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The week in China was marked by the worst heat wave to hit the country in August in 60 years. The average temperature in several provinces was around 40°C, which caused drought, power outages, forest fires and hospitalizations caused by the stifling heat.
The heat is unprecedented not only for the temperature, but also for the duration: there are already 75 days of high temperatures, breaking the previous record of 2013 (which recorded 62 days).
The sun also brought drought and river levels below what is necessary for the normal functioning of the national energy matrix. In southwest China’s Sichuan province, low water levels in the Yangtze – the world’s third longest river and the longest in Asia – caused Toyota, Volkswagen and Foxconn to suspend factories, causing a series of delays in supply chains. global.
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Authorities in Chengdu, the provincial capital, issued power rationing orders, urging residents to cut back on consumption and forcing luminous billboards and elevators to shut down. Even so, several blackouts were recorded throughout the week;
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According to SupChina, in Dazhou (also in Sichuan), the 5.4 million inhabitants were advised against using fans or air conditioning, as blackouts have been frequent in the region;
The National Meteorological Center issued a warning that if temperatures do not drop in the coming days, the heat wave could jeopardize the October harvest and bring problems to the country’s food security. The Ministry of Agriculture then instructed farmers to immediately start harvesting and storing rice, ensuring some stock for the coming weeks.
why it matters: The Yangtze River passes through 19 provinces and is responsible for 45% of China’s economic output, as well as being essential for the water supply of nearly half of the country. The drought could cause major shake-ups in Chinese industry and raise the cost of food, as, with the drops in production, the country will certainly need to import food – making commodities more expensive around the world.
what also matters
After nearly two and a half years, China will finally allow international students to return to the country. Chinese embassies in several countries announced the resumption of issuing X1 visas (long-term studies).
Interested parties will need to submit routine documents, such as the application form, admission letter (or return certificate) issued by the Chinese institution, in addition to the usual Covid-19 exams before boarding. Those who still have a valid residence permit will not need to undergo a new procedure.
THE Sheet contacted the Chinese Embassy in Brazil, which confirmed the return of issuing visas to Brazilian nationals. Students, however, are subject to the same rules as anyone entering the country, including mandatory quarantine, connection limitations and routine testing in the first few days after arrival.
The Chinese media was the only one in a group of eight countries whose news on the Brazilian economy was mostly favorable in the second quarter of this year. The survey is from the Radar +55 hub and also measured how the international press has been covering Brazil in Germany, Argentina, Chile, the United States, France, England and Mexico.
The study analyzed 310 news articles published about Brazil in the main press agencies in the mentioned countries. In China, 61% of them were favorable, while in Germany 100% of them were negative.
According to the hub, concluding agreements and holding the BRICS summit — a group that, in addition to Brazil and China, also includes India, Russia and South Africa — can help justify the positive news in the Asian country.
keep an eye
The publisher linked to the Chinese Armed Forces has just published another book with “Xi Jinping’s thinking on military strengthening”. In a booklet format with 63 questions and answers divided into 13 topics, the work wants to offer “a panoramic and systemic view” of what the Chinese leader expects. Force chiefs were ordered to study the book with their subordinates, using the work to train officers and rank-and-file soldiers.
why it matters: As the American newsletter Sinocism recalled, this is the tenth book linked to Xi and published for military guidance since June, an unusual frequency even for Chinese propaganda.
- Among the reasons for harping so much about the Chinese leader’s plans could be the tension in the Taiwanese crisis or, more likely, the guarantee of ideological loyalty from the forces on the fringes of congress that are expected to give Xi a third term in November.
to go deep
You don’t need to speak Chinese to enjoy the beautiful image gallery of the “Museum of the Ordinary People of Wuhan”, a project by a local photography studio that portrays the life of the inhabitants of the city at the epicenter of the Covid pandemic. (free, in Chinese)
The Brazil-China Business Council presents next Wednesday (31) the update of the report on Chinese investments in Brazil. The survey is conducted by Túlio Carello, who will be at 10 am presenting the results of 2021. Registration here. (free, in Portuguese)
RBChina released the full schedule of the meeting that brings together sinologists from all over Brazil annually. Organized in 2022 by Unicamp, the event has 50 speakers in four days of event (from September 19 to 22). Subscriptions here. (free, in Portuguese)
