China Now 17-02: Looking back at top 5 military news of 2023
The China Now special program informs about this country's news. The first segment dives into the top 5 military news of 2023. The second segment covers the creation by a Chinese team of a working semiconductor out of graphene. teleSUR
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00:00 [Music]
00:08 Hello, Telesur English presents a new episode of China Now,
00:12 a Wave Media's production that showcases the culture, technology and politics of the Asian giant.
00:17 In this first segment, a second episode of China Currents celebrates the Chinese New Year,
00:22 diving into the main stories of the year 2023
00:26 that impacted the lives of the Chinese citizens and the world. Let's see.
00:31 China Currents is a weekly news talk show from China to the world.
00:35 We cover viral news about China every week
00:38 and also give you the newest updates on China's cutting-edge technologies.
00:42 Let's get started.
00:44 [Music]
00:52 Happy Chinese New Year! I'm Chris. Welcome to this special episode of China Currents.
00:57 2023 was a year of rabbit in Chinese calendar.
01:00 Yet, as we all have seen, 2023 was nowhere near the tamed image of a rabbit.
01:05 There was, or actually is, the upheaval in Palestine, the ongoing war in Ukraine.
01:11 In China, there was earthquake in northwestern China, the flood and heavy rain in northern China.
01:16 Many of these events are still impacting our lives,
01:19 and others may have become a little bit obscured by this moment.
01:23 But either way, there are still factors that shape 2023 as we know it.
01:27 So without further ado, here's your second episode of Looking Back at 2023.
01:32 Top 5 Military News
01:35 On November 20th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed deep concern
01:41 about the US decision to sell up to 400 long-range Tomahawk missiles to Japan during a press briefing.
01:47 The arms trade was authorized by US State Department on November 17th
01:52 with a total transaction value of approximately 2.35 billion dollars.
01:56 Although the US didn't mention China directly,
01:59 they claimed that the arms sale would improve Japan's capacity to meet current and future threats.
02:04 Initially, the delivery of the missiles was scheduled to begin in 2026,
02:08 but the US and Japan agreed to accelerate the timeline by one year
02:12 by replacing a portion of the missiles with older types.
02:16 On the same day the US authorized the deal,
02:18 Chinese President Xi and US President Biden agreed to reopen military-to-military contact
02:23 during their meeting in San Francisco.
02:25 And consequently, arms trade is seen as US taking military advantage
02:30 while pretending to have a detente with China.
02:33 Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning criticized the US attempt to arm Japan,
02:37 a country restrained by its peace constitution.
02:40 The Tomahawk deal will further intensify an arms race that undermines regional peace and security.
02:45 Mao also pointed out that Japan's history of waging World War II
02:49 has made its militarization a concern for neighboring countries.
02:53 Mao concluded by stating that US and Japan should respect the security concerns of Asian countries.
02:59 Next up, on December 16th,
03:02 Kyoto News Agency reported that Fumio Kishida is seeking to raise Japan's military budget
03:07 for 2024 to 7.7 trillion yen, marking the 10th consecutive year of record-breaking military spending.
03:15 The allocated funds will primarily be utilized for procuring long-range missiles
03:19 capable of targeting military installations in foreign territories.
03:23 Additionally, Japan also intends to establish a military research institute
03:27 to develop offensive weapons, including next-generation fighter jets.
03:32 Martin Natalegawa, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia,
03:36 highlighted the contradiction between the Japanese government's persistent claims of avoiding military power status
03:42 since its defeat in World War II and its current actions.
03:46 Da Zhigang, director of China's Northeast Asia Studies Institute,
03:49 observed that Japan's concentration on deploying military forces to the southwestern islands,
03:55 particularly targeting China's Diaoyu Islands, suggests an intention to involve itself in the Taiwan question.
04:02 On December 18th, the China Coast Guard conducted a patrol within China's territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands.
04:09 China has maintained garrison on these islands since as early as 1171,
04:14 historically considering the Diaoyu Islands as its first line of defense against maritime threats.
04:20 On the other hand, according to a Kyoto News poll on Sunday,
04:23 the support rate for Fumio Kishida's cabinet fell to a new low of 22.3%,
04:28 while that for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party slipped below 30% for the first time since its return to power more than a decade ago.
04:35 Next up, the Taiwan Strait.
04:37 On December 11th, the Defense Department of the Taiwan authorities reported that
04:42 a flotilla of People's Liberation Army Navy passed through the Taiwan Strait from north to south on that day.
04:49 The formation was led by Shandong, the country's first domestically built aircraft carrier.
04:54 Taiwan's defense authorities claim that they have monitored the movement of the planned formation through joint reconnaissance measures.
05:02 According to media outlets based on Taiwan Island,
05:05 both Japan and US have also sent naval ships near the planned flotilla for further developments.
05:10 This marked the second appearance of the Shandong Carrier Group in the Taiwan Strait within a month,
05:16 previously sailing from south to north.
05:19 Before heading south, the formation had been conducting training exercises in the northern coastal waters.
05:25 On December 8th, the state-owned China Central Television released a two-minute video
05:30 showcasing the processes of carrier-based fighters landing and taking off,
05:35 demonstrating the readiness of China's carrier strike group in a high-profile manner.
05:40 Many speculate that the flotilla is now heading back to its home port located in the country's southernmost Hainan Island.
05:47 However, foreign media tends to depict it as a gesture to exert pressure on the Taiwan authorities,
05:53 especially with the approaching 2024 election.
05:57 Next up, on August 19th, the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army announced
06:02 that it had organized joint sea and air combat readiness patrols around the Taiwan Island,
06:08 conducting joint exercises involving naval and aerial forces.
06:12 According to the report from Taiwan, a total of 45 PLA military aircraft and 9 warships
06:18 were observed operating near the Taiwan Strait.
06:21 Among the 45 aircrafts, 27 crossed the so-called "middle line."
06:27 Notably, the Eastern Theater Command also released a video of the exercise.
06:32 Undoubtedly, the aim is to demonstrate the joint combat capabilities of the theater's forces,
06:37 sending a strong warning to both separatists and foreign countries that are engaged in provocations and collusion.
06:45 The military exercise is a reaction to Lai Ching-tung's earlier visit to the United States.
06:50 Lai, a politician affiliated with Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party,
06:55 arrived in New York for so-called "transit" on August 12th.
06:59 Lai used his brief transit in New York to garner support for his separatist agenda from the United States.
07:06 Meanwhile, China's Taiwan Affairs Office also started its investigation into trade barriers set by Taiwan Island,
07:13 which probably lead to an end of the ECFA, the trade agreement between the mainland and the island.
07:20 On August 21st, China's General Administration of Customs suspended importing Taiwan's mangoes.
07:27 According to the official announcement, citrus miller bugs have been found on mangoes from the Taiwan Island in recent inspections.
07:34 The suspension is made to prevent further damage to the mainland's agricultural production.
07:39 On Chinese internet, many consider the suspension as a warning to the Taiwan separatists.
07:45 Next up, on November 23rd, a ceremony in Incheon was jointly held by China and South Korea
07:51 to transfer the remains and belongings of 25 Chinese soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
08:00 The significant event marked the 10th handover ceremony and took place at Incheon International Airport.
08:07 Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, Ching Hai Ming,
08:10 respectively covered the coffins of the soldiers with Chinese national flags,
08:14 followed by a solemn memorial service conducted by the Chinese delegation.
08:19 The coffins were then escorted by the Chinese Honor Guards to an awaiting Air Force plane for repatriation.
08:26 Expressing gratitude for South Korea's consistent effort in facilitating the handover,
08:31 Chinese Vice Minister of Veterans Affairs, Chang Cheng-kwo, acknowledged and appreciated their commitment.
08:37 Chang also emphasized China's dedication to further enhancing communication and coordination with South Korea,
08:43 deepening friendly cooperation, and expediting the repatriation process for more fallen Chinese soldiers.
08:50 The ceremony was attended by members of the Chinese delegation, officials from the Chinese embassy in South Korea,
08:57 representatives of the Chinese students and companies based in South Korea,
09:01 as well as officials from the South Korean Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Presidential Office.
09:07 Top 5 Political News
09:10 On July 17th, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, visited China.
09:17 He talked with his Chinese counterpart about emission and carbon neutrality.
09:21 According to various reports, the intention of Kerry's visit was to pressure China to yield more in total emission.
09:28 However, after three days of negotiation, Kerry left Beijing without any announcement to make.
09:34 Observers thus commented, "Keeping communicating is better than nothing," a similar statement to Blinken's earlier visit.
09:41 In combating global warming, China has done a lot to reduce its emissions.
09:45 In 2022, 31.6% of electricity was generated by renewable energy.
09:51 76% of the newly constructed power plants were renewable energy-based.
09:56 24% of all the vehicles sold in 2023 are BEV, battery electric vehicles,
10:03 which means that they are fully electric vehicles with rechargeable batteries, and no gasoline engine.
10:09 In terms of reforestation, between 2010 and 2020, China has added an average of 1.94 million hectares of forest per year
10:18 with a growth rate of 0.93%, the fastest in the world.
10:23 However, despite all the efforts, the United States still blames China for global warming,
10:28 and their argument is quite consistent—total emissions.
10:32 According to UN data, in 2019, China was responsible for 27% of global emissions,
10:38 while the United States was 11%.
10:41 China thus generates the most greenhouse gas in the world.
10:44 However, there's always doubt about relying on statistics on total emissions to make plans.
10:50 China's long argued that it would be more reasonable to look into annual emissions per capita,
10:56 and things would look a little bit different.
10:58 If we add population into consideration, in 2019, each Chinese person was responsible for 10.1 tons of CO2,
11:07 while each American generated 17.6 tons of CO2.
11:12 In terms of transportation by land, sea, and air, each American produced 5.5 tons of CO2,
11:18 while one Chinese generated only 0.7 tons of CO2.
11:23 You see, when you look at emissions per capita, the average Chinese person emits quite a bit less than the average American.
11:30 China is a huge country of 1.4 billion people, so it makes sense it would emit more than smaller nations overall.
11:38 But the United States has only 330 million people, about 4% of the global population, yet it produces 11% of the total emissions.
11:47 Where does most of the Chinese emissions go? Industry and manufacturing.
11:52 And where does the products go? The West.
11:55 The US has less emissions in the industrial sector, but that's only because the highly polluted sector has been relocated to places like China.
12:03 Despite all that, average Americans still produce more CO2.
12:07 And that, my friend, is called the American way of living.
12:11 Big-ass pickup trucks and AC systems 24/7, the fact is, the Earth cannot withstand our population to go on the American lifestyle.
12:19 In other words, the current American lifestyle is based on the fact that most people are deprived of such a way of living.
12:26 It's a privilege, not a right.
12:29 On July 25th, China's top legislator voted to appoint Wang Yi as the new foreign minister.
12:35 Meanwhile, Qin Gang, who previously served as China's ambassador to the United States from 2021 to 2023, will step down from his post as foreign minister.
12:45 Wang Yi, 69, was China's foreign minister for almost a decade from 2013 to 2022.
12:51 He has been an influential figure in shaping China's foreign policy and has played an important role in strengthening China's diplomatic ties around the world.
13:00 In June, Wang Yi met with his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, while the latter was in China,
13:05 and they recently met at a Jakarta meeting to promote dialogue between the two countries on work to stabilize China-US relations.
13:13 Before the reappointment, Wang Yi served as CPC's senior member for foreign affairs, the top diplomat in Chinese politics.
13:20 Although this announcement has fueled rumors why Qin was removed,
13:24 the reshuffle of key positions in the Chinese government's diplomatic body reflects its ongoing effort to maintain a dynamic and proactive international engagement.
13:33 As China navigates a complex and evolving global landscape, this appointment reaffirms China's commitment to multilateralism, cooperation, and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
13:45 The first country Wang Yi visited as he resumed his post in the foreign ministry was Turkey.
13:50 A day after the reappointment on July 26, Wang Yi met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
13:58 During the talk, Erdogan welcomed China's enterprises to expand their investments in Turkey
14:03 and expressed Turkey's willingness to maintain communication and coordination with China on international and regional issues, such as Ukraine.
14:12 He also stated that Turkey does not support NATO's increased activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
14:17 Wang Yi's visit marks the highest-level visit from a Chinese official to Turkey since 2021,
14:23 and besides Turkey, Wang recently attended the BRICS National Security Advisors' Meeting in Johannesburg,
14:29 where he remarked the BRICS mechanism is vital for dialogue and cooperation among major developing countries.
14:36 On November 30, Henry Kissinger, a former U.S. Secretary of State and a towering figure in international diplomacy during the Nixon and Ford administrations, has passed away at age 100.
14:48 The news marks the end of an era for the man who played a pivotal role in shaping American foreign policy in the late 20th century.
14:56 Born in Fürth, Germany, Kissinger emigrated to the United States as a teenager to escape the Nazi regime.
15:03 As a U.S. top diplomat, Kissinger played a crucial role in many significant international events,
15:09 including the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with China,
15:13 the negotiations of the Paris Peace Accords and help to end the Vietnam War, and the initiation of detente with the Soviet Union.
15:21 Henry Kissinger, as the United States National Security Advisor and later as Secretary of State during the Nixon administration,
15:28 made a secret trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1971,
15:34 paved the way for President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China the following year.
15:39 Kissinger maintained the role as an informal diplomat and consultant on foreign policy, including U.S.-China relations, long after he left public office.
15:50 He visited China numerous times in the decades after he initially helped open diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China,
15:57 meeting with Chinese leaders and giving speeches on international relations and diplomacy.
16:02 Many Chinese feel Kissinger as a key architect of the diplomatic breakthrough with China and appreciate his pragmatic approach to international politics.
16:12 His book "On China," which outlines his perspective on Chinese geopolitical strategy and history, has been widely read in the country.
16:21 In a world of today, it would be hard, if not impossible, to see another man maneuvering diplomacy based on realpolitik.
16:28 In other words, to build allies based on not ideology but purely pragmatic reasons.
16:34 But I'm not mourning the end of that era.
16:37 Realpolitik, at least when in the hands of the Americans, was gone for good.
16:41 It may be credited for paving the way for normalized Sino-American relations and giving Kissinger a Nobel Peace Prize for ending the Vietnam War.
16:50 But remember, contributing to that prize, there were also the war crimes in Indochina,
16:55 the deadly coup d'etat against Salvador Allende in Chile, the firm support of the bloodbath in East Timor,
17:01 and, as we are witnessing this very moment, the Palestinian question.
17:06 Henry Kissinger was a man of his times.
17:09 The Cold War, a period when imperialistic diplomacy was in its all-out form, that period has long gone,
17:16 and the death of Henry Kissinger just officially crafted the epitaph of that historical episode.
17:23 On December 12th, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam,
17:28 where he held talks with Nguyen Phu Trong, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
17:34 The meeting marked the third round of reciprocal visits between the two leaders
17:38 and aimed to strengthen the bilateral relationship between China and Vietnam.
17:43 Xi and Nguyen held talks to discuss various aspects of the bilateral relationship.
17:48 Both leaders recognized the historical ties and mutual support between China and Vietnam,
17:54 both during their struggles for national independence and in their respective reform and innovation endeavors.
18:00 Xi stressed the strategic significance of China-Vietnam relations in a current global context of unprecedented changes.
18:08 He called for a strengthened partnership that would contribute to the stability, development, and prosperity of the region and the world.
18:16 Both sides have announced a new positioning of relations between the two parties and nations,
18:21 committing to building a Chinese-Vietnamese community with shared future that holds strategic importance.
18:28 After the talks, both leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents,
18:33 which covered over 30 areas of cooperation, including Belt and Road Initiative, digital economy, green development,
18:41 transportation, defense and law enforcement security, and more.
18:45 Overall, President Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam showcased the deepening friendship and cooperation between China and Vietnam
18:52 and laid the groundwork for a stronger partnership in the years to come.
18:57 Let's take a look at the overseas Chinese students.
19:00 According to a December 12th report by Science,
19:03 a new Florida state law is preventing faculty at the state's 12 public universities and colleges
19:09 from hiring Chinese graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to work in their labs.
19:15 Passed in May and effective since July 2022,
19:18 the law prohibits Florida public universities from accepting any donations or signing agreements with China and six other countries of concern,
19:27 including Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela.
19:32 Certain research and academic collaborations, including visiting scholar programs, have also been banned since December 1st.
19:40 While students from those countries can still enroll in graduate programs,
19:44 they cannot obtain paid research positions, including graduate assistantships or postdoctoral appointments.
19:50 The restrictions currently apply to those living in or receiving a year or more of training employment abroad,
19:57 even with U.S. citizenship, unless granted case-by-case exemption by the state higher education board.
20:04 As universities formulate rules to implement this legislation,
20:07 the resultant uncertainty has already frozen admissions offers originally scheduled for December-January to Chinese graduate applicants for fall 2024.
20:17 The chilling effect comes as Chinese students increasingly opt for alternative destinations beyond the U.S.
20:23 amid travel barriers, surging anti-Asian hate, safety fears, geopolitics.
20:29 Already Chinese enrollment in America dropped 8.6% last year.
20:33 All right, that's all for today's roundup.
20:36 Thank you for watching this special episode of China Currents.
20:39 If you have any thoughts and comments about our show, please reach us at the email address below.
20:44 I'm Chris, looking forward to hearing from you, and happy Chinese New Year.
20:48 And see you in the next episode.
20:50 And we will go for a short break now, but we'll be right back. Stay with us.
20:58 Welcome back to China Now.
21:17 In this second section, we will dive into a new revolutionary research of a U.S.-Chinese team
21:22 that's creating a working semiconductor out of graphene for the first time,
21:27 potentially paving the way for ultra-fast computing beyond silicon chips.
21:31 Let's see.
21:32 A Chinese-U.S. research team has created a working semiconductor out of graphene for the first time,
21:43 potentially paving the way for ultra-fast computing beyond silicon chips.
21:48 For years, semiconductor technologies have relied on silicon,
21:52 but they are reaching their limits, pushing against the physical boundaries of Moore's Law.
21:57 This has driven the search for new materials that could keep powering advances in computing and electronics
22:04 beyond what is possible with conventional silicon-based approaches.
22:08 And that material is graphene. It is a single layer of carbon atoms over a million times thinner than human hair.
22:17 It is also known as the first stable two-dimensional material at room temperature.
22:22 Compared to silicon, it has greater electronic potential for microchips.
22:27 Since its discovery in 2004, scientists have worked to combine graphene with other carbon materials
22:34 to create an energy-efficient, high-speed chip that is better than today's fastest semiconductors.
22:41 However, there is a big challenge.
22:44 Despite its remarkable conductivity, graphene lacks something called a bandgap.
22:50 Think of a bandgap as a gate that controls the flow of electrons in a semiconductor.
22:56 When the gate, bandgap, is closed, electrons cannot pass,
23:00 and the material acts as an insulator, blocking the flow of electricity.
23:05 When the gate opens, electrons can jump across the barrier, and the material conducts electricity.
23:12 The graphene lacks this natural gate, or bandgap.
23:16 Without a bandgap, graphene is like a road without traffic control.
23:20 Electrons can always flow freely, resulting in excellent conductivity,
23:25 but you can't stop or regulate them when needed.
23:28 This constant flow is great for some applications,
23:31 but a problem for electronic devices like computer chips or digital switches,
23:37 where you need to precisely control when and how electrons move.
23:42 Therefore, without a bandgap, graphene can't effectively switch between conducting and blocking electricity,
23:49 and cannot effectively control the flow of electrons, limiting its applications in precise current control.
23:57 However, scientists have now discovered a method to overcome this limitation.
24:02 Researchers from Tianjin University and collaborators from the Georgia Institute of Technology
24:09 have successfully developed a process to introduce a bandgap to graphene,
24:14 opening up new possibilities for ultra-high mobility semiconducting epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide.
24:22 By growing graphene on silicon carbide crystals and using a specialized annealing method,
24:29 they've managed to produce a buffer layer of graphene with a well-ordered structure.
24:35 They've created high-quality semiconducting graphene with an impressive bandgap of 0.6 electron volts.
24:43 This breakthrough introduced traffic lights to bandgap at strategic points along the highway,
24:49 enabling precise control of electron flow and opening up new avenues for advanced electronic devices.
24:56 At room temperature, this new semiconducting epitaxial graphene, SEG,
25:02 has mobilities that exceed 5000 square centimeters per volt-second,
25:08 which is more than 20 times greater than the limit imposed by phonon scattering in other 2D semiconductors,
25:16 and significantly surpasses the mobility of traditional materials.
25:21 Picture your computer's processor working 20 times faster,
25:25 enabling lightning-fast computations and seamless multitasking.
25:30 This is the kind of advancement SEG brings to the table.
25:34 Moreover, SEG is also very stable and compatible with current manufacturing methods.
25:40 It can be easily patterned and integrated with other graphene layers,
25:44 which means that the material can be shaped in precise ways without much difficulties,
25:49 to create intricate and precise design necessary for advanced electronic devices.
25:55 And this makes it an ideal candidate for next-generation nano-electronics.
26:01 While the research is still in its early stages, the group leader, Professor Ma Lei,
26:07 estimated that it might take another 10 to 15 years to fully realize the industrial implementation of graphene semiconductors.
26:17 But the breakthrough holds immense promise for various fields,
26:21 including telecommunications, computing, and energy storage.
26:25 We can look forward to a future where electronics are faster, smaller, and more powerful.
26:31 I don't know if it really existed, actually.
26:34 I don't know if it really vanished or whatever he did, because he was a media person.
26:40 And he can do all, the media could do anything with his figure.
26:46 So to make him a hero, then to make him a villain, then to make him a victim,
26:51 and it's all in our computers, it's all in our internet, in the screens.
27:03 I was thinking about this for quite a while.
27:06 I would like to play the role of a social philosopher today,
27:11 and not speak in political terms, but rather in philosophical terms.
27:15 And for me, the best word to describe last year, to describe last year would be illusion.
27:21 Illusion, it means that actually we have two worlds now.
27:25 The world of reality and the world that we can see through the internet.
27:30 And with the development of AI, with the development of deepfakes,
27:36 with the development of technologies that can imitate the voice, imitate the people,
27:41 imitate the reality, we are now more and more immersed into the different world,
27:48 if we use it in Buddhist terms, a kind of illusion.
27:52 And for me, as a social scientist, it's more and more difficult to distinguish the truth from imagination.
27:59 It's just all around us.
28:01 When we want to know what's the weather outside, we don't look through the window.
28:06 We log on to the internet and see what is the weather outside,
28:10 and try not to experience it ourselves.
28:12 When we want to know what's going on in China, we look on the internet,
28:16 and just believe what is on the internet, instead of traveling, instead of experiencing it in our own way.
28:24 And from this point of view, it's not just a matter of one or two examples.
28:29 It's all the realities that we are living in, you and me, everyone,
28:34 is a reality that is painted by the media, is painted by the internet.
28:39 Last year was a breakthrough in artificial intelligence technologies.
28:43 They made it even more immersive.
28:46 So now you don't really need the voice of someone real.
28:50 You just generate it.
28:52 And then, because people get used to believing in a picture on their screens,
28:58 on their mobile phone screen, on their computer screen,
29:01 not something that they can see through the window.
29:03 So it became much more easier to manipulate the understanding of reality for the people.
29:10 And I don't say it scares me. It's quite natural, maybe.
29:13 I don't see it as a threat.
29:16 Just as a social scientist, again, I watch it, and I understand that we are morphing into something
29:22 that we have never experienced before, something which we can call a new reality.
29:28 And it's in political, and it's in the cultural sphere everywhere.
29:33 And from this point of view, I think that illusion or imagination would be the best word to describe that year.
29:42 What is the most important story for you as a Russian?
29:46 I mean, as a Russian, for us, the most important story would definitely be the conflict in Ukraine.
29:54 That it's shaping not only our country's direction, but our personal lives as well.
30:01 So you cannot stay away from the conflict, even if you don't directly participate in this.
30:07 We get used to seeing the rest of the world through the lenses of this conflict in Ukraine.
30:14 So when we watch the situation in China, we think about how it will influence our situation.
30:22 When we see the American election, we calculate how it influences the situation here.
30:27 So for me, as a Russian, it's definitely the conflict in Ukraine.
30:32 For me as a human being, as I mentioned before, it's a breakthrough in artificial intelligence development.
30:40 That is shaping not only the entire humanity's trajectory of development, but my personal trajectory as well.
30:49 To summarize, I would say that from a political point of view, it was a conflict in Ukraine.
30:54 And in general, it was a conflict between Russia and the West and the role of the global South.
31:02 And from the cultural, technological point of view, it was the development of artificial intelligence.
31:08 What is the most memorable question you've ever been asked?
31:14 It's an interesting question, and it's interesting because you mentioned the memorable.
31:18 It's not the most influential, it's not the most positive, most beneficial for the humanity or whatever.
31:25 It's most memorable. And for me, it may sound strange, but it was Yevgeny Prigozhin.
31:33 Probably you remember the head of the Wagner Mercenary Group, who used to be the best hope of Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
31:41 And then he turned his arms against the president and then had a short, short mutiny.
31:50 And then finally he died in a plane crash.
31:54 So that's why I told it's not the most pleasant or the good person or whatever, but it's probably the most memorable person of the year.
32:03 And exactly why?
32:05 Then I will return to the beginning of our interview when you asked what do I think about the most suitable word to describe the last year?
32:17 And I mentioned that it was an illusion and modification.
32:22 So it's Yevgeny Prigozhin represents this illusion.
32:27 I don't know if he really existed, actually.
32:30 I don't know if he really vanished or whatever he did, because he was a media person.
32:36 He was a person who was orchestrating a media empire and he can do all the media could do anything with his figure.
32:46 So to make him a hero, then to make him a villain, then to make him a victim.
32:51 And it's all in our computers. It's all in our Internet, in the screens.
32:56 So none of us have ever met, seen or communicated with him.
33:01 But he influenced the politics, the military situation and most importantly, the media situation in Russia and the rest of the world.
33:10 So for me, his ascent and descent, his triumph and tragedy was very memorable because for me, he was the best example of the mediafication of the world.
33:25 Again, I don't think he's a hero or he's a villain.
33:29 He's just a media person that shaped, that managed to shape the world politics exactly through media.
33:38 So and for me, he's I would say it's quite a bitter memory, but it's the most memorable figure of the last year.
33:45 What is the role of the media in the Russian politics?
33:50 It's very important for us. It's very important for us as a distinctive country and as a country civilization that we keep our sovereignty.
34:01 How should we understand this word? In many, many aspects.
34:05 First of all, of course, it's a political sovereignty, which means that we are free and that we can make decisions about our future ourselves.
34:13 Of course, we should take into consideration the interests of other countries and we cannot be completely independent.
34:22 You can be completely independent only on the moon or maybe even on the moon.
34:26 You are not fully independent. But I mean that we can make the decisions about our future ourselves.
34:35 And political sovereignty is nothing without economic sovereignty.
34:40 And it means that our economy should be self-sufficient, that we should be able to withstand, that we should be able to develop ourselves without relying too much on the outside world.
34:53 And then we have a cultural sovereignty, which means that we have our own distinctive culture and we should not be dependent, completely dependent on the outside world from a cultural, ideological point of view.
35:07 And of course, there is a military sovereignty as well, so we should keep our borders safe.
35:14 So this is a complex question, political, economical, cultural and military.
35:19 But the idea, the general and the most important idea is that we should be self-sufficient and we should develop in our own way, which is the most important.
35:30 And the second question you mentioned, how it was addressed.
35:34 I believe it was addressed both to the internal audience, to Russian people, that really wish and are willing to hear these words from our president.
35:45 Because most of Russian people dream of sovereignty, of real sovereignty.
35:51 And of course, it was for external audience as well, so that the outside world knows that Russia is willing and is ready to protect and to develop itself as a sovereign, self-sufficient nation.
36:10 It's really difficult to predict and if anyone tells you that the conflict will end today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, this year, next year or whatever, it would be all, all would be a speculation.
36:24 Because the conflict as it is, it has its own logic and it develops already by its own logic.
36:31 And I don't believe there is a single person in the world who can tell when the conflict ends and how it ends.
36:37 It's like an independent entity, the conflict has its own dynamics and there are actors who can influence its development, but nobody, there is nobody who can control it or who can predict it.
36:51 So if I tell you that it will end or it will not end, it would be just a speculation.
36:57 But I hope it will end. I definitely hope it will end and there will be peaceful life again.
37:04 But I cannot tell, and nobody, I believe nobody can tell when and how it will end, unfortunately.
37:11 And it's, there is a huge discussion in Russia itself, what this Russian national idea is and what values Russia represents.
37:26 Many people have different opinions on this and for me as well, as a social scientist, I know that there are no simple questions to, simple answers to complicated questions.
37:38 And it's really difficult to describe the so-called ethos of this country, the general idea of this country.
37:46 Because honestly speaking, again, my major is anthropology and as an anthropologist, I know that from within you cannot describe yourself.
37:56 And sometimes it's completely different from you, yourself, think about your country or about just yourself.
38:03 So maybe I will return this question to you and to your audience.
38:08 What is Russia? What is the main characteristic of Russia?
38:11 What do they think Russia is?
38:13 We know that we are different, we know that we are unique, but in what way we cannot see ourselves.
38:19 And this was another episode of China Now, a show that opens a window to the present and future of the Asian giant.
38:29 Hope you enjoyed. See you next time.
38:31 [Music]