People gather near the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province to watch the launching of Tianhe space station core module. (Photo:web)
China's successful space mission which involved sending into space the core module of its Tianhe space station lit up Chinese social media on Thursday, with netizens cheering the launch, expressing their patriotism and best wishes to the development of China's deep space exploration.
The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the Tianhe module, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province around 11 am on Thursday. Video clips of the launch soon went viral on Chinese social media and received more than 2 million views within one hour on China's Twitter-like Weibo, the Global Times found.
Weibo was flooded with excitement and national pride. "I burst into tears watching the launch video - We Chinese will have a 'home' in space!" one user wrote. "I hope my motherland can rise and skyrocket like Tianhe," he added.
More users forwarded videos with the popular sentence "Our (conquest) journey is the sea of stars!" to express their love and ambitious expectations for China's space industry.
"In the past we missed the Age of Discovery, which was the beginning of evil colonization," a user said. "Now, we begin our own peaceful 'age of space discovery.'"
People gather near the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province to watch the launching of Tianhe space station core module. (Photo:web)
Before Tianhe's launch, audio of a collection of pulsar signals recently captured by the 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST)—also known as China's Tianyan or "Sky Eye"—was seen spread widely on social media earlier on Thursday by exhilarated Chinese netizens.
Weibo users paid tribute to the deceased former chief engineer of FAST Nan Rendong, and said the pulsar signals were "rhythmic" and sounded like a music tempo or Morse codes.
"The pulsars must be very talented DJs," a user wrote. "I almost danced with the beats."
Another user mentioned the signals that FAST seized at Hercules sounded much faster than pulsars. "Hercules seems very excited," she joked. "The signals there are like the sound of firecrackers — is Hercules celebrating Chinese New Year?"
Impressed by faraway sounds and the wonder of the universe that Chinese technology has shown to them, many netizens shared with great interest their expectations on China's further deep space exploration in the near future.
"China is building a 'villa' in space; I hope that one day we ordinary people can also travel into space and live in the Chinese-made 'villas,'" a Weibo user wrote. "I'm looking forward to that day."
It is possible that China's space station will be the only working station after 2024, when the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to retire, Chinese experts earlier predicted. "Considering the lack of funds of the ISS members, now it's a good time for China to catch up with and surpass them," said another Weibo user.
The launching of Tianhe and the pulsar signals captured by FAST gave Chinese people a strong impetus, on Thursday said user with the ID "youjinshaojiang."
"In today's world filled with epidemics, disasters and hostility, those who insist on looking up at the stars and exploring the universe are definitely the light of hope and civilization to mankind," she wrote on Weibo.
China's Space Station expected to be operational by around 2022. By: Global Times | Published: Apr 29, 2021 01:47 PM. It will take 11 rocket launches in 2 years to complete the building of China's first space station.
China on Thursday successfully sent into space Tianhe core module of space station. This marks China's space
construction entering the full implementation stage. It's a crucial step forward for China's manned space program. Hundreds of millions of Chinese people felt inspired by the success.
THERE’S finally light at the end of the tunnel from a dark period in modern history. The race to complete the final stage of testing the Covid-19 vaccine is almost at the finish line.
In Britain, the vaccination exercise has kicked off with people above 80 years old, since they’re the most vulnerable to the dreadful virus.
But let’s not get carried away. Only the British government has expedited the approval because it’s bracing for a huge spike with the coming winter.
The United States government only officially approved the use of Pfizer Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting an emergency use authorisation for healthcare workers and elderly people in long-term care facilities in its first round of 2.9 million doses.
The FDA is responsible for protecting public health by ensuring safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs in the US. The FDA has always been used as a benchmark by most countries in providing approvals.
Last week, MyEG Services Bhd announced that it will work with Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co Ltd (Zhifei) to obtain the Malaysian halal certification for the Chinese biopharma company’s Covid-19 vaccine, and to exclusively distribute it in Malaysia for a three-year period.
It said the two companies had signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in conducting Phase 3 clinical trials of Zhifei’s vaccine in Malaysia and to meet the halal status requirements of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
In September, loss-making Ho Wah Genting, which had been searching for a core-income generating business for a while, declared it was officially in the race to produce vaccines.
It announced that it had been appointed by a China-based diagnostic reagents manufacturer as its designated overseas sales agent for Covid-19 diagnostic products in Asean countries.
More recently, a Covid-19 research centre not linked to any medical institution, also sprouted and began issuing press releases to the media.
Firstly, let’s be clear that there’s nothing to stop the private sector from playing a role in the search for a vaccine source. In fact, I think it’s commendable that these companies are ready to play a complementary role.
If the intention is to help their bottom line, and in the process, propel their share prices, it’ll be up to shareholders to be mindful, and perhaps the Securities Commission to keep its eyes open.
Individuals hoping to set up a non-governmental organisation, including for Covid-19, have the right to do so, but their authority and credibility are for the public and media to decide.
The private sector, in fact, should be encouraged to take a stronger role in the fight against the pandemic, as the number of cases continue to climb in Malaysia.
The truth is, while we’ve relaxed the rules, with a crippling economy in mind, our situation has gotten worse. Let’s be honest – statistics don’t lie.
Only those with a warped mind, like conspiracy theorists, think the numbers in Malaysia have been manipulated and jacked up for political reasons. It’s an insult to dedicated professionals like Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and his team of frontliners, who haven’t taken a day off since the Movement Control Order (MCO) began in March.
The number of positive cases in Malaysia could likely be higher because only targeted areas and cases are tested, including travellers, medical treatment seekers and foreign workers.
The average daily cases (originally three digits in March and rendering us house bound) has passed the 2,000 mark now.
Most of us feel the end is near and that even with the staggering new numbers, we are certain that the cure is just round the corner, what with all the media hype over 90% efficacy by these drug companies.
Unfortunately, none of the vaccines have been approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency of Malaysia yet. Companies bringing in Covid-19 vaccines must also be registered with the NPRA – it doesn’t matter if these vaccines are from the UK, US, China or Russia.
I’ve been reliably informed that until today, no private companies have applied despite their announcements. So, nothing has been approved.
Like the US, Malaysia has also decided to wait until all the vaccines have completed the final stages of trials and are properly approved.
With the situation exceptionally dire there though, the FDA is reported to be ready to approve emergency use of Covid-19 vaccines in the US as more than 285,000 people have died from the virus.
But as with all testing, there will be cases of side effects, including fatalities. Tests are often called off and then resumed, which is normal, but if we are to read the Western media, only US and UK-made vaccines are good enough.
They have put the Chinese and Russian products in bad light by insinuating they are inferior products.
This isn’t just a question involving billions of dollars, but a race for political and diplomatic achievements.
It won’t be surprising if the US FDA refuses to approve the Chinese and Russian products. And if that happens, then those nations would need to turn to the World Health Organisation.
So many of us have been brain-washed into believing that everything from the West is good and most things from China are inferior or not of international standards.
The New York Times reported that researchers are currently testing 57 vaccines in clinical trials on humans, and at least 86 pre-clinical vaccines are under active investigation on animals.
I am told that China has provided its initial consignment of vaccines from state-owned Sinopharm to Malaysia, and that we would be carrying out trials with the Medical Research and Ethics Committee to finalise the stringent criteria.
Shipments of Beijing-based Sinovac’s vaccine, CoronaVac, have arrived in Indonesia in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign, with another 1.8 million doses due by next month.
Sinovac’s edge is that it can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius, like Oxford’s AstraZeneca, while Moderna’s vaccine needs to be stored at -20 C and Pfizer’s at -70 C.
That means the Chinese and UK vaccines are more practical for developing countries like Malaysia. Otherwise, we’d have issues storing large amounts of vaccine at extremely low temperatures because special storage facilities will be needed, which seems almost out of the question for rural areas.
Then, there’s the halal issue. The concerns among Muslims about the shots containing substances forbidden by Islam is understandable as the same issue was also brought up by Muslims in Indonesia.
But here are some simple medical rules – the Malaysian government does not register a medicine based on halal or non-halal status. No medicine carries a Jakim sticker that says halal certified.
Malaysia has inked a deal with Pfizer to supply 12.8 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine for 20% of the population. It has also reportedly entered a pact with Covax Facility, the global Covid-19 vaccine development platform, to cover another 10% of the population.
This is a life and death situation. No one needs to be an Islamic theology expert to know what Islam says about emergency cases relating to starvation or medical treatment. Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has reportedly said that “even if there is an ingredient which is not permissible, the chemical transformation process will make it clean and halal.”
The Special Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Malaysian Islamic Affairs met on Dec 3 to discuss whether the vaccine can be administered to Muslims.
Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamed Al-Bakri said the decision would be announced by the King.
Given the grounds to this concern, this is certainly the right course of action, especially in curtailing it from becoming both religious and political issues, or from companies exploiting the matter for commercial reasons by making all sorts of claims.
As someone privileged to have met Zulkifli, who tested positive himself, I can vouch that he is one of the most rational and practical Islamic scholars.
The United Arab Emirates, a Muslim country, has accepted the China-made Sinopharm and Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, is ready to take the vaccine from China, too. And Saudi Arabia has embraced Pfizer’s vaccine.
The end of Covid-19 is in sight for sure. The fact that Malaysia is already talking of vaccination and testing approaches, means we’re already making practical preparations.
Last week, I spoke to Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope, the chief executive officer of Pharmaniaga Bhd, the company tasked with bottling and transporting the Covid-19 vaccine for Malaysia.
The company is already preparing for the distribution of these vaccines and is just waiting for the government’s approval for the big day.
Zulkarnain is an excited man and rattled off details of what and how Pharmaniaga has readied itself to be part of history and saving lives.
For most Malaysians, 2020 has been a horrible year of Covid-19 and squabbling politicians.
What a toxic combination. For sure, we can’t wait to welcome 2021.
From page 15 BEIJING: Research and development of coronavirus vaccines in China are at the final stages, with preparations in place for their mass production, said the head of the country’s Covid19 vaccine development task force.
There are five domestically developed vaccines under a phase-3 clinical trial, the final stage before attaining approval from the authorities, making China a leading country in Covid-19 vaccine development, said Zheng Zhongwei, who is also director of the National Health Commission’s development centre for medical science and technology.
Despite taking a leading role in Covid-19 vaccine research and development, China does not rush to compete in the field, Zheng told Xinhua on Wednesday.
Vaccines should be evaluated by criteria such as safety, effectiveness, accessibility and affordability before they are approved for market availability, he said, adding that China is being prepared for the mass production of vaccines.
Researchers in China have been racing to develop Covid-19 vaccines. A total of 15 vaccines using five different technologies are under clinical trials in China.
Of them, five are undergoing phase-3 clinical trials in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Pakistan, as domestic trials involving many volunteers are not practical due to the effective control and prevention of the epidemic on the Chinese mainland.- ANN/THE STAR
A forum on vaccine industry marketing was held on
Saturday in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province. Organized by the
China Association for Vaccines, the forum attracted hundreds of
enterprises, analysts, lawyers and scholars, who shared the latest
information on the vaccine industry
The research and development process for a new vaccine
usually takes at least a decade. But the deadly pandemic pushed the
world to shorten the process to less than one year, which apparently
increases the public's worries over the products' safety and efficacy.
Can people accept such a hastily developed vaccine? Continue reading and
let the evidence speak for itself.
China's leading vaccine maker Sinovac is working around
the clock to prepare for mass production, with the first production line
to secure 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine annually, the Global
Times learned after an exclusive visit to the company's plant in
Beijing.
As the overseas pandemic situation remains grave, China
faces increasing pressure to prevent imported cases. Particularly,
recent reports of frozen pork, lamb, beef, shrimp and fish products
testing positive for COVID-19 in over a dozen regions across China have
raised widespread concerns over the risks of infection through cold
chain trade due to its long supply chain and virus-friendly environment.
With the continuous spread of good news about COVID-19
vaccines, how to ensure its transportation has become a hot topic for
the global cargo industry. Analysts believe that vaccine transportation
will stimulate the aviation recovery, but questions remain about how to
make the transportation safe.
China is the most populous developing country in the world. It is very difficult to realize collaborated progress among various sectors. With a limited budget, China has multiple tasks at the same time - it has to encourage developing high-tech abilities, expand room and provide driving forces for social advancement, at the same time strive to improve people's livelihood, and input social fairness into the top design of national strategies.
For a long time, some people believe China has not done enough to balance these developments. Voices have existed that China invested excessive resources to fields such as aerospace. Despite difficulties, compared to other countries, China has tried its best to reach a balance and has achieved positive results.
Since China implemented the reform and opening-up policy, the most prominent and well-known national goal has been achieving a moderately prosperous society. People's livelihood and fairness and justice have always been the focus of attention in Chinese society. A technology-centered national strategy and people-oriented economic development have highly integrated.
In the past few decades, the Chinese people have been developing the aerospace field, but their livelihood has also been improving. The lunar exploration project is not a political vanity project - it is well within the ability of Chinese society.
The progress in high-tech areas such as aerospace has pushed up China's strategic competitiveness overall. At the same time, people are living better lives. Without the advancement in high-tech areas, China's prosperity would lack the backbone and long-term guarantee.
As an emerging major power, China's per capita GDP is not the highest among developing countries. But China's major scientific progress in recent years is undoubtedly the most prominent among developing countries and general developed countries. China is a large country, and this has exerted its unique incubation advantages in promoting major technological progress. This is gratifying.
China has long implemented a market economy, but has maintained the guiding role of the government. This prevents our market economy from repeating and hovering at a low level, and also prevents us from being satisfied with the low-end prosperity of the global value chain. The Chinese nation's self-motivated spirit continues to release momentum, successfully supported by the country's system. Thus, we can move forward in a balanced manner and with a clear sense of direction.
China has not regarded technological development or achievements in aerospace as an overriding goal. Nor has China formed a circle of high-tech elites, separating from the general Chinese public or even leading to the division of the rich and poor. Compared with China, today's aerospace engineering in India is relatively difficult. But it is the Indian people's choice to explore the Moon and Mars no matter how difficult it is.
China's high-tech development still has a long and arduous way to go. We may need to devote more resources to cutting-edge technologies such as aerospace.
Frankly, the Chinese public has principled support for this, but such support has not been fully transformed into preferential treatment of high-tech industries and talent in these fields. There is still a lot of room for us to continue our efforts in this area.
As for China's modernization, it is an indispensable basic progress for our aerospace technology to reach world-class levels. There are unlimited possibilities in space, and most resources that support the human being's future development must be outside the Earth. We need to travel to space step by step, and our good, fair and just social governance will provide strength for this. Our ambitions and dreams will encourage perseverance. Chang'e-5 is just the beginning.
Closely following the complete success of Chang'e-5 lunar
sample return mission on Thursday, China's National Space
Administration (CNSA) disclosed plans for a slew of ambitious space
projects that include a new three-step plan for the country's future
moon and deeper space exploration missions, which Wu Yanhua, the CNSA
deputy head, referred to as "surveying, constructing, and exploiting,"
as opposed to the already conquered goals of "orbiting, landing and
returning" to the Earth's natural satellite.
With Chang'e-5 probe making a perfect conclusion to its
23-day journey to the moon, bringing back soil from Earth's celestial
neighbor, Central China's Hunan Province, the hometown of the late .
China
launches Chang’e-5 mission via Long March-5 rocket to retrieve Moon rocks at Wenchang Space Launch Center from South China’s Hainan Province early Tuesday morning. Photo: Li Dike
The Long March-5 Y5, China's state-of-the-art carrier rocket and strongest member of the Long March launch vehicle family, blasted off early Tuesday morning from the Wenchang Space Launch Center located in South China's Hainan Province, successfully sending the Chang'e-5 lunar probe into planned orbit.
About 2,200 seconds after lift-off, the Chang'e-5 lunar probe separated from the rocket and entered the Earth-Moon transfer orbit with the perigee at 200 km and the apogee at about 410,000 km.
Despite the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 epidemic, China's aerospace sector has been able to launch not only the country's first-ever Tianwen-1 Mars probe, but also the latest lunar sample return mission, showcasing the country's resilience and increasingly mature capabilities in the space sphere, according to observers.
Dubbed one of the most complicated and challenging space exploration projects ever attempted, Chang'e-5 will carry out the third stage of China's current lunar programs, which involves three phases—orbiting, landing and return. The first two phases have been completed successfully.
Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the highly complex, forward-looking technology applied in this project could be regarded as "an unmanned task that lays the foundation for future manned lunar missions."
"Analysis of the lunar samples shows that contents within the soil and rocks could be turned into water and oxygen, which will be useful in supporting the operation of the Moon base and serve as supplementary fuel for lunar landing vehicles," Pang Zhihao, a Beijing-based space expert, told the Global Times.
More importantly, scientists have found in the lunar samples the ideal material for nuclear fusion, and enough of it to meet human's energy needs for about 10,000 years, Pang added.
China's future Chang'e-6 mission will also automatically collect lunar samples for comprehensive analysis and research, and hopefully carry international payloads on board.
Chang'e-7 will comprehensively explore the moon, while Chang'e-8 will explore the possibility of building an international lunar research base, Global Times previously learned from CNSA. Chang'e-8 will also test 3D printer technology in the hopes of assisting future lunar residents.
"To build a research base on the Moon, we first need to figure out what it is made of, by analyzing the soil composition and geological structure, and then making use of the raw materials at hand on the Moon for our own exploration purposes," Song Zhongping, an aerospace observer and TV commentator, told the Global Times.
Infographic: GT
Perfect success rate
China launched its first lunar probe mission, Chang'e-1, in October 24, 2007 via a Long March 3A Y14 carrier rocket. In the 13 years since then, China has launched a total of five missions, all named after the lunar goddess Chang'e, with domestically developed Long March rockets, scoring a perfect success rate.
The 57-meter-long Long March-5, with a take-off weight of about 870 tons and a thrust of over 1,000 tons, is capable of launching a payload of up to 14 tons into the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), making it the go-to rocket model for the mission, as the Chang'e-5 lunar probe weighs 8.2 tons, one of the heaviest probes that has ever been launched by China.
According to China Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the Long March-5 rocket series will be deployed to launch core and experimental cabinets for the country's first-ever space station, and will be tasked with completing the construction of the space station in two to three years.
"Long March-5 is the only member of the Long March family that is capable of launching such a heavy payload into the lunar transfer orbit. And the mission in return examines the rocket's capabilities and showcases the strength of China's space sector," Li Minghua, the first commander-in-chief of the Long March-5 and Party chief of CALT, under the state-owned aerospace giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the rocket's developer, told the Global Times.
Breakthroughs to make
Infographic: GT
The Chang'e-5 probe is expected to carry out lunar sample collection, takeoff from the moon, rendezvous and docking on lunar orbit and high-speed reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, marking breakthroughs in China's aerospace history.
Sources close to the lunar probe mission told the Global Times that the Chang'e-5 probe is set to achieve four firsts in China's aerospace history.
It will conduct the first-ever robotic sample collecting on the lunar surface, spending two days on the Moon collecting around 2kg of lunar material.
After packaging the lunar material, the probe's lander will perform a highly complex take-off mission from the rough lunar terrain, overcoming the lack of a proper launch tower and other difficulties, which will also be a first.
A greater challenge lies in wait after the lander's lift-off, as the Chang'e-5 ascender will have to rendezvous and dock with the orbital module at the lunar orbit some 380,000 kilometers away from Earth, which has never been done before.
Finally, the return capsule carrying moon samples will then fly to Earth from 380,000 kilometers away at a speed of 11 kilometers per second, reaching second cosmic velocity.
Interestingly, based on what the sources revealed to the Global Times, designers with the China Academy of Space Technology under CASC have come up with a semi-ballistic reentry to help the high-speed spacecraft return to Earth safely.
Similar to the way a stone can skip over water, the return capsule will sprint into the atmosphere and then ascend again out of it, in order to reduce its flying speed to first cosmic velocity, which is around 8 kilometers per second, before landing safely at the designated site on Earth.
Wang Yanan explained that this measure will greatly reduce the risk of damaging the return capsule and will ensure the sample's safety.
When asked why it was decided that the Chang'e-5 probe would take off early in the morning rather than in the daytime, CALT insiders told the Global Times that early morning would make it easier to enter the trajectory designed for the complex mission.
Also, taking off in the early morning will help reduce interference from the Sun, as solar radiation will disrupt the transmission of electric signals, affecting the tracking and controlling of the spacecraft from ground personnel, they said.
There are also less clouds and stabler weather conditions in the early morning, which will also help signal transmission and scientists' observations, they revealed.
The Chang'e-5 is scheduled to touch down in an area that has never been visited either by probe or human, in a massive lava plain known as Oceanus Procellarum, or "Ocean of Storms" - a region in the Moon's northwest corner which is visible to the naked eye from Earth.
Scientists believe that the rocks and soil in the region are only 3.7 billion years old. Compared with the previous lunar samples brought back to Earth, it will help scientists to understand better the volcanic activities of the Moon. Some engineering factors were also taken into consideration in choosing this site.
The lunar material collected by the Chang'e-5 probe was formed from the space weathering of lunar rocks after meteorite impact, solar wind and cosmic ray radiation. It consists of a considerable amount of rock fragments, minerals and meteorites, which provide valuable information for studying the geological evolution of the moon, as well as solar activities, Xiao Long, a professor at the Wuhan-based China University of Geosciences, told the Global Times.
In the 1970s, the Soviet Union successfully carried out three robotic sample return missions that retrieved a total of 330 grams of lunar soil. The Chang'e-5 plans to bring back 2 kilograms in one single mission.
The gap in weight reflects how much the ability to retrieve lunar samples has advanced over the past decades, Pang Zhihao said.
He explained that back in the 1970s, the Soviet Union missions adopted a direct ascending and return plan from the lunar surface, which required the ascender to use large amounts of fuel to carry the huge load on the return capsule, resulting in the sample weight being greatly compressed.
The Chang'e-5, however, is expected to carry out rendezvous and docking with the orbital module in the lunar orbit, greatly reducing the amount of fuel needed for the ascender and allowing room for more samples.
China successfully launched two environmental monitoring
satellites at 11:23 am on Sunday via a Long March-4B carrier rocket from
the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi Province.
Source: Global Times | 2020/9/27 18:04:53
China successfully launched its HY-2C ocean-observation
satellite into planned orbit on Monday afternoon via a Long March-4B
carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in North China's
Shanxi Province.
China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe successfully completed its
orbital correction for a second time as of 11:00 pm Sunday Beijing time,
after 60 days into its journey to the Red Planet, Global Times learned
from the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Monday morning.
After China and the United Arab Emirates launched probes
to Mars this summer, a possible living space for mankind, the UAE
Ambassador to China said Thursday he sees great potential for
cooperation, as China and the UAE have moved humanity to further levels
of advancement.
China launched a Mars probe on Thursday, designed to
complete orbiting, landing and roving in one mission, taking the first
step in its planetary exploration of the solar system.
The final satellite in China's BeiDou system is set to be
launched 9:43 am Tuesday. The launch was previously postponed due to
technical issues found at pre-launch test on June 16
Launch of final satellite of China's indigenous BeiDou
system has been delayed to indefinite date as technical problems were
found with the Long March-3B rocket in pre-launch tests: authorities
China successfully sent a newly developed maritime
environment monitoring satellite into orbit at 2:31 am on Thursday,
forming the country's first satellite network for civil maritime
affairs, which the developer said would bring the country to forefront
of the world in terms of marine remote sensing capability, and also a
step forward toward being a space power.
China sent two new experimental technology satellites
into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's
Sichuan Province early on Saturday.
China's lunar rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, has driven
424.455 meters on the far side of the moon to conduct scientific
exploration of the virgin territory.
Economic freedom: Xi leading other Chinese leaders at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC in Beijing on Oct 29. China’s leaders are vowing to make their country a self-reliant “technology power” after a meeting to draft a development blueprint for the state-dominated economy over the next five years. — Xinhua via AP
WHILE the world was following the US presidential elections closely hoping for a positive change in international dynamics, they did not ignore the most important political meeting taking place in China on Oct 26-29.
The developments in China – the only country showing solid economic recovery after combating the Covid-19 epidemic in Wuhan – are too important to be eclipsed by the drama in Washington led by President Donald Trump.
The Oct 26-29 meeting gave a glimpse of the future plans of China, after Beijing withstood two major challenges: the containment from the US and a major public health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus.
The effective control of the virus has enabled China to revitalise its economy, which it contracted in the first half of the year. In the third quarter, China’s GDP posted a positive growth and is expected to see even stronger expansion this quarter.
It is against this backdrop that China was holding its most important policy meeting this year.
Over the four days, top leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) led by President Xi Jinping deliberated China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) to chart the future development path for the world’s second largest economy.
They also endorsed a blueprint to achieve President Xi’s vision of turning China into a “great modern socialist nation” by 2035, which by then is expected to be “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious”.
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee set goals to spur China’s modernisation drive, pursue self-reliance in science and technology to support its development and modernise defense capabilities, according to a post-plenum press conference live on CCTV4.
A communique summarizing the decisions was released on Oct 29 night to the media.
More than 200 leaders and elite members of CPC met behind closed doors to identify policy priorities for keeping the economy growing in the middle of a pandemic, supply chain disruptions, toxic relations with the West and global economic downturn, according to the South China Morning Post.“This five year plan is China’s most important policy program, which sets goals and directions for the national economic and social development, ” said Professor Wang Wen, who was involved in drafting the plan.
The executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China added that this plan is a “very comprehensive plan” as public opinion was collected on the Internet and reported to decision-making levels.
And President Xi had personally held frequent symposiums on various fields and sectors ahead of the plenary session.
“The plan takes into account the interests and demands of the whole country, various industries, regions and institutions. It is a design to start a new journey of fully building a modern socialist country after China completes the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, ” Wang said in a post-event comment piece emailed to Sunday Star.
At the post-event press conference on Oct 30, the media were told Beijing would actively promote “technological self-reliance” to speed up China’s ambition as a “technology power.”
Self-reliance is the main theme of the five-year plan as China faces the threats of economic decoupling and de-globalisation, as well as other headwinds, the media learnt.
China had to nurture its own microchip producers and high technology in the face of US export curbs that has hurt China’s tech industry.
According to a report, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has lost a lot of its supply sources of high-precision chips; and if the US ban continues and Beijing does not act, Huawei may have to stop its high-end smart-phone production.
“We will take scientific and technological self-reliance as a strategic support for national development, ” Han Wenxiu, an adviser to President Xi, said at the Oct 30 news conference.
State-linked Global Times, in its editorial, said Trump’s China policies have awakened the Chinese from complacency.
It said: “If it were not for the US’ suppression, Chinese people may have always built our industries on American semiconductors.
“Over the past four years, the US’ China policy has awakened China. It has made us understand we may be stuck on key technologies and we must make up for technological shortcomings.
“It has also convinced us that the US will not accept China’s rise and will do everything to suppress China. This is a cold reality.”
The CPC plenary session has also endorsed the “dual circulation” economic strategy.
Under this new strategy, China will remain open to foreign investment and trade, while moving its pivot to build up an internal economy. The model looks at the domestic market as the country’s economic mainstay, with domestic and foreign markets complementing each other.
Although there is greater emphasis to create the domestic economy by spurring local spending, China will continue to open more sectors to foreign investors.
The message sent to foreigners is: China will not isolate itself from the global economy while developing its domestic economy to be self-reliant in all aspects.
And in fact, at the opening of Shanghai’s third import expo on Wednesday, Xi announced China wants to import more and be the market of the world. He added China’s 400 million-strong middle class will be ready consumers.
According to Han, the Oct 26-29 meeting also decided that China will continue to pursue reforms and open up as it believes in multilateralism and globalisation.
He said: “We will never waver in our national policy of opening up. China will provide countries around the world with larger markets and more opportunities.”
In the next five years, China will focus on high-quality growth and expansion of domestic markets, as well as increasing its innovation capability.
“As China is no longer a follower but a front-runner, the meeting must have considered how China can lead the global economy. The following five years will not be easy. However, as long as we grasp the law, enhance awareness of risks and opportunities... China
will witness a completely new scene of development, ” commented Wang.
As China is facing possible risks of clashes with the US and its allies that are conducting extensive military exercises in waters in South China Sea and nearby waters, military buildup is on the agenda in the next five years.
“China’s necessary military buildup is urgent. Based on the principle of effective defense, besides establishing military advantages in coastal waters, we must consolidate our strategic deterrence based on nuclear capabilities, ” explained Global Times in its editorial.
“We must make Washington realise that it is facing a China that it should be wary of trifling with, and that treating China as a friend rather than a foe much better fits US national interests, ” added Global Times.
Despite this, the communiqué released said the party plans to promote peaceful reunification of Taiwan.
In the four-day intense meeting, the welfare and interests of the people were not left out.
After eradicating the last of extreme poverty this year and lifting 700 million out of abject poverty in the past 40 years, the next goal for the CPC leaders is to hit its target of building a “moderately prosperous society” in 2021.
In fact, the goal to become “a moderately prosperous society” in by 2021 has been achieved, according to state media.
Acknowledging that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected many people, the plenary session discussed employment, income disparity, the quality of life and education, health issues and elderly care, the media were told on Oct 30. While the plenary session deliberated a lot on economic issues, foreign media are keen to scrutinise it from a political angle. To Japan’s Nikkei, the “2035”
figure is a magical figure that could provide indication on the leadership tenure of Xi, who became president in 2013.
“The long-running speculation that Xi is considering staying in power way past 2022 was in effect confirmed as China put in motion an ultralong 15-year vision promising new levels of prosperity by 2035, ” reported Nikkei.
But whether outsiders love CPC or not, China’s 1.4 billion Chinese have the final say.
According to a nationwide survey, about 95% of Chinese nationals polled said they support the CPC leaders and are satisfied with the manner they govern the country and overcome the Covid-19 crisis.
“History has selected the CPC to lead China and its people. The CPC, under the strong and excellent leadership of President Xi, will continue to rule China, ” declared one of four spokesmen at the Oct 30 live press conference.
He added: “The plenary session believes that under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China will be able to face risks and tackle challenges ahead and advance a socialist economy with Chinese characteristics.”
During the 13th Five-Year Plan period,
from 2016 to 2020, China has made great strides in improving the
economy, people's livelihood and other fields. China has contributed
over 30 percent to global economic growth, with GDP hitting almost 100
trillion yuan ($14.9 trillion). Over 50 million people have been
relieved from poverty, and 53.78 million new urban jobs have been
created. New standard bearers in technology emerged, including
high-speed trains, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and domestic
passenger aircraft C919. This rapid technological development can be
attributed to investment in research and development, which totaled 2.17
trillion yuan in 2019, accounting for 2.19 percent of GDP and up 56.3
percent from 2015.
From smart unmanned vaccination capsules and artificial meat
to the world's first complete carbon fiber supercar and the safest
electric wheeled excavator, the ongoing third China International Import
Expo (CIIE)
To adapt to the changing international and domestic
trends, China will pursue international cooperation and competition as
well as innovative development in foreign trade, one of the driving
forces of the nation's economic growth.
US diplomacy under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has
become chaotic, with no principle or bottom line. It's a train wreck.
Pompeo's successor needs to make up for damages done to China-US
relations, US' alliance system and multilateralism.
Whether he returns to power or not, the US president and his ilk have ruined America and curdled how such privilege is viewed.
Battling Americans: South Koreans watching a news programme on the Trump (right) and Biden battle for the US presidency. — AP
AS you read this, Americans are on tenterhooks as they await the results of their most contentious presidential election in decades.
And the rest of the world waits with them.
Like many non-Americans, I have been consumed by what is happening in that country and closely followed first the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and then the campaigns of the final two candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Trump must be defeated but, sadly, too many Americans, the so-called Republicans and conservatives, remain steadfast to him, having fallen for his fabrications and misinformation on just about everything, which proves that if a lie is repeated often enough, people will believe it.
Still, we hope enough right-minded Americans will vote him out and from the huge, record-breaking numbers of early voters, it appears they are determined to save their nation from further damage by this narcissistic, corrupt and immoral president.
How strange that America today feels like Malaysia circa 2018. The desperation and the grassroots movements to oust Trump recall Malaysians’ own struggle and determination to change things in the last general election.
Trump has become the unsavoury poster boy for white supremacists who believe white privilege is their God-given right.
I used to look up to the white man. As a baby boomer, my generation studied British, American and European history and practically nothing of the past of neighbouring countries. Communism was our great enemy in the 1960s and 1970s which was probably why we were barely taught Chinese history.
Western entertainment dominated our TV and cinema screens, our radio stations and record stores. Our idols were white singers and actors. The only black actor we knew was Sidney Poitier.
And so my generation grew up subconsciously believing that white people were superior and their way of life desirable.
As colonial masters of many parts of Africa and Asia, the whites came to lift the brown and yellow natives from backwardness and ignorance for God and king. Or so they projected themselves.
Western colonialism was pure exploitation for the most part but it was tempered by genuinely good-hearted people who came as teachers and missionaries (a prime example is how Australian missionaries saved the Lun Bawang orang asal in Sarawak from self-destruction in the 1930s).
We so-called people of colour put the so-called whites on pedestals, treating them with deference and respect. We didn’t put a name to it then but now it’s widely referred to as white privilege.
While white privilege in the United States is greatly manifested as racism and extreme prejudice and ill-treatment of black and, increasingly, Hispanic people, in other parts of the non-white world, it was simply the vestigial awe and deference left over from the colonial era and dominance of the West in the previous century.
For example, a common complaint a decade or two ago was how white passengers on Asian airlines were treated better than other races.
My own pedestal on which I had placed white people only started to wobble during my first trip to Britain in the early 1980s when I saw, to my huge surprise, white people who were homeless or doing menial tasks like sweeping the streets of London.
But by the late 1970s, change was coming from the East, namely Japan. Among Asians, the Japanese were the closest to the whites in terms of progress and wealth. What’s more, they were (and still are) so polite!
The Japanese, who had built a reputation for quality electrical products and cars, were also gaining world attention as sought-after tourists and art collectors with great spending power.
A friend who travels extensively recalls how people in Africa would greet Asian-looking people with “Konnichiwa” in the 1980s and 1990s.
Two decades into the 21st century, white influence has been steadily eroded by East Asia.
The Japanese may have started it but they are now joined, and somewhat eclipsed, by the Chinese and South Koreans.
My well-travelled friend tells me Africans now greet East Asians with “Ni hao” which is not surprising since Chinese tourists made 149 million overseas trips in 2018, with total spending amounting to US$130bil (RM540.4bil).
Many countries in Africa and Asia are China-friendly, not just because of tourism but because Beijing has been investing in them for decades.
In an op-ed for Aljazeera.com titled, Why Africa loves China, Dr Mehari Taddele Maru argues that, contrary to what the West believes, Africans do not see themselves as victims of Chinese economic exploitation. He says Africans are well aware of the shortcomings of Chinese assistance and business in Africa but it is China that is a preferred partner for Africa because “China’s unconditional cooperation has allowed African governments to enjoy access to finance, expertise and development aid”.
The China Africa Research Initiative at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, also reports that despite Western governments’ claims that China’s lending to Africa was creating debt threats, it did “not see China attempting to take advantage of countries in debt distress”.
“There were no ‘asset seizures’ in the 16 restructuring cases that we found. We have not yet seen cases in Africa where Chinese banks or companies have sued sovereign governments or exercised the option for international arbitration standard in Chinese loan contracts, ” the study noted.
And then there is South Korea which has become a driving force with its technological prowess and tremendously influential K-pop culture.
Its goods, from cars and washing machines to mobile phones, are widely accepted as affordable yet high-quality products.
Seoul’s effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic won global respect and even its coronavirus test kits and personal protective equipment are deemed to be more reliable and of higher quality.
Both China and South Korea have learned from Hollywood the massive influence of soft power, that is, the use of popular culture and entertainment to build their brand and fuel national pride.
If America gave us Armageddon, Saving Private Ryan and Sully: The Miracle on the Hudson, China now has The Wandering Earth, The Eight Hundred and The Captain (which is also based on a real incident involving Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633).
And as I have written several times, K-pop culture has won millions of devotees around the world, and the fan clubs, especially that of the group BTS, have proven to be a force to be reckoned with.
Trump himself is a major contributor to the rapid erosion of respect for white America. He is the ugliest face of white racism, privilege and entitlement. With his egging, his supporters show how stupid, ill-informed and racist they really are in their response to the pandemic and many other issues and that has reflected so badly on the nation itself.
Asians could only shake our heads in amazement at how Americans and people in Europe and Australia fought against wearing masks to reduce Covid-19 infections in the name of human rights and democracy. How daft is that?
Make no mistake: I still have much affection, admiration and gratitude for the Western books, movies, music and other educational and entertainment fodder I grew up with and that helped shape me into what I am today.
So too the many inventions and technologies that have made our lives easier, safer and more convenient.
But I am no longer in thrall of the two Ws – Western and white.
White people may have ruled the world in the previous century and claimed their white privilege. But no more.
No matter how hard he has tried to denigrate and blame China for America’s ills and woes, Trump and his ilk cannot stop white privilege and supremacy in the 21st century from slowly but surely turning yellow. Still, I prefer not to call it yellow privilege because Asians are generally more humble. Shall we just say yellow is the new black?
The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.
