Packed Week for US-China Ties – Micron banned, Wang Wentao meets Raimondo and Tai, Xie Feng appointed Ambassador to the US
The 'Eye on China' newsletter features this week's most important developments on India-China relations, Chinese Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy, Economy and Tech, and the military!
Section A: India-China Relations
- Anushka Saxena
This was a relatively uneventful week for India-China relations. To begin with, India Today reported that untold sources have informed it that China has been building border defence villages adjacent to the Indian state of Uttarakhand, as close as 11 km away from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The report said:
China has also been involved in the construction of around 55-56 houses around 35 kilometers away from the LAC adjoining Uttarakhand, which remain under the supervision of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It has plans to construct 400 villages in the eastern sector along the border alone.
These villages are big complexes equipped with all the facilities. The Indian Army earlier said that it was monitoring the situation along the LAC, which is the border between India and China.
Earlier in April, the Indian Military expressed serious concerns over massive construction by China in the Amo Chu river valley in Bhutan. Amo Chu abuts the strategic Doklam plateau, from where India’s Siliguri corridor is in direct line of sight of China’s PLA.
Pictures accessed exclusively by INDIA TODAY show the PLA’s permanent habitation for its troops along with communication towers in Amo Chu. Close to 1,000 permanent military hutments as well as multiple temporary sheds have come up in recent months to house thousands of PLA troops.
Though similar construction activities and border infrastructure projects are being regularly carried out on both sides, China continues to make inroads closer to the LAC, increasingly since 2010. The Uttarakhand region is strategically important to both India and China, and any signs of transparency and cooperation have evaded the official channels of communication.
It remains crucial to continue to study intelligence on the matter, as posts and villages closer to the Indian territory can threaten vital interests. Human-int is not enough, as we saw with the Galwan situation in 2020, and India will have to harness and expand its sat-int capabilities, integrating it with eyes on the ground.
Secondly, on 22 May 2023, during his visit to Papua New Guinea for the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an apparent dig at China while expressing disappointment in “friends” who he considered “trustworthy,” but turned out to be otherwise.
He first unveiled an action plan encompassing health, renewable energy and cyber-security to bolster cooperation with Pacific island states amid China’s efforts to increase its influence in the area.
Then, as Hindustan Times reports:
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Modi referred to challenges facing the small island countries, such as climate change, health-related issues and barriers to the supply of food, fuel, fertilisers and pharmaceuticals, and said: “Those whom we considered trustworthy, it turned out that they were not standing by our side in times of need.”
Speaking in Hindi, he added: “During these challenging times, an old saying has proven true: ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’ I am glad India stood with its Pacific island friends during this challenging time.” He also referred to aid provided by India to its partners, including vaccines, medicines, wheat and sugar.
For interested readers: a full transcript of Modi’s speech (translated from English to Hindi) is available on the Ministry of External Affairs website.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, who co-hosted the summit, also said Modi has “emerged as the leader of the Global South” and thanked him for advocating the issues of developing countries at India’s G20 presidency. “I want to take this moment...and ask you to offer a third big voice in the face of the Global North,” Marape said, potentially indicating that US and China are the first two big voices in the region.
Before the commencement of the FIPIC, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin had said during his regular press conference on 19 May:
“China does not object to normal exchange and cooperation between relevant parties and Pacific island countries (PICs). China believes the rest of the world needs to give more attention to and support for the development and prosperity of Pacific island countries. Any cooperation document to be negotiated and signed should serve this purpose. We oppose bringing geopolitical contest into the region of Pacific island countries by any nation.”
Clearly, the statement indicates that China is opposed to the idea of the US or India using platforms like FIPIC to launch anti-China partnerships, and is ready to counter efforts towards unilateral dominance of any country over the PICs.
Just a month ago, on 27 April, Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries Affairs of the Chinese Government Qian Bo met with the 10th batch of political leaders delegation of Pacific Island Countries at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qian Bo expounded on China’s foreign policies, its policies toward Pacific Island Countries, and its relations with Pacific Island Countries. The two sides apparently also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and concern. And before this, Qian Bo made trips April to PICs like Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, PNG, and Micronesia.
Section B: Economy and Tech
- Amit Kumar
A leading expert from Beijing-based think tank urges China to be pragmatic and effective in its approach to the economy
At a conference on digital economy held in Wuhan, Yang Weimin, vice-chairman of the Beijing-based China Centre for International Economic Exchanges, sounded several warnings to the Chinese government and urged the authorities to ease the pressure on the economy for sound recovery.
The SCMP which reported on the event stated:
China must make every effort to retain leading foreign companies amid the ongoing global supply chain restructuring, while also ensuring the competitiveness of its domestic players haunted by high US tariffs, according to a one-time aide to former vice-premier Liu He.
Yang Weimin, vice-chairman of the Beijing-based China Centre for International Economic Exchanges think tank, warned that China is entering an “increasingly complex” international situation and should curb the outflow of foreign companies, at the same critical stage of overcoming the so-called middle-income trap, that occurs when growth stagnates and incomes stall.
Dispelling the belief that domestic consumption can single-handedly boost growth, Yang said: “There is a tendency in the country to believe that the domestic market demand is strong enough to drive economic growth, but such a perception is lopsided.”
Yang called on authorities to study additional “pragmatic and effective” policies to stabilise trade and inbound investment.
Stabilising foreign investment and trade represents one of seven long-term challenges China should tackle to ensure it can achieve its target of having a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) at the level of a mid-level developed country by 2035, he said.
Technology, funds and industrial know-how that come with overseas investors and income, as well as jobs generated by its once-booming exports, have played a pivotal role in China’s elevation to the world’s second-largest economy over the past four decades.
However, amid an increasingly unfriendly geopolitical environment and the disturbance of global supply chains due to the coronavirus, Beijing has shifted to rely more on its 1.4 billion-consumer market to drive growth as it seeks to reduce its dependence on overseas shipments and foreign technology.
Yang estimates that an average annual growth rate of 4.72 percent between 2020-2035 is necessary for China to achieve its per capita GDP target.
The report further stated:
He also called on the government to reduce “improper interference” amid growing concerns about the future of the private sector in China.
He also called on the authorities to address the sluggish growth of consumer spending, boost technological innovation, maintain a comprehensive industrial system as a major manufacturing country, back the development of the platform economy and ensure stability in the property sector.
China’s Commerce Minister meets foreign business representatives to quell skepticism
Days before China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai, he held a meeting with American firms in Shanghai to quell the anxiety among the foreign business community in the backdrop of perceived retaliation by the Chinese government against the American companies. In the past few weeks, Chinese authorities have raided several consultancies and due diligence firms and excluded US-chip giant Micron from selling its products to Chinese companies after it failed to clear the national security review.
The SCMP reports:
At a meeting in Shanghai, attended by representatives of US firms and the local American Chamber of Commerce, Wang Wentao praised the economic and trade benefits of the two countries finding ways to continue working together.
Emphasising the importance of the China market for American companies, the minister’s warm message of win-win cooperation also appeared to be aimed at advancing Beijing’s attempts to thaw icy trade relations with Washington, as the two sides seem prepared to move past February’s “spy balloon” saga.
“The economies of China and the United States are deeply integrated,” minister Wang told delegates from Johnson & Johnson, 3M, Dow, Merck, Honeywell and AmCham Shanghai on Monday, according to a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. “It is in the fundamental interests of the two countries to conduct economic and trade cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. It is also beneficial to the entire world.”
Wang emphasised how China’s economy is recovering, and that its market potential continues to be released, in line with Beijing’s ongoing push to lure more firms from abroad. Such efforts, however, have been met with criticism by American and European lobby groups that say not enough is being done, resulting in the postponement or cancellation of investment plans in China.
The ban on Micron (the Chinese market accounts for 11 percent of Micron’s global revenue) came immediately after the G7 countries expressed concerns over ‘economic coercion’ by China. The ban stoked fears among foreign businesses of similar restrictive measures in the future.
British Chamber of Commerce in China survey points to a ‘conditional optimism’ among businesses
In the 2023 position paper published by the British Chamber of Commerce in China on May 23, the body said that while the outlook for 2023 appears optimistic after the zero-COVID restrictions were lifted in December 2022, it remains conditional on China’s ability to restore ‘trust and certainty’. The paper’s executive summary reads:
In late 2022, 42% of businesses reported a pessimistic outlook for the China market, surpassing 10% for the first time in the history of our surveying.
However, with the welcome announcement of the end of China’s dynamic zero-COVID policy in December 2022, we are now witnessing a cautious yet conditional return in optimism. In our most recent survey conducted in April this year, 76% of businesses reported feeling more optimistic for the coming year following China’s reopening.
The resumption of travel has paved the way for the restoration of crucial people-to-people exchanges with headquarters, global offices and international clients. Furthermore, China’s market potential and economic prospects, compared to those of other countries, provide further reasons for this renewed optimism.
However, optimism is conditional on being able to restore the trust and certainty needed to fully realise China’s undoubted market potential. Short- and long-term outlooks are clouded by challenges posed by rising geopolitical tensions, a slowing global economy, increased talk of self-sufficiency, shifting investor perceptions, and an increasingly unpredictable business environment.
While some of these challenges are beyond the control of any single actor, for its part the Chinese government should take concrete actions to deliver on promises of support for foreign business, establish clear objectives and guidelines regarding policies and regulations, and maintain open communication channels with businesses.
These steps would help further restore confidence and reduce the uncertainty that continues to weigh heavily on business in China.
Towards addressing the uncertainty and restoring trust, the British Chamber of Commerce in China recommended:
Actions to support proposals and statements related to further opening up, specifically to:
Establish clear and specific timelines for implementing policies designed to improve the business environment, address long-standing market issues related to intellectual property rights and data security, and create a more welcoming environment for foreign investment.
Continue to reduce the negative list for foreign investment and communicate these changes effectively to potential investors.
Develop and adopt comprehensive guidelines for interpreting and implementing policies consistently across the country, to ensure a level playing field for all market players.
Ensure faithful implementation of policies that support opening up, including lifting foreign ownership limits on passenger car companies, issuing debt underwriting licences to foreign banks, and addressing difficulties in obtaining design licences for foreign built environment firms, with specific timelines and metrics to measure progress.
Accelerate negotiation of entry into international partnerships such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and align with international standards where possible, such as in the carbon market, in ESG requirements, and cross-border data rules.
Measures to improve transparency and competition for business which addresses the unequal playing field between stateowned enterprises (SOEs), domestic private companies and international businesses;
Clarity to reduce compliance uncertainty for businesses navigating the changing regulatory environment;
An open and inclusive consultation process in the development and implementation of policies; and
Clear and increased lines of communication at all levels.
Some of the major concerns that foreign businesses operating in China continue to harbour despite several rounds of assurances by the leadership and local authorities include an uncertain regulatory environment (abrupt changes to rules and regulation), unclear regulatory compliance relating to cyber security and data protection and lack of transparency therewith (inability to inform the concrete or specific grounds of compliance failure), unfair competition, and lack of a level playing field vis-a-vis SOEs and domestic private entities, mandatory domestic procurement rules, IP rights violation, national security and self-reliance narrative.
Zhongguancun Forum 2023 kickstarts in Beijing
Zhongguancun, located in northwest Beijing, is China’s answer to America’s silicon valley. China has built Zhongguancun into a centre for scientific and technological innovation to advance growth.
Xinhua reports:
Running from May 25 to 30, the ongoing 2023 Zhongguancun Forum being held in the Chinese capital's innovation hub, has drawn top scientists, institutions, and well-known innovation and entrepreneurship entities from across the world to discuss international cooperation on scientific and technological development.
Decades ago, people who lived here never imagined that this formerly suburban community of Beijing could command the world's attention one day, nor could they foresee a national high-tech industrial development zone rising from their farming fields.
Last year, there were 4,244 companies in Zhongguancun with annual revenue exceeding 100 million yuan (14.13 million U.S. dollars), which is 2.2 times that of 2012. Among them, 11 companies surpassed the trillion-yuan revenue mark.
Over time, Zhongguancun has become a flagbearer of China's innovation, bearing witness to the rapid development of Chinese technology, with the continuous emergence of significant sci-tech innovations, increasing investment in R&D, continuous improvement of innovation mechanisms and strengthened international cooperation.
Providing the details of the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum, another piece from Xinhua read:
Themed "Open Cooperation for a Shared Future," the 2023 Zhongguancun Forum is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the municipal government of Beijing.
The large gathering has attracted guests from more than 80 countries and regions, as well as almost 200 international organizations, institutions and foreign government departments.
Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the Forum was read out by Yin Lin, a politburo member. The SCMP reports:
Chinese President Xi Jinping said it is important “more than ever” for nations to deepen cooperation and share technology in his message to a big tech forum in Beijing, as the country tries to woo global scientists to work jointly on areas such as artificial intelligence.
Xi wrote that China is committed to a “win-win strategy of opening-up” and the country is ready to join hands with others to promote sci-tech innovation, according to the letter published by the official Xinhua news agency.
Xi stressed that Beijing should fully leverage its strengths in education, science, technologies and talent, coordinate sci-tech and institutional innovation, continue to promote pilot reforms in Zhongguancun, further accelerate the construction of a world-leading sci-tech park, and strive to take the lead in the innovation of cutting-edge technologies and the development of advanced and sophisticated industries.
Explaining the journey of Zhongguancun over the decades, Xinhua writes:
From the sparsely populated outskirts of Beijing to an electronics industry cluster in the 1980s, and then to a national-level innovation hub and China's highland of sci-tech development, Silicon Valley's Chinese counterpart has emerged as a symbol of innovation and has been dubbed a remarkable chapter in the history of China's reform and opening up due to its pioneering spirit.
It was not until 1988 that the first privately owned high-tech firm was registered in Zhongguancun. The enterprise, named Yonyou, obtained the science park's first private enterprise license, numbered "SY0001." Over the past decades, Yonyou developed from a two-person software service company into a leading provider of enterprise cloud services.
In Zhongguancun, a wave of innovations and many "world's first" breakthroughs have emerged in frontier technological fields in the past decade, while a batch of homegrown sci-tech industry leaders such as Xiaomi, Baidu and BOE are at the forefront of sectors such as smart manufacturing, deep learning, and semiconductor displays.
In Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, the total revenue of enterprises reached 8.7 trillion yuan in 2022, which is 3.5 times that of 2012. Value added in 2021 hit 1.3 trillion yuan, marking 3.4-fold growth compared to 2012.
Measures supporting the establishment and development of foreign-invested R&D centers have been introduced in the zone, attracting over 300 multinational companies to set up regional headquarters and research centers. More than 130 Fortune Global 500 companies have established branch offices in the zone.
Riding on the rapid development of Zhongguancun, Beijing has established itself as a crucial hub in the global innovation network, with nearly a hundred universities and over a thousand research institutes, which not only provide support for its own economic and social development but also inject sustained momentum into global progress and development.
Ranking third globally in the number of "unicorn" companies and topping the Nature Index global science city rankings six consecutive times, Beijing has demonstrated its prowess in sci-tech advancements, witnessing the emergence of world-class innovations in fields such as quantum information and artificial intelligence, said Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.
As the beating heart of the innovative city, Zhongguancun drove the rapid advancement of Chinese technology and transformed the forum into an international platform for China's active engagement in global scientific and technological innovation.
China more important than Taiwan: Nvidia Founder
Speaking to the Financial Times, Nvidia's founder has questioned US tech controls on sale of advanced chips to China and has called the latter a ‘very important market’.
Financial Times reports:
The chief executive of Nvidia, the world’s most valuable semiconductor company, has warned that the US tech industry is at risk of “enormous damage” from the escalating battle over chips between Washington and Beijing.
Jensen Huang said US export controls introduced by the Biden administration to slow Chinese semiconductor manufacturing had left the Silicon Valley group with “our hands tied behind our back” and unable to sell advanced chips in one of the company’s biggest markets.
He added, Chinese companies were starting to build their own chips to rival Nvidia’s market-leading processors for gaming, graphics and artificial intelligence.
“If [China] can’t buy from . . . the United States, they’ll just build it themselves,” he said. “So the US has to be careful. China is a very important market for the technology industry.”
The report further stated:
Huang’s comments came just days before Chinese authorities announced a ban on US memory chipmaker Micron’s products from critical infrastructure, a move seen as the first significant retaliation against Washington’s export controls.
The Taiwanese-American executive warned US lawmakers to be “thoughtful” about imposing further rules restricting trade with China. “If we are deprived of the Chinese market, we don’t have a contingency for that. There is no other China, there is only one China,” Huang said, adding that there would be “enormous damage to American companies” if they were unable to trade with Beijing. Huang added that blocking the US tech industry’s access to China would “cut the Chips Act off at the knee”, referring to the Biden administration’s $52bn funding package to encourage construction of more semiconductor manufacturing facilities — known as “fabs” — in the US.
“If the American tech industry requires one-third less capacity [due to the loss of the Chinese market], no one is going to need American fabs, we will be swimming in fabs,” he said. “If they’re not thoughtful on regulations, they will hurt the tech industry.”
Referring to the spectacular rise in Nvidia’s market capitalisation this year fuelled by AI, the report says:
As excitement has grown around AI, Nvidia’s market capitalisation has more than doubled so far this year to about $770bn, ahead of its latest earnings report on Wednesday. Its valuation now dwarfs US rivals such as Intel and Qualcomm, each worth close to $120bn.
Despite a rally among some chip stocks, Nvidia is still far larger than its next nearest rival, Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which is worth about $450bn. However, the California-based company has been blocked from selling its most advanced chips — the H100 and A100 series — to Chinese customers since August when the US imposed export controls on technology used for AI.
Nvidia has been forced to reconfigure some of its chips to comply with US rules limiting the performance of products sold in China.
In the course of highlighting China’s importance, Huang even downplayed Taiwan’s relative significance.
Huang said China made up roughly one-third of the US tech industry’s market, and would be impossible to replace as both a source of components and an end market for its products. Most of the world’s advanced chips — including Nvidia’s — are made in Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
“We can theoretically build chips outside of Taiwan, it’s possible [but] the China market cannot be replaced. That’s impossible,” Huang said. “So you’ve got to ask yourself which way do you want to push it.”
Comparing the two markets, Financial Times reports:
China, including Hong Kong, accounted for more than a fifth of Nvidia’s sales in its latest financial year ending January 2023, according to its annual report, while Taiwan represented more than a quarter.
Based on last year’s figures, more than $12bn in Nvidia’s annual revenues – almost half its total – might be exposed to any potential conflict in the region.
Section C: Military Developments in China
- Anushka Saxena
To begin with, the Chinese naval ship Zhanjiang arrived in the waters near Langkawi, Malaysia on May 22 to participate in the 16th Langkawi International Maritime and Aviation Exhibition.
The 16th Langkawi International Maritime and Aviation Exhibition (Sea and Air Exhibition) opened in Langkawi, a tourist attraction in Malaysia on 23 May, attracting hundreds of exhibitors.
Malaysian Defense Minister Mohammad Hassan said at the welcoming ceremony held on the evening of the 22nd that it is expected that the sea and air exhibition will attract 45,000 professionals and 250,000 members of the public. This would be, for participating countries, “an important platform to strengthen communication and maintain regional security.”
The Zhanjiang ship is a new type of guided missile destroyer independently developed by my country. It set off from a military port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province on May 16. During the voyage, it organized targeted training such as platooning in different areas, sailing in narrow waterways, and foreign affairs etiquette training.
The PLA Air Force’s August 1st (Bayi) Air Demonstration Team, reportedly China's best-known aerobatic team, flew J-10C fighter jets at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on 23 May.
Via China.org.cn
In the past, China has also used the Langkawi exhibition, which was first conducted in 1991, to debut new platforms. For example, in 2019, China debuted new, lightweight remote-sensing platforms – a floating integrated information platform and a larger integrated information system meant to be installed on an island or reef – with the purpose of demonstrating their potential deployment for surveillance in the South China Sea.
Next, the PLA naval ship Qi Jiguang, which was carrying out the practice visit mission to remote seas and remote areas, arrived at the first stop of the voyage visit - Da Nang, Vietnam on the morning of the 23rd, and began a long-term visit to Vietnam.
This is Qi Jiguang's first visit to Vietnam after it was commissioned.
During the visit to Vietnam, the commander of the mission called on the Cice Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee Wu Shi Jinyan, Lieutenant General Zheng Tingshi, Political Commissar of the Fifth Military Region, and Major General Mei Zhongding, Political Commissar of the Third Navy Region, and participated in the welcome hosted by Major General Mei Zhongding dinner party.
The officers and soldiers assigned to the visit and the trainees on board the ship visited the Command of the Three Regions of the Vietnamese Navy and had professional exchanges and friendly sports competitions with the officers and soldiers of the Vietnamese Navy.
Ship Qi Jiguang held a deck reception, open to the Vietnamese military, local citizens, overseas Chinese, and personnel from Chinese-funded institutions.
Da Nang is located at the southeastern end of Da Nang Bay in the middle of the east coast of Vietnam. It is one of the five municipalities directly under the Central Government of Vietnam. Da Nang Bay is horseshoe-shaped. The tidal range in the bay is small and the current is weak. There are natural barriers in the north and south of the mouth of the bay. The situation is dangerous and the conditions for sheltering from the wind [is] good.
Thoughts: The visit can be seen as part of the many instances of China’s military diplomacy with Southeast Asian countries. And in the past couple of months, the frequency of Chinese military drills with its ASEAN partners appears to have increased, I believe, for two primary reasons.
First is Xi Jinping’s excessive emphasis on defence diplomacy under his flagship Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the second is China’s threat perception of expanding US military engagement with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, especially those that China has disputes with in the South and East China Seas. These visits are often complemented by high-level interactions between military personnel, and almost always feature a discussion on the GSI.
Continuing its efforts towards military outreach to developing countries, on May 27, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met with Congo (Kinshasa) Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Bemba in Beijing.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense had the following to say about the meeting:
Li Shangfu said that President Xi Jinping and President Tshisekedi announced to upgrade the strategic partnership of win-win cooperation between the two countries to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and reached a series of important consensus on deepening cooperation in various fields between the two countries in the next stage, so as to promote the relationship between China and Congo. Step up to a new level.
“We should take this opportunity to earnestly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and join hands to make new contributions to the friendly cooperation between China and Congo. In recent years, the cooperation between the two militaries of China and Congo in the fields of high-level exchanges, personnel training, and mechanism construction has continued to deepen and become more solid. The Chinese side will continue to provide assistance to the national defense and military building of Congo, further expand the scope of cooperation, deepen the connotation of cooperation, and improve the quality and efficiency of cooperation.”
Bemba thanked China for its support to Congo's national defense and army building. He said that under the guidance and promotion of the two heads of state, the friendly relations between the two militaries have become increasingly close, and the practical cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results. The Congolese army is willing to support each other and deepen cooperation with China, so as to jointly push the friendly and cooperative relations between the two militaries to a new stage.
This meeting comes on the heels of a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and DRC President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo in Beijing. Tshisekedi also met with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji.
The Joint statement issued in the aftermath of these meetings also featured the following commitment to strengthening security and military ties:
China reaffirms its firm support for the Congo in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, its own security and development interests, firmly supports the Congo in steadily advancing major domestic political agendas, and firmly supports the Congo people in independently choosing a development path that suits their national conditions.
Strengthen cooperation in the field of peace and security, especially close military exchanges between the two countries and cooperation in personnel training, combating transnational crimes, equipment technology, military industry, and joint exercises and training. The two sides agreed to strengthen the protection of the security and legitimate rights and interests of each other's citizens and institutions within their respective countries. The Chinese side provides assistance to the Congo in the field of implementing the "Military Programming Law" and building military capabilities.
Note: The DRC Armed Forces ordinance-law on 'Military Programming' referenced here was promulgated in August 2022, and is part of the Congolese Army Reform Plan initiated in 2009. The law basically aims to revolutionize FADRC's capabilities in six fields: Rationalization of human resources management; Military education and training; military equipment; Military infrastructure; military operations; military production.
All of these have the potential to be leveraged by China to create "win-win agreements" under the Global Security Initiative, which was also mentioned in the Joint Statement:
China welcomes Congo to join the "Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative". The Congo is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiatives at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
China condemns the violence and human rights abuses committed by various armed groups, expresses sympathy to the Congolese people who have suffered from criminal acts, and supports the rebuilding of trust and peace through the implementation of the Nairobi process and the Luanda Roadmap. China supports the efforts of relevant regional organizations to restore peace and security in eastern Congo.
Thoughts: It is absolutely fascinating to me that in this Joint Statement, China has expressed support for the domestic agendas of Kinshasa’s political leaders, and has also condemned criminal acts by the M23 (March 23) insurgent movement in Eastern Congo.
But as per an investigation by DRC-based defense analyst Jean-Jacques Wondo Omanyundu for Politico, most of the weapons used to the M23 forces and confiscated by the FADRC are of Chinese origin. Politico.cd reported: “The M23 uses the following weapons: PKM Kalashnikov Type 80 7.62mm Chinese light machine guns; Chinese brand 7.62mm Type 81 assault rifles; Chinese 120mm and 117mm mortars; 82-PM-41 82 mm mortars manufactured in the USSR; Chinese 40mm Type 69 anti-tank rocket launchers,” Mr. Wondo said.”
In a classic Chinese maneouvre, China's Xinxing Group (who manufactured the abovementioned weapons) categorically refused to answer POLITICO.CD's questions, while also responding to the accusations saying: "It's totally false. We do not sell our equipment to armed groups.”
The Chinese attempt to secure support for its GSI and its overall peace and stability agenda is flouted in so many ways here. But, as usual, the appeal for the promise of ‘indivisible security’, and for Chinese economic power among developing countries, is different and more pronounced.
Finally, various PLA Group Armies have engaged in interesting preparedness exercises this week. For interested observers, some insights from them are as follows:
Firstly, a brigade of the 72nd Army held a professional electronic countermeasures training camp at a field training place in eastern Anhui. The main purpose of this exercise wasn’t to intercept electronic interference and deploy efficient countermeasures, but rather to train “substitute leaders” to take the position of those who are already skilled in doing so, in their absence, and command the forces to victory.
As per the article on the exercise, featured in PLA Daily’s 24 May edition, "In actual combat, once the company commander suffers casualties, the sergeants, as an important force at the end of the combat system, must be prepared to substitute command.” While one of the substitute “monitors” did perform well, in the sea phase of the exercise, “due to the complicated sea conditions in the unfamiliar sea area, Zhang Hao [temporary instructor of the company] unfortunately "sacrificed" when he arrived at the beach, and the deputy company commander Chen Anqi took over the command.
As a replacement squad leader, Chen broke down the remaining forces not lost at sea into three squadrons. The article said that at the end of this, “due to lack of command experience, the two "replacement squad leaders" made several mistakes when leading the team to carry out operations, resulting in the failure of the "battle".”
In another exercise, the repairmen of a certain brigade of the 79th Group Army, led by Sergeant Di Chenglai were conducting fault analysis, identification and troubleshooting of communication radio stations, along with equipment inspections and technical index tests.
This was also a personnel training exercise, but faced a different type of problem - the leaders of the brigade said that in their research, they found that some units are accustomed to ”the same curriculum and the same progress" in group training, and they do not pay enough attention to those who have not met the standards, and there are not many ways to strengthen training for those who have met the standards.
Further, they said that in order to enhance the scientific nature of the training organization, they guided the grass-roots levels [of the forces] to fully consider the differences in the skill levels of officers and soldiers when formulating the training schedule, and on the basis of the battalion company's independent declaration of the training progress, strengthen the control of the course conversion process, especially for the most difficult subjects, through the overall arrangement of organs, supervision and control to carry out guidance, to help the troops carry out scientific training.
Hence, the purpose of this exercise was to solve for the ‘scientific control of progress in training’ - to control how much officials are trained and at what level, so that enthusiasm to train harder and further continues even among relatively senior officials.
Finally, a certain brigade of the 83rd Group Army conducted a very interesting tactical drill to train in carrying out “propaganda” and “agitation”.
The purpose of the exercise, basically, was to learn to understand what soldiers go through in combat psychologically, and how words of propaganda and agitation can boost morale. The PLA Daily article (24 May) which featured details of this exercise, read: “Faced with the anxiety caused by officers and soldiers marching for a long time, Zhu Xingchi, a political cadre, carried out publicity and agitation by preaching heroic stories and inspiring a sense of collective honor, which greatly boosted morale.”
The article further read:
"Battlefield mobilization is an important means to boost the morale of the army and stimulate bloody courage. It must closely follow the thinking of officers and soldiers and follow the drill process."
The leader of the brigade introduced that in previous drills, some political cadres did not pay enough attention to battlefield mobilization. The situation of going through the motions, the single working method and outdated methods and means lead to poor mobilization effect. To this end, they combined the operational needs and referred to actual cases to further improve the political work plan in combat, laying a foundation for improving the level of political work in combat.
Further, the article highlighted: In practice, the brigade formulated and issued the "Battlefield Mobilization Work Instruction Manual", distinguishing between different stages of combat preparation, combat implementation, and combat end, sorting out possible battlefield situations, clarifying key points of work, and formulating a response plan. At the same time, they also invited psychological experts to give lectures, and explained the psychological characteristics of officers and soldiers in missions to political cadres based on cases; incorporated battlefield mobilization into daily training and political cadres' competition assessment, and set up a variety of dangerous and difficult subjects in combination with the actual missions of battalions and companies to temper and improve political cadres.
Thoughts: This is one of the most elaborate descriptions I have read on how armed forces can boost morale of personnel on the ground. Most importantly, it also tells us that the political class is invested in understanding their anxiety, which is why it is conveyed to them in-depth and with accuracy by professional experts like psychologists, and that too using case studies.
Moreover, the idea here is that if political cadres associated with the CMC and the PLA cannot make morale-boosting efficient and effective, they will have to undergo assessment of their own capabilities.
Because the Chinese political forces love rules, notices, ordinances, and regulations, they have even formalized the idea of battlefield mobilization through a work instruction manual, which is unique to me.
To read more on developments concerning Chinese military forces, please refer to :
SCMP’s coverage of a Chinese journal article on a ‘war-game hypersonic strike on a US carrier group in the South China Sea’;
Spacebattles (a more informal channel for public discussions).
Before you read further, we have a question to ask you: does public policy excite you, and if so, are you interested in exploring the world of police wonkery in-depth? If yes, please refer to the brochures below to register for Takshashila’s flagship PGP course, starting 10 June ‘23!
Section D: Foreign Policy Watch
- Kingshuk Saha
Chinese commerce minister meets with U.S. commerce secretary
Wang Wentao China's Commerce Minister met Gina Raimondo US Commerce Secretary in Washington on Thursday while attending the 2023 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo sat down with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao in Washington D.C. on Thursday to discuss “concerns” surrounding bilateral trade. Marking the first cabinet-level exchange between the two countries in months, the U.S. talked about American companies operating in China.
The bilateral exchange between Raimondo and Wang comes as market observers keep a close eye on whether the U.S. will curb American investments in China, as relations between the world’s largest economies sour.
The Group of Seven leaders met Hiroshima over the weekend, and vowed to “de-risk and diversify” from Chinese reliance, adding that some of Beijing’s practices “distort the global economy. “The high-level talks come as China reportedly conducted inspections on U.S. audit firms in the mainland over national security breaches.
Earlier this week, China announced it will ban some purchases of products from U.S. memory chipmaker Micron — barring operators of “critical information infrastructure” in China after a security review conducted by the Cyberspace Administration of China.
In response, the U.S. Commerce Department’s spokesperson said, “We firmly oppose restrictions that have no basis.” He said the department will engage with the Chinese government to “detail” its position and seek clarity.
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a statement after the meeting:
“The two had candid and substantive discussions on issues relating to the U.S.-China commercial relationship, including the overall environment in both countries for trade and investment and areas for potential cooperation. Secretary Raimondo also raised concerns about the recent spate of PRC actions taken against U.S. companies operating in the PRC. This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the relationship.”
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo held talks in Washington on Thursday, engaging in "candid, professional and constructive exchanges" on China-US economic and trade relations as well as issues of common concern, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a statement on its website on Friday morning.
The Chinese side expressed deep concerns over the US economic and trade policy toward China, its policy on semiconductors and export controls, as well as its outbound investment review policy, according to MOFCOM.
The meeting between the two ministers, on top of the recent resumption of high-level engagements between Beijing and Washington, is one of the most important meetings between the two countries after the US shot down an unmanned Chinese civilian airship and hyped "China threat" which drove China-US relations to a new low.
China and the US agreed to set up communication channels to maintain and strengthen exchanges on specific economic and trade issues in addition to areas of cooperation, said MOFCOM in a notice.
The meeting between Wang and Raimondo is being closely watched as a first barometer of the chance for success between the two sides to restore high-level exchanges after months of recrimination.
Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said: “Nobody is expecting structural change in the relationship, of course, the ‘cold war’ will still be there. I hope the two sides can reach an agreement that no matter how bad the relationship, the dialogue should continue.”
This meeting between Wentao and Raimondo is the first high-level meeting of officials in months as there has been a rapid deterioration in relations. The talk will not result in any breakthrough but will provide a forum to hear one another views and try to resolve them.
2. Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra visits China
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, at the invitation of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang was on a two-day state visit to China, from May 23 to 24.
Foreign affairs minister Wopke Hoekstra is visiting China for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic as relations between the two countries become increasingly delicate.
Hoekstra will meet his counterpart in Beijing, Qin Gang, during the two-day trip, as well as vice-president Han Zheng, who visited prime minister Mark Rutte in The Hague two weeks ago.
The visit comes as China faces criticism in Europe for its stance on the war in Ukraine and its aggressive behaviour towards Taiwan, while the Netherlands recently bowed to pressure from the US to restrict sales of semiconductor chips by Dutch technology firm ASML. G7 nations voiced their criticism of China’s attitude towards Ukraine and its “malign practices” when they met in Japan last week, while Beijing accused the group of “hindering international peace” and giving in to “economic coercion” from the US.
Rutte defended his invitation to the Chinese vice president last week, saying the relationship between the two countries was “important”. Hoekstra is expected to discuss the trade relationship, which was worth €73 bn in 2021, but said he would also raise “issues where we have concerns”, such as human rights.
The Netherlands was also one of several countries where the Chinese government was found to be operating illegal police stations last year to monitor dissidents in the West. Hoekstra directed the embassy to close the two offices last November, calling their presence “unacceptable”.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra in Beijing on Wednesday. During the meeting, Zheng said:
“The economies of China and the Netherlands are highly complementary, with huge potential for cooperation and a sound momentum of growth in bilateral trade. China stands ready to work with the Netherlands to bring more benefits to the two peoples through practical cooperation in various fields.”
Hoekstra said: “The bilateral ties between the Netherlands and China are sound with remarkable cooperation results and broad prospects for development. The Dutch side is willing to maintain close exchanges with China and push forward bilateral relations”.
Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said: “Hoekstra’s visit shows that the Netherlands is seeking to stabilize bilateral relations and cooperation with China amid the current complex international environment.”
The visit by Hoekstra shows the Netherlands' desire to engage with China as it is one of its trading partners. However, at the same time, it wants to address the issues of cyber-attacks, intellectual property theft and human rights in China. While China wants to deepen trade with the Netherlands and dissuade it from barring China from accessing its high-tech technology.
China appoints new envoy to the U.S.
China appointed former vice foreign minister and seasoned diplomat Xie Feng as its new ambassador to the United States. Xie Feng, on his new assignment, said:
“As a representative of the Chinese people, I have come here to safeguard the interests of China, and I take this as my sacred responsibility. As an envoy of the Chinese people, I have come here to enhance China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation, and I take this as my important mission. I started working on China-U.S. relations three decades ago. Thirty years later today, I still believe that a sound and stable China-U.S. relationship is in the interest of both countries. It is also a shared expectation of the international community and a major contribution to world peace and prosperity”.
China’s new Ambassador to the United States finally landed in Washington on Tuesday, filling a post that unusually remained vacant for close to five months and heralding what some observers see as a possible sign of a limited thaw in recently frosty relations.
Mr. Xie succeeds Qin Gang, who was promoted as China’s new Foreign Minister, after a close to the five-month gap, leaving a key post vacant during tense relations.
Beijing is also yet to appoint a new Ambassador to New Delhi for almost seven months, another unusually long gap amid a continuing chill in ties. It is understood that Beijing as of this month had not yet proposed the name of a successor to New Delhi.
The new U.S. envoy, Mr. Xie, noted that “at present, the China-U.S. relationship is faced with serious difficulties and challenges” and referring to President Xi Jinping’s “three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation” said China “hopes that the U.S. will move in the same direction with China, and act in the common interests of the two peoples and the world, properly handling important and sensitive issues, such as the Taiwan question to bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track.”
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “The United States welcomes the arrival of Ambassador-Designate Xie Feng from the People’s Republic of China. We look forward to working with the ambassador-designate and his team. We remain committed, as we’ve said on a number of occasions, to maintaining channels of communication with the PRC to responsibly manage the competition.”
Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, said: “The priority for Xie upon his arrival is to have extensive contacts and exchanges with all walks of life in the US, introduce China's basic position and major concerns on handling China-US relations, enhance mutual understanding and promote the improvement of bilateral relations.”
The appointment of the old U.S. hand and seasoned diplomat Feng as U.S. ambassador shows Beijing's desire to engage with the U.S. and manage the challenges in the relations.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin Visit China
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin of the Russian Federation, at the invitation of Li Qiang Chinese Premier of the state council, was on a two-day state visit to China from 23 to 24 May.
Russia's prime minister on Tuesday hailed economic ties with China during a visit in which he will meet with President Xi Jinping and ink a series of trade deals.
The two nations have in recent years ramped up economic and diplomatic cooperation, with ties growing closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine despite Beijing's insistence it is neutral in the conflict.
Mikhail Mishustin arrived late Monday in Shanghai, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, before attending a Russian-Chinese Business Forum in the financial hub the next morning.
Also invited to the forum were several Russian tycoons subject to Western sanctions, including from the key fertilizer, steel and mining sectors, Bloomberg reported. "Last year Russia was subjected to sanctions pressure on an unprecedented scale... We withstood and also continue progressive development," Mishustin told the event.
I am convinced that deepening Russian-Chinese ties and increasing cooperation will have a positive effect on the economies of both countries," he said, according to a video released by Russia's Foreign Ministry
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said:
“China and Russia are each other’s biggest neighbours. Our cooperation has strong resilience, ample potential and vast space. We welcome Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to China and look forward to a successful visit and the impetus it will provide to the cooperation and exchanges between our two countries.”
In a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing on May 24, President Xi Jinping relayed China's firm commitment towards supporting Moscow's core interests and strengthening existing avenues of cooperation between the two sides to further solidify the bilateral relationship.
Both the understandings reached and the agreements signed demonstrated China and Russia's resolve to focus on trade, completion of projects and promotion of economic prosperity in the absence of aggression and hostility. Both sides sought to elevate their existing apolitical cooperation and strategic partnerships to new heights in the absence of Western pressure, nefarious designs and bloc politics.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening ceremony of the plenary session of the second Eurasian Economic Forum of the Eurasian Economic Union via video link on May 24, the historical trend toward multipolarity and economic globalization is irresistible, adding that it is the broad consensus of the international community to uphold genuine multilateralism and promote coordinated development across regions.
China-Russia cooperation is a great example of that. Since the Ukraine conflict began, Prime Minister Mishustin is the first high-ranking official from the Kremlin to visit Beijing.
His candid meetings with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang resulted in joint expressions of goodwill as well as a desire to eschew bloc politics which are counterproductive for world peace.
Despite volatility in the international environment and increased protectionism, the bilateral trade between China and Russia stood at $73.15 billion in the first four months of 2023. According to Mishustin, bilateral trade has the potential to reach $200 billion in 2023 which will be up from the previous figure of $190 billion in 2022.
Zhang Hong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said: “Deepening China-Russia economic cooperation is rather an inevitable choice to cope with each other's needs. Russia's turn to the east propels it to expand the Chinese market, while China's strong economic recovery makes the country need more energy and raw material."
The visit of Mishustin shows the bonding between China and Russia in the face of rising differences and hostility with the West. It also reflects Russia’s greater dependence on China.
Beijing Summons Japanese Envoy over ‘anti-China’ G7 Summit
China’s deputy foreign minister Sun Weidong summoned Hideo Tarumi, Japan's ambassador to China, to register an official protest over what Sun said was hype around China-related issues” through the joint declaration at the G7 summit.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned the Japanese ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi on Sunday and lodged solemn representations over the G7 hyping up China-related issues at its Hiroshima summit.
As the rotating chair of the G7 this year, Japan has allied with relevant countries to smear and attack China in a series of activities and the Leaders' Communique adopted at the Hiroshima summit, which grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, violated the basic principles of international law and the spirit of the four political documents signed between China and Japan, and undermined China's sovereignty, security and development interests, Sun said.
"China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to it," Sun said. He urged the G7 to catch up with the trend of the times featuring openness and inclusiveness, stop ganging up and forming exclusive blocs, stop containing other countries, and stop creating and stoking bloc confrontation.
He called on Japan to have a correct understanding of China, exercise strategic independence, abide by the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, and promote the steady development of bilateral relations genuinely and constructively.
Wang Jiangyu, a law professor at the City University of Hong Kong, said:
“China’s reaction this time is quite intense, the G7 mentioned many concerns over China in an unprecedented way. China views these issues as its core interests that are entirely its internal affairs which are not for the G7 to wag their tongues about.”
Beijing summoned Hideo Tarumi, Japan's ambassador to China, on Sunday to lodge a "solemn" protest over references to Taiwan and other issues related to the nation in Group of Seven statements made at a summit in Hiroshima, while the envoy offered a counterargument.
Tarumi told Sun that unless China changes its behaviour, G7 countries will continue to voice their common concerns about Beijing. "If China does not want these issues to be referenced, it should first respond more positively," the embassy quoted the envoy as saying.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during a Monday morning briefing that the country's policy toward China has been consistent and that it will insist on matters that are necessary and urge responsible behaviour while taking steps to address concerns and cooperate on common issues.
The Chinese Embassy in Britain had earlier asked London to stop slandering and smearing China to avoid further damage to China-U.K. relations.
Summoning Tarumi to the foreign office shows China’s drawing a red line and strong disapproval of what it considers its internal affairs. However, Tarumi's strong rebuttal shows Japan's willingness to confront a belligerent China.
Section E: Chinese Domestic Politics
- Amit Kumar
Wang Huning, number 4 in the Chinese leadership, calls for stresses the implementation of the Party’s policies in Xinjiang
Wang Huning, China's top political advisor, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, was on a three-day inspection tour to China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Xinhua reports:
In Kashgar, Wang visited the Kashgar Old Town, a police station, a mosque, and a village to learn about local efforts in promoting ethnic unity, implementing religious policies and carrying out comprehensive governance at the grassroots, and about people's work and life.
He urged efforts to continue to consolidate social stability, thus making people of all ethnic groups closely united like the seeds of a pomegranate that stick together.
In Urumqi, Wang visited a museum, an Islamic institute, a university, and enterprises. He called for developing an accurate understanding of the history of the Chinese nation and sowing the seeds of patriotism into the hearts of every person, especially the youth.
Hailing the significant achievements made in various undertakings in Xinjiang, Wang called for unswerving efforts to fight terrorism and maintain stability on a legal footing and a regular basis, properly handle ethnic and religious affairs, and advance high-quality development in Xinjiang, as well as fully leveraging the role of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
Xi sends a congratulatory letter to the 2023 Tibet Development Forum
Xinhua reports:
President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to a forum on the development of Tibet that opened on Tuesday in Beijing.
"People's happiness is the ultimate human right, while development holds the key to delivering better lives to the people," Xi noted in the letter to "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China."
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, people in Tibet, with the strong support of the central government and people throughout the country, have worked with fortitude and brought about a resolution to the problem of extreme poverty that had plagued the region for centuries, the letter said.
Tibet has achieved a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the rest of the country, demonstrating vibrant and thriving scenes, it added.
Xi said he hopes that on the new journey of advancing Chinese modernization, Tibet can fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, step up efforts to promote high-quality development, and strive to build a prosperous, harmonious and beautiful new socialist Tibet underpinned by unity, civility and modernization so that the people of Tibet can enjoy better and more fulfilled lives.
The forum, themed "New Era, New Xizang, New Journey: New Chapter in Xizang's High-quality Development and Human Rights Protection," is hosted by the State Council Information Office and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Xi's letter was read out by Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, at the opening ceremony.
Abdilahi Ismail Abdilahi, who teaches at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said he agrees with what Xi said in the letter about human rights.
"I've seen with my own eyes that human rights are well protected in Tibet, which is different from what I had read from Western media," he said.
Alexander Birle, chief representative of Hanns Seidel Stiftung in China, said that Xi's letter shows the importance of Tibet's development to China.
"There are different approaches to human rights protection. Cultural protection is also an important part of human rights protection, and China has done a lot to respect and protect the cultural heritage of Tibetan people," he said.
The high quality of education in Tibet also impressed Maria Gustava, Mozambique's ambassador to China, who recently visited the region for the first time.
"We visited some schools, especially for younger children, and they were learning so many things, including those through the internet and computer," she said, adding that such high-quality education will bring a better future for the region.
Before the forum, representatives of Chinese and foreign attendees were also invited to visit Tibet.
Eye on China is a weekly newsletter curated by the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at The Takshashila Institution, a public policy think-tank based out of Bengaluru, India.
Contributors :
India-China Relations: Anushka Saxena
Economy and Tech: Amit Kumar
Military Developments in China: Anushka Saxena
Foreign Policy Watch: Kingshuk Saha
Chinese Domestic Politics: Amit Kumar
