CiCM 10th December 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

IMF Increases Projection for China’s Economic Growth: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) held a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday to present its annual report on China’s economy. The IMF projected that China’s economy will grow by 5.0 percent in 2025. This marks an upward revision of 0.2 percentage points from its October World Economic Outlook, which is a result of macroeconomic policy stimulus measures and lower-than-expected tariffs on China's exports, according to the IMF. It also raised its projection of GDP growth to 4.5 percent in 2026 which has increased by 0.3 percentage points. The IMF stated in the press release that economic imbalances still exist, which include the prolonged property sector adjustment, weak domestic demand and deflationary pressures. Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF's managing director acknowledged the remarkable resilience that China’s economy has shown. Referring to China's 15th Five-Year Plan recommendations, she highlighted China's priority focus on consumption as a key driver of growth and recognized the importance of reorienting the economy from goods to services.
State Administration for Market Regulation Unveils Plan to Enhance Quality Certification: The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Wednesday released the “Action Plan for Enhancing the Professional Capabilities of Quality Certification (2025-2030).” Yao Lei, who is the Director of the Certification and Accreditation Supervision Department at SAMR, said the plan sets out the overall requirements and key objectives for professionalizing quality certification. The aim is to guide the development of certification bodies over the next five years, improving industry credibility, and addressing existing problems in the sector. The plan is divided into three phases. The first phase seeks to solve issues related to inadequate accountability of certification bodies and personnel, and establish a traceability system with verifiable rules, processes and results by the end of 2026. The second phase aims to tackle homogeneous competition and insufficient effective supply, making certification more demand-driven, results more credible, and promoting professional development in the industry by the end of 2028. The third phase, starting in 2030 intends to strengthen public trust, support high-quality development, and expand international influence. SAMR emphasized that it will work with the necessary departments to put the program into action.
China Amasses Over 5 Million Invention Patents: China has become the first country to hold over 5 million active domestic invention patents. China's top intellectual property (IP) regulator said that its international patent applications submitted via the Patent Cooperation Treaty have led globally for six consecutive years. The number of high-quality invention patents per 10,000 people in China had reached 15.3 by June 2025, beyond the target of 12 set in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), according to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). The technology transfer rate to the industry from universities and research institutions has been increasing and the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents has increased from 44.9 percent in 2020 to 53.3 percent in 2024. During the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the shift from quantity to quality, according to the CNIPA, has sped up the commercialization of high-value patents and is paving the way to achieve more considerable self-reliance in science and technology during the 15th Five-Year Plan ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌(2026-2030).
China Releases Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean: China‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ released its third 'Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean' in Beijing. The policy paper stated that China is willing to increase cooperation with Latin American countries through the 'Five Major Projects' centered on unity, development, civilization, peace, and people-to-people exchanges. The policy is aimed at jointly writing a new chapter in building a China-Latin America community with a shared future, promoting development and revitalisation. The paper reviews the fast development of China-Latin America relations and outlines China's strategy of collaboration in over 40 fields such as trade, investment, finance, technological innovation, climate change, infrastructure, education, agriculture, and sustainable development. Assistant Foreign Minister Cai Wei said the paper reflects President Xi Jinping's global development, security, civilization, and governance initiatives which will deepen bilateral cooperation. The Ambassador of Dominica to China pointed out that the execution of the policy will increase Latin America's strategic autonomy, broaden partnerships, and create more opportunities for cooperation. The paper is a continuation of China's first and second policy documents issued in 2008 and 2016, respectively. It illustrates China's ongoing engagement with the Global South and its pledge to nurture long-term, mutually beneficial relations with the Latin American and Caribbean ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌nations.
Ministry Launches Holiday Consumer Drive for New Year and Spring Festival: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has announced a nationwide campaign to boost agricultural product consumption during the 2026 New Year’s Day and Spring Festival holidays. The campaign, themed “Taste Local Specialities and Discover the Flavour of the New Year,” aims to tap into the peak holiday shopping season and better meet the needs of urban and rural consumers. With support for supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, a national catalogue of local New Year special products will be released for the public to promote festive goods. The Ministry encouraged regions to organize themed activities, including New Year goods fairs, community promotions, scenic spot events, and online shopping festivals with live-streaming sales. The campaign will enhance integrated agricultural, cultural, and tourism consumption through the display of unique rural products, folk traditions, and immersive New Year experiences, and activities related to nutrition and health will be initiated to raise public awareness of balanced diets. The consumer-assistance programs will guide buyers to purchase products from disadvantaged areas through vouchers, discounts, and point redemption incentives. The Ministry will officially inaugurate the promotion event at the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Reacts as Jiangxi Cracks Down on Officials Over Environmental Issues: The hashtags #JiangxiHolds314PeopleAccountable# and #19JiangxiDepartmentLevelOfficialsHeldAccountable# are trending and drawing widespread attention on Weibo. Trending posts highlight that Jiangxi province has implemented a series of measures to hold to account officials who are responsible for ecological and environmental problems discovered during the third round of central environmental protection inspections in 2024. In total, 314 people, among them 19 officials at department level, were identified as those who should bear the consequences of their actions. A few of them were given Party disciplinary or administrative sanctions, whereas others were merely given admonitions or ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌notices. Public reaction has been mixed. Many netizens expressed skepticism, saying, “It’s all just a drizzle,” and pointing out that “It’s Jiangxi again!” Others joked or referenced unrelated celebrities to lighten the tone. Some users called for deeper investigations, asking, “Is the steel being processed?” and urging scrutiny of companies like Xinyu Steel and others. A few highlighted the need for other provinces to learn from Jiangxi’s example, while others doubted the effectiveness of the campaign, saying, “However, it was of no use.” The trending post has stirred curiosity and debate. Many are calling for transparency and accountability, showing strong public interest in environmental governance.

INDIA WATCH

Wang Ruimin Discusses India’s Unconventional Path to Catching Up: According to Wang Ruimin, writing for The Paper, India’s development path reflects a long struggle between stagnation and growth. The article engages with the “catch-up” narrative of economist Raghuram Rajan’s book, which argues that India must break with convention to truly catch up. Wang, who holds a PhD in Economics and is a researcher at the Institute of Market Economy under the Development Research Center of the State Council, explains that India adopted the Soviet-style heavy-industry model, which left India stagnant for decades, with manufacturing unable to deliver the productivity gains seen in East Asia. Wang states that Rajan argues India must take a “daring leap” in the new wave of globalization. Instead of following the traditional path of low-skill manufacturing, India should target high-value services, such as technology, design, and advanced outsourcing. Wang argues that powerful vested interests and economic polarization pose major barriers to implementation of change. He concludes that India now stands at a historical crossroads, and whether it can move beyond its “Gilded Age” of uneven prosperity to achieve broad-based progress will depend on timely reforms and the reshaping of entrenched interest structures.

Prepared By

Neha Maurya

Neha Maurya is a fourth-year undergraduate student at FLAME University, pursuing a major in International Studies with a minor in Public Policy. Her research interests lie in strategic studies, governance, and education policy. She aspires to engage in work that links research insights to policy outcomes.