CiCM 8th December 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

Politburo Meeting Discusses Economic Priorities for 2026: The CPC Politburo meeting set the tone for China’s 2026 economic agenda while advancing new Party regulations on leading rule-of-law work. Leaders concluded that 2025’s main development targets will be achieved, citing steady growth, development of new quality productive forces, progress on reforms and risk management and a stable social environment as the 14th Five-Year Plan nears completion. For 2026, the Politburo called for “more active” fiscal policy and “appropriately accommodative” monetary policy, stronger counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments, and a focus on expanding domestic demand, optimizing supply and cultivating new growth drivers under the Chinese-style modernization framework. Priorities include building a unified national market, advancing green transition under the dual carbon goals, safeguarding employment and expectations, and ensuring a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan. The meeting also reviewed regulations on the Party’s leadership over comprehensive law-based governance, stressing Party control over legislation, law enforcement, judicial work and model compliance with the law to deepen implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Rule of Law and support modernization with stronger legal safeguards.
Global South Think Tanks Alliance Secretariat Launched in Shanghai: Fudan University in China’s Shanghai hosted the launch of the Global South Think Tanks Alliance Secretariat, during the 3rd Global South Think Tanks dialogue. This think tank is a result of the proposal from last October’s BRICS Plus Leader’s summit in Kazan, Russia. Run by Fudan’s School of International Relations and Public Affairs, the secretariat will coordinate exchanges, knowledge sharing, personnel interactions and joint research among Chinese and international partners to expand global south think tank networks. The Alliance seeks to leverage Fudan’s AI expertise to integrate technology with the Global South’s development needs and foster innovative cooperation models. Fudan’s president Jin Li pledged close collaboration with members to advance global South modernisation and build an equitable and fair international order.
China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones Records Progress in Institutional Innovation: Data from the Chinese Commerce Ministry shows that China’s 22 Pilot Free Trade Zones generated nearly 200 institutional innovative outcomes during the 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025). These zones marked localized experimentation as its key feature; reforms in Zhejiang were tailored around bulk commodities trade, while Jiangsu and Shandong advanced reforms in the biomedicine and marine economy. Over the period of the 14th Five Year Plan, China pushed FTZs in Shanghai and Hainan to align with high-standard global trade rules, including CPTPP and DEPA benchmarks, rolling out pioneering measures in trade, investment, IP protection and government procurement that were later replicated more widely. By 2024, FTZs accounted for 19.6 percent of China’s foreign trade and 24.3 percent of foreign investment, highlighting their growing significance in the national economy. For the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said China will implement an “upgrading” strategy for FTZs, aiming to enhance institutional openness, strengthen systemic reform outcomes, and improve overall quality in the open economy.
Former CPPCC Vice Chair Gou Zhongwen Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Bribery: The Intermediate People's Court of Yancheng city in Jiangsu province, sentenced former 14th CPPCC Standing Committee member and deputy director of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission, Gou Zhongwen, to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery and abuse of power, confiscating all his property and imposing lifetime political deprivation with no parole rights after commutation to life imprisonment. Gou is convicted for taking bribes worth over 236 million yuan between 2009 to 2024. During his role as Beijing’s vice mayor and Director of the State General Administration of Sports, he abused power in project acquisitions, which led to major public losses. The court cited his massive bribes for causing severe impact and social harm warranting death penalty, but granted reprieve for partial confession, remorse, full restitution and some unattempted bribes. Gou had earlier admitted his guilt to the crimes he was accused of in court.
1,178 Chinese Telecom Fraud Suspects Repatriated From Myanmar: Chinese police, with Thai assistance, repatriated 1,178 Chinese nationals suspected of telecom fraud from Myanmar’s Myawaddy region via charter flights from Mae Sot, Thailand, as part of trilateral China-Myanmar-Thailand operations. This follows a November ministerial meeting among China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, which accelerated joint raids on scam parks and arrests. Since February, over 6,600 suspects from Myawaddy have been returned, with Jiangxi police leading the latest escort and investigations. The Public Security Ministry vowed sustained multinational efforts to dismantle overseas fraud networks and protect citizens from scams. The handover of the suspects from Thai authorities began on 1st December, with Myanmar authorities having cleared multiple fraud compounds in a coordinated sweep targeting the region’s entrenched scam operations.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Chinese Social Media Erupts Over News of Earthquake in Japan: Posts on Weibo talked about a massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake hitting off the coast of the main island of Honshu in Japan, sparking tsunami warning of up to 3 metres. This invited scores of reactions from Chinese social media users, with current read count being at about 4.7 billion, with the topic being on the top spot of Weibo’s most searched list for over 14 hours. Many netizens hoped that people in the affected regions, especially those of Chinese origins would be safe. Others wished that the Chinese Aircraft carrier Liaoning which is currently near the region would return safely. However, some users also notoriously called this a divine punishment for the Japanese PM’s recent remarks against China, calling the earthquake “not high enough”. Some netizens also claimed that the earthquake was caused by Japan secretly testing its nuclear capabilities. One netizen went as far as to say that the earthquake was ‘engineered’ by Japan because of Chinese naval ships conducting exercises in Southern Japan. However, others immediately refuted these claims, arguing that engineering something like that is not plausible, and the Chinese ships are far away from the impact zone.

INDIA WATCH

Chinese Media Assesses Putin’s “Hasty” India Visit: According to Bian Jiegan, writing for Sina, a Chinese media outlet, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi featured warm welcomes, including a state banquet hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu, marking 25 years of the ‘special and privileged strategic partnership’. However, the article argues that signed agreements focused mainly on energy security, labour mobility, education and polar shipping, with no breakthroughs on the $100 billion trade target, joint development of Su-57 fighters or accelerated delivery of S-500. Based on this, it claims that India-Russia relations have been hollowed out and thus, PM Modi’s gestures masked other geopolitical calculations amid US tariff threats, military setbacks like the Tejas crash and sanctions curbing Russian oil. The author notes that Russia sees India as its last major ally post-Ukraine isolation, but also argues that India diversified arms imports from Russia (down from 55% to one-third share) towards US, French and Israeli systems. Indicators like the stalling of Su-57 project after India’s 2018 withdrawal over technology issues, and merely $68.7 billion trade in 2024, mostly Russian energy, can limit the achievement of 2030 trade objectives. The article evaluates the visit as a sign of the shift from traditional alliance to pragmatic, immediate interest-based ties between the countries.

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.