A delegation of 11 representatives of China’s “official” Catholic bodies took part in the assemblies that ratify Xi Jinping's political choices. Bishop Yang Yongqiang, one of the two bishops who attended the Synod at the Vatican, was also present. Bishop Shen Bin told journalists that the new goals for China’s Catholic community are “self-control, self-management, and self-construction”.
An "incident” involving a journalist covering the "Two Sessions" in Beijing shows the extent to which digital controls are used to silence dissatisfaction due to the real estate market crash.
In large enterprises, units linked to the Chinese armed forces are again being formed. Private companies are also following the example of public ones. A way to manage potential unrest in the context of the economic slowdown and to strengthen the Communist Party's control over companies.
Due to rising political tensions and diversification strategies, only 11.4 per cent of Taiwan’s foreign investment went to mainland China last year, down from 83.8 per cent in 2010. Chinese investments in the island are also down. In 2022, China accounted for 34 per cent of Taiwan’s overall foreign investment, down from two thirds a decade ago. US lawmakers start visit in Taiwan.
Philip Chan, 59, is the first to come under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, adopted in 2022 to deal with growing pressure from the People's Republic of China (PRC). A real estate developer linked to a Shenzhen-based group, Chan attended the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing last year.
The geopolitical confrontation between the United States and China is having serious repercussions on academic research. The number of Chinese students enrolled in US universities is down for the fourth year in a row. Many projects in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing are dual use and can be exploited by the military.
Ten years since the arrest of Ilham Tohti, the symbolic face of the repression against the Uyghur cultural identity, a report slams 18 European tour operators for offering travel packages in Xinjiang. Their “destinations are linked to genocide and crimes against humanity.”
In 1999, Beijing reinterpreted Hong Kong’s Basic Law to deny children born in mainland China to Hong Kong parents the right to reunite with their families. Since then, the PIME missionary has been fighting to resolve an issue that touches 60,000 people. The denial goes against what the Chinese government itself has said.
Chinese authorities have banned the admission of new monks to Khyungbum Lura Monastery, which resisted the People's Liberation Army in the 1950s. While native Tibetans have expressed concern, China has boosted its repression in Tibet, adopting population data collection strategies as in Xinjiang.
The Ministry of State Security has a new task, that of protecting the economy amid slowing growth. The once-mysterious intelligence service is becoming more active on social media against “hostile forces" that might hinder development. At the same time, the authorities are censoring negative comments to boost investor confidence.
This is the GDP target set for 2024 at the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party's economic conference. At the centre of the proceedings are fears over the real estate sector and obstacles to recovery. The propaganda is functional to the recovery attempt after the post-Covid clouds. Over 8.5 million people on the 'blacklist' for not having repaid bank loans, another 19 million without medical assistance.
Lawyer and pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung writes a “J’accuse” from her cell in a Hong Kong prison. “It is indisputable that the current international order is heavily dominated by the West, and thus still quite far from the ideal of law-as-values. But the way to improve it is not by giving more voice to the non-western dictators, which could only deepen the silence of the hitherto voiceless.”
A practice used as a tool of class struggle during the Cultural Revolution. The president has decided to revive the old model of social governance promoted by Mao 60 years ago, mobilising the masses to 'solve problems at the local level'. In reality, it is a way to control discontent and the economic crisis. Fears of strengthening surveillance.
Beijing is reportedly planning a greater role in the Middle East, as part of its global military challenge to US dominance in the Persian Gulf. So far, senior government officials have not commented. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is accelerating plans to build a blue-water navy.
Renewed military-to-military talks was the main outcome of the summit between the US and Chinese presidents in San Francisco. Both want to avoid conflict by resuming communications. No joint statement was made after their four-hour meeting. Xi's supporters and people protesting for human rights in China clashed in the California city.
Young people celebrated this rare occurrence in China. Masks are an opportunity for satire and dissent, without crossing red lines. Security forces and police were deployed across the city, taking some young people into custody. Videos and photos showing people in disguise popped up all over social media, taking advantage of a rare opportunity to express discontent.
Zeng Yuxuan, 23, was jailed for six months over a drawing of the "Pillar of Shame", a statue that honours the victims of the massacre. Repatriated in Shenzhen as an unwelcome person, she is now missing; her mother has suffered the same fate. This case is the latest in a long list of repressive acts against activists. The young woman’s supporters have set up a Facebook page open to anyone concerned about her fate.
Hunan Television, a popular TV channel, broadcasts a prime time show in which variety meets Communist Party ideology. The aim of the programme is to show that Marxism is compatible with traditional Chinese culture. A new last-ditch effort by the leadership to reinforce the ideology among the youth; but on the web there is also mockery of the initiative.
Deemed a “rebel province”, Taiwan is investigating four companies involved in the construction of a microchip plant in Shenzhen. Taiwanese authorities are also planning to establish a list of key technologies banned from export for its own national security.
Lawyer Lu Siwei - detained in July in Vientiane while trying to flee the People's Republic - is in a detention centre in Sichuan despite warnings from UN Human Rights Council officials. The same place where Beijing seeks re-election for a new three-year term on 10 October.
A computer programmer from Chengde had three years' salary confiscated by the police for using a VPN. The device makes it possible to circumvent the block on foreign websites imposed by the Chinese authorities. The affair is viewed with concern by professionals and companies operating in the internet services and foreign trade in China. Meanwhile, abroad, Beijing is very active in defending its narrative on the same social networks that are 'banned' at home.
Although some competitions have already started, the opening ceremony will take place in two days (without fireworks for environmental reasons). Alongside the Olympic disciplines there will be eSports and disciplines related to ancient Asian practices, such as traditional Dragon boat racing or Indian kabbadi. The coach of India's football team consulted an astrologer to decide which players to bring along. Beijing reopens to the region after the covid in the hope of racking up medals.
Many changes have occurred since 2013, University of Nottingham Professor Hongyi Lai told AsiaNews. The “New Silk Road" has expanded to new sectors but several infrastructure projects are being implemented at a slower pace. China’s economic woes will not end soon.
As people move from rural to urban areas in China in search of work, a high proportion of their children follow only to face a range of hardships, ranging from poor emotional support to limited access to public services. Despite some improvements, their full development is thus stunted by inadequate living conditions.
On a trial basis, the eastern Chinese province is scoring religious personnel to enhance their “ideological awareness". Meanwhile, in several provinces, Buddhists and Taoists are not allowed to celebrate the “superstitious" Ghost Month.
At Johannesburg summit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates officially invited to join as member countries from Jan. 1, 2024. "Willing to explore opportunities" on the use of local currencies as an alternative to the dollar. Beyond the "photo opportunity" problems of distancing between Beijing and New Delhi persist.
The country's leaders are gathered at the traditional summer summit in the coastal town of Beidahe. A series of uncharacteristic changes among army leaders revives rumors of purges. The president remains aloof and has not yet visited the areas affected by the floods, which have also reached Beijing. Challenges of the economic situation and diplomatic relations.
With youth unemployment officially jumping to 21.3%, the movement against social pressure is growing. According to a document from the Guangzhou administration, 10% of young people agree with the "four nos" of this form of nihilistic protest. But from the Beijing authorities only invitations to "adapt" and slogans on the strengthening of the private economy without concrete openings.
The huge debts of cities and provinces are hindering the recovery, reducing Beijing's chances of stimulating the economy. The emblematic case of Guizhou which has a debt rate of 61.8% after huge investments in tourist facilities that have remained empty. The Wuhan Municipal Finance Bureau published an advertisement in the newspaper asking government agencies to pay off outstanding tax debts.
The US$ 4.1 billion deal reached last week in Paris does not include private banks, in which the Beijing holds a majority stake. According to Chatham House, the debt of African countries has increased fivefold from 2000 to 2020, with 12 per cent held by Chinese banks. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is asking creditors for a 30 per cent cut, a demand always rejected by Beijing.
