Students singing at the Red Building opening, Beijing, 4 July 2022 [北京日报客户端]
Dear reader
This week, our co-editor Marco Fernandes was interviewed on the Chinese program This is China, which has millions of viewers on TV and social networks, hosted by the intellectual Zhang Weiwei (former interpreter of Deng Xiaoping), from Fudan University. They talked about the loss of US influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, the reorganization of CELAC, and the prospects for multipolarity in the region. Watch here (in English and Mandarin).
—Dongsheng editorial collective
Geopolitics
For the first time, NATO invites Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand to its summit meeting in Madrid
The strategic concept paper outlines China as a “systemic challenge” and the Russia-China partnership as a threat to the alliance’s values and interests; Beijing criticizes the threat of NATO expansion in Asia, as well as the Cold War practice of creating enemies and confrontational blocs
China prepares handover of new Zimbabwean parliament building (US$140 million), which will replace an old colonial-era building
Parliament should spur other projects in the surrounding area, boosting new satellite city of the capital Harare; from 2000 to 2018, China built or renovated 186 government buildings (palaces, stadiums, convention centers, etc.) in over 40 African countries as part of its diplomatic strategy
Science and Technology
China and Russia have been responsible for 87% of nuclear reactor construction since 2017, according to International Energy Agency report
China sees nuclear power as the cheapest way to reach the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, saving US$500 billion, according to its own calculations; having developed its own technology, the country aims to become the leading nuclear producer by 2030
China finalizes first stage of testing of hypersonic unpiloted aircraft prototype Nanqiang No. 1, which will be able to travel at six times the speed of sound
The project aims to develop a passenger aircraft capable of traveling over 6,000km at Mach 6 speed after completing tests by 2025; with hypersonic flight technology, travelers would reach anywhere in the world in less than two hours, but commercial use will be a challenge
National Politics
Beijing historic Red Building opens a school for politics and ideology to strengthen Marxist education for elementary school to university students
With Marxism’s rise in recent years, related university courses and job offers – from public service to private companies – have increased, and the number of ideology and politics university professors grew by ⅔ since 2018; government initiatives encourage youth to remember the Party’s “original mission”
China announces new round of infrastructure projects (US$44.7 billion) to be financed with bond sales and interest subsidies
The investment adds to the government’s announcement of highway, waterway, and port project construction for the second half-year; State Council prioritizes investments to increase employment, consumption and ensure economic sustainability
Economy
Chinese group BYD overtakes Elon Musk’s Tesla in global electric vehicle sales
BYD’s sales in the first half-year (641,000 vehicles) increased over threefold compared to 2021; in-house battery and chip manufacturing makes the company one of the strongest competitors in the global industry, becoming the second largest battery manufacturer (behind China’s CATL) and aiming for expansion into Europe, Australia, Latin America, and the Philippines
Agriculture and Environment
Pilot program for national green energy trading system is a step towards achieving renewables goal, accounting for ⅓ of total energy by 2025
The system being tested allows wind and solar power generators to sell directly to users who can pay to offset CO2 emissions; pilot program reveals problems caused by differences in local pricing rules and lack of progress in implementing the system at the local level
People’s Life and Culture
Mismatch of employment supply and demand is causing a “blue collar” labor shortage, set to reach 30 million workers by 2025
Despite growing urban youth unemployment and record university graduates, 44% of 90,000 companies surveyed said their biggest challenge is finding the workers they need; 100 jobs facing worst labor shortage include manufacturing (36) and services (36) – jobs not sought by university graduates
Legacy of Su Shi (1037-1011), China’s most famous poet, continues to be celebrated and drives domestic tourism 1,000 years after his birth
Su wrote 2,727 poems and, as an official or in exile, lived in 183 places, which received 64,000 additional annual visitors over 15 years, according to a recent study; Su is among other ancient poets and figures still celebrated today
Painting of poet and scholar-official, Su Shi (苏轼) [Master Insight Media]
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