CiCM 14th November 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

Guangzhou Circle Building Fails to Attract Bidders at Auction: The iconic Guangzhou Circle Building, also known as the "Copper Coin Building," failed to sell at auction on November 14 due to a lack of bidders, despite garnering over 29,000 views. The auction, conducted on Alibaba's asset platform, offered reorganization investment rights for Guangdong Xingye International Industrial Co., Ltd., the company that owns the building and its related assets. The starting price was set at 1.36 billion yuan, below the appraised value of approximately 1.7 billion yuan, but no bids were placed. Xingye International's assets include land use rights and properties in Guangzhou’s Liwan District, including the 33-story Guangzhou Circle Building and adjacent structures. The company's major shareholder, Hongda Xingye Group, has faced a severe debt crisis since 2020, with multiple bond defaults leading to bankruptcy proceedings accepted by the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court in early 2023. The Guangzhou Circle Building is renowned for its unique design inspired by the concept of "a round heaven and a square earth," making it a key landmark on the Pearl River. The failed auction reflects ongoing challenges in the regional real estate market amid economic headwinds and corporate debt issues.
Cyberspace Administration Steps Up Enforcement Against AI-Driven Impersonation in Digital Marketing: China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) intensified efforts to combat the rampant abuse of artificial intelligence technology in live-streaming and short video marketing. The agency highlighted a surge in online accounts using AI-generated deepfakes and virtual avatars to impersonate public figures, promoting products and services with deceptive claims. Such practices have led to widespread false advertising and violations of intellectual property rights, severely undermining consumer trust and polluting the online ecosystem.In response, the CAC has carried out a rigorous cleanup operation, removing over 8,700 pieces of illegal content and penalizing more than 11,000 accounts engaged in AI impersonation. The campaign calls on platforms and websites to fulfill their legal responsibilities by enhancing content monitoring and swiftly addressing violations. Looking ahead, the CAC pledges to sustain a stringent supervisory regime, combining technology-driven detection with legal enforcement to dismantle malicious marketing networks. The authority also announced plans to increase transparency by publicly exposing offenders, aiming to deter similar conduct industry-wide.
China and Thailand Strengthen Ties in Historic State Visit: Chinese President Xi Jinping warmly welcomed King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi emphasized the “Golden 50 Years of China-Thailand Friendship,” highlighting their enduring partnership as “good relatives, good friends, and good partners.” He expressed condolences on the recent passing of Queen Sirikit and noted the royal family’s significant role in fostering bilateral friendship. Further expanding on the shared vision, Xi outlined plans to deepen strategic cooperation in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, artificial intelligence, and digital economy. He underscored the importance of cultural exchange and people-to-people ties, aiming to bring the peoples of both countries closer.
China Unveils AI-Powered Innovations at World Chinese Language Conference: The 2025 World Chinese Language Conference kicked off in Beijing, drawing nearly 5,000 participants from over 160 countries and regions. Under the theme “Innovation Leads, AI Empowers: Learning Chinese Without Borders,” China showcased a suite of cutting-edge AI tools designed to transform Chinese language education globally and strengthen cross-cultural ties. Highlights included the world’s first knowledge graph focused on international Chinese education standards, featuring 380,000 language nodes and one million semantic connections to support deep, multimodal queries for learners and educators worldwide. The conference also introduced "HSK GO," an AI-driven, adaptive assessment tool that offers personalized Chinese learning paths and instant lesson planning via a cloud platform built on data from 3,000 Confucius Institutes. International experts attending the conference praised the blend of traditional sinological education with digital resources, emphasizing AI’s role in enhancing access to authentic materials and fostering global scholarly exchanges in Chinese studies.
Vice Premier Liu Guozhong Strengthens China-Sierra Leone Relations During Official Visit: Liu Guozhong, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, conducted an official visit to Sierra Leone at the invitation of the government. During his stay, Liu met with Sierra Leonean Vice President Jallo to exchange in-depth views on bilateral cooperation and development. Liu conveyed President Xi Jinping’s warm greetings to President Bio, emphasizing China’s commitment to consolidating friendship, mutual trust, and enhanced cooperation. He highlighted the significance of the 10th anniversary of China’s successful Ebola epidemic assistance to Sierra Leone—a milestone celebrated during the visit alongside the unveiling of a China-funded fishing port and an agricultural cooperation photo exhibition.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Emotional Premium Emerges as New Priority in China’s Auto Market: China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales hit a milestone, over 1.7 million units sold, making up 51.6% of new car sales and exceeding the 50% share threshold for the first time. Discussions on Weibo reflect a shift in consumer focus from technical benchmarks to comfort, intelligence, and lifestyle-driven features. With self-driving tours and family trips rising in popularity, buyers now view vehicles as “mobile spaces” and seek intelligent experiences, voice assistants, and cabin comforts. The viral post also noted that the logic of automobile consumption may be undergoing a structural change, shifting from "being able to run" to "being able to enjoy" and "being able to interact."

INDIA WATCH

Xinhua Reports on India's Forex Reserves Amid Consecutive Weekly Declines: State-media outlet Xinhua reported on India's foreign exchange reserves falling for the third consecutive week, declining by $2.7 billion to $687.03 billion for the week ending November 7, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on November 14. This follows a $5.62 billion drop the previous week. The key component of the reserves, Foreign Currency Assets, decreased by $2.45 billion to $562.14 billion. Gold reserves also declined by $195 million, settling at $101.53 billion. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) fell by $51 million to $18.59 billion, while India’s reserve position at the IMF remained steady at $4.77 billion. Despite the dip, the report noted that India’s forex kitty remains near record highs, supported by a resilient external sector. The piece also went onto highlight that the RBI was managing the reserves to maintain orderly market conditions amid global economic uncertainties and currency fluctuations involving the euro, pound and yen.

Prepared By

Arav Neil Dey

Arav Neil Dey is a research intern at the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). Currently in his second year at FLAME University, he is pursuing a degree in International Studies. Driven by a fascination for global dynamics, he is passionate about international relations, peace and conflict studies, and military history. Arav especially enjoys diving into the shifting strategic landscape of China and West Asia, always seeking out unconventional perspectives and a deeper understanding.