Nectar Gan, Author at The Singapore Post

China’s Surveillance Eye on the African Continent

30Oct

By Nectar GanNo Comments

China’s Surveillance Eye on the African Continent

Chinese investment in the African continent has witnessed a staggering upshoot in the past two decades. Infrastructural projects ranging from roadways, railways, ports, electricity hubs, fishing industries to telecommunication frameworks are quite rampant across the continent. Most of these projects seem to be financed through the Chinese developmental banks; yet the terms and conditions of these arrangements have been kept quite secretive leading to suspicion that they contain unfavourable provisions for the host nations. The African continent combined altogether owes China a deficit of $93 billion dollars which is predicted to reach an astounding $153 billion in the coming years. A more worrying scenario however, is the growing surveillance that China has created within different Afr...

FEARS OF CHINA’S COLONIES UNDER NEW XI JINPING

28Oct

By Nectar GanNo Comments

FEARS OF CHINA’S COLONIES UNDER NEW XI JINPING

By the time the 20th Party Congress of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) comes to a close, Xi is expected to have emerged as the second reincarnation of Chairman Mao Zedong who successfully headed the Communist revolution and ruled over the CCP and China decisively, ruthlessly and unchallenged for 27 years (1949-1976) till his last breath. While Mao’s rule (1949-1978) is known for consolidation of Communist dictatorship over China and elimination of almost every single Chinese leader who had even an iota of real or imaginary potential of opposing the dictatorship of Mao or the CCP, Deng’s period (1978-1989) is known for emergence of China as a new economic and military power on the world scene. The history of President Xi since he took over as the General Secretary of the CCP and Chairman of

How China is stifling the discourse around MeToo

20Sep

By Nectar GanNo Comments

How China is stifling the discourse around MeToo

On August 10, a Beijing court dismissed Zhou Xiaoxuan's appeal after she accused a prominent state television presenter of sexual harassment. Because it inspired additional women to come forward and publicly disclose their own experiences with sexual harassment, the case was regarded as a turning point for the #MeToo movement in China. The influence spread beyond the internet and sparked group actions offline as well. Numerous women gathered outside the courthouse to support Zhou at her first trial in 2021, and the police remained silent. However, at the same time, the debate of the case was controlled on social media, and only a few media outlets were permitted to present a short story in keeping with the official line about the case, which illustrates the growing nervousness over the...

One-Party System to One-Person System, Xi’s Rule to Extend Until 2028

1Sep

By Nectar GanNo Comments

One-Party System to One-Person System, Xi’s Rule to Extend Until 2028

China braces for a long and bitter winter as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is all set to change from a "One-Party System" to a "One-Person System". Chinese leader Xi Jinping chaired a Politburo meeting on 30 August that decided to hold the party's plenary meeting on 9 October, followed by the 20th National Congress of CCP on 16 October, according to an official announcement by the state-run Xinhua news agency. The statement said that Xi Jinping would lead the whole party and continue to promote common prosperity and promote a community of shared future for humankind and great rejuvenation. The unambiguous statement emphatically signals that the ruling Chinese Communist Party will hold National Congress to support Xi Jinping formally, 69, to stay in power - on track for an unprecede...

Is China fast losing its appeal for Japanese companies?

31Aug

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Is China fast losing its appeal for Japanese companies?

With China still placing a large swath of its cities in pandemic related lockdowns and its friction with the US in the Taiwan Straits gradually inching towards an alarming stage, a large number of Japanese production facilities, including chip making companies have begun moving out of China. According to the Asahi Shimbun, 135 companies engaged in the manufacturing of semiconductors, cosmetic items, clothing, household appliances and motor vehicles have begun dismantling their operations in China. Japan’s widely circulated daily said that while some Japanese companies are relocating their manufacturing bases to Vietnam and the countries of the South Asian region, a sizable number of companies are coming back to home since they feel weaker yen is hurting their profits. Japan has abou

China’s Censorship Escalates as it begins Censoring Children Movies to suit its Agenda

30Aug

By Nectar GanNo Comments

China’s Censorship Escalates as it begins Censoring Children Movies to suit its Agenda

After it was discovered on social media that the Chinese version of the new children's movie "Minions: The Rise of Gru" had an edited conclusion that backed the communist regime's objectives, attention has once again been drawn to China's extensive censorship efforts. The Chinese version of the movie differs from the international one. Instead of riding out into the sunset after a heist, one character gets sentenced to 20 years in jail and the other decides to give up his bad ways. In an apparent allusion to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping's three-child policy, the latter then devotes his life to raising three children. Chris Fenton, a veteran Hollywood executive and the author of "Feeding the Dragon," stated in an interview that it was unclear if Universal Pictures ...

China’s covid health app – a political tool to stifle dissent

22Jun

By Nectar GanNo Comments

China’s covid health app – a political tool to stifle dissent

In latest attempt to stifle dissent, the Chinese authorities have misusedhealth app code to stop depositors who had lost access to their funds, from protesting against local banks in the Henan province. Several activists and netizens have criticised the authorities while some described it a new political tool of the government to restrict mobility and others said it is digital handcuffs. In early pandemic time, China had developed a color-coded smartphone app to track the movement of people in its effort to control the spread of COVID-19 and implement its zero-COVID policy.The government had used mobile apps to identify and isolate people from who might be spreading Covid-19. Recent media reports stated that authorities in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, used the require...

CCP Shies Away From Blaming XI Covid Policy As Economy Falters

26May

By Nectar GanNo Comments

CCP Shies Away From Blaming XI Covid Policy As Economy Falters

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is launching desperate measures to “stabilise” the faltering Chinese economy as President Xi Jinping is adamant about not diluting his Zero Covid policy even at the risk of alienating more people. What impact the mauled economy has on the 20th Party Congress where Xi wants to get his third term is anybody’s guess. In an unusual incident that shows how rattled the government is with the flailing economy, Premier Li Keqiang presided over a State Council Executive Meeting recently. It is said the executive may have decided on the measures much earlier but decided to announce the results only now. The measures finalised by the State Council prove without doubt what the media calls “the economic dislocation from Beijing's Zero-COVID policy, bruised inves

Pakistan arm-twisting Taliban on Durand Line

5Nov

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Pakistan arm-twisting Taliban on Durand Line

Pakistan is said to be arm-twisting the Taliban government in Kabul to accept the Durand Line and to stop opposing the fence being constructed along the border. Pakistan has threatened to stop transit to Afghans across the Durand Line ifthe Taliban government failed to accept the proposition. The Taliban government is reportedly miffed at this Pakistani blackmail and has made it clear in no uncertain terms that such conditions on the Durand Line were unacceptable. The Taliban government, like the previous governments, is historicallyopposed to the Durand line and has expressed unhappiness over the borderfence being constructed by Pakistan. The Pashtuns believe that the DurandLine divides their homeland. Pakistan has viewed the Durand Line as critical to its survival as a Punjabi-...

China gathering Tanks for marine operations

18Jun

By Nectar GanNo Comments

China gathering Tanks for marine operations

Hong Kong: Chinese marines are bulking up on heavier armored vehicles. CCTV, China's state-owned television broadcaster, showed members of the PLA Navy Marine Corps (PLANMC) examining new ZTQ-15 light tanks after an exercise.Indeed, this is the first time the PLANMC has owned genuine tanks - as opposed to armor like ZBD-05/ZTD-05 amphibious vehicles or ZTL-11 8x8 tank destroyers. As the PLA's premier amphibious and expeditionary force, the marine corps is obviously eyeing a new and broader range of missions.Firstly, what is a ZTQ-15 (also known as Type 15) tank? It is the PLA ground force's newest tank, first fielded by the 123rd Combined Arms Brigade in the Southern Theater Command, and then in Tibet and most recently in an unidentified Xinjiang unit.At 36 tonnes, this light tank is 9.2m...