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NEWS IN CHINA

• Chinese Ministries Warn Citizens Against Travelling to Japan: China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism advised its citizens against travelling to Japan on Sunday, citing security concerns. It referenced a deteriorating “security environment” for Chinese nationals in Japan. The ministry advised citizens against travelling to Japan and asked those already in the country to closely monitor the security situation in their locality, advising them to heighten vigilance and contact local police or Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan in case of an emergency. The Chinese Ministry of Education also asked students to “carefully plan their studies in Japan”. Following these announcements, several Chinese airlines issued separate statements promising full refund to travel tickets to Japan booked till the 31st December of this year. This comes despite steady growth in Chinese student numbers: over 140,000 went to Japan between January and September 2024, with mainland students making up 27.3 percent. These actions by China are a result of growing tensions between China and Japan following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about Taiwan. 
  
  
• Li Qiang Emphasizes Consumption Boost in a State Council Executive Meeting: Chinese Premier Li Qiang chaired the State Council’s executive meeting, mapping out measures to boost consumption as well as to better align the supply and demand of consumer goods. The meeting also aimed to improve state mechanisms in order to support new industries and strengthen overall economic planning in line with China’s 15th Five year plan. The meeting called for boosting innovation-driven investment, along with financial assets and promoting the development of what the Chinese government calls “new quality productive forces”. It also stressed the need to expand new consumption scenarios and business models, and to improve the synchronisation between production and shifting domestic consumer needs. The officials also looked at ways to improve project approvals, enhancing engineering quality and safety, and mobilising private investment through long term loans and policy based financial tools. 
  
  
• China Expands Education Cooperation With CELAC Countries: During the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum of Education Development in Beijing, both sides pledged to deepen collaboration in education. Chinese Vice Minister of Education, Xiong Sihao, said that the forum serves as a platform for high-level dialogue on education between China and the CELC member states.The forum saw the signing of eight inter-governmental and inter-university agreements, along with the inauguration of the Latin American branch of the Global Institute of Teacher Development. The forum was attended by more than 300 participants, including ministers of education from Brazil, Cuba, Dominica, Mexico and Venezuela, diplomatic envoys to China, and presidents and scholars from over 100 universities in China and Latin America.
  
  
• China’s First Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ship Sichuan Completes Maiden Sea Trial: The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, completed its first three-day sea trial and returned to the Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding dock on Sunday. Sichuan tested its  power, propulsion, electrical and integrated systems successfully during its maiden voyage, before returning to port. The Type 076 Sichuan ship features a full-length flight deck, a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tonnes, dual-island design and is widely expected to support unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations, with some Chinese reports highlighting its electromagnetic launch capability. The Sichuan came into service in December 2024, progressing steadily since then by completing mooring tests, equipment installation and system debugging to meet the technical requirements for sea trials. The carrier is equipped with innovative electro-magnetic catapult and arrestor systems, enabling it to host fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and amphibious equipment.
  
  
• China Publishes the First Volume of “Selected Writings on the Rule of Law by Xi Jinping”: The Volume I of “Selected Writings on the rule of law by Xi Jinping”, edited by Party History and Literature Research Institute of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was recently published by the Central Party Literature Press and distributed throughout China. The CPC Central Committee has worked on the volume under the leadership of Xi Jinping ever since the 18th National Congress of CPC. Volume I includes Xi Jinping's most important and fundamental works on the rule of law from December 2012 to February 2025, arranged chronologically, and contains 69 reports, speeches, lectures, instructions and directives. By embedding the comprehensive advancement of the rule of law within the “Four Comprehensives” strategic framework, the volume underscores the significance of institutional reforms and conceptual innovations that shaped China’s contemporary legal framework.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Reports on Protests in Tokyo Over PM’s Comments Spark Online Debate in China: A video commentary regarding protests in Tokyo posted by the Beijing daily on Weibo garnered a range of replies from Chinese netizens. Several Chinese media platforms, including Beijing Daily, reported that protests had erupted in Tokyo against Japanese Prime Minister Sane Takaichi’s remarks with regards to Taiwan, demanding her resignation. The post added that China neither provokes trouble nor fears it, and that militarism still lingers in Japan. The post along with its hashtags #Has Japan not learned its lesson from self-destruction yet ? #Japan Doesn't Need a Prime Minister Who Incites War#  went viral on weibo. While some netizens reacted to Beijing Daily’s post with a surge of nationalism and anti-Japan sentiment, even calling for war and claiming that China only needs a reason to attack, others openly mocked the report. Several users criticized Beijing Daily for exaggerating the significance of a small protest involving only a few dozen people in Tokyo. One comment remarked that some people in China are very delusional, Beijing Daily being amongst them. One user further pointed out that her current support level is reportedly around 80%, which is considered high by Japanese political standards.

INDIA WATCH

Chinese Expert Warns of long-term India–Pakistan Tension After New Delhi Blast: According to the Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS), Chinese researcher Liu Zongyi said that the recent car bomb explosions in New Delhi and a subsequent blast in Islamabad are deeply linked. The report highlights that while the Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for the Islamabad blast, which Liu Zongyi calls an “Indian Proxy”, no such group has taken responsibility for the blast in New Delhi. The report states that the domestic situation in both countries remains severe after these blasts. As per the report, Pakistan declared a state of war after the explosion which Liu noted, was meant for both the Pakistani Taliban and India. Liu speculates that India lacks capabilities to launch conventional strikes against India, and thus, the likelihood of India-Pakistan clashes is very low. He further argues that India’s actions post-incident are aimed to project a tough stance towards Pakistan and consolidate domestic power. The report also aims to project that India is undergoing severe economic pressure domestically and thus, is unable to take strong actions against Pakistan. 

Prepared By

Kanav Aggarwal

Kanav Aggarwal is an undergraduate student majoring in International Relations and minoring in Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University. He is Passionate about geopolitics, defence strategy, and international security. Through his studies and research experience, he aims to deepen his understanding of global power dynamics and contribute analytical insights to the team’s ongoing projects.