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NEWS IN CHINA

• Xi Jinping Meets Foreign Ministers of SCO Member Countries: During a meeting in Beijing with foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, President Xi Jinping emphasized the group's strategic importance in promoting regional stability and global balance. Highlighting the SCO’s progress over its 24-year history, Xi praised its adherence to the “Shanghai Spirit”—a framework grounded in mutual trust, equality, consultation, respect for diversity and collective development. Xi reaffirmed China's commitment to strengthening the SCO as a pillar of its regional diplomacy, noting that under its current presidency, Beijing has initiated practical cooperation and organized meaningful activities. Looking ahead to the upcoming summit in Tianjin, Xi expressed his desire to deepen consensus among member states on shaping the SCO’s future direction. He urged the organization to act with confidence, focus, and efficiency in the face of global volatility. Xi further called for strengthening mechanisms to tackle security threats, aligning national strategies with initiatives like the Belt and Road, and expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges. He also stressed the importance of resisting hegemony and fostering a more just multipolar world order. He highlighted the importance of SCO for leading the Global South in building a community with a shared future.

• Shanghai Aims for Global Content Hub Status with New Policy Package: Shanghai has unveiled a comprehensive nine-point policy package, designed to establish the city as a leading global center for high-quality internet content creation. The initiative seeks to attract creators worldwide through a range of incentives, including financial support, simplified visa processes, and enhanced technological assistance. Two downtown areas, Huangpu and Yangpu districts, have been designated as pilot zones for these international content creation clusters. Top-performing platforms, incubators and industrial parks within these zones can qualify for an annual city-level reward of up to 10 million yuan ($1.4 million USD). Foreign creators are set to benefit from expedited visas and increased access to cultural venues and landmarks for content production. The pilot districts will also host global creator forums and innovation competitions. Financial aid is available for AI-driven content projects, covering up to 30 percent of project costs, with individual creators eligible for up to 100,000 yuan for standout works. Additional support includes access to low-interest loans, co-working spaces, and talent housing. Shanghai also plans to launch professional certification for content creators, foster industry participation in skills assessments, and strengthen university-industry internship programs within these new content hubs.

• Central Urban Work Conference Lays Out New Urbanization Priorities: At the recent two-day Central Urban Work Conference which was held in Beijing, President Xi Jinping outlined comprehensive requirements, core principles and key tasks for China's urban development. China has experienced a significant surge in urbanization as its urban population surpassed its rural population over a decade ago, with the share of permanent urban residents reaching 67 percent in 2024. The conference highlighted the Communist Party of China's (CPC) consistent focus since 2012 on developing "cities of the people, for the people and by the people". The conference acknowledged that China's urbanization is now transitioning from rapid expansion to stable growth, with a new emphasis on enhancing the quality and efficiency of existing urban areas. The meeting laid out a vision for modern cities that are innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, culturally advanced and smart. It identified key principles which include a people-oriented approach, promoting distinctive urban features and strengthening coordination. The meeting also set priorities for urban development such as optimizing urban systems, building innovation-led vibrant cities and creating comfortable, green, safe and smart urban environments. The conference concluded by emphasizing the crucial role of the CPC's overall leadership in all affairs including urban development.

• China's School Milk Program Reaches 30 Million Students: China's "National School Milk Program", launched in 2000 to enhance child nutrition, has reached over 30 million primary and secondary school students across 1,00,000 schools throughout China. As per the 2025 bulletin published by the Dairy Association of China, 176 licensed dairy enterprises contribute to the program, collectively processing 94,000 metric tons of raw milk daily. In the 2024 academic year, milk production under the initiative surpassed 1 million tons, valued at 8.37 billion yuan ($1.17 billion), with daily servings increasing from 500,000 in 2001 to 26.72 million. Beyond its scale, the bulletin highlights tangible health benefits: a 2024 assessment showed students regularly receiving milk were, on average, 2 cm taller and had 4.8 percent lower emaciation rates. It further notes that this expansion is supported by significant improvements in China's dairy industry, including increased automation, strong quality control measures and high raw milk quality.

• Xi and Albanese Call for Stronger China-Australia Ties: Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with Wang Yi, met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday in Beijing, signaling a renewed push for closer ties between the two nations. President Xi congratulated PM Albanese on his re-election, and noted that bilateral ties have recovered significantly due to joint efforts, offering mutual benefits. Xi outlined four key areas for future collaboration: enhancing strategic mutual trust, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, cultivating people-to-people friendship through exchanges, and jointly addressing global risks and challenges by upholding international order and multilateralism. Prime Minister Albanese echoed Xi's sentiments, emphasizing Australia's commitment to equal treatment and promoting cooperation for regional stability. He reaffirmed Australia's support to one-China policy, and emphasized maintaining strong economic ties without decoupling. He highlighted potential areas for pragmatic cooperation, including green industries, climate change and medical technology, alongside cultural exchanges. He also voiced support for multilateralism and China's hosting of the 2026 APEC summit.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

• Chikungunya Outbreak in Foshan Prompts Discussions on Social Media: An outbreak of Chikungunya fever in Foshan's Shunde District has escalated, with 478 confirmed cases as of July 15. This sudden surge in the viral disease caused by mosquitoes, occurring during the high-risk season, is generating significant public concern and calls for immediate health action. The outbreak, traced to an imported case on July 8, is currently concentrated in Lecong, Beijiao and Chencun areas of Guangdong province. Residents face heightened health anxieties, with possible disruptions to daily life and stress for affected families. Economically, sectors like tourism and retail remain vulnerable as fear of the disease could deter visitors and reduce business. The situation has sparked considerable discussion on social media, with netizens on Weibo expressing alarm and urging precautions, describing the situation as frightening. Discussions suggest that many people remain uninformed regarding the chikungunya crisis as they have been enquiring about symptoms and treatment for the disease. The outbreak has put public health policies under scrutiny, prompting demands for improved monitoring and early warning systems for non-local diseases.

INDIA WATCH

• S. Jaishankar Meets Liu Jianchao to Discuss the Future of India-China Relations: Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar recently met Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), in Beijing to discuss the future of China-India relations. As per the report published by IDCPC, Liu emphasized that stable improvement in bilateral ties not only advances development in both countries, but also fulfills common expectations of the “Global South”. The report highlights the consensus reached between leaders of both countries which projects India and China as “partners rather than competitors”. Liu also called for increased political trust through dialogue, expanded economic and trade cooperation, and enhanced people-to-people exchanges. He also expressed CPC's readiness to deepen ties with India's ruling political party to improve overall relations. On the other hand, the report mentions that S. Jaishankar echoed these sentiments, highlighting mutual common interests in promoting development and maintaining international order. The report also states that Jaishankar expressed India’s willingness to work with China for the implementation of consensus reached by top leaders as well as enhance bilateral relations both at the government and people-to-people level through dialogue and exchanges.

Prepared By

Maheshwar S Chhaunkar

Maheshwar S Chhaunkar has completed his Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History from Sri Aurobindo College, University of Delhi. He is currently working as an IT Assistant at CENJOWS. His areas of interest include India-China relations, Indo-Pacific affairs and Asian politics.