Vladivostok port will facilitate access to the sea for northeastern provinces [Dongsheng]
“Down the Mountain” (下山) is a song written and composed by Zhu Binyu, sung by 要不要买菜 (Do you want to buy vegetables?) and released in 2019. It was one of the most famous Chinese songs that year. This was rated one of the top ten songs at 2nd Tencent Music Entertainment Festival in 2021.
Geopolitics
China will start using the port of Vladivostok, in Russia, which will allow the northeast region of China to save time and reduce costs
The decision is part of a national strategic plan to revitalize the industrial base of this region and will reduce distances by more than 800 km for the provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang that do not have direct access to the sea; China and Russia also signed an agreement to supply natural gas through the Far East Route
The United States seeks to reduce its dependence on China for solar energy production but none of its companies would be able to do so
To grant the new tax breaks, the Treasury Department imposed a condition that US companies manufacture their solar cells in the country, but none of them would be able to do so without having to turn to China; the Asian giant produces almost all the world’s solar wafers, 85% of the cells and three-quarters of all modules
China to transfer technology for Thailand to develop its own high-speed rail network
The transfer may involve patents, licenses, and other intellectual property rights; the initiative comes within the framework of the China-Thailand rail project that will span 873 km with trains traveling up to 250 km/h and will be a key link in the “southern corridor” of the New Silk Road connecting China and Southeast Asia
National Politics
China opens blockchain research center in Beijing to train 500,000 industry professionals
Blockchain technology consists of interconnected blocks that store information and are unalterable, making it more secure; although its most well-known application – cryptocurrencies – are not allowed in China, the creation of the center is part of the government’s efforts to promote its industrial use
Twenty cities launch pilot programs to promote marriages and births
These programs are driven by the China Family Planning Association, which raises the need for more policies in this regard; insufficient childcare services, high property prices and education costs, and women’s concerns about the impact on their careers are some of the factors that make fewer and fewer people want to have children
Economy
Although below expectations, April industrial production has the highest increase since September 2022, up 5.6% year-on-year
A year-on-year increase was seen in electric vehicle manufacturing (85.4%) and solar cells (69.1%), while total retail sales of consumer goods reached 3.49 billion yuan (US$ 500 million), up 18.4% from the previous year; investment in high-tech manufacturing and high-tech services grew grew 15.3% and 13.4% respectively, while the real estate sector it fell 6.2%
Rural youth increasingly prefer to work in their hometowns rather than in the metropolises
Among the reasons for the phenomenon are better coordination at the local level of policies such as social security and medical insurance; the number of Chinese migrants working outside their home provinces – a trend that began in 2015 – has fallen again by 2022, and some factories are already facing shortages of lower-skilled workers
Agriculture and Environment
China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions grew 4% year-on-year in the first quarter, reaching a record high
The economic rebound following the end of the zero Covid policy, the stimulus to infrastructure construction and the decline in hydropower due to the drought were the main reasons; however, renewables and nuclear power exceeded 50% of installed power capacity for the first time, which would allow emissions to peak and enter structural decline
Governors and Party secretaries will take responsibility for ensuring China’s food security goals
Government cadres at the provincial level risk failing their performance evaluations if they do not meet farmland quotas, grain production, and crop structure; China is seeking to reduce its dependence on US crops and President Xi has gone so far as to say that agriculture is a “national security issue of extreme importance”
People’s Life and Culture
More and more cities are offering free accommodation for young job seekers
Those who are about to graduate or already have their degree can stay between 5 and 14 days depending on the city; young people are looking to find employment in a labor market that will receive more than 11 million graduates in June, amid a youth unemployment rate that reached 19.6% in March
Free hotel room for young “talents” in Zhuhai, Guangdong province [Cheng Lin]
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