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NEWS IN CHINA

• Yangtze River Delta Foreign Trade Surpasses 100 Trillion Yuan: The CCTV News reported that, in the seven years since the Yangtze River Delta’s integrated development became a national strategy, the region's foreign trade has shown robust growth. As of May 2025, total imports and exports surpassed 100 trillion yuan, reaching 101.2 trillion yuan, highlighting the region’s economic vitality. Customs data reveals that trade in the first five months alone hit 6.73 trillion yuan, a year-on-year rise of 5.2%, setting a record for this period. Electromechanical products comprised nearly 60% of exports, with integrated circuits rising by 19.3%, automobiles by 14%, and industrial robots soaring by 58.8%. The Delta now hosts 26 national-level advanced manufacturing clusters, covering sectors like aerospace and marine engineering, pushing trade toward high-end industrialization. Key trading partners include ASEAN and the EU, with trade up 16.9% and 3.9%, respectively. Trade with Belt and Road countries reached 3.36 trillion yuan, a 10.1% increase, reflecting deepening international engagement.
  
  
• Guizhou Floods Prompt Level 3 National Emergency Response: In response to the severe flooding in Qiandongnan Prefecture and other parts of Guizhou Province, China’s National Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief Committee urgently elevated the national emergency response to Level 3 on June 28. A working group has been dispatched to assess on-ground damage and assist local authorities in coordinating relief efforts, focusing on ensuring basic living support for affected residents. To support emergency relocation and resettlement, the Committee's office, alongside the Ministry of Emergency Management and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, has urgently allocated 15,000 pieces of central disaster relief supplies. These include folding beds, summer quilts, and household emergency kits, aimed at stabilizing the situation and addressing immediate humanitarian needs. Authorities continue to monitor the evolving disaster, emphasizing swift and coordinated action to minimize further impact and safeguard public welfare.
  
  
• South China Expo Highlights India-China Cooperation and Cultural Exchange: At the South China Expo, Nandwani, Regional Director of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations, praised the event’s success and emphasized the growing potential for Indian products in the Chinese market. She encouraged more Indian companies to participate next year. Cun Min, Deputy Director of Yunnan’s Commerce Department, accredited international support for the Expo’s continuous improvement. The exhibition featured vibrant cultural and economic displays from specialty clothing and jewelry to coffee and black tea. Nepalese educator Nilang described it as a “cultural feast of beauty and sharing.” Highlights included the debut of the "Living in Yunnan" pavilion with daily folk performances, a Coffee Pavilion showcasing Yunnan’s top producers, and free health checks at the Medical Pavilion. Fashion met tradition at the "Silk Road Yunshang·Nanbo Fashion Week," while the "Yunnan International Friendship City Cooperation Week" deepened ties with 116 cities across 37 countries. Officials from Romania and Myanmar expressed strong intentions for future collaboration.
  
  
• Liaoning Expands Union Services for New Employment Workers with Practical Reforms: To address the challenges of unionizing workers in new employment forms, Liaoning Province has rolled out a series of practical, flexible union-building initiatives. On June 23, a Meituan-sponsored "ice drink welfare car" launched in Shenyang, offering refreshments and union information to platform workers. Since May, Meituan’s Shenyang branch has unionized over 1,000 riders, granting access to rest zones, meals, and reading areas. The Liaoning Federation of Trade Unions has partnered with multiple government departments, promoting policies such as funding subsidies for newly formed unions and launching mobile services like on-site medical exams and training. Digital solutions QR-based memberships and the “Liaogong Service” app have made joining easier. In 2024, over 111,000 new workers joined, raising the total to 490,000. Over 600 platform branches now have unions, exceeding an 80% coverage rate. Liaoning’s “mobile warmth” campaign has reached 400,000 workers with health care, cultural, and legal services, improving inclusion for flexible workers.
  
  
• How AI-Driven Energy Storage Powers China’s Carbon Goals: China's energy storage sector is booming in 2025, crucial for achieving its "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" targets. By May's end, the country's installed power capacity hit 3.61 billion kW, an 18.8% rise year-on-year driven largely by solar energy. With over 1.08 billion kW in photovoltaic (PV) power, China now hosts nearly 48 times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam. However, this renewable surge increases grid instability due to variable output. To address this, energy storage systems (ESS) including battery, hydro, and thermal storage are being deployed nationwide. Yet, storage capacity still lags behind demand. Experts like Liu Yafang emphasize integrating ESS with smart planning, standardized infrastructure, and market-driven pricing. AI now plays a critical role in safety, maintenance, and operational efficiency. AI-powered Battery Management Systems detect faults early and optimize system performance. Ultimately, AI-enhanced ESS is steering China's energy transition from centralized fossil fuels to a distributed, renewables-based model.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Shanghai’s Immersive Theater Boom Goes Viral on Chinese Social Media: Shanghai is witnessing a cultural renaissance as innovative performance spaces emerge across its urban districts especially in Xuhui West Bund and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. A shopping mall managed by Zhang Yuan now features 23 dynamic venues ranging from immersive musicals to stand-up comedy welcoming over 300,000 visitors through 5,000+ shows. Social media platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu are buzzing with hashtags like #剧场式商业 (“theater-style commerce”) and #文娱打卡新地标 (“new cultural check-in hotspot”), attracting millions of views and posts. Netizens are praising this fusion of “drama + food + technology”, especially the light-and-shadow interactive play that transforms the audience space into a banquet hall. Some even called it “Shanghai’s Broadway for Gen Z.” This trend reflects a growing desire among younger audiences for immersive, multisensory experiences that blur the lines between entertainment, culture, and social interaction. The upcoming coffee-themed train route, connecting shopping districts with cultural parks, is also going viral for blending commuting with café culture. Users have hailed it as “生活美学的升级版” (“an upgraded lifestyle aesthetic”), marking Shanghai as a trendsetter in urban cultural innovation.

INDIA WATCH

SCMP Covers Recent Updates on the Investigation of Air India Flight 171: On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171 tragically crashed outside Ahmedabad, killing nearly 300 people and triggering the aviation sector's worst crisis in recent Indian history. The South China Morning Post (SCMP)  noted the Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran’s decision to take direct control of Air India’s daily operations highlights the gravity of the situation. By covering Chandrasekaran’s emotional address to over 700 employees and referencing Tata’s pre-crash ambition to modernize the airline under the Vihaan.AI program, SCMP paints a portrait of a company thrown off-course, now fighting to regain credibility.  The author states that the government regulators have launched parallel investigations while maintaining that Indian aviation remains “safe and robust.” However, SCMP states that the fallout is undeniable, as  passenger trust was shaken, bookings have declined, and service cancellations are mounting. The author goes on to probe whether India’s infrastructure can support its global aviation aspirations without sacrificing safety.

Prepared By

Lipun Kumar Sanbad

Lipun Kumar Sanbad, a postgraduate student of Politics and International Relations from Pondicherry University and a History and Political science graduate from University of Delhi. From the past three years working as a freelance researcher in the domain of global peace, conflict and security studies, and defence studies.