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Category: China

  • Chinese Vice Minister Meets Maldivian President 

    Chinese Vice Minister Meets Maldivian President 

    The meeting focused on exploring ways to promptly implement agreements signed during Muizzu’s state visit to China…reports Asian Lite News

    Sun Haiyan, the Vice Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, called on Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Monday after various agreements were signed between the two nations.

    The two leaders also reviewed the recent success of direct flights between Maldives and China and the possibility of extending direct flights from several Chinese cities to Maldives.

    The meeting focused on exploring ways to promptly implement agreements signed during Muizzu’s state visit to China, according to the statement released by the Maldives President’s Office.

    During the meeting, Sun Haiyan stated that all relevant authorities are eager to collaborate with their Maldivian counterparts under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping. She expressed interest in strengthening strategic bilateral ties and offering training possibilities for the people of Maldives in various sectors.

    “During the call, the Vice Minister of the International Department stated that all relevant authorities are eager to collaborate with their Maldivian counterparts under the leadership of H.E. President Xi Jinping. She expressed interest in strengthening strategic bilateral relations and offering training possibilities for Maldivians in various fields,” Maldives President’s Office said in a statement.

    Maldives President Muizzu expressed gratitude to China for the training opportunities and other avenues of support for the people of the Maldives. He conveyed his eagerness to implement the agreements signed between the Maldives and China, according to the statement released by Maldives President’s Office.

    They also discussed improving city-to-city ties between the Maldives and China. The two leaders deliberated on future collaborations and fortifying ties between Maldives and China.

    On January 13, Mohamed Muizzu announced that agreements to assist the Maldives in expanding agricultural growth to cater to food security were signed with the Chinese government. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Velana International Airport (VIA), Maldives President’s Office said in a press release.

    He made the remarks upon his return to the Maldives after concluding his state visit to China. The agreements were signed following the official talks between China and Maldives during Muizzu’s state visit to China. The two nations exchanged 20 key agreements at the signing ceremony.

    Speaking on the agreements signed between the two nations, Muizzu stated that deliberations were conducted to initiate a specific agricultural scheme at Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF), Maldives President’s Office said in a press release.

    He stressed that the envisioned project will guarantee the cultivation of the most frequently used agricultural commodities, sufficient for a minimum population of 200,000 people. A delegation of senior government officials accompanied the President and the First Lady on their state visit to China from January 7-13, according to press release.

    During their visit to China, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed further undertook several engagements and made visits to various establishments, including the President’s participation in the Invest Maldives Forum. He also held pivotal meetings in several sectors, fostering greater cultural, economic, and political relations with China. (ANI)

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  • Xi Approves Revised Military Legislation

    Xi Approves Revised Military Legislation

    The revised regulations are of great significance to promoting the high-quality development of military legislation…reports Asian Lite News

    Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to promulgate a revised set of regulations on military legislation, which will take effect on March 1.

    With 85 entries in 13 chapters, the revised regulations standardize the working systems and mechanisms for military legislation based on the newly-revised Legislation Law, said a statement issued on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

    The revised regulations are of great significance to promoting the high-quality development of military legislation, advancing the implementation of the strategy of running the military in accordance with the law, and strengthening all-around military governance, the statement said.

    Imprisonment for sharing defence-related photos online

    In the realm of open-source intelligence, a primary method for Western experts to monitor China’s military activities is by scrutinising photos of People’s Liberation Army’s new equipment shared online by amateur enthusiasts, CNN reported.

    Posting images of military vessels or aircraft, often captured from outside PLA installations or through commercial flights near sensitive areas, has been a common practice as China rapidly modernises its forces. However, this activity faces a crackdown.

    In a WeChat post titled “This is a cool hobby, but you must be very careful,” China’s Ministry of State Security said: “Some individual military enthusiasts severely endanger national military security by illegally obtaining information regarding national defence and disseminating them on the internet,” CNN reported.

    “With a focus on military airports, ports, national defence and military industrial units, they drove to or took ferries or planes that pass by designated routes, and clandestinely photographed with telephoto lenses or drones,” said the post from the highly secretive civilian spy agency, as reported by CNN.

    Repeat offenders could face imprisonment for up to seven years, while “first-time or occasional violators” might receive a warning. The Ministry of State Security oversees intelligence and counterintelligence activities both within China and overseas.

    This warning aligns with China’s increasing emphasis on national security across various sectors, particularly amid rising tensions with the United States. The Ministry of State Security recently launched a social media account to caution citizens about exposing China’s secrets and urged them to join the fight against espionage.

    The ministry’s post specifically mentions the disclosure of operational and technical details of Chinese military hardware, with a focus on aircraft carriers. The construction progress of warships or aircraft can be revealed through images posted online.

    China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has been a popular subject for amateur spotters as it undergoes outfitting at a Shanghai shipyard. The Fujian, weighing 80,000 tons and considered a rival to the newest US Navy carriers, is equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system.

    The warning underscores China’s efforts to prevent the unauthorised sharing of sensitive military information, aligning with its broader strategy to control information flow and enhance national security.

    Notably, the United States also has regulations restricting photography near certain military installations and equipment. The US Code prohibits making photographs or representations of vital military and naval installations or equipment without proper permission, and violators could face up to a year in prison.

    While amateur military enthusiasts have been a common source of open-source intelligence, concerns about national security and protecting military secrets are leading both China and the United States to take measures against such activities, CNN reported.

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  • China’s Stock Market Sees Worst Start Since 2016

    China’s Stock Market Sees Worst Start Since 2016

    Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 2.3 per cent on Monday, closing at its lowest level since October 2022…reports Asian Lite News

    China’s stock market had a rough 2023 and the rout has accelerated in the first few weeks of the New Year, after Beijing dashed hopes that it might do more to support the struggling economy, a media report said.

    Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 2.3 per cent on Monday, closing at its lowest level since October 2022. The index has lost more than 12 per cent so far this month, nearly as much as it lost in all of 2023, CNN reported.

    Mainland China’s Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 2.7 per cent in its biggest daily drop since April 2022. The Shenzhen Component Index, a tech-heavy benchmark, had its worst day in nearly two years, plunging 3.5 per cent. The indexes have tanked 4.8 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively, in the first trading days of 2024, the report said.

    It’s the worst start to a year for Chinese stocks since 2016, when investors were ditching their holdings following a market crash in 2015. A bubble popped as the economy showed signs of strain and share prices got way ahead of company profits.

    In recent months, a real estate crisis, the slowest growth (outside the pandemic) in decades, and a crackdown on some businesses have all combined to undermine investor confidence.

    Ken Cheung, chief Asian foreign exchange strategist for Mizuho Bank, said Monday that foreign investors were continuing to “reduce their risk exposure” to China and had “bearish expectations” for business conditions in the country.

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  • China Delays Appointment of Ambassador to India for Over 15 Months

    China Delays Appointment of Ambassador to India for Over 15 Months

    There is not a dearth of senior candidates, he said, but India’s approach to China has “changed” and there might be few takers for the job among Chinese diplomats…reports Asian Lite News

    China has yet to appoint its ambassador to India, some 15 months since the post fell vacant.

    The last Chinese Ambassador in Delhi was Sun Weidong, who left in October 2022 after three years on the job and became a Vice Foreign Minister in Beijing on his return.

    China-India relations plunged to a new low in the modern histories of the Asian neighbours in June, 2020, following clashes in the Galwan River valley that killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

    The decades-old border dispute, which led to a war in 1962, has seen skirmishes in the past three years amid a troops build-up and partial pullback.

    The delay in appointment is a sign that the bilateral relationship remains frosty. But the reason being increasingly cited is China’s internal affairs.

    A diplomatic source said while the common perception is linked to the current state of Sino-Indian relations, the process of selecting a candidate from within China’s foreign service is taking time because the Delhi posting requires seniority (as does the role in some other capitals).

    Both Chinese and Indian foreign policy analysts agreed China would be cautious about who to pick but their explanations differed.

    “It is a vice-ministerial-level job, an important post, so they need to find the right person,” said Hu Shisheng, director, Institute for South Asian Studies, at a Beijing-based think-tank on international relations. “This is not related to the bilateral situation. It is a domestic issue.”

    At present, no other country in South Asia has the Chinese ambassador’s post empty.

    “An Indian ambassador to China can be selected from the joint secretary and above levels (Indian government hierarchy) but the Chinese ambassador’s post (in India) is of a vice-ministerial level. Compared with years ago, the job’s bureaucratic rank is higher today,” said Srikanth Kondapalli, dean, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

    There is not a dearth of senior candidates, he said, but India’s approach to China has “changed” and there might be few takers for the job among Chinese diplomats.

    “The Galwan incident and follow-up have made the bilateral relationship sensitive,” he said, adding that a new appointee would have an uphill task.

    According to a non-diplomatic source, last year, “the Chinese government had nearly found a new ambassador to India but the idea was later dropped” amid internal changes such as the removal of Qin Gang from the post of foreign minister and Li Shangfu from the post of defence minister.

    The probability of China announcing a new ambassador to India in the immediate future appears less likely, owing to domestic preoccupation: the “two sessions” – China’s annual legislative meetings in March, as well as India’s general elections between April and May.

    “Not naming a new ambassador doesn’t mean that China does not take India seriously,” said Qian Feng, director of research, National Strategy Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing. “China has its internal process and will be careful about this appointment.”

    For China-India relations to thaw, China has to create the right conditions, Kondapalli said.

    “India is saying, go back to where you came from (pre-2020), remove the troops – de-escalate and disengage and then we can talk about resetting relations.”

    Hu said the Galwan clash continues to be a sensitive issue in the bilateral relationship but both countries have “learned big lessons”.

    The India-China disputed border is categorised in three sections: eastern, middle and western.

    “The eastern and middle sections are more or less clear in terms of each other’s positions and the Line of Actual Control but there are many ‘grey areas’ in the western section, with overlapping claims,” Hu said, adding that “with mutual understanding, both sides have disengaged in some of the hotspots other than Demchok and the Depsang Plains”.

    China views the border dispute as a “leftover” problem of British colonialism in the region and wants to go about business as usual with India in other fields. India has been more vocal about its non-acceptance of that position since 2020.

    “We wish India understands that the resolution of the border dispute should not be seen as a prerequisite for improving general bilateral relations,” said Qian.

    Ma Jia, the charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Delhi, described the current border situation as stable.

    “The two sides have maintained the momentum of diplomatic and military negotiations on border-related issues and agreed to promote the settlement of the issues and turn the page at an early date,” she told reporters last Thursday.

    The two countries have held 20 rounds of military talks and more than a dozen diplomatic meetings on the border issue since 2020.

    China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is integrated with its foreign policy, would be another factor in the appointment of a Chinese ambassador to India, Kondapalli said.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the “central conference on work relating to foreign affairs” in Beijing in December. Among other things, a post-meeting statement noted “the platform for action is high-quality Belt and Road cooperation”.

    “The last four or five Chinese ambassadors to India were not able to convince New Delhi to join or support the BRI,” said Kondapalli.

    India raised sovereignty concerns over the BRI’s flagship connectivity project that runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and has opposed it over the past decade since its launch.

    Hu said China and India can cooperate outside the BRI.

    “While BRI diplomacy is an important part of China’s foreign policy, we also have major-power diplomacy such as with Russia and other collaborations that focus mainly on development or physical connectivity. With India, China can have physical or digital connectivity. For example, China has the hardware and India the software,” he said.

    China and India have maintained “high-level communications and interactions”, setting the tone for “stabilising” the relationship, Ma said.

    Last year, bilateral trade reached $136 billion and India’s exports to China grew by 6 percent year-on-year.

    India’s trade deficit with China was $83.2 billion in 2022-23, according to Indian Commerce Ministry data.

    Chinese investment in India has declined in the recent years, also amid an Indian government crackdown. The number of Chinese companies registered for business in India has fallen since the pandemic. India has long sought more market access in China, with few Indian companies registered for business in China even before the pandemic.

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  • 13 Students Killed in School Dormitory Fire in China

    13 Students Killed in School Dormitory Fire in China

    Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly, and the flames were extinguished at 11:38 p.m….reports Asian Lite News

     Thirteen students were killed in a fire that erupted at a school dormitory in China’s Henan province, local authorities said on Saturday.

    At 11 p.m. on Friday night, the local fire department received an alarm about the fire in a male dormitory of Yingcai School in Yanshanpu village, Dushu town, reports Xinhua news agency.

    Rescuers arrived at the scene quickly, and the flames were extinguished at 11:38 p.m.

    The dormitory housed approximately 30 boarding students when the fire broke out.

    One injured student is currently receiving treatment at the hospital and is in stable condition.

    Yingcai School is a private school with a history of more than 10 years.

    It primarily enrolls students from nearby rural areas.

    According to a parent of a student at the school, after the incident, her child was brought home by village officials around 6 a.m. on Saturday, and the return-to-school date is unknown.

    She said that female students reside on the second floor of the dormitory, while male students stay on the third floor.

    The school has an affiliated kindergarten. Before the incident occurred, the kindergarten’s children had already returned home for the weekend.

    Investigation into the incident has been launched by local authorities, and the person in charge of the school has been brought under control by police.

    Cold wave to sweep China

    The first cold snap of 2024 will hit a large area of China from Saturday until January 23, bringing gales and intense snowfall, the national observatory said.

    The cold wave will sweep across the country’s central and eastern regions, bringing drastic temperature drops of up to 14 degrees Celsius and ending an unseasonably warm period, Xinhua news agency quoted the National Meteorological Centre (NMC) as saying in its forecast.

    Heavy snow and blizzards will also hit a large part of south China from January 21 to 22.

    In the wake of the cold wave, the NMC on Saturday renewed a blue alert.

    Affected by the cold wave, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Hebei, Jilin, Liaoning, and many parts in southern China are expected to see temperatures declining up to 16 degrees Celsius from Saturday to January 23.

    Most areas in central and eastern China will also experience strong winds due to the impact of the cold wave, the centre said.

    Local governments and relevant departments are advised to take precautions against the cold wave, including some protective measures for tropical crops and aquatic products.

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  • China Issued 1.8L Visas to Indian in 2023

    China Issued 1.8L Visas to Indian in 2023

    Earlier in 2022, India suspended tourist visas for Chinese nationals, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a circular for its members….reports Asian Lite News

    More than 1,80,000 Chinese visas were issued to Indian citizens in 2023, Chinese embassy in India spokesperson Wang Xiaojian said on Friday.

    He also shared that last year, the Chinese Embassy in India took a series of measures to facilitate Indian citizens travelling to China and hoped that India would also resume normal visa channels for people from China coming to India.

    Taking to X, Wang Xiaojian said, “More than 180,000 Chinese Visas have been issued to Indian citizens in 2023! In the past year, Chinese Embassy & Consulates-General in India have taken a package of measures to better facilitate Indian citizens traveling to China, such as online appointment removed, fingerprints exemption and temporary fee reduction.”

    He added, “It’s sincerely hoped that the India side would resume normal visa channels for Chinese citizens traveling to India ASAP to jointly promote mutual people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China & India.”

    Earlier in 2022, India suspended tourist visas for Chinese nationals, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a circular for its members.

    IATA issued a circular for its member carriers regarding entry into India and said, “Tourist visas issued to nationals of China (People’s Republic) are no longer valid.”

    It further reads that the nationals of Bhutan, India, Maldives and Nepal, passengers with a residence permit issued by India, passengers with visas or e-visa issued by India are allowed to enter India.

    According to the circular, passengers with an overseas citizen of India card or booklet like those who have a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card and those with a diplomatic passport are also allowed to enter India.

    The IATA also said that tourist visas with a validity of 10 years are no longer valid. (ANI)

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  • Bhutan Secures Spot as Top Destination For Chinese Travellers

    Bhutan Secures Spot as Top Destination For Chinese Travellers

    The Department of Tourism states that Bhutan will benefit from the designation as a top location for Chinese tourists looking to combine deep cultural immersion with environmental awareness….reports Asian Lite News

    At a time when China’ growing interest in Bhutan is prominently seen and cannot be overlooked, Bhutan has secured its place as an outstanding travel destination in the Chinese market, reported Bhutan Live.

    Notably, this is the first time the country has received an award in the Chinese market.

    Bhutan won the “Outstanding Destination Excellence Award” in December of last year at the 18th Golden Award of The National Geographic Traveller, one of the first international travel magazines published in China, reported Bhutan Live.

    The Department of Tourism states that Bhutan will benefit from the designation as a top location for Chinese tourists looking to combine deep cultural immersion with environmental awareness.

    “As we all know China is one of the biggest suppliers of tourists globally. And also this award is associated with National Geographic which is associated with landscapes, cultures and the wonders of our planet,” the Department of Tourism’s Director General, Dorji Dhradhul said, according to Bhutan Live.

    “We need to preserve these for our future generations. Therefore, this is also a big recognition of the sustainability initiatives that our country has taken particularly in tourism,” the Director General added.

    In October last year, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister, Tandi Dorji, went to Beijing to hold the China-Bhutan boundary talks.

    The 25th Round of Boundary Talks between Bhutan and China was held in Beijing on October 23-24, 2023. Lyonpo (Dr) Tandi Dorji, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Bhutan, led the Bhutanese delegation and Sun Weidong, Vice Foreign Minister of China, led the Chinese delegation there.

    “During the talks, the two leaders of the delegations signed the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the Bhutan-China Boundary,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Bhutan had said in a press release.

    The two sides agreed to continue working together to simultaneously push forward the implementation of all the steps of the Three-Step Roadmap.

    Since 1984, talks between Bhutan and China have largely focused on two separate areas of dispute, including Doklam and other areas in Bhutan’s West, near the India-China-Bhutan trijunction, and the Jakarlung and Pasamlung valleys located near Tibet to Bhutan’s North.

    Nestled between China and India, the majority-Buddhist nation ushered in democracy with its first free vote in 2008, two years after former king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated in favour of his Oxford-educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. (ANI)

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  • ‘Chinese Lab Mapped Covid Virus Weeks Prior’

    ‘Chinese Lab Mapped Covid Virus Weeks Prior’


    Reports from US HHS documents shared with Congress raise concerns about China’s transparency on the virus, questioning what China knew, when, and the time lost in developing tests and treatments….reports Asian Lite News

    A team of Chinese researchers identified and mapped SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the deadly Covid-19 pandemic and continues to infect people worldwide, at least two weeks before the country officially informed the world about the virus, according to media reports.

    The reports, based on federal documents from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and shared with a US congressional committee, raise concerns about China’s transparency on the virus — how much China knew about the virus and since when, and the time lost to develop tests and treatment to fight the virus.

    The congressional investigators said that a Chinese researcher in Beijing uploaded an incomplete sequence of the virus’s structure to a US government-run database in December 2019 — a period where Chinese officials were publicly describing the disease outbreak in Wuhan as a viral pneumonia “of unknown cause”, the Wall Street Journal reported.

    On December 28, 2019, Lili Ren, a virologist at the Institute of Pathogen Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, submitted a genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to GenBank — a publicly accessible database of genetic sequences overseen by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

    Three days later GenBank informed Ren in an email that her submission was incomplete and requested that she provide the complete information, Washington Post reported.

    As Ren did not submit the requested annotations, her submission was deleted from GenBank’s processing queue on January 16, 2020.

    A “nearly identical” genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was submitted to GenBank by a separate team of Chinese researchers and was published on January 12, 2020, revealed a letter sent by Melanie Anne Egorin, a senior official at the HHS, sent to House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders and that was made public on Wednesday.

    According to public health experts who reviewed the documents, this was a missed opportunity to learn more about the virus at the beginning of the global health emergency, the Washington Post reported.

    The failure to publish the genetic sequence submitted by Ren is “retroactively painful,” Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, was quoted as saying.

    Bloom noted that the genetic sequences may have expedited new tests and vaccines to combat the coronavirus.

    “That two weeks would have made a tangible difference in quite a few people’s lives,” Bloom said.

    More than three years after the pandemic, the origins of Covid-19 remain unclear. It has been the subject of a political and scientific debate with scientists and politicians globally contending that the source of the coronavirus was exposure to an infected animal or an event at a laboratory.

    “I don’t think this submission tells us anything about the origin of SARS-CoV-2,” Bloom said. “What I think this shows … (is) the Chinese government wasn’t immediately transparent about how quickly they learned about the cause of this outbreak.”

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  • State’s secrets will become more secretive in China now!

    State’s secrets will become more secretive in China now!

    As China aggressively positions itself on the global stage, the State Secrets Law amendments have far-reaching consequences for international relations. The intensified emphasis on information control and opacity poses a potential deterrent for foreign entities contemplating collaborations, casting shadows over notions of transparency and the unrestricted dissemination of information

    China’s State Secrets Law is undergoing a radical overhaul with the recent submission of a draft amendment. At the sixth session of the Standing Committee of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress, in October last year, a draft amendment to the Law was submitted for review. Given the pervasive securitization of information in China under Xi Jinping, this review tremendously expands the purview of “secrecy work” in China.  The draft amendment proposes to expand the law from 53 articles to 62 articles, including provisions for new mechanisms of accountability, new goals to fulfil through the conduct of secrecy work, and new ways to expand awareness of such work. The amendments not only consolidate power within the CCP but also make it less accountable for guarding state secrets putting Xi Jinping at the helm of all decision-making. Explicitly expounded is an unwavering commitment to the pre-eminence of the party’s leadership in matters of confidentiality, legal governance, and technological integration, thereby underscoring the singular influence of Xi Jinping. However, concerns loom large over the potential political instrumentalization of information.

    The amended draft aims to achieve the two-fold goal of concentrating power in the hands of the Communist Party of China (CPC), while making it much less accountable for guarding state secrets. The draft amendment introduces a new Article 3, which says that adherence to the leadership of the CPC in protecting state secrets is now a must. This was not present in the 2010 text. There is no mention of a role for the CPC in the 2010 law, but only that of the State Council and the “central government.”  By way of background, it may be mentioned that the Law on Guarding State Secrets was first enacted in 1988 and revised in 2010. It lists the items that may be considered as state secrets, specifies their categories and the authority of various government institutions to classify and declassify information, prescribes the procedures for identifying and handling classified information, and lays out the enforcement powers of departments guarding state secrets. 

    Xi Jinping delivers an important speech at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in Beijing, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng/IANS)

    To begin with, the very first article in the amended draft top lists President Xi Jinping’s primary political objective, the dream of realizing the “Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation.” Significantly, this is listed as one of the reasons for the current amendment to the Law. The 2010 draft Law only mentioned the aims of guarding state secrets, ensuring national security, and guaranteeing the smooth progress of reform, opening up, and “socialist construction.” Additionally, the amendment proposes moving towards “socialist modernization construction”, through secrecy work. The goal of achieving “socialist modernization” is an important agenda for Xi Jinping, since he announced a two-step plan to make China a “great modern socialist country” by 2035 at the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017.  

    Similarly, Article 4 of the draft amendment also refers to the significance of adhering to the “overall national security concept,” another one of Xi’s articulations from 2012. Article 4 also discusses adherence to the party’s leadership in secrecy, legal governance, and “the integration of technology and management, and innovative development,” canonizing the CPC’s dominant role over secrecy work in general and that of Xi Jinping, in particular. The only direct implementation role of the party emerges from the responsibility bestowed upon the Central Military Commission to dictate guidelines of secrecy work to the People’s Liberation Army (Article 60).

    At the same time, other aspects of accountability discussed in the amended draft, such as the implementation of a “secrecy work responsibility system” by state organs and units dedicated to guarding state secrets (as identified in Article 8), indicate that the CPC is delegating the work to government agencies and local authorities. The broad ambit of responsibilities under this system, includes designating specific personnel to be responsible for secrecy work, improving secrecy management systems, enhancing secrecy protection measures, conducting secrecy propaganda and education, and strengthening secrecy inspections. Any deficiencies in the fulfilment of such responsibilities will trigger rebuke for government agencies from the party. 

    Role of Local Authorities

    As per amended Article 11, local authorities will now be required to allot a separate budget for undertaking these responsibilities. This comes at a time when provincial government finances are already extremely strained. If promulgated, the amended State Secrets Law could become the worst of all worlds for state agencies, especially at the local level. Amendments introduced vis-a-vis secrecy propaganda and education also hint at some of the paranoia ailing the party-state. Even though Articles 31 and 36 of the present draft of the law make passing mention of awareness and education for personnel involved in secrecy work, the amended draft, in its 9th article, provides for the integration of secrecy work propaganda and awareness into the larger national education and cadre-training systems.

    If passed, the amended law will see both an increased effort by Chinese state media to spread propaganda about guarding state secrets, as well as heightened pressure on local governments to deliver training and education programmes that lay specific emphasis on secrecy work. Significantly, CPC paranoia also manifests in guarding critical information about economic and technological developments, which have become a subject of increased securitization and contestation in the context of deteriorating China-US relations. Article 10 of the draft amendment encourages confidentiality in scientific and technological research and application, such as in core technologies, while arguing for making innovative technological strides in secrecy work itself. This may indicate use of critical tech like artificial intelligence in patrolling the safeguarding of secrets, as is evident from its use case in Xinjiang.

    The interpretational ambit of what constitutes secrecy work technology is huge and can both hinder domestic and foreign collaborations on science and innovation, as well as further deployment of technologies for social suppression in the name of guarding state secrets. The persistent ambiguity in delineating the scope of “state secrets,” endures, creating formidable obstacles for both domestic and foreign entities seeking to navigate China’s regulatory landscape. Encouraging confidentiality in scientific and technological endeavours aims to fortify China’s capabilities in key sectors. However, this approach raises questions about the potential hindrance of domestic and international collaborations in science and innovation.

    As China aggressively positions itself on the global stage, the State Secrets Law amendments have far-reaching consequences for international relations. The intensified emphasis on information control and opacity poses a potential deterrent for foreign entities contemplating collaborations, casting shadows over notions of transparency and the unrestricted dissemination of information. The emphasis on confidentiality in scientific and technological research, while aimed at bolstering China’s prowess in key sectors, introduces a potential dichotomy. On one hand, it signals a desire for self-reliance and a safeguarding of critical knowledge. On the other, it raises concerns about reciprocity and transparency in international collaborations.

    As the global scientific community thrives on openness and shared knowledge, a China more inclined towards secrecy and control will find itself at odds with the collaborative spirit that propels innovation and breakthroughs. China’s State Secrets Law, undergoing transformation, with its heavy-handed emphasis on CPC dominance, stringent accountability mechanisms, and manipulative societal engagement, paint a disconcerting portrait of China’s authoritarian ambitions to tighten its grip on information.

  • US Senator: China Months Away From US in Race For AI Supremacy

    US Senator: China Months Away From US in Race For AI Supremacy

    The Biden administration’s recent decision to tighten controls on the export of advanced AI chips to China is seen as a strategic move to maintain a competitive edge for “a few more months.”…reports Asian Lite News

    The race for supremacy in artificial intelligence (AI) is so critical that the United States gauges its lead over rivals in a matter of “months,” as revealed by Republican Senator Mike Rounds during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, CNN reported.

    The Biden administration’s recent decision to tighten controls on the export of advanced AI chips to China is seen as a strategic move to maintain a competitive edge for “a few more months.”

    He emphasised the sensitivity of remaining a leader in high-speed technology, particularly in the development of advanced chips. “It is so sensitive to us that we remain a leader in terms of the high-speed technology available in the most advanced chips that we measure our spread from us versus our near-peer adversaries in… months,” he said.

    “How many months ahead do we believe we are in the development of AI capabilities?”

    The senator highlighted the significance of restricting cutting-edge chip availability, slowing down technological progress in other countries while the US aims to uphold its competitive position.

    The ongoing tech war between the United States and China has centred on chips, which are crucial for a wide range of applications, including smartphones, electric cars, advanced computing, and weapons manufacturing. Washington’s expansion of restrictions on chip sales to China in October escalated tensions in the already complex relationship between the two nations, as reported by CNN.

    Rounds, who serves on the armed services and intelligence committees in the US Senate, underscored the importance of AI in military capabilities. He noted that the country employing AI in its armed services would gain a strategic advantage in warfare.

    “The country with an army or armed services that has employed AI will have a leg up on everybody else.” As AI takes centre stage at this year’s Davos gathering, discussions revolve around its impact on society, jobs, and the global economy.

    IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, sharing the panel with Rounds, emphasised the long-term advantages for countries and companies that embrace AI. Krishna stated, “Countries and companies that embrace AI are going to be advantaged forever,” emphasising the significant productivity boost that AI can deliver. He urged immediate action, stating, “This is not two, three years out. You’ve got to get going now.”

    In a report released on Sunday, the International Monetary Fund predicted that AI would impact nearly 40 per cent of jobs worldwide, replacing some roles while complementing others. The widespread influence of AI on various sectors further underscores the urgency for nations and businesses to actively engage with and adopt this transformative technology, CNN reported. (ANI)

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