FEATURES: REINING IN ONLINE CHAOS P.32 | CULTURE: REVIVING PALATES OF THE PAST P.

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VOL.65 NO.14 APRIL 7, 2022 WWW.BJREVIEW.COM

THE POPULATION PUZZLE

Behind China’s changing marriage and fertility patterns

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CONTENTS
EDITOR’S DESK 22 Crisis Trigger: NATO Reneged 32 Borderless, Not Lawless
02 The Changing Face of On Promise New measures target online chaos to create
China’s Family After the Soviet Union’s disintegration, better digital ecosystem
 Russia held high hopes for the West 36 A Smart Move
THIS WEEK 24 Diplomatic Costs of the Over the last decade, China has rapidly
COVER STORY Domestic Agenda digitized its court system
12 From One to Three Can the China-Australia relationship 38 Minor Players, Major Drivers
Centuries-old mindset regarding move past ongoing stalemate? Small, specialized enterprises step into the
childbirth is shifting 25 American Ambition or national spotlight
16 Roaming for Romance Naïve Assumption? 40 Go With the Flow
Big data dating: youth on a quest Russia’s Group of 20 membership comes An American volunteer in a Beijing
for true love XQGHUÀUHIURPWKH86 neighborhood
 26 Trade on Track
OPINION &KLQDDQGWKH86FDQDQGVKRXOG CULTURE
20 History Rhymes: The stabilize and improve bilateral relations 44 Savoring the Past
 Reviving the classic national palate to match
5XVVLD8NUDLQH&RQÁLFW
What are the developments and FEATURES younger tastes
issues that led to its outbreak? 28 Spring Diplomacy 46 Carving Out a Craft
An effort to consolidate circle of friends National-level museum lands on Beijing’s
in South Asia Central Axis
30 On Guard, En Garde!
China sticks to its dynamic FORUM
zero-COVID-19 policy to curb 48 How to Turn Vocational Education
Cover: VCG
latest resurgence Into an Effective Tool?
©2022 Beijing Review, all rights reserved.

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EDITOR’S DESK
A News Weekly Magazine
Published Since 1958
The Changing Face of
President: Li Yafang
Editor in Chief: Li Jianguo
Associate President: Yan Ying
China’s Family
Associate Editor in Chief: Liu Yunyun
)URPÀUVWWLHUFLWLHVWRUXUDODUHDV&KLQD·V so many couples choose to have only one
Executive Editor: Yan Wei
Associate Executive Editor: Ding Ying
wedding bells aren’t ringing like they used child or simply opt for the double income,
Production Director: Yao Bin WR7KHQDWLRQ·VDYHUDJHDJHIRUILUVWPDU- QRNLGVOLIHVW\OH
Executive Assistant: Li Fangfang
Editors: Wang Hairong, Li Nan riage registration has gone up, the number China has been adjusting its family
Researcher: Lan Xinzhen
Editorial Consultant: Elsbeth van Paridon of singles continues to expand and the planning policy to cope with the country’s
Reporters: Ji Jing, Li Qing, Li Xiaoyang, Liang Xiao, Lu Yan, number of births is dropping, their combi- DJLQJSRSXODWLRQWUHQG$WZRFKLOGSROLF\
Ma Miaomiao, Pan Xiaoqiao, Tang Yuankai, Tao Xing, Tao Zihui,
Wang Jun, Wen Qing, Yuan Yuan, Zhang Shasha nation quickly becoming a matter of public ZDVSDUWLDOO\LQWURGXFHGLQDQGIXOO\
Visual Director: Pamela Tobey
Photo Editor: Wang Xiang FRQFHUQ LPSOHPHQWHGLQ,Q-XO\WKH
Photographer: Wei Yao
Art: Li Shigong
According to the latest figures from country announced its decision to allow all
Design Director: Wang Yajuan WKH0LQLVWU\RI&LYLO$IIDLUVDWRWDORI FRXSOHVWRKDYHWKUHHFKLOGUHQ
Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong
Designer: Zhao Boyu million couples registered to tie the knot To create a fertility-friendly society,
Proofreader: Ma Xin
in 2021, marking a record-low in three China has formulated a package of policies,
Editorial Administrator: Zeng Wenhui
Planning Director: Xu Bei GHFDGHVDQGRQO\SHUFHQWRIWKH such as guaranteeing longer maternity leave
Director of Digital Media: Yu Shujun SHDN$UHSRUWRQ&KLQD·VPDUULDJHVDQG and adding children’s education to the list of
Director of Strategic Research: Zan Jifang

Administration: Lu Ling
IDPLOLHVLVVXHGE\%HLMLQJEDVHG<XZD SHUVRQDOLQFRPHWD[GHGXFWLEOHV2Q0DUFK
International Cooperation: Sun Xuan Population Research Institute read the WKH6WDWH&RXQFLODOVRDQQRXQFHGDWD[
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PHDQDJHRIÀUVWPDUULDJHDPRQJIHPDOHV deduction policy for parents rearing chil-
North America Bureau (New York City)
Chief: Yu Shujun and first-time mothers in China increased GUHQXQGHUWKHDJHRI
Executive Assistant: Zhao Wei
Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334
UHVSHFWLYHO\IURPDQGLQ, to A slowdown in population growth is
E-mail: yushujun@cicgamericas.com DQGLQ inevitable as a country’s industrialization
Latin America Bureau (Mexico City)
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Tel: 52-55-55127271
Fax: 52-55-55332027 opment have overhauled the traditional developed countries and some emerging
E-mail: chinahoymx@gmail.com concepts of early marriage and childbear-
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economies are facing problems like popula-
Chief: Meng Kexin LQJ$VPDQ\\RXQJSHRSOHPRYHWRWKH WLRQDJLQJDQGIDOOLQJELUWKUDWHV:KDWW\SH
Tel: 0051-1-3022776, 0051-959212702
E-mail: revistachinaperu@gmail.com urban areas, they’re faced with ever-mount- of support system should be put in place
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NUMBERS
($1=6.34 yuan)
Industrial Enterprise Profit by Business Type Industrial Enterprise Growth by Business Type
January-February (bln yuan) January-February (% y.o.y.)
1,000 20
16.7
838.58
15
800

10
9.4
600

415.78 5
400 329.13
289.79 0

200 -1.7
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0 -10
State-holding Shareholding Foreign-, Hong Privately State-holding Shareholding Foreign-, Privately
enterprises corporations Kong-, Macao- and owned enterprises corporations Hong Kong-, Macao- owned
Taiwan-funded and Taiwan-funded

6 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022 KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

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Industrial Enterprise Profit by Sector
January-February (bln yuan)
233.57
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and water production and supply
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Petroleum and natural gas exploration
Nonferrous metal smelting and processing
Chemical raw material and product manufacturing
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Profit Changes for Major Sectors
January-February (% y.o.y.)
Coal mining and washing
27.3
Textile 13.1
5.2
-9.9 Automobile
-15.7 General equipment manufacturing
-29.4 Agricultural byproducts and byproducts processing
-50 0 50
THIS WEEK
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APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 7
THIS WEEK WORLD
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A villager stands in a withered maize crop
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on March 23. The Horn of Africa is
experiencing one of its worst droughts in
recent history, with over 13 million people
facing severe food insecurity across
Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia
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8 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
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BELGIUM
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor
Orban arrives for the meeting of EU
leaders in Brussels on March 24.
Hungary strongly opposes
sanctions imposed against the
Russian energy sector, Orban said
ahead of the meeting
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People shop at a supermarket in Basingstoke
on March 23. Britain’s consumer price index rose
by 6.2 percent in the 12 months leading up to
February, hitting a 30-year high
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capital of Valletta on March 28. Abela took the oath of
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election for the third consecutive time since 2013
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President Aleksandar Vucic
attends the ceremony of the
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Victims of NATO Aggression in
Kraljevo on March 24.
The event marked the 23rd
anniversary of the NATO
bombing of Yugoslavia

ISRAEL
Members of the emergency
services work at the scene of
a shooting in Bnei Brak,
a suburb of Tel Aviv, on March 29.
A Palestinian gunman opened
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THIS WEEK 3(23/(ó ó32,176
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Legal Daily
March 30
Battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the
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eateries operate on e-platforms, cutting operat-
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10 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022 KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP


China is the most populous country in
the world, but its huge population num-
ber fails to mask problems like declining
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national population census conducted in
2020, compared with the past decade,
the annual population growth rate stood
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Various factors are to blame for the
decline in births, such as a decreasing
number of women in their reproductive
years, rocketing childrearing costs, and
the younger generations’ preference for
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Another resultant problem is that
due to the loss of fertility capacity, some
couples are unable to bear children,
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According to China’s National Bureau
of Statistics, one in eight couples today
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coverage in some places, and the develop-
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APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 11
 COVER STORY

FROM ONE TO THREE

More efforts needed to build a family-friendly society as parents can have
up to three children By Ji Jing

12 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022 KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

 Children at a kindergarten in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province,
plant trees on March 11
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According to the National Bureau
of Statistics (NBS), the number of
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and birth rate were the lowest since

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population reaches 7 percent of the
population, and a deeply aging society
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such standards, China became an aging
society in 2000 and was on the edge
of a deeply aging society in 2020, with
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number of children per woman—fell
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Diminished desire
There are multiple complicated reasons
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consuming and my family has reached
a consensus not to have another kid,”
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of a 2-year-old in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, told
Beijing Review
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the National Health Commission in January, the number
of children that the surveyed women of childbearing age
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fertility trap and birth rates won’t easily
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The China Population and
Development Research Center pre-
dicted that China will enter a stage of
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The declining birth rate has been
coupled with an exacerbating aging
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seventh population census conducted in
2020, the number of people aged above
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Compared with the previous cen-
sus conducted a decade earlier, the
seventh population census showed
the proportion of the population aged
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According to international stan-
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previous year, of which women aged
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The mindset regarding childbirth
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tions of having children to continue the
family line or bringing up children to
support parents in their old age have
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those born after 1990, and even 2000,
become the primary force of childbear-
ing, they are delaying marriage and
childbirth as their time of education in-
creases and they face more competition
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In addition, as the costs of bringing
up a child mount, many are reluctant to
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ies across China, conducted by China
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sidered the economic costs of raising
and educating children too high and
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Chu Haonan, Deputy Director
of the Human Resources Research
Institute at the China University of
Labor Relations, said the primary rea-
son for the reluctance to have children ʈʈ
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 13
is the high cost of childbirth and care,
which includes childrearing, education
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pable of raising a child or their quality
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having a child, they will choose not
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about government policies and social
welfare, they will be unwilling to have
FKLOGUHQµ&KXVDLG
He Dan, Director of the China
Population and Development Research
Center, said it is natural that social and
economic development brings down
ELUWKUDWHV
The COVID-19 pandemic has also
contributed to the reduced birth rate as
people have postponed marriage and
childbirth out of concerns over job and
LQFRPHLQVWDELOLW\VKHVDLG
China introduced the family plan-
ning policy in the late 1970s, allowing
all couples to have only one child, with
exceptions for ethnic minority groups
and people in rural areas whose first
FKLOGZDVDJLUO,QUHFHQW\HDUVWKH
policy has been relaxed multiple times,
and all couples were allowed to have
$VWDIIPHPEHUSUHVHQWVDFRXSOHZLWKWKHLUFHUWLĶFDWHVDWDPDUULDJHUHJLVWU\LQ%HLMLQJ
on February 22
14 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
WZRFKLOGUHQIURPRQZDUG2Q-XO\ODVW\HDUWKH
Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and
the State Council passed a decision on improving birth
policies to promote long-term and balanced population
development, whereby all couples are allowed to have
WKUHHFKLOGUHQ
Peng Xizhe, Director of the Center for Population and
'HYHORSPHQW3ROLF\6WXGLHVDW)XGDQ8QLYHUVLW\VDLG
although China has relaxed its population policies in re-
cent years, this has a very limited effect on the number of
QHZERUQV7KDWQXPEHUH[SHULHQFHGDWHPSRUDU\UHERXQG
after the two-child policy was introduced, but began to
GHFUHDVHVRRQDIWHU
'HPRJUDSKHU0DR'DTLQJVDLGWKHUHZDVDSRSXOD-
WLRQSHDNIURPWRZKHQDWRWDORIPLOOLRQ
SHRSOHZHUHERUQ7KHVHSHRSOHDUHQRZDJHGWR
DQGFRQVWLWXWHWKHPDMRUFKLOGEHDULQJIRUFH´+RZHYHU
the number of these people who have given birth to one
child is limited and the number that have given birth to
two children is smaller still, not to mention a third child,”
0DRVDLG
A family-friendly society
The birth policy adjustment needs to be supported by rel-
HYDQWPHDVXUHV2QO\E\UHGXFLQJIDPLOLHV·FKLOGUHDULQJ
burdens can the birth policy adjustment achieve its desired
HIIHFW
Experts say birth and child-rearing support is not
an isolated policy that can be implemented by a single
XINHUA
department, but needs to be a com-
prehensive system that requires the
concerted efforts of multiple govern-
ment departments as well as social
VHUYLFHV(PSOR\PHQWWD[DWLRQDQG
housing policies should all be revised
WRUHGXFHWKHÀQDQFLDOEXUGHQRIIDPL-
lies with one or multiple children and
promote the formation of a family-
IULHQGO\VRFLHW\
Low fertility rate is not a social
SUREOHPXQLTXHWR&KLQD/RQJEHIRUH
China, Europe already encountered fer-
tility rates lower than the replacement
OHYHO6RPH(XURSHDQFRXQWULHVKDYH
implemented policies to extend mater-
nity leave, provide free childcare and
provide subsidies to ensure women’s
HPSOR\PHQW&RPSDUHGZLWKWKHVH
countries, China still has a long way to
JRWREHFRPHDIDPLO\IULHQGO\VRFLHW\
Peng suggested lifting restrictions
RQELUWKV´$OWKRXJKVXFKDPRYHPD\
have little effect on increasing the birth
rate, it will serve as a guidance for the
whole society and accelerate the un-
OHDVKLQJRIELUWKSRWHQWLDOµKHVDLG
)ROORZLQJWKHLVVXDQFHRIWKHGHFL-
sion on improving birth policies by the
CPC Central Committee and the State
Council, provinces and municipalities
across the country have revised their
population and family planning regula-
tions to improve birth rates and create
DIDPLO\IULHQGO\HQYLURQPHQW)RULQ-
stance, Beijing has increased women’s
H[WHQGHGPDWHUQLW\OHDYHIURP
WRGD\VDQGDOORZVSDUHQWVZKR
KDYHFKLOGUHQXQGHUWRHQMR\ILYH
GD\VRIFKLOGFDUHOHDYHHYHU\\HDU,Q
+HEHL-LDQJ[LDQG=KHMLDQJSURYLQFHV
women who give birth to a second or
third child are allowed to extend their
PDWHUQLW\OHDYHE\GD\V
<DQJ*HDUHVHDUFKHUZLWKWKH
Institute of Population and Labor
Economics at the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences, said extended ma-
ternity leave enables mothers to have
more time to look after their children
but an overly long leave might increase
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
 XINHUA
women’s disadvantage in the job
market as employers might avoid
employing women due to the addi-
WLRQDOFRVW7KHUHIRUHWKHUHVKRXOGEH
relevant measures to prevent longer
maternity leave from harming wom-
HQ·VHPSOR\PHQWULJKWV
'RQJ<X]KHQJ'LUHFWRURIWKH
Guangdong Academy of Population
Development, said a system for divid-
ing the cost of maternity leave between
GLIIHUHQWSDUWLHVVKRXOGEHHVWDEOLVKHG
If the cost is shouldered by employ-
ers only, it will add to the employers’
burden and exacerbate gender dis-
crimination in recruitment, which will
eventually affect women’s willingness
WRKDYHFKLOGUHQ
Improving care services for
FKLOGUHQXQGHULVDOVRFRQVLGHUHG
important for reducing parental
EXUGHQV&DUHVHUYLFHVIRUFKLOGUHQ A woman learns how to take care of newborn babies at a family service center in Danzhou,
XQGHUDUHODFNLQJLQ&KLQDZLWK Hainan Province, on July 21, 2020
most of these children taken care of Cash subsidies, tax reductions and favorable housing a State Council circular, issued on
E\WKHLUIDPLOLHV policies for people with children are some ways to reduce 0DUFK7KHGHGXFWLRQFDQEHDS-
$FFRUGLQJWRWKHWK)LYH<HDU SDUHQWV·ÀQDQFLDOSUHVVXUHV plied in full to one parent’s income
3ODQDEOXHSULQWIRUWKH
country’s economic and social devel-
opment during the period, the number
of nursery slots per 1,000 children un-
GHUZLOOULVHWRLQIURPLQ
1DWLRQDODQGORFDOGHSDUWPHQWV
have rolled out policies to encourage
the development of inclusive nursery
VHUYLFHV
Such policies might be effec-
WLYH+RZHYHU<DQJVDLGSUHVFKRRO
services should be tailored to cater to
different families’ differentiated de-
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Congress, the nation’s top legislature, and head of the Liu Jie, a research fellow with
Publicity Department of CPC Huizhou City Committee in the industrial economy research cen-
ter at China Development Institute,
Guangdong Province, told Beijing Review she suggested
said preferential policies for hous-
providing monthly subsidies for parents of children from
ing rental and purchase should be
ELUWKXSWRZLWKWKHDPRXQWVHWDFFRUGLQJWRORFDOPLQL-
offered according to the number of
PXPZDJHV
FKLOGUHQDIDPLO\KDV/LXVXJJHVWHG
=KRQJ0DRFKXDSURIHVVRUDWWKH,QVWLWXWHRI
lowering downpayment require-
Economics of Nankai University, suggested using an in-
ments and said that the number of
dividual income tax adjustment policy to reduce parents’
children a family has could also be
ÀQDQFLDOEXUGHQVDQGLQFUHDVHELUWKUDWHV+HVXJJHVWHG
taken into account when applying
the individual taxable income of parents of children un-
IRUSXEOLFUHQWDOKRXVLQJ
PDQGV´7KHSUHVFKRROLQGXVWU\VKRXOG
pursue high quality development and
implement stricter supervision and ap-
proval systems than other industries as
to enable children to receive healthy
DQGVFLHQWLILFHDUO\HGXFDWLRQ$OVR
the sustainability of nurseries requires
PRUHDWWHQWLRQ0DVVLYHÀQDQFLDOVXE-
sidies will prompt the rapid expansion
of the preschool industry but whether
the industry can be sustainable should
EHIXUWKHUDVVHVVHG
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
GHUEHUHGXFHGE\\XDQSHUPRQWKIRU
HYHU\FKLOGWKH\KDYH)RUWKRVHZKRGRQ·WHDUQHQRXJK
to be taxed, he suggested offering 1,000 yuan in subsi-
GLHVSHUPRQWKIRUHYHU\FKLOGWKH\KDYH=KRQJVDLGWKH
VWDWHÀQDQFHVFDQDIIRUGWKHVXEVLGLHV´,QWKHVKRUWDQG
medium term, the potential consumption generated by
WKHVXEVLGLHVFDQPDNHXSIRUWKHÀVFDOVSHQGLQJLQWKH
long term, the demographic dividend will far outweigh
WKHVSHQGLQJµKHVDLG
Starting from January 1, the individual taxable in-
FRPHRISDUHQWVZLWKFKLOGUHQXQGHUFDQEHUHGXFHG
by a total of 1,000 yuan per month for each baby, said
To improve birth rates, those who
have difficulties conceiving should
DOVREHJLYHQVSHFLDODWWHQWLRQ1%6
statistics show that the infertility rate of
childbearing age couples has reached
WRSHUFHQW3HQJVDLGDVVLVWHG
reproduction technologies should be
promoted to tap into the potential of
WKLVJURXSBR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to jijing@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 15

ROAMING FOR
ROMANCE
China’s youth explores new ways to find lasting love%\/L4LQJ
I
n January 2010, Jiangsu TV released a
dating show called You Are the One$
ratings success, the program featured
VLQJOHZRPHQY\LQJIRUWKHDWWHQWLRQRI
RQHEDFKHORUDOODWWKHVDPHWLPH$IWHUWKUHH
selection rounds, whittling down the contes-
tants according to his taste, the man could
opt to leave alone or with a female guest on
KLVDUP7KHSURJUDPDVZHOODVLWVSDUWLFL-
pants’ opinions, soon became the talk of the
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preparing for her high school entrance ex-
amination, and her mother was one of the
VKRZ·V OR\DO YLHZHUV ´0\ PRWKHU VDLG ,
should partake in the program in the future
as she believed it to be a highly effective
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wouldn’t be as picky as those women,” Liu
recently told Beijing Review
But Liu no longer wants to follow her
PRWKHU·V DGYLFH 1RZ VKH SUHIHUV GDWLQJ
DSSVWRGDWLQJSURJUDPV
´7RGD\ , OLNH WR PHHW SRWHQWLDO ER\-
friends and develop intimate relationships
through blind dates and dating apps,” she
laughed, adding that she still believes in
love, but it might not be in the cards for
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LQ=KHMLDQJ3URYLQFHREWDLQHGDPDVWHU·V
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tered on dating apps and mini-programs on
China’s multi-purpose social media platform
:H&KDW7KH\UHFRPPHQGVHYHUDOSURILOHV
to her every day based on her preferences,
including educational background, location
16 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
COVER STORY
DQGKREELHV
7KDQNVWRELJGDWD´WKLVZD\
of dating gives me the freedom
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our privacy and can meet offline
to develop an increasing mutual
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of us can decide to stop the con-
nection at any time, which is
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relationship that can make me
a happier or better person,” she
VDLG ´, KDYH D SHDFHIXO VWDWH
of mind because I’m happy
with my current situation, even
though most of my friends are in
UHODWLRQVKLSVµ
4LDQ <XH DQ DVVRFLDWH SUR-
fessor with the Department of
Sociology at the University of
British Columbia, told Lifeweek
that people opting for online dat-
ing belong to a young and well-
educated group, who at the same
time often come up with more
VSHFLÀFFULWHULDDERXWWKHSURVSHF-
tive partner and are unwilling to
FRPSURPLVH
The purpose of love
*XR:HLD\HDUROGGRFWRULQ
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, has
been between belles for half a
\HDU´7KHUH·VDSRSXODUVD\LQJ
Relationships that don’t end in
PDUULDJHDUHDOODZDVWHRIWLPH,
DJUHHZLWKWKLV³WRVRPHH[WHQWµ
Different from Liu, he gave up on
online dating opportunities and attaches
PRUHLPSRUWDQFHWRRIIOLQHDFWLYLWLHV7KH
ODWWHU LV PRUH UHDO KH H[SODLQHG 1RZ
he encourages his mother, who retired
two years ago, to visit the ad hoc match-
making corner in the park, a way
for middle-class parents to seek out potential
SDUWQHUVIRUWKHLUFKLOGUHQ
´,ZLVKIRUDVWDEOHUHODWLRQVKLSWKDWFDQ
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But how come a doctor, one of the most
popular professions on the dating market,
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´, DP EXV\ ZLWK ZRUN DQG P\ IULHQGV
have said my standards are rather high,” he
told Beijing Review, stressing his so-called
´UHTXLUHPHQWVµDUHLQIDFWSUHWW\UHDVRQ-
DEOH´,KRSHWRILQGDJLUOIULHQGXQGHU
who is highly educated; not necessarily
highly paid, but with a stable job, and taking
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+HUHDNH\ZRUGDSSHDUV&RQIXFLXV
once said a man should be independent
E\WKHDJHRIZKLFKPHDQVWKDWSHRSOH
VKRXOGEHHVWDEOLVKHGE\WKDWWLPH+RZHYHU
on the dating market, that age initiates the
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VRQV³OLNHIHUWLOLW\
According to Qian’s research, men aged
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 7KH\ DOVR KLJKOLJKW HGXFDWLRQ ZKLFK
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He further told Lifeweek that women,
regardless of their age, hope for age gaps
of less than three years between partners,
and they consider education to represent
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

Young people on a blind date in Shanghai on October 20, 2021
NQRZOHGJH LQWHUHVWV DQG FRPPRQ WRSLFV
A recent China Women’s News report on
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this age group prioritizes mutual respect,
followed by personal hygiene, common hob-
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2YHUSHUFHQWRILQWHUYLHZHHVH[SUHVVHG
they would never compromise their views
for love or marriage, fully aware this consti-
WXWHVDPDMRUUHDVRQIRUWKHLUEHLQJVLQJOH
Qian’s research also indicates a change
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instance, many young people think it’s vital
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popular with older generations who place
more value on virtues such as being self-
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Although young people’s views on
relationships have changed, they actually
aren’t that far removed from their parents’
opinions, Qian said, adding their criteria still
relate to aspects like family, upbringing and
LQFRPH
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
Single and happy
In addition to changing perceptions
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young people regard being single as a
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The marriage registration data
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had dropped to their lowest point
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Northern Europe, where the num-
ber of people living alone will soon
surpass half the population, it has ex-
panded to other continents, including
1RUWK$PHULFDDQG$VLD&RPSDUHG
to others, the Chinese people, grow-
ing up in the oriental mindset, still
prefer getting married,” well-known
&KLQHVHVH[RORJLVW/L<LQKHWROG
Global Times
But the single trend has neverthe-
less affected China, she said, adding it
attributed to women overthrowing the
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traditional order, one supported and dominated
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As the only child at home, this young gen-
eration has found various ways to cope with
loneliness, and knows how to make life as color-
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for a lifelong companion, I choose to focus more
on work, which in turn can guarantee a happy
JROGHQDJHDIHZGHFDGHVIURPQRZµ
Liu has had long and intense discussions with
her mother about whether getting married and
EHLQJDPRWKHUDUHLQGLVSHQVDEOHOLIHH[SHULHQFHV
´$IWHUVHYHUDOURXQGVRIJRLQJEDFNDQGIRUWKVKH
eventually surrendered and said, ‘I can’t under-
VWDQG\RXURSLQLRQVEXW,UHVSHFW\RXUFKRLFHV·µ
´6RPHSXVKLHUSDUHQWVVWLOOSUHVVXUHWKHLU
children to get married, especially in the rural
DUHDV%XWWKRVH\RXQJSHRSOHZKRKDYHOHIW
their hometown and settled down in the cities,
no longer need to meet their parents’ expecta-
tions and can hold different opinions toward
OLIHµ/LVDLGBR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to liqing@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 17
23,1,21 UKRAINE
History Rhymes:
The Russia-Ukraine Conflict
By Roy Anthony Rogers

XINHUA
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24. He announced the deployment of four new
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many Western mainstream media
denouncing Russia under Vladimir Putin’s
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understand, are the developments and issues
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years, when the Cold War ended in 1991
due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union
such as Poland, Romania, Hungary,
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pact, as a balance of power against
the military threat from NATO,
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era saw ideological strife as well
as an arms race between the two
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As the Cold War came to
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ise,” that NATO membership would not be
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written arrangement between the USSR and
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would not expand eastward; the USSR was,
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the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, a military
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alongside East-Central European countries
20 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
The USSR could no longer sus-
tain the Warsaw Pact, and its
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taken the stand to dissolve the
Breach of trust
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NATO to add some East-Central European
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original assurance given by Western leaders
was not just violated once or twice, but as
Ukraine should cease
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Since the conclusion of the Cold War, NATO
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of Germany—in flagrant violation of its prom-
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Soviet Union after the Cold War, considers the
should withdraw its
expansion process a threat to its sovereignty and
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In fact, Estonia and Latvia, former repub-
lics of the USSR bordering Russia, are already
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23,1,21
before the outbreak of the ongoing war in
Ukraine came in December 2021, when the
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its attempts to join written guarantee that Russia’s sovereignty
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There is no denying what is happening in
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troops. This war 3ULPH0LQLVWHURI0DOD\VLD'DWXN6HUL
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the UN has called on all parties to negoti-
either side; arms ate for peaceful resolution in line with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
manufacturers and
exercises in Estonia at some 100 km from the
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The international community, espe-
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American reconnaissance aircraft detected
the USSR missile launch site under con-
struction in the Caribbean republic, located
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the construction of the site and the shipment
of ammunition to Cuba, and threatened to
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Not many people realize it was the
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weapon industries are
the only winners here
Russian authorities are willing to
do anything in the face of provo-
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this opinion was already voiced
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during the NATO Conference in
Bucharest, Romania, where the
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istration openly invited Ukraine to
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strategic importance to its survival
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taught Russians an important lesson
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all ASEAN members (except Singapore) re-
fused to join the economic sanctions issued
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Southeast Asian countries are still not ready to
pinpoint the one party responsible for trigger-
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The solution to the Russo-Ukrainian war
must be achieved through negotiation, not am-
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to join NATO, and, at the same time, Russia
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benefit either side; arms manufacturers and
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In addition, the two countries have had
time-honored close ties in terms of ethnicity,
language, religion and history and therefore
should not go to war, but instead strengthen
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Russia should learn from its bitter ex-
periences during the USSR occupation of
ballistic missiles in Izmir, Turkey, not far
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his country’s sovereignty and survival to
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tions for the USSR to stop sending missiles
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Peace negotiations
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leaders should learn from history that
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in this regard: When Nazi German
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eventually lost access to the Black
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Therefore, if Ukraine were to
join NATO, Russia would naturally
be concerned about the vulner-
ability of the territory’s security
DQGLQWHJULW\5XVVLDKDVUHSHDWHGO\
opposed NATO expansion since
1999, when countries like Poland,
Hungary and the Czech Republic
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$IJKDQLVWDQ9LFWRU\RQWKHEDWWOH-
ÀHOGZLOOQRWQHFHVVDULO\OHDGWRYLFWRU\LQWKH
ORQJUXQ,WLVHVVHQWLDOIRU8NUDLQHWRUHDOL]H
WKH\DUHQRWFRQVLGHUHGSDUWRIWKH86VWUD-
tegic interest until the latter is willing to send
its troops to defend it—as it would when it
FRPHVWR:HVW(XURSHDQFRXQWULHV8NUDLQHLV
RQO\DSDZQRQWKH86SROLWLFDOFKHVVERDUG
WREDODQFH5XVVLDBR
The author is an associate professor at the University of Malaya
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to liuyunyun@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 21
23,1,21 UKRAINE
Crisis Trigger:
NATO Reneged on Promise
W
hen the Soviet Union disintegrated,
5XVVLDLQKHULWHGLWV´RQHYRWHYHWRµ
status on the UN Security Council,
as well as most of the Soviet territory, overseas
DVVHWVDQGGHEWV$WWKHVDPHWLPH5XVVLDZDV
also left with the great power and historical
leanings of the former state, as well as the prom-
ises, grievances and hatreds surrounding the
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Among these, NATO’s eastward expansion
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In the eyes of President Vladimir Putin
and other Russian political elites, the West has
reneged on promises made before the Soviet
8QLRQ·VGLVLQWHJUDWLRQ,QVWHDGLWKDVIRUWKH
past three decades, continually been hemming in
5XVVLD·VVWUDWHJLFVHFXULW\VSDFH7KLVLVQRWRQO\
DUHVXOWRI86DQG1$72DUURJDQFHEXWDOVR
PDUNVDEHWUD\DO5XVVLDFDQQHYHUDFFHSW
‘Brazen trick’
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already, please, the systems are appearing in
Romania and Poland,” Putin remarked at his an-
QXDOSUHVVFRQIHUHQFHRQ'HFHPEHU
European countries as well, it is im-
portant to have guarantees that if the
United States keeps its presence in
Germany within the framework of
NATO, not an inch of NATO’s pres-
ent military jurisdiction will spread in
DQHDVWHUQGLUHFWLRQµKHVDLG
If it were not for the subsequent
expansion of NATO all the way to
the east, the current crisis in Ukraine
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After the disintegration of the
Soviet Union, Russia held high hopes
IRUWKH:HVW(DUO\5XVVLDQOHDG-
ers, such as former President Boris
<HOWVLQEHOLHYHGWKDWWKH:HVWZRXOG
embrace Russia after the country
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Russia seemed to have turned
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the eyes of the West into a power on
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Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan,
when it was invited to join the Group
interests are going to be taken into account,
LI5XVVLDEHFRPHVDIXOOIOHGJHGSDUWQHUµ
Observers believed that Russia was sincere and
saw the move as a diplomatic gesture to the West
DWWKDWWLPH
Putin had close contacts with some of
NATO’s leaders in the early days of his term,
LQFOXGLQJIRUPHU863UHVLGHQW*HRUJH:%XVK
DQGIRUPHU%ULWLVK3ULPH0LQLVWHU7RQ\%ODLU
Putin even accompanied Blair to watch an op-
eratic performance of War and Peace when the
ODWWHUYLVLWHG6W3HWHUVEXUJLQ0DUFK
Soured ties
Nonetheless, the improving personal relationships
between Putin and Western leaders seemed not
to diminish but rather to worsen the geostrategic
FULVLVIDFHGE\5XVVLD'XULQJWKHWKUHHGHFDGHV
between 1991 and 2021, NATO accepted 10 for-
mer Warsaw Pact countries as its members and,
through this eastward expansion, made a strategic
PRYHWRHQFLUFOH5XVVLDWKDWVWUHWFKHGRYHU
km from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black
6HDLQWKHVRXWK
The international community believes
that Putin started to doubt the West in 2002,
when NATO leaders admitted seven coun-
Earlier the same day, NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg gave a speech claiming
that the alliance never made any promises not to
H[SDQGSDUWLFXODUO\WRWKHHDVW
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EHWZHHQ:HVW*HUPDQOHDGHU+HOPXW.RKODQG
6RYLHWOHDGHU0LNKDLO*RUEDFKHYLWZDVDJUHHG
that the Soviets would assent in principle to
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7KHQ866HFUHWDU\RI6WDWH-DPHV%DNHU
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surance regarding NATO’s expansion during his
PHHWLQJZLWK*RUEDFKHYRQ)HEUXDU\
´1RWRQO\IRUWKH6RYLHW8QLRQEXWIRURWKHU
22 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
RI6HYHQ*6XPPLWLQ$QG
the G7 was expanded to the Group of
(LJKW
At that time, there was a belief
among Russians, from leadership to
general public, that a happy, fairytale-
OLNHOLIHZDVWRIROORZVRRQ5XVVLD
still held on to these illusions about
the West even after the latter was in-
different to its economic woes in the
V
,Q0DUFKWKHQSUHVLGHQWLDO
candidate Putin said in an interview
that Russia would possibly join
1$72RQFRQGLWLRQWKDW´5XVVLD·V
tries, including Baltic ones (Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania), to the alliance—despite Russia’s
REMHFWLRQ
7KHVSHHFK3XWLQGHOLYHUHGDWWKH0XQLFK
6HFXULW\&RQIHUHQFHLQ*HUPDQ\RQ)HEUXDU\
2007, was widely regarded as a call to abandon
ORQJKHOGLOOXVLRQVDQGEUHDNZLWKWKH:HVW+H
harshly criticized America’s foreign policy and
its idea of creating a unipolar world order, and
strongly opposed NATO’s expansion and its plan
WRGHSOR\D86DQWLPLVVLOHV\VWHPLQ(DVWHUQ
(XURSH
´,WKLQNLWLVREYLRXVWKDW1$72·VH[SDQVLRQ
does not have any relation with the moderniza-
tion of the alliance itself or with ensuring security
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

People evacuate through a humanitarian corridor in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 11
LQ(XURSH2QWKHFRQWUDU\LWUHSUHVHQWVDVHUL-
ous provocation that reduces the level of mutual
WUXVWµ3XWLQVWUHVVHGLQKLVVSHHFK
2Q)HEUXDU\PDUNLQJWKHWKDQQL-
YHUVDU\RI3XWLQ·VVSHHFKLQ0XQLFK.UHPOLQ
spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said what is hap-
SHQLQJQRZ´RQFHDJDLQXQGHUOLQHVWKHULJKWQHVV
RI3UHVLGHQW3XWLQµ
A tool against Russia?
After the deterioration of its relations with Russia
LQ8NUDLQHDFFHOHUDWHGWKHSURFHVVRIMRLQ-
ing NATO, and even tabled a constitutional
amendment bill in 2019 to make its NATO ac-
FHVVLRQDQDWLRQDO´VWUDWHJLFPLVVLRQµGUDZLQJLW
HYHQFORVHUWR5XVVLD·VVHFXULW\ERWWRPOLQH
$QDO\VWVSRLQWHGRXWWKDWVLQFH3XWLQ·V
stance on Ukraine has always been very clear:
8NUDLQHPXVWQRWMRLQ1$72
In July 2021, Putin again stated in his ar-
ticle On the Historical Unity of Russians and
Ukrainians that Russia is open to a dialogue with
8NUDLQHDQGLVUHDG\WRGLVFXVVWKHPRVWGLIÀFXOW
RILVVXHV´%XWLWLVLPSRUWDQWIRUXVWRXQGHUVWDQG
that our partner is defending its national interests,
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
not serving someone else’s; and is
not a tool in someone else’s hands to
ÀJKWDJDLQVWXVµ3XWLQVDLG
If there has been a whistleblower
in the current crisis, it has been Putin
VLQFHEXWERWKWKH86DQG
NATO have ignored the sharp, even
SLHUFLQJZDUQLQJ
,Q-XQH863UHVLGHQW
Joe Biden and Putin met in Geneva,
Switzerland, where Putin raised the
issues of NATO’s expansion and
8NUDLQH·VPHPEHUVKLSRIWKHDOOLDQFH
However, Biden again displayed a de
rigueur kind of Western arrogance
and indifference that has come to be
expected, and did not respond directly
WR3XWLQ·VFRQFHUQV
By late October 2021, Russia
began to exert extreme pressure on
Ukraine and the Western bloc behind
it with a heavy military presence
along the border between the two
countries; in December, the Russian
0LQLVWU\RI)RUHLJQ$IIDLUVWRRNWKH
23,1,21
XINHUA
unusual step of publishing a draft Agreement
RQ0HDVXUHVWR(QVXUHWKH6HFXULW\RIWKH
5XVVLDQ)HGHUDWLRQDQG0HPEHU6WDWHVRIWKH
North Atlantic Treaty Organization which en-
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them, Russia’s bottom line: the exclusion of the
possibility of further expansion of NATO and
8NUDLQH·VDFFHVVLRQWRLW
+RZHYHUWKH86DQGRWKHU1$72PHP-
bers have rhetorically criticized the draft treaty
from the point of view of Ukraine’s right to
DSSO\
This document can be seen as Russia’s offer
to the West to seek a package solution to security
issues, and there are several points of compro-
mise and concessions, but Russia has no way
EDFNRQWKH8NUDLQHLVVXH
Ukraine needs security guarantees, as does
5XVVLD$VWKH8NUDLQHFULVLVFRPHVWRDKHDGWKH
86DQG1$72FDQQRWDQGVKRXOGQRWODVKRXW
DW5XVVLDZLWKRXWUHÁHFWLQJRQWKHLUORQJVWDQGLQJ
SUHMXGLFHBR
This is an edited excerpt of an article published by Global Times
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 23
23,1,21óAUSTRALIA
Diplomatic Costs of
The Domestic Agenda
A
XVWUDOLDQ 3ULPH 0LQLVWHU 6FRWW
0RUULVRQUHYHDOHGKHKDGGHFOLQHG
to meet with the new Chinese
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of formal diplomatic protocol, this is correct
as it is appropriate for the foreign minister to
meet with the ambassador and this meeting
GLGWDNHSODFH
)URPDEURDGHUSHUVSHFWLYH WKHSULPH
minister’s reluctance to meet or engage
with the ambassador is symptomatic of
Australia’s unwillingness to help thaw the
FXUUHQWVRXU$XVWUDOLD&KLQDUHODWLRQV
The Australian Government proclaims that
it is open to minister-to-minister conversations
and meetings with China, but it constantly sets
SUHFRQGLWLRQVIRUWKRVHLQWHUDFWLRQVWRWDNHSODFH
These moves are based on an inaccurate interpre-
WDWLRQRIDHYHQW
By 2020, Australia-China relations were
DOUHDG\QRWVPRRWK&KLQD·V'HSXW\+HDG
RI0LVVLRQ:DQJ;LQLQJH[SODLQHGWKDWDQ
HPEDVV\RIILFLDO´ZDVRIIHUHGDQRSSRUWX-
nity to explain why our relationship is not in
good shape, so she tried to enumerate certain
points that your government and my govern-
PHQWGRQ·WDJUHHXSRQµ
7KLVZDVDQXQWLWOHGEDFNJURXQGEULHÀQJ
paper, but it was presented in the Australian
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UHODWLRQV7KHLVVXHZDVIXUWKHUH[DJJHUDWHG
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This inaccurate assessment of China’s
concerns has been a major barrier to the re-
VXPSWLRQRIELODWHUDOGLVFXVVLRQV$XVWUDOLD
insists that China withdraws these so-called
´GHPDQGVµDVDSUHFRQGLWLRQWRDQ\QHZ
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24 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
By Daryl Guppy
do so because these were just an
untitled briefing paper with no
IRUPDORIÀFLDOVWDWXV
This mischaracterization is
the primary cause of the stale-
PDWHLQ$XVWUDOLD&KLQDUHODWLRQV
Ambassador Xiao has attempted to
reach out and help thaw the frosty
UHODWLRQVKLS 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ WKH
Australian leadership has not been
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The Australian Government is
facing an election in a few weeks,
so they have an interest in pro-
moting security issues as a way of
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are frightened of any suggestion
WKDW WKH\ DUH QRW ´VWDQGLQJ XSµ
WR &KLQD 7KH GRPHVWLF SROLWL-
cal agenda cannot be discounted
when assessing Australia’s desire
to help normalize its relations
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was further consolidated with
the leaking of a proposed draft
agreement between the Solomon
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from Australia was predictable
because it always views the
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work in the region, but mostly
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Islands’ prime minister pointed
out, Australian aid is usually
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Additionally, the neutrally in-
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not appreciate the political pressure applied
WRWKHPWRUHMHFW&KLQHVHSURSRVDOV
0RVWUHFHQWO\WKLVKDVLQFOXGHGSUHVVXUH
to stop vital undersea Internet cables being
supplied by Huawei, the Chinese tech giant,
and the Australian interference in telecom-
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Government of Papua New Guinea has also
been under pressure to approve the construc-
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0DQXV,VODQG
A decade ago, Australia inflicted deep
FXWVWRDLGWRWKLV´3DFLÀF)DPLO\µDQGGH-
spite recent boosts in assistance, the level of
support is not the same as it was a decade
DJR 7KLV FRXSOHG ZLWK $XVWUDOLD·V UHMHF-
tion of genuine concerns over the impact of
climate change, has left the region open to
ZRUNLQJZLWKRWKHUVZKRFDQDVVLVW
Australia has a smug opinion of its sta-
WXVLQWKH´3DFLÀF)DPLO\µVRWKH6RORPRQ
Islands announcement of cooperation with
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the opposition Labor Party described this as
´DPDMRUIRUHLJQSROLF\EOXQGHUµ
Declining to meet with the Chinese am-
bassador and the reaction to the situation
in the Solomon Islands are both part of an
DFFHOHUDWLQJHOHFWLRQFDPSDLJQLQ$XVWUDOLD
7KHVHUHDFWLRQVDOVRUHÁHFWDQXQZLOOLQJQHVV
to step back from its small-scale confronta-
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the election campaign is over, a new govern-
ment may adopt a more considered approach
WRWKHUHODWLRQVKLSBR
The author is a national board member of the Australia-China
Business Council. This article was first published on the China
Focus website
Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

American Ambition or
Naïve Assumption?
O
ne month after the Russia-Ukraine
FRQIOLFWHUXSWHGLQIXOOIRUFH86
3UHVLGHQW-RH%LGHQÁHZWR(XURSH
to call on American allies to impose tougher
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ing of NATO leaders in Brussels, Belgium,
Biden once again uttered his proposal that
Russia should be removed from the Group
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industrialized nations extended an
invitation to a weakened Russia,
more as an act of charity and a
symbol of Cold War victory than
DQ\WKLQJHOVH5XVVLD·VUROHLQWKH
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role in the global economic governance and
is not only valued by all members, but by
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can singlehandedly remove Russia from an
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can it? In reality, though well aware of the
rather low feasibility of this proposal, Biden
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America’s goal in seVHHPVXQDWWDLQDEOH
The 17th G20 Heads of State and
Government Summit will take place in
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presiding country, Indonesia has made it
clear that the event is a gathering to discuss
JOREDOHFRQRPLFLVVXHV,WVKRXOGWKHUHIRUH
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Ukraine, nor be pressured into excluding
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Brazil, India and China also believe that
according to the group’s history and consti-
tution, one member state does not have the
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WKH86PRVWO\PDLQWDLQWKHLUVLOHQFHRQWKH
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resolved, the consequences for the recovery
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And Russia? The country appears to be
keeping its cool, saying President Vladimir
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7KH86ZLOOILQGLWIDUPRUHGLIILFXOW
to ban Russia from the G20 than from the
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But the G20 is a whole dif-
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global economies with diverse
values, it is an informal organiza-
tion founded in 1999 that focuses
on promoting world economic
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principle, the G20 summit does
not discuss international political
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The U.S. seeks
to establish
a self-centered world
order, but tends to
overestimate its
own strength
has still repeatedly peddled this proposition
on various international occasions, which
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Biden has put forward a diplomatic approach
that stands in stark contrast to that of his pre-
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proach seems to lean entirely on the Cold
War mentality, hoping to forge a reigning
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Expelling Russia from the G20 is more
likely to send the signal that those who resist
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the entire world?
7KH86VHHNVWRHVWDEOLVKDVHOIFHQ-
tered world order, but tends to overestimate
its own strength and underestimate the deter-
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should not forget is that the G20 emerged
precisely because the G7 could no longer
cope with the newfangled problems of the
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announced its suspension of Russia’s mem-
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practices turning back the wheel of his-
and underestimate tory, rather than marching into the world of
tomorrow? BR
the determination
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
of emerging countries Comments to liangxiao@cicgamericas.com

KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 25

23,1,21óFACT CHECK
Trade on Track
T
he Office of the United States
Trade Representative announced
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product exclusions under the China Section
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ponents, bike parts, electric machines and
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comes for the sake of its own interests, but
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tice of imposing higher tariffs on Chinese
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rising inflation and a sluggish global eco-
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additional tariffs it previously slapped on
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eral trade relations back on track, for the
fundamental good of all consumers and pro-
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China considers the Sino-American
relationship a win-win, not a zero-sum
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retaliate, but the country was compelled
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has tried its utmost to minimize the harm
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Despite ever-warming bilateral economic
cooperation and connections over the past
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to have realized that, when intertwined
across the board, imposing higher tariffs on
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Total trade volume between the coun-
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bilateral trade, which remains
robust thanks to strong market
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Adding tariffs on Chinese
exports eventually sees the cost
passed on to American consum-
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during the Donald Trump admin-
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worth of goods, with added tariff
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percent of the costs of the higher
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consumer price index rising by
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tors like relentless money printing
and trade war-induced price
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Perching on the high-end of the manu-
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consumers will suffer more from economic
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In his State of the Union Address on
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that his primary mission was to curb infla-
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reinstatement of certain exclusions under
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a good beginning, but its span remains too
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prove that Sino-American relations are still
mired in the quicksand created by the Trump
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On September 10, 2021, the video call
between President Xi Jinping and President
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Another video call between the two
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willingness on both sides to stabilize and
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favorable political condition is now in place
for both sides to cancel added tariffs and
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ZLOOLQWXUQDOORZWKH86WRHDVHLWVGRPHV-
WLFLQÁDWLRQDU\SUHVVXUHVBR
ELOOLRQXSSHUFHQW\HDURQ\HDU7KLV that adding tariffs on Chinese ex- Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to lanxinzhen@cicgamericas.com
reveals just how the conflict failed to slash ports worth hundreds of billions
26 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022 KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
FEATURES FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Spring Diplomacy
Whirlwind tour of South Asia boosts China’s neighborly ties
%\:HQ4LQJ
A
s the spillover effects of the Ukraine cri-
sis continue to spread and world peace
and development are facing new chal-
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mutual trust and consolidate traditional friendship
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said China and its South Asian neighboring coun-
tries support one another on issues concerning
their respective core interests and major con-
cerns, and that they are willing to jointly promote
prosperity in the region, improve the people’s
wellbeing, and maintain a sound environment for
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Currently, high-level interactions, infrastruc-
ture connectivity, personnel exchanges, and
economic and trade cooperation between China
and some South Asian countries are less dy-
namic than expected, according to Hu Shisheng,
Director of the Institute for South Asian
Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary
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be viewed as an effort to consolidate China’s
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Positive interaction
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India since the border clashes between the two
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During a three-hour talk with Indian External
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mature and rational neighbors, not to let the bor-
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RI ELODWHUDO UHODWLRQV +H VDLG &KLQD DQG ,QGLD
should help each other succeed, rather than en-
gage in attrition; support each other, rather than
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28 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
Jaishankar said India is ready to strengthen
communication with China and enhance mutual
trust, so as to get the bilateral relations out of
the trough as soon as possible, and continuously
push for pragmatic cooperation between the two
FRXQWULHV
´,QGLD KDV UHFHQWO\ VRXJKW WR LPSURYH WLHV
with China, out of its practical need,” Lin
0LQZDQJDSURIHVVRUDQGDVVLVWDQWGHDQDW)XGDQ
University’s Institute of International Studies,
VDLG
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Joe Biden administration has been distracted by
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O\LQYHVWLQLWV,QGR3DFLÀFVWUDWHJ\LQWKHIXWXUH
On the other hand, India holds a similar standing
with China on promoting the peaceful settlement
of the Ukraine crisis, while both are under pres-
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5XVVLD
China and its
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possible, but the process would be gradual,” Lin
FRQFOXGHG neighboring
Constructive role countries
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coming the highest-ranking representative of the support one
Chinese Government to visit the country since the
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another on
According to Wang, his trip had three main issues
objectives: renewing the traditional friendship
EHWZHHQWKHWZRSHRSOHVREWDLQLQJÀUVWKDQGLQ- concerning
formation on Afghanistan, and promoting mutual
understanding and building a foundation of mu- their
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Experts also saw this visit as prepara- respective
tion for the third foreign ministers’ meeting of
core interests
Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, which took
SODFHLQ7XQ[L$QKXL3URYLQFHRQ0DUFK and major
While pledging not to allow any forces to
use the Afghan territory to engage in activities concerns
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
 FEATURES

XINHUA
implementing the China-proposed Global
'HYHORSPHQW,QLWLDWLYH
Ties between China and Islamic countries
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nations of the group have signed Belt and Road
cooperation documents with China, and approxi-
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provided over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vac-
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Council, which consists of six Islamic countries—
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and the United Arab Emirates—have agreed to
accelerate their negotiations on a free trade agree-
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sidering accepting the Chinese yuan instead of
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&KLQD
Wang’s presence in the OIC meeting is
viewed as proof that Islamic countries have
Engineers work in the control room of the Sahiwal power station in Sahiwal, not been swayed by the disinformation and
Punjab Province, Pakistan, on January 24, 2021. The power station is a major project
under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor IDOVH UXPRUV LQVWLJDWHG E\ WKH 86 DQG RWKHU
Western countries about China’s Xinjiang Uygur
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Baradar also told Wang that his country is ready to use its unique geographi- ´%DVHG RQ WKHLU ORQJVWDQGLQJ WLHV PRVW
cal advantages to participate in Belt and Road cooperation, and serve as a 0XVOLP FRXQWULHV KDYH IRXQG &KLQD WR EH
EULGJHIRUUHJLRQDOLQIUDVWUXFWXUHFRQQHFWLYLW\ WUXVWZRUWK\ UHOLDEOH DQG UHVSRQVLEOH 7KH GLV-
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capabilities may be an effective way to sustain the long-term development of 0XVOLPFRXQWULHVWRVHQGGHOHJDWLRQVWRZLWQHVV
WKHUHJLRQDFFRUGLQJWRKLP the development and improvement of people’s
lives in Xinjiang,” Qiu Wenping, an expert
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'XULQJKLVYLVLWWR3DNLVWDQ:DQJDWWHQGHGWKHWK6HVVLRQRIWKH&RXQFLORI 8QLYHUVLW\VDLG
)RUHLJQ0LQLVWHUVRIWKH2UJDQL]DWLRQRI,VODPLF&RRSHUDWLRQ2,&RQ0DUFK In addition, China has also invited the OIC to
7KH2,&LVWKHVHFRQGODUJHVWLQWHUQDWLRQDORUJDQL]DWLRQDIWHUWKH81 send representatives to Xinjiang to undertake an
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world to strengthen exchange and cooperation, and will surely lift our rela- IRUZDUG WR IXUWKHU FRRSHUDWLRQ ZLWK &KLQDµ
WLRQVWRDQHZOHYHOµ:DQJVDLG Nevertheless, this document has been overlooked
During the meeting, in addition to reiterating that China and Islamic E\86PDLQVWUHDPPHGLDRXWOHWVBR
FRXQWULHVZRXOGFRQWLQXHWRZRUNLQVROLGDULW\LQWKHÀJKWDJDLQVW&29,'
all sides also agreed to advance high-standard cooperation under the Belt Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to wenqing@cicgamericas.com
and Road Initiative, and strengthen communication and coordination on
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 29
FEATURES &29,'

On Guard, En Garde!
Swift measures aim to contain China’s latest Omicron flare-up %\/X<DQ

A Difficult, not daunting

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Renyuan, Deputy Secretary General of China has reported COVID-19 re-
the municipal government of Changchun, surgences across several provincial-
capital of Jilin Province, expressed apologies for OHYHOUHJLRQVVLQFH0DUFK6KDQJKDLD
the grocery shortages related to lockdowns, and megalopolis with a population of over
more specifically the closure of two vegetable
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wholesale markets during the city’s most recent
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acid testing was carried out to track
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down possible infections and curb the
we want to express our sincerest apologies to the public
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COVID-19 antigen home test kits
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have been made available to the public in
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drug stores and on e-commerce platforms
complex challenges brought on by the coronavi-
like Alibaba’s Taobao, as a way to facili-
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tate early virus detection, according to the
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After swabbing their nose or mouth,
To contain the spread, residential communi-
people can put their sample inside a tube
ties in urban areas and villages were placed under
containing special reagent and then onto
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FOXGLQJEXVHVDQGWD[LVZHUHVXVSHQGHG6HYHUDO a test strip—getting results within 20
exhibition centers, sports centers and school
buildings were transformed into temporary hospi-
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The overall number of cases has been on the
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the face of food shortages, various government
departments stepped up their efforts and increased
supplies to ensure that more produce would be
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´$OWKRXJKLW·VKDUGVWD\LQJKRPHLVWKHEHVW
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understand the government is trying its best—de-
spite the occasional yet understandable slipup, so
I’m very willing to cooperate,” Changchun retiree
Li Wenbin told Beijing Review$IWHUFRQVXPLQJ
most of his vegetable and fruit supplies, Li man-
aged to buy produce packages via his contacts
with the local residents’ committee, a main body
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best to ensure the people’s wellbeing, and do
everything within our power to meet the people’s
QHHGVµ/LXVDLG
30 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
PLQXWHV$WDFRVWRI\XDQSHU
kit, the self-test is recommended for those
in lockdown showing symptoms like a
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center for disease control and prevention
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The number of asymptomatic cases
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sive, the virulence of the Omicron variant
is gradually decreasing, which explains
the large number of asymptomatic infec-
tions,” noted Chen Erzhen, in charge of
medical treatment across the city’s quar-
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people in key areas have picked up the
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transmission of the virus, too, will de-
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infectious disease department at Huashan
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Staff members help a patient register at a
´&29,'LVQRWDOOWKDWIULJKWHQ- designated quarantine facility in Shanghai
ing, but the battle against it is a tough on March 26
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A citizen gets a COVID-19
swab on a bus temporarily
serving as a testing site in
Changchun, Jilin Province,
on March 20
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for Infectious Diseases under the Chinese Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), wrote
in a post on China’s Twitter-like social media platform
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has a host of challenges to deal with, including guaran-
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it, but to also safeguard people’s livelihoods, keep the
channels for medical treatment running smoothly, and
simultaneously ensure the survival of small and micro
SULYDWHHQWHUSULVHVµ=KDQJZURWH
China will stick to its dynamic zero-COVID-19
policy, Liang Wannian, head of the NHC’s COVID-19
leading task force, said at a news conference on
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zero-COVID-19 policy courtesy of its effective control
measures, high vaccination rate, rapid nucleic acid test-
ing capability and the understanding and support of its
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Proposed in late 2021, the dynamic zero-COV-
ID-19 policy intends to control and eliminate every
incidence of coronavirus infection, entailing swift
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7REHVSHFLÀFWKLVPHDQVWKDWZKHQDQHZORFDORXW-
break occurs, measures will be taken to promptly stem
WKHVSUHDGRIWKHYLUXVDQGFOHDUQHZLQIHFWLRQV7KH
idea is to cut off the spread of new infections as soon
as possible, instead of risking the virus spinning out of
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Liang said instead of living with COVID-19 or
waiting for herd immunity, the latest modi operandi of
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´7KHUHDUHVWLOOYXOQHUDEOHJURXSVZKRKDYHQRW\HW
received their second or booster jabs, impeding the cre-
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policy; it is our best option and runs in line with the
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Protecting the vulnerable
In this wave of infections, the vast majority of
young people who have been fully vaccinated can
tide over safely; some hospitalized patients and
seniors who have not yet been vaccinated, are
still at high risk of developing severe symptoms,
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Wang Huaqing, chief immunization expert with China
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it is the most effective way to protect people like me,”
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Shandong Province, told Beijing Review
Wang added there are, as of yet, no statistics to
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have a higher chance of experiencing adverse effects
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Some elderly are reluctant to get vaccinated be-
cause they are concerned their body won’t be able to
handle any side effects that might occur, including
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of the time such temporary reactions do not require
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extremely rare cases, a vaccine recipient may suffer
anaphylaxis, involving hives, swelling and a sud-
den drop in blood pressure, as part of a serious allergic
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minutes after inoculation, and health workers at vac-
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hospitalization, severe cases and fatalities, and there-
fore remains a key measure in the fight against the
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people had received booster shots, over 12 million
of whom had received a heterologous vaccine,
meaning their booster shot uses a different type of
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conditions, they do run a higher risk of becoming
severely ill and dying from COVID-19—compared
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people to get their vaccinations and booster shots,” Lei
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Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to luyan@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 31
FEATURES &<%(563$&(ó5(*8/$7,21

Borderless,
Not Lawless
Targeted measures underway to clean up
the digital stratosphere By Yuan Yuan

I
t was a movie-worthy drama that played out gifts” with prices ranging from under 100 yuan
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celebrity Wuwu made her usual appearance
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streamer with a loyal following, she was singing
and chatting with her followers, mostly men, to
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At that very same moment, a live broadcast on
China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Wuwu
as a prime example of live-streamers tricking their
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specially produced in light of World Consumer
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RIIYDULRXVFRQVXPHUWUDSV
As the CCTV program went on to reveal, in a bid
to maintain more intimate connections with her follow-
ers, Wuwu had personally contacted them on WeChat,
one of China’s most extensive multi-purpose social
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ZHUHLQIDFWKHUWHDPPHPEHUV³UDWKHUWKDQKHUVHOI
The crafty hands, all men, imitated Wuwu’s tone with
only one goal in mind—getting the followers to spend
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Wuwu and her team were unaware that their
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viewers checked out her Douyin account and informed
her about the CCTV program, Wuwu was shocked
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after, her live-streaming days came to an abrupt end—
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An online cleansing
The tips that make online hosts and their teams go
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32 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
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be split among the platform, the live-streaming
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have wreaked havoc in the live-streaming in-
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People’s Congress (NPC) from Sichuan Province,
told Beijing Review´7KHKRVWVDQGWKHLUWHDPV
spared almost no efforts to get more tips from
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like wearing less, to lure new eyes, polluting the
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One of his suggestions submitted to the NPC
session this year is in regards to the regulation of
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Wuwu’s Douyin account was suspended right
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0DUFKWKH&\EHUVSDFH$GPLQLVWUDWLRQRI&KLQD In 2021, the
(CAC) announced it would continue its Operation
Qinglang campaign, originally launched in 2021,
Cyberspace
with a series of measures targeting online disorder Administration
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major goal is to strengthen the regulation of live-
of China
stream gifting and punish those live-streamers who punished
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´7KHWLPLQJLVSHUIHFWµ/LVDLGDSSODXGLQJ 1.34 billion
WKHJRYHUQPHQW·VUHVSRQVH´$SDUWIURPWKHWLS- accounts and
ping turmoil, live-streamers have a few other tricks
up their sleeves to rev up sales, like creating fake banned
viewer counts and manipulating sales data to attract over 7,200
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DOVRWDNHWKHVHLQWRDFFRXQWµ live-streamers
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Service platform Black Cat revealed last year they had received over
70,000 live-streaming-related complaints from consumers, involving selling
counterfeits and exaggerating product functions, making them the most com-
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Toughened up
Another suggestion Li submitted this year regarded the creation of a friendlier
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strictly limiting e-gaming time for minors, but some kids still sneakily use
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FEATURES
their parents’, or even grandparents’, ID numbers
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problem in the rural areas, where many parents
have gone off to the cities to make a better living,
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common to see rural kids holding a smartphone
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He suggested using technologies like facial
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ber of underage online users in China reached
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on minor protection, issued by the CAC on
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on network information regulation, personal in-
formation protection and prevention of Internet
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Other measures in the Operation Qinglang
campaign include strictly preventing entertainers
who have broken the law or transgressed social
morality from making a comeback, stepping up
efforts to battle online rumors and bullying as
well as intensifying regulations on the use of
FRPSXWHUDOJRULWKPV
=KDR=KDQOLQJDOHJDODGYLVHUIRUWKH,QWHUQHW
Society of China, called for the joint supervision
by more departments, including those responsible
for market regulation, medical care and child pro-
WHFWLRQDQGPRUHFRPSUHKHQVLYHLQVSHFWLRQV
´,WLVKDUGIRUUHJXODWRUVWRLGHQWLI\LUUHJX-
ODULWLHVLQVSHFLÀFVHFWRUVµ=KDQJDGGHG´0RUH
authorities need to join the supervisory ranks to
get the industry better regulated and allow it to
GHYHORSLQDKHDOWK\PDQQHUµBR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to yuanyuan@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 33
FEATURES JUDICIARY

A Smart Move
Digital technology makes courts more efficient and accessible By Wang Hairong

I
Q<X]KRXDFLW\QDPHGDIWHU<XWKH*UHDWDOHJ-
endary ruler famed for taming floods in ancient
times, avant-garde digital technology is being
Throughout the year, courts at various levels accepted
DERXWPLOOLRQFDVHV
Speeding up the development of smart courts is a
“Smart
XVHGLQWKHFRXUWV\VWHP
Earlier this year, the city, with a population of over
PLOOLRQZDVSXWXQGHUORFNGRZQGXHWR&29,'
&RQÀUPHGLQIHFWLRQVZHUHDOVRUHSRUWHGLQRWKHUSDUWV
RI+HQDQ3URYLQFHZKHUH<X]KRXLVORFDWHG
'XULQJWKLVWU\LQJWLPH&DR+XLMXDQD<X]KRX
People’s Court judge, was able to settle a case involv-
LQJDWUDIÀFDFFLGHQWOLDELOLW\GLVSXWHZLWKWKHKHOSRI
&KLQD·VPXOWLSXUSRVH:H&KDWDSS
Cao first contacted the plaintiff and defendant
via WeChat and telephone, obtaining their consent
WRVHWWOHWKHGLVSXWHWKURXJKPHGLDWLRQYLDYLGHROLQN
Subsequently, she led them through the process on
DQDSSOHWFDOOHG0RELOH0LFUR&RXUW2Q-DQXDU\
the defendant agreed to pay more than 110,000 yuan
SULRULW\GXULQJWKHWK)LYH<HDU3ODQSH-
ULRG=KRXVDLG
courts were
The novel smart systems have been embraced promoted not
IRUWKHLUFRQYHQLHQFH7KH\KDYHVDYHGWURXEOHVDQG
greatly reduced costs for all parties involved in law- only to save
VXLWVLQFOXGLQJWKHOLWLJDQWVDQGODZ\HUV)DQ5XLMXDQ
a judge from Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court in manpower
=KHMLDQJVDLG6KHDGGHGWKLVLVSDUWLFXODUO\WUXHIRUOD-
ERUGLVSXWHVLQYROYLQJKLJKO\PRELOHPLJUDQWZRUNHUV and
$FFRUGLQJWR)DQLQVRPHFDVHVVKHKDVKDQGOHG
the migrant workers involved had already returned to brainpower,
their native Guizhou, a southwestern province far from
1LQJEREHIRUHWKHLUFRXUWKHDULQJV7KURXJKWKHXVHRI but also to
the smart court app, they did not have to travel back to
WKHHDVWHUQFRDVWDOFLW\IRUWKHLUFRXUWDSSHDUDQFH reduce
LQFRPSHQVDWLRQWRWKHSODLQWLIIZKRVXI-
IHUHGPXOWLSOHERQHIUDFWXUHVLQWKHDFFLGHQW&DRWKHQ
produced a digital settlement agreement, which the two
SDUWLHVVLJQHGHOHFWURQLFDOO\
7KHDSSOHWZDVÀUVWLQWURGXFHGLQWR<X\DR
3HRSOH·V&RXUWLQ=KHMLDQJDSURYLQFHZLWKDVWURQJ
GLJLWDOLQGXVWU\,WKDVEHHQUROOHGRXWLQFRXUWVDFURVV
the country as part of a digitization strategy to make
MXGLFLDOSURFHHGLQJVPRUHHIÀFLHQWDQGDFFHVVLEOH
Era of e-justice
A wide variety of cutting-edge technologies have re-
cently been applied in Chinese courts, such as big data,
FORXGFRPSXWLQJDUWLÀFLDOLQWHOOLJHQFHEORFNFKDLQDV
ZHOODVYRLFHIDFHDQGLPDJHUHFRJQLWLRQV\VWHPV$V
DUHVXOWFDVHÀOLQJHYLGHQFHVXEPLVVLRQFRXUWGRFX-
ment delivery, trials and enforcement of court rulings
FDQEHFDUULHGRXWRQOLQH
´,QWKHIDFHRIWKHSDQGHPLFVPDUWFRXUWVKDYH
SOD\HGELJUROHVµ=KRX4LDQJ3UHVLGHQWRIWKH
Supreme People’s Court (SPC), said in the top judicial
body’s work report delivered at the annual plenary
VHVVLRQRIWKH1DWLRQDO3HRSOH·V&RQJUHVVLQ0DUFK
+HDGGHGWKDWLQRYHUPLOOLRQFDVHVZHUH
ILOHGDQGRYHUPLOOLRQWULDOVZHUHKHDUGRQOLQH
36 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
The work of lawyers, too, has been changed by
GLJLWDOWHFKQRORJ\´:HXVHGWRWUDYHOIUHTXHQWO\WR biases and
attend court sessions and meet the various parties in
SHUVRQ1RZPDQ\PHHWLQJVDQGFRXUWVHVVLRQVWDNH standardize
place online, making participation easy and more
DFFHVVLEOHµ=KDQJ*XDQJVHQLRUSDUWQHUDW%HLMLQJ adjudication.”
4LDQFKHQJ/DZ)LUPWROGBeijing Review+HVDLG
—Jiang Wei,
roughly one third of his cases since the start of the
pandemic have been handled online, and so have ap- Vice President
SUR[LPDWHO\SHUFHQWRIWKHFDVHVLQWKHILUVWWKUHH
of the Supreme
months of this year due to a resurgence in COVID-19
FDVHV People’s Court
In addition to using the digital technology to settle
disputes remotely, courts also use chatbots—intelligent
user-interface software programs—to process informa-
WLRQDQGJLYHIUHHOHJDODGYLFH
7KH=KLQHQJ;LDRIDV\VWHPFUHDWHGE\0L]KL
County People’s Court in Shaanxi Province, is avail-
DEOHWKURXJKWKHFRXUW·V:H&KDWSDJH,WVTXHVWLRQ
and-answer database contains answers to tens of
thousands of questions involving procedural and
substantive legal procedures, and its library provides
DFFHVVWRODZVDVZHOODVPLOOLRQVRISDVWFDVHV$IWHUD
user enters a question, the chatbot will deliver related
DQVZHUV
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

XINHUA
Visitors at a smart court laboratory inside the Guangzhou High People’s Court,
Guangdong Province, on September 10, 2019
XINHUA
5HVLGHQWVXVHWKHVHOIVHUYLFHV\VWHPWRĶOHODZVXLWVLQ1DQKDL'LVWULFW3HRSOHoV
Court, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, on August 6, 2020
The Shanghai High People’s Court launched an automated criminal case handling
SODWIRUPWKH6\VWHPIRXU\HDUVDJR5HO\LQJRQWHFKQRORJLHVVXFKDVELJGDWD
and cloud computing and featuring machine learning ability, it can review case mate-
ULDOVLGHQWLI\ÁDZVLQHYLGHQFHDQGH[WHQGDGYLFHRQVHQWHQFLQJ
&XL<DGRQJ3UHVLGHQWRIWKH6KDQJKDL/DZ6RFLHW\VDLGWKDWZLWKLQFUHDVLQJ
intelligence capability, the system has shifted from being a tool used by judges to
EHFRPHWKHMXGJHV·DVVLVWDQW1HYHUWKHOHVVKHUXOHGRXWWKHSRVVLELOLW\WKDWWKHV\VWHP
ZLOOUHSODFHMXGJHV
Step by step
7KHGLJLWL]DWLRQRIWKHFRXUWV\VWHPKDVSLFNHGXSVSHHGLQUHFHQW\HDUV63&9LFH
3UHVLGHQW-LDQJ:HLVDLGWKLVDFFHOHUDWLRQEHJDQLQ,QWKH63&VHWXSD
FHQWUDOL]HGFRXUWGDWDPDQDJHPHQWSODWIRUPDQGE\DOOFRXUWVQDWLRQZLGHKDG
EHHQFRQQHFWHGWRLW
7KHLQLWLDWLYHWREXLOGVPDUWFRXUWVZDVODXQFKHGLQ$IWHUDUHIRUPLQ
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
FEATURES
WRPDNHLWHDVLHUWRÀOHODZVXLWVFRXUWVVDZDUHPDUN-
able increase in the number of cases, placing a heavier
EXUGHQRQMXGJHVDFFRUGLQJWR-LDQJ
During this period, the number of disputes in-
volving virtual products and services was also on the
ULVHSRVLQJQHZFKDOOHQJHVWRMXGLFLDODXWKRULWLHV
Specialized courts to deal with such cases were created
LQ+DQJ]KRX=KHMLDQJLQDQGLQ%HLMLQJDQG
*XDQJGRQJ·VSURYLQFLDOFDSLWDORI*XDQJ]KRXLQ
Other courts also began to use smart apps to help with
WKHLUZRUN
´6PDUWFRXUWVZHUHSURPRWHGQRWRQO\WRVDYH
manpower and brainpower, but also to reduce biases
DQGVWDQGDUGL]HDGMXGLFDWLRQµ-LDQJVDLG
Computer systems can recommend similar cases to
judges working on certain lawsuits, and send remind-
ers to the presiding judge and other superiors if a draft
ruling deviates seriously from those of precedent cases,
ZURWH=KHQJ*HDSURIHVVRUDWWKH.RJXDQ6FKRRORI
Law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in a paper pub-
lished in China Social Science Review, a journal under
WKH&KLQHVH$FDGHP\RI6RFLDO6FLHQFHV
:HQ;LDQJDVVRFLDWHSURIHVVRUZLWKWKH)DFXOW\
of Law at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark,
said smart courts have the potential to promote quality
RIMXVWLFHLPSURYHMXGLFLDOHIÀFLHQF\DQGSURYLGHFRQ-
YHQLHQFHIRUWKHSHRSOH
Nevertheless, he also has concerns regarding is-
sues including potential bias in the algorithms used in
smart courts, possible inaccuracies in algorithm- and
data-based decision-making mechanisms, inadequate
regulations on data security and privacy protection, and
XQHTXDODFFHVVWRWHFKQRORJ\
As to whether robots will ever replace judges and
lawyers, Jiang gave his opinion during a lecture at
3HNLQJ8QLYHUVLW\LQ'HFHPEHU
He said while AI is based on mathematical com-
puting capacity, many legal issues cannot be converted
LQWRPDWKHPDWLFDOSUREOHPV´7KHMXGJHV·ZRUNVSDQV
diverse areas and the judicial process is quite com-
plex,” Jiang stressed, adding that when giving a ruling,
judges need to take into account many factors, such as
mainstream social values and social norms, as well as
WKHSROLWLFDOOHJDODQGVRFLDOLPSOLFDWLRQVRIWKHFDVHV
´,WLVWHFKQLFDOO\DQGOHJDOO\LPSRVVLEOHIRULQWHO-
ligent machines to completely replace judges,” Jiang
FRQFOXGHGBR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to wanghairong@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 37
FEATURES ,1129$7,21
Minor Players,
Major Drivers
New batch of “little giants” champions China’s
upgraded SME cause By Tao Zihui
I
f light is the way to dispel darkness, then
Beijing-based Landsky Technology Group
&R/WGQDUUDWHVDEULJKWDQGIDVFLQDWLQJZD\
RIGLVSOD\LQJRSWLFDOWHFKQRORJ\
´/LJKWLVQRORQJHUMXVWIRULOOXPLQDWLQJREMHFWV
A well-designed lighting scheme can make people
WUXO\VHQVHWKHLUVXUURXQGLQJVµ/LDQJ<HDVHQLRU
manager at Landsky, told Beijing Review&RPLQJ
in from this perspective, the hi-tech enterprise in the
ÀHOGRIOLJKWLQJWHFKQRORJ\KDVIRFXVHGLWVUHVHDUFK
and development (R&D) efforts on enriching the
relationship between light and life, light and space,
DVZHOODVWKDWEHWZHHQOLJKWDQGQDWXUH
An official provider of the creative light
and shadow show services for the Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, Landsky
undertook more than 10 lighting projects, including
those of the National Speed Skating Oval, dubbed
the Ice Ribbon, and the Olympic Tower in the capi-
WDOFLW\·VGRZQWRZQDUHDV
7KHWHDPGHYHORSHGDQDGMXVWDEOH´EUDFNHWµVR
WKDWWKHOLJKWLOOXPLQDWLQJDOOVHFWLRQVRIWKH
,FH5LEERQFRXOGSDVVWKURXJKLWDWWKH)LERQDFFL
angle, also known as the golden angle for light cap-
FKDPSLRQVLQERWWOHQHFNVHFWRUV
Tech applications
Landsky semiconductor lighting display products
are used in broadcasting, sports venues, control
URRPVDQGH[KLELWLRQVDOLNH´7HFKQRORJ\ERWKLQ
SURGXFWLRQDQGLQOLIHVKRXOGEHQHILWSHRSOH,WV
UHDOWLPHDSSOLFDWLRQLVFUXFLDOµ/LDQJVDLG
The company today has implemented its night-
VFDSHLPSURYHPHQWSURMHFWVDFURVVVHYHUDOFLWLHV
Urban in- and outdoor lighting has been developed
to create a citywide smart lighting environment,
for example lending Beijing a new edge for the
development of its nighttime tourism, according to
/LDQJ+HEHOLHYHVWKHIXWXUHKROGVDELJJHUUROHIRU
the business in the larger corporate-scape—outside China has
WKHOLJKWLQJVHJPHQW over 4,700 little
His confidence is further substantiated by the JLDQWßUPVKDOI
JRYHUQPHQW·VVXSSRUWLQJSROLFLHV7KHJRY-
HUQPHQWZRUNUHSRUWUHOHDVHGLQ0DUFKGXULQJ
of which have
WKH)LIWK6HVVLRQRIWKHWK1DWLRQDO3HRSOH·V an annual R&D
Congress, said China would up its efforts to nurture spending
VPDOOVSHFLDOL]HGDQGVRSKLVWLFDWHGHQWHUSULVHV
$FFRUGLQJWRDUHSRUWUHOHDVHGE\WKH0LQLVWU\
topping 10
WXUH7KHLQQRYDWLYHDFKLHYHPHQWZRQWKHFRPSDQ\
WKHQDWLRQDOXWLOLW\PRGHOSDWHQWDFFRODGH
´7KHNH\ZRUGLV¶LQQRYDWLRQ·:HDUHFRPPLW-
ted to presenting top-notch industrial innovation
DSSOLFDWLRQVµ/LDQJVDLG
The pursuit of innovative excellence has also
put Landsky among a new generation of start-
ups selected under China’s greater emphasis on
cultivating competitive small and medium-sized
RI,QGXVWU\DQG,QIRUPDWLRQ7HFKQRORJ\0,,7 million yuan
LQ60(VJHQHUDWHVRPHSHUFHQWRIWHFK- ($1.57 million)
QRORJLFDOLQQRYDWLRQVQDWLRQZLGH7KRXJKRQO\
DFFRXQWLQJ IRU D VPDOO SURSRUWLRQ RI 60(V LQ
China, the average growth rates of the little giants’
UHYHQXHVSURÀWPDUJLQVDQGLQYHQWLRQSDWHQWVKHOG
IDURXWSDFHWKRVHRIWKHHQWLUHJURXS;LDR<DTLQJ
0LQLVWHURI,QGXVWU\DQG,QIRUPDWLRQ7HFKQRORJ\
H[SODLQHG
HQWHUSULVHV60(VNQRZQDVOLWWOHJLDQWV7KHVH
companies, according to official definition, focus
on a niche market and master key technologies
ZLWKVWURQJLQQRYDWLRQFDSDFLW\0RUHLPSRUWDQWO\
the smaller players are likely to become future
38 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
Generally, a little giant’s main business income
RUQHWSURÀWVKRXOGUHJLVWHUDQDYHUDJH\HDURQ\HDU
JURZWKRIQROHVVWKDQSHUFHQWLQWKHSUHYLRXVWZR
years, and its debt-to-asset ratio should remain be-
ORZSHUFHQW2WKHUUHTXLUHPHQWVLQFOXGH5 '
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
 FEATURES
A staff member at work inside a motor manufacturing
HQWHUSULVHLQ/XWDL(FRQRPLF'HYHORSPHQW=RQH
Tangshan, Hebei Province, on November 9, 2021

taken on an increasingly prominent role in the

economy, particularly in the development of its
digital sectors,” Lu told Beijing Review
´&HUWDLQO\ZHQHHGWRZRUNKDUGHUWRHQKDQFH
technological innovation and emergency responses,
as well as speed up breakthroughs in key tech-
nologies such as high-end chips and fundamental
software, to deepen the integration of the digital
DQGUHDOHFRQRPLHVµKHDGGHG
Last year, Wu Gansha, Chairman and CEO of
self-driving startup UISEE, received the national-
OHYHO´OLWWOHJLDQWVµUHFRJQLWLRQIRUKLVFRPSDQ\
DIWHUDJRYHUQPHQWUHYLHZRILWVWHFKQRORJ\,WV
newfound byline gave the company an extra dose
RIFUHGLELOLW\³DQGILQDQFLDOVXSSRUW2YHUWKH
course of 2021, the company managed to raise
PRUHWKDQELOOLRQ\XDQPLOOLRQJRYHUQ-
PHQWIXQGVLQFOXGHG
XINHUA

In recent years, China’s self-driving car indus-

try has seen explosive growth, rising from a small
H[SHQGLWXUHDVDSURSRUWLRQRIUHYHQXHV
VHFWRUWRDQDUHDUHFHLYLQJVLJQLÀFDQWEDFNLQJIURP
&XUUHQWO\&KLQDKDVRYHUOLWWOHJLDQWÀUPVKDOIRIZKLFKKDYHDQDQ-
the government and venture capital funds alike, and
QXDO5 'VSHQGLQJWRSSLQJPLOOLRQ\XDQPLOOLRQDFFRUGLQJWR0,,7
GDWD$OVRRYHUSHUFHQWDUHHQJDJHGLQIXQGDPHQWDOLQGXVWULDOWHFKQLTXHV
and over 70 percent have been deeply involved in an industrial niche for more
WKDQ\HDUV
7KHJRYHUQPHQWJXLGHOLQHRQWKHGHYHORSPHQWRI60(VGXULQJWKHWK
giving rise to a class of startups seeking to com-
mercialize their technologies, hoping to become the
ÀUVWWRJHWDYLDEOHSURGXFWRQWKHURDG
UISEE, which has been deploying full-scene
autonomous driving from the very beginning, has
)LYH<HDU3ODQSHULRGMRLQWO\UHOHDVHGE\WKH0,,7DQGRWKHUGH-
SDUWPHQWVVWDWHVWKDWE\WKHFRXQWU\ZLOOLQFXEDWHOLWWOHJLDQWV
´7KLV\HDUZHDLPWRFXOWLYDWHQHZQDWLRQDOOHYHOOLWWOHJLDQWVDQGZH
KRSHWKH\ZLOOHYHQWXDOO\EHFRPHUROHPRGHOVIRURWKHU60(Vµ;LDRVDLGRQ
0DUFK2YHUSHUFHQWRIHQWHUSULVHVLQ&KLQDDUH60(VDQGWKHIDYRUDEOH
policies applied to little giants would be gradually expanded to other companies
WREHWWHUEXR\LQGXVWULDOJURZWKKHDGGHG
A commercial push
6RPHDUJXHWKDW&KLQD·VSXVKIRUWKHQLFKHFRPSDQLHVLVD´TXLFNWDNHµLQLWV
YDVWEOXHSULQWIRUVFLHQWLILFDQGWHFKQRORJLFDOFDWFKXS<HWLWZDVPRUHWKDQ
RQHGHFDGHDJRLQWKDWWKH0,,7DOUHDG\YRFDOL]HGIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHKRZ
VSHFLDOL]DWLRQDQGLQQRYDWLRQVKRXOGEHVHHQDVLPSRUWDQWZD\VIRU60(VWR
WUDQVIRUPDQGXSJUDGH
Lu Benfu, Vice Chairman of the China Institute for Innovation and
'HYHORSPHQW6WUDWHJ\VDLGWKHOLWWOHJLDQWVDEOHWRÀOOLQFHUWDLQGRPHVWLFZHDN
VSRWVZLOOKHOSLPSURYHWKHLQGXVWU\DQGVXSSO\FKDLQV
´)RU&KLQDLQQRYDWLRQFDSDELOLWLHVDQGZHOOURXQGHGVXSSO\FKDLQVKDYH
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
accelerated its commercialization efforts in 2021,
implementing its technology across multiple sce-
narios, including airports, industrial settings and
XQPDQQHGEXVHV
By December 2021, the startup’s vehicles had
DFFXPXODWHGRYHUPLOOLRQNPRIFRPPHUFLDO
service, company data showed, making it the
ZRUOG·VÀUVWRILWVNLQGWRFURVVWKLVWKUHVKROG
)URPURDGVZHHSHUVDQGGHOLYHU\YHKLFOHVWROR-
JLVWLFVYHKLFOHVRSHUDWLQJDWSRUWVRUDLUSRUWV´LQWKH
ÀHOGRIDXWRQRPRXVGULYLQJWUDGLWLRQDODXWRPDNHUV
too, are actively embracing new technologies and
cooperating with tech companies,” Wu told news
SRUWDO7KH3DSHUFQ´7KLVVHHPVWRKDYHEHFRPHD
ELJWUHQGLQWKHÀHOGRIDXWRQRPRXVGULYLQJµBR
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to taozihui@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 39
FEATURES THROUGH THEIR EYES
Go With the Flow
American volunteer makes people smile in China’s capital By Kang Caiqi
O
QHFDQHDVLO\ÀQG7HUU\&URVVPDQZDQ-
dering around Shichahai, a picturesque
area in downtown Beijing’s Xicheng
'LVWULFW:HDULQJDUHGXQLIRUPZLWKDUPEDQGKH
blends right into the team of community volun-
teers, a group of retirees still eager to contribute to
VRFLHW\
7KLV\HDUROG$PHULFDQKDVDYHU\QDWXUDO
Chinese name, Gao Tianrui, which sounds very
VLPLODUWRKLVRULJLQDOQDPH$GGLQJWRKLVDOPRVW
undetectable true identity are his fluent Chinese
DQGIDPLOLDULW\ZLWK%HLMLQJ·VLQWULFDWHURXWHV%XW
eventually, the blue eyes peering out from under
WKHUHGFDSJLYHKLPDZD\7ZHQW\VHYHQ\HDUV
of living in Beijing have enabled him become a
QDWLYH³ZHOODOPRVW
After graduating from the University of
Pennsylvania, where he majored in Chinese stud-
LHV&URVVPDQ·VÀUVWMREWRRNKLPWR+RQJ.RQJ
where he engaged in the executive scouting busi-
QHVVKHOSLQJFRPSDQLHVILQGKLJKOHYHOWDOHQWV
5HWLUHGWRGD\KHÀQGVKLPVHOILQRQHRI%HLMLQJ·V
PRVWWUDGLWLRQDODUHDV
Volunteering journey
+RZ&URVVPDQHQGHGXSEHFRPLQJWKHÀUVWHYHU
foreign neighborhood volunteer in Beijing could
EHVXPPHGXSLQRQHZRUG´DFFLGHQWDOµ$IWHU
VXIIHULQJDVWURNHLQKHZRXOGYHQWXUHRXW
on long walks to recover his walking ability, and
one of his destinations was a Starbucks near his
home, where he met Liu Xiaoxia, head of the
Shichahai dama (aunts), a nickname for these el-
GHUO\IHPDOHFRPPXQLW\YROXQWHHUVLQ%HLMLQJ,Q
Crossman’s understanding, the job of a dama is
OLNHWKDWRIDJUDQGPRWKHUZDWFKLQJRYHUVRFLHW\
´,W·VVRUWRIWKHHTXLYDOHQWRIWKH86QHLJKERU-
hood watch,” Crossman told Beijing Review/LX
invited him to teach the volunteers some basic
English phrases as the Shichahai area, prior to the
outbreak of COVID-19, was host to many foreign
40 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
WRXULVWV$QGVR&URVVPDQHPEDUNHGRQKLVYRO-
XQWHHULQJMRXUQH\ Online celeb
Due to the pandemic, his current services
PRVWO\FDWHUWR&KLQHVHWRXULVWV7KHVKHHUVKRFN or not, Terry
and awe written all over their faces when real- Crossman goes
izing he is, in fact, a foreigner, leave him feeling about his
IXOÀOOHG´,JHWDORWRIMR\IURPWKHVHLQWHUDFWLRQV
ZLWKSHRSOHµKHVDLG day-to-day life,
His story went viral on Chinese social media patrolling
a few years ago, making him quite the famous the hutongs,
JORFDO DERXW WRZQ ´, ILJXUHG WKH ZDYH ZRXOG
eventually die down, but thus far it hasn’t,” he Beijing’s zigzag
ODXJKHG 2QOLQH FHOHE RU QRW &URVVPDQ JRHV network of
about his day-to-day life, patrolling the hutongs, traditional
Beijing’s zigzag network of traditional narrow
DOOH\ZD\VJLYLQJWRXULVWVGLUHFWLRQVÀOOLQJWKHLU narrow
WKHUPRVHV ZLWK KRW ZDWHU GXW\ DOZD\V FDOOV alleyways,
´9ROXQWHHULQJ EULQJV PH KDSSLQHVV , ORYH WR giving tourists
PDNHSHRSOHVPLOHµKHDGGHG
GLUHFWLRQVßOOLQJ
Residing in history their thermoses
Crossman moved into the hutongs over a decade
with hot water;
ago and has been an enthusiastic alley dweller
HYHUVLQFH´7KHWKLQJDERXWWKHhutongs is that duty always calls
WKH\DUHUHDOO\ROGHUSDUWVRIWKHFLW\/LYLQJKHUH
LVOLNHEHLQJSDUWRIKLVWRU\µ+HORYHVWRFOLPE
onto the rooftop of his courtyard and take in the
YLHZVRIFHQWUDO%HLMLQJ´)URPP\KRPH,FDQ
actually see the Drum and Bell Towers, which
have been proudly standing there for hundreds of
\HDUVµ&URVVPDQVDLG$VROGDVWKHhutongs are,
they still make for a convenient choice of resi-
GHQFH´,W·VMXVWDPD]LQJZKDW,FDQJHWGHOLYHUHG
WRP\GRRUVWHSµKHDGGHG
But for this volunteer, history isn’t the only
good thing about hutongOLIH´,·PFORVHWRQDWXUH
VWLOO7KHUHDUHWUHHVWKHUHDUHELUGVVLQJLQJWKHUH
are Siberian weasels and there are feral cats,”
&URVVPDQ OLVWHG +H DFWXDOO\ VKDUHV KLV KRPH
with several stray cats and even created a shelter
IRUWKHPRQKLVSDWLR2QHRIWKHPZRXOGFRPH
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
 FEATURES

ZHANG WEI
Terry Crossman saunters around the Shichahai area in Beijing’s Xicheng District on March 1

DURXQGVRRIWHQKHHDUQHGKLPVHOIDQDPH%ODFNLH´,W·VUHDOO\LQWHUHVWLQJWR Crossman still remembers one of the most

live in the middle of a major old city, home to some 20-plus million people,
and yet be so close to nature at the same time,” he told Beijing Review
When asked what he usually does in his spare time, Crossman answered,
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DSLFWXUHKHWRRNIHDWXULQJDSHGLFDEGULYHUZLWKDEHDPLQJVPLOH´+HLVD
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The fengshui of life
At the age of 12, Crossman came across an English copy of the Tao Te
Ching, the Taoist classic written by ancient Chinese philosopher and writer
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Buddhism, which in turn led to an interest in Tibetan Buddhism,” he recalled
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PRQNµ$IWHUZDUGKHIXUWKHUVWXGLHGWKHZhuang Zi, a Taoist text from the late
illuminating classes he ever took, courtesy of a
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Chinese culture and anthropology, and helped
him understand traditional Chinese society and
family relationships and so many different as-
SHFWVRI&KLQD+HHYHQZURWHDfengshui-themed
paper, combining China’s ancient geomancy con-
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peal to him; take the term yuanfen as a prime
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concepts in English has
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ing interested in what I
ended up falling in love
with when I was 12,” he
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RXWORRNRQOLIH,WUXO\OLYHDOLIHWKDWIROORZVHYHQWVDVWKH\XQIROG,JRZLWK Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to kangcaiqi@cicgamericas.com
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KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 41
CULTURE
Savoring the Past
Traditional Chinese delicacies generate new resonance %\/L;LDR\DQJ
L
i Dan stands out among food
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works as a teacher at East China
Jiaotong University in Jiangxi Province,
but during her spare time, she recreates
ancient Chinese delicacies that have been
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Li began working on the project
in August 2020, and so far the many
traditional dishes she has created have
LQFOXGHG PRUH WKDQ  IURP A Dream
of Red Mansions, one of China’s four
greatest classic novels, written by Cao
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6KHDOVRFRQVXOWHGPDQ\FRRNERRNV,W
took her more than two weeks to finish
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all be well looked after, whereas food can
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food, modern people have only ancient
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delicacies will attract more people to read
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traditional Chinese culture, the product of
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chefs have also been restoring cuisines
recorded in ancient books, carrying for-
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their efforts, the culture and folk customs
behind the plate are also being brought
EDFN
Style preservation
The trend of reviving ancient dishes
emerged around a decade ago, with
Chinese chefs searching old recipe collec-
tions and recreating dishes as a means of
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thousands of years of agricultural and cu- SURPRWLQJ&KLQHVHFXOWXUHLQWHUQDWLRQDOO\
7KHQRYHOSRUWUD\VWKHOLIH
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of aristocratic families in the period, and
is increasingly embraced by the younger According to Dong, traditional dishes
goes into great detail on banquets held
generations, many online influencers have not become outdated and can of-
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like Li have posted videos of themselves IHUQHZLQVSLUDWLRQ%DVHGLQ+DQJ]KRX
dishes she discovered within its pages,
she has had to refer to books on tradition- recreating ancient Chinese food while =KHMLDQJ3URYLQFHKHXVHGDQFLHQWWH[WVWR
al recipes, agriculture and even traditional

XINHUA
Chinese medicine to learn and adopt tra-
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Eatable classics
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because I was always impressed by the
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dishes vividly conveys the elegance of
life in that era, so I have been trying to
revive them,” Li told Beijing Review
Li says that one of the biggest chal-
lenges is recreating dishes that require
highly seasonal ingredients, such as fresh
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dishes fail during the sometimes short
season, she needs to wait one year to try
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ever attempted are chicken skin soup with
pickled bamboo shoots, and dried egg- New pastries of Beijing-based bakery brand Daoxiangcun at the China International Fair for
SODQW0DQ\RIWKHLQJUHGLHQWVQHHGHGWR Trade in Services in Beijing on September 6, 2021
44 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022 KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP

/L'DQPDNHVWUDGLWLRQDO&KLQHVHIRRGDWKRPHLQ1DQFKDQJ-LDQJ[L3URYLQFH
on November 21, 2021
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was originally developed during the Song
CULTURE
COURTESY PHOTO
In the 1970s, Peking roast duck was
part of China’s foreign diplomacy, along
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has upheld its traditional closed-oven
roasting technique, which is healthier
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veloped a store selling yuanxiao, sticky
rice balls with sweetened stuffing eaten
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´:H KDYH FDUULHG IRUZDUG WKH WUD-
ditional technique of making yuanxiao,
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bamboo baskets to coat them in sticky
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Old but vivacious Bianyifang, told Beijing Review
0DQ\ IRRG DQG EHYHUDJH EUDQGV KDYH It is not easy to preserve old culinary
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ing economy and trade drove the exchange
of food culture and improved the quality
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8QLWHG1DWLRQV,WZDVODWHUSURYLGHGDW
the Group of 20 Summit welcome ban-
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The participation of amateur fans has
added to the popularity of traditional plat-
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in recent years, the portrayal of an idyllic
lifestyle featuring traditional dress and
cuisines has become a new fashion for
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to Li, people born after the year 2000 ac-
also been carrying forward longstand- WUDGLWLRQVZKLOHFDWHULQJWRPRGHUQWDVWHV
ing techniques and restoring long-lost 0DQ\RIWKHUHYHUHGFDWHULQJEUDQGVKDYH
introduced products targeting young audi-
crafts as part of efforts to protect intan-
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JLEOH FXOWXUDO KHULWDJH %HLMLQJEDVHG
tea and Western-style cakes, and Wuyutai,
bakery brand Daoxiangcun was first
a Beijing-based tea brand, now provides
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WHDÁDYRUHGLFHFUHDPV
branches around the capital, its prod-
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ucts, especially mooncakes, are popular
brands need to maintain traditional crafts
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while introducing new packaging and
its products, such as the flower-shaped
methods of promotion, and develop health-
jujube paste cake, have their origins in
ier and more diverse products, Cui Lili,
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Director of the Institute of E-Commerce
pastry brand based in Nanjing, Jiangsu
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Province, has also expanded to meet
and Economics, told Beijing Review
increased demand in recent years, with
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many of its products based on recipes
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count for the highest proportion among
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oped an interest in time-honored culture
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ther explore and appreciate it, we also inherit
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Traditions have been returned along
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restored eight Beijing-style pastries
that were previously consumed during
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referred to ancient culture, including the
VRODUWHUPVhutongs (Beijing’s tradi-
tional alleyways) and Chinese chess in
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and Tiger Attitude, two pastry brands,
have emerged in recent years, increas-
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the effective practices used by the new
brands, improve digitization of their oper-
ations and better understand the market,”
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Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
Comments to lixiaoyang@cicgamericas.com
APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 45
CULTURE
Carving Out
A Craft
New heritage-inspired museum hits Beijing’s central axis
F
ollowing three years of renova-
tions, the China National Arts
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square meters, the museum stands on the
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([DFWO\REMHFWVDUHRQGLVSOD\
percent of which are making their public
debut, spanning time, space and cultural
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The grand opening saw the museum
divided into seven sections: arts and
FUDIWVVLQFHguqin (a seven-string
traditional Chinese musical instru-
ment), musical instruments and scores,
46 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
PXUDOVRIWKH0RJDR*URWWRHVWUDGLWLRQDO
Chinese operas, seal-cutting, and Chinese
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features ethnic instrument performances
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display inside the Craftsmanship of the
Great Nation exhibit, one of several long-
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years to complete the four treasures, also
known as the pinnacle of contemporary
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(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to dingying@cicgamericas.com
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
 CULTURE
 

1. Visitors get a closer look at the objects

on display at the China National Arts and
Crafts Museum and China Intangible
Cultural Heritage Museum in Beijing
on March 30

2. One of the four jadeite national treasures

Myriad Flowers in Full Bloom. This is the
  ODUJHVWßRUDOZRUNLQWKHKLVWRU\RI&KLQHVH
jade carving

/LIHOLNHGRXEOHVLGHG6X]KRXHPEURLGHU\
of a dog. The craftsmanship is considered a
“national treasure of China,” with a history
tracing back 2,500 years

4. Mother and daughter take in a

work of art

3HRSOHORRNDWWKHĶYHHOHPHQW
pagoda produced by the Yangzhou
Jade Workshop in Jiangsu Province in
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jin (metal), mu (wood), shui (water), huo
ĶUHDQGtuHDUWKtZHUHUHJDUGHG
as the foundation of everything in the
universe in traditional Chinese culture

KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP APRIL 7, 2022 BEIJING REVIEW 47

FORUM
How to Turn Vocational Education
Into an Effective Tool?
V
ocational education plays an
important role in nurturing tal-
ents across various categories,
passing on outstanding techniques and
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China’s annual number of college
graduates today exceeds 10 million, but
job market demand is not always in-sync
with the educational background of these
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and junior college alumni find it much
easier to secure a job than their normal
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talents are popular with employers; on
the other, young people are more reluc-
WDQWWRDWWHQGWHFKQLFDOVFKRRO
To solve this problem, apart from
the usual go-tos like higher wages and a
better working environment, today, an
emphasis on the importance of under-
JUDGXDWHYRFDWLRQDOHGXFDWLRQSUHYDLOV
Xiong Bingqi (view.inews.qq.com):
The reluctance on the part of Chinese uni-
versities to train professional technicians
is to blame for the gap between university
HGXFDWLRQDQGVRFLHW\·VDFWXDOGHPDQG
Not all students can fully adapt to
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And those students who pass the college
entrance examination with scores just
beyond the admission line most likely
won’t grow into academic talents at uni-
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In most developed countries, aca-
demic talents only account for 10 percent
of college students, while the rest are
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To guarantee most college graduates
will swiftly land a job after graduation,
the concept of vocational education
must receive a thorough overhaul in col-
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also consider changing their curricula
and improving the quality of vocational
education, producing as many highly
48 BEIJING REVIEW APRIL 7, 2022
/,6+,*21*
qualified graduates as
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graduates are well paid,
and even become social
high-flyers, naturally,
more students will opt to
take vocational courses
LQFROOHJH
Zhou Shu (www.
hunantoday.cn): Under-
graduate vocational edu-
cation intends to serve
high-end industries or
fill high-end posts in
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graduates are supposed
to become top-notch
To develop undergraduate vocational
professionals, capable of coping with the
education will help ease this gap to large
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H[WHQW9RFDWLRQDOHGXFDWLRQLQXQGHU-
Comparatively, vocational education
graduate studies aims to nurture talents
in junior colleges or technical schools
capable of combining research and de-
is designed to produce capable workers
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IRUFHUWDLQSRVWVRULQGXVWULHV6WXGHQWV
with junior college vocational education,
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it’s more than extending schooling by
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one or two years; it’s to give students
If they are familiar with their areas
more and systematic theoretical knowl-
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edge as well as cultivate their capabilities
Undergraduate students are required to
to innovate and tackle complex technical
do more complex work—innovative
SUREOHPV
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If undergraduate vocational educa-
with diversified and interdisciplinary
tion receives more public attention and
knowledge, as they are often asked to
injections of funds and resources, some
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students won’t need to compete with
In a nutshell, vocational undergraduates
others for the opportunities to attend
must possess rich theoretical knowledge
RUGLQDU\XQLYHUVLWLHV7KH\FDQRSWIRU
and develop a far more comprehensive
technical education and in several years’
network than their junior college or tech-
time, high-level technicians capable
QLFDOVFKRROSHHUV
of complex craft processing will find
Zhao E’nuo (People’s Daily):
themselves very useful in the country’s
Demand for technical talents is grow-
industrial upgrading and overall eco-
ing and with that, the importance of
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YRFDWLRQDOHGXFDWLRQLVRQWKHULVH7KH SLHFHRIFDNHBR
problem now is that the latter is incapable
of attracting enough students, resulting in Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Comments to dingying@cicgamericas.com
DVKRUWDJHRIKLJKHQGWHFKQLFDOWDOHQWV
KWWSZZZEMUHYLHZFRP
Beijing Review is China’s only national English newsweekly published by China
International Communications Group Center for the Americas.
In addition to Beijing Review,
Review, CICG Americas
publishes China Hoy,
Hoy, a monthly publication
launched in 1960, aiming to bridge the gap
between China and the Spanish-speaking
world—particularly Latin-American countries.

Websites: http://www.spanish.chinatoday.cn
http://www.chinahoy.mx