Good morning.
Last October, China’s President Xi Jinping told citizens to “prepare for dangerous storms”. In March again, he warned of geopolitical dangers, and how “the risks and challenges” will “only increase and become more severe”.
Our three-part documentary Preparing for Dangerous Storms features rare footage of intense preparations within the country – in its military, economy and media space.
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China’s preparation of its economy for potential conflict is evident in four key areas. The Bank of China is stepping up efforts to internationalise the yuan and move away from dollar dependency in international trade.
To become more self-sufficient in food, China is investing in high-tech greenhouses and R&D into better yielding seeds. Its push for technological self-sufficiency is gaining momentum fast, especially after the US banned exports of advanced microchips to China.
The government has also ordered industry to raise China’s energy self-sufficiency to 84%. Perhaps mindful of a potential US blockade disrupting oil supplies from the South China Sea, it has approved the building of 6 to 8 nuclear reactors a year.
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