Visit of Japanese PM Abe to China, a potential game-changer in Sino-Japanese relations
Over recent years Sino-Japanese relations have been fraught as territorial disputes have continued to divide the two countries’ leaders and their people.
However, this month Chinese leaders wooed Japanese PM Abe, who made an official visit to Beijing. China hopes that improved economic ties with Japan might lighten the impact of the trade war with the US on its economy. This comes in the same month that the Chinese Yuan hit a ten year low against the Dollar.
The sight of Japanese flags lined up alongside Chinese flags outside Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City felt a far contrast to the more familiar site of anti-Japanese protests which have occurred a number of times in China in recent years.
Longest bridge in the world opens between Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China
This month marked the opening of the longest bridge in the world. The 55km bridge connects the Chinese city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province with the territories of Hong Kong and Macau, whose legal and administrative systems remain largely independent of Beijing.
China hopes that the bridge will improve connectivity between the Mainland and Hong Kong & Macau, particularly as is strives to turn the Pearl River Delta into a tech hub.
However, questions have been raised over the economic benefits of the bridge, which went way over budget.
In Hong Kong, many see the bridge as a further symbol of the Mainland’s bid to reintegrate Macao and Hong Kong back into China.
UK among countries set to challenge China over Muslim internment camps
A groundbreaking report from the BBC this month provided further evidence of internment camps in China’s far west region of Xinjiang, where it is believed that around 1 million Uighur and Kazakh Muslims of Chinese nationality have been incarcerated.
British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt recently confirmed in parliament that British diplomats, who have visited the region, consider the reports to be broadly true. The UK and other countries are set to challenge China on this and other issues when its human rights record is reviewed at the UN in November.
China has also publicly acknowledged the camps for the first time, but insists that they are providing vocational training and helping Uighur Muslims to improve their lives.
Meanwhile…
Brooklyn Beckham got on the wrong side of Chinese netizens this month, after an Instagram post in Italy, which appeared to complain about the high number of Asian tourists in Venice.
This came just weeks after his father, David Beckham, posted his first visit to the Great Wall of China, in which he told of his honour to visit China’s most famous tourist site.
Not quite like father, like son then…
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