Protests in Shanghai, 28.11.2022 [Twitter]
Dear readers,
This week, China lost one of its historic leaders, former President Jiang Zemin. Jiang died of leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai on November 30, aged 96. The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and other state and Party organs signed a letter announcing his passing.
His remains were transferred from Shanghai to Beijing on a special flight on Thursday and received by Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders at Xijiao Airport. A memorial service in honor of Jiang Zemin will be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on December 6.
Marco Fernandes published an article on economic relations and the potential between Brazil and China in the Asia Times (read here) and another, published in the Global Times, describing some lessons from the COP27 on Climate Change (read here). Tings Chak chatted with Brian Becker about the protests and the Zero Covid policy in China (here) and Mikaela Erskog was the guest on the latest episode of Rania Khalek’s Dispatches, to talk about how the US and Europe intend to turn Africa into a Cold War battleground against Russia and China (here).
– Dongsheng Editorial Collective
National Politics
A fire in a residential building in Urumqi, Xinjiang, caused ten deaths and nine injuries and caused great impact on social media
Despite rumors, the anti-COVID measures were not responsible for the tragedy, with the government having already announced further relaxations, though multiple challenges in local implementation exist; protests were also reported in several cities amid the largest outbreak of cases since 2020
Chinese-Canadian pop singer Kris Wu was sentenced to 13 years in prison for rape and other crimes and will be deported after serving his sentence
Wu was a member of Korean boy band EXO, launched his solo career in 2014 and, with millions of followers, the singer and actor made Forbes’ top ten Chinese celebrities; the conviction is part of a series of trials of celebrities involved in various crimes and scandals
The Kuomintang, a party inclined to dialogue with Mainland China, won Taiwan’s local elections
The Democratic Progressive Party, which welcomed U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, lost in key cities such as Taipei and Taoyuan; the defeat is interpreted as a criticism of the handling of the pandemic, price decontrol, and the failure of the “China threat” discourse of Tsai Ing-wen, who resigned as party president, but will continue as leader of the island until 2024
Geopolitics
China will donate 714.3 million yuan (US$ 100 million) to Cuba to address the shortage of basic commodities and the energy crisis
In addition to agreeing to restructure Cuba’s debt, China will finance a floating dock, the La Herradura wind farm, and a photovoltaic solar farm; in 2021, the volume of trade between the two countries reached US$ 1.02 billion, 7.2% more than in 2020
The world’s leading semiconductor technology company, the Dutch ASML, opposes U.S. demands to stop selling to China
The older DUV technology – used to make 16-nanometer and, with some restrictions, 7-nanometer chips – is not subject to U.S. restrictions; research estimates that a total ban on chip semiconductor sales would cost 37% of U.S. producers’ revenues
Economy
Number of “high-net-worth” Chinese families in 2021 increased by 1.9% to nearly 2.1 million
The category, which includes families with more than 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) in net worth, saw their aggregate wealth grow by 27%, reaching 160 trillion yuan (US$ $22.4 trillion); more than half of these families are found in Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Zhejiang
Henan, which is home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, saw a 16.9% drop in exports between September and October
The province exported 8.4 million smartphones in October, 1.7 million less than the previous month. Recent production at Foxconn has been disrupted by the departure of thousands of workers due to a coronavirus outbreak; to get assembly lines back up to speed, company offers bonuses of US$ 1,800 to workers
Agriculture and Environment
In 2021, 70% of nuclear facilities in China scored perfect on the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) composite performance index
As of October, there were 53 commercial nuclear power units operating in China, with a total installed capacity of 55.59 million kilowatts, ranking third in the world in both number of units and installed capacity; currently there are 23 nuclear power plants under construction
Science and Technology
Chinese scientists find that more developed frontal lobes keep the mind sharp in old age
Diseases linked to aging, such as dementia, have been associated with structural abnormalities in this region, which is responsible for functions such as decision making and problem solving; the discovery could serve to find new ways to keep the brain in a healthier state
People’s Life and Culture
After regulations implemented in 2021, now more than 75% of minors spend less than three hours a week playing online games
Rules limit game time from Friday to Sunday and holidays, from 8pm to 9pm, but 65.54% of children and young people now spend the time they used to play, on short video apps; experts call for a better understanding of online games to harness their potential in teaching, psychology, and creativity
China strives to reduce the time minors play video games [Xinhua/Lu Zhe]
Subscribe to News on China. The digest is published every Saturday in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Follow our social media channels:
- Twitter: @DongshengNews (English), @DongshengNewsES (Spanish), @DongshengNewsBR (Portuguese)
- Telegram: News on China, Noticias de China, Notícias da China
- Instagram: @DongshengNews
- YouTube: Dongsheng News