Mar 26th 2022 A MONTH AFTER Vladimir Putin plunged Europe into war, China is ready to explain why it sees no urgent need to stop Russia—its closest strategic partner—from killing Ukrainians. After fine-tuning arguments and propaganda lines for weeks, China’s Communist Party bosses and their envoys now have talking points for every audience. Listen to this story.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android. Your browser does not support the <audio> element. The most common argument is built on deflection and anti-Americanism. This is used for Chinese domestic consumption…
Day: March 25, 2022
How narcissistic youth might help struggling Chinese booksellers
Mar 26th 2022 BEIJING IN 1993, AFTER 14 years of imprisonment, one of China’s most prominent dissidents, Wei Jingsheng, was taken on a tour of Beijing. Authorities hoped that the dazzling new architecture and bustling roads would convince him that the Communist Party he so stubbornly opposed had done great things. Mr Wei admitted to being impressed, but asked to see a bookshop before drawing any firm conclusions. Listen to this story.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android. Your browser does not support the <audio> element. His tour…
The extraordinary manpower behind China’s zero-covid strategy
Mar 26th 2022 BEIJING THE THIRD fall was the one that finally put Gao Ying in the hospital. As a community health worker, she had been helping Hangzhou, her home city, fight a surge in covid-19 cases. She had not slept in her own bed for two weeks. She was exhausted. Still, on March 18th she set off for a meeting on local covid-control measures. That’s when she collapsed three times in a lift, the third time smacking her head on the wall. Video of the incident was captured by…
In a crucial year politically, Xi Jinping wants stability
Mar 26th 2022 NO DATE HAS been set for it yet, not even a month. But for every official, the orders are clear. Their work must focus on making sure that a crucial Communist Party congress, to be held in the second half of the year, goes smoothly. The conclave is widely expected to herald the start of at least another five years of rule for Xi Jinping. From the police to economic policymakers, all are trying to minimise untoward events that might overshadow his moment of political glory. “The…
Amid the Ukraine Crisis, China-Russia Economic Relations Remain Lukewarm
Advertisement Amid Europe’s worst military crisis in decades, countries around the world faced mounting pressure to choose sides between Russia and Ukraine. China, in particular, has faced outspoken criticism from Western officials and foreign policy commentators, who see Beijing as openly supporting Russia. China has meticulously shunned any provocative language, mostly repeating Russian official statements. It also blamed the United States and NATO for mishandling Russian security concerns, “fuelling the flame” of conflict, and denounced Western sanctions as damaging for the global economy. Chinese social media seemed less timid, with…
Is the EU-China Investment Agreement Dead?
Advertisement “We know we are in a complicated phase of relations with China,” European Union trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said recently, referencing the upcoming April 1 virtual summit between Brussels and Beijing. The summit arrives at an inopportune and awkward time for both sides. Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine and China’s reluctance to condemn it has caused the EU’s 27 member states to “rethink” their ties with Beijing within a “new global context.” As a result, ratification of the previously much-hailed EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) seems less certain…
China Continues ‘Severe and Complex’ Fight Against COVID-19
Advertisement China continues to battle its worst COVID-19 outbreak, driven by the Omicron variant, with health officials on Friday calling the situation “severe and complex.” The country has counted more than 56,000 cases since March 1, according to national health officials, who gave a press briefing Friday. More than half of those cases have been recorded in northeastern Jilin province and include asymptomatic cases as well. The numbers do not include Hong Kong, which tracks its COVID-19 data separately. China continues striving to “achieve dynamic zero-COVID in the short term,…
China Signals It’s Back to Business as Usual With Taliban Government
Advertisement Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to South Asia has been full of surprises. After a planned visit to Pakistan to attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conclave as a guest, Wang made an unannounced stopover in Afghanistan, before heading to another unannounced stopover in India. From there, he will make his way to Nepal. Wang’s trip to India was unconfirmed until the last minute, but it was widely expected in the region. His visit to Kabul, by contrast, came as a surprise. China does not officially recognize the…
Australian journalist Chen Lei to face court in Beijing on Thursday, sources say
An Australian journalist will face court in Beijing next Thursday on state secrets charges, after being detained for more than 19 months, sources close to the case say. Cheng Lei, who worked as a television anchor for Chinese state media for a decade before being detained in 2020, was formally arrested a year ago on allegations of illegally supplying state secrets overseas. She will be tried in the Beijing No 2 People’s Intermediate Court at 9am next Thursday, Reuters confirmed with sources who did not want to be named because…
China and Solomon Islands Draft Secret Security Pact
SYDNEY, Australia — A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II. The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government. Though it is marked as a draft and cites a need for “social order” as a justification for sending…