News that caught our eye / The week ending December 27, 2024
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NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. There is often a time lag in their reaching the US and in gaining our attention. These reports reflect the opinions of a variety of news sources.
Curated by James Getka.
Migration from China’s countryside to cities to be a key factor in resource allocation / December 20, 2024
Officially, rural citizens account for about half of China’s 1.4 billion people, although there is a large migration of rural dwellers moving to the larger cities. Government planners need to take the migration factor into account as they plan to allocate resources and build infrastructure; otherwise, they will be “sprinkling pepper” with those valuable resource (SCMP).
China’s record farm yields see fertilizer on its way out as advanced tech is in / December 19, 2024
While China’s crop production of grains like wheat, corn, and rice have increased over the last few years, its use of fertilizer has also steadily declined over the same period of time. Targeted use of fertilizer has helped, but other technologies have also played a part in China’s agricultural modernization. Greenhouses in the desert are projected to produce ten times more rice than it has in 2024 (SCMP).
China Says US Is 'Playing with Fire' After Latest Military Aid for Taiwan / December 22, 2024
After President Biden authorized $571 million in military aid to Taiwan, China warned the US that it was “playing with fire” for supporting Taiwan with such aid. The US Defense Dept. also stated that it had approved an additional $295 million in aid. Back in September, Biden had also approved $567 million in aid to Taiwan (Newsmax).
Expert Gordon Chang warns China wants to go to war and 'kill Americans' / December 21, 2024
China expert Gordon Chang advises that we could be on the edge of conflict with China as is building its nuclear missile stockpile with the intention of risking war with the US. He says the current administration doesn’t recognize the threat, but he’s unsure what President-elect Trump will do about the situation (Fox News).
Xi stresses progress in advancing "one country, two systems" at Macao celebration / December 21, 2024
President Xi was in Macao last Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of Macao’s “return to the motherland,” and to inaugurate the sixth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region. His speech was full of praise for the region’s development and exemplary participation in the “one country, two systems” political philosophy. Yet, the motherland’s needs seem to overwhelm the region’s autonomy (Xinhua).
First Kuliang Forum commemorates enduring bond between Chinese and American people / December 22, 2024
President Xi has promoted cultural exchanges between Chinese citizens and citizens of other countries for most of his years in power. The Kuliang Forum, held last Friday, celebrated the bond between Chinese and Americans, inspired by Milton Gardner, who spent ten years of his childhood in Kuliang, only to return to it just before he died (The Global Times).
China takes steps against Canadian institutions, individuals over Uyghurs, Tibet / December 22, 2024
China froze the assets of two human rights groups and a number of Canadian citizens, barring them from entering China. The two groups are the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and the Canada-Tibet Committee (VOA).
The Australian dollar could be heading to a 20-year low, on risks of China, Trump, slow growth / December 23, 2024
The “Aussie Battler,” that is, the Australian dollar, is enduring a sluggish low, currently valued at about 60 US cents, but it may sink lower to 50 cents due to Australia’s close economic relationship with China, Trump’s threatened tariffs and an economic slow down in Australia itself (ABC Australia).
Chinese man in school attack gets suspended death sentence / December 23, 2024
The Chinese man who drove his car into a crowd of young schoolchildren received a “suspended death sentence” for his crime. However, many on social media criticized the sentence as being too lenient. The incident occurred in mid-November when two other similar attacks also occurred (BBC).
Japan to ease visa requirements, agrees on top China diplomat visit / December 24, 2024
Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya was in Beijing this week for talks to increase collaboration between Japan and China. Japan plans to ease visa agreements to allow for longer visits by Chinese tourists to Japan. The Foreign Minister also brought up concerns about China’s military aggression in the region, as well as a Chinese buoy placed in Japanese waters (Kyodo News).
China Flies Brand New Stealth Fighter Jet, Believed To Be 6th Generation / December 26, 2024
China has developed a new version of its stealth fighter jet, the Chengdu J-20, as video of its flight reached social media. The flight took place close to the Indian border, raising concern about how India might counteract an offensive brought on by the jet (NDTV).
China approves Tibet mega-dam that could generate more power than Three Gorges/ December 26, 2024
China plans to build the world’s largest infrastructure project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet Autonomous Region, creating a hydroelectric dam that could produce 300 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, three times larger than the Three Gorges Dam, currently the largest dam in the world. The Yarlung Tsangpo River drops 25,000 feet from the Tibetan Plateau to the border of India (SCMP).