The Diplomat | China’s Energy Intensity and Carbon Intensity Targets Are All But Unachievable

On May 29, China’s State Council released its 2024-2025 action plan for energy conservation and carbon reduction, setting targets to decrease energy intensity (energy consumption per unit of GDP) by 2.5 percent and carbon intensity (carbon emissions per unit of GDP) by 3.9 percent in 2024. However, these goals appear insufficient to meet China’s previous commitments of reducing carbon intensity by 18 percent and energy intensity by 13.5 percent between 2020 and 2025 as part of its international climate pledges.  Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | Zelenskyy Finally Calls out China’s Role in Russia’s War on Ukraine

For far too long, Ukraine has treaded carefully around China’s role in the ongoing war with Russia. Despite mounting evidence of Beijing’s support for Moscow, both materially and diplomatically, Kyiv has been reluctant to criticize China directly. However, during the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy finally broke his silence, openly accusing China of aiding Russia in undermining peace efforts.  Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | New Energy Competition: It’s Politics First for Both US and China

Both China and the U.S. are looking to tariffs and other trade barriers to protect their clean energy industries. The outcome is likely to be a more protectionist world economy. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | China’s Military-Civil Fusion Space Program

On April 17, NASA chief Bill Nelson cautioned that China’s “so-called civilian space program is a military program,” emphasizing that the United States is engaged in a space “race” with China. While NASA may have its reasons for securitizing this issue, one cannot overlook China’s rapid advancements in the space sector. China’s objective is to develop and acquire advanced dual-use technology for military purposes and deepen the reform of its national defense science and technology industries, which also serves a broader purpose of strengthening the country’s comprehensive national power. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | How China Became the World’s Clean Tech Giant

China’s clean energy sector was the biggest driver of its GDP growth in 2023, contributing 40 percent (around $1.6 trillion) of its economic expansion. The country’s commitment to renewable energy is underscored by its substantial investments in the industry. Take the solar sector as an example. Chinese investments in new photovoltaic (PV) supply capacity over the last 10 years exceeded $50 billion – ten times more than all of Europe. This investment surge has strengthened China’s energy independence and promoted substantial job creation, with over 300,000 manufacturing jobs across the solar PV value chain added since 2011. China now commands over 80 percent share in all manufacturing stages of solar panels, from polysilicon to modules, solidifying its global leadership in solar energy. Read the full article here.

9DashLine | China’s ‘history learning’ regulations

In February, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) released regulations governing the study of the Party's history. According to Chinese media, the document serves as the CPC’s “core internal guideline” for organising and implementing study programmes about the Party’s history, with the goal of “strengthening understanding, conviction, integrity, and diligence”. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | China’s Shuttle Diplomacy With Ukraine and Russia: All Symbol, No Substance

“Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France for the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced at a press conference this week. As anticipation mounts for the outcomes of this tour, pressing questions arise: Will the results diverge from those of the first round of China’s shuttle diplomacy? If the West is draining its resources and attention on Ukraine and Russia is becoming more dependent on China, why would China want this war to end? Read the full article here.

Defence & Security Alert | Navigating Personnel Costs and Capital Expenditure in the Indian Defence Budget

A year ago, in an article for the DSA magazine, Rakshith Shetty conducted a thorough analysis of the defence pension systems in India and the United States. This inquiry led to the identification of four crucial insights extracted from the intricate framework of the U.S. defence pension system. In the present discussion, he pivots towards a deeper exploration, shedding light on the challenges hindering the modernisation efforts of the Indian Armed Forces. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | Playing the Long Game: Ukraine’s Approach to China

Multiple news articles report Beijing snubbing Ukraine during the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Switzerland, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang refusing to meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In response, Zelenskyy clarified that he never wanted to meet Li, suggesting that the latter was not high-ranking enough to be worth meeting. “There is a Chinese premier – then our prime minister will meet with him. I would love to meet with the leader of China,” the Ukrainian president said. “As far as I know, [in China] Xi Jinping makes decisions, and in Ukraine, I make decisions. I don’t need just any dialogues; I need important decisions from the leaders who make these decisions.” Read the full article here.