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NEWS IN CHINA

• Xi Jinping Calls for People-Centred Urban Renewal During Shanghai Inspection: During an inspection tour of Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of high-quality urban renewal, describing it as a key pillar of China’s urban modernisation strategy. Xi reiterated the need to follow the “people’s city” concept by prioritising residents’ needs, participation and satisfaction in redevelopment projects while visiting the renovated Citizen New Village residential community in Huangpu District. The visit highlighted Shanghai’s progress in upgrading ageing residential areas, including replacing outdated housing with apartments equipped with independent kitchens, bathrooms and elevators. Xi said urban renewal should improve living standards through sustained efforts, effective policies and better community services, while emphasising enhanced property management and more convenient public facilities. During interactions with local residents and community workers, Xi underscored that improving people’s livelihoods remains a core objective of the Communist Party. He also urged stronger grassroots governance by empowering neighbourhood-level institutions and strengthening party leadership in community management. In addition, Xi instructed authorities across China to remain vigilant during the ongoing flood-control season, calling for thorough risk assessments, enhanced disaster preparedness and effective emergency response measures to protect lives and property amid heavy rainfall and typhoon threats.
  
  
• Chinese Vice President Meets Former New Zealand PM to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in Beijing, reaffirming China’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation as the China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership enters its second decade. Han commended Key for his longstanding contributions to strengthening bilateral ties and noted the relationship is poised for broader development. He emphasised China’s willingness to work with New Zealand to implement the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, expand exchanges and deepen cooperation across multiple sectors. Han also highlighted China’s global role, saying the country’s development contributes “positive energy and certainty” to the international community. He reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the Pacific region. Key described China as an important friend of New Zealand and expressed hope for greater collaboration in trade, investment, agriculture and other sectors. He further called for continued dialogue and communication to jointly address regional and global challenges. Reiterating his support for stronger bilateral ties, Key said he remains committed to advancing China-New Zealand relations through sustained engagement and cooperation.
  
  
• China Adds New Vocational Education Majors to Support Emerging Industries: China’s Ministry of Education has announced the addition of 27 new vocational education majors, including nine higher vocational majors and 18 vocational undergraduate majors, covering 14 major categories and 20 professional fields. The new majors will begin enrolling students in 2027. The addition aligns with the goals of the 15th Five-Year Plan and focuses on developing high-skilled talent to support China’s modern industrial system and emerging sectors. New majors have been introduced in areas such as the digital economy, low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence, high-end equipment manufacturing, urban renewal and public services. The new programmes include fields such as robot engineering, humanoid robot technology, digital twin engineering, vehicle network communication, hydrogen energy engineering and energy storage technology. According to the Ministry of Education, the professional adjustments are based on industry needs and aim to strengthen the connection between vocational education and economic development. Since the release of the 2021 Vocational Education Professional Catalog, China has added a total of 169 new majors to improve alignment between talent training and industrial demand.
  
  
• Economic Recovery Gains Momentum on Consumption and High-Tech Growth: According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China’s economy has grown by 4.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, with gross domestic product (GDP) reaching 69.57 trillion yuan (US$10.28 trillion). The data indicates continued economic resilience, supported by stronger consumption, robust foreign trade and rapid growth in high-tech industries. Retail sales of goods and services increased by 2.7% to 24.87 trillion yuan, while service sector output grew 5.2% during the January-June period. Industrial production also remained resilient, with value-added output from enterprises above the designated size rising 5.4%. Equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing outperformed overall industrial growth, recording increases of 9.3% and 13.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, imports and exports surged 16.9% year-on-year to 25.47 trillion yuan. NBS Deputy Head Mao Shengyong said new quality productive forces continue to gain momentum but cautioned that external uncertainties and domestic supply-demand imbalances remain challenges. Analysts expect moderate growth in the second half, supported by measures to boost domestic demand, stabilise investment and advance industrial upgrading.
  
  
• MoEE Issues Plan to Enhance Eco-Environmental Monitoring: China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Development and Reform Commission have jointly issued a plan to strengthen eco-environmental monitoring during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). The plan aims to make notable progress in building a modern eco-environmental monitoring system by 2030 and outlines five key tasks and six major projects to be carried out during the period. According to the plan, China will focus on establishing an integrated eco-environmental monitoring network and improving monitoring and early-warning capabilities for emerging pollutants, heavy metals, and ecological hazards. It also seeks to promote breakthroughs in core monitoring technologies to enhance environmental monitoring capacity. The initiative will guide efforts to improve the country’s eco-environmental monitoring framework during the next five-year period.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users Discuss Domestic Demand Challenges Amid Debate Over Labour Conditions: A post on Weibo is going viral discussing domestic demand and consumption challenges. The post cited entrepreneur Yu Donglai, founder of Pang Dong Lai, arguing that weak consumer confidence is closely linked to limited income, insufficient leisure time and concerns over future spending. According to the post, Yu said many ordinary workers face financial pressures and long working hours, leaving them with limited capacity and confidence to consume. The post sparked widespread debate among Weibo users. Some users agreed that the discussion highlighted the underlying challenges facing domestic demand, with one commenting, “Everyone knows this reality, but Yu Donglai was simply unwilling to follow expectations and directly pointed out the problem.” Others argued that consumption is closely tied to income levels, with a user noting that “people who earn more naturally have more ability to spend.” Many users also discussed the impact of housing costs and financial pressures on consumer confidence. While some other users mentioned that businesses should focus on improving employee welfare rather than reducing costs through longer working hours and lower benefits. A few others took a different perspective, arguing that intensive work patterns have also contributed to China’s rapid economic growth by supporting productivity and industrial expansion.

INDIA WATCH

​Global Times Analyses India’s Balancing Act on South China Sea Remarks: An article in Global Times analysed India’s remarks to support a rules-based maritime order and the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, marking a decade since the 2016 PCA ruling. The article cited Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s remarks saying that India emphasises freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded commerce in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He described the arbitral award as a significant milestone for the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. According to the article, New Delhi appears to be balancing its regional interests while seeking to avoid disruptions to the recent improvement in China-India relations. It noted that India wants to prevent the South China Sea arbitration issue from affecting the recovery of bilateral ties, while also strengthening defence and strategic cooperation with regional partners such as the Philippines. The article also underscored Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong’s rejection of the 2016 arbitral ruling, reiterating Beijing’s sovereignty claims over the South China Sea and calling the award “illegal, null and void."