Japan is attempting to boost its presence in Central Asia, driving a wedge between Central Asian countries and China, Russia with the latest plan of its Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to attend a summit with regional leaders during a tour of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia from Friday through August 12.
However, analysts believe that Japan may find it difficult to substantially disrupt relations between Central Asian countries and Russia, China. They point out that Central Asian countries, while potentially expanding cooperation with Japan, will maintain traditional geopolitical relations with Russia and maintain good economic and trade cooperation with China, including under the Belt and Road Initiative.
According to Japanese media outlets, leaders from Japan and the five Central Asian countries are expected to emphasize the importance of rule of law in a joint statement to be released after a summit meeting in Kazakhstan later this month.
The Japan Times said that Kishida "aims to drive a wedge between these Central Asian countries and China and Russia by reiterating Tokyo's opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force."
The purpose of Kishida's visit to Central Asia is to expand Japan's diplomatic influence and geopolitical impact, said Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences.
Citing media reports claiming that at the summit, Kishida plans to announce an economic aid package which is expected to focus on establishing a trade route through the Caspian Sea, connecting Central Asia and Europe, Da said that Japan is trying to reduce Russia's influence and compete with China in high-quality cooperation.
"Whether it is at the upcoming summit or in future actions, Japan may find it difficult to substantially disrupt relationships between the five Central Asian countries, Russia, and China," Da said, who cited the fruitful achievements on China-Central Asia economic and trade cooperation.
China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Friday disclosed a case of a study abroad service agency illegally tampering with a large amount of anti-China content in application materials of Chinese students to increase their chances of successful admission.
The ministry said the operation is not only highly irresponsible toward young students, but also damages the image of the country and poses a threat to national security.
According to the MSS, a student surnamed Zhang purchased an “elite VIP” service from a study abroad service agency, which has a professional team to assist in the plan of studying abroad.
The agency’s leader Xiao Rui told Zhang that a certain country’s universities have opened a “green channel” for Chinese students wanting to study there, and that the success rate could be greatly increased if they added anti-China content in the application materials.
As a result, Zhang’s application documents were “implanted” with a large number of false contents catering to anti-China bias, which makes Zhang a victim of the agency’s illegal act, according to the MSS.
The abnormal behavior of the agency caught the attention of the national security authorities. After a thorough investigation, the study abroad service agency and its responsible individuals were dealt with according to the law in May 2024, said the MSS.
In recent years, some countries have continued to tighten international education policies, while trying to lure young students to carry out anti-China activities with the promise of helping them study abroad, the MSS noted.
Individual study abroad service agencies prioritize economic interests over national security, catering to anti-China rhetoric and potentially endangering national security by encouraging students to fabricate false resumes and images for profit, said the MSS.
Some institutions have loosened oversight of their foreign education teams, leading to the hiring of unqualified foreign teachers.
Detailed implementation rules of China’s Counter-Espionage Law stipulate that fabricating, distorting facts, publishing, disseminating information that endangers national security, or producing, disseminating, publishing audiovisual products or other publications that endanger national security, constitutes conduct other than acts of espionage that endangers national security.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday had phone conversations with Egyptian and Jordan’s foreign ministers, exchanging views on the situation in the Middle East, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.
While talking with Badr Abdelatty, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran has pushed the regional situation into a more dangerous area.
China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns such assassination acts that violate the basic principles of the UN Charter, infringe on Iran's sovereignty and dignity, severely undermine efforts to promote peace, and make a ceasefire in Gaza increasingly unattainable, Wang said.
Wang pointed out that retaliatory action leads to a vicious cycle, and violence begets more violence, exacerbating conflict. There should be no double standards when it comes to the Gaza conflict.
China's position on the Palestinian issue is consistent and clear. In response to the Gaza conflict, China has proposed a three-step initiative - achieving a comprehensive ceasefire; advancing Gaza's post-war governance under the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine; and effectively implementing a two-state solution, according to Wang.
Wang noted that China will strengthen solidarity with Arab countries, and work with all parties to avoid further escalation and deterioration of the situation.
Abdelatty expressed Egypt's deep concern over the escalating situation in Gaza and said that the assassination of Haniyeh has made reaching a ceasefire agreement more difficult and could potentially lead to a full-scale regional war.
The region cannot endure more conflict and turmoil. The international community should work together to prevent the situation from escalating, said Abdelatty.
Abdelatty also noted that Egypt highly appreciates China's important role in promoting peace in the Middle East, and is grateful for China's efforts in promoting internal reconciliation in Palestine. The Egyptian side hopes to maintain close cooperation with China to prevent further escalation of the situation.
Also on Tuesday, Wang held a phone call with Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi at the latter’s request.
Safadi said that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has further escalated tensions in the Middle East and the situation is very dangerous. Jordan believes that the escalation of the conflict will not benefit any side, but only result in widespread suffering and loss.
Safadi said that the international community should take immediate action to avoid the escalation of the conflict, stop violations of international law, achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, and ultimately achieve the independence of Palestine as a sovereign state through the two-state solution.
China has always maintained an objective and fair position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict issue. Jordan is willing to maintain communication with China and expects and believes that China will play a more important role in promoting a ceasefire and stopping the war, Safadi said.
Wang said that China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the assassination, which has violated the basic norms of international relations, infringed on Iran's sovereignty, undermined the ceasefire negotiation process in Gaza, and led to further escalation of the regional situation.
Wang said that the key to avoiding the deterioration and escalation of the situation is to achieve a full and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible and the international community should make a more consistent voice on this issue and form a joint force.
Wang spoke highly of Jordan's important role in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and achieving peace in the Middle East, and said that China is willing to maintain communication and coordination with Jordan to jointly bring relevant parties together to proceed from the overall peace situation, refrain from taking actions that escalate the situation, and resume ceasefire negotiations as soon as possible.
China will continue to stand firm with Arab countries, support all efforts that are conducive to achieving a permanent and full ceasefire in Gaza, avoid further escalation of conflicts and confrontations, and promote the easing of the situation in the Middle East as soon as possible, Wang said.
Chinese regulatory authorities have recently introduced a series of policy documents and reform measures to improve the capital market regulatory system, comprehensively deepen capital market reform, and promote high-quality market development. These measures, when implemented together, are expected to increase the investment value of the market and boost confidence among investors.
The recently released Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, which was adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, has committed to improve the efficiency of financial services to serve the real economy. On April 12, the State Council released sweeping guidelines to strengthen regulation, forestall risks and promote the high-quality development of the stock market. Widely known as the State Council Nine-Point Guideline, the document, only the third of its kind, mapped out plans to boost capital markets through 2035.
In order to thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the Central Financial Work Conference and the new State Council Nine-Point Guideline, promote the formation and implementation of the "1+N" policy system in the capital market, effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of investors, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and relevant departments have formulated and successively issued relevant supporting policy documents and institutional rules. In March 2024, the CSRC released several new policy documents which emphasized the importance of strict control over IPOs. The goal is to uphold the principles of openness and fairness in the capital market and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of investors. These regulatory requirements aim to enhance the level of standardized operation among listed companies, with a particular emphasis on tightening controls over the IPO admission process.
China introduced new regulatory measures in March and May to regulate the continuous supervision of listed companies. These measures cover aspects such as information disclosure, reduction of holdings, dividends, and market value management. In April, China's securities regulator also released a guideline on strict implementation of delisting regulation.
To promote the high-quality development of securities fund institutions, in the first half of 2024, the CSRC issued management regulations, reduced the commission rate for fund stock trading, further optimized the fund securities trading commission system, and reduced trading costs for fund investors.
Aiming to better serve technological innovation and promote the development of new quality productive forces, the CSRC has continuously introduced measures this year to support all aspects of the market, including listing financing, mergers and acquisitions, bond issuance, and private equity investment.
Requirements for research and development investment, number of invention patents, and compound growth rate of operating income for companies planning to list on the science and technology innovation board have all been moderately increased, while the positioning of the board as focusing on core technology has been strengthened. Further reforms have been deepened to enhance inclusiveness toward new industries, new formats, and new technologies.
The new State Council Nine-Point Guideline governing capital markets and supporting institutional rules, starting from the perspective of improving the capital market ecosystem, is conducive to the construction of a long-term healthy development of the capital market, thereby boosting the long-term performance of the capital market.
The stock market will ultimately benefit from the reform and unleash new vitality. Additionally, the market will better balance investment functions and financing functions, and better protect the interests of investors.
An intelligent over 10,000-ton heavy-haul train, led by two 12-axle locomotives, traveled from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province to North China's Hebei Province on Saturday, marking the first large-scale application of intelligent driving technology on China's heavy-haul raillines.
Two 12-axle locomotives led a 10,000-ton, 1,400-meter-long smart freight train with 108 carriages along the Shenmu-Shuozhou Railway from Shaanxi to Hebei. This signifies the large-scale implementation of intelligent driving technology for the Baoshen Railway Group's freight locomotives.
To achieve the large-scale application of the intelligent driving technology, Baoshen Railway Group in collaboration with other institutes, has overcome the challenges related to geography, routes, climate, and long gradients, setting multiple national firsts.
The technology now covers electric locomotives from 8-axle to 24-axle models, marking the first time all configurations are available. Previously, pulling a 10,000-ton train required three 8-axle locomotives and six crew members. With intelligent driving technology, only two 12-axle locomotives and two crew members are required now, or just one 24-axle locomotive with a single crew member, greatly improving efficiency and reducing pressue of the railway labor force.
More axles mean greater capacity and stronger traction, allowing fewer locomotives to haul more cargo, helping boost efficiency and reducing labor intensity, experts said.
"The implementation of intelligent driving technology has improved control precision and less labor-intensive," said a representative from a branch of Baoshen Railway Group, as quoted in a CCTV report on Saturday.
The technology first includes rain and snow specific mode which integrates weather information into the train's operating system, allowing intelligent driving control and stable operation in adverse weather conditions.
Additionally, automatic switching with BeiDou Navigation Satellite System's high-precision positioning and obstacle detection, long-distance autonomous obstacle detection and inspection on mainline sections, and panoramic monitoring with remote driving capabilities are all being applied for the first time for the heavy-haul railway system.
"China's railway development follows a dual approach for passenger and freight transport. While passenger transport technology leads globally, freight transport has lagged but is now catching up," Sun Zhang, a railway expert at Shanghai Tongji University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"Our focus on intelligent heavy-haul transport aims to boost load capacity, improve service quality like shock absorption, and ensure safety. Enhancing freight efficiency helps us catch up with developed countries and supports the national dual carbon strategy, " said Sun.
The Shenmu-Shuozhou Railway, operated by the Baoshen Railway Group, is a national Class-I double track electrified heavy-haul railway crossing the country's plateaus. It is a crucial coal transport route from western to eastern China, travsering challenging conditions including a minimum turning radius of 400 meters and a maximum slope of 12 permil, placing a high technological burden on the rail operator.
From 2019 to 2023, the number of intelligent heavy-haul trains has reached 30, safely operating a total of 2.08 million kilometers and completing 9,508 trips, carrying 41.07 million tons of coal, according to a Xinhua report on Saturday.
The intelligent heavy-haul driving system have received SIL2 international safety certification, reflecting China's capacity in mastering core technologies in high-end manufacturing, while further enhnacing the competitiveness of China's railway transport, according to Xinhua.
China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh that took place on Wednesday in Iran's capital Tehran. This act was a blatant attempt to sabotage peace efforts and wantonly trampled on the fundamental UN Charter principle of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, Fu stated that China is deeply worried about an exacerbation of the upheaval in the region that this incident may trigger.
Haniyeh, was targeted and killed in an Israeli strike early Wednesday while visiting Iran, according to a statement released by Hamas on the same day.
The Palestinian Islamist militant group and Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed Haniyeh's death. The Guards said it took place hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for Iran's new president.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government made no claim of responsibility and said it would make no comment on the assassination.
The Gaza conflict has been going on for nearly 300 days, resulting in nearly 40,000 deaths and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, said Fu.
He noted that over two months ago, the Council adopted Resolution 2735. As of now, however, ceasefire negotiations have yet to yield any progress, while the spillover effects of this conflict are increasingly visible, with the tensions between Lebanon and Israel, between Syria and Israel, and in the Red Sea sounding the alarm frequently. The Middle East situation is hanging by a thread, much to the concern of the international community.
Given the severity of the situation, the parties concerned must heed the international calls for a ceasefire and cessation of conflict. They must implement Council resolutions fully, actively coordinate with and support international effort in mediating peace, and take tangible actions to push for de-escalation and the restoration of peace and tranquility in the region, Fu noted.
They must not act single-mindedly and repeatedly take provocative or risky actions to stoke escalations. We strongly object to and condemn the recent irresponsible acts, including Israel's attack on Southern Beirut, said Fu.
China reiterates that military means and abuse of force offer no solution and will only lead to a bigger crisis. The continued deterioration of the Middle East situation is directly attributable to the continuous failure to implement a ceasefire in Gaza.
We urge all parties to comply with the overwhelming international consensus and work jointly for an immediate ceasefire to save lives, mitigate the impact of the havoc, and contain any spillovers. We urge Israel to implement Council resolutions in full, immediately halt all its military operations in Gaza, and immediately stop its collective punishment of the people in Gaza, said Fu.
Countries with major influence must put more pressure and work vigorously with the parties concerned and make tangible good-faith efforts to extinguish the flames of war in Gaza, said the representative.
After recruiting journalists and "fisherfolk" to launch infringing activities in the South China Sea, the Philippines is about to play a new round of trick in staging another incident. Philippine media outlets recently reported that a Filipino non-governmental organization called Atin Ito, or "This is ours," is planning to rally a group of so-called Philippine fisherfolk to travel to the waters around China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) in an attempt to use "fisherfolks" as "human shields, " to initiate a fresh round of provocation in the South China Sea and deliberately engage in "sadfishing" to the international community.
The Global Times noted from publicly available information that this so-called Filipino civic organization is, in fact, a "hired gun" fed by the US and long sponsored by US organizations. Atin Ito has continuously stirred up troubles in South China Sea and has been exerting its influence in the Philippine government's decision-making on the issue.
This organization's plan of direct involvement in the frontline of the South China Sea conflict further exposes the increasing interference from countries outside of the region, like the US, as they incite the Philippines to "step on the gas" toward confrontation in the South China Sea. Upcoming publicity stunt
Multiple Philippine media outlets have recently covered the plan of this publicity stunt. Philippine news website rappler.com reported on May 8 that Atin Ito, a coalition that counts fisher and farmer groups, civic organizations, fisherfolk, and youth activists among its members, will travel to Huangyan Dao from May 14 to 17.
Rafaela David, one of the lead convenors of the coalition, said in a press conference on May 8 that "this is not a sightseeing excursion to seek out Chinese marine vessels or a provocation to incite conflict." However, this coalition also invited international observers to join the voyage to monitor and document the situation in the region and "witness firsthand the challenges faced by Filipinos in those waters."
David contradicted herself in her performance art by stating, "By mobilizing civilians and engaging in peaceful activities within our EEZ, we reclaim our space and assert our territorial integrity in a manner that champions peace and diplomacy."
According to Philippine media, about 200 participants are expected to join the mission, among them fisherfolk, volunteers, journalists, and observers. They are scheduled to set out from the Philippines on May 15 and trespass into waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao, bring supplies to Filipino fisherfolk, and deploy "symbolic buoys" bearing a provocative message: "The West Philippine Sea is ours."
This is not the first time that the Atin Ito has conducted so-called peaceful activities in the South China Sea, as this coalition had also organized dozens of fishing ships and a marine training vessel carrying Philippine civilians to bring Christmas gifts to local Philippine military personnel on islands and reefs in the region, according to Philippine media reports.
Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that Atin Ito's latest plan to stir up troubles around Huangyan Dao at a larger scale will likely first have Philippine fishing vessels staying from a distance, as they would need to coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard and journalists to take staged photos.
The coalition will likely then play the staged show of "resupply," as they could have fishing vessels coordinate with Philippine governmental ships to conduct infringing activities, Ding predicted, noting that it is also possible that civilian vessels rallied by the organization will trespass into waters restricted by China under the demand of the Philippine Coast Guard, directly disrupt law enforcement operations by the China Coast Guard, or disrupt normal fishing activities by Chinese fisherfolk.
While this scheduled infringing plan seems big under the propaganda of the Atin Ito coalition and the Philippine media, its actual scale might fall short significantly. A source close to the matter told the Global Times that while the plan allegedly rallied over 100 civilian vessels, the fact is that only about 10 ships or so will likely end up joining the publicity stunt, with most of them operating in waters not far away from the Port of Masinloc.
The source said that Philippine government ships are expected to arrive in designated waters in the early morning of May 15, then the civilian ships will hold a regatta for entertainment near the Port of Masinloc. After that, these ships will scatter, with two Philippine commercial ships carrying journalists and social activists heading toward Huangyan Dao on May 16 and return to the Philippines on the same day.
Atin Ito is expected to hold a press conference in Manila on May 17 to continue to hype this farce, the source said.
Ding said that this organization's activities often fall short of expectations and follow fixed patterns. They usually hype up their activities beforehand, make high profile forecasts on domestic media and social media platforms, and instigate nationalist sentiments. At the same time, the organization also raises donations through its website, urging for supplies to Philippine fishing ships operating around China's Huangyan Dao and Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef). In addition, this organization also makes various publicity stunts, including live shows, press conferences, and seminars in a bid to increase its political presence. 'Hired gun' by US military
Although it publicly claims to be an independent Philippine organization pursuing peace, the actions of the Atin Ito coalition are more akin to a "hired gun" serving the US strategy in the South China Sea. In fact, its ability to coordinate resources within the Philippines, as well as its intricate relationships with pro-American figures in the US military and Filipino politics, all highlight that it is far from a simple Filipino civil organization.
In a recent field interview in the Philippines, Global Times reporters noted that similar to many Western civil organizations that serve political purposes, Atin Ito excels at expanding its influence in a people-friendly manner. For example, it manufactures and sells exclusive brand accessories, handicrafts, or tourist souvenirs. Through this method, it raises funds for activities, promotes its image, and advocates its political stance.
Ding said that, "the Atin Ito coalition seems to be a so-called non-profit civil organization, as it intentionally downplays its political color in its official website introduction and propaganda campaign, but in fact, it has a certain political background. This is first reflected in the fact that the actual leader of the organization, Rafaela David, is also the chairman of the Akbayan Party in the Philippines. Although this political party is relatively small in the Philippine political arena, it has been using various political issues in the Philippines to increase its presence and influence in recent years. Atin Ito and the Akbayan Party present a complementary relationship, as the Akbayan Party provides political resources for the activities of Atin Ito, and the activities organized by Atin Ito can increase the exposure of Rafaela David, granting her more political benefits."
Philippine media reports showed that the Akbayan Party has been an active participant and organizer of many anti-China demonstrations in the Philippines, and Atin Ito was often present at these events. In return, the Akbayan Party actively gathers Philippine political figures to support the activities of Atin Ito.
Philippine media Palwan News reported in March that Philippine political figures such as Senator Risa Hontiveros, former ambassador Victoria Bataclan and civilian opinion leaders, as well as representatives from the British, Australian, Dutch, Swedish, and European Union embassies attended a photo exhibit and film screen held in Manila that month, when Altin Ito announced Huangyan Dao as a potential destination for its next mission of "delivering aid to fisherfolk." This highlighted the close ties between the coalition and the party.
In addition, the militaries of the Philippines and the US also do not hide their relations with Atin Ito. The Philippine Star, on May 3, reported that, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine Navy spokesman, voiced support on May 2 for Atin Ito's upcoming "civilian supply mission" to Huangyan Dao. "And so long as they abide by all the guidelines given by the government, we support all activities, civic society," he said.
Philippine naval vessels or Philippine Coast Guard vessels were also often seen accompanying Atin Ito's activities in their previous activities in the South China Sea, Philippine media reports showed.
A report titled America's Project Myoushu and the Philippine's Atin Ito Coalition is gearing up for a proof of concept that may lead us to war published on the Philippine-based Asian Century Journal in December 2023 asked, "Who is funding the Atin Ito Coalition and their operations? A marine convoy like this involves a tremendous amount of logistical planning and support not to mention the financial means to undertake one." It further questioned, "Who are the people behind the Atin Ito Coalition? They claim it's a civil society group aiming to further our country's vital security interests yet they defy our National Security Council's advice."
Citing an article titled Lighting Up The Gray Zone by US Air Force Captain Benjamin Goirigolzarri published on the US Naval Institute's website, the Asian Century Journal report said that the US established a new strategy in the South China Sea called Project Myoushu, which is a derivative of the US Naval Institute's Maritime Counterinsurgency (COIN) Project tailored specifically to counter China's "dominance" in the South China Sea. The project previously hyped the China Coast Guard's law enforcement operations in the South China Sea, attempted to incite public opinion and push for governments of countries in the South China Sea to become hard on China, and damaged the peace China and other countries in the region have created.
The Asian Century Journal report deduced that the Atin Ito Coalition is indeed a joint US-Philippines effort, as the Project Myoushu is described as an independent, civil society-led initiative that maintains separation from potential public perceptions of bias and bureaucratic obstacles that can hinder government-led efforts.
Further evidence the report provided is that the Project Myoushu as a concept was presented only in Manila in January 2023 at a conference hosted by local think tank Stratbase, and the report suggested that Stratbase is funded by the US. "So, there they are hiding in plain sight where no one is looking -- America's manipulative hands still pulling the Philippine government's strings," the report said.
Underestimated China's determination
Whether it is the so-called Philippine non-governmental organizations such as the Atin Ito coalition, or Project Myoushu behind it, their operating patterns are nothing more than orchestrated shows and staged behaviors to exert public opinion pressure on China, undermine China's efforts of pursuing peace in the South China Sea, and try to force China to make concessions over its sovereignty in the South China Sea issue. However, the Philippine politicians with these calculations clearly underestimated China's determination and will to safeguard its sovereignty.
Ding said that Atin Ito's plan cannot reach its goals. Given China's ability to safeguard sovereignty and maritime rights on Huangyan Dao, no matter what form or scale the Philippines uses to infringe and provoke, it will definitely be met with strong countermeasures.
Videos released by Philippine media showed that when dealing with the Philippines' infringement actions in waters off Huangyan Dao, the China Coast Guard's law enforcement forces have rich methods. During the handling process, a series of measures including verbal warnings, navigation route restrictions, and warning shots with water cannons were used based on different situations. Such law enforcement actions were conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, and were reasonable, powerful, but also restrained. It shows that China will resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, and will not give the Philippines any space for hype from a legal perspective.
Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that some fanatics in the Philippines are driven by a revanchist mentality and repeatedly stage "the Farmer and the Snake" scenarios, attempting to copy the Ren'ai Jiao model - pursuing territorial sovereignty in the name of so-called fishing boat replenishment. In this regard, China's patience definitely has limits.
The normalization of the Philippines' trespasses is seeing confrontation replacing dialogue and cooperation as the main line for China and the Philippines to resolve conflicts over Huangyan Dao. The Marcos Jr administration's tough actions may earn diplomatic applause from the US and the West, but the frequent and tense confrontations on the frontline have also restrained the huge military, police and diplomatic energy of both the Philippines and China. Other than wasting economic investment and escalating the risk of unexpected events at sea, such moves have no other valuable benefits, Chen said.
Chinese economic officials have slammed the hyped “overcapacity” tag on Chinese new energy products on Friday, calling it “a carefully crafted narrative trap created by some countries with the aim of making it a pretext to implement trade protective measures.” While voicing strong objection to the action, they also warn against its dire consequences, which will disrupt the stability and smooth flow of global supply chains, hinder the global green transition and eventually backfire on the initiators of trade protectionism.
For some time, certain officials and media outlets in some countries have intensively accused China’s new energy products of “overcapacity.” These hypes are attempts to set the stage for unilateralism and the implementation of trade protection policies, according to an article posted on Friday on the WeChat account of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner.
Those allegations on China’s new energy products do not hold ground as they are neither in line with facts nor economic rules, the NDRC article said, while rebutting every piece of the fallacy with solid proof and data.
With regards to the claim that “the overcapacity of China’s new energy exports was a result of insufficient domestic market and thus have to sell to the global market at a low price,” the NDRC blasted it with a reference to the fundamental law of international industrial division and cooperation.
Take the US exports as an example, it noted. About 80 percent of high-end chips produced in the US are destined for export, and the country is also the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, while one-fifth of US agricultural products are shipped to China, however, the US has not been accused of exporting “overcapacity” in these areas. In contrast, China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) exports only represented 12.5 percent of its total output last year, showing that China's new energy products currently mainly satisfy domestic demand.
It is also key to view the global supply-demand relationship from a developmental perspective, or the demand of global market and its development potential, the NDRC said, lambasting the claim that “China’s new energy capacity has surpassed global demand, making other countries unable to absorb.”
The NDRC highlighted a bunch of data by IEA which showed that the forecasted global demand for NEVs and power battery by 2030 will be almost five times from China’s capacity in relevant industries in 2023. In terms of the cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity, the projected global demand by 2030 is calculated to be around 9 times from China’s capacity in 2023. All underscore huge room for future demand growth.
On the one hand, the advantage is built upon a vast domestic market, a complete industrial system, intense market competition and continuous technological innovation under market mechanism, the NDRC pointed out. On the other hand, individual country has been encouraging and supporting the growth of relevant industries amid global green transition, and in particular the US is providing prodigious subsidies and tax incentives to new energy industries through legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
There isn't a “China overcapacity,” but a US overcapacity of anxiety stemming from a lack of confidence and smears against China, Lin Jian, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing on April 30.
During US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to China, he pointed finger at China over the so-called “unfair trade practices and the potential consequences of industrial overcapacity to global and US markets,” naming some industries including electric vehicles, batteries, and solar panels. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently reiterated in an interview with Reuters the "overcapacity" in China, claiming that the so-called overcapacity in China is not only a problem faced by the US, but also by Europe, Japan, India and Mexico.
It is indeed despicable and hypocritical for nations to proclaim that addressing global climate change is their “noble mission,” while simultaneously adopting protectionist measures under the pretext of “overcapacity” to suppress the development of new energy industries in other countries, according to the NDRC article.
Such actions not only undermine the global efforts to combat climate change but will also backfire, the NDRC warned, while citing a list of examples from the past decades that show that there’s no winner out of trade protectionism.
Also, the moves could wreak havoc on the stable operation of global new energy industry supply chains, creating “blockages,” “choke points,” and “breakpoints” that affect the efficiency of economic operations and may even trigger various potential risks, the NDRC stressed.
“Economic globalization has become a major trend. Countries are interdependent and integrated into a community of shared interests. Being open and inclusive, and pursuing win-win cooperation is the only correct choice,” the NDRC article concluded, urging countries to oppose the politicization of economic and trade issues or make them security issues, advocate for “tearing down walls rather than building them, for openness rather than isolation, for integration rather than decoupling, and promote the construction of an open world economy.”
