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NEWS IN CHINA

• President Xi to Attend 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi: Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12 to 13 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit is expected to strengthen cooperation among BRICS members and amplify the voice of the Global South. India, which holds the 2026 BRICS presidency, has adopted the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with a focus on people-centred development and greater cooperation among developing countries. The expanded BRICS grouping now has 11 members, representing around 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade. Experts highlighted the significance of Xi’s visit, particularly as it marks his first trip to India in seven years and comes during the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation. They noted that stronger China-India relations could also support coordination within BRICS. The summit is expected to address challenges facing developing economies, including trade disruptions and supply-chain pressures. Emerging areas such as digitalisation, green development and artificial intelligence are also likely to feature in discussions.
  
  
• China Holds Global Public Security Cooperation Forum: The fifth Global Public Security Cooperation Forum was held in Lianyungang, bringing together more than 200 representatives from 44 countries and regions to discuss international public security and drug control. The forum focused on emerging challenges posed by synthetic drugs and increasingly sophisticated transnational criminal networks. Chinese narcotics control official Wei Xiaojun called for stronger international cooperation, including greater intelligence sharing, joint cross-border operations and tighter controls on precursor chemicals. He also urged countries to adopt a comprehensive and balanced approach to drug control while avoiding the politicisation or weaponisation of drug-related issues. The discussions highlighted the growing links between drug trafficking, telecom fraud, money laundering and other organised crimes, with criminal networks increasingly using artificial intelligence, deepfakes and cryptocurrencies. Wei also called for greater use of technologies such as AI, big data, wastewater analysis and satellite remote sensing to identify emerging threats. China highlighted its efforts to expand international drug-control cooperation, including agreements with more than 30 countries and regional organisations.
  
  
• Chinese Vice Premier Calls for Green and Intelligent Development of Mining Industry: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said China would accelerate the development and application of green and intelligent mining technologies and cooperate with other countries on the sustainable development of the global mining industry. He made the remarks at the opening of the 2026 China Mining Conference and Exhibition in Tianjin, held from September 10 to 12 under the theme “Win-Win Cooperation, Green and Intelligent”. The conference brought together more than 650 companies from across the mining supply chain, along with ministers and representatives from several countries and international organisations. The event focused on the growing demand for critical minerals, as well as challenges facing the mining industry, including geopolitical tensions and protectionism. The Global Mining Development Report 2026 found that global mining financing more than doubled in 2025, while mergers and acquisitions increased significantly. However, spending on mineral exploration declined for a fourth consecutive year. China’s report said that 200 non-oil and gas mineral deposits were discovered in 2025, while investment in geological exploration and mining increased by 1.6 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. The conference also saw the release of new standards for green exploration and mine development, while two AI systems were introduced to support geological surveying and mineral exploration.
  
  
• State Council Issues New Regulations to Strengthen Local Market Regulation: Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree introducing new regulations to strengthen the management of local market regulatory authorities nationwide. The 19-article regulations, which will take effect on November 1, aim to streamline local regulatory mechanisms and optimize staffing. Under the regulations, local authorities will oversee areas including registration of self-employed individuals, routine food safety supervision, handling market complaints and addressing market irregularities. The regulations also call for authorities to conduct regulatory activities in accordance with the law while minimising disruption to businesses’ normal operations. They further require stronger communication with businesses and consumers, greater transparency and the provision of more standardised, convenient and efficient administrative services. The move comes as China places greater emphasis on fair market competition and developing a unified national market, with the measures aimed at improving market quality and ensuring reasonable prices.
  
  
• NDRC Recommends Investment Projects to Boost Private Investment: China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has recommended 36 investment projects to private enterprises in an effort to stimulate private investment. The projects, covering transportation, logistics, water conservancy and energy, have a combined estimated investment of 61.4 billion yuan (about US$9.06 billion) and could attract 15.6 billion yuan in private capital. The projects include railways, warehousing, wind power, energy storage, charging facilities and water diversion, with private enterprises able to participate through wholly owned investment, controlling stakes or equity participation. The NDRC said it would strengthen coordination with private enterprises, improve access to capital, land and other resources, and help address implementation-related issues. It also plans to establish a regular project recommendation mechanism to expand opportunities for private enterprises to participate in major projects. The initiative comes as China’s fixed-asset investment fell 6.7% year on year in the first seven months of 2026, while private investment declined 9.4%. Even excluding real estate development, private investment recorded a 5.7% decline during the period.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Low-Income Households’ Access to Air Conditioners: A post on Weibo discussing whether low-income households should be allowed to install air conditioners prompted widespread discussion online. The post noted that some localities had linked air conditioner ownership to low-income insurance eligibility, while local civil affairs departments said eligibility was determined through a comprehensive assessment of household economic circumstances. It argued that social assistance policies should adapt to changing living standards. Weibo users largely questioned whether ordinary household appliances should affect eligibility. One user said, “Air conditioning is a normal daily need. There is no problem.” Another said, “Low-income households can also have the necessities of ordinary families to live a normal life.” Another user argued that rising living standards should allow low-income households to improve their quality of life and noted that energy-efficient air conditioners can cost less than 2,000 yuan. Some users said that denying air conditioners could restrict opportunities for beneficiaries to improve their living conditions, while others noted that ordinary families themselves may be reluctant to use air conditioning because of electricity costs.

INDIA WATCH

Finance Sina Discusses Russia-India Ties at BRICS Business Forum: An article on Finance Sina discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, noting that he attended the BRICS Business Forum and held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The article stated that the discussions covered Russia-India cooperation in defence, trade and nuclear energy. Referring to earlier remarks, it cited Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov as saying that some bilateral issues were not suitable for public discussion due to efforts by “unfriendly countries” to hinder cooperation. The article added that the remarks were interpreted in India as referring partly to Western sanctions affecting Indian businesses trading with Russia. On defence, it highlighted discussions on the possible sale and production of Russia’s Su-57 fighter, the delayed delivery of the final S-400 system and joint development of the BrahMos-NG missile. The article also reported that the two sides discussed local-currency settlements and nuclear energy cooperation. It mentioned that Russia reported 96% of bilateral trade was settled in the currencies of the two countries. The article concluded that both countries aim to raise bilateral trade to US$100 billion by 2030.

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.