Daily Conversations Daily Conversations

NEWS IN CHINA

• Xi Jinping Meets North Korean PM, Calls for Deeper China–DPRK Strategic Cooperation: Chinese President Xi Jinping met Park Tae-sung, Vice Chairman of the State Council and Prime Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Beijing during his official visit to China. President Xi highlighted the importance of the traditional China–DPRK friendship, recalling his recent state visit to North Korea and his discussions with Kim Jong-un on strengthening bilateral ties. He noted that the 65th anniversary of the China–DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance is an opportunity to deepen cooperation and pass on the historic friendship between the two countries. He also called for increased strategic coordination, expanded practical cooperation, more people-to-people exchanges, and joint efforts to safeguard both countries’ sovereignty, security, and development interests amid a complex international environment. Prime Minister Park conveyed General Secretary Kim Jong-Un’s greetings to President Xi and reaffirmed Pyongyang’s commitment to implementing the consensus reached by the two leaders. He called the bilateral relationship a powerful strategic partnership and pledged North Korea’s continued support for China on issues concerning its core interests, including Taiwan. Both sides emphasised advancing socialist development, strengthening strategic cooperation and commemorating the treaty anniversary to reinforce bilateral relations.
  
  
• Chinese President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Namibian President in Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Namibian President Nditeva in Beijing during her state visit to China. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed elevating bilateral relations to a China-Namibia community with a shared future in the new era. President Xi said China and Namibia share a long-standing friendship and reaffirmed China's commitment to strengthening cooperation as both countries pursue their respective development goals. He called for closer high-level exchanges, stronger political trust, and continued mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests. President Xi also proposed expanding practical cooperation in areas including infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture, education, science and technology, and youth exchanges. He encouraged Namibia to make use of China's zero-tariff policy and other preferential measures to increase exports to the Chinese market. The Chinese president further stressed the importance of strengthening coordination between China and African countries to uphold multilateralism and promote the interests of the Global South. He also expressed willingness to continue strengthening mining cooperation, adding that both sides should focus on mutual benefit, friendly consultation, and market-oriented cooperation to support Namibia's development and deepen China–Africa economic ties.
  
  
• Chinese Premier Chairs State Council Meeting on Flood Prevention and Digital Development: Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council executive meeting to review flood-prevention measures and discuss key development priorities. Premier Li called on all regions and government departments to remain vigilant, strengthen inspections, monitoring and patrols, and ensure the safety of major rivers, lakes and other high-risk areas. He stressed that vulnerable populations should be evacuated whenever necessary to minimise casualties. The meeting also directed local governments to improve emergency preparedness by ensuring sufficient personnel, equipment and disaster relief supplies. In addition, the meeting reviewed progress in Digital China Development and called for faster development of next-generation communication and computing networks, improved digital capabilities, and stronger measures to address emerging security risks. It also emphasised reducing logistics costs and accelerating the development of a modern and efficient distribution system. The meeting further discussed promoting emerging industries by strengthening industrial chains and encouraging local governments to develop sectors suited to regional conditions. It also reviewed measures related to the protection and utilisation of natural resources. The State Council additionally approved the National Fitness Program (2026–2030) to promote public health and sports development.
  
  
• China’s Trade Union Federation Calls for Stronger Implementation of Xi Jinping Thought: The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) held a special Party education session and commendation conference, where Lu Zhiyuan, Secretary of the Party Group of the National Congress, called for stronger implementation of Xi Jinping Thought. Lu urged Party members and trade union officials to study Xi’s guidance on Party building, political performance, and trade union work, stressing the importance of upholding the “Two Establishments” and achieving the “Two Maintenances.” He said trade unions should strengthen their role as a bridge between the Communist Party and workers while safeguarding workers’ rights and supporting China’s modernisation. Lu also identified key priorities for trade union work. These include reinforcing political loyalty to the Party, improving ideological education among workers, advancing industrial worker reforms, protecting workers’ interests, strengthening trade union governance, and maintaining political security in the labour sector. During the meeting, outstanding Party members, Party workers and grassroots Party organisations were awarded under the “Two Excellences and One First” commendation programme. Senior ACFTU officials and Party members from affiliated organisations attended the event.
  
  
• China Accelerates AI Integration to Advance Energy Sector Modernisation: China is accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its energy sector to improve efficiency, strengthen energy security, and industrial competitiveness. The National Energy Administration has released a series of policies, outlining guidance to drive progress in AI-energy integration. According to the executive vice chairman of the China Electricity Council, the country's power industry has expanded AI applications from pilot projects to full industrial-chain integration, covering power generation, grids, energy storage, equipment inspection, dispatching and electricity trading. Industry data showed that China's power sector invested over 42 billion yuan in digitalisation in 2025, with major state-owned energy firms deploying large AI models to improve operational efficiency. AI is also being used in the oil and gas industry for exploration, production, safety management and environmental protection. Despite this progress, experts highlighted challenges including a shortage of industry-specific AI models, limited high-quality data, and weak cross-industry data-sharing mechanisms. They also warned that deeper AI adoption could increase cybersecurity and operational risks if systems are compromised. To address these concerns, experts called for improved data infrastructure, trusted data-sharing platforms, digital twin technologies for power systems, and stronger coordination between computing capacity and electricity supply to support sustainable, intelligent energy development.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Safety Violations at Ningxia Expressway Construction Site: A post going viral on Weibo highlighted serious safety violations uncovered by the 13th Central Production Safety Assessment and Inspection Team during an inspection of the Yinchuan South Line Logistics Expressway project in Ningxia. The post mentioned that the team found multiple hazards, including unsecured scaffolding, workers carrying out high-altitude operations without fastening safety harnesses, and one worker wearing a straw hat instead of a safety helmet. According to the post, the inspection team criticised project leaders on-site, warning that the lapses posed significant risks to workers’ lives. The post sparked widespread discussion among users, with many questioning both workplace safety and construction standards. One user commented, “Even safety can't be guaranteed, but quality can be guaranteed?” Others criticised the contractor, asking, “Who licensed the illegal contractor?” Several users argued that employers often fail to provide adequate protective equipment, shifting responsibility onto workers. Another user commented, “It's time to improve safety helmets, wearing standard hard hats must be too hot,” while others raised concerns, saying if such carelessness is present during the construction phase, the project could face even greater safety risks once it becomes operational.

INDIA WATCH

Global Times Discusses Growing Strains in US-India Relations: An article in the Global Times discussed the significant deterioration in US-India relations during US President Donald Trump’s second term. The article argued that what was earlier considered a defining strategic partnership has increasingly been reshaped by Washington’s transactional foreign policy approach. The article claimed that punitive US tariffs on Indian exports and Washington’s positions on Pakistan and Iran have undermined New Delhi’s strategic trust. According to the article, the US trade policies have hurt India’s export-driven industries, while US actions in the Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz have increased India’s energy costs and challenged its security ambitions, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. It further stated that closer US engagement with Pakistan has been perceived in India as a diplomatic setback, signalling concerns that Washington prioritises its own interests over those of its partners. It concluded that India has responded by diversifying its foreign policy, improving ties with China and expanding engagement with ASEAN, Europe and the South Pacific, and suggested that New Delhi should prioritise strategic autonomy over dependence on any single major power.