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NEWS IN CHINA

• China Reinforces Traditional Ties with North Korea During Kim Jong Un’s Visit to Dandong: China reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with North Korea as senior political advisor Wang Huning accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on a visit to Dandong, Liaoning Province. The visit coincided with the 76th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ entry into the Korean War. Wang conveyed President Xi Jinping’s greetings to Kim and highlighted the visit’s significance in consolidating bilateral friendship, deepening political mutual trust and advancing cooperation. At the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, Kim paid tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought alongside North Korean forces, foregrounding the historical foundations of China-DPRK relations. Wang called for both countries to implement agreements reached by their leaders, strengthen strategic communication and expand economic cooperation. He identified the opening of the new China-DPRK Yalu River bridge as an opportunity to increase trade and people-to-people exchanges, while emphasising coordination to safeguard sovereignty, security and development. The visit comes amid renewed high-level engagement between Beijing and Pyongyang and the 65th anniversary of their Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. 
  
  
• China Calls for Stronger Cooperation with UNHCR on Global Refugee Governance: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner on the sidelines of the 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiongan, calling for closer cooperation on refugee issues under President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI). Wang said China attaches importance to the role of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and identified peace, development and international cooperation as key to addressing refugee crises. He highlighted China’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, efforts to facilitate the resolution of international conflicts, and humanitarian assistance to developing countries, particularly least developed countries, as contributions to tackling the underlying causes of displacement. Wang also expressed China’s support for UNHCR’s leading role in global refugee governance and proposed jointly exploring solutions to challenges in major refugee-producing countries. He said Beijing was ready to use the GGI as a framework for expanding cooperation with the agency. Salih thanked China for its continued support for the United Nations and UNHCR, acknowledging its role in peacekeeping, international mediation and development. He expressed the agency’s interest in strengthening its partnership with China to address refugee challenges under the GGI framework.
  
  
• China Releases Report Outlining Global Governance Initiative’s Core Principles and Priorities: A report titled Global Governance Initiative: Towards a More Just, Inclusive and Orderly World was released at the 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiongan, Hebei Province. Prepared by the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Centre, the report examines the evolution of global governance and challenges facing the existing international system in achieving greater justice, inclusiveness and order. The report outlines five core principles of China’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI): sovereign equality, the international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centred approach and real actions. It presents the initiative as a systematic advancement beyond traditional global governance theories and a Chinese framework for reforming and improving the existing system. The report also reviews China’s efforts to implement the initiative and identifies key priorities for its further development. These include reforming the United Nations, international relations and security, development, human rights, economic and financial governance, artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations. According to the report, implementing the GGI is essential to building a more just, inclusive and orderly world.
  
  
• China Launches Eighth Round of CPC Inspections, Targeting Education Sector: China’s top anti-graft official, Li Xi, has called for stricter standards and more concrete measures to improve the quality of disciplinary inspection work, as the eighth round of inspections by the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) commenced. Li, a member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee and head of the central leading group on disciplinary inspection, made the remarks at a national disciplinary inspection work meeting. The meeting announced 32 inspection targets, including the Ministry of Education and major universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University. Li emphasised that the inspections should focus on ensuring the implementation of CPC Central Committee decisions and directives concerning higher education, with the objective of supporting the sector’s high-quality development. He also called for improvements to mechanisms for communicating inspection findings and strengthening oversight of subsequent rectification efforts. The latest round highlights the CPC’s continued use of disciplinary inspections to monitor policy implementation, reinforce institutional accountability and ensure that central directives are carried out across the education sector.
  
  
• China to Accelerate Digital Transformation of Water Management Under 15th Five-Year Plan: China will accelerate the digital transformation of water resources management during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), building on increased investment, improved flood and drought prevention, and progress in water conservation, according to Yu Qiyang, chief planner of the Ministry of Water Resources. Speaking at the IWHR Water Science Conference in Beijing, Yu said China invested 5.68 trillion yuan in water conservancy during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), approximately 2.8 times the investment during the 12th Five-Year Plan. Annual investment exceeded 1 trillion yuan from 2022 to 2025. Average annual direct economic losses from floods and droughts declined from 0.28% to 0.17% of GDP, while water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP fell by 21.4%. For 2026-2030, Beijing plans to strengthen integrated monitoring, data sharing and artificial intelligence applications in water management. The ministry has collected data on 26 million physical water-related elements across 72 categories, providing a foundation for digital oversight. Authorities will also develop digital-twin systems for river basins, the national water network and individual water projects to improve forecasting, early warnings, flood-control planning and water allocation. These measures aim to enhance infrastructure management, resource efficiency and disaster preparedness through technology-driven governance.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Intense Competition for China’s 2027 National Civil Service Exam: A post on Weibo discussing competition for China’s 2027 National Civil Service Exam attracted widespread attention following the registration deadline on October 24. The post cited Beijing Daily and Huatu Education statistics, showing that over 3.025 million applicants had passed the qualification review for approximately 35,700 vacancies, with an average competition ratio of around 85:1. It noted that the most competitive position recorded a ratio of 5,840 applicants per vacancy, while 83 positions received no applications. The post prompted online reactions that highlighted concerns about recruitment requirements and disparities in competition. One user commented that “hiring for even a lower-level requires an exam with very strict application requirements.” Some users questioned the usefulness of average competition ratios, arguing that a few highly competitive positions skew the overall figures. One user observed that “the average number of applicants for the national civil service exam is meaningless,” as competition varies significantly across positions. Others attributed unfilled vacancies to stringent eligibility criteria, specialised qualifications, and demanding working conditions. Several users also questioned the efficiency of the recruitment process. One asked, “Then, when the vacancies are posted, no one applies. Isn't this another form of disguised waste of social resources?” Another suggested that candidates specialising in less popular fields could have an advantage, remarking, “Those who don't choose unpopular majors really have a limited perspective.” Other comments reflected concerns about recruitment accessibility, and the mismatch between applicants’ preferences and available government positions.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses Class Inequality and Western Culinary Standards in India’s Fine-Dining Industry: An article in Guancha examined the controversy surrounding NAAR, a Himalayan restaurant ranked first in India’s Top 50 Restaurants list for 2026 and 30th in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. The article noted that the restaurant’s expensive tasting menu features locally sourced ingredients reinterpreted through Western fine-dining techniques. The article highlighted criticism from Indian social media users who view the restaurant’s high prices, remote location, and limited seating as symbols of exclusivity. The article noted that ingredients such as wild greens and berries, once consumed by Himalayan communities as part of their everyday diets, are now being repackaged as luxury dining experiences. It further contrasted India’s ambitions in AI, semiconductors, and global supply chains with relatively modest growth in rural consumption and mass-market goods. It underscored that NAAR’s recognition, alongside the limited representation of traditional Indian cuisines, reflects broader socioeconomic disparities and differing standards of culinary recognition. The article concluded by contrasting the exclusivity of luxury dining with the accessibility of everyday food, noting the tensions between elite dining trends and ordinary consumer preferences.

Prepared By

Arushi Sharma

Arushi Sharma is a Junior Research Associate 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.