China and Pakistan: Iron brothers in arms
News briefing for April 27, 2023
Here’s what else you need to know about China today:
Top story: China has evacuated more than 1,300 Chinese citizens out of Sudan as violence continues to wreak havoc in the northern African country where China has long-standing investments. Beijing has not taken a side in the current conflict, not offered to mediate, and analysts expect it to stay that way.
China and Pakistan pledged deeper military cooperation during a meeting between top defense officials yesterday. “China always puts Pakistan in priority in its neighborhood diplomacy,” Zhāng Yòuxiá 张又侠, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, told Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir. Munir, who is on his maiden visit to Beijing, noted that “the friendship between Pakistan and China is higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, and sweeter than honey,” while pledging support for Beijing’s interests in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea.
Chinese police questioned employees at Bain, the U.S. management consulting firm, during a surprise visit to the company’s Shanghai office, as foreign firms — particularly those from the U.S. — come under greater scrutiny from Beijing. Less than a month ago, five Chinese nationals working for American due diligence firm the Mintz Group in Beijing were detained by authorities, who later shut down the branch. Bain has since confirmed the incident.
A Taiwan-based publisher is under investigation by Chinese authorities after he disappeared upon his arrival to Shanghai to visit family last month. Lǐ Yánhè 李延贺, who goes by the pen name Fùchá 富察, was born in China before he relocated to Taiwan in 2009. He was the editor-in-chief of Gusa Publishing, which has published books that are critical of Beijing, including a history of Chinese oppression in Xinjiang and Beijing’s global propaganda efforts.
China is gearing up for the weeklong May 1 Labor Day holiday, with the China Railway predicting a record-breaking turnover of rail passengers. About 120 million passengers are expected to travel by rail for the holiday, a 20% increase over 2019 and the highest number in history. Business at hotels, airlines, and group tours is also expected to exceed 2019 numbers, leading some hotels to drastically hike prices.
Spirit maker ZJLD Group had a lackluster debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, dropping 18% in its first day of trading. Other listed manufacturers of baijiu, China’s most popular type of liquor, have seen their share prices fall this year.
State media: Party paper the People’s Daily’s top story is about Anhui Province promoting technological innovation and the “four chains” — the innovation chain, industry (supply) chain, capital chain, and talent chain. Xinhua News Agency’s top story is a collection of short videos dedicated to the upcoming May 1 Labor Day holiday: Labor forges the Chinese dream.