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NEWS IN CHINA

• Chinese Embassy in South Africa Marks PLA’s 99th Anniversary: The Chinese Embassy in South Africa held a reception to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The event was attended by South African government and military officials, foreign defence attaches, local community representatives, and members of the overseas Chinese community. Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng said China remains committed to peaceful development and a national defence policy that is defensive in nature. He highlighted China’s support for the United Nations and its continued participation in UN peacekeeping operations, describing the PLA as a force contributing to international peace and stability. Chinese Defence Attaché Wu Wei reviewed the PLA’s development and said the Chinese military is willing to expand practical cooperation with foreign counterparts and promote international security cooperation. South African Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga congratulated the PLA on its anniversary. She said the PLA has developed into a modern force that protects China’s sovereignty while contributing to global peace and stability. She also highlighted cooperation between South Africa and China through BRICS, peacekeeping efforts and defence exchanges.
  
  
• Chinese FM Rejects Philippine Baseline Claim Over Huangyan Dao: China has rejected the Philippines’ submission of a nautical chart and baseline claim for Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) to the United Nations, calling the move illegal and invalid. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Huangyan Dao is China’s inherent territory and that Beijing has sovereignty over the feature and its adjacent waters. The statement came after the Philippines deposited its official nautical chart with the UN Secretariat and said the move clarified the geographic extent of its maritime authority and jurisdiction. China argued that the Philippines’ unilateral baseline delimitation infringes on its territorial sovereignty and violates international law, including the UN Charter and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Beijing also criticised the Philippines’ Maritime Zones Act, saying it improperly includes Huangyan Dao and parts of the Nansha Islands within Philippine maritime zones. China said the legislation has no legal effect on its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. China also opposed the Philippines’ presentation to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf regarding an extended continental shelf claim in the South China Sea, stating that the submission infringes on China’s sovereignty and maritime rights.
  
  
• NDRC to Strengthen Macro Policy Support in the Second Half of 2026: China will strengthen macroeconomic policy support in the second half of 2026 to ensure the completion of its annual economic targets, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The NDRC said that 755 billion yuan in central budget investment has been largely allocated, with greater emphasis on projects related to public welfare and livelihoods. The government will continue advancing 109 major projects, promote key infrastructure initiatives, and implement policies to support investment in emerging industries. China also plans to encourage private investment by introducing measures in sectors with strong growth potential and higher private-sector participation. Efforts to boost domestic consumption will continue through the implementation of consumption support policies. The NDRC highlighted the rapid development of China’s artificial intelligence industry, with related sectors maintaining growth of over 30 per cent this year. The government will accelerate the construction of computing infrastructure, expand AI applications in manufacturing, agriculture, and energy, and advance legislation on artificial intelligence. In addition, China will continue developing emerging and future industries, deepen market reforms, improve the national unified market, and strengthen food and energy security.
  
  
• President Xi Jinping Calls for Accelerating Military Modernisation and Innovation: President Xi Jinping called for stronger political guidance and innovation-driven development to advance the high-quality modernisation of China’s national defence and armed forces. He made the remarks while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. President Xi urged efforts to achieve the PLA’s centenary goals by 2027 and make decisive progress in modernising China’s military. He said this would provide strategic support for national rejuvenation and Chinese modernisation. He emphasised that combat capability should remain the central objective of military modernisation. Additionally, he called for expanding the military application of unmanned intelligent technologies, improving network information systems, and gradually building an intelligent military system. He also stressed the need to strengthen combat capability integration, improve combat-oriented testing and evaluation, and enhance military training and combat readiness. Xi said the PLA has undergone significant modernisation since 2012 and called for upholding the Party’s absolute leadership over the military. He also emphasised strengthening political loyalty, improving supervision of major military projects, and continuing anti-corruption efforts to ensure quality, capability, and integrity in defence development.
  
  
• Chinese Premier Signs New Exit and Entry Administration Regulations: Premier Li Qiang has signed new State Council regulations on exit and entry administration, which will take effect from September 15, 2026. The regulations aim to standardise exit and entry management, protect the rights of travellers, and safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. The regulations strengthen travel safety risk prevention by requiring relevant authorities to issue timely safety alerts for overseas destinations. Immigration authorities will also remind Chinese citizens to exercise caution when travelling to high-risk countries and regions. The regulations require applicants to provide truthful and lawful information when applying for exit, entry, or residence documents. Authorities may refuse to issue documents or deny entry or exit if applicants submit false materials or make false statements. They also expand exit and entry restrictions. Chinese citizens involved in fraudulent entry or exit, overseas criminal activities, actions affecting national security, or violations related to export control and technology management may be prohibited from leaving the country. Foreigners who provide false information when applying for visas or entry may be denied entry. The regulations also introduce filing requirements and stricter oversight for exit and entry intermediary service providers.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Discusses China’s One-Year Anti-Organised Crime Campaign: A Weibo post discussing China’s planned one-year campaign against organised crime attracted widespread attention online. It said the campaign, launched under the deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, aims to deepen efforts to combat criminal organisations and strengthen social stability. According to the post, authorities will target organised crimes involving online platforms and “soft violence”, in addition to traditional criminal groups. It also highlighted plans to strengthen coordination between disciplinary and legal authorities and investigate the “protective umbrellas” that shield criminal organisations. It also noted that the campaign will focus on rectifying key industries and sectors where organised crime is believed to operate and eliminating the conditions that allow such groups to develop. The post generated strong online support, with many users calling for stricter enforcement in cyberspace. One user commented, “The Internet is not an outlaw.” Another wrote, “Support, enter cyberspace to eliminate crime and evil.” A third user added, “I just hope it will be really effective!” Other users urged authorities to investigate the companies and networks behind online criminal activity, crack down on marketing accounts and illegal online operations and ensure that organisers, financiers, and beneficiaries are held accountable.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Compares India’s Market Structure with China’s Unified Market Model: A Guancha article discussed comments by Fudan University economist Zhang Jun comparing India’s market structure with China’s unified national market model. The article argued that India has not developed a fully unified domestic market despite having a population comparable to China’s and said that internal barriers have affected market integration. The article attributed China’s technological development to factors such as a unified language, infrastructure, policies, and institutional framework. It contrasted these conditions with India’s market structure and argued that differences in market integration have influenced the scale of technology adoption. Using the internet and e-commerce sectors as examples, the article said that China’s nationwide infrastructure, logistics networks, and digital connectivity have supported the wider adoption of technology. According to the article, these factors have contributed to a larger user base and greater economies of scale. It concluded that China’s large and unified market has supported the diffusion and commercialisation of technology, particularly in the digital economy and artificial intelligence sectors.