Ja Ian Chong discusses China's recent annual Two Sessions meeting as geopolitical uncertainty rises abroad and deflationary pressure increases at home.
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00:00What have been some of the key items which have stood out to you at this year's two sessions?
00:05So I think the two sessions primarily focus on boosting the PRC's economy.
00:11So a lot of this has to do with consumption.
00:14Some of it also has to do with trying to boost production.
00:18But I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
00:22So we'll have to see whether these moves actually work.
00:25They've been tried before the past few years with very limited results.
00:30As China continues to face deflationary pressure,
00:33what items has the two sessions talked about to improve consumer confidence?
00:38Some of the what looks like fiscal stimuli
00:42intends to sort of get more confidence in the economy through government spending
00:47and hopefully that will trickle down and have consumers spend more.
00:51But I think ultimately the PRC economy probably needs more structural change than that.
00:58As we see that this current environment is changing
01:02specifically with the uncertainty around US foreign policy,
01:06is there anything more that Beijing or the PLA can do right now
01:11regarding Taiwan, regarding their view of Taiwan?
01:14So I actually think that the PRC is trying to test the limits
01:20of where US policy might be.
01:21So this is not just with regard to Taiwan.
01:24Sure, there are the military exercises around Taiwan.
01:26There was the live fire exercise.
01:28But we've also seen them in the Yellow Sea.
01:30We've seen them more robust PLA activity in the East China Sea,
01:37in the South China Sea and also the exercises and circumvention of Australia.
01:42So the exercises of Australia and the circumvention of Australia.
01:46So they're trying to see where US alliances and partnerships stand
01:50and what they can possibly get around.
01:53So it's not just Taiwan.
01:54I think also what is interesting is in terms of the PRC and the PLA's position,
02:02they don't seem to be offering anything new.
02:06Do you think that the PRC might take a more aggressive diplomatic stance
02:11than in the near future or it might take a more tactful diplomatic stance?
02:15So I think what was quite interesting for me that came out of two sessions.
02:22One was a statement about how if Taiwan continues to hold out,
02:31the sort of offers of autonomy will be taken away.
02:35Well, that just suggests that Beijing can rescind whatever promises it makes
02:40at any point in time, which brings further questions
02:43about its commitment that doesn't, I think in my mind,
02:47make Beijing's offer more attractive.
02:49Then there's this other thing about Beijing trying to push forward
02:52on its claims about UN Resolution, General Assembly Resolution 2758,
02:57saying that Beijing's reading is that it puts Taiwan under PRC control,
03:04but there's no mention of Taiwan in the text.
03:07Now, what's interesting about it is as the PRC tries to push
03:11against the text of UNGA Resolution 2758, as it tries to push against UNCLOS,
03:20what it's in effect doing is weakening the body of international laws
03:26and regimes that currently help hold the international system in place.
03:33That may open the way for more efforts by major powers to push their way around.
03:42That's not just PRC.
03:43That can result, therefore, in a much more contentious environment
03:47for everybody, including Beijing.