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NEWS IN CHINA

• Wang Yi Concludes Two-Day Visit to South Korea: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded a two-day visit to South Korea, his first official visit to the country in five years, as Beijing and Seoul seek to maintain momentum in bilateral relations. The visit focused on implementing agreements reached by Chinese and South Korean leaders, strengthening political trust and expanding economic cooperation ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen in November. During meetings with President Lee Jae-myung and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Wang highlighted opportunities to expand trade and cooperation in artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green transition, high-end equipment and the silver economy. He also called for accelerated negotiations on the second phase of the China-ROK Free Trade Agreement. Wang urged Seoul to pursue strategic autonomy and avoid bloc confrontation while maintaining compatible relations with China, the United States and other major powers. He further raised concerns over Japanese militarism and called for renewed dialogue on the Korean Peninsula, urging all parties to rebuild mutual trust. South Korean officials also expressed support for strengthening bilateral cooperation, with Lee highlighting growing trade and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
  
  
• China Expands 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit to Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam: China has expanded its 240-hour visa-free transit program to citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam, bringing the total number of eligible countries to 57. Ordinary passport holders from the two countries with confirmed onward travel to a third country or region can enter through 65 designated ports and stay for up to 10 days without a visa. They are also eligible for Hainan’s 30-day visa-free entry policy, taking the number of countries covered by that scheme to 61. The exemptions apply to tourism, business, exchanges and family visits, but not employment, study or journalism. The expansion comes as China seeks to increase international travel and cross-border exchanges. In the first half of 2026, China recorded 369 million inbound and outbound border crossings, up 10.8 per cent year-on-year. Visa-free foreign entries exceeded 17.8 million, rising 30.6 per cent. Vietnam was China’s fourth-largest source of inbound travellers during the period, while border crossings with Kyrgyzstan also recorded significant growth.
  
  
• China Launches Nationwide Inspection of Testing Institutions: China’s General Administration of Market Regulation, together with seven other government departments, has launched nationwide supervision and random inspections of inspection and testing institutions to strengthen oversight and improve the credibility of the testing industry. The inspection campaign, running from July to October 2026, will cover 120 institutions, including 100 accredited by the national market regulator and 20 certified by provincial authorities. Authorities will use the “double random, one public” approach, in which inspection targets and inspectors are randomly selected, and results are publicly disclosed. The campaign focuses on key regulatory sectors, including natural resources, environmental monitoring, greenhouse gas emissions, motor vehicle inspections, water quality, import and export commodities, medical devices, food, jewellery and indoor air quality. It will also cover testing related to products such as firefighting equipment, hazardous chemicals, mobile power supplies, charging equipment, building materials, children’s products and photovoltaic products. The initiative aims to strengthen supervision of testing activities, address irregularities and standardise the inspection and testing market, while improving the reliability of testing services across China.
  
  
• Shenzhen Court Sentences Former Evergrande Chairman to Life in Prison: The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court has sentenced Xu Jiayin, former chairman of property developer Evergrande Group, to life imprisonment after convicting him and two companies linked to the group of multiple financial and corporate crimes. The Court found Xu and Evergrande Group guilty of illegally absorbing public deposits, fundraising fraud, illegally issuing loans, fraudulent securities issuance, unlawful disclosure of important information and corporate bribery. Xu was additionally convicted of illegally using funds and embezzlement, while Evergrande Real Estate Group was convicted of fraudulent securities issuance. The court fined Evergrande Group 8.82 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) and Evergrande Real Estate Group 7 billion yuan. Xu was also deprived of political rights for life, had his personal assets confiscated and was ordered to surrender illegal gains. The court stated Xu, as Evergrande’s actual controller, was responsible for the group’s operations and had controlled several companies across real estate, property management and finance. It added that the offences caused significant economic losses and seriously disrupted the market economy, warranting severe punishment.
  
  
• China Plans Skills Support for 3 Million Industrial Workers by 2030: China will provide financial support to at least 3 million industrial workers for further education and skills upgrading by 2030, according to a plan released by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The initiative, covering the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), aims to strengthen vocational training and support the development of skilled workers as China upgrades its industrial sector. The plan targets the development of around 1,000 national-level, 5,000 provincial-level and 25,000 city-level master artisans by 2030. It also aims to increase the number of innovation studios for model workers and master artisans to 160,000. Measures include strengthening lifelong vocational training, expanding “AI Plus” learning programs and developing a national skills-learning platform. Training will also target migrant workers, young workers and those in new forms of employment. Craftsman colleges combining online and offline education will be developed. The initiative aligns with China’s broader focus on building a modern industrial system and strengthening human capital. 

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Yushu Technology’s Sharp Stock Price Decline: A post on Weibo discussing Yushu Technology’s sharp stock price decline after its listing attracted significant online attention. According to the post, the company is regarded as a leading Chinese humanoid robotics firm, saw its shares fall below 800 yuan and 700 yuan on August 20, retreating 38 per cent from its peak over two trading days. The post cited economist Pan Helin, who argued that the humanoid robotics sector faces uncertainties including limited commercial applications, high production costs and unclear prospects for large-scale adoption. It also noted that the industry currently lacks the clear replacement advantages that supported the rapid growth of new energy vehicles. The post triggered varied online reactions reflecting concerns over the company’s valuation and the broader robotics sector. One user called the decline “the real bubble,” while another questioned whether Yushu’s revenue justified its high market value and suggested the stock could fall back to its issue price. Other users described the sharp rise and fall as driven by speculative trading and argued that the performance-robot market was already saturated. Some, however, viewed humanoid robotics as a promising long-term industry, while noting that its economic benefits and employment impact remain uncertain.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses India-Japan Maritime Security and Defence Cooperation: An article on Guancha reported that Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held talks in New Delhi and signed a memorandum on maritime security cooperation. According to the article, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in areas including maritime information sharing, port visits, joint exercises, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, logistics support and ship maintenance. The article noted that India and Japan also discussed cooperation in mine countermeasures, shipbuilding and design, combining Japanese technological expertise with India’s manufacturing capabilities under the “Make in India” framework. It further highlighted that the two sides agreed to establish a working group to coordinate defence, intelligence, equipment, technology and industrial cooperation. The article underscored that the talks were part of broader efforts to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. It also mentioned that the two countries have expanded cooperation in defence, maritime security, technology and other areas following recent high-level exchanges. The article concluded with China’s position that international cooperation should not target or harm third parties or become a means of forming exclusive blocs or promoting confrontation.

Prepared By

Arushi Sharma

Arushi Sharma is a Research Intern at Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She is a recent postgraduate in East Asian Studies from the University of Delhi and holds a Bachelor's degree in Chinese Language from K.R. Mangalam University. She has previously worked as a Subject Matter Expert in Mandarin Language at Unacademy. Her primary research interests focus on China's domestic politics and international economic statecraft.