Daily Conversations Daily Conversations

NEWS IN CHINA

• China, Mekong Nations Deepen Security Cooperation: The 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Beijing on November 4. Foreign Ministers of China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam met in Beijing and agreed to strengthen regional cooperation, particularly in the field of security. The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, with senior representatives of the Mekong Countries. Wang emphasised the importance of working together to combat cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud, online gambling, drug trafficking, smuggling and counterfeiting, while continuing joint Mekong River patrols and the Safe Lancang-Mekong Operation. Describing the cooperation framework’s achievements, Wang Yi presented it as a successful model of regional partnership among neighbouring developing countries. He said the mechanism’s progress has been driven by mutual trust, practical cooperation, openness, and a shared commitment to regional development. According to the article, trade between China and the five Mekong countries surpassed $500 billion in 2025, while the LMC Special Fund has supported more than 1,000 development projects. The meeting also focused on expanding cooperation in trade, connectivity, poverty alleviation, disaster management, and emerging technologies.
  
  
• Premier Li Qiang Meets with Director General of WIPO: Premier Li Qiang met with Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Beijing. The meeting held the discussion on strengthening cooperation on intellectual property rights and innovation. During the meeting, Li highlighted the positive results achieved through China-WIPO cooperation in recent years, particularly in areas such as intellectual property services, information technology and human resource development. Li stated that China is prepared to further expand cooperation with WIPO and support greater international collaboration on intellectual property issues. He further hoped that WIPO would continue to provide support for the development of China’s intellectual property sector and create more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation. The premier also reaffirmed China’s support for WIPO’s work and expressed the country’s willingness to play a larger role in global intellectual property governance. Tang congratulated China on the progress it has made in innovation and intellectual property development, highlighting that China ranks among the world’s leading innovation economies and has become home to a significant number of top innovation clusters. He also expressed willingness to deepen cooperation with China, advance Belt and Road-related collaboration and support innovation-driven economic development. 
  
  
• Wang Huning Calls for Implementation of CPC Plenum Decisions: China’s top political advisor, Wang Huning, called for the thorough implementation of the outcomes of the fifth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee at a CPPCC National Committee meeting. Speaking at the closing meeting of a standing committee session of the CPPCC National Committee, Wang stressed that understanding and applying the guiding principles of the plenum should be treated as a major political task. He said the CPPCC should incorporate the spirit of the meeting into all aspects of its work and reinforce discipline among its members and staff. Wang emphasised the importance of improving conduct, strengthening internal supervision and continuing anti-corruption efforts to ensure effective governance. He also called on CPPCC members to better perform their role in building consensus, gathering wisdom and strength, and contributing to the advancement of Chinese modernisation. In addition, Wang urged members to actively promote and explain the guiding principles of the plenum while contributing to the successful implementation of Party objectives. He highlighted the significance of the CPC Central Committee’s decision to convene the Party’s 21st National Congress in Beijing during the second half of 2027, noting that the CPPCC should focus its work on supporting preparations for the congress and studying, promoting and implementing its guiding principles. The plenary session, held in Beijing from October 26 to 29, adopted a resolution focused on strengthening full and rigorous Party self-governance.
  
  
• China Advances Resource Conservation Plan: The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released a new action plan to promote resource conservation, improve efficiency in resource use and support the country’s transition toward greener and more sustainable development. The plan seeks to enhance resource security while contributing to China’s long-term environmental and economic goals. There are several targets under the plan that have to be achieved by 2030 compared with 2025 levels. The targets include reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by around 10 per cent, lowering water consumption per unit of GDP by 10 per cent, and cutting construction land use per unit of GDP by 15 per cent. It also aims to reduce grain losses throughout the supply chain and increase the annual recycling volume of major recyclable materials to 510 million tonnes by 2030. The plan focuses on seven key areas: improving energy efficiency, conserving water, reducing food waste, promoting efficient land use, improving the management of mineral resources, expanding recycling efforts, and encouraging the public to adopt resource-saving habits. The plan also includes supporting measures related to standards, policy implementation, regulatory oversight and technological innovation. According to the report, comprehensive resource conservation is expected to help reduce carbon emissions, improve the ecological environment and support high-quality development. The initiative is also linked to China's broader goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. 
  
  
• Tencent Launches New AI Model: Chinese technology company Tencent has introduced Hy4, its latest artificial intelligence model, as competition intensifies among Chinese AI developers. The launch places Tencent in the growing race to develop open-weight AI models alongside companies such as DeepSeek, Z.ai and Alibaba.  According to Tencent, Hy4 is its most advanced AI model to date and includes several new capabilities. For the first time, the model can understand images, analyse charts and documents, and interact with computer interfaces to complete tasks. It has also been designed to handle more complex instructions and longer tasks than previous versions. Tencent said the model can be used for a wide range of applications, including office work, software development, data analysis and creative tasks. The company has also integrated Hy4 into several of its own products and services, including business collaboration and workplace tools. The article highlighted that the launch reflects the rapid pace of development in China’s AI industry, where major technology firms are investing heavily in large language models and AI-powered applications. Open-weight models are becoming increasingly important because they allow developers greater flexibility in building new products and services. Tencent’s latest release highlights the growing competition among Chinese companies seeking to strengthen their position in the global AI market.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

Weibo Users Discuss China’s Planned Crewed Moon Landing: A Weibo post featuring a demonstration video of China’s planned crewed lunar landing sparked discussion among netizens about the country’s space ambitions. The video illustrated the expected landing process and highlighted China’s goal of sending astronauts to the Moon before 2030. The mission is expected to involve the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, the Lanyue lunar lander and a lunar rover that will be used for scientific research on the Moon. Many users expressed excitement about China’s progress in space exploration and viewed the project as an important national achievement. One user commented that “This is the first time Chinese people have reached an extraterrestrial body; taking a small step forward is a major leap for human civilisation.” Others focused on the technical aspects of the mission. Some comments also highlighted national pride in China’s lunar exploration programme. One user remarked that “The far side of the Moon belongs to China,” referring to China's achievements in exploring the far side of the Moon through previous lunar missions. 

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses India’s Naval Expansion Efforts: An article in Guancha discussed India’s plan to sign contracts worth approximately $5.7 billion to build eight Next Generation Corvettes for the Indian Navy. The article reported that the contracts were awarded to Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), with GRSE set to build five vessels and GSL responsible for the remaining three. According to the article, the new warships will replace India's ageing Khukri-class corvettes. Each vessel will be approximately 127 metres long, with a displacement of around 4,950 tonnes. They will be equipped with medium-range anti-ship missiles, the MR-SAM air defence system, anti-submarine torpedoes and a 76mm naval gun. The MR-SAM is a medium-range version of the Barak-8 air defence system, jointly developed by India and Israel. The article also highlighted India's growing investment in naval modernisation, including new destroyers, frigates, submarines and carrier-based fighter aircraft. The article reported that India aims to expand its naval strength to 200 ships by 2035, compared with its current fleet of around 145 ships and submarines. The article added that the new corvettes are intended to replace ageing platforms and strengthen the Navy's operational capabilities. The article further observed that the programme forms part of India's broader naval modernisation efforts and long-term fleet expansion plans

Prepared By

Farhat Naz

Farhat Naz holds a postgraduate degree in International Relations and Political Science from the Central University of Kerala and a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Patna University. Her research interests include international security, great-power politics, geopolitical competition, South and West Asian affairs, conflict and peace studies, and the evolving international order.