China Monitor Articles
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.
The G7 Summit and China
A meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the G7 countries, Australia, India, South Korea, South Africa and the Secretary General of the ASEAN was held on May 3-5, 2021 in London. The final communiqué, which followed the talks, explicitly addressed the issues related to China. This statement was criticized by the PRC.
The echoes of PRC voices in Czech experts’ language
In recent years, Chinese influence activities have flourished in the Czech Republic. In this article, we examine some stories surrounding these activities involving academia and expert circles.
Estonian Counterintelligence Report and the Chinese Threat
The Estonian Internal Security Service (Kaitsepolitseiamet, KAPO), has published its Annual Review earlier in April. As in the case of other Baltic states, it was observed that Chinese intelligence activity has increased and that actions undertaken by the PRC in the region have become more and more bold.
Xi Jinping at Boao Forum for Asia 2021
The annual Boao Forum for Asia kicked off in the second half of April. In addition to prominent experts and government representatives, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping delivered a speech. He followed the usual narrative of the Chinese Communist Party.
Huawei Scandal in the Netherlands Diminishes its Prospects in Europe
A row over Huawei’s unrestricted access to sensitive data and conversations of millions of users, potentially including Dutch Premier and Ministers, erupted in the Netherlands in mid-April. The reports aggravate an already problematic situation of the company in Europe – in 2019-2020 Washington imposed stiff sanctions on sales of its hardware and software. The actions of Donald Trump’s administration have limited the competitiveness of Huawei’s smartphones. The US diplomatic offensive and growing concern of the EU members about intelligence threats have reduced firm’s chances to play a leading role in the construction 5G infrastructure in the region.
US Intelligence Report – China’s Threat
On April 13, 2021, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released an unclassified annual report on global threats to US national security to Congress. China’s efforts to expand its growing influence, pose one of the greatest threats to America.
Warsaw Institute
