1. More children please As expected when the Three Child Policy was announced, the Chinese Government has now followed up the ease of restriction with some carrots to incentivise child-rearing. In the announcement, this pro-birth policy has been infused with a sense of nationalism, characterised as “a major issue concerning the development of the Chinese … more
1. Emissions trading scheme In a step significant in symbolism, China launched an emissions trading scheme to combat the climate crisis. China, with the world’s largest population, is also the world’s biggest carbon emitter — 28 per cent of global carbon emissions. There are many ways to count carbon emissions, including taking into account the … more
1. Opinion polls Opinion polls about China in Australia have proliferated. First, there is the Lowy Poll, which has been running since 2005. As China becomes more important, more questions are asked on the topic. Just in the last month, there are also the ACRI/BIDA poll and SMH/Age/Resolve Strategic Poll. These two polls ask a … more
In September 2018, Beijing and the Holy See reached a provisional agreement regarding the appointment of Chinese bishops. Despite growing worries and mixed signals from China, the agreement was renewed in 2020. Pope Francis’ strong personal identification with the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci and his flexible pastoral approach allowed him to achieve what his predecessors … more
1. Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) passed the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law《中华人民共和国反外国制裁法》(Chinese | English) on 10 June 2021. The law is effective immediately. The law provides a legal basis for the Chinese Government to punish and deter those involved in foreign sanctions against China. Individuals and organisations directly or indirectly involved could … more
1. Three Child Policy We wrote recently about family planning and gender roles, and the latest census. Now the Chinese Government has changed its “Two Child Policy” to “Three Child Policy”. Let’s recap. The “One Child Policy” lasted around 25 years from 1980. The “Two Child Policy” was then instituted in 2016 as China faced … more
1. Tsinghua spirit Tsinghua University held celebrations for its 110th anniversary on Sunday. One of the top schools in China, Tsinghua was founded in 1911 amid dynastic collapse, social upheaval, and foreign aggression against China. Today, the Tsinghua spirit, as embodied in the official motto “self-discipline and social commitment” (自強不息、厚德載物) and the famous words “independent … more
Despite the Chinese government declaring that absolute poverty has been eliminated in China, its poverty alleviation efforts have done little to address growing inequalities. In fact, Chinese policymakers now widely recognise income inequalities as a threat to sustainable development. Yet the government’s approach to the issue is unlikely to change, because poverty alleviation continues to … more
1. Party history The CCP’s Party History Learning and Education (党史学习教育) campaign, kicked off in February, is now in full swing. The case of CCP history serves as another poignant reminder of the importance of history in understanding contemporary China. Propagandising and popularising Party history is more about finding a path into the future than … more
1. Sanctions and counter-sanctions The US, the EU, the UK and Canada, in coordination, imposed sanctions last week on Chinese officials and state entities over human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The US has previously sanctioned Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSC) and six officials in July 2020. Last week, the … more
