A defiant old man, Huang Ping, who refused to leave his home, now lives in the middle of a highway under construction in Jinxi, a town southwest of Shanghai, China, according to The Metro.

Mr Ping admits that he has some regrets for not accepting the government’s compensation offer. Despite the offer, he chose to stay in his two-storey house. In response, workers built the motorway around his home, which is set to open in the spring. 

To avoid the noise and dust from construction, Mr Ping and his 11-year-old grandson have been spending much of their time in the town centre. They return to their house each evening after work ends, as per news portal.

However, Mr Ping is concerned that once the motorway is operational, the noise will be constant, making it difficult for them to live in peace.

“If I could turn back time, I would agree to the demolition conditions they offered. Now it feels like I lost a big bet,” he told The Metro.

The homeowner added, “I regret it a bit.”

Watch the video here: 

The stubborn old Chinese man who refused to sell his house for a government project now regrets his decision.

Huang Ping, from Hunan province, hoped for more money but lost everything. The government built a road around his house, leaving it in the middle of a busy street. Now,… pic.twitter.com/it0rYe2fhd

— Ibra ❄️ (@IbraHasan_) January 25, 2025

While Mr Ping laments his decision, it seems locals are finding the whole thing rather fascinating and have flocked to the property to take pictures.

Mr said he had been offered CNY 1.6 million (Rs 1.9 Crore) and two other properties, which was later increased to three. The secretary of the Jinxi County Party Committee previously said that Huang refused to relocate because he was dissatisfied with the government’s offer.

Now Huang Ping lives in the centre of a road that will soon be very busy highway. Ping must pass through a sizable pipe in order to reach his front door. The homeowner’s roof is nearly level with the road’s two lanes. Nowadays, his home is a popular tourist destination.

New Delhi:

India’s diplomacy stands out globally for its ability to balance ties between adversaries. The latest example of this is happening this week. As foreign minister S Jaishankar touches down in New Delhi after a five-day visit to the US for Donald Trump’s inauguration, foreign secretary Vikram Misri heads to China to foster ties with Beijing.

Just ten days ago, during a visit to Spain, foreign minister S Jaishankar had said India is one of the very few countries in the world that can engage both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Iran. “This is something very, very unique. And it is unique because if you look at the world today, it is a very polarised world,” he said.

Donald Trump has threatened to impose hefty tariffs on China and even the BRICS+ countries, which India is a member of as well. China, the world’s second-largest economy, has warned that it will retaliate, should Washington actually follow through. President Trump has also targeted China over its presence in the Panama Canal and said the US will take control of the waterway even if it means involving the military. China, on the other hand, has warned Washington over its involvement with Taiwan. Both nations have sanctioned each other.

ENGAGING ALL SIDES

Amid all this, India, which according to PM Modi, has “always chosen the side of peace”, aims to engage all sides for positive and constructive outcomes. Earlier this week, S Jaishankar strengthened India-US bilateral ties when he met the US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser for their first foreign engagements after the Trump administration took over. As PM Modi’s special envoy, Dr Jaishankar was also given the first seat at the US President’s inauguration.

As he returned after concluding “a very positive” visit to Washington, India’s foreign secretary heads to Beijing to build the momentum in India-China ties following a meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia late-last year. Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit was preceded by a visit by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval last month when he met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

REBUILDING AFTER THE STORM

India and China, two of Asia’s leading economies and the world’s most populous nations, are working to boost bilateral ties after a four-and-a-half-year-long military standoff along the Line of Actual Control or LAC brought ties to a grinding halt. After dozens of rounds of talks – both diplomatically and militarily – an agreement was reached and troops on both sides pulled back from the buffer zones, returning the status quo-ante. This happened within a week of PM Modi and Xi Jinping announcing it during a meeting in Russia late last year. Following this, Chinese and Indian foreign and defence ministers also met each other on multilateral occasions.

After Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s will be the second high-level visit by an Indian official to Beijing in a month.

A WELCOME FROM BEIJING

China has welcomed Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit this weekend and sounded positive about its outcome. “We welcome Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri’s travel to China for the meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between China and India,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs also said that “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be visiting Beijing on January 26 and 27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China. The resumption of this bilateral mechanism flows from the agreement at the leadership level to discuss the next steps for India-China relations, including in the political, economic, and people-to-people domains.”

THE AGENDA

Besides bilateral issues such as boundary talks, maintaining peace along the LAC, the building of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, people-to-people ties, resuming direct flights between the two countries, and facilitate the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens, the two sides are also likely to touch upon issues of mutual global interest.

“All matters of mutual interest will be discussed,” the foreign ministry said at a press briefing in New Delhi ahead of the foreign secretary’s visit.

The BRICS+, where both countries are threatened with massive tariffs, might figure in talks as well, as would the latest sanctions threat to countries dealing with Russia and buying Russian oil – again a common threat to both countries. Regional issues such as the situation in the Middle East and in Syria are likely to be discussed too.

US backing out of the Paris Climate agreement and the WHO, as well as the much-needed reform of the United Nations and the Security Council are likely to be discussed as well.

For more news and updates, follow NDTV World on WhatsApp.
 

Washington DC:

Donald Trump has sniffed trouble brewing afar against the United States – one that may topple the US’s position as a dominant global power and end Washington’s ability to impose economic sanctions against those it deems fit for the case. The storm in question is the steadily-expanding BRICS+ grouping.

Within hours of taking office as President of the United States, Donald Trump went after the BRICS+, threatening to impose 100 per cent tariffs on member countries. The reason Washington feels threatened by the grouping is because it makes the US dollar, America’s greatest weapon – one it can actually use, vulnerable.

In recent times there have been reports of a possibility of the BRICS+ nations working on a common currency which would replace the US dollar for international trade. The founding members of the BRICS are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the acronym of which is BRICS. Over the years, several other countries have become members of the bloc, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has accepted the membership, but has not formally joined yet, saying that the matter is under consideration.

BRICS+, which is shaping up to be the developing world’s alternative to the West-led G7, has set up its own financial structure and institutions, and is cooperating economically and diplomatically to reduce its dependence on the US Dollar – the default currency for international trade.

Donald Trump has now said his administration will impose 100 per cent tariffs against countries of the BRICS+ bloc, should they take any steps to replace the US dollar. “If the BRICS nations want to do that (replace the US dollar), that’s okay, but we’re going to put at least a 100 per cent tariff on the business they do with the United States,” President Trump told the international media shortly after his presidential inauguration.

“They will have a 100 per cent tariff if they so much as even think about reducing the use of the US Dollar in global trade,” he threatened.

Less than a month before he took office, Mr Trump had made a similar reference warning the BRICS+ countries. “We require a commitment from these countries that they will neither create a new BRICS currency, nor back any other currency to replace the mighty US dollar or, they will face 100 per cent tariffs and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US economy,” Donald Trump, then President-elect, had warned in December.

HOW THE US DOLLAR IS WEAPONISED IN SANCTIONS

The US Dollar, has for decades, been the world’s principal reserve currency. It has been the case since the Second World War, following which global institutions like the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund, among many others were set up. All these institutions were set up in the United States – And America being the largest trading country of the world at that time led to US Dollar becoming the default currency for global trade.

In 1973, a new system was set up to moderate international transactions. This system is known as SWIFT, which is short for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Since then, this has become the world’s commonly accepted and standardised model for international money transfers.

According to its website, SWIFT is a member-owned cooperative connecting more than 11,000 banks, financial institutions and corporations in more than 200 countries and territories. SWIFT is neither a payment nor a settlement system, and is therefore is not regulated as such by any of the world’s central banks.

SWIFT is overseen by the central banks of G10 nations – namely, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Since the US Dollar is the default currency of trade globally, and SWIFT is the method or channel of settlement, sanctions are imposed by controlling these two. Sanctions are imposed via SWIFT by restricting access to the network or completely prohibiting individuals, institutions, and countries from using its services. When sanctions are imposed, it completely freezes an account and restricts any further transactions from it.

SWIFT sanctions can freeze any bank’s ability to transact with the rest of the world. Under an international rules-based order, much of the global financial governance is dominated by the US-led West.

MULTI-POLAR WORLD

In the 21st Century, with the rise of Asia, and economies like China, India, Russia, Indonesia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and others, the world has become much more multi-polar, instead of being bipolar – which was the case during the Cold War between the US and USSR through much of the 20th Century, post the two world wars in the first half of the century.

Brazil in South America and South Africa in Africa were also rising global economies.

With time, emerging economies became increasingly disgruntled with the dominance of the US Dollar being the default in almost all global transactions. This also kept them under a constant threat of Western sanctions, should they not two the line. To deal with this, BRICS leaders have for long reportedly advocated for de-dollarisation, and been in favor of increased trade in local currencies and even reportedly explored the possibility of a potential common BRICS currency.

The BRICS members have even set up the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement or CRA – which act and function exactly like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund or IMF, respectively.

The so-far 10-member BRICS+ grouping already comprises nearly half of the world’s population and over a third of the global economy. It also has more than 25 per cent of the world’s landmass, produces more than 30 per cent of the world’s oil output and is on track to surge ahead of the G7 economies in less than 20 years.
 

Donald Trump has a knack of antagonising and confusing China. During his first presidential campaign, he accused China of “raping” the US through unfair trade practices. But later in his first term as US president, Trump also called Chinese president Xi Jinping a “good friend”.

Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign Trump suggested he would be tough on China in a second term, and days away from becoming president nothing looks likely to change.

Trump has suggested he could raise tariffs on all Chinese goods up to 60%, and is likely to appoint Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Mark Waltz as national security adviser. Both are “China hawks” who believe that Washington should toughen its stance against Beijing, and view China as a national security threat to the US.

Beijing has tried preparing for a tougher US climate, which may explain why it has increased trade with south-east Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East in recent years. Therefore, China may be looking to engage the west, at least the non-US part of it, for a range of economic, political and security reasons.

The Chinese government could see Ottawa as a solution to help meet China’s energy needs, as Canada is rich in oil, coal and iron. It could even warm up to Canberra, as Australia has abundant lithium, which is crucial for making electric vehicles.

Ultimately though, China might need to maintain ties and improve its relationship with the EU. The EU holds the distinction of being China’s second largest trading partner, and exports to the EU have soared in the past few years. This occurred as Beijing pivoted away from manufacturing the “old three” exports –- household appliances, furniture and clothing – to the tech-intensive “new three”, in electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells.

CHINA’S NEW PRODUCTS

Since the “new three” represent an important component in China’s economic growth, the EU, as a significant consumer of such products, represents a crucial market for China. Nonetheless, the EU is not an easy win for China.

Brussels has accused Beijing of unfairly subsidising Chinese electric vehicle firms and has imposed tariffs of up to 45.3% on these goods since late October 2024. But China may have substantial room to smooth relations with the European bloc, and there are signs that this is happening. However, the recent row over China’s potential involvement with anchor dragging in the Baltic Sea to damage communication cables will not have helped matters.

Fortunately for China, the EU is not a united front. Voting patterns on tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024 reveal an interesting fact: ten nations supported them, five were against and 12 abstained.

Potentially, Beijing could sway detractors and fence-sitters in Brussels by lowering barriers to entry for EU firms coming into the Chinese market, and reduce subsidies for Chinese firms competing in Europe.

China has a partnership of “no limits” with Russia, and this has proven to be a concern for the west, and particularly Europe. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Nato declared that: “The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values.”

Growing concerns over China’s activities in Europe and Asia may have prompted Nato to invite Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea (known as the Asia Pacific 4 or AP4), to Nato’s June 2022 summit. While European officials have dismissed a formal alliance between Nato and Asian states, there are increasingly frequent discussions and meetings between both sides.

Beijing could help alleviate western fears that China is a security threat by resolving one of Europe’s thorniest geopolitical issues: the Ukraine-Russia war, although that is looking unlikely. However, an attempt to help create a peace deal could lessen western perception of the “Chinese threat”.

ENGAGING WITH THE US

China will continue to engage with the US. Aside from being the third largest trading partner with China after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the EU, the western superpower remains a technological, economic and military powerhouse.

Former US president John F. Kennedy once wrote: “When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger and one represents opportunity.“ If China plays its cards right, the danger that Trump appears to represent to its economy might not be as significant as first thought. Trump, after all, is not always predictable.

(Author: Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham)

(Disclosure Statement: Chee Meng Tan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chinese foreign ministry said it had maintained close communication with the World Health Organization on respiratory diseases. File
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday (January 10, 2025) that it had maintained close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) on respiratory diseases, when asked about cases of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China.

The Chinese Government takes the health of its people and that of foreign nationals in China seriously, but the HMPV is not a new virus and has been circulating in humans for more than 60 years, Guo Jiakun, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular news conference.

In its latest report, China’s Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said HMPV cases remained at high levels.

New Delhi:

Last week China announced that it is building the world’s largest dam in Tibet – even larger than the Three Gorges Dam, which according to NASA, has slowed the Earth’s rotation by 0.06 seconds. But unlike that one, which is built in central China, the new one will be built in an environmentally-sensitive Himalayan zone in Tibet, very close to the border with India.

Besides the impact on the environment, the region is geologically fragile too as it falls in a high seismic zone and hence is prone to earthquakes of a relatively higher magnitude. These are two of several concerns New Delhi has about the gigantic project planned on the Brahmaputra river – which China calls by the name Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.

Days after Beijing’s announcement about the mega project, New Delhi responded today, saying India will “protect its interests”. It also sent a reminder to Beijing reiterating its rights to the waters of the river while also seeking transparency over Beijing’s plans.

For now, the Ministry of External Affairs said, New Delhi will continue to closely monitor the latest developments, adding that necessary and appropriate action will be taken when required.

“We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” the foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The project will have a massive impact on the flow of the Brahmaputra as well as the river basin. The proposed project will result in periods of severe drought and colossal floods affecting millions, perhaps tens of millions of Indians living downstream.

At a press conference in New Delhi today, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that Beijing has been urged “to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas”.

Addressing a question on concerns about the projects adverse impact on Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Mr Jaiswal said, “As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory.”

“These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report,” he added.

The hydroelectric project also has a geopolitical impact. The project may has the potential to result in acute geopolitical tensions between India and China, as it sows the seeds of “water wars” between the two nations – something Genevieve Donnellon-May, a geopolitical and global strategy adviser wrote about in 2022.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT SO FAR

The dam, once complete, will be the world’s largest hydropower project. It is proposed to be built on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau, located in the lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo) or Brahmaputra river.

This ambitious project is part of China’s 14th five-year plan and aims to produce 300 billion Kwh of electricity annually. The project cost is estimated at USD 137 billion, making it the biggest infrastructure project globally.

At 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, this new dam will more than triple the 88.2 billion kWh designed capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest, in central China.

During the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, China had to resettle more than 1.4 million people who were displaced because of the project. This new project is three times the size, but Beijing has not given any estimate of how many people will be displaced.

The project will also alter the regional ecology impacting both Tibet and India. It will also change the course of the river downstream – having a damaging impact on India and change the agricultural landscape.
 

New Delhi:

Last week China announced that it is building the world’s largest dam in Tibet – even larger than the Three Gorges Dam, which according to NASA, has slowed the Earth’s rotation by 0.06 seconds. But unlike that one, which is built in central China, the new one will be built in an environmentally-sensitive Himalayan zone in Tibet, very close to the border with India.

Besides the impact on the environment, the region is geologically fragile too as it falls in a high seismic zone and hence is prone to earthquakes of a relatively higher magnitude. These are two of several concerns New Delhi has about the gigantic project planned on the Brahmaputra river – which China calls by the name Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.

Days after Beijing’s announcement about the mega project, New Delhi responded today, saying India will “protect its interests”. It also sent a reminder to Beijing reiterating its rights to the waters of the river while also seeking transparency over Beijing’s plans.

For now, the Ministry of External Affairs said, New Delhi will continue to closely monitor the latest developments, adding that necessary and appropriate action will be taken when required.

“We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” the foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The project will have a massive impact on the flow of the Brahmaputra as well as the river basin. The proposed project will result in periods of severe drought and colossal floods affecting millions, perhaps tens of millions of Indians living downstream.

At a press conference in New Delhi today, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that Beijing has been urged “to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas”.

Addressing a question on concerns about the projects adverse impact on Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Mr Jaiswal said, “As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory.”

“These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report,” he added.

The hydroelectric project also has a geopolitical impact. The project has the potential to result in acute geopolitical tensions between India and China, as it sows the seeds of “water wars” between the two nations – something Genevieve Donnellon-May, a geopolitical and global strategy adviser wrote about in 2022.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT SO FAR

The dam, once complete, will be the world’s largest hydropower project. It is proposed to be built on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau, located in the lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo) or Brahmaputra river.

This ambitious project is part of China’s 14th five-year plan and aims to produce 300 billion kWh of electricity annually. The project cost is estimated at USD 137 billion, making it the biggest infrastructure project globally.

At 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, this new dam will more than triple the 88.2 billion kWh designed capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest, in central China.

During the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, China had to resettle more than 1.4 million people who were displaced because of the project. This new project is three times the size, but Beijing has not given any estimate of how many people will be displaced.

The project will alter the regional ecology impacting both Tibet and India. It will also change the course of the river downstream – having a damaging impact on India and change the agricultural landscape.
 

Reflecting a changing societal landscape, single women in China are now opting for maternity photoshoots with fake baby bumps, capturing this milestone in their lives despite the country’s declining birth rate and low marriage rates. This trend, as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), challenges traditional Chinese values that once stigmatized single pregnancy.

The rise of this trend can be attributed to women’s desire to capture beautiful maternity photos while maintaining their current physique, anticipating potential body changes during future pregnancies.

The “premade maternity photos” trend gained national attention after a Generation Z influencer shared a video and photos of her experience on social media. Meizi Gege, who boasts over 5.7 million followers on a prominent social media platform, explained, “While I’m still slim, I wore a fake belly to take maternity photos and enjoyed a pre-made life. I even did it with my best friend!”

In the video, Meizi proudly displays her slim figure while wearing the “fake belly.” According to SCMP, a 26-year-old woman revealed she had taken her maternity photos at 23, despite not being married, while another woman mentioned taking wedding photos at 22, “just in case I get wrinkles by 30.”

However, the trend has sparked criticism for promoting narrow beauty standards that idealize being “white, skinny, and young.” Critics argue that it fosters body image anxiety among new mothers by perpetuating the unrealistic expectation that women should maintain a youthful, slim figure during pregnancy.

A user wrote, ” I will shoot my 70th birthday photos now and then post them on social media later. It will make me look so young!”

“I will find some time to arrange my funeral pictures before I die,” another user wrote on Chinese social media platform. 

Islamabad:

Nations, like people, often reflect behavioural patterns. They have a reputation, depict habitual traits, and usually find the essence of their identity in their nature. So is the case with Pakistan – a country which never fails to find itself on the wrong side of history for its conduct – with friends and foes alike.

The latest in its series of antics, the nation, mired in a worrisome concoction of terrorism, poverty, inflation, rigged elections, civil unrest, political instability, and economic misery tried to arm-twist its “all-weather ally” China. As one would guess correctly – it didn’t end well, with Islamabad getting snubbed, yet again.

PAKISTAN’S ‘TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT’ TACTICS WITH CHINA

A high-level meeting was organised recently between senior government and military officials of Pakistan and China. Deliberations and negotiations over the future use of the strategic port of Gwadar in Balochistan was being discussed in accordance with the so-called ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’. At this point, Pakistan, which perhaps momentarily forgot which side of the negotiating table its was sitting on, decided to flex its muscle.

Islamabad reportedly told Beijing that if it wants a military base in Gwadar, Pakistan might permit it only if Beijing is willing to arm it with a second-strike nuclear capability – catering to its age-old obsession to match New Delhi, which achieved it on its own. This tone, border-lining a threat, did not go down well with Beijing, which squarely rejected the outrageous demand and decided to put future talks on hold indefinitely over Islamabad’s baffling audacity.

A breakdown of diplomatic and military talks with China, even momentarily, does not bode well for Pakistan as cash-strapped Islamabad depends very heavily on economic bail-out packages from Beijing. China has also, for long, been a saviour for Pakistan’s military, supplying it with a majority of its arms and ammunition – everything from bullets to fighter jets. Pakistan’s Army, which has a history of interfering in decisions taken by its civilian government, is currently facing a crisis with large-scale anger and protests across the country over rigged elections and imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, cannot afford to upset Beijing amidst the current situation on ground.

According to a report in Drop Site News, the Pak-China relationship is apparently “in free fall over public and private disputes over security concerns, as well as China’s demand to build a military base inside Pakistan”. Earlier this year, the news website reported on advanced talks over setting up a Chinese military base in Gwadar. According to classified Pakistani military documents seen by the news website, Islamabad had given “private assurances” to Beijing that it would be “permitted to transform Gwadar into a permanent base for the Chinese military”.

Retracting on its assurances, Pakistan is now making massive demands in return for the strategic port. Islamabad has asked Beijing to fulfill all its demands – military, economic, and otherwise – to protect it from a West-led backlash over handing over the port to China. But its demand for a nuclear triad and second strike nuclear capability goes well beyond even Beijing to consider.

China would open itself up to massive worldwide sanctions and isolation if it violates the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT by providing such advanced nuclear weapons capability or technology to a non-signatory of the NPT. As a signatory of the treaty, China is a classified Nuclear-Weapons State or NWS. The treaty explicitly prohibits all NWS countries from transferring any atomic or nuclear weapons, technology, or material to any non-NWS nation.

With such a demand, Pakistan is thereby telling China to put itself in peril just so that Islamabad can fulfill its obsession to counter New Delhi.

Beijing is also seething with anger after Islamabad did not allow the Chinese Navy to make a port of call at Gwadar port during the joint naval Sea Guardians III exercise between the two countries. Pakistan had done this after pressure from the United States over American sensitivity about a Chinese military presence at the strategically significant port.

WHAT IS A SECOND STRIKE NUCLEAR CAPABILITY

A second strike nuclear capability is the topmost deterrent any nuclear-weapons state can aim or aspire for. It is the most prized form of military deterrent a country can have. It means that a country which has faced a crippling conventional or nuclear attack from an enemy state still posses the capability to strike back with its nuclear weapons.

This is generally supported by a nuclear triad – which means that a country has the capability to launch its nuclear weapons from all three – surface, air, and sub-surface methods. Surface missiles and vehicles that carry them means the on-ground or land (silos) as well as at sea (from warships). Airborne means firing a nuclear missile from an aircraft, and sub-surface means firing a nuclear missile from under the ground or beneath the sea (submarine). SLBMs give the country the option to strike back even if its mainland has faced a crippling attack.

A second strike capability make the stakes of a first strike by the enemy too high, as it results in a devastating strike back on that enemy nation.
 

Chinese astronauts for the Shenzhou-18 mission, from right, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu wave as they attend a send-off ceremony for their manned space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, April 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Will the next human to walk on the Moon speak English or Mandarin? In all, 12 Americans landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Now, both the US and China are preparing to send humans back there this decade.

However, the US lunar programme is delayed, in part because the spacesuits and lunar-landing vehicle are not ready. Meanwhile, China has pledged to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030 – and it has a habit of sticking to timelines.

Just a few years ago, such a scenario would have seemed unlikely. But there now appears to be a realistic possibility that China could beat the US in a race that America, arguably, has defined. So who will return there first, and does it really matter?

Nasa’s Moon programme is called Artemis. The US has involved international and commercial partners to spread the cost. Nasa set out a plan to get American boots back on lunar soil over the course of three missions. In November 2022, Nasa launched its Orion spacecraft on a loop around the Moon without humans aboard. This was the Artemis I mission.

Artemis II, scheduled for late 2025, is similar to Artemis I, but this time Orion will carry four astronauts. They will not land; this will be left for Artemis III. For this third mission, Nasa will send a man and the first woman to the lunar surface. Though as yet unnamed, one of them will be the first person of colour on the Moon.

Artemis III was scheduled to launch this year, but the timescale has slipped several times. A review in December 2023 gave a one in three chance that Artemis III would not have launched by February 2028. The mission is currently slated to happen no earlier than September 2026.

Meanwhile, China’s space programme seems to be moving at speed, without significant failures or delays. In April 2024, Chinese space officials announced that the country was on track to put its astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

It’s an extraordinary trajectory for a country that launched its first astronaut in 2003. China has been operating space stations since 2011 and has been ticking off important, challenging firsts through its Chang’e lunar exploration programme.

These robotic missions returned samples from the surface, including from the lunar far side. They have tested technology that could be crucial for landing humans. The next mission will touch down at the lunar south pole, a region that attracts intense interest because of the presence of water ice in shadowed craters there.

This water could be used for life support by a lunar base and turned into rocket propellant. Making rocket propellant on the Moon would be cheaper than bringing it from Earth, making lunar exploration more affordable. It is for these reasons that Artemis III will land at the south pole. It’s also the planned location for US and Chinese-led bases.

On September 28 2024, China showed off a spacesuit, to be worn by its Moon walkers, or “selenauts”. The suit is designed to protect the wearer against extreme temperature variations and unfiltered solar radiation. It is lightweight and flexible. Is it a sign of China already overtaking the US in one aspect of the Moon race? The company manufacturing the Artemis Moon suit, Axiom Space, is currently having to modify several aspects of the reference design given to them by Nasa.

The lander that will carry US astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface is also delayed. In 2021, Elon Musk’s SpaceX was given the contract to build this vehicle. It is based on SpaceX’s Starship, which consists of a 50m-long spacecraft that launches on the most powerful rocket ever built.

On October 13 2024, Starship scored a successful fifth test flight. But several challenging steps are required before the Starship Human Landing System can carry astronauts down to the lunar surface. Starship cannot fly directly to the Moon. It must refuel in Earth orbit first (using other Starships that act as propellant “tankers”). SpaceX needs to demonstrate refuelling and conduct a test landing on the Moon without crew before Artemis III can proceed.

In addition, during Artemis I, Orion’s heat shield suffered considerable damage as the spacecraft made the high-temperature return through Earth’s atmosphere. Nasa engineers have been working to find a remedy before the Artemis II mission.

Too complicated?

Some critics argue that Artemis is too complex, referring to the intricate way in which astronauts and Moon lander are brought together in lunar orbit, the large number of independently operating commercial partners and the number of Starship launches required. Depending who you ask, between four and 15 Starship flights are needed to complete the refuelling for Artemis III.

Former Nasa administrator Michael Griffin has advocated a simpler strategy, broadly along the lines of how China expects to accomplish its lunar landing. His vision sees Nasa relying on traditional commercial partners such as Boeing, rather than relative “newbies” such as SpaceX.

However, simple is not necessarily better or cheaper. The Apollo programme was simpler, but at almost three times the cost of Artemis. SpaceX has been more successful, and economical, than Boeing in sending crews to the International Space Station.

New technology is not developed through simple, tried approaches but in bold endeavours that push boundaries. The James Webb Space Telescope is highly complex, with its folded mirror and distant position in space, but it allows astronomers to peer into the depths of the universe as no other telescope can. Innovation is especially crucial bearing in mind future ambitions such as asteroid mining and a settlement on Mars.

Does it matter whether the first 21st-century selenauts are Chinese or American? This is largely a question about the relationship between governments and their citizens, and between nations.

Democratic governments depend on public support to safeguard funding for expensive, long-term ventures – and prestige is an important selling point. But prestige in a 21st-century Moon race will be earned by doing it well, not sooner. Rushing back to the Moon could be costly, both financially and in the risk to human life.

Governments must set an example of responsible behaviour. Peace, inclusivity and sustainability should be guiding principles. Going back to the Moon must not be about dominion or superiority. It should be a chance to show that we can improve on how we have previously behaved on Earth.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.