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NEWS IN CHINA

• Xi Jinping Extends Congratulations to Kim Jong-Un on DPRK’S Founding Anniversary: Chinese President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) over the DPRK's 77th founding anniversary. In his congratulatory message, Xi pointed out that over the past 77 years, the WPK has led the people in the DPRK to forge ahead and promote the continuous development of all socialist undertakings in the country. Further, Xi expressed faith that the people of the DPRK will greet the WPK's 9th Congress with high spirits and open a new chapter in the cause of building DPRK-style socialism. Stressing that China and the DPRK are traditional friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, Xi also said that it has always been the steadfast strategic guideline for the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK ties.
  
  
• China Stresses High-Quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan: At a press conference themed “High-Quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan”, Li Lecheng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, underscored the country’s steady progress in advancing new industrialization despite external pressures and challenges. He noted that the industrial and information technology sectors have achieved historic milestones, with strengthened supply chain resilience and a reinforced industrial base. Li emphasized that manufacturing remains the lifeline of China’s economy and the cornerstone of national strength. He highlighted ongoing efforts to fully implement the high-quality development action plan and industrial base reconstruction project, ensuring the sustained growth of key manufacturing industry chains.
  
  
• Xi Jinping Sends Congratulatory Letter to 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services, in which he pointed out that the profound changes currently underway in the global economic landscape present both opportunities and challenges. In the letter, Xi maintained that China remains committed to aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, promoting an orderly opening up of the service market along with high-level opening up, and high-quality development of service trade. Further, Xi asserted that China is willing to work with all parties to promote cooperation in global service trade, in order to build an open world economy and a “community with a shared future for mankind.”  The 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services opened in Beijing on the same day, with the theme of "Digital Intelligence Navigation, Revitalization of Service Trade," and is co-organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing Municipal People's Government.
  
  
• National People’s Congress Convenes Standing Committee Session: China's top legislature, the 14th National People’s Congress Standing Committee began its 17th regular session to review a raft of bills on September 9. Zhao Leji, chairman of the Committee, presided over the session’s first plenary meeting. The lawmakers have reviewed a slew of draft laws, including the Atomic Energy Law, the Public Health Emergency Response Law, the National Parks Law, and portions of the Environmental Code . They also deliberated on proposed revisions to the Arbitration Law, the Prison Law, and the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law, along with draft amendments to the Cybersecurity Law, the Environmental Protection Tax Law, and other related measures. In addition, they reviewed bills on the ratification of an extradition treaty and a judicial assistance treaty with the Republic of Serbia, and also reviewed a deputy qualification report and personnel-related bills.
  
  
• Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, meet Portuguese Prime Minister: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang met Portuguese Prime minister Luis Montenegro in Beijing as part of the latter’s official visit to China. Both President Xi and Premier Li reaffirmed the strength of the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership, marking the occasion of its 20th anniversary. In their meeting, Li Qiang and Montenegro pledged to expand trade, investment, and joint efforts in the Belt and Road Initiative, including digital and green economies. In his meeting with Montenegro, Xi praised the relationship as a model of mutual respect and benefit for countries with different social systems and national conditions. Xi emphasised deepened cooperation in innovation, green development, maritime affairs, and cultural exchange. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to upholding multilateralism and free trade, and opposing protectionism, with Montenegro expressing Portugal’s agreement with the important concepts embodied in the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by Xi. 

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

China Sees a Rise in Online Anti-Smoking Activism: Anti-smoking activism is gaining momentum on Chinese social media, with hashtags like #TobaccoControl and #SmokingIsProhibited trending all over. This trend is driven by viral videos of both local and foreign influencers (such as those by Xiaohongshu user “Alibabame”) calling out public smoking violations spotlighting tensions around enforcement of smoking bans. Foreign influencers often receive support due to perceived preferential treatment, with netizens encouraging them to report violations. High-profile cases, like that of anti-smoking activist Shang Mengmeng, nicknamed ‘Modern Lin Zexu’ in a reference to the Qing Dynasty official famed for his anti-opium stance, and assault victim Jin Lanlan, who was assaulted in a mall after asking a man to stop smoking, have sparked national debate on the effectiveness of smoke-free laws. While cities like Shanghai have expanded bans to cover outdoor areas, activists highlight weak enforcement elsewhere, hindered by low penalties, cultural norms, and fragmented oversight. 

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Questions whether India will Surpass China’s Economic Status: In an op-ed for the Chinese outlet, Guancha, Professor Jin Canrong, Associate Dean at the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, addressed the notion that India could surpass China’s economy by 2070. While acknowledging India's growing population and young labour force relative to China’s, the author argued that the true national strength is determined by industrial capacity, not sheer population size. The author also noted that India faces major challenges, including education reform, caste barriers, gender inequality and wealth distribution, which are unlikely to be overcome quickly. Additionally, since the United States is currently pursuing a policy of returning to manufacturing, it will set up obstacles to India’s industrialization. He pointed out that China, on the other hand, is in a position to mitigate its weaknesses. According to the article, China’s "engineer dividend" can offset demographic decline to a certain extent, and proactive fertility policies could stabilize population trends. Meanwhile, the Belt and Road Initiative offers opportunities to expand industrial influence abroad by building economic hubs in developing countries. These strategies, along with strong government leadership, may help China retain its economic lead. He thus concluded that while India is a rising force, China has the tools to maintain its top economic position through innovation, diplomacy, and strategic globalization.

Prepared By

Hans Deepak

Hans Deepak is a research intern at the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). He is a second-year undergraduate at St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, pursuing a degree in History and Politics. His interests include international relations, military history, and strategic studies, with a particular focus on China and Southeast Asia.