Xiomara Castro, President of Honduras, announced that she will travel to China [Free Party photo, composition by Dongsheng]
Dear readers,
We are very proud to announce the launch of Wenhua Zongheng: Quarterly Journal of Chinese Thought, which seeks to build a dialogue between progressive intellectuals from China and other countries in the Global South. This is a collaboration between Wenhua Zongheng (文化纵横), Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, and Dongsheng. The first issue, On the Threshold of a New International Order, analyzes the current world situation in a context of growing global tensions.
Please read, share, and tell us what you think.
– Dongsheng Editorial Collective
Geopolitics
After initiating diplomatic relations with China, Honduran government announces that President Xiomara Castro will travel to China soon
China also invited a business delegation to discuss cooperation in trade and investment; in a joint statement, the Honduran government acknowledges that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory – the island has lost nine allies since Tsai Ing-wen took over in 2016, and now has diplomatic relations with only 13 countries
China says US congressional hearing with TikTok CEO presented no evidence of national security threat
Chinese government spokesman said the country has never and will never ask companies or individuals to violate local laws to collect or provide data and information; after an indictment hearing that lasted more than five hours, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said lawmakers will move forward with legislation on TikTok
Economy
Industrial firms’ profits in January and February fell 22.9% year on year to 887.21 billion yuan (US$128.95 billion)
Market demand has not yet fully recovered, while costs have not declined and prices of products manufactured by companies fell 1.1% year on year; the electricity and electrical machinery sectors increased profits in the period, by 53.1% and 41.5% respectively, driven by higher demand for electricity, electric batteries, photovoltaic equipment, and other products
China’s non-financial investments abroad increase 35.7% in the first two months of 2023 in year-on-year comparison, reaching 136 billion yuan (US$19.76 billion)
The wholesale and retail sector saw a 17.2% increase in investments in the period, while leasing and business services grew 22.3% to US$4.72 billions; in 2023, China should continue to prioritize foreign investment in these sectors rather than high-value infrastructure and energy projects
Agriculture and Environment
Chinese scientists identify gene that allows crops to be grown in salty soil, and produce modified sorghum and rice seeds that improve yields by 20 percent
Varieties grown in saline-alkaline soil have a longer growth cycle and accumulate more nutrients, so they taste better, according to the researchers; by using the technology in low-salt-alkaline soils (about 20% of the total affected), 250 million tons of grain could be produced per year
China unveils plan to restore 78 rivers and 10 lakes over the next two years, seeking to combat pollution and water shortages
The plan will focus on cleaning up three types of rivers and lakes: rivers and lakes located in key national development regions; rivers that will have a major impact on flood control, water supply, and ecological security; and the most polluted rivers and lakes
Science and Technology
Huawei develops key tool for 14nm chip design that is among technologies the US bans from exporting to China
While lagging far behind 3nm, the development of electronic design automation (EDA) software for 14nm chips is a breakthrough for China; Huawei would complete testing by the end of 2023 and go live in 2024, and announced that it would share the technology with partners and customers
Chinese scientists discover a reservoir of water on the Moon inside glass spheres and know how they originated
These molten and cooled rocks were generated by the solar wind and containing water molecules. Researchers estimate that the Moon has about 270 trillion kg of water stored in these spheres, and that this process could produce water on other airless planetary bodies in the solar system such as Mercury.; lunar soil samples were collected by the Chinese Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, the first to do so since a Soviet Union mission in 1976
People’s Life and Culture
China ranked 1st in the Ipsos global happiness survey, which showed strong growth in Latin America and a decline in many Western countries
91% of the Chinese surveyed said they were generally happy, 78% were satisfied with their economic situation and they also considered having friends to be their top priority; 22,508 participants from 32 countries took part in the survey and, for the first time, happiness in middle-income countries surpassed that of high-income countries
Chinese social media users showed their support for Chew Shou Zi, CEO of TikTok, and criticized the US congressmen
Memes and excerpts of the interrogation went viral, with some noting that Chew fits the idea of the “perfect Asian” by remaining calm despite unreasonable accusations; the TikTok CEO also received support on Western networks, where they also criticized the inquisitorial tone of the interrogation
One of the most circulated memes was the comparison between Apple CEO Tim Cook being warmly received in China and Chew Shou Zi being interrogated in the US [Weibo]
Dongsheng’s interventions and productions this week:
- Marco Fernandes for Asia Times: The high price of the Guatemala-Taiwan relationship
- Gisela Cernadas and Marco Fernandes on CGTN: Through the pandemic – Tales from China
- Marco Fernandes on CGTN: Tsai Ing-wen’s U.S. stopover an ‘unnecessary provocation’
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