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NEWS IN CHINA

• President Xi Calls for Stronger Advanced Manufacturing to Support Modernisation: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for sustained efforts to strengthen advanced manufacturing and support China’s modernisation during a national conference on advanced manufacturing in Beijing. Xi stressed the need to pursue high-quality, secure, smart, green and integrated development while making industrial and supply chains more self-reliant and resilient. He also called for accelerating the development of a modern industrial system centred on advanced manufacturing and reinforcing the foundations of the real economy. Premier Li Qiang, delivering a speech at the conference, said advanced manufacturing should be treated as a major strategic priority, with next-generation intelligent manufacturing serving as a key direction. He highlighted digitalisation, high-end manufacturing, self-reliance, green development and cross-sector integration, while calling for greater use of AI in manufacturing and support for enterprises undergoing digital and intelligent transformation. Li also called for deeper integration between manufacturing and modern services and the development of manufacturing clusters. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing called for further efforts to improve key industrial chains, strengthen standards, address disorderly competition and create a supportive ecosystem for advanced manufacturing.
  
  
• China-ASEAN Expo Highlights Deeper Regional Economic Cooperation: The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit opened in Nanning, Guangxi. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the opening ceremony and called for deeper economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN. He said the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area has supported regional economic integration and brought tangible benefits to the region. Ding added that implementing the upgraded 3.0 protocol would provide new momentum for regional development. Ding outlined four priorities: improving regional openness and institutional cooperation; upgrading trade and investment ties while strengthening industrial and supply chain resilience; expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence and environmental products and services; and improving connectivity through infrastructure and cross-border logistics. He also called for developing new international land and sea trade routes. During meetings with senior officials from Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, Ding expressed China’s willingness to strengthen strategic coordination, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. The officials welcomed deeper cooperation with China in infrastructure, trade and investment and expressed support for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. 
  
  
• 4th China-Africa Peace and Security Forum Held in Beijing: The fourth China-Africa Peace and Security Forum was held in Beijing, with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun calling for stronger defence cooperation between China and African countries. The forum was attended by defence officials and military representatives from the African Union and 41 African countries, along with diplomatic envoys to China. Dong noted that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between China and African countries. He said China and Africa have developed defence cooperation based on mutual support and shared security through their long-standing cooperation on peace and development. Dong called for greater strategic coordination and developing more comprehensive and multi-level mechanisms for defence exchanges. He also highlighted the need to deepen regional maritime security cooperation and strengthen defence capabilities in emerging areas. He said China’s military is willing to work with African countries to achieve more practical outcomes and contribute to building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. African representatives described China as an important partner and expressed appreciation for its support for defence and military development. They also expressed willingness to further strengthen defence and security cooperation with China.
  
  
• China Moves to Strengthen Grain Production and Food Security: China plans to strengthen its overall grain production capacity and maintain basic self-sufficiency in grains and security in staple foods, according to a national crop farming development plan released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The plan also calls for maintaining reasonable self-sufficiency in soybeans, oilseeds, cotton and sugar crops while ensuring stable supplies of vegetables, fruits and tea. The plan outlines crop- and region-specific measures, with greater emphasis on agricultural water conservation and more efficient use of fertilisers and pesticides. It also highlights the role of agricultural technologies, including improved crop varieties and intelligent machinery, in raising productivity. Technology currently contributes more than 64 per cent of China’s agricultural output growth. China’s grain output reached about 714.9 million tonnes in 2025, marking the second consecutive year in which production exceeded 700 million tonnes. The government aims to strengthen agricultural productivity while balancing production, resource use and environmental considerations.
  
  
• Ministry of Justice Advances Legal Reforms to Improve Business Environment: China is advancing legislative reforms aimed at reducing barriers to a unified national market, strengthening protections for private businesses and supporting greater economic opening-up, according to Jiang Shan, an official at the Ministry of Justice. The ministry is working with the National Development and Reform Commission on a regulation targeting local protectionism, market fragmentation and excessive competition. The government is also developing measures to implement the Private Sector Promotion Law, with local authorities having introduced more than 30 related regulations and government departments more than 100 supporting measures since the law took effect last year. In the financial sector, a draft financial law has been submitted for legislative review, while laws on central banking, banking supervision and securities companies are being revised. Other reforms include revisions to the Bidding and Pricing Laws and updates to legislation covering foreign trade, maritime affairs and customs. China is also developing legal mechanisms to protect the lawful interests of Chinese companies and citizens operating overseas.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Concerns Over AI Abuse: A Weibo post drew significant attention by discussing growing concerns about the misuse of AI face-changing and voice-cloning technologies. The post noted that easier access to such tools has enabled some creators and merchants to use AI to digitally “resurrect” deceased individuals without authorisation, fabricate celebrity endorsements and news, and alter classic film and television content. It raised questions about how to maintain legal and ethical boundaries while allowing technological innovation to continue. The post prompted discussion among Weibo users, with many calling for greater responsibility from platforms, technology providers, creators and regulators. One user said, “The development of AI technology is changing rapidly, and innovation is worthy of recognition, but it should not be reduced to a tool for counterfeiting and profit.” Another argued, “Platforms, technical parties and regulatory departments should strengthen their responsibilities, build a strong legal and ethical defence line, crack down on the chaos of AI abuse, and maintain the authenticity and credibility of cyberspace.” Other users highlighted potential violations of individuals’ rights and concerns that manipulated content could weaken public trust in online information. Many called for stricter oversight and clearer rules to address AI-related misuse.

INDIA WATCH

Finance Sina Discusses India’s Semiconductor Ambitions and Challenges: An article on Finance Sina discussed India’s efforts to establish itself as a major player in the global semiconductor industry. It highlighted the fifth SEMICON India exhibition and New Delhi’s ambition to build an ecosystem covering chip design, manufacturing, packaging, materials, research and talent. According to the article, India has expanded government support through the Semicon India Programme and its newer Semicon 2.0 initiative, aiming to shift from attracting investment towards developing a complete semiconductor ecosystem. However, it noted that India continues to face significant challenges in semiconductor manufacturing. The article further stated that the country has established strengths in chip design and attracted major companies such as NVIDIA, AMD and Intel to conduct advanced design work, manufacturing requires substantial investment, reliable infrastructure, ultrapure water, stable power supplies and extensive supplier networks. It suggested that India may need to prioritise mature-node manufacturing and back-end processing before pursuing advanced chips. The article concluded that the development of a complete semiconductor ecosystem is a long-term process rather than an immediate transformation.

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.