China Watch Thread

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What’s Up with China’s Disappearing Senior Military Officers?
by Ellen Ioanes
September 16, 2023

Introduction:

(Vox) China’s National Defense Minister Li Shangfu has been missing for weeks. Now, he’s under investigation for corruption and out of a job — a recent trend, as several other government officials have also been removed public view, only to be fired.

This pattern of anti-corruption purges is nothing new for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has made rooting out endemic corruption, particularly in the military, a hallmark of his tenure. But it does indicate that despite his most strenuous efforts, such misconduct is still occurring at some of the highest and most visible levels of the People’s Liberation Army — potentially hampering his ambitions to modernize the force.

Li’s tenure was remarkably brief; he was appointed to his post in March of this year, and had disappeared from public view not long after two officials from the PLA’s Rocket Force were also replaced in July of this year. China’s political machinations are extremely opaque and often compared to a “black box” — which has only gotten more severe under Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal first reported Li’s ouster on Friday, citing US officials as the source of the information. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, didn’t address Li’s disappearance and subsequent sacking at a press briefing Friday, CNN reported, telling reporters, “I’m not aware of the situation.” The Chinese government’s unwillingness to address the disappearances and firings of several top officials in recent months has only fueled speculation and rumor, both within China and internationally.

Read more here: https://www.vox.com/2023/9/16/23876562 ... on-army

[caltrek]

^^^On that same topic:

CCP Corruption 'Incurable' According to Voice of America China Expert
Sam Howard
September 17, 2023

Introduction:

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China researcher Deng Yuwen (鄧聿文) wrote an article on the corruption investigation against China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu (李尚福) for Voice of America (VOA) on Sunday (Sept. 17), per UDN.

The news of China's defense minister being investigated for potential corruption has made experts question the effectiveness of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping's (習近平) oversight of high-ranking officials. The revelation also sheds light on the longstanding issue of “pre-existing," deeply rooted within China's government, making it challenging to eradicate, wrote Deng.

In his article, the U.S.-based former editor of the CCP’s Central Party School’s “Study Times” wrote that “pre-existing corruption” signifies the corruption that accumulated over more than 30 years before the 18th Party Congress due to China's rapid development and relaxed party discipline. He added, “The exact number of individuals involved cannot be precisely calculated, but given the sheer number of Chinese officials, virtually every official had some degree of suspicion of corruption.”

Read more here: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5001056

[wjfox]

China just stopped exporting two minerals the world’s chipmakers need

September 21, 2023

China’s exports of two rare minerals essential for manufacturing semiconductors fell to zero in August, a month after Beijing imposed curbs on sales overseas, citing national security.

China produces about 80% of the world’s gallium and about 60% of germanium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, but it didn’t sell any of the elements on international markets last month, Chinese customs data released on Wednesday showed. In July, the country exported 5.15 metric tons of forged gallium products and 8.1 metric tons of forged germanium products.

When asked about the lack of exports last month, He Yadong, a spokesperson from China’s commerce ministry told a press briefing Thursday that the department had received applications from companies to export the two materials. Some applications had been approved, he said, without elaborating.

The curbs are indicative of China’s apparent willingness to retaliate against US export controls, despite concerns about economic growth, as a tech war simmers.

The world’s second largest economy is already grappling with weak domestic demand and a housing crisis. Last month, the country’s exports suffered their biggest drop in more than three years, dealing a new blow to its faltering recovery.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/21/econ ... index.html

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China eases visa application for U.S. tourists

Source: Reuters

December 30, 2023 2:08 AM EST

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Reuters) - China will simplify visa applications for tourists from the United States from Jan. 1, cutting the documents required, according to a notice on Friday on the website of the Chinese embassy in Washington.

The move is the latest by China to revive tourism and boost the world's second-largest economy following a slump during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourist visa applicants in the U.S.will no longer need to submit air ticket?bookings, hotel reservations or an invitation letter, the embassy's notice said.? Beijing earlier cleared the way for passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia to visit the country without visas from Dec. 1.

Visa-free treatment will run for 12 months, during which tourists from those six countries can visit China for up to 15 days. China also expanded its visa-free transit policy to 54 countries in November.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/china-eas ... 023-12-30/

[weatheriscool]

Chinese factory activity slows in December in a 3rd straight month of contraction

Source: AP

By ELAINE KURTENBACH
Updated 3:38 AM CST, January 1, 2024

BANGKOK (AP) — A survey of factory managers in China shows manufacturing contracted in December in the latest sign the world’s second-largest economy remains sluggish.

The official purchasing managers index, or PMI, fell to 49 last month in what officials said was evidence of weak demand, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on Sunday. It was the third straight month of contraction. The PMI is on a scale up to 100 where 50 marks the cutoff between expansion and contraction.

The index has fallen in eight of the past nine months, with an increase only in September. In November, the index was at 49.4, down from 49.5 the month before.

Despite unexpectedly prolonged weakness after the pandemic, China’s economy grew at a 5.2% pace in the first three quarters of the year and showed signs of improvement in November, with factory output and retail sales rising.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/china-econom ... 2d3c3d0897

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[caltrek]

Will China be Able to Mass Produce Humanoid Robots by the End of 2025?
by Time_Traveler

Introduction:

(Metaculas) Resolution Criteria

The question resolves Yes if credible reports indicate a robotics company with headquarters in China has manufactured more than a thousand humanoid robots of an identical model before the end of 2025.

Fine Print

A humanoid robot in this context means: -
• A bi-pedal robot with two arms, two legs, a head and torso
• That can perform at least the basic tasks of walking, picking up objects and carrying.
• These will perform tasks autonomously driven by A.I.
• They should not be directly controlled by humans.

Additional Extract:

By 2025, China aims to establish an initial humanoid robot innovation system, achieving breakthroughs in crucial components such as “brains, cerebellum, and limbs,” while ensuring a safe and efficient supply of core components. The production level for these robots is expected to reach an advanced international standard, with mass production occurring. These robots are anticipated to demonstrate their effectiveness across various fields, from manufacturing to livelihood services.

Among China's most advanced projects are those by Xiaomi and Fourier Intelligence. Xiaomi is working on its CyberOne, a robot that is supposed to be capable not only of perceiving space in 3D, but also of recognising individuals and interpreting their gestures, expressions and emotions. Combined with artificial intelligence, it could one day interact directly with humans. For its part, Fourier Intelligence is preparing to launch its first humanoid robot, the GR-1, specialised in medical actions, capable of moving at 5 km/h and carrying loads of several dozen kilogrammes. Its first deliveries are scheduled for 2024.

Read more here: https://www.metaculus.com/questions/19 ... -robots/

[firestar464]

The Chinese government tried to silence them. It backfired.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/th ... r-BB1jfKVe

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[caltrek]

Agriculture Green Development in China: Insights and Advances


Introduction:

(Agricultural Science and Engineering)

1.1 Recent developments in agriculture in China

China transformed from an agrarian society into an economic powerhouse following the introduction of the open-door policy in the 1980s[1,2] and Chinese agriculture has undergone a rapid transformation over the past 40 years. Agricultural production has increased substantially, facilitated by improved crop and animal husbandry practices and genetics, while the proportion of people working full time in agriculture has decreased significantly[3–5]. By 2015, China was able to largely meet the growing demand for food based on domestic production. Grain harvest increased for 19 consecutive years and then remained stable at over 650 Mt for eight consecutive years[6]. Yet, the import of animal feed (notably soybeans, maize and forage) has also strongly increased over the past 20 years, because domestic feed production has been insufficient to meet the growing feed demand of the rapidly increasing animal production sector. Over 40 years, agriculture largely transformed from subsistence farming systems to market-driven farming systems, while an increasing proportion of rural household income is derived from off-farm sources. Over the past 40 years, the annual growth of real agricultural gross domestic product averaged 4.5%. The development of agriculture and the increase in off-farm employment strongly has reduced rural poverty[7].

However, agricultural development in China has been accompanied with unprecedented environmental degradation. Increased food production has been largely achieved by high resource inputs with a high environmental footprint of the food produced[8,9]. Additionally, the urban-rural income gap has widened[7], while an increasing proportion of the urban population is suffering poor health from consumption of poor-quality food and is overweight[10]. Further, the Central Conference on Rural Work in December 2022 indicated that 50 Mt more grain must be produced in the next few years in order to meet the increasing food demand of an increasing population and an improving standard of living[6]. Evidently, the challenges for agriculture in China are large; there is an urgent need for agricultural development which increases productivity, strongly decreases environmental pollution and improves environmental-economic-social resilience.

Read more here: https://journal.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/10. ... E-2024535

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[Powers]

Seriously who is the genious that came up with that? I'm sure that's going into history books.

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