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NEWS IN CHINA

• Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Irish Prime Minister Martin: On January 5, President Xi Jinping met Irish Prime Minister Martin in Beijing during his official visit to China. The meeting focused on reviewing the development of China-Ireland relations and exploring future cooperation. Xi said both countries share common characteristics such as openness, inclusiveness and a strong spirit of self-reliance. He noted that since the two sides established a mutually beneficial strategic partnership in 2012, bilateral trade has grown rapidly, investment cooperation has developed in a balanced manner, and people-to-people exchanges have become more frequent. He stressed that mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation have been valuable experiences supporting the steady growth of bilateral ties. Xi said China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Ireland, deepen political trust and expand practical cooperation, especially in areas such as trade, investment, artificial intelligence, digital economy, healthcare, education, culture and tourism. He further said that he looks forward to Ireland playing a constructive role in promoting stable China-EU relations when it assumes the EU presidency later this year. Prime Minister Martin reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to the one-China policy.
  
  
• National Conference of Publicity Ministers Held in Beijing: A national conference of propaganda ministers convened in Beijing, with senior CPC leader Cai Qi delivering a keynote speech. He stressed the importance of adhering to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and fully implementing the Party’s cultural and ideological directives. Cai emphasized the need to strengthen political trust, promote socialist core values and enhance China’s cultural influence as part of the country’s modernization drive. Cai called for improving the Party’s ability to guide public opinion, emphasizing economic propaganda and consolidating ideology. He called for reforms in the cultural system, integration of culture and tourism, and stronger governance of the online platforms for better international communication of the story of China. Li Shulei, head of the CPC Publicity Department, presided over the meeting and outlined work priorities. These include reforming mainstream media, promoting literature and art suited to the internet era, protecting cultural heritage, encouraging reading and building an independent knowledge system in philosophy and social sciences.
  
  
• Xi Jinping Holds Talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung: Xi Jinping met with President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Beijing on Monday. The meeting focused on advancing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation. Xi noted that as close neighbors and partners, the two countries should strengthen exchanges, maintain frequent communication and uphold the direction of friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation. He further added that China is willing to work with the ROK to develop the bilateral strategic partnership, improve people’s well-being and contribute to regional and global peace. Xi urged the deepening of economic links between the two countries, with closely connected industrial and supply chains. He called for alignment of development strategies and greater cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, green industries, and the silver economy and emphasized expanding people-to-people exchanges. Lee reaffirmed that the ROK values its relations with China and upholds the one-China principle. He expressed hope to strengthen cooperation and capitalize on opportunities arising from China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.
  
  
• China’s Online Education Platform Expands AI Learning Globally: China’s Smart Education of China platform has grown into the world’s largest high-quality digital education resource center, with total visits surpassing 72.6 billion, according to the Ministry of Education. The platform offers a range of learning materials, including over 130,000 resources for primary and secondary education, over 12,500 vocational courses and about 145,000 higher education courses. The platform covers the full education journey, from preschool to postgraduate studies, and supports moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education. Officials said the platform is playing an increasingly important role in advancing artificial intelligence education. Around 500,000 teachers and students from 2,000 universities have received online AI training, while more than 1.3 million undergraduate graduates have participated in AI application programs. Fudan University has introduced AI courses for all students and made AI literacy a core requirement across disciplines. Experts said China’s rapid progress in digital education has lifted its global ranking to sixth in 2025.
  
  
• Chinese Premier Urges Stronger Push for Innovation-Led Development: During an inspection tour of Guangdong Province, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged stronger efforts to boost innovation, strengthen reform and opening-up, and ensure a holistic start to China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. In Shenzhen, Li learned about progress in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong science and technology innovation cooperation zone. He emphasized that innovation is crucial to future competitiveness and urged for stronger policy support, funding and talent development. He also urged wider use of new technologies to speed up their improvement and real-world application. Li emphasized the need to utilize advanced technologies and major transport corridors more effectively to enhance connectivity and coordinated development across the Greater Bay Area. In Foshan, Li noted that economic growth and higher living standards are creating new consumer demand. He called for faster development of high-quality products and a healthy cycle where demand and supply reinforce each other. At Foshan International Land Port, Li reviewed cross-border e-commerce and bonded logistics. He urged deeper opening-up, stronger alignment of infrastructure with rules and standards across China.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Erupts Over Teen Exploiting E-Commerce Loophole for 4 Million Yuan: A recent post with the hashtag #17YearOldBoyScams4MillionYuanThroughFakeReturns is going viral on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The case involves a 17-year-old boy surnamed Lü, who exploited a loophole in a cosmetics e-commerce platform’s return policy by faking nearly 11,900 refund requests. Using his own account as well as accounts belonging to relatives, friends and rented users, he resold the refunded skincare products at low prices, illegally profiting more than 4 million yuan. A Shanghai court later sentenced him to six years in prison for fraud. Public reaction on Weibo has been a mix of shock, criticism and heated debate. Many users warned against “testing the boundaries of the law,” with comments like “Don’t act recklessly, or you’ll get caught.” Others expressed regret over his age, saying he was “too young” and should have chosen to follow the law instead. Some netizens described him as “clever but not smart enough,” arguing that his skills were wasted on illegal activities. A large number of comments focused on the cost-benefit question, repeatedly asking whether the money must be returned, with remarks such as “Six years in exchange for 4 million” sparking controversy. Others questioned parental oversight, asking why such excessive online shopping went unnoticed. 

INDIA WATCH

Chinese Media Examines the Feasibility of India’s Passenger Aircraft Dream: Chinese media outlet Guancha analyzes India’s renewed ambition to develop its own large commercial passenger aircraft. The article describes it as a long-held but highly challenging goal driven by rapid growth in domestic air travel demand. It notes that India has become one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, with a need for massive aircraft purchases. However, the article highlights that the aviation sector is heavily dependent on Boeing and Airbus due to limited domestic manufacturing capacity. According to the outlet, this reliance on imports, delivery delays and rising demand has pushed India to reconsider the strategic value of building its indigenous passenger aircraft. The article argues that India’s cooperation with Russia on the SJ-100 project and growing interest from companies like Rolls-Royce, which are seen as signs of policy momentum. It further adds that India’s contribution to the global aircraft supply chain remains limited, though India has strengths in parts manufacturing and has a growing aerospace ecosystem. The report argues that producing complete commercial aircraft requires long-term investment, advanced technologies and international certification, areas where India still faces major challenges. Thus, it concludes that India’s more realistic path lies in establishing ties with global manufacturers, expanding component production and building an industrial ecosystem.

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.