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NEWS IN CHINA

• Xi, Macron Pledge Deeper Strategic Cooperation in Beijing Talks: Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi stressed that China and France, as independent major powers with strategic vision, should “stand on the right side of history” by upholding multilateralism and jointly promoting a more equal, orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalisation. He said the 20th CPC Central Committee’s Fourth Plenum and the “15th Five-Year Plan” recommendations offer a “list of opportunities” for the next five years, calling for consolidating cooperation in aviation, aerospace and nuclear energy while tapping new potential in green and digital economies, biomedicine, AI and new energy, and welcoming more French exports and investment in China while asking Paris to provide a fair, predictable environment for Chinese firms.​ Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to the one-China policy and “independent” diplomacy, said Paris is glad to see China’s robust development, and pledged to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership through greater two-way investment, trade and renewable energy cooperation, as well as providing a fair, non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies in France.
  
  
• PBOC Announces 10 Trillion Yuan Buyout Repo: The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced that it will conduct a 10 trillion yuan (about $1.38 trillion) buyout reverse repo operation on 5 December with a 3 month (91-day) term, using fixed quantity, interest rate bidding to ensure ample banking system liquidity. This move offsets 10 trillion yuan in maturing 3 month buyout repos this month, alongside 3 trillion yuan in MLF and 4 trillion yuan in 6-month buyout repos due later.​ Since introducing the buyout repo tool in October 2024 for primary dealers with terms up to one year (typically monthly), the PBOC has relied on it alongside MLF for mid to long term liquidity, supplemented by October and November open market government bond operations. The operation maintains stable funding amid year end demands.​
  
  
• EU Launches First Review of Chinese EV Tariffs After VW Anhui Bid: The European Commission announced the first formal review of its tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles following a submission from VW Anhui, a joint venture between Volkswagen and JAC Motors in Hefei. Over 12-15 months, the review will assess whether VW Anhui can replace countervailing duties with a managed price system to equalise tariff impacts, without reopening the full investigation that strained EU-China ties.​The acceptance of this narrow process offers hope to other manufacturers that tariffs imposed earlier this year could be reduced or lifted, particularly since VW Anhui began exporting its latest Cupra EV to Europe only after the probe concluded, potentially qualifying it for exemptions. The move signals flexibility amid ongoing trade frictions over Chinese EV dominance in Europe.
  
  
• China’s Supreme People’s Court Holds 2025 Constitution Oath Ceremony: On December 4, 2025, marking the 12th National Constitution Day, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) held a constitution oath ceremony in Beijing, supervised by Chief Justice Zhang Jun. The event saw 96 officials and newly appointed judges, including deputy court president Wang Zhongming, take solemn oaths pledging fidelity to the Communist Party, the people, the constitution, laws, and their judicial duties and responsibilities.​Zhang Jun emphasised the importance of constitution confidence and consciousness, urging all to uphold constitutional authority and promote Xi Jinping Thought on Rule of Law, integrating political loyalty into judicial work across all stages. The ceremony underscores the SPC’s commitment to impartial, efficient justice in line with China’s “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan” goals and the spirit of the Party’s 20th Central Committee Fourth Plenum. Representatives from the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference attended to witness the ceremony.​
  
  
• China Slams Taiwan’s NT$1.25 Trillion Defense Budget Plan: Zhang Han, a Chinese spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, condemned Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for planning to allocate NT$1.25 trillion (around US$40 billion) to a special “defense budget,” accusing the authorities of squandering public funds to pursue Taiwan’s independence goals rather than improving livelihoods or the local economy.Spokesperson Zhang warned that arms purchases “will not bring security but push Taiwan closer to a dangerous situation,” stressing that any move toward formal secession would only bring war to the island.​ Zhang urged Taiwan residents to recognize the danger of Lai Ching-te’s policies and to work with people on the mainland to return cross-Strait relations to the “right track” of peaceful development, safeguarding peace and stability through concrete actions. She also reiterated Beijing’s firm opposition to any military contacts between the United States and Taiwan, calling on Washington to abide by the one-China principle and the three China US joint communiqués and to stop sending “wrong signals” to pro-independence forces on the island.​
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Claims that straw burning helps control Superbug spread trends on Weibo: A Weibo topic about a new study claiming that Wheat straw burning can help control spread of Superbug in fields, started trending on Chinese social media. A Beijing Normal University study suggests that charcoal formed from burning wheat straw can cut antibiotic-resistance genes in soil by up to 50%, and in plant tissues by over 90%. Many netizens joke that “our ancestors have done this for thousands of years and now experts finally discovered it,” recalling roasting sweet potatoes in straw fires and insisting the real pollution comes from cars and factories, not from “a few fields of smoke.”​ Another camp warned that a “sky full of black smoke” is no small problem, arguing that any benefit against superbugs has to be balanced against air quality, while some users spin conspiratorial takes that past bans on straw burning were driven by “spies” or pesticide interests because “burned land is fertile and kills pests.” The thread quickly broadens into calls to relax bans on fireworks and firecrackers on the grounds that sulfur “kills germs,” with commenters claiming fewer fireworks have coincided with more flu. 

INDIA WATCH

Guancha reports on Indian Govt. retracting Mandatory Cybersecurity App: Guancha reported that India’s telecom ministry rescinded its order to Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on smartphones after backlash from digital rights groups and opposition parties accusing New Delhi of “privacy invasion” and eroding user choice. The private directive, added the Chinese media outlet, had required new devices to carry the app within 90 days to track stolen phones via IMEI and curb fraud, with software updates for existing stock. The ministry touted 5 million downloads and 700,000 recoveries since January but faced calls for withdrawal from opposition leaders who branded it a “snooping tool.”​Apple was set to reject it outright over iOS security risks, while Samsung was reviewing the order. Some industry voices have suggested an opt-in approach that would allow for voluntary downloads as a middle-path approach. The article concluded that the U-turn echoed last year’s laptop import licensing reversal under US pressure,where the government had to withdraw its directive putting it in an unfavorable position. 

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.