Afghanistan joins the New Silk Road [Dongsheng]
Today’s recommended track to listen to while reading the digest is The Moon Represents My Heart by Teresa Teng, one of the main artists of Taiwan. It is a very famous song in China and one of the most chosen songs in karaoke bars.
Geopolitics
Afghanistan to join Belt and Road Initiative as China and Pakistan pledge to work together to rebuild the country
In the 5th round of the Dialogue of Foreign Ministers of the three countries, it was proposed to take the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor of US$60 billion to Afghanistan, which faces a serious humanitarian crisis after two decades of US invasion; in a joint statement, the countries also pledged not to allow terrorist actions in their territories
CIA used cyber weapons to attack countries, including China, according to report released by Chinese entities
The targets of the attacks include research institutions, oil industries, aerospace, large internet companies, and government agencies in several countries, and can be traced from 2011 until now, according to the analysis; hacked information from foreign governments, companies, and citizens was provided to US decision-makers
National Politics
US research firm Capvision accused of helping to leak information about Chinese military tech industry to foreigners
Chinese officials said experts revealed classified information, including state secrets and intelligence; some of Capvision’s customers – which it has acknowledged that it has not fully discharged its responsibilities regarding national security – have close ties to foreign governments, militaries, and intelligence services
Economy
Average compensation in Chinese state-owned enterprises was almost twice as much (89%) as in private sector enterprises last year
On average, the annual salary of workers in urban private enterprises grew by 3.7% compared to 2021, reaching 65,237 yuan (US$ 9,410), while that of workers in state-owned enterprises increased by 7%, reaching 123,622 yuan (US$ $17,830); the expansion of investment in infrastructure was one of the reasons for the better performance in the public sector
Agriculture and Environment
China increases corn imports from BRICS countries in an attempt to reduce dependence on US grains
After Chinese buyers canceled orders for 562,800 tonnes of US corn in April, state-owned COFCO imported 53,000 tonnes of the grain from South Africa; in 2022, 72% of China’s corn imports came from the US, but in the first quarter this figure dropped to 37.8%, while the biggest buyer of Brazilian corn in that period became China, displacing Japan
China issues first gene-editing safety certificate for high-oleic soybeans
The certificate was given to BellaGen, the first company in China to start editing plant genes on an industrial scale, and will be valid until April 2028; unlike genetic modification, editing modifies only the genes of a given crop itself and not of other species
Science and Technology
A Chinese reusable spacecraft successfully landed after 276 days in orbit after being secretly tested
Although officials have not disclosed many details, the craft would be similar to the US Air Force’s X-37B, which can remain in orbit for long periods before returning to Earth on its own; such a spacecraft would provide more convenient and affordable round-trips
Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found new evidence of human migrations from China to America during the Ice Age
The researchers analyzed more than 100,000 contemporary and 15,000 ancient DNA samples from across Eurasia to identify 216 contemporary and 39 ancient individuals belonging to the rare lineage; this discovery helps explain the archaeological similarities between the Paleolithic peoples of China, Japan, and the Americas
People’s Life and Culture
Young people on a budget and short on time popularize “Special Forces-style Tourism” amid domestic tourism revival
This is a new trend heavily promoted on social networks, where young people take 48-hour trips and go to more than ten attractions per day; they try the local gastronomy, hardly sleep, and even spend the night in stores that do not close to save on accommodation
Pema Tseden, an award-winning filmmaker focused on depicting Tibetan life, dies at age 53
Tseden devoted his career to combining his culture with modern cinema, documenting Tibetan history, customs, and cultural traditions; his Tibetan-language films have won awards at international festivals such as Chicago, Brooklyn, and Venice
Pema Tseden [VCG]
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