CiCM 28th October 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

China Launches Crackdown on Abusive Behaviour in Livestreaming Platforms: China’s top cyberspace regulator has launched a two-month nationwide campaign to curb “abusive tipping practices” in online streams, amid rising concerns over inappropriate content and financial exploitation of users, especially minors. The Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission announced that the drive will focus on high-risk areas such as multi-host entertainment sessions and private livestreaming rooms hotspots for tipping-related misconduct. The campaign targets four major violations: using sexually suggestive content to solicit tips, fabricating fake online personas, luring minors to spend money and encouraging irrational or excessive tipping behavior. Authorities have warned against explicit performances, fake tragic stories and AI-generated scams portraying false identities like soldiers or teachers to deceive viewers. Platforms are ordered to strengthen supervision, close regulatory gaps and implement stricter identity and age verification systems. Offensive accounts, agencies and platforms that enable or ignore violations will face severe penalties. The regulator emphasized that the initiative aims to build a cleaner, fairer and more responsible livestreaming environment.
CSRC Unveils Sci-Tech Growth Tier on STAR Market to Promote Innovation: China officially unveiled the first batch of three companies listed on the new sci-tech growth tier under the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s STAR Market, as a major step in promoting innovation-driven economic growth. According to Li Chao, Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), the initiative strengthens the capital market’s role in nurturing technological innovation and supporting emerging industries like integrated circuits and biomedicine. Li described the STAR Market as a “test ground” for capital market reforms, helping refine the broader financial ecosystem while backing high-tech enterprises with strong growth potential but limited profitability. The move follows the CSRC’s June 18 announcement of the new tier to better serve innovative firms. Meanwhile, CSRC also released new measures to improve the pricing mechanism for initial public offerings, adjust margin trading regulations and enhance oversight of algorithmic trading to better safeguard smaller investors.
China Calls for Stronger Global Cooperation to Combat Terrorism: At a UN Security Council meeting, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative Geng Shuang emphasized that international counter-terrorism efforts must be “strengthened, not weakened”, amid a turbulent global landscape marked by rising conflicts and a resurgence of extremist threats. Geng highlighted that the UN Security Council should continue prioritizing counter-terrorism with a “zero-tolerance” approach, rejecting double standards and ideological biases. He urged nations to avoid politicizing the issue and instead strengthen sanctions networks to effectively target terrorist organizations. Highlighting China’s proactive stance, Geng referenced the Global Security Initiative and Global Governance Initiative as frameworks encouraging collective global action against security challenges. He noted China’s long-term assistance to developing nations, especially in Africa, in building counter-terrorism capacities through bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Geng reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms. He concluded that China will continue to work with international partners to foster global peace, stability and shared security.
China Expands Social Security Network to Facilitate Cross-border Labour Flow: China has signed bilateral social security agreements with 13 countries to facilitate cross-border operations and protect the rights of cross-border employees, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. At a press conference on October 29, a Ministry official Wang Tao stated that such agreements prevent dual social insurance payments for individuals working abroad, in line with international practices. Since 2001, China has reached agreements with Germany, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Japan, Serbia and Kyrgyzstan. The China-Kyrgyzstan Social Security Agreement, effective October 14, 2025, is the first signed with a Belt and Road country. It covers pension insurance, defines the scope of mutual exemptions—including dispatched staff, self-employed workers and diplomats—and establishes implementation mechanisms through designated administrative agencies. The agreement is expected to reduce operating costs for enterprises, safeguard employees’ social security rights and deepen China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. The Ministry has issued guidelines to facilitate certificate applications via national online platforms and pledged to expand social security cooperation with more countries, particularly Belt and Road and neighboring states.
Digital RMB Transactions Surpass 14.2 Trillion Yuan in September: Total transactions through China’s digital RMB has reached 14.2 trillion yuan (about 2 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of September 2025, according to the People’s Bank of China (PBOC). The digital currency pilot now spans 26 localities across 17 provincial-level regions, establishing practical models in retail, transportation and public services. By the end of September, 3.32 billion transactions had been processed, and over 225 million personal wallets were opened through the digital RMB app. PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng announced at the Financial Street Forum 2025 that China has developed a “dual-center” operational system for digital RMB, with an international operations center in Shanghai and a management center in Beijing. The Shanghai hub will facilitate cross-border cooperation and usage, while the Beijing center focuses on system maintenance and innovation.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Sam’s Club’s 500,000-Yuan Gold Crab Sparks Copyright Controversy: A copyright dispute has ignited Chinese social media after jewelry designer and national intangible heritage inheritor Wu Wensheng accused a Sam’s Club store in Zhangjiagang of selling counterfeit versions of his handcrafted “gold hairy crab” sculpture. Wu claimed the store’s supplier not only copied his two-year old design but also used his portrait and certificates as product endorsements without consent. The store responded to the Yangtze Evening Post on October 27, acknowledging the issue and stating that supplier materials had been submitted to the Market Supervision Administration. It added that the legal department is assessing the infringement claim and that the controversial item has been taken off shelves. The crab, weighing 509 grams, was priced at over 500,000 yuan based on gold rates. The incident has since trended on Weibo, with hashtags like #Sam’sClub’sGoldHairyCrabSuspectedofInfringement# drawing several views. Many netizens condemned the misuse of cultural heritage and urged stronger intellectual property protection, while others mocked the luxury item’s absurd concept. Wu’s original post was deleted on October 28, sparking further speculation online.

INDIA WATCH

China News Highlights India’s Evacuation Efforts as Cyclone Montha Strengthens: China News Network reports that India has launched a large-scale evacuation of more than 50,000 residents from coastal regions as Cyclone Montha continues to intensify over the Bay of Bengal. Citing Reuters and India’s Meteorological Department, it notes that the storm is expected to evolve into a “strong cyclonic storm” and make landfall near the Andhra Pradesh coast late on October 28, bringing torrential rains and powerful winds. The article highlights the Indian government’s proactive disaster management efforts, including the deployment of relief teams and the closure of schools across 23 districts under red and orange alerts. It underlines that nearly 3.9 million people in Andhra Pradesh could be impacted, reflecting the scale of India’s vulnerability to seasonal cyclones. The report also cites Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance of full central assistance to the affected state.

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.