China
Cooperation grows in Central Asia
Author: Kirill Nourzhanov, ANU
The main political trend in Central Asia for 2019 was the steady improvement of interstate relations. This was primarily driven by Uzbekistan’s desire to repair relations with its neighbours. The country’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted ‘our rapprochement and expansion of cooperation in the region is a demanded and irreversible process’.
Border delimitation and demarcation proceeded apace including a historic land swap between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. But despite the heads of state’s emphasis on peace and good neighbourly relations, residents of the adjoining areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the Ferghana Valley repeatedly clashed over land and water use. The second annual meeting of Central Asian leaders in November 2019 noted a higher level of interaction and mapped out the potential for effective regional collaboration on issues such as trade, transport connectivity and renewable energy.
In March 2019, Kazakhstan’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev resigned at 78 after nearly 30 years at the country’s helm. In a move suggestive of a Singaporean model of managed political succession, he retained substantial formal and informal power as head of the Security Council and a post-independence nation builder. Nazarbayev’s handpicked successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, won the presidential election of June 2019 comfortably, campaigning on the platform of safeguarding his predecessor’s legacy.
Towards the end of 2019 signs of tension between Tokayev and Nazarbayev began to emerge over executive personnel appointments that prompted speculation about the viability of the ‘Kazakh tandem’ and elite in-fighting exacerbated by possible popular protests. But these fears seem unfounded at present — unless something extraordinary happens the transit of power in Kazakhstan is likely to proceed in an unhurried and orderly fashion.
In Kyrgyzstan the rift between the incumbent head of state and his predecessor reached crisis proportions. In the context of a corruption investigation, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov stripped his former mentor and patron, Almazbek Atambayev, of immunity and had him and senior figures from his administration arrested. Atambayev resisted arrest and was subsequently accused of plotting a coup.
Both sides of the conflict appealed to Moscow for support. Russian President Vladimir Putin ended up calling on the Kyrgyz people to rally around Jeenbekov in the name of political stability and state development. While Jeenbekov’s position appears to be consolidated, the 2020 parliamentary election campaign may provide his opponents with an opportunity to mobilise support and challenge his government through legitimate means.
Turkmenistan continued to grapple with a severe economic crisis, hyperinflation and widespread food shortages. Its reclusive President, Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, resorted to a frantic reorganisation of the officialdom to compensate for years of poor decisions and grotesque mismanagement. The former head of the presidential security apparatus and the long-serving interior minister were thrown in jail and then paraded on state TV confessing to heinous crimes, causing observers to talk about an averted palace coup.
Increasing volumes and value of natural gas exported to China may throw the regime a lifeline but also increase its already substantial dependence on Beijing. In the meantime, alternative pipeline projects have stalled. The southward-bound TAPI gas route that was supposed to become operational in 2020 may not be realised until after 2030, if at all, according to the Asian Development Bank’s prognosis.
Security threats from Afghanistan were salient on Tajikistan’s political agenda. In early 2019, President Emomali Rahmon spoke about the ‘escalating threats of terrorism, extremism and other contemporary menaces’ emanating from the neighbouring country. His security officials reported constant clashes on the border with criminal and terrorist groups and warned that a major cross-border incursion was imminent. This warning seemed to have come true in November 2019 when a group of militants traversed the frontier deep into Tajik territory and attacked a checkpoint on the Tajikistan–Uzbekistan border. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the raid.
While there are question marks about the true extent of the Afghanistan threat, which may be exaggerated by Dushanbe, Russia and China treat the security situation on the ground seriously. In 2019, the Kremlin redoubled its efforts to enhance its southern ally’s…
China
New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
China has been the world’s largest manufacturer for 14 years, producing one-third of global manufacturing output. In the Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024, China ranks highest among eight emerging countries in the region. Challenges for these countries include global demand disparities affecting industrial output and export orders.
Known as the “World’s Factory”, China has held the title of the world’s largest manufacturer for 14 consecutive years, starting from 2010. Its factories churn out approximately one-third of the global manufacturing output, a testament to its industrial might and capacity.
China’s dominant role as the world’s sole manufacturing power is reaffirmed in Dezan Shira & Associates’ Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024 report (“EAMI 2024”), in which China secures the top spot among eight emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The other seven economies are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
The EAMI 2024 aims to assess the potential of these eight economies, navigate the risks, and pinpoint specific factors affecting the manufacturing landscape.
In this article, we delve into the key findings of the EAMI 2024 report and navigate China’s advantages and disadvantages in the manufacturing sector, placing them within the Asia-Pacific comparative context.
Emerging Asia countries face various challenges, especially in the current phase of increased volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). One notable challenge is the impact of global demand disparities on the manufacturing sector, affecting industrial output and export orders.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
Chinese social media influencers have recently claimed that prominent Chinese-born Australian journalist Vicky Xu had posted a message saying she planned to return to China.
There is no evidence for this. The source did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Xu herself later confirmed to AFCL that she has no such plans.
Currently working as an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, Xu has previously written for both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, and The New York Times.
A Chinese language netizen on X initially claimed on March 31 that the changing geopolitical relations between Sydney and Beijing had caused Xu to become an expendable asset and that she had posted a message expressing a strong desire to return to China. An illegible, blurred photo of the supposed message accompanied the post.
This claim was retweeted by a widely followed influencer on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo one day later, who additionally commented that Xu was a “traitor” who had been abandoned by Australian media.
Following the publication of an ASPI article in 2021 which exposed forced labor conditions in Xinjiang co-authored by Xu, the journalist was labeled “morally bankrupt” and “anti-China” by the Chinese state owned media outlet Global Times and subjected to an influx of threatening messages and digital abuse, eventually forcing her to temporarily close several of her social media accounts.
AFCL found that neither Xu’s active X nor LinkedIn account has any mention of her supposed return to China, and received the following response from Xu herself about the rumor:
“I can confirm that I don’t have plans to go back to China. I think if I do go back I’ll most definitely be detained or imprisoned – so the only career I’ll be having is probably going to be prison labor or something like that, which wouldn’t be ideal.”
Neither a keyword search nor reverse image search on the photo attached to the original X post turned up any text from Xu supporting the netizens’ claims.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Malcolm Foster.
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Read the rest of this article here >>> Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
China
Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
Foreign residents in China can request a criminal record check from their local security bureau. This certificate may be required for visa applications or job opportunities. Requirements and procedures vary by city. In Shanghai, foreigners must have lived there for 180 days with a valid visa to obtain the certificate.
Foreign residents living in China can request a criminal record check from the local security bureau in the city in which they have lived for at least 180 days. Certificates of no criminal record may be required for people leaving China, or those who are starting a new position in China and applying for a new visa or residence permit. Taking Shanghai as an example, we outline the requirements for obtaining a China criminal record check.
Securing a Certificate of No Criminal Record, often referred to as a criminal record or criminal background check, is a crucial step for various employment opportunities, as well as visa applications and residency permits in China. Nevertheless, navigating the process can be a daunting task due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.
In this article, we use Shanghai as an example to explore the essential information and steps required to successfully obtain a no-criminal record check. Requirements and procedures may differ in other cities and counties in China.
Note that foreigners who are not currently living in China and need a criminal record check to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain the certificate from their country of residence or nationality, and have it notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit and have lived in Shanghai for at least 180 days can request a criminal record check in the city. This means that the applicant will also need to currently have a work, study, or other form of visa or stay permit that allows them to live in China long-term.
If a foreigner has lived in another part of China and is planning to or has recently moved to Shanghai, they will need to request a criminal record check in the place where they previously spent at least 180 days.
There are two steps to obtaining a criminal record certificate in Shanghai: requesting the criminal record check from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and getting the resulting Certificate of No Criminal Record notarized by an authorized notary agency.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
- New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
- Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
- Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
- China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
- China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
- New Publication: A Guide for Foreign Investors on Navigating China’s New Company Law
