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NEWS IN CHINA 

• Wang Yi Holds Diplomatic and Strategic Dialogue with Australian Foreign Minister: Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the eighth round of China-Australia diplomatic and strategic dialogue with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Wang emphasised that China and Australia should maintain high-level exchanges, enhance strategic mutual trust, expand cooperation areas, and continuously improve the bilateral relationship. Wang further added that people-to-people exchanges are in the interests of both countries and expressed hope that Australia would safeguard the well-being of Chinese personnel. Wang also stated that as the rotating chair of APEC, China is willing to strengthen cooperation with all parties, including Australia, and revitalise the Asia-Pacific community process. Wang emphasised that China and Australia should jointly safeguard the stability and smooth operation of the free trade system and supply chains. Further, Wang elaborated on China's position on Taiwan. The Australian side expressed support for the one-China policy and reiterated that they do not support "Taiwan Independence" and hope for a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue. Australia expressed support for China hosting the APEC Leaders' Informal meeting and willingness to work with China to uphold international rules and ensure energy security.
  
  
• Guidelines to Promote Mutual-Aid Eldercare Rolled Out: The Ministry of Civil Affairs and ten other government departments jointly issued a policy document to promote the development of mutual-aid eldercare services. The document aims to encourage neighbors or residents within villages and communities to better support older people through voluntary and non-profit services. The guidelines set clear targets for expanding such services for the elderly. The guidelines set out who will provide the mutual aid eldercare services, what will be delivered, where they will take place, and how support will be ensured, offering a practical roadmap for implementation. They also outline concrete measures to improve service models and strengthen support. The guidelines call for developing community-supported, home-based mutual-aid services supported by grassroots networks, including community workers and volunteers. These teams will help identify needs and provide basic services such as meal support, cleaning, mobility assistance, and emergency assistance, ensuring that elderly people in need receive timely support in daily life and emergencies. The guidelines also encourage flexible models tailored to local conditions, particularly in rural areas, such as neighbor-to-neighbor support and shared living arrangements.
  
  
• Standing Committee Session of the 14th NPC Concludes: The 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress concluded on 30 April with a total of 148 members in attendance, meeting quorum requirements. The meeting adopted the revised Prison Law and Social Assistance Law. President Xi Jinping signed Presidential Decrees No. 74, 75, and 76, and NPC Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the closing session. The standing committee approved treaties on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters with Azerbaijan and a treaty on permanent good-neighborliness and cooperation with five states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The session also endorsed a report on deputies’ qualifications and approved additional personnel changes, including the removal of Feng Yi as Deputy Secretary-General. Following the session, a special lecture on China’s polar expeditions was delivered by Sun Shuxian. The session also removed Han Jun as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and appointed Zhang Zhu as his successor, and Zhang Chengzhong was appointed Minister of Emergency Management.
  
  
• Regulations on Online Food Sales, Drone Activation, and Others to Take Effect: A series of new regulations comes into effect on 1 May, aiming to strengthen governance, safety, and market transparency across multiple sectors. A key target of new regulations on drones is civilian drones, with new standards requiring real-name registration and activation before use and mandating that drones transmit identity and flight data to regulators, improving accountability over “who can fly” and “who is flying.” The regulations stipulate that drones can not be flight-capable before activation and after deactivation. In the digital arena, revised rules on short message services prohibit businesses from sending commercial texts without user consent. Regulatory measures have also been issued for the prevention of fraudulent registration and strengthening the standardisation of business entity registration. Regulations concerning food quality standards and the sale of food through online services have also been issued, placing greater responsibility on online food sellers for maintaining safety standards. Platform providers are required to stop any illegal food safety activities and report them to the local county-level market supervision and management department.
  
  
• First Quarter Economic Data for 31 Provinces Released: First-quarter economic data for 31 provinces was released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The data indicate that provincial economies are maintaining steady growth, with major provinces such as Shandong and Zhejiang playing a stabilising role due to large-scale economic activity and high growth rates. The Western region also recorded steady economic growth, with Tibet (6.1%), Gansu (5.9%), and Qinghai (5.4%) outpacing the national average, reflecting improving regional integration. High-tech industries in many provinces maintained rapid growth, supporting the strong growth of the economy and emerging as a new engine of productivity. Major provinces played a stabilising “ballast” role, like Guangdong and Jiangsu, which led in total output, each exceeding 3 trillion yuan in GDP, followed by Shandong and Zhejiang, above 2 trillion yuan. As per the data released by the NBS, 15 provinces met or exceeded the 5% target.  Notably, Shandong and Zhejiang both recorded 6% growth. High-tech industries became a key growth driver, with investment in those areas rising by 7.4%. Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and robotics industries expanded rapidly across multiple provinces, while new energy vehicles boosted industrial output in cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Disciplinary Case Against Olympic Players Draws Sharp Reactions on Weibo: The hashtags #Zhang Jun Becomes First Olympic Champion Suspected of Serious Disciplinary Violations# has been trending on the social media platform Weibo. The post discusses the case of Zhang Jun, the first Olympic champion from China, who was placed under disciplinary review for serious violations and illegal activities. During his career, Zhang won the Olympic mixed doubles badminton title twice (at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics) and the World Championships mixed doubles title once (the 2001 Seville World Championships). The investigation has drawn sharp reactions from users on Weibo. Some expressed distress and regret at the news, while others have pointed out that more Olympic champions might also face similar charges in the future. Some users claim that other sportspersons may have evaded punishment through unethical means. A majority of users have supported the investigations, stating that strict supervision must be encouraged and that acts that tarnish the image of the country must be investigated.


INDIA WATCH

The Paper Discusses India’s Business Environment: An article in the paper contrasts the business environment in India and China, referring to an antitrust case against Apple in India. The article explains that if Apple loses the case, it could face a fine of up to $38 billion (approximately 260 billion yuan). The article further notes that this fine, calculated at the maximum rate of 10% of Apple's average global service revenue over the past three fiscal years, is equivalent to its total revenue in India in over four years, making it a severe regulatory penalty in the global technology sector. The article lists similar fines faced by Xiaomi, Volkswagen, Samsung, Google, and Amazon in India due to issues ranging from tax disputes, app store commission issues, and antitrust issues. The article states that, in contrast to India, China's approach is more balanced. Referring to the Apple case, the article notes that the Chinese government did not impose a heavy penalty and instead, through constructive communication, persuaded Apple to lower its App store commission, balancing regulation and mutual benefit. The article states that India's business environment is characterised by short-term profit-seeking, rampant risks, whereas China's business environment is characterised by long-term stability and value coexistence. The core differences in the business environment between both countries are explained through vague legal provisions, standards and a focus on the extraction of rents from foreign investors in India. The article presents China as focused on ensuring transparent rules and standardised enforcement, omitting the challenges foreign investors have faced in the country.

Prepared By

Rituja Ghosh

Rituja Ghosh is a Research and Administrative Intern at Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She holds a master's in International Relations from South Asian University, New Delhi. She has presented her work in several prestigious conferences, such as the paper titled "Sinicization in the People's Republic of China: An Analysis of Language Policies" at the 16th All India Conference on China Studies. She has previously worked as a Security Analyst with a corporate firm and as an Academic Associate at the Kautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad. Her interests lie in studying the politics of South Asia, India-China relations and China’s social and cultural policies.