The 14th round of Corps Commander level talks held on January 12, 2022 did not lead to any significant breakthrough. In a joint statement, both sides agreed to maintain security and stability in the Western Sector. They also agreed to continue dialogue through military and diplomatic channels for a mutually acceptable solution. China described the latest rounds of talks as “positive and constructive”, even as it blamed India for a lack of a substantial outcome. China’s state media continues to hold “India’s national sentiment” as the fundamental reason behind the recent border frictions. Amidst the ongoing standoff, China renamed 15 places in India’s Arunachal Pradesh in a renewed attempt at territorial assertions, which was rejected by India as a meaningless exercise.
In India’s neighbourhood, satellite images revealed accelerated settlement-building by China along its disputed border with Bhutan, with more than 200 structures, including two-storey buildings, under construction in six locations. As part of its growing strategic partnership with Pakistan, China formally announced support for building a space centre in Pakistan to facilitate domestic satellite manufacturing. It also supplied vehicle-mounted howitzers to Pakistan to counter Indian K-9 Vajra howitzers. In Nepal, China continues to face resistance over border trade and interference in Nepal’s domestic political, economic and cultural space.
Taiwan continues to be a centre point of friction in US-China relations. China’s Ambassador to the US warned that “if Taiwan’s authorities, emboldened by the US, keep going down the road of independence, the two countries could face ‘military conflict’ over the island’s future”.
Amidst escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the US of not fundamentally changing its China policies even after the Xi-Biden summit, which he said is creating strong headwinds in relations. He also indicated support for Russia’s legitimate security concerns over Ukraine, which should be “taken seriously”.
An opinion poll in China indicated that 72.6 percent of Russian respondents and 87 percent of Chinese respondents believe that the two countries should further strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership.
China’s state media described the European Parliament as “a lie-filled circus” after EU lawmakers voiced concerns over China’s crackdown on human rights, free speech, and media freedom. During the 22nd China-France Strategic Dialogue, China urged France, which is currently chairing the European Council, to lead the EU towards “correct understanding” and practical cooperation with China.
To prevent nuclear conflict, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) issued a joint statement underscoring that a “nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought”. Chinese experts claimed that this reflected “China’s global responsibility on nuclear weapons, including its no-first-use and minimal deterrence policy, as an example for other countries to follow”. Addressing recent concerns over China’s increasing nuclear arsenal, the Chinese MFA stressed that “China is modernizing, not drastically expanding, its nuclear capabilities”.
Concerns about an economic slowdown in China are growing, as GDP growth fell from 4.9 percent in the previous quarter to 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021. The full-year growth for 2021, however, stood at 8.1 percent, owing to the 18.1 and 7.9 percent growth registered in the first and second quarters of 2021. The country’s GDP stood at CNY 114.37 trillion (about USD 18 trillion), up from CNY 101.36 trillion in 2020. The National Bureau of Statistics reiterated concerns over a “complicated and uncertain external environment” with growing pressure on the domestic economy stemming from “demand contraction”, “supply shocks”, and “weakening expectations”.
China’s population crisis continues to deepen as the number of newborn babies declined from 12 million to 10.62 million in 2021. Even as Beijing adopted a three-child policy in 2021, “Chinese couples are increasingly skeptical of even having their first child”.
In India’s neighbourhood, satellite images revealed accelerated settlement-building by China along its disputed border with Bhutan, with more than 200 structures, including two-storey buildings, under construction in six locations. As part of its growing strategic partnership with Pakistan, China formally announced support for building a space centre in Pakistan to facilitate domestic satellite manufacturing. It also supplied vehicle-mounted howitzers to Pakistan to counter Indian K-9 Vajra howitzers. In Nepal, China continues to face resistance over border trade and interference in Nepal’s domestic political, economic and cultural space.
Taiwan continues to be a centre point of friction in US-China relations. China’s Ambassador to the US warned that “if Taiwan’s authorities, emboldened by the US, keep going down the road of independence, the two countries could face ‘military conflict’ over the island’s future”.
Amidst escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the US of not fundamentally changing its China policies even after the Xi-Biden summit, which he said is creating strong headwinds in relations. He also indicated support for Russia’s legitimate security concerns over Ukraine, which should be “taken seriously”.
An opinion poll in China indicated that 72.6 percent of Russian respondents and 87 percent of Chinese respondents believe that the two countries should further strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership.
China’s state media described the European Parliament as “a lie-filled circus” after EU lawmakers voiced concerns over China’s crackdown on human rights, free speech, and media freedom. During the 22nd China-France Strategic Dialogue, China urged France, which is currently chairing the European Council, to lead the EU towards “correct understanding” and practical cooperation with China.
To prevent nuclear conflict, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) issued a joint statement underscoring that a “nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought”. Chinese experts claimed that this reflected “China’s global responsibility on nuclear weapons, including its no-first-use and minimal deterrence policy, as an example for other countries to follow”. Addressing recent concerns over China’s increasing nuclear arsenal, the Chinese MFA stressed that “China is modernizing, not drastically expanding, its nuclear capabilities”.
Concerns about an economic slowdown in China are growing, as GDP growth fell from 4.9 percent in the previous quarter to 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021. The full-year growth for 2021, however, stood at 8.1 percent, owing to the 18.1 and 7.9 percent growth registered in the first and second quarters of 2021. The country’s GDP stood at CNY 114.37 trillion (about USD 18 trillion), up from CNY 101.36 trillion in 2020. The National Bureau of Statistics reiterated concerns over a “complicated and uncertain external environment” with growing pressure on the domestic economy stemming from “demand contraction”, “supply shocks”, and “weakening expectations”.
China’s population crisis continues to deepen as the number of newborn babies declined from 12 million to 10.62 million in 2021. Even as Beijing adopted a three-child policy in 2021, “Chinese couples are increasingly skeptical of even having their first child”.
