#TwoSessions | The body of the State Council that is responsible for hearing public complaints gained more power as a result of the restructuring carried out in meetings held by the National People’s Congress and the People’s Political Consultative Conference. 🧵 1/5
The objective is to reinforce and improve the process by which the government treats complaints and suggestions made by the people. 2/5
The National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration serves as the collection center for information on public demands, which are then forwarded to higher government bodies in charge of responding. 3/5
The petition mechanism remains China's most widely used means of contesting government actions, with much of it coming from smaller cities and rural areas. 4/5
The upgrade is seen as a sign that China wants the office to move from being an information gatherer to being a problem solver, in line with Xi Jinping's call and the commitment of the deputies during the Two Sessions to "serve the people”. 5/5
Last monday, the new Chinese Premier, Li Qiang, holds his first press conference following the closure of the Two Sessions
Here are some of the main takeaways from his speech that offer signs about what may lie ahead for China in the near future. A 🧵1/7
China will shift its economic focus to high-quality development and improve capacity for science and technology. The Premier added that the average Chinese entering the labor force has 14 years of education under their belt. 2/7
In addition to stating that the government will introduce necessary policies to achieve this year's 5% economic growth target, Li Qiang said that the government's first mission is to improve the well being and livelihood of the people. 3/7
The Two Sessions set "high-quality development" as China's main goal. The principle is understood as an innovative, coordinated, green, and open development for all. The Congress approved the creation of the National Data Bureau to regulate the digital economy. 🧵1/3
The new body will also oversee data operations of large internet companies. An entity to ensure the security & efficiency of the financial services sector was also created. The National Financial Regulatory Administration will oversee protection of the sector consumer rights. 2/3
The Ministry of Science and Technology will manage fewer resources to focus on policy-making. The aim of ensuring tech self-sufficiency in the coming years is one of the country's biggest challenges. 3/3
Many people do not realize that China has a multi-party political system. A thread with the eight parties that were created before 1949 as part of the united front strategy and continue to play a key role in the Political Consultative Conference.
💸🇺🇸 | There are already more than 6,000 US importers who have filed lawsuits to demand reimbursement of billions of dollars for the tariffs imposed by Trump, starting in 2018, on imports from China.
A short 🧵1/5
The first lawsuit was filed in September 2020 by HMTX Industries.
Within months the case was amended to include more than 3,000 similar lawsuits filed by other US importers. 2/5
An HMTX executive said that because taxes are collected by U.S. Customs when goods enter the country, it is U.S. importers who end up paying those tariffs and that the duties end up being passed on to U.S. consumers. 3/5
🛢️🔥| China's demand for foreign oil and natural gas declined in 2022 amid a slowdown in the macroeconomy and rising energy prices. 🧵1/3
China's dependence on oil imports fell a 0.8 percentage point in 2022 from a year earlier to 71.2%, while that of natural gas fell 4.4 percentage points to 40.2%, according to the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. 2/3
China imported 508 million tonnes of crude oil in 2022, down 1% year-on-year and fell for a second straight year. Imports of natural gas fell 10.4% in 2022, to 152.1 billion cubic meters. 3/3
⚡📡| Watch Out Elon! China to launch 13,000 satellites to stop Musk’s Starlink from enclosing/hogging “low-orbit resources” say PLA space scientists
A 🧵about China’s mysterious new project “GW” 1/7
A paper published in the Chinese journal Command Control and Simulation on February 15th reports that the “GW” constellation will include 12,992 satellites owned by the newly established China Satellite Network Group Co. 2/7
This was revealed by Associate professor Xu Can with the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Space Engineering University in Beijing and team in their paper on anti-Starlink measures. Starlink plans to have 12,00 satellites in orbit by 2027. 3/7