China Monitor Articles
Chinese Media and US Independence Day
July 4 is Independence Day in the United States. The media outlets in China used this anniversary to, yet again, criticize America.
A Thaw in Relations Between Warsaw and Beijing?
In 2021, we may observe a gradual improvement in relations between Warsaw and Beijing. This is indicated by a number of factors, most notably the increasing frequency of talks and high-level meetings, during which more openness to cooperation and the maintenance of current joint initiatives was expressed. However, this is not synonymous with a change of course in Poland’s foreign policy.
Chinese Naval Base in Djibouti and Chinese Policy in the Horn of Africa
The first foreign base of the People’s Liberation Army was established in 2017 in Djibouti, the smallest country in Africa, located at the mouth of the crucial Bab al-Mandab Strait, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Strait is one of the most important transport routes in the world, connecting the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal. For years, multiple civil conflicts took place in Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, which increased the level of threat to free shipping. The base is part of China’s comprehensive policy towards Djibouti, which, in addition to providing security for the Chinese ships and support for UN peacekeeping missions, aims to strengthen Beijing’s position as a key economic partner for the countries located in the Horn of Africa.
Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation
On June 23, 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation. A six-point consensus was reached and two new initiatives were proposed.
China-ASEAN Relations in the Time of Pandemic
During the pandemic period, ASEAN countries became China’s number one trading partner, overtaking the European Union. Greater trade cooperation is the result of an increased integration in Southeast Asia concerning Asian and Chinese value chains. Companies from the PRC are also among the most active ones in direct investment as well as the execution of large infrastructure and energy contracts. As part of its vaccine diplomacy in this region, China has transferred the world’s largest quantities of COVID-19 jabs in the form of donations and business contracts. However, provocative actions and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, as well as the unsustainable use of Mekong River resources damage mutual relations.
China’s Response to the G7 Summit in Cornwall
The G7 summit was held in a small town of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, UK, between June 11 and 13. Few passages of the final communiqué devoted to China were criticized by the PRC.
China–Afghanistan–Pakistan Meeting
On June 3, 2021, Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted the fourth online trilateral meeting among the Foreign Ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Moreover, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China outlined five proposals for peace in Afghanistan.
Foreign Ministers of Poland and Hungary in China
On 29-31 May, at the invitation of the Chinese side, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Poland and Hungary, Zbigniew Rau and Péter Szijjártó, visited Guiyang city in Guizhou province. There they met with Minister Wang Yi, with whom they discussed the matters of current economic and political cooperation, in particular the future of the 17+1 group.
China-Russia Nuclear Power Project
On May 19, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin met online at the inauguration ceremony marking the expansion of China-Russia nuclear power project. This is another example of how relations between Beijing and Moscow are strengthened.
China’s Population Aging and the End of the Demographic Dividend
The National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) released the long-awaited results of the 7th census on May 11, with a month’s delay. According to data presented by the NBS, China’s population grew from 1.34 billion to 1.42 billion people (+5.38%; +72 million) between 2010 and 2020. Despite this growth, the census clearly showed that population aging is progressing rapidly.
China and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
On Sunday, May 16, during an open debate of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi formulated four proposals to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has escalated again recently. In his speech, the Minister outlined the necessary actions as well as criticized Israel and the US for their unwillingness to stop the conflict.
China+Central Asia (C+C5) Meeting
On May 12, the second China+Central Asia (C+C5) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Xi’an City, a capital of Shaanxi Province, located in northwest China. The discussion focused on the pandemic and related matters, economic cooperation as well as regional security with an emphasis on the case of Afghanistan.
China Holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council
China assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in May. During a press conference, Ambassador Zhang Jun, China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, outlined plans for the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) activities at the UNSC. Additionally, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) talked with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
China-EU Investment Agreement Overshadowed by Sanctions and Diplomatic Crisis
Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commission Vice President in charge of trade, said on Tuesday (May 4) that the Commission’s political efforts to promote the agreement have been suspended and “the current situation (…) is not conducive for ratification of the agreement.” Such statement of Commissioner Dombrovskis is a result of the crisis in diplomatic relations between China and the EU, related to human rights violations committed by the Chinese government in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The sanctions imposed by both parties on the authorities and certain institutions have significantly reduced the chances of the CAI ratification by the European Parliament.
Warsaw Institute
