Chinese vignettes | Woes continue in  China as it comes to reality with a fatal plane crash

The week began with a devastating news, China witnessed one of its worst air disasters in nearly three decades. A Chinese Eastern Boeing 737-800 withmore than 130 people on board crashed in a mountainous area. Many majorChinese cities and provinces continue to battle surge in Covid cases.

Overseas, too, China has been engaged in diplomacy. This week, from NATO accusing Beijing of politically helping Moscow, to Chinese FM Wang Yi’s tour of South Asia, we look at the big stories from China.

China Eastern Airlines plane crash

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On Monday, condolences poured from around the globe, when a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 123 passengers and 9 crew onboard, crashedinmountainsinSouthernChina.Flight MU5735was flyingtoGuangzhou from Kunming whenitlost contactabove the city ofWuzhou,around 210 kmfrom the destination.

ChinesePresident Xi Jinping said he was “shocked”and ordered foran immediateinvestigationinto the matter. Theplanenosedived fromanaltitude of 29,100 feetto9,075 feetintwo minutesand 15 seconds, reported state mediaCGTN.

Theairlines expressed “its deep condolences for the passengersand crew members who diedintheplanecrash.”

Accordingto Zhu Tao,an officialwithChina’s CivilAviationAdministration, “Air traffic controllers tried multiple timestoreach pilots of doomedChinaEastern Flight 5735afteritbeganits deadly dive on Monday but received no response.” reportedBloomberg.

Both the black boxes have been foundand sent for examination. On Friday, state broadcaster CCTV confirmed thatall 132 on board were dead.

While thereare many theoriesabout the cause of thecrash, ChinesenewspapertheChinaDailybusted manyrumoursand urged people nottobelieve easily.

ChinainRussia-Ukraine conflict

On Wednesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg accused China of politically backing Russiaasitcontinuestoattack Ukraine.And warned Beijingagainst providingany material support.

“Chinahas provided Russiawithpolitical support,including by spreading blatant liesand misinformation,andalliesare concerned thatChinacould provide material support for the Russiainvasion,” he said,ahead ofan urgent NATO summit on Thursday.

Stoltenberg furthersaid that he expectedthatworld leaderswill “call onChinatolive uptoitsresponsibilitiesasamember of the UN Security Council”andChinamust“refrain from supporting Russia”,insteaditshould “join the rest of the worldincalling foran immediate, peaceful endtothis war.”

Chinafired backandcalled the claims “disinformation”.Chinaalso called out US’ ‘smear’ campaignasWashingtonaccused Beijing of having prior knowledge of Russia’sinvasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, at the UN Security Council (UNSC),Chinavotedinfavourof the Russian Resolution, stating UNSC should playits roleinthe humanitarian crisisinUkraine.

“Weadvocate that the Security Council should fulfilits primary responsibility for the maintenance ofinternational peaceand security,and playits due roleinthe humanitarian issue of Ukraine,” saidZhang Jun, the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic ofChinatothe United Nations.

He further went ontopresent Beijing’s six-pointinitiativeand clarifiedtothe UNSC members that the voteinfavour was a “calltotheinternational communitytoprioritise the humanitarian situationinUkraine,”and “protect the safety of civilians, especially women, childrenand other vulnerable groups,andtofacilitate the personnel evacuationand humanitarian relief operations.”

Wang Yi’stour of SouthAsia

This week,ChineseForeign Ministerand StateCouncilor Wang Yi embarked onatour of SouthAsia. Hisitineraryincluded Pakistan,Afghanistan,India,and Nepal.

On Tuesday, Wang Yiattended the gathering of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)inIslamabad,asaspecial guest.Inhis speech, he reiteratedChina’s stand of support for Russiaand Ukraine peace talksandaceasefire.

“We needtoprevent humanitarian disastersand prevent the spillover of the Ukrainian crisis fromaffecting or harming the legitimate rightsandinterests of other regionsand countries,” he said.

Wang Yialso said that Beijing’s close tieswiththe Muslim worldare based on respectand mutual cooperation,andChinahas beeninvesting over $400 billioninnearly 600 projectsacross 54 Muslim countries under the Beltand RoadInitiative.

InPakistan, Wangalso metwithPrime Minister Imran Khanand discussed planstoextend theChina-Pakistan Economic CorridortoAfghanistan.Andcriticisedthe West’s handling ofAfghanistanwithPakistan’sChief ofArmy Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Next,ChineseFM Wang Yi travelledtoKabul, where he held talkswithTaliban Foreign MinisterAmir Khan Muttaqi. He focused on “political, economicand transit issues”,including education, trade, mining sectoraswellasBRI projectsinAfghanistan. Later this month,Chinaplanstohostameeting ofAfghanistan’sneighbours.

On Thursday,ChineseMFA spokesperson Wang Wenbin said,“AsAfghanistan'sneighbour,Chinastands readytoleverageits strengthand contributetothe country’s lasting stabilityand security.Withregardtoyour questionabout the specifics, we will releaseinformationindue course.”

On Friday, Wang Yi reached Nepal forathree-day visit.Accordingtoreports, the visit isachance for the two countriestomakeamends. The visitcomesinthe backdrop of Kathmandu ratifying theMillennium Challenge Corporation compact,asetback for Beijing.The USD 500 million grant isapart of developmentalassistance from Washingtontothe Himalayan nation.

The visit isalsoanopportunityforChinatobring on track the development of projects under BRIinNepal. The two nations have signed nine deals, however none on BRI.

Before reaching Nepal, theChineseofficial madeasurprise stopoverinIndia. Thursday night, he reached the capital city of New Delhi.

Wang Yi’s visittoIndiaand OIC controversy

On Friday, Wang Yi metwithIndia’sNational SecurityAdvisorAjit DovalandExternalAffairs Minister S Jaishankar. The officials of the two nations discussed the way forwardtoresolve the two-year-old military stand-offat the Line ofActual Control.

The two countries stayed completely silent on the high-level visit,afirst between the two sides since the standoffin2020.Accordingtoreports, they were waiting for each othertomake theannouncement, butIndia shelved the ideaafter Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s statementat the OIC meet on Tuesday.

At the OIC meet, Wang Yi madeareferencetothe Union Territory of Jammuand Kashmir. He said, “On Kashmir, we have heardagaintoday the calls of many of our Islamic friends.AndChinashares the same hope.” While the statement was open ended,it‘effectively offered supporttoall that was spoken on Jammuand Kashmir by the OIC foreign ministers,’ said theHindustan Times.

TheIndian government fired backand reminded Wang Yi thatasIndia doesn’t makeany “public judgment” regardinginternal matters ofChina,itshouldn’t either.

“We reject the uncalled referencetoIndia by theChineseforeign minister Wang Yi during his speechat the opening ceremony,” saidArindam Bagchi, spokesperson ofIndia’s ExternalAffairs Ministry.

“Matters relatedtothe Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmirare entirely theinternalaffairs ofIndia. Other countries,includingChina, have no locus standitocomment. They should note thatIndia refrains from public judgement of theirinternal issues,” headded.

Despite the ‘unannounced’arrival, the visittook place rather smoothly. Wang Yi proposedathree-pointapproach. First, he stressed onChinaandIndia’s long history,and urged the two sidestoview ‘bilateral relationswithalong-term vision’ Headded, "ChinaandIndia do not poseathreattoeach other, but provide opportunities for each other's development",accordingtothe MFA press release.

Next, he urged that the two nations “should view each other's developmentwithawin-win mindset,”and lastly, they must “participateinmultilateral processeswithacooperativeattitude.”

China-Sri Lanka

The island nation of Sri Lanka is reeling under one ofits worst financialmeltdowns. Despite huge foreigninvestment fromChina,its forex is depleting. This week, Colombo has soughtafresh loanand buyer’s credit from Beijing for USD 2.5 billion.AndChinais considering therequest.

Chinahas beenaccused of debt-trapping countries on multiple occasions.

QiZhenhong,Ambassador of the People's Republic ofChinatoSri Lanka, clarified that Beijing’sassistance is being extended on “competitive terms”,adding thatChinawould “never takeadvantage of Sri Lanka” while helpingacountryinneed, saidThe Hindu.

Continuous riseinCOVID-19 cases

Chinacontinuestobattle one ofits worstoutbreaksof COVID-19, primarily driven by the highlyinfectious Omicron variant. On Friday,Chinesehealth officials called the situation “severeand complex”.

Since March 1, theChinamainland has recorded more than 56,000 Covid-19 cases,accordingtonational health officials. While Hong Kong has recorded more thanamillion.

This week, the city of Shanghai, particularly sawasharp riseincases,withasmanyas2000 newasymptomatic cases.

The city came under strainascases rose, but theauthorities had no planstoimposeanyimmediate lockdown duetoits ‘important roleinthe nationaland global economy, making decisions on lockdown won't be easy.’

"Shanghai isacity that not only covers the Shanghai people themselves, butalso playsan important roleinthe national economicand social development,and even hasan impact on the global economy," saidCGTNquoting Wu Fan,amedical expert.

On March 28, however,at 5 am, theauthorities locked down the city of 25 million.Accordingtoreports, the city will lockdownintwo phasestoconduct mass testing. Currently, theareas east of the Huangpu Riverare under lockdown,andafter four days, the other half of the city,inthe west, will be under lockdown for four days.

Other citiestoo,continuetofollowastrict ‘zero-Covid ‘policy, more than 20 citiesand provinces have imposed travel bansand lockdowns since this wave began.This policyhas been facingbacklash. Studentsat Sichuan Universityinthe Chengdu, capital of southwesternChina's Sichuan province, said ‘they were effectively banned from leaving the campusalmost two weeksafter the city lifted restrictions,’ reported theSouthChinaMorning Post.

(Theauthor isanAssistant Researcherat WION TV)