China has been making headlines on March 6th and 7th, 2023, with various news outlets reporting on the country’s political and military activities, as well as its relationship with the United States and other countries. Here is a comprehensive overview of the news stories:
On March 6th, the Chinese government announced that it would raise military spending by 7.2%, making it the second-largest investor in the world, behind only the United States [Euronews]. The move comes amid rising tensions between China and the US, with President Xi Jinping accusing the US of containment, encirclement, and suppression of the Communist nation [New York Post].
The US, in turn, sees China’s propaganda efforts becoming more like Russia’s, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security. The report notes that China has long been seen by the US as a prolific source of anti-American propaganda but less aggressive in its influence operations than Russia [KSAT News].
Meanwhile, China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang held his first press briefing on March 6th, where he warned that soaring tensions between China and the US risked blowing past any guardrails in the relationship, showing that divisions between the world’s biggest economies remain high [CNBC]. Qin, who was until recently China’s ambassador to the US, said that China would pursue a sound and stable relationship with the US.
On March 7th, Qin held another press conference and gestured as he prepared to leave, following his comments on US-China relations [The Washington Post]. The same article notes that US officials have accused China of engaging in cyberattacks against the US, with the latest attacks targeting US military contractors.
President Xi Jinping sought to rally China’s private sector to help overcome containment by the US and other countries, in rare direct criticism of the nation’s biggest trading partner [Bloomberg]. In his speech, Xi pledged to boost confidence in the private sector and support its development.
In addition to these political and military developments, the Chinese government is also seeking to make solid progress in advancing Chinese modernization, pursuing progress while ensuring stability and promoting high-quality development in 2023, according to the Government Work Report revealed at the opening meeting of the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 6th [China Daily Global].
Finally, in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for an investigation into allegations that Beijing interfered with Canadian elections.