2022 Year in Review

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In 2015, Chinese leader Xi Jinping introduced the “10,000 Villages Project”, anambitious vision to bring digital television to impoverished regions of Africa totackle the burgeoning digital divide between urban and rural regions of Africa byupgrading telecommunications infrastructure and providing discounted or freeTV to low-income communities by StarTimes. Previously, television access was areserved privilege of the wealthy, and even so, was unreliably connected bysatellite with analogue reception.With China’s well-established reputation on the continent, the 10,000 VillagesProject further cast a philanthropic light on the People’s Republic’s activities inAfrica. The project provided more than just positive reception; it crucially gaveChina an inroad in Africa’s communication infrastructure and media landscape.STARTIMES: FROM BEIJING TO 30 AFRICAN COUNTRIESUnder Jiang Zemin, China’s leader from 1989 to 2002, the “Go Out Policy”encouraged Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Africa and forge stronger tieswith nations on the continent. This saw Pang Xinxing take his then fledglingtelecommunications company StarTimes away from the saturated Chinesemarket and into Africa in 2002. He saw a demand for low-cost TV, and today,StarTimes still provides one of the world’s most affordable digital TV packagesfor as little as US$4.00 per month.StarTimes penetration of the African market coincided with the United Nations’2006 push for Africa to switch from snow analogue signals to digital TV by 2015,a goal difficult to achieve for most African nations, thus pivotally providingStarTimes an opportunity to lend its expertise and capability to expand itsoperations.The Beijing-headquartered company currently carries hundreds of Africanstations, as well as providing Chinese and international channels. The cheapestpackage offered bundles together Chinese and African channels, including CGTN,China’s state-owned English news broadcaster established as part of Xi Jinping’ssoft power push to “tell the China story well”.P A G E 1 6 4
Concerningly, telling the China story well often translates to relaying the newswith a pro-China tint to such an extent that the United States has demandedCGTN be registered as a foreign agent under domestic anti-propagandalegislation, the United Kingdom has banned the broadcaster, and France ismulling withdrawing the channel’s broadcasting licence.Access to BBC, DW, or Al Jazeera often costs more and is beyond the financialmeans of most viewers. More expensive packages afford viewership to soapoperas and international channels, including Chinese dramas. Although Chinesedramas are not overtly political, they are mindfully curated to portray thePeople’s Republic as a modernised and urban country.STARTIMES REACH INTO AFRICAChinese programming offered by StarTimes has become so popular that Africanbroadcasters have raised concerns that the company is edging out localcompanies out of the media market. In 2018, the Ghana IndependentBroadcasters Association apprised that “if StarTimes is allowed to controlGhana’s digital transmission infrastructure and satellite space … Ghana wouldhave virtually submitted its broadcast space to Chinese control and content.”From its entrance, StarTimes was able to undercut its competitors by offeringmore channels than previous market leaders for half the price, relegating thelikes of MultiChoice from South Africa to Anglophone Africa and Canal+ toFrancophone Africa to second place. With the backbone of African digitaltelevision propped up by StarTimes, the company has control and influence overwhat is seen and what is not on African TV by millions, potentially affecting theworldview and political opinion of millions.P A G E 1 6 5
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Y E A R I N R E V I E WI S S U E N
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While the events of 2022 are testin
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1CONTENTSTHE END OF PUTIN? EXPLORIN
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8 4LEGALISATION OF MARIJUANA IN THA
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P H O T O B Y E V O N U N S P L A S
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Russia's second invasion into Ukrai
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For the Russians, this is an existe
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P H O T O : K L A U S W R I G H T /
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P H O T O : J O S H C H R I S T E N
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A 2003 report from the Guttmacher I
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P A G E 1 2Calvin Lu and Patrick He
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Common ProsperityThe concept of ‘
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Wang HuningWang Huning’s promotio
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P A G E 1 8P H O T O : M A R K U S
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Korea are women — one of thehighe
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P A G E 2 3P H O T O : T E D D Y O
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shied away from angering China by s
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P A G E 2 7
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ABE’S FAMILY INFLUENCETwo synonym
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P H O T O : K Y O D A / A P I M A G
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YDS TeamP A G E 3 3
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led calls for an investigation into
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B O O K R E V I E WT I D E S T H A
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W H A T I S T H E F I R S TN A T I
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HOW DID THE VOICE COME ABOUT?The Vo
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With the victory of the Australian
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P A G E 4 6P H O T O : I R E N E S
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Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukra
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"FOR BISHKEK AND TASHKENT,THE CKU E
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The CKU’s touted benefits have be
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Lacking the capacity to self-financ
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T H E R E N E W E DD I P L O M A T
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Azerbaijan, which received substant
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SRI LANKA'SECONOMICCRISISP H O T O
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China’s investment in Sri Lanka d
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P A G E 6 4P H O T O : Z A C H A R
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BALI G20 EASES WORLDTENSIONS AS IND
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But the unanimous condemnation of t
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MYANMAR IN2022P H O T O : G A Y A T
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SANCTIONS AND CHINA IMPLICATIONSThe
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AUSTRALIA'S RESPONSEAs mentioned by
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P H O T O : P A N G X I N G L E I /
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2Secondly,some of the areas through
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should make an effort to effectivel
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BBM continuously reframed historica
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Neha DaymaCannabis sativa, usually
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The reasons behind legalisation can
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Bella Baker and Shantelle O'Riordan
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INFRASTRUCTURE BILL - THEINFRUSTRUC
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BIDEN'S SHORTCOMINGSSOARING INFLATI
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P H O T O B Y A N N W A N G / R E U
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The possibility of the Americans le
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Britain; a move that is not expecte
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P A G E 1 0 0Shajara KhanP H O T O
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and Quebec were officially proclaim
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THE PATH FORWARDAs it stands, recon
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Samuel NgLeaping from crisis to cri
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Former US President Donald Trumpand
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SUNAK'S HMSBRITANNIA INTOOBLIVIONTh
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T H E N U C L E A RR E N A I S S A
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Page 128 and 129: Evangelia WichmannP A G E 1 2 0P H
Page 130 and 131: FIRES IN THE AMAZONThis blatant ign
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Page 134 and 135: The Enduring Influence of Peronism:
Page 136 and 137: and political sovereignty. Since th
Page 138 and 139: However, it is clear that for manyA
Page 140 and 141: IIngrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old, w
Page 142 and 143: Any legal recognition of femicide i
Page 144 and 145: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THENEW: A
Page 146 and 147: However, an LNG supply deal struck
Page 148 and 149: spaces, the complete shutdown of li
Page 150 and 151: PHOTO: PATRICK BAZ / AFPLEBANON IN
Page 152 and 153: The first hit came from the Global
Page 154 and 155: W H A T W E R E T H E C I R C U M S
Page 156 and 157: T H E C H A L L E N G E O FD E M O
Page 158 and 159: A C O N T R O V E R S I A L R I G H
Page 160 and 161: HUMAN INSECURITY IN TALIBAN-RULEDAF
Page 162 and 163: WOMEN'S RIGHTSAlthough child marria
Page 164 and 165: P A G E 1 5 6P H O T O : A L E X A
Page 166 and 167: Let us take a look at the Ethiopian
Page 168 and 169: History plays a vital role in a cou
Page 170 and 171: P A G E 1 6 2PHOTO: CHINA MERCHANTS
Page 174 and 175: In Tanzania and Kenya, StarTimes ha
Page 176 and 177: PHOTO: THE ECONOMIST/GETTY IMAGESHo
Page 178 and 179: The role of the US and the EU in pr
Page 180 and 181: Isha DesaiP A G E 1 7 2PHOTO: BADA
Page 182 and 183: SUDANPHOTO: THE INDEPENDENTDemocrac
Page 184: STABILITY IN THE REGIONThe union’
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2022 Year in Review

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