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NEWS IN CHINA

• EU Expands Regulatory Scrutiny of Chinese Firms Huawei, ZTE and Shein: The European Union has increased its regulatory scrutiny of major Chinese companies including giants like Huawei, ZTE and Shein  amid growing concerns over data protection, supply chain transparency, and national security compliance. The European Commission’s reported plan to force member states to phase out Huawei Technologies and ZTE gear from telecoms networks could mark a fresh regulatory hurdle while serving as a warning to roughly 3,000 Chinese companies operating on the continent, said experts. France has threatened to suspend Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, after a seizure of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, by the Netherlands, highlighting the intense public scrutiny Chinese firms are currently facing inside the European Union. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU released a report that called “uncertainty” a “defining feature” of Chinese enterprises’ operations in Europe. A chamber survey found that 81 per cent of companies perceived “rising unpredictability” in the EU business environment.
  
  
• China Summons Japanese Ambassador Over PM’s Provocative Taiwan Remarks, Demands Retraction: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, summoned the Japanese Ambassador to protest remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding the Taiwan region. Sun condemned Sanae’s remarks as blatant, provocative, and a serious violation of the one-China policy, reiterating Taiwan as an inalienable part of China and calling any interference in the matter as unacceptable. He asked Japan to retract the remarks, stating that China would respond strongly to attempts to interfere in the national unification.
  
  
• The King and Queen of Thailand land in China: On the occasion of the 50th year of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the People’s Republic of China, the King of Thailand,  Mahavajiralongkorn, popularly known in the west as Rama X landed in China on Thursday. This marks the first time a Thai King has come on a state visit to China ever since diplomatic relations were first established 50 years ago. Rama X and Queen Suthida are on a 5 day long state visit from the 13th to the 17th of November. The King and Queen are expected to meet various Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, along with exhibitions and museums, including the Palace Museum in Beijing. The visit coincides with the official mourning period for the King’s mother, the Queen Sirkit, who passed away on the 24th of October. This visit highlights China’s growing influence on Thailand.
  
  
• First China-Africa joint medical center launched in Guinea: The signing and unveiling ceremony of the first ever China-Africa Joint Medical Center Agreement was signed at the Sino-Guinean Friendship Hospital in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The deputy head of the National Health Commission, and head of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration of China, Shen Hongbing, along with Guinean Minister of Health and Public Hygiene Oumar Diouhe Bah, signed the agreement. The agreement hopes to meet Guinea’s public health needs through joint development of the new medical center by leading Chinese institutions.  The initiative seeks to develop the Sino-Guinean Friendship hospital into a regional center in West Africa for precision diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, minimal invasive surgery and AI assisted medical care through a series of new Chinese technologies. The Guinean Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for China’s continued medical support, beginning all the way back in 1968 when the first batch of 36 medical experts arrived in Guinea from China.
  
  
• China Accelerates Domestic Ratification of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Protocol: China’s Ministry of Commerce, is accelerating the domestic ratification of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade, and is collaborating with ASEAN to promote early implementation. Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said that this marks a significant milestone in the relations of the two countries, signifying that their economic integration has evolved from traditional trade to emerging technologies. The 3.0 upgrade is expected to boost regional digital technology empowerment, green industry cooperation, interconnection of production and supply chain, and alignment of standards and regulations, facilitating the accelerated integration and development of the large market and production and supply chain within the region.
  
  
• China Has Cultivated Over 17,600 National-Level “Little Giant”: According to the Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng, China has cultivated over 17,600 National Level “Little Giant” enterprises. These enterprises account for 3.5 % of all large-scale industrial SMEs China wide, contributing  9.6% of the country's total revenue and 13.7% of its profits. A total of over 600,000 science and technology-based and innovative SMEs and over 140,000 specialized, refined, and innovative SMEs have been cultivated, these figures were announced at the 2025 Specialised, Refined, Distinctive & Innovative SMEs Development Conference held in Chongqing. The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said it will regard the tiered cultivation of high-quality enterprises as a key driver in advancing new industrialisation, building a modern industrial system and developing new quality productive forces.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Starbucks’ Expensive Evian Water, suspected of being unpopular, gets viral on Weibo: Starbucks’ sale of Evian water bottles went viral on China’s social media recently. The famous coffee chain soldEvian  water bottles for 22 yuan in China, while the same bottles are priced at only five to seven yuan on platforms like Taobao. Recently, a netizen questioned the huge price difference, claiming that no one buys them, leading to the hashtags #Starbucks22yuanEvianwater and #Starbucks denies that no one buys 22 yuan Evian mineral water, going viral.  Starbucks clarified to the posts saying that the water bottles sell well, as customers who do not buy coffee often choose to buy water instead. Even a staff member from Shanghai posted on Weibo verifying  that the water bottles do sell well. In addition, Wu Xingjian, a lawyer from Hubei Chisheng Law Firm, clarified that Starbucks' sale of Evian mineral water at 22 yuan a bottle is not illegal. This invited a range of comments from Chinese netizens on the social media platform Weibo, with some pointing out that since the water is neither expired nor counterfeit, there is nothing wrong with the price. Others pointed out that beverages such as Coke are often far more expensive in cafes and restaurants, with one netizen sharing that he once paid 30 yuan for a Coke. Another commented that Evian water has always been pricey, even outside of Starbucks. One Weibo user humorously remarked that water now costs more per pound than rice.

INDIA WATCH

China Responds to Indian Tennis Player’s Post about Denial of Visa: Chinese Media outlet Global Times on Thursday reported on Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responding to queries about Indian Tennis Player Sumit Nagpal’s Chinese Visa being denied. Lian said that China issues visas for athletes from all countries, including India, in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. The piece also highlighted that Lian further expressed hope that the individual concerned would submit the relevant documents to the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi in a timely manner. This comes days before the Australian Open’s Asia-Pacific wildcard playoff, which is scheduled to begin on the 24th of November, in Chengdu, the capital of the Chinese province of Sichuan. 

Prepared By

Kanav Aggarwal

Kanav Aggarwal is an undergraduate student majoring in International Relations and minoring in Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University. He is Passionate about geopolitics, defence strategy, and international security. Through his studies and research experience, he aims to deepen his understanding of global power dynamics and contribute analytical insights to the team’s ongoing projects.