“Sandwich generation” [Zhihu]
Geopolitics
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) agrees to increase use of national currencies in mutual agreements and formalizes Iran’s entry
After the SCO summit, China begins paying half of its Russian gas supplies in rubles and half in yuan; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt have become dialogue partners, Belarus has started the accession process, and Turkey has also announced interest and could become the first NATO member to join the organization
Presidents of China, Russia, and Mongolia reaffirm strategic agreements on infrastructure, energy, and de-dollarization at SCO side meeting
The summit decided to launch a feasibility study for the modernization of the central railroad of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor (whose development plan was extended) in addition to advancing negotiations on the Mongolian section of the Sino-Russian Siberian Power-2 gas pipeline; meanwhile, more Russian companies are issuing bonds in yuan to circumvent Western sanctions
National Politics
Ahead of the 20th National Congress, an internal speech from 2018 is published in which Xi Jinping highlights the revolutionary character of the CPC
Quoting Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao, and Deng, Xi reviewed the history of scientific socialism and highlighted the importance of China for the continuity of the world socialist project after the Soviet collapse; he also called for maintaining the revolutionary spirit and self-criticism within the Party in order not to suffer the same fate as the Soviet Union
Sheng Guangzu, retired former minister of railways, was expelled from the CPC on corruption charges
With over 40 years experience in the railway sector, an investigation found Sheng guilty of abusing his power in the General Administration Customs and state-owned China Railway Corp, accepting bribes for favorable conditions in business operations, project contracts, and cadre-selection
Economy
With an economy dependent on coal, Shanxi province represents one of the biggest challenges for the country’s carbon neutrality goals
The sector, which emits half of the country’s greenhouse gases, accounts for 45% of Shanxi’s tax revenue, provides ⅓ of China’s thermoelectric coal, and has about 50% of the world’s steelmaking coal; one of the proposals for energy transition is to exploit coal bed methane for gas-fired power generation
In August, industrial production and retail sales exceed expectations and grow 4.2% and 5.4% respectively, in the interannual comparison
Automotive industry was the big driver of both manufacturing output and retail sales, with new energy vehicle production growing 117%; housing sector contracted further in August year-on-year, with declines in housing prices (-1.3%), investments (-13.8%), and sales
Agriculture and Environment
China releases a report on food and nutrition in the last decades, where it points out a series of problems and recommends public policies
The study shows that the quantity of food produced and the caloric energy offered (3,400 kcal/capita) are equivalent to those of developed countries, but among the problems are excess of oils, salt, and sugar, and the loss of nutrition due to the consumption of ultra-processed products; document proposes nutrition-oriented food production system
Science and Technology
Chinese scientists develop long-distance underwater communication that would allow drones and submarines to maintain contact across 30,000km²
One device picked up sound signals from 105km away at a depth of 200m, surpassing current technology that reaches 10km; the team is also developing new technology to convert sound signals into whale song to camouflage military channels
People’s Life and Culture
Born during the one-child policy, the “sandwich generation” faces the challenge of caring for children and parents at the same time
The cost of raising a child represents 50% of the average family income, leaving parents to work more and grandparents to take on caregiving duties, while they are also aging and requiring support; sandwich generation of 170 million people face increased economic, social, and time pressures
The government promotes archaeological work using new technologies to deepen people’s understanding of ancient Chinese civilization
Advancements include creating a national research program, registering 6,183 museums (91% are free to the public), major digitization projects, repatriating 1,800 relics; recently, a team of archaeologists excavated over 600 artifacts from a famous Qing dynasty shipwreck at the bottom of the Yangtze River
Concept photo of a full-scale digital scripture cave of the Mogao Grottoes, 15 June 2022 [Tencent via Global Times]
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