extinct: IUCN,” The Strait Times, 22 July 2022)
REGIONAL
South Korea: China announces progress in second phase of FTA negotiations
On 21 July, China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting addressed a press conference and announced that the country had made substantial progress in its talks with South Korean officials on the second phase of the free trade agreement. Shu said: “The two sides have held nine rounds of formal negotiations so far, and recently reached a consensus on pushing forward follow-up negotiations.” He further expressed China’s willingness to reach a mutually beneficial agreement and push bilateral and trade relations to a new level. The FTA was signed between the two countries in 2015 and has since cut tariffs eight times. Shu appreciated the rapid pace of economic growth despite the setbacks in global recovery. The bilateral trade volume reached USD 184.25 billion in the first half of 2022. (“Substantial progress made in China-ROK FTA talks: official,” Xinhua Net, 21 July 2022)
INTERNAL
Jiangsu: One killed by Tornado in eastern China
On 22 July, the Asahi Shimbun reported that in eastern China’s farming region of Jiangsu, 11 villages were struck by a tornado that destroyed homes, killed at least one person, and injured 25 others. At the same time, large areas of the nation are experiencing excessive heat. Over 2,000 people had homes and other property destroyed by the tornado that hit the province located in the south of Beijing. The overall damage was expected to be about 65 million yuan (USD 9.6 million). Despite the fact that tornadoes are not common in China, last year around 12 people died and over 300 people were left injured because of a tornado in Jiangsu and the central city of Wuhan. (“Tornado kills 1 in eastern China as country faces high temps,” The Asahi Shimbun, 22 July 2022)
Emissions Trading Scheme: Excess of carbon allowances cause a slowdown in trading
On 22 July, the Strait Times reported that over 2,000 power plants in China have experienced emissions trading owing to the country’s carbon market, but experts believe there have been few significant environmental advantages due to design problems and data theft. The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in China, which is the largest ETS in the world, controls roughly 4.5 billion tonnes of yearly CO2 output from the power sector. In the first year of business, about 200 million tonnes of carbon were traded for a total of 8.5 billion yuan (USD 1.2 billion). However, due to an excess of carbon allowances and worries over data veracity, trading has been somewhat slow. (“A year on, China's CO2 market yet to drive big emission cuts,” The Strait Times, 22 July 2022)
Heatwaves: “Big heat” day to hit China with unusually hot weather
On 22 July, meteorologists issued warnings that heatwaves are to return to China during the next 10 days after a brief reprieve, with high temperatures anticipated from east to west. The day of the "big heat" on the Chinese Almanac, July 23, is predicted to see a strong rise in temperatures. Heatwaves, which are defined as periods of unusually hot weather lasting three days or longer, are expected to follow. Chief forecaster Fu Jiaolan stated that the hot wave is anticipated to have a comparable geographic scope to the heatwaves from July 5–17, although more areas may see temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or higher. (“Heatwaves to hit China from east to west as almanac's 'big heat' day looms,” The Strait Times, 22 July 2022)