This week: Alibaba’s alleged monopoly conduct, public opinion, women in leadership, sent-down youth 1. Alibaba China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) 国家市场监管总局 announced that it was investigating possible monopolistic practices by Alibaba. These alleged practices include Alibaba’s tactic of pressuring merchants to sell exclusively on its platform. The current investigation is the first of … more
This week’s topics: Nanjing Massacre, democratic solidarity, Zoom/censorship, CCP members 1. Nanjing Massacre China marked its National Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre 南京大屠杀死难者国家公祭日 with a solemn public ceremony in Nanjing on December 13. Eighty-three years have passed, but the collective memory of the event still exerts an emotional pull on … more
This week’s topics: Politburo meeting, overseas lending, detained Chinese journalist 1. Politburo Meeting Friday’s Politburo meeting readout (Chinese | English) mentioned three items: economic policy work for 2021, plans for anti-corruption work for 2021, and rules for elections in local Party organisations. According to the readout, the Politburo assesses that 2020 has been a good … more
This week’s topics: Zhao’s tweet, visa restrictions, MeToo and Archaeology 1. Twitter storm in a teacup Much ink has been spilled over China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian’s controversial tweet and the subsequent Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “emergency press conference”. Morrion’s strong reaction may make himself and others feel good for the … more
This week’s topics: social credit system, China studies in Anglophone countries, and perspectives from China 1. Social credit system The State Council’s meeting on Wednesday (25 November 2020) highlighted the importance of developing China’s social credit system 社会信用体系 according to key principles, including lawfulness, prudence, and rights protection. The key message here is that the … more
This week’s topics: Fifth Plenum, 14th Five Year Plan, disinformation, pro-Trump and anti-CCP alliance. 1. Fifth Plenum The Fifth Plenum of CCP Central Committee concluded on Thursday in Beijing after four days behind closed doors. For background on the plenum, see Neican issues of August 2 and October 5, and a short video made by … more
This week’s topics: Cross-strait relations, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, and Nationalism and censorship online. 1. Cross-strait relations China and the US are moving on a collision course with respect to Taiwan. War is still highly unlikely in the short term, however, given the interests of both sides in avoiding such catastrophe. But … more
This week’s topics: National consciousness, Domestic violence, Views of China 1. Chinese national consciousness A fortnight ago in Neican, we argued that Beijing’s assimilationist policies in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia are driven by its agenda to “forge a common [Chinese] identity” and as a result, “minorities are being forced to melt in a Han-dominant … more
China Neican is a weekly column on the China Story blog edited by Yun Jiang and Adam Ni from the China Policy Centre in Canberra. Neican 内参 or “internal reference” are limited circulation reports only for the eyes of high-ranking officials in China, dealing with topics deemed too sensitive for public consumption. But rest assured, everyone is welcome to … more
China Neican is a weekly column on the China Story blog edited by Yun Jiang and Adam Ni from the China Policy Centre in Canberra. Neican 内参 or “internal reference” are limited circulation reports only for the eyes of high-ranking officials in China, dealing with topics deemed too sensitive for public consumption. But rest assured, everyone is welcome to … more
