A worker harvests fresh mushrooms at a smart biotech vegetable plantation in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, on August 6, 2024. The plantation, funded by Jiangsu Hongsheng Biotechnology Co, features an intelligent temperature-controlled factory and processing workshop spanning 310,000 square meters. It yields 100,000 tons of edible mushrooms and fungi annually and supports operations from production to deep processing, creating 1,500 jobs. Photo: VCG
Editor's Note:
"I lost my son, essentially," American tech mogul Elon Musk said in an interview on July 22. He said in the interview that he was "tricked" into agreeing to trans-related medical treatment. The changes in his son led Musk to despise the "woke culture." Many right-wing individuals and Republicans in America share Musk's views on the so-called "woke culture," but for many left-wing individuals and Democrats, "woke culture" is seen as a progressive ideology. "Woke culture" has evolved into a cultural conflict surrounding identity politics in America, and this ideology has also spread to Europe, stirring up the political and social landscape.
Obscure definitions
In recent years, Musk has been heavily critical of "woke culture," describing it as a threat to modern civilization and even stating that his previous acquisition of Twitter, now X, was to combat it. However, when asked to define what "woke culture" is, this tech giant's description was not accurate.
At a conservative breakfast meeting in Iowa on June 1, 2023, former US president Donald Trump stated, "I don't like the term 'woke' because I hear, 'Woke, woke, woke.' It's just a term they use, half the people can't even define it, they don't know what it is."
The Australian news website The Conversation commented that Trump's words "inadvertently highlighted the confounding and contradictory nature of American politics today."
"The term 'woke' can be either an insult or a marker of pride - it can shift depending on the context," said the article.
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, the term "woke" has been used for years to "describe those who are sensitive and involved in the struggle against social injustice, especially in US politics, but also in the politics of other countries following suit perhaps to a lesser degree."
"Woke was a label proudly worn by activists in pursuit of social and climate justice: From Black Lives Matter (BLM) to the #MeToo movement, and the fight against global warming. Woke seemed to advocate a new era of equality and justice," read the article.
It's been reported that many media and political figures have claimed that the "woke culture" is only about justice and decency. It showed that the country acknowledged the cruelty of its past and recognized that its past still shapes this country's present.
However, according to ABC News, "woke" is used as a derogatory term by some Republicans to refer to identity-based social justice issues pushed by some Democrats and progressives.
USA Today quoted a Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spokesperson who called "woke" a slang term for "progressive activism" and a "general belief in systemic injustices in the country."
Manhattan Institute scholar Zach Goldberg believes that "woke" signifies more than just "left-wing radicalism" and essentially involves believing that differences in outcomes between groups - whether based on race, "genders," or sexes - are largely a product of oppressive societal forces and structures, read the USA Today article.
In fact, the term "woke" was originally created by progressive African Americans and was used in the early to mid-20th century in the racial justice movement. According to the website of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stay woke "became a watchword in parts of the black community for those who were self-aware, questioning the dominant paradigm and striving for something better."
The Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, an American popular record company, includes the protest song "Scottsboro Boys" sung by Lead Belly in the 1930s, in which the term "stay woke" is often considered to be the earliest source of the word. The "Scottsboro Boys" refers to nine black teenagers who were falsely accused, in 1931, of raping two white women in Alabama, and later eight of them were hastily sentenced to death. The case is one of the most famous civil rights cases in American history. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term "woke" became more widely used in 2014 as part of the BLM.
"The term 'woke' has become so divisive that it is harming support for the issue it is meant to be highlighting," according to Al Jazeera. "The broad use of the term has caused it to become heavily weaponized by both the left and the right, turning what was once a welcoming creed into a toxic and divisive word, particularly in Western countries including the US, Canada, the UK, and other European nations," it said.
A New York University student told the Global Times that today's "woke culture" has gone too far, with "woke" individuals always tending to label those who disagree with them as "conservatives" or "Trump supporters," and sometimes things that were acceptable to say the year before suddenly become "offensive" at the present time. Jason, an engineer living in New Jersey, believes that the so-called "woke culture" is a pseudo-concept created by American interest groups to incite division among the public in order to ensure their continued control over American society.
According to USA Today, Democrats seem to view this term as a badge of honor, while Republicans see it as something that must be stopped. The struggle over "woke culture" in the US has spread to various fields.
US right-wing vs 'woke capitalism'
Due to resistance from conservatives against "woke culture," the US has witnessed the emergence of an "anti-woke culture" movement, with Governor DeSantis as one of its leaders.
According to ABC, DeSantis enacted the "Parental Rights in Education" bill and the "Stop WOKE Act" in Florida, implementing policies that limit classroom discussions on race, oppression, gender, and sexual orientation. The state government also banned funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs on public university campuses and rejected the introduction of an Advanced Placement African American Studies course in state high schools.
Notably, the battle over "woke culture" in education is not confined to Florida. In 2023, more than 20 states across the US considered or approved new laws targeting DEI programs.
The term "woke capitalism" was coined by conservative columnist Ross Douthat in a 2018 New York Times article, defining it as corporations supporting progressive causes to maintain their societal influence. Some view the practice of casting black actors in traditionally white roles in films as an example of "woke capitalism."
LGBTQ+ rights have also become another "battleground" in US bipartisan conflicts. According to PBS in March 2023, since beginning his campaign, Trump has targeted LGBTQ+ communities, stating that if elected, he would sign executive orders to cut federal funding to schools promoting Critical Race Theory, transgender mental disorders, and other "inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content" to American teenagers.
In contrast, President Biden and Democrats, as reported by AFP, have signed multiple executive orders supporting LGBTQ+ rights. On June 15, 2022, Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders, met with LGBTQ+ representatives at the White House to show solidarity.
Wang Yufan, a scholar at the Department of American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that the popularity of "woke culture" and identity politics in the US is related to its economic inequality.
She explained that growing income inequality, with wealth concentrated among a few rich individuals, has increased economic pressure on the middle and low-income classes, who are more likely to support "woke culture" emphasizing fairness and justice. Identity politics has also become a crucial means for them to express themselves and strive for economic equality.
The Guardian noted that in the US, various groups, including whites, blacks, Latinos, and Asians, men and women, all feel attacked, bullied, persecuted, and discriminated against. Coupled with record inequality levels, identity politics is evident on both ends of the US political spectrum.
Wang believes that on one hand, "woke culture" and identity politics have raised public awareness of issues such as racial and gender discrimination, promoting social discussion and resolution, and playing a positive role in advancing social equality and inclusion.
On the other hand, "woke culture" has become a form of political correctness, being oversimplified and symbolized, leading to overcorrections. Additionally, the left's "woke culture" has faced backlash from right-wing conservatives, leading to more severe social divisions. The cultural wars between the two parties over "woke" and "anti-woke" have intensified political polarization, creating a vicious cycle.
Spreading across ocean
The concept and actions of "woke culture" born in the US have crossed the Atlantic, sparking an "anti-woke culture" movement in Europe.
According to an Independent report in December 2021, six months prior, most French people would have mistaken the term "woke" for the "wok" used in cooking, but by the end of 2021, the concept of "woke" had taken France by storm.
The French media reported that this term, originating from the American black rights movement, had not entered the French public's consciousness until 2021, when it appeared multiple times in political debates. For example, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo publicly stated that she would not base her campaign on "woke culture."
Many Western media outlets and politicians are highly wary of "woke culture." For instance, a 2021 article by Euronews argued that the ideology behind "woke culture" and "cancel culture" endangers European democracy. Al Jazeera also warned that "woke culture" can sometimes stifle meaningful causes. Additionally, many people have been "canceled" simply for expressing views differing from "woke culture."
Wang noted that similar to the US, the impact of "woke culture" in Europe is complex and diverse. On one hand, it has increased attention to racial equality and social justice in European countries.
On the other hand, it has also caused social divisions. "Woke culture" has led European societies to reckon with colonial histories and overemphasize identity, exacerbating group conflicts and social estrangement, causing a backlash from far-right forces, and promoting the rise of far-right parties in Europe.
Recently, the US deployed the Typhon Mid-range Capability (MRC) missile system in the Philippines, and announced its decision to deploy land-based intermediate-range missile in Europe. This marks a substantial step forward taken by the US on deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles since its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. This move shows that the US takes its own interests as the only consideration, reneges on its security commitments to allies and incites them to stand on the front line of containing China, which further undermines global and regional stability.
The INF Treaty was signed by the US and the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, aiming to eliminate and destroy their nuclear and conventional land-based intermediate-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and missile launchers with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. Although it's a bilateral treaty between the US and Russia (the Soviet Union), the INF Treaty has played an important role in upholding nuclear strategic stability worldwide, especially in Europe. For the first time in the history of international arms control, the Treaty banned an entire category of weapons capable of carrying nuclear warheads and significantly raised the threshold for nuclear war, thereby playing a crucial role in preventing the outbreak of nuclear war and maintaining strategic stability and security in Europe. The Treaty underscores the special and important responsibility of the US and Russia, as nuclear superpowers, in maintaining nuclear strategic stability. Furthermore, it reflects the US' important security commitment to its European allies, namely to reduce nuclear strategic risks and safeguard European stability.
As early as in 2014, a number of American think tanks, including RAND Corporation, advocated the deployment of US' land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific for the purpose of military containment of China, and called on the US authorities to weigh the security costs of compliance with the INF Treaty, as well as the military benefits and diplomatic costs of withdrawing from the treaty, and to make a "prudent decision." Subsequently, the US media began to hype up the alleged Russian INF violation until the Trump administration formally decided to withdraw from the Treaty.
From a military perspective, the current land-based intermediate-range missile capabilities of the US are primarily Tomahawk subsonic cruise missiles and similar models, which have long been deployed in large numbers on sea-based and air-based launch platforms. Therefore, the additional military gains of the land-based versions are relatively limited. The US' decision to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific and Europe is mainly driven by the interests of the US Army. In the first decade of the 21st century, the US shifted its military strategic focus to inland counter-terrorism, and the Army gained huge benefits. Over time, as the US put forward strategies and operational concepts such as "return to the Asia-Pacific" and "air-sea integrated warfare," the Army found itself facing the risk of being marginalized in the so-called great-power competition. The US Army, reluctant to assume a diminished role in the military layout of deterring China, then vigorously advocates the "China threat" theory and calls for the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific.
Despite the limited military benefits, the US is still stepping up the modification of its launch systems and promoting the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific, which further reflects US' sinister intention to pull its allies to the front line of containing China. Since the US advocated a return to great-power competition and identified China as its primary strategic adversary, it has viewed the alliance system as a crucial asset to win the competition against China. But its allies in the Asia-Pacific generally maintain close economic ties with China and are wary of fully alliance with the US in its efforts to contain China. For the US, the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles is a "key point on the chessboard" that could undermine mutual political trust and diplomatic relations between its Asian allies and China. The places where the US intends to deploy its land-based intermediate-range missiles are several fulcrum points geographically adjacent to China. The relevant countries are justified in strengthening their own defense forces, but the deployment of strategic offensive medium- and long-range missiles, which goes beyond their own military necessity, would be a different story. The only value of weapons of this kind is to serve the US military containment of China and even military strikes against China. China will not sit idly by and ignore such behavior. Therefore, with the US making a big fuss about the deployment of these missiles, and violating the basic principles of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime by engaging in "AUKUS" nuclear submarine cooperation, its strategic purpose is to encourage these allies to stand onto the stage and to turn against China, contributing to US' containment of China.
From the perspective of crisis management, the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles by the US would also be an important factor in the escalation of conflicts. On one hand, if these missiles are deployed within its fixed Asia-Pacific military bases, their wartime viability is very fragile. In the early stages of a conflict, US commanders would face the "use it or lose it" dilemma. This kind of decision-making dilemma must be avoided. On the other hand, if the US adopts a mobile launching mode, the launchers are bound to drive out of the base and made a large range of maneuvers in the host country, thus greatly increasing the scope of a potential crisis or conflict. In addition, the forward deployment of strategically offensive weapons by a nuclear state on the "doorstep" of another nuclear state will seriously undermine basic mutual security confidence, exacerbate strategic mistrust between the two sides, and is not conducive to crisis management. The Biden administration stated in the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review that the US is willing to strengthen dialogue with China on strategic risk reduction and crisis management. If the US is truly interested in reducing strategic risks, a good place to start is abandoning the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles in other countries.
In short, as the most powerful nuclear and military power, the US bears a special responsibility for international security. In recent years, the US pursued supremacy and acted selfishly based on its likes and dislikes, and challenged the authority of the international security mechanism arbitrarily. It has withdrawn from the INF Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty successively, blocked the negotiation of a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention, and opposed the draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects proposed by China and Russia. The US has also undermined the basic spirit of international nuclear non-proliferation by carrying out AUKUS submarine cooperation. And there are many other bad records. At the same time, the US coerces a few of its allies to build a so-called "rules-based" new security order, in defiance of UN treaties and mechanisms.
As Ambassador Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the UN, recently pointed out: "the so-called 'rules-based international order' advocated by some countries is really intended to create another system outside the existing system of international law and to seek legitimacy for double standards and exceptionalism. There is only one order in the world, that is the international order based on international law. There is only one set of rules, and they are the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter." Amid the profound changes unseen in the world in a century, all countries, major powers in particular, must abandon double standards and the Cold War mentality, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and work together in good faith under the international order with the UN at its center, so as to join hands to open up a peaceful and stable future for humanity.
Since the start of the flood season, major rivers across China have experienced 25 numbered flood events, the highest number since data was first recorded in 1998, making the flood prevention situation sever and complex.
Climate in China this year has deviated from the norm, with many heavy rainfall events, leading to frequent and often accelerated flooding of major rivers and waterways, the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources concluded in a summary issued on Wednesday
According to the ministry, China's major rivers and lakes can flag "numbered floods" when water levels reach a warning level or register a flood of "once in two to five years" magnitude.
On Thursday, the China Meteorological Administration told a press conference that the country will focus on four extreme weather events - rainstorms, typhoons, high temperatures and drought.
The administration predicts that in the next 10 days, the overall weather situation in China will be frequent precipitation in the north and continuous high temperature in the south.
In July, the national average temperature was 23.2 C, which was 1 C higher than the same period in previous years, making it the highest on record since 1961. A total of 59 national-level meteorological stations recorded daily maximum temperatures breaking or equaling historical records, the administration disclosed.
In terms of precipitation, the national average was 129.3 millimeters, which was 13.3 percent higher than usual for the same period, with 30 national-level meteorological stations recording precipitation exceeding historical records.
Precipitation levels in the Huaihe River, the Liaohe River, the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Haihe River basins were all above average, with the Huaihe River and the Liaohe River basins experiencing precipitation levels double that of normal levels.
August still sits within a critical period of flood control, the risk of rainstorm and flood disasters is high in Northeast China, North China, South China and Southwest China, and flood situations may occur in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Haihe River basin and the Songliao River basin, the administration said.
It is forecast that during August, two to three typhoons are expected to make landfall in China, mainly affecting the coastal areas of South and East China, and there may be northbound typhoons affecting the northern parts of China, according to the press conference.
In response to this year's flood season, on Wednesday the national flood control and drought relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management held video conferences with 14 provinces and regions including Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Liaoning analyzing the development trend of rainfall and flood situations, and deploying flood control and disaster relief work in key areas.
On the same day, a Level IV emergency response for flood control was activated in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang, a Level III emergency response for Liaoning and Jilin was maintained, also a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Hunan, Hubei, and Yunnan was maintained.
Across the country, the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources has updated flood forecasts on 45,110 occasions, issuing river flood warnings 3,683 times to flood control workers and the public, and issued 81 mountain flood disaster meteorological warnings in collaboration with the China Meteorological Administration.
Since the start of the flood season, 4,669 large and medium-sized reservoirs nationwide have been put into operation, collectively storing and diverting 99.3 billion cubic meters of floodwater, reducing flooding in 1,450 urban areas, protecting 1.109 million acres of farmland, and avoiding the relocation of 6.53 million people.
Central China's Hunan Province is one area that has been hit hardest during the flood season.
As of 7 am on Thursday, heavy rainfall had affected over 1.2 million residents in Hunan, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said on Thursday that the area of damaged crops caused by Typhoon Gaemi has reached 127,000 hectares, and 96,500 people have been safely relocated.
As of Thursday noon, the roads, electricity and communications in the eight townships in Zixing most affected by the typhoon have been restored, while search and rescue efforts have made phased progress. A total of 30 people were killed and 35 people went missing during the disaster.
As of Wednesday, the provincial aviation emergency rescue center deployed four helicopters to participate in rescue operations in Zixing city, one of the areas severely affected by the rainfall. A total of 258 flights have been completed, transporting approximately 73 tons of essential supplies and transferring 92 injured individuals and pregnant women.
Chinese experts called for strengthening the monitoring capabilities on rainfall and flood.
With the global climate change, extreme weather events are increasing, which increases the difficulty of forecasting. Therefore, this requires us to enhance monitoring capabilities and strengthen forecasting and early-warning abilities accordingly, Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Additionally, due to the increasing trend of extreme weather events brought about by climate change, we need to re-examine some of the previous planning efforts appropriately, incorporating climate change factors into consideration, Ma said.
"We cannot solely rely on existing rules, but rather need to consider more extreme weather factors. This may involve adjusting some standards, setting some flood prevention design standards higher," Ma suggested.
China and Russia on Thursday held their eighth joint aerial strategic patrol that saw bombers of the two countries flying over the Bering Sea for the first time, also marking the farthest place Chinese bombers have reached in a strategic patrol mission, experts said.
According to an annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries, the two sides organized a joint aerial strategic patrol over the Bering Sea on Thursday, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of National Defense, confirmed with the Global Times at a regular press conference on Thursday.
This is the eighth joint aerial strategic patrol between the two militaries since 2019, which further tested and enhanced the two air forces' interoperability, and deepened the two countries' strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, Zhang Xiaogang said.
The operation does not target any third party, conforms to international law and practices, and is not related to current international and regional situations, the spokesperson said, when asked if the joint patrol was a response to the Pentagon's recently released 2024 Arctic Strategy that hyped China-Russia cooperation in the Arctic.
Zhang Xiaogang's remarks came after the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it detected two Russian Tu-95 and two Chinese H-6 bombers operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday local time, but remained in international airspace and did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace, according to US media reports.
This is the first time a China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol has featured a patrol over the Bering Sea. Previous patrols have covered regions including the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the West Pacific.
Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that the latest China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol marked the first time Chinese bombers have reached an area near Alaska, and also the farthest place Chinese bombers have reached in a strategic patrol mission.
Through constant upgrades, China's H-6 bombers have achieved significant capability boosts. They can now carry long-range missiles that can launch strikes against land and maritime targets out of hostile interception range, Zhang Xuefeng said.
In a joint aerial strategic patrol in November 2022, Chinese aircraft landed in Russia and Russian aircraft landed in China.
Citing this previous experience, Zhang Xuefeng assessed that in the latest mission, the Chinese bombers likely took off from Russian territory, which is closer to North Pacific waters. He said that Chinese and Russian air force task forces have reached a high level of interoperability in terms of command, coordination, communications and logistics support.
Before the bombers' patrol, Chinese warships have cruised in the North Pacific, according to both Chinese and US official releases.
In a recent event, the US Coast Guard said that it came across four Chinese military ships in international waters in the Bering Sea north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, the AP reported on July 12.
In response, Zhang Xiaogang, the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, told the Global Times on Thursday that the Chinese warships recently carried out regular training activities aimed at boosting and testing combat capabilities without targeting any country.
Chinese warplanes' and warships' operations conformed to international law and practices, as they did not enter US sovereign airspace or territorial waters, another Chinese military expert, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on Thursday.
If the US feels uncomfortable seeing a Chinese military presence on its doorstep, it should get used to it, or reflect on its own military presence on China's doorstep, which poses much greater security concerns to China, the expert said.
The China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol closely followed a joint naval patrol that stretched from northern Pacific waters to the South China Sea and a joint naval exercise in waters off China's southern coast earlier this month, with experts highlighting the growing China-Russia military cooperation and its contribution to peace and stability through providing global strategic balance.
Editor's Note:
Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Sunday morning for state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron of the Republic of France, President Aleksandar Vucic of the Republic of Serbia, and President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary. Ahead of his visit to France, Global Times reporters Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi (GT) interviewed former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin (Raffarin), talking about the significance of the state visit for China-France relations, reviewing the future development of bilateral ties, and discussing the role of China-France relations in China-EU relations.
GT: This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. Could you share some important historical moments and achievements from these 60 years of China-France relations?
Raffarin: First of all, General de Gaulle's decision to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1964 is itself historic. France's support for the Chinese authorities in their fight against the SARS pandemic in 2003 was a major act, as were the opening of the Airbus factory in North China's Tianjin and the commissioning of the first Franco-Chinese nuclear reactor in South China's Guangdong Province. I am also very struck by the beauty of the Beijing Opera House designed by French architect Paul Andreu. There have been many joint creations across numerous fields. In 60 years, I have made more than 100 trips to China; 100 opportunities for very fruitful sharing.
GT: Over the last 60 years, what have been the changes and constants in China-France relations?
Raffarin: The constant is France's desire for independence in its policy with China. The change has been the development of the European Union, which has made diplomatic work more complex. All French presidents have followed, in relation to China, Charles de Gaulle's major orientations: Respect for civilizations, frank discussions, and co-responsibility for the future.
GT: In your opinion, what is the core element that has allowed these relations to withstand tests and continue to progress?
Raffarin: The central core is the mutual cultural appetite.
Analyzing the differences in our two civilizations is particularly fruitful as demonstrated by the philosopher François Jullien.
Culture is the heart of our relationship. The joint curiosity has been intact for centuries. This is the source of the respect that allows us to live with deep differences.
GT: How do you assess the current relations between China and France? Given the challenges of globalization and changes in the international political and economic situation, in which areas can China and France strengthen cooperation?
Raffarin: France has stable relations with China unlike many other countries, including in Europe. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron are two leading figures who know each other very well. They have spent hours and hours in discussion together.
The priority of our future relations, in my opinion, is building peace. In the short term, it is to act together for peace in Ukraine. In the medium term, it is to build a new multilateralism capable of allowing peace and development on our common planet.
GT: In your opinion, what role does China-France relations play within the framework of China-Europe relations? How will Europe's position in Chinese foreign policy evolve?
Raffarin: France's role in Europe is very active. We defend our ideas vigorously in all European forums. Our vision for Europe's strategic independence is gaining ground.
We are allies of the US, but do not want to be aligned with their interests. Donald Trump's place in the American debate convinced many European leaders that it is urgent to promote our sovereignty.
I think that the China-France dialogue is the best way to bring about peaceful solutions.
GT: 2024 is the year of China-France culture and tourism, as well as the Olympic year for France. Could you present the plans for cultural cooperation and exchanges between China and France for this year?
Raffarin: Many public and private initiatives will mark this year. For example, the exhibition on Versailles and the Forbidden City are particularly creative. A cultural forum bringing together Chinese and French artists will take place in November in Deauville. France will be the guest of honor at the Shanghai Expo. And more than 100 initiatives are already being programmed.
Cultural exchanges are the best medium for fostering mutual understanding and reciprocal respect.
GT: What role do cultural and human exchanges play in China-France relations?
Raffarin: We will prioritize student exchanges because they are the best vectors for promoting joint projects and creating deep and authentic ties between the two countries.
GT: In the fields of emerging technologies, sustainable development, and green energy, how can China and France seek new opportunities for cooperation?
Raffarin: I think we need to work together on the theme that is very popular among young Chinese and French people, which I call "the Planetization of politics."
Only recently has the Planet become a political object. There is a shared conviction among the world's youth: We must protect the Planet to protect Humanity.
Global governance needs consensus to progress. It is around this theme that it should be possible to invent a new multilateralism that will correct the current multilateralism's impotence.
GT: Given the current uncertainty of the international commercial environment, what are the challenges and opportunities facing China-France economic cooperation? How do you view 2023's debates in Europe on "de-risking" and this year's on "over capacity" in China?
Raffarin: We must understand our differences to avoid misunderstandings. There is a real consensus in Europe that public money should be used to help Europeans, for example, buy electric vehicles. But these subsidies are not intended to assist the production of foreign industries.
Since the WTO is currently partially blocked, trade regulation should proceed through bilateral agreements. The only real way to cooperate sustainably is to balance concessions.
GT: What are your expectations regarding the visit of the Chinese top leader to France?
Raffarin: Peace in Europe. Let's remain faithful to the spirit of General de Gaulle when, 60 years ago, he decided to establish diplomatic relations with China. The differences were probably greater than now, but the central idea was that our destinies are linked and thus the path of cooperation is more fruitful than confrontation. For this, direct and frank dialogue, understanding of each other's interests and values, and respect for sovereignty are necessary.
China Southern Airlines has ordered 100 home-made C919 aircraft from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the carrier said in a filing on Monday.
It is the third large-scale order for the C919 following the previous orders made by Air China and China Eastern Airlines.
According to data provided by COMAC, the catalog price of a C919 series aircraft is $99 million, or a total of approximately $9.9 billion for the 100 aircraft. The catalog price includes the airframe price and engine price.
Air China on Friday announced the purchase of 100 C919 jets in a deal worth $10.8 billion, with the aircraft to be delivered in batches from 2024 to 2031.
China Eastern Airlines, the first global buyer of the C919, inked a deal with COMAC in late September for an additional 100 C919 aircraft.
In 2021, China Eastern purchased five such jetliners, and it received all the five planes in early March.
The C919 aircraft is the first jet type trunk plane independently developed by China in accordance with international airworthiness standards, COMAC said on its official website.
Currently, more than 200 Chinese enterprises have been involved in research and development for the C919 and corresponding products, with multiple firms directly participating in the manufacturing for component products, according to domestic media outlet jrj.com.
Chinese experts said that the aircraft shows China's enhanced self-sufficiency in advanced science and technology, amid the increasingly complex global environment and the West's so-called decoupling moves.
The C919 aircraft had its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on May 28, 2023, marking its official entry into the civil aviation market.
Currently, the total orders for the C919 have exceeded 1,200 aircraft, including overseas orders from leading aircraft leasing companies such as AerCap and Brunei Qiji Airlines, Xinhua reported on February 23.
South Africa's Absa Group, a leading pan-African bank, announced on Wednesday the official launch of its new non-banking subsidiary in Beijing. The ambitious move aims to unlock more trade and investment opportunities between China and Africa.
The new office will enable the Johannesburg-based company to offer local support to Chinese clients and stakeholders to conclude transactions across the African continent, helping to support clients' needs, according to a statement issued by the Absa Group in January.
This business expansion demonstrates Absa's emphasis on and robust confidence in China's market. It also reflects China's persistent endeavors to foster growing economic ties with the rising Global South, experts said.
Amid the evolving global economic landscape, cooperation between the two sides has progressed from basic energy and infrastructure projects to financial collaboration, which are more pivotal and forward-looking areas, and this is likely to deepen bilateral ties in the real economy sector, Yang Baorong, director of African Studies of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The new office in Beijing will allow Absa to provide general advisory services to clients based in China, according to a statement. The lender will also be able to distribute some research about the macroeconomic environment and securities reports to some institutional clients in China, Bloomberg reported.
The move will help the bank become a "facilitator of trade flows into Africa", Absa said in its latest financial report, published in early March, according to media reports.
"Our expansion into this dynamic market represents an exciting opportunity to unlock new avenues of growth and prosperity for Africa and China," said Arrie Rautenbach, the CEO of Absa Group, at a ceremony earlier this year, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
In recent years, investment cooperation between the two sides has steadily grown, with annual manufacturing direct investment exceeding $400 million and infrastructure construction cooperation exceeding $37 billion, supporting Africa's industrialization and economic diversification, said He Yadong, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, at a regular press conference on April 11.
The cooperation has boosted China-South Africa ties under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, this initiative has significantly improved economic development and livelihoods in Africa.
"Removing constraints on financial flows is crucial for deepening the bilateral ties," Song Wei, a professor with the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The launch of the subsidiary signifies Africa's financial institutions' participation in China-African financial cooperation, which is expected to bolster mutual benefits in settlement and investment, Song added.
Editor's Note:
The world has witnessed a turbulent and rapidly evolving situation in 2023. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is yet to be resolved, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has suddenly escalated, intensifying instability in the Middle East and affecting the global strategic geopolitical landscape. At the same time, global financial markets have also experienced significant volatility. The wave of bank failures in the US has spread to Europe, triggering a global banking panic. Unprecedented extreme weather events have had the effect of "deadly attacks" on many countries, posing significant risks and challenges to the global economy and food security. Despite these challenges, China has put forth the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), actively contributing Chinese solutions to the world and leaving a deep impression on people in many countries.
According to a survey conducted by the Global Times Institute on the opinions of participants across 20 countries in 16 languages, about 60 percent of respondents from foreign countries believe that China's global influence is rising. As of December 1, 2023, a total of approximately 17,000 valid questionnaires were collected. The Global Times invited several Chinese and foreign experts to analyze the survey results which cover a range of topics including China's role in the world, China-US relations, and risks facing the world, among others. Experts said that they believe that China's achievements in its unique modernization process have generated strong appeal and attraction worldwide, especially in Global South countries. This is the first installment of the survey.
Wide praise to Chinese modernization
With the continuous enhancement of China's economic strength and the improvement of its international status, more and more countries and regions are beginning to pay attention to China's policies and actions.
How China is perceived and understood by people from different countries and regions is also developing in a more objective and positive way. Many foreign media outlets have praised Chinese modernization, stating that it has broadened the global path of modernization and provided fresh options for developing countries. In terms of the economy, many international institutions have high expectations for China's economic growth, giving a vote of confidence to the Chinese economy. Experts from various countries also expect China to play a key role in the global economic recovery. In 2023, China has mediated and facilitated reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, promoting a new trend of peaceful development in the Middle East and the injection of stability and positive energy into a turbulent international situation.
From November 7 to December 1, 2023, the Global Times Institute conducted a survey using a commercially available online sample library to invite respondents to participate. The survey was conducted in 16 languages including Chinese, English, Spanish, German, Arabic, and French, and targeted residents aged 18 and above in 20 countries including China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, the US, Australia, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Brazil, and Argentina. A total of approximately 17,000 valid questionnaires were collected.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the country has developed into the second-largest economy in the word.
Among the 19 countries surveyed, excluding China, three-quarters of the respondents believe that China's development path is successful. Among them, over 30 percent believe it is "totally successful," while 45 percent consider it to be "fairly successful." Looking at individual countries, over 80 percent of respondents in Kenya, Indonesia, South Africa, and Egypt believe that China's development path is successful (including "totally successful" and "fairly successful"). In 10 countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, this proportion exceeds 70 percent. In four countries including Italy and Germany, it also exceeds 60 percent.
Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that the majority of respondents from various countries acknowledging China's development path is based on objective facts. Over the last 40 years of reform and opening-up, hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, and China's achievements are evident.
At the same time, due to more and more cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), people in many countries have also experienced the positive effects of the Chinese model and China's people-centered development path. The Western approach has not addressed the infrastructure and development gaps in many non-Western countries, as well as the fundamental issue of connectivity, nor has it helped these countries achieve industrialization. Instead, it blindly promotes American-style democracy. In comparison, China cooperates with other countries to solve their problems practically.
Regarding the question of how respondents perceive the "Chinese path to modernization," which is different from the Western model of modernization, average data from 19 countries (excluding China) shows that 85 percent of respondents have heard of the Chinese path to modernization and two-thirds gave positive evaluations. Over 30 percent agreed that this is "an innovative practice for the development of human society and an important reference for other countries" and over 30 percent believed that this "may be a new great endeavor, but needs more and long-term practice to testify."
Looking at individual countries, the proportion of respondents with a positive attitude toward China's development path in Indonesia, Kenya, and South Africa was around 80 percent; in Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, it exceeds 70 percent; and in seven countries such as, the US, the UK, Italy, and Russia, it exceeds 60 percent.
Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times that the achievements of Chinese modernization have had a strong impact worldwide, especially among Global South countries.
The Western model of modernization was once popular, and modernization was even equated with Westernization, creating a fixed mindset. However, China's successful modernization path has broken this pattern and generated strong appeal. China's modernization does not follow the path of Western expansion and colonial plunder, but rather the path of peaceful development as a strong nation. Besides, in just a few decades, China has successfully eradicated absolute poverty for hundreds of millions of people, which is extremely rare in the history of world economic development and human social development. Last but not the least, while the West has always struggled to balance the relationship between governance and the market during the modernization process, China's modernization combines a capable government with an effective market, which is also a breakthrough in economic theory, according to Wang Youming.
Strong recognition in China's global role
In a question related to China's global influence, average data from 19 countries (excluding China) showed that about 60 percent of foreign respondents believe that China's global influence is on the rise.
Wang Youming pointed out that the assessment of global influence takes into account comprehensive factors. Among them is the support of the economic foundation, as a country cannot have influence if it is poor and backward. As the world's second-largest economy, China has strong economic support, and its series of diplomatic initiatives and concepts have gained support from many countries. At the same time, China's Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed in terms of development concepts and security perspectives have also won wide support.
Zhu Feng, director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University, told the Global Times that global influence in international affairs mainly includes three aspects: Contribution to global economic development, presence in major international security and peace issues, and a role in the evolution and adjustment of the international order.
He noted that China's presence and participation in major global issues has continuously increased, and its influence has been growing. China has, for example, been advocating for peace and dialogue in the Ukraine crisis and has pushed for the adoption of resolutions by the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In terms of global climate issues, China is also at the forefront of the green energy transformation.
Zhu stressed that despite the staggering global economic recovery, escalating geopolitical conflicts, and increasing pressure from the US and the West, China's peaceful development, contributions to the regional and global stability, as well as its provision of Chinese solutions and wisdom, are recognized by the international community.
In 12 particular countries, including the UK, France, and Russia, more than 60 percent of respondents believe that China's global influence is rising. More than 70 percent of respondents in Kenya and South Africa believe it is increasing. In five countries, including Germany and the US, more than half of the respondents believe that China's global influence is on the rise.
Koffi M Kouakou, an Africa Analyst and Senior Research Fellow at The Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, believes that both China's hard power and soft power are growing year-on-year, and the country's image is also improving. More and more Africans are able to see through the West's unfounded reports against China.
He believes that China has always been committed to promoting world peace and development, insisting on maintaining fairness and justice, and playing an important role on the international stage, with the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran being a powerful example.
Moreover, many projects built by China in African countries have taken off, helping Africa to effectively solve economic and social development problems. Whether in South Africa, Kenya, or other African countries, China's help is evident to all, Kouakou noted. Nowadays, more and more Africans across the continent believe that China can inject strong confidence into national and social development.
More dimensions of impression
When asked how do they hope their countries' relationship with China would change in the future, the average of 19 countries (excluding China) shows that nearly 60 percent of respondents hope for closer and friendlier relations with China, with more than 20 percent hoping for "very close and friendly" relations, and more than 30 percent hoping for "relatively close and friendly" relations.
In seven countries, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, nearly 70 percent of respondents hope to develop better bilateral relations with China; in the UK, France, the US, and Australia, nearly half chose the same; nearly half of the respondents in Japan hope the relationship between the two countries remains "unchanged"; in South Korea, the proportions of those hoping to maintain the status quo and those hoping for friendlier relations are quite even at around 40 percent, while nearly half of the respondents in India hope for closer and friendlier relations between China and India.
Zhu noted that the attitude of respondents from Japan and South Korea reflects the deepening of a series of contentious topics between China and these two East Asian neighbors in economic, social, political, and diplomatic fields. But China, Japan, and South Korea are immovable neighbors in East Asia, and from both a historical standpoint and economic and social perspectives, we have strong connections.
Their attitude is a timely reminder, that is, how China's policies toward South Korea and Japan can be more effective, more pragmatic, and more heartfelt. This is also a key point for new strategic thinking and planning for China, Zhu noted.
Data shows that for 19 countries (excluding China), the highest rates of support among respondents are for Chinese citizens traveling to their countries, technological exchanges and cooperation, and youth exchanges between China and countries around the world, all exceeding 60 percent; followed by health and environment, commercial and trade interactions, and infrastructure construction, all receiving more than half of the support rate.
In Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Argentina, Brazil, and Turkey, more than 70 percent of respondents support Chinese citizens' travel to their countries; in many European countries and Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Australia and others, the same enjoys a support rate that also exceeds 60 percent.
In terms of conducting scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, except for Japan and South Korea, nearly or more than half of the respondents in the 17 other countries are in support, with Kenya and South Africa registering the highest rates, followed closely by Turkey, Egypt, and Indonesia; the US, Germany, the UK, Italy, and other European and American countries also have support rates close to or exceeding 50 percent.
AL-Ismail, a researcher at the Tahrir Studies Center in Cairo, told the Global Times that in the three African countries of Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt, more than 70 percent of the people support Chinese citizens traveling to their locales, promoting student and youth exchanges, and carrying out scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, the highest proportion in each region. These are the heartfelt words of the African people. "Cultural exchanges play a vitally important role in consolidating public opinion foundation of the two countries' political and diplomatic relations, deepening feelings and friendships between the peoples of the two countries."
Kouakou indicates that as South Africa and China are both BRICS members, he believes the relationship between South Africa and China will become even closer. Today, the Renminbi has become the world's fourth most active currency. He expressed optimism at closer cooperation between Africa and China in the financial and economic trade fields, especially with the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area, hoping that China will provide more support to Africa in financial and the technological fields.
In Zhu's view, science and education are important pillars of social development toward stability and strength, which also reflects that the respondents' impressions of China are not one-sided, but more three-dimensional and comprehensive.
Wang Youming stated that as globalization enters a new stage, the content of interactions and exchanges, as well as the actors involved, are gradually becoming more youth-oriented, with high-end technologies such as the digital economy, green low-carbon, intelligent manufacturing, and aerospace among others becoming key topics. The survey data shows that the trend is consistent with the development trend of the times.
Editor's Note:
In the book Life and Death in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, journalist Ma Xiaolin recorded a question raised by a Palestinian man during a protest on May 4, 1999: "The May 4 has arrived, but where is our country? Tell me, where is Palestine?" According to the Oslo Accords signed between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel, this date was meant to herald the end of a five-year transitional autonomy period and the achievement of Palestinian independence. However, this dream has remained elusive. The negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis have long been at a standstill, resulting in a deadlocked peace process. Why is it so difficult for both sides to make concessions? How have internal conflicts and competition hindered the peace talks?
Failure of Oslo Accords
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was established in 1964. The most powerful and influential faction within the PLO has been the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah). The PLO's founding aim was to liberate the entire Palestine amid a struggle with Israel, but due to changing regional and international circumstances, as well as consecutive defeats in the first four Middle East wars, the organization gradually abandoned this goal and, instead, sought a political solution to the Palestinian issue. In 1974, it was recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people at the Arab League Summit.
In November 1988, the PLO issued the "Declaration of Independence," announcing the formal establishment of the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. However, at the same time, they also recognized several resolutions, including the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan, indirectly acknowledging Israel's right to exist and accepting the two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
However, in December 1987, an Israeli truck driver entered the Gaza Strip and caused the deaths of four Palestinians. This incident sparked the first mass Palestinian uprising and led to the formation of armed organizations such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
Under the mediation of the international community, the PLO and the Israeli government signed the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, also known as the Oslo Accords, in 1993. They later signed several agreements including the Gaza-Jericho Agreement. The "Oslo model," therefore, gradually emerged as a way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The PLO recognized Israel's right to exist, and Israel recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. Both sides embarked on the Oslo peace process, with the core "land for peace" principle.
The signing of the Oslo Accords sparked a wave of optimism in Israel and the Middle East, leading to a thawing of relations between Israel and some Arab countries, achieving some initial progress in the pursuit of peace. The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 as an interim government, implementing phased limited autonomy in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces also withdrew from most of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The then Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, and former Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for their efforts.
However, many Palestinians were dissatisfied with the Oslo Accords as they believed that the agreement did not grant them statehood, but rather provided for a phased autonomy for a vague Palestinian entity. The right-wing in Israel was also opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state. In order to obstruct the peace process, a Jewish extremist massacred 29 Palestinians in Hebron in 1994.
On November 4, 1995, the then Israeli prime minister and leader of the left-wing Labor Party, Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated by a fanatic Israeli Jew. Some analysts argue that Rabin was the only figure with enough influence to rally public support for the peace process. However, others pointed out that although the Israeli left-wing agreed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, their vision of a Palestinian nation was one far from being a fully sovereign state and was largely focused on civil governance.
The timetable for the final status negotiations between Palestine and Israel was already outlined in the Oslo Accords, but it was not until September 1999 that the negotiations officially began. Due to the complex nature of the issues involved, such as national, sovereignty, security, economic, and religious disputes, it was difficult for either party to make concessions.
Additionally, the negotiations faced obstacles from extremist forces and frequent changes in the political landscape. In July 2000, the Camp David Summit between Palestine and Israel ended in failure. Just two months later, amid heightened tensions in Israeli-Palestinian relations, Ariel Sharon the leader of Israel's right-wing Likud party, made a forceful visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, leading to a large-scale armed conflict and the Palestinian people launching a second uprising.
Since then, peace talks have repeatedly resumed and stalled, rendering the Oslo Peace Process virtually defunct. The international community has proposed solutions such as the "Arab Peace Initiative" and the "Roadmap for Peace in the Middle East," but none have successfully been implemented.
Refugees after building separation barrier
Jerusalem, a holy city in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, has had a tumultuous history. Due to its unique status, the United Nations (UN) once designated Jerusalem as a separate entity under a special international regime administered by the UN. In the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948, Jerusalem was divided, with East Jerusalem, including the Old City, coming under the control of Transjordan (now Jordan), and West Jerusalem under Israeli control. However, after the third Arab-Israeli war in 1967, East Jerusalem also came under Israeli control.
By then, Israel had gained a strategic advantage over the Arab camp, and the influence of the "Greater Israel" ideology was gradually expanding. There were also significant differences between Israelis and Palestinians regarding the status of Jerusalem. In 1980, Israel declared Jerusalem as its eternal and indivisible capital, but this declaration was rejected by a United Nations Security Council resolution that same year. Currently, most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem. To ensure control of East Jerusalem, Israel implemented a policy of "de-Arabization" in the region, continuously eradicating Arab elements and restricting the residency rights of Arab residents. Additionally, Israel began promoting the establishment of Jewish settlements and the construction of a separation wall in the area to reinforce its Jewish character.
Land is a key point of contention between Palestine and Israel, and the expansion of Jewish settlements is a major method used by Israel to occupy land, divide Palestinian territory, control water resources, and expand defense depth. Jewish settlements are closed military zones. Palestinians are not allowed to enter without special permission. There is a modern road network connecting various Jewish settlements and cities in Israel. These roads generally bypass Palestinian villages, and are often restricted to Palestinians, thus dividing the Palestinian-controlled areas into isolated islands. The two largest of these areas are the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
While occupying land, Israel has also implemented a security barrier plan. The barrier, approximately 8 meters high and 700 kilometers long, consists of fences, ditches, barbed wire, electronic surveillance systems, and patrol roads. The separation wall was originally earmarked for construction along the 1967 armistice line (the "Green Line") to separate Palestinian areas from Israel. However, the actual construction of the separation wall extends into Palestinian territory, sectioning off 9.4 percent of the West Bank for the Israeli side, and nearly 25,000 Palestinians are forced to live in a closed area between the "Green Line" and the separation wall.
During the 1996 elections, due to concerns over "Palestinian extremists conducting terrorist attacks" and disappointment with the peace process advocated by the Labor Party government, the Israeli people voted for the Likud, which pursued a hardline policy. During Likud's tenure, the trend of advocating for the annexation of the West Bank and opposing Palestinian statehood increasingly became a political practice in Israel. Since his return to power in 2009, Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a tougher stance on the Palestinian issue. In February 2017, the Israeli parliament passed a controversial bill legalizing all unauthorized Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
At the same time, the Palestinian refugee issue presented another challenge in the final status negotiations between Israel and Palestine. After the first Arab-Israeli war, a large number of Palestinian Arabs were displaced and became refugees. The initial generation of Palestinian refugees dates back many years and, and many of the original refugees are now in their fifth generation. By 2016, the number of registered Palestinian refugees with the UN had reached 5.9 million. The Palestinian side believes that Israel should bear the primary responsibility for the refugee issue and advocates for the right of all refugees to return to Palestine. However, Israel denies this claim and, in order to maintain the Jewish character of the state, does not recognize the right of Palestinian refugees to return and instead advocates for their local resettlement. Israel also controls the borders of Palestine and even prohibits refugees from entering the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and does not issue them entry visas.
Numerous internal contradictions within Palestine
In addition to the major differences between Palestine and Israel on issues such as the status of Jerusalem, Jewish settlements, border delineation, and Palestinian refugees, there is also a fierce power struggle within the Palestinian territories between secularism represented by the Palestinian Authority and Islamic fundamentalism represented by Hamas. Some analysts believe that the Palestinian national movement is constrained by internal conflicts and is unable to effectively respond to Israel.
Due to the declining influence of the Palestinian Authority, Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections and gained the power to form an autonomous government. Hamas' position on key issues such as the nature of the Palestinian state, its attitude toward Israel, and internal power distribution are in stark contrast to those of the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority is committed to establishing a secular, democratic, and pluralistic modern nation-state, while Hamas aims to establish an Islamic state. The Palestinian Authority recognizes Israel and advocates for the establishment of an independent state through negotiations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On the other hand, Hamas refuses to recognize the legitimacy of any Jewish state, opposes negotiations, and insists on using armed struggle to eliminate Israel and establish a state on historic Palestinian land from the Mediterranean Sea to the West Bank of the Jordan River.
The rise of Hamas has changed the political landscape of Palestine. In 2007, a large-scale armed conflict erupted between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip, resulting in Hamas seizing control of the territory. This division led to Palestine being split into two parts, with Fatah ruling the West Bank of the Jordan River and Hamas controlling the Gaza Strip. Hamas insists that "resistance and holy war" are the only way for Palestine to achieve liberation and independence. They have employed tactics such as tunnel digging to infiltrate Israel and launch attacks on civilians, as well as repeatedly firing rockets into Israeli territory. These acts of violence against civilians have become a serious obstacle to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and have led the US, the UK, and other countries' designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.
In response to the extremist violent acts by Hamas and others, Israel has retaliated with military strikes, severely damaging the local socio-economic conditions and caused a severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, essentially turning it into "the largest open-air prison in the world." In addition to the discord between Fatah and Hamas, internal conflicts within the Palestinian Authority are also important factors affecting the unity of the Palestinian people. The stagnation of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the deterioration of the economic and social living standards, and issues of corruption have undermined the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority and the authority of the older generation of leaders.
Analysts point out that the Second Intifada, which began in September 2000 as a major Palestinian uprising in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, indicates that the younger generation of leaders within the Palestinian Authority has started to challenge the older generation of leaders, intensifying power struggles over succession. This infighting weakens the secular nationalist camp, limits the ability of Palestinian leaders to control the situation and negotiate with Israel, and creates conditions for the rise of radical Islamic forces.