• Red Sea attacks see exporters turn to China-Europe Railway Express ahead of Lunar New Year
• China targets devices it says are used to send flight data to ‘foreign entities’
• Ex-China Everbright Group chairman expelled from Communist Party
• China and Myanmar vow to maintain border security as rebels claim victory in northern Shan state
• European Union keeps a wary eye on China as it plans tech spending
• Myanmar confirms a key northeastern city on border with China has been seized by an ethnic alliance
• Life lesson: China father encourages young son to study by making him sell food outdoors in harsh weather, triggers parenting debate online
• As US and China mark 45 years of diplomatic ties, top diplomat Wang Yi warns against confrontation and ‘zero-sum games’
• Taiwan says balloons from mainland China pose aviation safety ‘threat’
• Lie of the land: China’s rural women struggle for land rights in the courts, despite legal protections
• India keeps wary eye on Bhutan election as China seeks to draw kingdom into its orbit
• In Indonesia’s Chinese-funded nickel smelters, lives put ‘at stake’ as safety fears mount
• Fashion victim: China actress wraps 10 layers of cling film around waist to squeeze into dress, fuels debate over pressure to be thin
• Star mathematician Sun Song leaves US for China
• China’s hottest online items of 2023: sex scandal ‘dismissal dress’, US$280,000 concert ticket, virtual Einstein’s brain, books, health pills lead way
• To slay Hydra-like fentanyl scourge, US needs more than China’s help
• China needs ‘groundbreaking’ policy changes to embrace disruptive technologies
• To attract tourists again, Hong Kong must look to Harbin, China’s ice capital, for lessons. But could we ever offer that city’s warmth?
• Ahead of Lunar New Year, Chinese Debate Fireworks Ban

Red Sea attacks see exporters turn to China-Europe Railway Express ahead of Lunar New Year

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247429/red-sea-attacks-see-exporters-turn-china-europe-railway-express-ahead-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed

With major disruptions already hitting global supply chains due to Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, the situation is now set to worsen as shipping companies face the extra pressure of the coming Lunar New Year.

But one possible solution to the current shipping crisis may have been found as some exporters switch to the overland route provided by the China-Europe Railway Express.

Since November, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who control much of Yemen including most of the Red Sea coast, have been using exploding drones and missiles to attack commercial vessels using the vital trade route, as they protest Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Their actions have forced major shipping lines, including Danish shipping giant Maersk, Chinese state-owned shipping company Cosco and energy giant BP, to stop using the Suez Canal and Red Sea route.

But now the headaches being experienced by shipping companies are set to get even worse as they deal with the extra pressure traditionally felt in the lead-up to Lunar New Year.

China, known as the factory of the world, produces a lot of goods for export before factories close for the annual holiday. But with ships being paused or diverted around the Cape of Good Hope, many are not expected to reach Chinese ports in time.

The Suez Canal provides the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. One of the world’s busiest waterways, it accounts for 12 per cent of global trade, including 30 per cent of all container movement, according to Egypt’s State Information Service.

Having to divert around the South African seaboard adds an extra 3,500 nautical miles to a ship’s voyage – up to two more weeks. This will delay the return of empty containers back to China, with a knock-on effect that will be felt around the world.

Analysts said there was no way the situation could ease before Lunar New Year, but noted that the China-Europe Railway could become an alternative for export companies.

Rico Luman, a senior economist with a focus on transport, logistics and the automotive industry for ING Research, said the current detours and longer trip durations will lead to further port issues in January and February, which in turn will affect supply chains.

“Things can only start to normalise – if a solution to the security threats is found – after Chinese New Year,” Luman said.

Delays caused by the shipping crisis will lead to major problems at ports, according to Marco Forgione, director general at the Institute of Export & International Trade, an association of exporters and importers.

“The ports will suffer from congestion … all that will cascade to create a multiplier effect from the impact of the disruption,” Forgione said.

With the shipping situation in disarray, some Chinese exporters have now turned to the China-Europe Railway Express, which connects China and Europe through an extensive network of rail services.

Forgione said there has been a significant increase in requests for information about the railway. It runs through more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries and regions and reaches 217 cities across 25 European nations.

“The railway to Europe is a viable alternative and we are seeing increased demand for that route. The railway is more feasible for containerised traffic,” Forgione said.

“The expectation is that the use of rail could even double in the next few weeks as an alternative to sea freight.”

However, Luman did not agree that the Red Sea situation would have that big an impact on the rail connection.

“Shippers that are now threatened to run late for forthcoming important, higher valued deliveries will turn to air freight instead,” Luman said.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed by many Western nations could also play a part in turning exporters away from the rail option, Luman said.

“It’s also still a problem for many Western shippers that trains usually run through Russia, so the most popular route now crosses the Caspian Sea and this takes longer than it used to,” he said.

Shanghai EPU Supply Chain Management Co president Tommy Tan told Chinese state-owned newspaper the Global Times: “The number of inquiries [about the China-Europe Railway Express] has doubled since these incidents began. We are actively preparing route configurations and increasing capacity for round-trip services to meet growing customer demand.”

Although sending freight by rail is more expensive than by sea, the trains from China to Europe would take about 12 days compared with the usual sea transit time of 35 to 45 days.

In the first 11 months of 2023, the China-Europe Railway Express operated a total of 16,145 trains, transporting the equivalent of nearly 1.75 million 20-foot containers, according to data from the China State Railway Group. The total volume of goods transported during this period exceeded the total volume recorded in the whole of 2022.

US, allies warn Houthis as Red Sea attacks rattle global commerce

But as exporters look to alternative routes and modes of transport, the move will also see a shift in who wears the extra costs – and who loses revenue.

Lars Jensen, founder of Vespucci Maritime and former Maersk director, said the Red Sea attacks would lead to increases in freight rates, as well as causing a significant loss of revenue for Egypt due to the reduction in canal transits.

Jensen said, as a rough benchmark, avoiding the Red Sea would add around US$2 million to a ship’s journey in terms of fuel and other costs. This means for a full round-trip journey between Asia and Europe, each vessel could have an extra US$4 million in costs, he said.

Christian Roeloffs, co-founder and CEO of Container xChange, an online platform for container logistics, said freight rates through the Red Sea had already increased by 20 to 30 per cent. Similarly, average container prices have also risen, he said.

“In terms of average container prices, we notice a week on week increase across ports in Tianjin, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Ningbo and Huangpu,” Roeloffs said. “If we zoom in to individual locations in China, especially in Shanghai, Tianjin and Ningbo, then we notice that average prices of 40ft-high cube containers have been increasing steadily,” he said, adding this was largely attributable to the situation in the Red Sea.

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China targets devices it says are used to send flight data to ‘foreign entities’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247525/china-targets-devices-it-says-are-used-send-flight-data-foreign-entities?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s top spy agency is cracking down on unauthorised devices it says are being used to send flight tracking information to “foreign entities”.

In a statement posted to its official WeChat social media account on Saturday, the Ministry of State Security said several foreign entities “have been using free aviation information-sharing devices as bait to recruit aviation hobbyists from Chinese social networks as ‘volunteers’”.

The ministry said those individuals had then illegally collected the flight data of Chinese aircraft and transmitted it to foreign organisations.

“National security authorities, in collaboration with relevant departments, have launched a nationwide special operation to address this issue,” it said.

The statement said hundreds of the devices had been seized and the individuals involved were penalised.

The ministry did not name the foreign organisations, but claimed they had deployed the devices in provinces surrounding the Bohai Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea.

“These devices are not only capable of stealing civilian aviation data but they can also intercept sensitive military aviation information,” it said.

According to the statement, the devices can be used to collect information from aircraft flying nearby, such as the type, location, speed and direction. It said this data was being sent to computers controlled by the foreign groups.

It warned that any organisation or individual transmitting data to foreign entities was engaging in an illegal activity that endangered national security.

The devices are believed to be able to cover an area of 300km to 400km (186 to 248 miles) – meaning that if they were located across the country then 300 of them would be enough to monitor China’s entire airspace.

China warns military buffs not to photograph classified equipment

The spy agency also said that when a number of the illegal devices were being operated at the same time they posed “a significant threat to Chinese aviation safety by causing signal interference with both civilian air traffic control and military air control systems”.

The functions of the devices could also “evolve” since they can be programmed remotely, according to the ministry.

“It’s estimated that each device can send about 1,000 instances of flight data and approximately 130,000 location data points abroad daily,” it said.

China blocked flight information tracking website Flightradar24 in 2021. The site uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast – or ADS-B – receivers built by enthusiasts to receive and publish data on Chinese civilian and even military aircraft movements.

They receive the ADS-B signals – including location, altitude, identification codes, flight rate and vertical speed – used by civilian aircraft.

The ADS-B system facilitates data exchanges between aircraft without ground-based equipment, helping to detect potential route conflicts and prevent collisions.

These signals are available to anyone with a receiver – similar to tuning in to a radio station. The data is mainly used by platforms like Flightradar24 and VariFlight to collect and provide flight information.

China lashes out at ‘ill-intentioned foreign forces’ over its anti-spying law

But when large amounts of data are aggregated, they hold significant intelligence value through data mining technologies, according to a mainland Chinese expert who requested anonymity.

“This raises concerns, especially devices developed by foreign companies where the software and hardware are not open-sourced, as these devices could potentially upload other sensitive data,” he said.

“Multiple ADS-B receivers, if strategically placed, could even potentially form a passive radar system. So to eliminate risks, it’s imperative to regulate imported radio receiving devices – and particularly their data transmission to foreign entities.”

Ex-China Everbright Group chairman expelled from Communist Party

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247531/ex-china-everbright-group-chairman-expelled-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed

Tang Shuangning, former chairman and party chief of state-owned financial giant China Everbright Group, has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party over “serious violations of party discipline and law”.

The announcement was made by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission on Saturday – six months after the 69-year-old was taken away for investigation.

According to the statement, Tang – who headed the conglomerate from 2007 until he retired in 2017 – was found to have taken bribes to help others obtain loans and job promotions, and he brought banned books into mainland China.

It also said Tang had “failed to resolutely implement major decisions and plans made by the party, thus weakening the party’s leadership over state enterprises”.

“He also failed to prevent and defuse financial risks effectively,” the statement said, without elaborating.

Chinese banker jailed for life in US$483 million corruption case

In addition, Tang was accused of using his position to promote his own calligraphy and artwork.

“He wanted to be an official and be famous at the same time,” according to the graft-busters.

Tang is known for leading the quest for China Everbright Group’s initial public offering. The conglomerate – with banks, brokerage and other financial units – was listed in Shanghai in 2010 and Hong Kong in 2013.

In October his successor, Li Xiaopeng, who headed the group from 2017 to 2022, was also expelled from the party for taking bribes and other disciplinary violations.

Chen Shuang, who resigned in 2019 as chief executive of China Everbright Ltd, a financial services firm based in Hong Kong, was investigated for violations of party discipline and law in 2022.

Tang is the latest among a raft of senior financial executives detained in recent years by the graft-busters – part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping.

Inspection teams were sent to 25 major financial institutions and watchdogs in late 2021. And in March last year, teams were again sent to five of those institutions and another 30 state enterprises under the central government.

In August, the CCDI said it had detained more than 140 officials from for corruption investigations in the first half of the year, while over 200 cadres had turned themselves in.

The CCDI said the number of SOEs placed under investigation had “increased significantly” compared with the same period of 2022, but it did not give a figure.

On Saturday, the graft-busters also announced that Xu Wenrong, a former deputy general manager of China National Petroleum Corporation, was expelled from the party, along with Chen Jixing, a former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress. Both Xu and Wen were expelled for corruption.

China and Myanmar vow to maintain border security as rebels claim victory in northern Shan state

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247526/china-and-myanmar-vow-maintain-border-security-rebels-claim-victory-northern-shan-state?utm_source=rss_feed

China and Myanmar discussed border security in Naypyidaw as rebel groups claimed they had achieved a major victory by capturing the entire Kokang region in northern Shan state.

Myanmar’s junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing agreed to jointly maintain border security and tackle telecommunications fraud with China during a meeting with Chinese foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong, who is on a three-day visit to Myanmar, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

“The two sides will jointly maintain peace and stability on the China-Myanmar border, cooperate to combat cross-border criminal activities such as telecommunications fraud, and jointly promote regional peace, tranquillity, development and prosperity,” a statement from the ministry said.

Sun’s three-day visit to Myanmar, which will conclude on Saturday, came as the Three Brotherhood Alliance – an alliance of three armed ethnic groups that have been fighting the junta since October 27 – claimed it had fully captured the Kokang region in northern Shan state after seizing the regional capital of Laukkai, according to The Kokang, a media outlet affiliated with the alliance.

Laukkai, which borders China, is notorious for online scam operations.

The Kokang said six generals and more than 2,100 soldiers in the junta’s regional command centre surrendered on Thursday.

Myanmar’s military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun confirmed with the junta-aligned Popular News Journal on Saturday that the military had relinquished control of Laukkai after considering the safety of its soldiers.

He also blamed the rebel groups for firing shells over the border with China. Earlier this week, Beijing issued strong protests over artillery shells that injured five Chinese citizens in a border town in the southwestern province of Yunnan. The junta said the rebel groups were trying to “destroy the friendship” between the two countries.

China has become increasingly concerned about the safety of its citizens and assets as the fighting in Myanmar rages on despite ongoing peace talks brokered by Beijing.

Last month, China helped broker a temporary truce between the junta and the rebel groups, which ended on December 31. The two sides held two rounds of peace talks in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan, but failed to reach any deal.

Beijing calls for Myanmar ceasefire after shelling injures five in Chinese town

A third round of talks is planned for January, according to Myanmar media.

The Chinese foreign ministry said China would continue to play a “constructive role” and “provide support” for the peace process in northern Myanmar.

The two sides also agreed to continue to push forward China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the country and build the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the statement said.

The rebel groups said one of the aims of their coordinated attacks since late October was to help crack down on online scam compounds in northern Myanmar.

Beijing has also stepped up efforts to target online scams operating in the Southeast Asian country after tens of thousands of Chinese nationals have fallen victim to the fraud rings.

Beijing is also believed to have increased pressure on the junta, which the rebel groups have accused of providing protection for crime families that run the scam syndicates in Myanmar.

The junta has transferred more than 40,000 suspects to China over the past year, including some of the most-wanted members of the families.

European Union keeps a wary eye on China as it plans tech spending

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/06/eu-tech-fund-report/2024-01-03T17:12:01.243Z

A European Union study on how it should spend tens of billions of euros in high-tech investments warns that Europe may need to use the money to guard against geopolitical risks like potential U.S. decline and the rise of China or Russia.

The report by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation sketches out scenarios such as a U.S. turn to isolationism, the establishment of an E.U. army, the growth of a Chinese military presence on the edges of Europe and a renewed invasion by Russia into Ukraine as potential events over the next decade that the E.U. may need to prepare for with targeted technological investment.

“This is a reflection of the high level of uncertainty we are confronted with,” Matthias Weber, the report’s lead author, said in an interview. “There aren’t safe bets anymore because there are too many uncertainties.”

The study, published last month, is intended to project what the world may look like in the year 2040 as a guide for outlays under the EU’s flagship Horizon Europe research and development program for 2025 to 2027. It was drafted by a group of academic experts and European Commission staff members who began work in January 2022 and completed the report in August, months before it was published.

Areas identified in the report as research priorities for the E.U. include artificial intelligence, climate change, “transhumanist” technologies to extend the human life span, hydrogen fuel and nanotechnologies, or the study of materials generally too small to be visible to the human eye.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation said in a statement that the report will “contribute substantially” to the E.U.’s strategic plan for Horizon Europe, as well as its longer term investment approach.

“The conclusions drawn from this study will be instrumental in the definition of a European approach to R&I [research and innovation] in the coming years,” it said.

The E.U. deliberations highlight a growing focus on security considerations in governments’ tech investments around the world during a period of renewed wars and Cold War-like rivalry. The United States and China are racing to develop next-generation technologies such as AI and advanced computer chips, calling them critical for their military supply chains. Russia is building thousands of attack drones to bolster its invasion of Ukraine; Washington has announced its own small-drone accelerator program.

“Europe’s scientific performance may need to be more tightly coupled to security,” the E.U. report says.

Weber, who directs the Center for Innovation Systems and Policy at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), says the study was an attempt to help the E.U. think out-of-the-box to prepare for potential risks. Weber said his team’s mission was only to provide an analysis and that E.U. officials will make decisions on how to disburse the research funds in coming months. Horizon Europe runs from 2021 to 2027, and the majority of its 95.5 billion euro budget has already been allocated, but funding distribution for 2025 to 2027 is not yet set.

The authors raise questions over to what degree the E.U. should allow “autocratic states” — the report did not define the term, but generally it applies to countries where rulers hold absolute power and are not democratically elected — to participate in its research projects. The report argues that allowing them in is necessary to tackle some globalized challenges, versus keeping them at arms’ length for security considerations.

Weber said their study did not involve granular discussion of individual companies or countries, but reflected the increased emphasis on security and autonomy among E.U. member states generally.

The report considers a range of global scenarios that might emerge between now and 2040, including two that the authors dubbed “Mad Max” and “Home Alone.”

In the “Mad Max” scenario, the E.U. is weakened by internal political crises, the United States has withdrawn into isolationism, the Middle East is beset with new armed conflicts, and Chinese and Russian influence is growing. The authors write that issues to watch would be governments increasing defense spending, less research cooperation with the United States pushing some European countries toward China, and an increase of AI-enabled policing tools “to tackle the growing international disorder.”

The “Home Alone” scenario posits a “post-U.S.-hegemonic world order” in which the E.U. has built its own army and faces the decision of joining a military research alliance with China. In this scenario, the E.U. seeks to conduct research “with ‘trusted’ parties to strengthen its strategic autonomy and security,” even as some European nations “become more vulnerable to blackmailing efforts from authoritarian countries” due to reliance on their technological solutions.

The authors also lay out a “New Hope” scenario in which the transatlantic partnership is restrengthened “with a generally benign and globally committed U.S.”

The report’s main authors are Weber; Dana Wasserbacher, an AIT expert adviser; and Nikos Kastrinos, a European Commission policy officer, with the three drawing on input from scholars across Europe. The section with these three hypothetical scenarios lists as authors Susanne Giesecke of AIT and seven other researchers.

Weber said their study group’s broad recommendation was for the E.U. to maintain a range of technological investments to prepare for whatever future emerges.

“If there is one cross-cutting message from the entire report, I would probably say that this calls for more flexibility and adaptability,” he said.

Other governments also conduct predictive and speculative studies to help guide policymaking. The U.S. National Intelligence Council has published a “Global Trends” report every four years since 1997. The most recent one, published in 2021, forecast that the U.S.-China rivalry would set the “broad parameters” for the geopolitical environment in the coming decades, and flagged China’s intensive efforts at becoming a technological leader. It also explored varying possible outcomes of this competition, ranging from the United States securing its global leadership role to China becoming the leading state to siloed spheres of influence.

The administrations of both Biden and Donald Trump have made countering China’s technological rise a key policy focus. The Biden administration is in the process of distributing $52 billion in subsidies for U.S. semiconductor production to ensure China does not catch up.

Similarly to the U.S. report, the E.U. study predicts continued global unrest in the coming years.

“It is commonplace to say that the 21st century has been but a series of crises,” the report said. “Our exploration of disruptions indicates that the succession of crises is unlikely to stop.”

Myanmar confirms a key northeastern city on border with China has been seized by an ethnic alliance

https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-laukkai-shan-china-ethnic-armed-group-33f93dcfb43b23fd3364378d9044a81bThis photo provided by Kyaw Ko Lin shows a view of Laukkaing city in Shan state, Myanmar, Nov. 20, 2023. An alliance of ethnic armed groups in northeastern Myanmar has reportedly achieved one of the main goals it set when it launched an offensive last October by taking control of Laukkaing, a key city on the border with China, according to local residents and independent media accounts on Friday Jan. 5, 2024. (Kyaw Ko Lin via AP)

2024-01-06T07:37:28Z

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government has acknowledged that it withdrew its forces from a key city on the northeastern border with China after it was taken over by an alliance of ethnic armed groups it has been battling for months.

The fall of Laukkaing late Thursday is the biggest in a series of defeats suffered by Myanmar’s military government since the ethnic alliance launched an offensive Oct. 27. It underlines the pressure the government is under as it battles pro-democracy guerrillas in the wake of a 2021 military takeover as well as ethnic minority armed groups across the country.

Ethnic armed organizations have battled for greater autonomy for decades, but Myanmar has been wracked by what amounts to civil war since the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking nationwide armed resistance by pro-democracy forces.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance that took Laukkaing is composed of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army. The MNDAA is a military force of the Kokang minority, who are ethnic Chinese.

Photos and videos on social media showed a vast amount of weapons that the alliance claimed to have captured.

Laukkaing is the capital of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, which is geographically part of northern Shan state in Myanmar.

Myanmar government spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told the Popular News Journal, a pro-army website, on Saturday that the military and its local commanders relinquished control of Laukkaing after considering many aspects, including the safety of the family members of the soldiers stationed there.

He said the military also took into consideration Myanmar’s relationship with China, which is just across the border from Laukkaing. China, which has good relations with both the military and the ethnic alliance, has been seeking an end to the fighting.

Beijing protested after artillery shells landed in its territory on Wednesday, wounding five people. Zaw Min Tun said the alliance had fired the shells and that it tried to blame the military in order to damage its relationship with China.

A statement posted by the alliance on social media late Friday declared that the entire Kokang region had become a “Military Council-free area,” referring to Myanmar’s ruling junta,

It said 2,389 military personnel — including six brigadier generals — and their family members had surrendered by Friday and that all were evacuated to safety.

Video clips circulating on social media purportedly showed the soldiers and their family members being transported in various vehicles. The Shwe Phee Myay News Agency, an online news site reporting from Shan state, reported that many of them were taken to Lashio, the capital of Shan’s northern region, under an agreement with the MNDAA for their repatriation.

It’s unclear whether the Three Brotherhood Alliance will try to extend its offensive outside of Shan state, but it has vowed to keep fighting against military rule.

The alliance cast its offensive as a struggle against military rule and an effort to rid the region of major organized criminal enterprises. China has publicly sought to eradicate cyberscam operations in Laukkaing that have entrapped tens of thousands of Chinese nationals, who have been repatriated to China in recent weeks.

But the offensive was also widely recognized as an effort by the MNDAA to regain control of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone by ousting a rival Kokang group backed by the military government from its seat of power.

Peng Deren, the MNDAA commander, said in a New Year’s speech published by The Kokang, an affiliated online media site, that the alliance had seized over 250 military targets and five border crossings with China. He said more than 300 cyberscam centers were raided and more than 40,000 Chinese involved in the operations were repatriated.

Life lesson: China father encourages young son to study by making him sell food outdoors in harsh weather, triggers parenting debate online

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3246380/life-lesson-china-father-encourages-young-son-study-making-him-sell-food-outdoors-harsh-weather?utm_source=rss_feed

A father in China who took his son to work on a street stall in freezing weather to show him how difficult it is to earn money and encourage him to study harder has sparked a lively discussion on mainland social media.

The duo were captured on video selling local products in Shenyang, Liaoning province, northeastern China by a passerby, who shared the clip on BaiLu Video on December 23.

In the viral clip the boy, clad in a thick down jacket, is seen standing obediently by the stall, selling packaged sunflower seeds, sweet corn and other specialties.

A sign on the stall read: “I lack confidence in my studies, so I’ve come out to do business and earn living expenses. Please support me, uncles and aunties. Thank you so much.”

This attracted the attention of a woman, surnamed Ge, who recorded the clip and shared it on BaiLu Video.

“It must have been below minus 10 degrees that day, extremely cold. The child was quite resilient, just standing there watching the stall. His father stood by silently, observing alongside the boy,” said Ge.

However, despite the boy’s desire to do business, many pedestrians, understanding the father’s educational intention, deliberately chose not to buy.

“The child was very well-behaved, hoping people would support his stall. But most passers-by likely wanted him to learn that making money isn’t easy, so they just watched from a distance,” Ge added.

After the video went viral on social media, the father’s stern approach to parenting stirred a thoughtful online discussion.

One person said: “Passers-by should ask the price, then negotiate, but end up not buying! That would be a more vivid lesson.”

“Not patronising his stall actually benefits the boy, teaching him that money isn’t as easy to earn as he might think,” said another.

“Let him experience life’s challenges, then return to study hard!” said a third.

Chinese culture often embraces strict parenting to instill discipline and academic excellence in children, with the long-term goal of ensuring their success in life.

In May, a seven-year-old boy from Fujian province in southeastern China who was resisting pressure to attend kindergarten was sent by his mother to their family’s candle factory.

After a single exhausting 8am to 6pm shift, he quickly grasped the nature of physical labour and decided to return to school.

In September, another young girl from the same province expressed her reluctance to attend school, proposing rubbish collection as an alternative.

Her parents agreed, but she was overwhelmed by the working conditions and ended up vomiting at a rubbish dump.

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As US and China mark 45 years of diplomatic ties, top diplomat Wang Yi warns against confrontation and ‘zero-sum games’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247508/us-and-china-mark-45-years-diplomatic-ties-top-diplomat-wang-yi-warns-against-confrontation-and-zero?utm_source=rss_feed

The US and China should not head towards confrontation over their differences but should remove barriers to cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said as the two sides marked the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Speaking in Beijing on Friday at an event commemorating the anniversary of the establishment of US-China relations, China’s top diplomat said the “top priority” for the two countries was to “effectively manage differences”. He added that “cooperation is the most correct choice” for the two sides to get along.

“We should not go into confrontation just because of differences, let alone wield the big stick of sanctions and engage in power hegemony and zero-sum games,” he told more than 300 guests representing various sectors of both countries.

China, US leaders Xi and Biden exchange greetings on 45th anniversary of ties

Wang urged the removal of “barriers” in US-China cooperation, saying “artificial decoupling and containment” would eventually “backfire”.

“Both sides should continue to make full use of various mechanisms restored or established in the fields of diplomacy, economy, finance, commerce, agriculture and other fields, build bridges of communication as soon as possible, pave the road for cooperation, and eliminate various barriers to exchanges between the two countries.”

He noted the recent progress in resuming top-level military-to-military communications and said a joint anti-narcotics working group would kick off soon. The resumption of military dialogues and the working group were among the topics Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed on during their summit in San Francisco in November.

Wang also said China expected to send another giant panda to California this year after multiple pandas Beijing lent to the US returned to their home country last year, leaving only four pandas in the US.

Wang’s remarks came after Xi and Biden exchanged congratulations on Monday to celebrate the occasion. In their messages to each other, the leaders both said they would “push forward” relations between the two countries, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

US-China relations fell to a new low after a controversial Taiwan visit by former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022 and the “spy balloon” saga last February, which suspended high-level communications between the two sides until a recent thaw at the leader summit in San Francisco, where both sides agreed to manage tensions.

However, relations remain strained over issues such as the South China Sea, Taiwan and Xinjiang.

The Chinese military launched a fresh military drill in the South China Sea on Friday following the end of a two-day joint patrol by the United States and the Philippines. Washington and Manila have stepped up defence coordination in the disputed waters in a bid to counter China.

China also sanctioned a US company and two researchers last month in response to US Treasury Department sanctions on Chinese entities over their links to alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

China sanctions US risk management firm and researchers over Xinjiang ‘excuse’

The US and China are also keeping a close eye on Taiwan’s presidential election on January 13, when the island’s voters are due to elect a new leader. The election results are expected to have major implications for US-China relations.

In his speech, Wang urged the US to respect China’s decision to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.

“China has no intention to replace or dominate anyone, let alone seek hegemony,” he said.

“We hope that the United States can … respect China’s development path, respect China’s core interests, and respect China’s defence of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

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Taiwan says balloons from mainland China pose aviation safety ‘threat’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247510/taiwan-says-balloons-mainland-china-pose-aviation-safety-threat?utm_source=rss_feed

Taiwan’s defence ministry condemned Beijing on Saturday for sending balloons across the median line that separates the self-ruled island and mainland China, saying they pose a “serious threat” to aviation routes and are a form of harassment.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has in recent years stepped up military and political pressure – sending in an unprecedented number of fighter jets and naval vessels around the island.

In December, Taipei’s defence ministry began reporting the appearance of mainland Chinese balloons around Taiwan, noting at least four incidents in which they flew directly above the island.

Who is running in Taiwan’s presidential race and what does it mean for Beijing?

“Based on their recent drift path, [the balloons] have posed a serious threat to the safety of many international aviation routes,” the Ministry of National Defence said in a statement condemning Beijing’s “disregard for aviation safety”.

The ministry also released an illustration on Saturday showing two mainland Chinese balloons it said had crossed the median line a day before, with one directly above the island.

“[The] main purpose of the recent detection of balloons is ‘grey zone’ harassment in an attempt to use cognitive warfare to affect the morale of our people,” it added.

“Grey zone” tactics refer to aggressive actions deployed by a state that stop short of open warfare – which many experts say is what Beijing is doing to Taiwan with its near-daily show of military force around the island.

“We call for an immediate end to this practice to ensure flight safety in the region,” the ministry said.

The statement comes a week before Taiwan’s presidential election, which will determine the future of the island’s relations with Beijing depending on who voters pick.

Since the election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, Beijing has severed all high-level communications with her government as she does not recognise Beijing’s sovereignty over the island.

Lie of the land: China’s rural women struggle for land rights in the courts, despite legal protections

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3247419/lie-land-chinas-rural-women-struggle-land-rights-courts-despite-legal-protections?utm_source=rss_feed

On paper, women in China have equal legal rights with men. But in practice, and even in China’s courts, some are shocked to learn the limits of their legal rights.

Last week, after two years of lawsuits and two appeals, Zhou Xiaoyu (not her real name) finally received confirmation from the Zhejiang Higher People’s Court that she had lost her case.

She would not be entitled to the collective land – and compensation after its sale – in her village, even though she had more than 30 pieces of evidence proving that she had lived there all her life, including her current household registration.

The decision was made among the villagers themselves, who concluded that Zhou’s case was not valid because she married someone from outside the village. The court stayed out of what it said was the village’s democratic decision.

In rural China, there are thousands of other cases just like Zhou’s, usually referred to as “married-out women”. They are widows, women who married men from outside their community, or women who moved away and later returned to care for ageing parents. But due to vague laws and the majority rule in male-dominated village assemblies, such women often find themselves deprived of land rights and other benefits.

Zhou married her husband, who was originally from Sichuan province, in 2020. Since then, they have lived with Zhou’s parents in a village in Zhuji, Zhejiang province.

Before Zhou got married, the village went through three rounds of land acquisitions, and each time she received her share of compensation. But in 2021, during another round of acquisitions, she was voted out, she told the Post.

At first, Zhou did not realise she had missed out on the land benefits. Her father had divided the shares equally between her and her younger brother. But a few months later, she began to hear rumours that there had been a vote, which was later revealed in a public notice.

The notice showed that 19 representatives voted on whether “married-out women” in the village could be eligible for land compensation. Sixteen of them voted against it, Zhou said.

In rural China, land remains collectively owned. But amid the country’s rapid urban expansion, local governments sometimes seize land from rural villages to build highways or commercial areas Compensation for those parcels of land is paid to the village, to be divided among villagers. This is when conflict often erupts.

Zhou, and many other women, have found they are no longer recognised as part of the clan and as a result, cannot enjoy financial benefits after they “married out”, even if they have legal documents saying otherwise.

Traditional notions in China’s rural areas hold that women are considered to be “thrown-away water” when they marry, while it is the men who stay inside the clan and carry on the family name.

“I thought it was ridiculous,” Zhou said. “I told people, ‘It’s impossible, something like that would never happen’.”

She decided to sue for her share of the village compensation, valued at 120,000 yuan (US$16,899). In 2022, the Zhuji People’s Court ruled in favour of the village, saying the decision of local representatives showed village autonomy and would be respected. Zhou appealed, and received the same ruling two months later.

Eventually, at the end of 2023, the higher court handed down the same, final verdict.

Most of these women have a hard time fighting legal battles because the laws are unclear, according to Lin Lixia, a lawyer from the Beijing-based Qianqian Law Firm.

The firm, which specialises in advocacy for women’s rights, has been approached to act in more than 3,000 disputes involving women fighting for land rights in the past two decades. However, of the 200 cases it has taken on, nearly 90 per cent have been dismissed or resulted in rulings against the plaintiffs.

Chinese law dictates that members of a rural collective economic organisation can enjoy certain privileges, such as land rights and dividends, but there is no clear definition of what qualifies as being a member, Lin said.

“Often, when courts cannot find a legal basis, they say it should be decided by village autonomy,” she said.

The concept “village autonomy” is written into China’s Organic Law, and is designed to set aside a portion of governance and decision-making powers to the villagers themselves.

Rural villages can elect their own committees and manage certain affairs by majority rule, but often, those village rulings infringe on women’s rights, Lin said, even though gender equality is enshrined in China’s constitution.

China has no shortage of legal documents on equality for women at the grass roots level. Last February, the central government said in a document that rural collective organisations should “protect women’s legal rights and interests”.

In November, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate published six cases it said exemplified the protection of women’s land rights.

But in the reality of China’s legal practice, such documents are often ignored. Media previously reported on the case of Ren Xueping, another rural woman in Zhejiang, who was turned down when she asked for land to build a house in 2017.

“We do not care about the law on women’s rights – we have our local policy … if all the daughters came to ask for houses, isn’t that chaos?” her village party secretary was quoted as saying.

In Zhejiang, there is a specific regulation that defines who is eligible to be a member of a collective economic organisation. In Zhou’s case, she qualifies, but the courts still yielded to the concept of “village autonomy”, Lin said.

‘Sea of misery’: Indian rights lawyer spotlights plight of jailed women

“The court did not check the legality of the villagers’ decision,” she said. “To me, it showed that they did not want to take responsibility and perverted the law.”

Lin said she believes the court put grass roots social stability above Zhou’s legal rights when it sided with the villagers.

According to research by Lanchih Po, professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at University of California, Berkeley, the issue has been a source of friction among proponents of traditional village autonomy who have pushed back against top-down political pressure.

In 2004, 122 women and their 144 children sued their villages in Foshan, Guangdong province, but were denied. In 2005, more than 1,000 women wrote letters of protest to the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament.

In 2009, many villagers in Foshan voted and signed a petition, refusing to honour a court decision to include “married-out women” as collective shareholders. Two village heads were detained, the court forcibly gave the money to women in five villages, and 381 villages sued the district government.

Many of the cases were successful because the commercialisation of land in Guangdong started early and local governments and courts are familiar and empathetic on this issue, Po told the Post. Group lawsuits by these women had caught the attention of the government, which prompted authorities to change local policy to ensure gender equality over land rights, she said.

In blow to Afghan women’s rights, Taliban make arrests over ‘bad hijab’

Zhou has been left with no further legal avenues to pursue and her case is essentially over, but she said she will continue to raise awareness about the problems on social media She said she does not want her case to be used as a precedent so that women in similar future cases will also be denied their rights by the court.

She wrote a letter on Weibo to the higher court asking it to “correct the mistake”.

“The judicial system is respected because it’s objective and just,” she wrote.

“But if this judgment is biased in terms of gender, the next time it will be biased because of something else.”

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India keeps wary eye on Bhutan election as China seeks to draw kingdom into its orbit

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247503/india-keeps-wary-eye-bhutan-election-china-seeks-draw-kingdom-its-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed

Squeezed between giant arch-rivals India and China, the landlocked mountain kingdom of Bhutan was long isolated by icy Himalayan peaks.

But as Bhutan readies to elect a new parliament in Thimphu on January 9, China and India are watching the contest with keen interest as they eye strategic contested border zones, analysts warn.

A “cooperation agreement” signed between Bhutan and China in October after talks over their disputed northern frontier sparked concern in India, which has long regarded Bhutan as a buffer state firmly under its orbit.

Bhutan is “one of the last barriers” in China’s bid to exert influence in South Asia, said Harsh V. Pant, an international relations professor at King’s College London.

India is determined not to let China extend its influence further across what New Delhi sees as its natural sphere of influence, wary after a swathe of muscular trade deals and loans by Beijing, including with Bangladesh, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Thimphu and Beijing do not have formal diplomatic relations.

India, however, effectively oversaw Bhutan’s foreign policy until 2007.

As China and Bhutan wind down border feud, alarm bells ring in India

The relationship was “in exchange for free-trade and security arrangements”, Britain’s Chatham House think tank wrote in a December report.

The report included satellite photographs it said showed an “unsanctioned programme of settlement construction” by China in Bhutan’s northern frontier region, which could “become permanent Chinese territory” pending the outcome of a border deal.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement of its “determination to strive for an early resolution of the boundary issue and the establishment of diplomatic relations”.

“Beijing will anticipate that a deal consolidating its gains in northern Bhutan may lead to formal diplomatic relations and the opportunity to draw Thimphu into its orbit”, Chatham House said.

“Any such deal would have far-reaching implications for India.”

If China succeeds in that, Beijing “can push a view that India is now marginal in its immediate neighbourhood”, Pant added.

New Delhi has been wary of Beijing’s growing military assertiveness and their 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) shared frontier has been a perennial source of tension.

In 2017, there was a 72-day military stand-off after Chinese forces moved into the disputed Doklam plateau, on the China-India-Bhutan border.

The plateau pushes south towards India’s critical Siliguri Corridor, dubbed the “Chicken’s Neck”.

The perilously narrow strip of land lies between Nepal and Bangladesh, and connects India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country.

China and India fought a month-long war in the region in 1962.

“New Delhi would be concerned that, in the event of a deal demarcating Bhutan’s northern border, attention may turn to territory in Bhutan’s west which China disputes, including the Doklam plateau,” Chatham House added.

For Bhutan, dwarfed by China, striking a deal makes sense, said Pant.

“If they don’t resolve their border now, tomorrow they will be in an even more unfavourable position,” he said.

India fears Bhutan will cede land to China. Can a king’s visit calm nerves?

Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic editor of The Hindu newspaper, said India was worried that a Bhutan-China border deal “seems imminent”.

She said that Bhutan’s “fast-tracking” of boundary talks with China after the 2017 Doklam stand-off was a decision that “India has viewed with quiet concern”.

Analysts say foreign policy plays little role in the domestic concerns of voters in Bhutan – about the size of Switzerland with around 800,000 people – who are more worried about high unemployment and young people migrating abroad seeking jobs.

However, India is the biggest source of investment and infrastructure in Bhutan – Thimphu’s ngultrum currency is pegged to New Delhi’s rupee – and boosting bilateral relations is key.

“Any government coming to power will seek to shore up ties,” Haidar said.

Bhutan has strong economic and strategic relations with India, “particularly as its major trading partner, source of foreign aid and as a financier and buyer of surplus hydropower”, according to the World Bank. About 70 per cent of Bhutan’s imports come from India.

In December, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck announced a special economic zone along its border with India.

Both hopefuls to become Bhutan’s new prime minister speak enthusiastically about boosting links with New Delhi to lift Bhutan’s US$3 billion economy.

India has already announced a slew of connectivity projects including a railway line to Bhutan, but much would depend on Indian investors.

“Bhutan will be seeking investments from other countries,” said Haidar, adding it will be “significant” if Thimphu welcomes funds from China.

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In Indonesia’s Chinese-funded nickel smelters, lives put ‘at stake’ as safety fears mount

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3247493/indonesias-chinese-funded-nickel-smelters-lives-put-stake-safety-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed

Ice Verawati, 37, trembled as WhatsApp messages rapidly circulated on her phone, claiming a man named ‘Taufik’ had died in an explosion at a nickel smelter furnace in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province.

Her husband, Muhammad Taufik, 40, worked as a welder at the Chinese-funded plant housing the smelter situated in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).

Since news broke of a fatal blast in the early hours of December 24, she had been unable to reach him.

But Verawati’s worst fears soon came true when a relative of her husband, who also worked at IMIP, was able to recognise Taufik among the dead.

“I did not think that the worries I had every night about my husband’s safety would some day come true,” Verawati said during a phone call with This Week in Asia.

The blast had left his body charred and face burned almost beyond recognition, she said, but they were able to identify him from the shape of his chin and his teeth.

Indonesia probes Chinese-owned nickel plant after blast kills 18 workers

“His life was at stake in that job … he was often called to weld buildings where there had been major damage,” she said, devastated that her two children had lost their father.

The deadly explosion happened as workers repaired a furnace plant owned by Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS), according to authorities.

Dedy Kurniawan, a spokesman for IMIP, told This Week in Asia that 21 people had died from the accident as of Thursday, including 13 local workers and nine foreign Chinese workers. Dozens of burn victims were also undergoing intensive care.

“As for the cause of the incident, we are still waiting for the results from the police investigation,” he said.

It marked the most recent in a string of fatal accidents occurring at nickel-smelting facilities in Sulawesi, which houses two of the country’s most established nickel-refining hubs.

Since imposing a ban on the export of unprocessed minerals in 2014, Indonesia has been able to leverage its vast nickel reserves to attract foreign investments, primarily from Chinese companies. These partnerships are part of China’s ambitious cross-border Belt and Road Initiative development project.

ITSS, which runs the smelter where the recent blast occurred, is a tenant of the IMIP industrial estate that was founded by China’s Tsingshan Holding Group – one of the world’s largest producers of nickel – and Indonesian mining company Bintang Delapan

IMIP started operating in 2015, mainly to process nickel for use in stainless-steel production and, more recently, to refine the ore for electric vehicle batteries.

With China pouring billions of dollars into Indonesia’s nickel sector in recent years, the export ban strategy has proved to be lucrative for Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Developing the nickel sector has been a major ambition of outgoing President Joko Widodo, who has emphasised the need for improved safety and increased monitoring of environmental standards.

But as Indonesia pushes forward with the expansion of its nickel industry, there is mounting concern among workers and activists that persistently dangerous working conditions in the smelters will result in more deaths.

According to data from Trend Asia, a Jakarta-based non-profit organisation that focuses on energy transformation and sustainable development, at least 53 workers died at nickel smelters in Indonesia between 2015 and 2022. That number includes 40 local workers and 13 Chinese nationals.

And last year alone, the Makassar Legal Aid Institute recorded at least 19 fatal incidents at nickel-processing facilities that resulted in 16 deaths and 37 injuries.

Following December’s incident, hundreds of Indonesian workers protested against the conditions at the plant in IMIP. Their demands included improved maintenance of smelters, better access to health clinics for workers and the enforcement of occupational health and safety measures, according to a report by local news outlet Kompas.

Dedy, the IMIP spokesman, told This Week in Asia that workers’ main demand had been for compensation, both for those who were injured and the families of those who had died.

“We have met that demand,” he said. “The other demands, we are still in discussion with the labour unions.”

Verawati said she had been given compensation amounting to 600 million rupiah (US$38,600) by the company for the death of her husband Taufik, and that it had promised to pay for their children’s education up to university.

But labour unions and activists say few changes have been made over the past year by companies in Morowali to address worker complaints, despite the deadly incidents.

In April, two dump truck operators died after being engulfed by black sludge after a nickel waste-disposal site collapsed. In January, another worker burned to death after coal dust caught fire and exploded in her proximity.

Hasrih Sonna, chairman of the Mining and Energy Federation, a labour union in Morowali, said ITSS workers had complained that the company was violating occupational health and safety rules set by the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower by appointing foreign workers as safety supervisors.

“In all companies whose investment comes from China, the safety administrator positions are handled by foreign workers from China,” he said.

But Indonesia’s regulations clearly require companies to fulfil work safety requirements, including holding the right certifications for the use of tools and work equipment by officers who work at the company, he added. “These are the things we are seeing that are not being met.”

How are China’s belt and road plans for Southeast Asia working out, 10 years on?

ITSS had not responded to This Week in Asia’s queries at the time of publication.

According to Verawati, Taufik had been working at IMIP since 2017, initially as an employee in ITSS’ ferrosilicon department.

However, within a month, he was also assigned the role of welder for overnight shifts from 7pm to 7am, despite lacking the necessary certification for the position, she said.

Taufik’s relative Heru, who is also a worker at IMIP, told This Week in Asia that Taufik had been working overtime on the day of the accident to repair a furnace that required welding.

Heru, who requested a pseudonym for fear of reprisals, said that he had learned from other workers that the furnace Taufik was repairing often broke down and needed maintenance.

“We don’t know how old the furnaces here are because the ones imported from China use older technology, unlike the newer ones used in other companies in the IMIP area,” he said.

In March last year, three Chinese workers also filed a complaint over alleged inhumane working conditions in Morowali.

The unnamed workers, being represented by Jakarta-based AMAR Law Firm & Public Interest Law Office, said they had “experienced a lot of suffering – physical, psychological, financial – and to their dignity as human beings while working in [IMIP]”.

In their complaint, workers say they experienced respiratory problems, memory loss, a rapid heartbeat, and other health issues due to the dense smoke and poor air quality within the factory, which made it challenging to breathe.

They also reported being forced to work more than 12 hours a day without any holidays or rest days, having their passports withheld by their employers, and being stopped from leaving their compounds in Morowali.

Chinese workers ‘suffering’ in Indonesia’s nickel factories, complaint says

Airlangga Julio, a lawyer for the firm, told This Week in Asia that they had submitted two reports to Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights, but were yet to make much progress on the case.

“These things move very slowly in Indonesia,” he said. “We want a comprehensive investigation but it will take time.”

But it is clear that the scope of the issue extends beyond what is currently public knowledge, Airlangga said, with workers alleging that they had personally seen and experienced accidents that resulted in serious injuries or deaths nearly every week.

Following the incident in December, Airlangga said that there needed to be a “deeper investigation” by the government into these companies to ensure that they take some responsibility and are held accountable.

He said the real number of accidents and fatalities in Morowali could be a lot higher because no official government data exists on worker deaths. There is also a lack of transparency from the companies concerned.

“Companies try to minimise the information that gets out,” he said. “If there are minor accidents or just one or two victims, they’ll tell the public that this is not caused by the companies but accidents, such as a worker falling.”

Airlangga added that it was “often the case that one or two workers are made the scapegoats and blamed for an explosion”.

“The underlying structural issues go unaddressed,” he said, including outdated safety regulations set by the government that fail to address specific conditions in the Morowali smelters.

Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights, known as Komnas HAM, has an ongoing investigation into the working conditions in Sulawesi’s nickel sector, according to Commissioner Anis Hidayah.

She told This Week in Asia that during her visit to the smelters, she found that there was a clear lack of protections for workers.

“There was no effective monitoring for the workers by the labour inspectors,” she said. “This applied to both the local and the Chinese workers.”

Workers encountered obstacles in joining unions as companies only recognised a few, disregarding independent ones, she said, adding that companies were also lacklustre in their implementation of occupational health and safety measures.

“We have already made recommendations to the Ministry of Manpower on how to do the monitoring effectively to ensure that worker safety in Morowali is prioritised,” Anis said.

“We also identified the ways that the big companies in Morowali need to give workers their basic human and worker rights, including the right to join a union.”

As of February last year, there were 70,758 Indonesian workers and 10,690 foreign workers, largely Chinese, at IMIP.

According to Hasrih from the labour union in Morowali, there is a resounding fear among local workers that they might be involved in an accident.

Health and safety violations must be taken seriously or else they have the “potential to harm” tens of thousands of workers in at least 50 different companies in the IMIP area, he said.

Despite formal complaints being made to the Ministry of Manpower about the irregularities and issues that had been identified by the labour unions, no action was taken by the Indonesian government.

“And so, another deadly incident occurred at IMIP,” Harsih said. “The government must take responsibility for this.”

In addition to the occupational hazards concerning work safety, activists argue that individuals in Morowali are also jeopardising their health due to severe pollution surrounding the mining facilities, which leads to respiratory issues.

Indonesians protest at China-backed nickel plant after 18 killed in blast

For Taufik’s wife Verawati, his death feels insurmountable. She urged the wives of other workers at IMIP to remind their husbands to pay attention to safety in the workplace.

“[Taufik] was waiting for us to visit him in Morowali,” she said, recounting the last conversation that she had with her husband at the start of his late-night shift.

He had promised that he would soon bring her and their children over for a trip to see where he worked in Central Sulawesi.

“None of us thought that this promise would be his last message to his family,” she said.

Fashion victim: China actress wraps 10 layers of cling film around waist to squeeze into dress, fuels debate over pressure to be thin

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3246472/fashion-victim-china-actress-wraps-10-layers-cling-film-around-waist-squeeze-dress-fuels-debate-over?utm_source=rss_feed

An actress in China has whipped up a storm of controversy after tightly wrapping her waist in multiple layers of cling film so she could squeeze into a dress.

Huang Yi’s desperate attempt to appear slimmer for a fashion show in the eastern province of Zhejiang, reignited the debate about societal pressure on women to be thin.

The day before the event, the 46-year-old went on Weibo seeking advice about how to lose weight quickly because she was scheduled to walk the red carpet at a fashion event the next day.

“I tried on seven dresses, but I could not get into any of them. How can I slim down within a day? I am waiting for your solution,” a clearly anxious Huang asked.

“Breathe in and use cling film to enswathe your waist tightly. However, this is a method you adopt when you do not have alternatives. It will make you suffer a lot,” an online observer suggested.

“Your idea is not bad,” replied an intrigued Huang.

On December 25, the star released photos of herself at the fashion show wearing an elegant ball gown with a tiny cinched waist, saying she had “magically” become slim enough to fit into it.

“To pose as the Snow Queen, I applied 10 layers of cling film to my waist and I finally got into the dress,” Huang said. “What do you think ?”

Her posts soon trended on mainland social media after being viewed 170 million times on Weibo.

“Clothes are made to serve people. But you are changing yourself to fit the clothes. It does not make sense,” one person said.

“She is promoting appearance anxiety. That is bad,” said another.

“It’s not easy for actresses. As an ordinary person, I can eat whatever I like,” one sympathetic person wrote.

Huang was a popular television actress in China about two decades ago when she starred in drama series such as Sit in a Wrong Bridal Sedan-chair, Get the Right Man to Marry, and Princess Pearl III.

Li Peng, a doctor from Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital in Henan province in the northern central region of China, said squeezing the waist in this way could affect blood circulation and lead to headaches, digestive problems, and difficulty breathing.

Huang is not the first mainland celebrity to make headlines for restricting her waist.

Two years ago, actress Zhang Meng went to see a doctor because she felt pain in her ribs after wearing a tight dress for hours at a ceremony in Shanghai.

“I gave my life for beauty,” she later joked bitterly on Weibo.

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Star mathematician Sun Song leaves US for China

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247240/star-mathematician-sun-song-leaves-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed

After more than a decade of research and teaching in the United States, Chinese-born maths star Sun Song has joined a university in eastern China as a full-time professor.

The 36-year-old geometer started his role as a permanent faculty member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics (IASM) at Zhejiang University earlier this month, according to the university’s official WeChat account.

Before the new appointment, Sun was a professor in the department of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley. He has received multiple awards for his work, such as the Oswald Veblen Prize in Geometry and the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize.

“After joining Zhejiang University, I will work hard on my research while providing guidance to students who want to pursue maths,” he was quoted as saying by the university on Monday. “I’ll try my best to pass on my expertise to the younger generation.”

Sun is the latest in a string of IASM appointments from American universities. Former University of Michigan geometer Ruan Yongbin was recruited to the institute in 2021 and Harvard University number theory expert Liu Yifei joined in 2022.

Genius China maths monk who turned secular finds wife who teaches him to be a man

Sun’s main research interests include differential geometry, a branch of maths that studies the geometry of curves and surfaces in the three-dimensional Euclidean space, with wide applications in daily life ranging from medical imaging to computer vision.

A native of Huaining county, Anhui province, Sun was admitted into the University of Science and Technology of China when he was just 15 years old. He went on to earn his PhD in geometry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010 under the supervision of Chinese-American mathematician Chen Xiuxiong.

In 2014, one year after he joined Stony Brook University in New York as an assistant professor, Sun received the Sloan Research Fellowship – one of the most competitive awards for early career researchers who have the potential to revolutionise their fields of study.

In 2019, as an associate professor at UC Berkeley, he shared the prestigious Oswald Veblen Prize in Geometry with his mentors Chen and British mathematician Simon Donaldson for proving a long-standing conjecture on the so-called Fano manifolds, which are the basic building blocks of shapes.

Two years later, he won the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize for “many groundbreaking contributions to complex differential geometry” according to the award selection committee.

Sun has been hailed as a strong candidate for the Fields Medal, known as the “Nobel Prize of mathematics”, which could make him the first ever recipient from mainland China. Seen as one of the highest honours in mathematics, it is only awarded to mathematicians under the age of 40.

Sun’s appointment is part of IASM’s aim to build itself into a world-class maths centre.

“For China to become a true science and technology powerhouse, it must nurture a number of top-notch maths and science centres,” IASM founding director Li Jianshu said.

“It’s the dream and mission of IASM to become such a world-leading research hub. We still have a long way to go, but we’re getting there,” Li said in the university release. “We sincerely invite talented mathematicians from all over the world to join our cause.”

The institute, inaugurated in 2019, is mainly funded by Zhejiang University, with the support of local governments and donations.

China’s hottest online items of 2023: sex scandal ‘dismissal dress’, US$280,000 concert ticket, virtual Einstein’s brain, books, health pills lead way

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3246974/chinas-hottest-online-items-2023-sex-scandal-dismissal-dress-us280000-concert-ticket-virtual?utm_source=rss_feed

The year just passed saw a recovery in consumption in China in the wake of Covid-19 restrictions being lifted in the country.

The Post has picked a few items from last year’s top sellers, combining the newly published data from China’s e-commerce giant Taobao.com – which is operated by Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post – and news of viral sales from last year, to give you a picture of the country’s latest social and cultural trends.

In June, a “mistress” scandal engulfed an executive from a state-owned oil company and one of his subordinates.

The online sensation was born after a street photographer posted a video of the executive and his “mistress” holding hands in a busy shopping area which led to the dismissal of them both.

However, thanks to the scandal, there was an unexpected winner – the silk pink dress the woman was wearing in the video.

Despite the item of clothing being dubbed the “dismissal dress”, it sold like hotcakes on Taobao.com, with more than 4,000 people buying the dress in a month and more than 12 million checking the dress out online.

As hustle and bustle made a comeback last year, concerts were among the most popular events.

The spurt in market growth was welcomed by fans.

According to the China Association of Performing Arts, 506 large-scale concerts and music festivals were held in the country, generating 2.5 billion yuan (US$350 million) in ticket sales the first half of 2023 alone.

Most notable among this phenomenon were Chinese boy band TFBOYS, which is made up of Karry Wang Junkai, Jackson Yi Yangqianxi and Roy Wang Yuan, each of whom has 80 million followers on Weibo.

When they announced news of their first group concert in three years was to be held in August in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, their fans went wild and tickets were sold out in one second.

One person even claimed that online ticket scalpers were offering a front-row seat for a staggering 2 million yuan (US$280,000).

“Young people, you do not have to cheat at tests anymore. We do magic.”

That was the sales pitch for a curious online product called “Einstein’s brain”.

Priced at just 0.5 yuan (US$0.07), it promised users that their brains would develop like the famous theoretical physicist overnight, so that they could achieve success at study or work.

The product sold 90,000 units.

Wu Jing, a psychological counsellor in China, said its popularity reflected the need of young people for emotional nourishment in fast-paced contemporary life.

When an online observer questioned if buyers of the brain were “silly”, another disagreed, saying they were “not silly at all and were only looking for happiness”.

Yang sheng, an expression whick means daily maintenance for the body and mind, became popular among young people on social media last year.

Therefore it was no surprise to see sales of health products surge in 2023.

On December 27, Tmall.com of Alibaba Group Holdings, which owns the South China Morning Post, published the platform’s health product sales data for last year.

People born in the 1990s made 45 per cent of the sales of liver pills.

The report highlighted that 15 per cent of orders were made around midnight, which chimed with a popular online joke that while young people take the pills to protect their health, they were unable to stop the stressful lifestyle that leads to bad health.

When Zhuozhou, a city in Hebei province in northern China where the warehouses of hundreds of publishers and booksellers are located, was severely damaged by the devastating floods that hit northern China in the summer 2023, it received an unprecedented outpouring of warmth from online buyers.

People flocked to one of the booksellers, bookschina.com’s Taobao store, and bought its presale “add oil package” that contains four random books and two creative products, for 99 yuan (US$14).

Some also offered to buy books damaged by the floods but were turned down by the seller for safety reasons.

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To slay Hydra-like fentanyl scourge, US needs more than China’s help

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247139/slay-hydra-fentanyl-scourge-us-needs-more-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed

The fentanyl crisis looms large in the United States. The November meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden offered a glimmer of hope when Xi agreed to curb the flow of fentanyl into America. While China’s support is a crucial first step, combating covert supply chain operations for fentanyl necessitates global cooperation and a multifaceted approach involving a strict drug control policy.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin: a tiny amount can result in a fatal overdose. In 2022, drug overdose was a leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45 years, with 70 per cent of those cases involving fentanyl.

Fentanyl addictions and overdoses have the potential to become a global crisis. Canada has seen an increase in opioid-related deaths in recent years. While countries such as Australia, Germany and Britain have also experienced an uptick in opioid consumption, it has not reached the same levels as in the US and Canada.

Meanwhile, fentanyl consumption in China, Mexico and India remains relatively low, but this could change given their heavy involvement in fentanyl production.

To reduce fentanyl overdose deaths in the US, it is essential to understand the flow of illegally made fentanyl. Its illicit trade starts with the production of fentanyl precursor chemicals in nondescript factories in countries like China and India, followed by clandestine shipments to Mexico, often concealed in regular cargo.

Fentanyl production using these precursors then occurs in secret labs operated by cartels such as the Sinaloa cartel. The final drug – frequently mixed into counterfeit pills – is smuggled into the US and sold on the street, contributing to the deadliest drug crisis in US history.

The Biden administration is concentrating its efforts on curbing supply. This includes urging China to crack down on the supply of fentanyl precursors to Mexican cartels and imposing sanctions on Mexican nationals and companies associated with the Beltran Leyva drug cartel.

But covert supply chains will continue to diversify to evade detection. For example, while Mexico and China are the main sources of fentanyl and related substances, India emerged as a source of finished fentanyl powder and precursors after 2019, when China implemented restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl.

Fentanyl precursors are produced in nondescript factories in China and covertly shipped to Mexico by altering their chemical signatures or concealing them as regular products. Unless China and Mexico are prepared to crack down on these nondescript factories and impose severe penalties, the effectiveness of US customs in keeping fentanyl out will remain a challenge.

US customs has started using artificial intelligence and machine learning models to identify suspicious cars or cargo at the Mexican border. But they face an increasing challenge with production of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals likely to spread to more countries.

In addition to curbing supply, the US government must devise more effective strategies to control fentanyl demand.

Firstly, education serves to discourage the experimental use of fentanyl and raise awareness about its dangers. Local governments need to spearhead public awareness and prevention programmes, which could include billboards, podcasts and webinars, hotlines and more.

Secondly, local governments should collaborate with health professionals to develop detox programmes to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, prevent complications and prepare for further treatment. Additionally, local communities should establish support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and SMART Recovery.

But even effective prevention and rehabilitation programmes cannot eradicate fentanyl addictions. So some states are considering more drastic measures.

To reduce fentanyl overdose deaths, state governments are increasing access to naloxone, which rapidly reverses opioid overdoses. Apart from pharmacies, drug users may be able to access mail-based naloxone through harm reduction organisations such as Next Distro. In January last year, California governor Gavin Newsom released a state budget that includes US$3.5 million to supply naloxone to every middle and high school in the state.

In 2022, New York opened the first authorised supervised consumption site in the US. There, individuals can use pre-obtained drugs under the safety and support of trained personnel, preventing overdose deaths. Research shows such sites are effective in reducing drug-related harm. While critics view these sites as illegal and defeatist, supporters see them as a realistic response to the US drug crisis.

‘No one asks to become addicted’: when son died she declared war on drugs

Beyond curbing fentanyl production, reducing demand and lowering overdose deaths, the US government also needs to regulate and clamp down on the financial flows that fuel the supply chain operations. Most of these transactions are conducted through cryptocurrency.

This form of money laundering is challenging to track and trace, necessitating that the US government engage with China, Mexico and India to adopt more robust anti-money-laundering standards in their banking and financial systems, and trading practices.

Finally, the implementation of much stricter penalties is imperative to dissuade the selling or distribution of fentanyl. In October, Newsom enacted a law to add three years to the prison sentence of anyone guilty of dealing more than 1kg of fentanyl, increasing with the drug weight to top out at an additional 25 years for quantities exceeding 80kg.

While harsher punishments may reduce drug trafficking, it seems life imprisonment, even capital punishment, may be more efficacious, as seen in China, Indonesia and Singapore.

The illicit fentanyl supply chain is like Hydra, the mythological Greek creature with multiple regenerating venom-spitting heads. Just as Hercules recognised his inability to fight Hydra without help, the US cannot win this drug war without global support and a strict drug control policy.

China needs ‘groundbreaking’ policy changes to embrace disruptive technologies

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3247450/china-needs-groundbreaking-policy-changes-embrace-disruptive-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed

China needs to adjust its industrial policymaking to brace for possible revolutionary changes to its economy by disruptive technologies, analysts said.

From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum computing, and from room-temperature superconductivity to controllable nuclear fusion, disruptive technologies are set to significantly alter the way that consumers, industries and businesses operate.

China’s economic miracle over the past four decades has been based on carefully crafted industrial policies and imported technologies to realise economies of scale and reduce production costs.

This model has been adopted by other economies in East Asia during their development in the second half of 20th century.

“As frontier technologies, no one knows what technology truly has promising prospects, which could ultimately be screened out by the market through competition,” Huang Shaoqing, a professor of economics at the Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said in a report.

“Therefore, in the early development stage of disruptive technologies, economies of scale are not important and even dangerous.”

Huang said in the report published by the English-language Asian Review of Political Economy in October 2022 that the selective industrial policy regime, which led to China’s economic success in the past, “may even lead to failure and become a trap in the future”.

“How to achieve a shift from the selective industrial policy paradigm to the functional policy paradigm has become critical and urgent,” he wrote in the report, which had earlier been published in Mandarin by the Journal of Comparative Studies in February 2022.

The urgency has become more prominent for Beijing, which views innovation and technological advancement as key to countering the heightened containment efforts by the United States, and also crucial for its ambition to become an economic and tech superpower by the middle of the century.

Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform, said China needs to plan areas where matured technologies can be applied, including sectors influenced by US export bans, and that involve more markets.

“China needs to make groundbreaking changes to its industrial policymaking, otherwise, it will never be a global technological and economic leader,” Peng said.

“Decision makers need to listen more to private companies, give them enough funding for industrial research, and place them at the front role of disruptive industrial exploration.”

‘More, better’: premier urges China to focus on application of core technologies

But as it is impossible to determine in advance which technology would prevail, a country can gain an advantage only if it develops enough small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer sufficient diversified technological routes, Huang added.

“Only by promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, relaxing market access, improving the business environment, and allowing as many as SMEs as possible to grow rapidly can these SMEs play an important role in economic development driven by innovation,” he said.

In 2016 when mapping out a national scientific and technology plan, Beijing vowed to improve tracking revolutionary industrial development to be capable of prejudging “the turning point” of possible replacements for traditional industries.

At the time it added that it would make a timely plan for research into disruptive technologies, such as AI, quantum information, genome editing, unmanned driving, hydrogen power and nanotechnology.

Li Yangwei, a technical consultant in the computing sector in Shenzhen, said disruptive technologies may lead to bigger tech and economic gaps among regions within China, but when there are more participants, the cost of any potential failures can be lowered.

He also said small market players can offer advice to the central government about industrial policies, but amid hefty external pressure and geopolitical complications, Beijing may still allocate resources to big companies or state-owned enterprises.

China’s AI gains will fuel economy as windfall swells into trillions: McKinsey

“It also requires technocrats to be socially, economically and politically insightful, as well as having strong communication skills and being given central decision-making power,” Li said.

China’s basic research accounted for more than 6 per cent of its total research and development (R&D) expenditure in the last four years, lower than the 16 to 18 per cent in the US and 22 per cent in France over the last 10 years.

Basic research from enterprises only accounted for 0.78 per cent of China’s overall R&D expenditure, behind over 6 per cent in developed countries, according to a report in February by the Science and Technology Daily, a newspaper backed by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

To attract tourists again, Hong Kong must look to Harbin, China’s ice capital, for lessons. But could we ever offer that city’s warmth?

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3247264/attract-tourists-again-hong-kong-must-look-harbin-chinas-ice-capital-lessons-could-we-ever-offer?utm_source=rss_feed

Most of my column space in 2023 was dedicated to Hong Kong tourism, specifically assessing the government’s efforts to reimagine and renovate the city’s tourism industry, from campaigns like “Hello Hong Kong” to “Night Vibes Hong Kong”.

It was a significant topic, considering that the city’s mask mandate was only lifted in March 2023 – making it one of the world’s longest such mandates.

The importance of attracting foreign visitors to Hong Kong and encouraging locals to increasingly engage in the city’s nightlife – ultimately making the city more appealing to tourists – cannot be overlooked.

In response to the post-Covid era and the sluggish global economy, the government launched various campaigns to promote the city’s diverse attractions, cultural heritage, nature, arts scene and culinary landscape.

Additionally, shopping and entertainment were emphasised to capitalise on the city’s top-class malls, premium venues and world-class events like the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

However, the response to these efforts has been lukewarm.

Then there was the globally promoted “Hello Hong Kong” campaign, which distributed half a million free air tickets and offered a wide range of goodies and freebies. But the returns have been modest.

How to fix Hong Kong’s baby crisis? Handouts alone cannot solve all problems

I have proposed the use of innovative technologies such as augmented reality (AR) to offer unique and immersive experiences for tourists, such as AR-enhanced walking tours that bring historical landmarks to life through interactive visuals and storytelling.

Additionally, virtual reality (VR) could be used to provide simulations of iconic Hong Kong experiences.

I believe that implementing a combination of these suggestions and fostering continuous innovation could help Hong Kong distinguish itself from its competitors.

Recently, I came across exciting news indicating that China’s first “internet celebrity” city – a hot destination popular among internet users – of 2024 has emerged: Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in the country’s northeast.

The city is renowned for its annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, which takes place for two months from late December to late February.

Every year, visitors from all over the country flock to Harbin to enjoy the mesmerising ice and snow sculptures. As of December 20, 2023, Harbin airport’s passenger throughput for the year had already surpassed 20 million, making it the first airport in China’s northeast region to reach this milestone.

The winter season has always been a peak tourist period in northeastern China, but after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, domestic ice and snow tourism has experienced an incredible surge.

It is worth noting that Harbin’s rise in popularity cannot be solely attributed to influencers or deliberate planning. The popularity of any city is a complex and unpredictable phenomenon. Its potential for popularity, the extent to which it may become popular, and even the duration of its popularity are all subject to various random factors.

Harbin’s success story offers valuable lessons for Hong Kong to consider and emulate. However, there are a few fundamental prerequisites to bear in mind.

Foremost is the adoption of a “user mindset” by Hong Kong, which entails understanding the desires and expectations of tourists and offering products and experiences that cater to their preferences, rather than simply providing what we assume they want and hoping for their acceptance and adaptation.

This principle becomes even more crucial in the age of social media and global travel. In today’s tourism landscape, people no longer merely seek out popular attractions for the sake of checking them off a list; they closely value the overall experience throughout their journey. By focusing on providing memorable and fulfilling experiences, Hong Kong can enhance its appeal and attract a broader range of travellers.

For instance, Harbin has constructed a large artificial moon, allowing tourists to capture better pictures without relying on portable lighting. The city has also erected small warm houses to provide comfort for tourists from southern China who may feel unaccustomed to the colder climate.

To facilitate the consumption of Harbin’s popular frozen pears, the city has even introduced frozen pear platters, making it more convenient for tourists to savour the delicacy.

These meticulous details play a significant role in ensuring that tourists feel warmly embraced, cared for and respected. Consequently, their positive experiences are widely shared on the internet, contributing to Harbin’s “internet celebrity” city status.

In today’s era of social media, tourists reign as the kings and queens of the internet realm. To win them over, we need to adhere to the norms and expectations prevalent in the realm of social media.

However, it is important to recognise that even after a city becomes popular, it does not imply perfection. In fact, flaws and challenges may become magnified under the intense scrutiny brought about by increased attention. Hence, the government, tourism officials and operators should consistently enhance their services.

It is impossible to satisfy everyone, and every city will invariably possess its own set of shortcomings. The key lies in the attitude and efficiency with which problems are addressed.

Hong Kong cannot solely continue with business as usual in the highly competitive market. To thrive, it must sincerely enhance its services and prioritise the genuine needs of tourists. By doing so, the city can capture the hearts of visitors and establish itself not only as an “internet celebrity” city but also as a long-term popular destination.

Does Hong Kong need expats back? Absolutely – our city is better for it

A recent incident in Harbin serves as a valuable lesson, highlighting the significance of both attention to detail and a heartfelt approach.

With the recent upsurge in tourist arrivals, many travellers encountered difficulties in securing taxis or ride-hailing services. In response, the local residents demonstrated remarkable unity and organised a fleet of about 300 private vehicles, providing complimentary rides to tourists.

This heartwarming account quickly spread, further amplifying the touching aspect of the Harbin story. Despite the city’s freezing climate, its residents work diligently to create a warm and welcoming environment for their guests.

Hong Kong would benefit from drawing inspiration from Harbin’s example by placing greater emphasis on attention to detail and sharing genuine warmth in embracing foreign visitors.

Luisa Tam is a Post editor who also hosts video tutorials on Cantonese language that are now part of Cathay Pacific’s in-flight entertainment programme

Ahead of Lunar New Year, Chinese Debate Fireworks Ban

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/ahead-of-lunar-new-year-chinese-debate-fireworks-ban/7417793.html

Chinese lawmakers recently entered a fierce online debate on whether fireworks should be used to celebrate the Lunar New year this February. They said a total ban on fireworks in the country credited with inventing the noisemakers would be hard to enforce.

Lawmakers said air pollution prevention and fire safety laws have led to "differences in understanding" of the ban on fireworks. However, it was never a total ban.

In 2017, official data showed 444 cities had banned fireworks. Since then, some of the cities have loosened the bans. They permit fireworks at certain times of the year and at special places.

This month, however, many counties made announcements banning fireworks, restarting discussion on the ban.

"We've the right to fireworks," wrote a user of Weibo, a popular Chinese online discussion service.

Chinese folklore says the earliest fireworks were invented 2,000 years ago to drive away the "nian.” The nian, the story goes, was a monster that hunted people and animals before the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.

Since then, fireworks came to be used to celebrate other events. This January, after three years of COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, some people ignored bans - and officials - and set off firecrackers.

Some Chinese say the fireworks bans were necessary to protect the environment.

An online opinion study by the official Beijing Youth Daily found that over 80 percent of people supported fireworks during Spring Festival. The festival is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar.

Some also said the ban was ironic after the United Nations recently named the Spring Festival an official holiday, a move supported by Chinese officials.

"The Spring Festival belongs to the world, but China's is almost gone," wrote another Weibo user.

Southern Hunan province is a worldwide supplier of fireworks. Its exports totaled $579 million from January to November, state media reported. That number is far greater than domestic sales.

I’m Dan Novak.

 

Dan Novak adapted this Reuters report for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

county –n. the government for an area bigger than a city but smaller than a state or province which deals with local matters

folklore –n. traditional customs, stories and beliefs

calendar –n. a system for organizing days, weeks, months and years

ironic — adj. something that is funny in a way because it seems to be the opposite of how something should be