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NEWS IN CHINA

• President Xi Jinping Meets Tajik President Rahmon in Beijing: President Xi Jinping met Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Beijing. Xi congratulated Tajikistan on its 35th anniversary of independence and stressed that the two countries have built a relationship rooted in mutual trust, long‑term friendship, and consistent support. He noted that the newly signed Treaty of Permanent Good‑Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation reflects the high level of political confidence between the two sides and strengthens the foundation for a shared future. Xi stated that China will continue supporting Tajikistan’s development path and called for deeper alignment between China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan and Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy 2030. He urged stronger cooperation in trade, investment, green energy, digital economy, smart cities, AI, and security, while expanding cultural and people‑to‑people exchanges. Xi also welcomed Tajikistan’s participation in the International Court of Mediation and emphasized coordination within the UN, SCO, and China‑Central Asia Mechanism. Rahmon stated that bilateral ties are advancing steadily, and reaffirmed Tajikistan’s one‑China principle. Further, he praised China’s contributions to global governance and regional stability. Following the meeting, the two leaders signed over ten cooperation agreements across party exchanges, AI, green mining, media, agriculture, education, and market supervision.
  
  
• China Expands Funding Support for Basic Scientific Research: China has announced an increase in support for basic scientific research in 2026, according to the newly released budget of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The allocation for the Natural Science Fund category will reach 41.86 billion yuan, an increase of 2.4 billion yuan from 2025, representing 6.09% year‑on‑year growth. This expanded funding shows the central government’s commitment to advancing foundational science as a driver of long‑term innovation. Under China’s functional budget system, spending on the Natural Science Fund will account for 81.71% of the NSFC's total public budget in 2026, ensuring that basic research remains the core focus. The funding will support 18 program categories, including general projects, youth research grants, regional science funds, and innovation research groups. Established in 1986, the NSFC has become a major national channel for supporting fundamental research. Over four decades, it has funded around 880,000 projects, provided 460.8 billion yuan in cumulative support, and enabled participation from approximately 4.8 million researchers.
  
  
• China Raises Concern Over Nuclear Advocacy Among Non-Nuclear States: During the 11th Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference at the United Nations in New York, China’s delegate proposed revisions to parts of the draft outcome document, calling for renewed commitment to nuclear disarmament and raising concerns over statements supporting nuclear weapons development by non-nuclear nations. The Chinese delegation emphasized that the conference document should clearly reaffirm the international community’s shared commitment to reducing nuclear threats and advancing disarmament efforts. The representative stated that progress in nuclear disarmament should take into account differences among countries in nuclear capabilities, security policies, and strategic environments. In addition, maintaining global strategic stability and ensuring equal security for all nations must remain central principles in future disarmament efforts. The delegation also highlighted the importance of lowering the role of nuclear weapons in national security strategies as a practical step toward reducing the risk of nuclear conflict. Moreover, China supported further measures based on previous agreements, including strengthening follow-up arrangements to the New START treaty and advancing concrete actions aimed at preventing nuclear war.
  
  
• China Strengthens Regulation of Short-Video Labels to Curb Misleading Content: The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has introduced stricter requirements for labeling short‑video content to address problems such as unclear sourcing, fabricated material, and misleading information. Since January, the regulator has directed major platforms to remove over 520,000 illegal videos, penalize more than 68,000 accounts, issue 54 governance notices, and publicly disclose typical violations. Twelve platforms, including Douyin, Kuaishou, Tencent, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, Weibo, Taobao, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Alipay, Meituan, and Baidu, were guided to pilot improved labeling tools earlier this year. Drawing on the pilot results, the CAC has instructed platforms nationwide to fully implement three measures. First, platforms must adopt six mandatory labels, which include “fictional content,” “AI‑generated content,” “marketing information,” “reposted content,” “personal opinion,” and “no labeling required," while offering optional tags as needed. Second, selecting a label must become a required step before publishing any short video. Third, platforms must strengthen review mechanisms, correct mislabeled or unlabeled content, and educate publishers to ensure full compliance. 
  
  
• Beijing Highlights AI-Driven Transformation in Education Development Report: The Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences presented the China Smart Education Development Report (2025–2026) during the closing ceremony of the 2026 World Digital Education Conference. Centered on the theme “Artificial Intelligence Redefining Education,” the report provides a comprehensive analysis of how digital technologies are reshaping teaching, governance, and learning models in the intelligent era. The document outlines the evolution of smart education in China, presenting achievements driven by top‑level planning, the national smart education public service platform, and pilot initiatives. It highlighted China’s progress in integrating AI deeply into education, forming the framework for the National Education Digitalization Strategy Action 2.0. The report also identified pressing challenges, explored governance issues, and forecasted global trends in smart education. Key points include the role of AI in reducing traditional barriers, fostering innovation, and creating new forms of digital learning. It stressed the importance of building consensus in smart education research and showcasing China’s policies, practices, and measures in advancing “AI + Education.” 
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

China’s Deep-Sea Robot Achievement Sparks Praise on Weibo: A post with the hashtag #MarineRobotsVenture10000MetersUnderTheSea# is going viral on Weibo after the successful deployment of a domestically produced deep-sea robot capable of operating at depths of 10,000 meters. The post emphasized that the robot demonstrated strong pressure resistance in the extreme deep-sea environment, overcame key technological barriers, and achieved full-depth operational capability with independently controllable technology. Online reactions were largely positive, with many users praising the country’s growing technological capabilities. One user stated that “their skills are truly amazing,” while another user described the robot’s performance as “absolutely amazing.” Some users highlighted that “the country’s marine science and technology development is outstanding,” emphasizing the rapid pace of innovation in the sector. A few users praised the exploration of “unknown depths of the sea,” while many users described the achievement as a symbol of the country’s cutting-edge technological progress. Others underscored that China’s marine science and technology were developing rapidly and becoming increasingly advanced.

INDIA WATCH

Finance Sina Discusses India’s First Privately Built C-295 Aircraft: An article published in Finance Sina discussed the rollout of the first C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft assembled in India by the Tata Group and Airbus. The article noted that the aircraft officially rolled off the production line on May 12 and marked the first time in India’s history that a complete military aircraft manufacturing project had been entrusted to a private enterprise, breaking the long-standing dominance of state-owned defence companies in military aircraft production. According to the article, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Airbus in 2021 to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft to replace the ageing An-32 and HS-748 fleets of the Indian Air Force. It stated that the first 16 aircraft were produced in Spain and delivered directly to the Indian Air Force, while the remaining 40 aircraft are being assembled at the Vadodara final assembly line in Gujarat. The article emphasized that the Tata-Airbus facility is India’s first privately owned military aircraft final assembly line and covers the full production process, including manufacturing components, assembly, testing, and delivery. It further noted that the project is expected to expand India’s domestic aerospace supply chain by integrating hundreds of local companies and increasing localization in military aviation manufacturing. The article concluded that the C-295’s short takeoff and landing capabilities and multi-mission adaptability make it suitable for India’s complex border terrain and operational requirements.

Prepared By

Neha Maurya

Neha Maurya is a fourth-year undergraduate student at FLAME University, pursuing a major in International Studies with a minor in Public Policy. Her research interests lie in strategic studies, governance, and education policy. She aspires to engage in work that links research insights to policy outcomes.