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NEWS IN CHINA

• China Urges Cambodia to Step Up Protection for Chinese Nationals: The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia has called on Cambodian authorities to strengthen safety measures for Chinese nationals after a number of recent cases in which Chinese citizens went missing or lost contact in the country. According to a statement released on the embassy’s WeChat account, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin recently held separate meetings with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, to raise China’s serious concerns. Wang noted that many of the serious incidents involving Chinese nationals in Cambodia are closely linked to online scams. He stated that the frequent occurrence of such cases runs counter to the traditional friendship between the two countries and has become an obstacle to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. He stressed that China attaches great importance to protecting the safety and legitimate rights and interests of its citizens in Cambodia, and urged the Cambodian side to take effective measures to crack down on crimes, improve rescue efficiency and ensure the safety of Chinese nationals. Cambodian officials responded by saying the government will take strong actions against online scams and crimes targeting Chinese citizens and will work to effectively safeguard their security in Cambodia.
  
  

• China Launches First Generative AI Language Model for Meteorological Services: China has unveiled Fenghe, the country’s first generative artificial intelligence language model designed specifically for meteorological services, according to the China Meteorological Administration. Built on a high-quality corpus of 50 million linguistic units and nearly 490,000 real-world meteorological question-and-answer scenarios, Fenghe allows users to ask questions and receive responses and analytical reports covering a wide range of weather-related needs. This ranges from daily forecasts and clothing advice to tailored guidance for activities such as tourism, transportation and energy operations. The system uses a dual architecture base model, which handles intelligent task scheduling, while a meteorological service agent platform supports data access, tool use and application development, enabling more than 60 specialized services across eight major categories. Fenghe has already been deployed by meteorological departments in multiple regions and was used during the 15th National Games of China through a WeChat mini program to provide customized weather services for the event. Developed independently since 2024 by the CMA Public Meteorological Service Center together with research institutions and Tsinghua University, the model integrates key technologies such as corpus construction, knowledge-enhanced training, deep reasoning and multi-agent collaboration, further advancing China’s meteorological services.
  
  

• International Students Pledge to Act as Cultural Bridges with China: International students at Beijing Jiaotong University marked the second anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s reply letter to Kenyan students by reaffirming their commitment to serving as “bridges of friendship” between China and their home countries. Inspired by Xi’s message encouraging youth to contribute to people-to-people ties and international cooperation, students said they plan to apply the professional knowledge gained in China to fields such as logistics, transportation, and management, supporting development back home while strengthening mutual understanding. Kenyan student Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki recalled his active participation in China-Africa exchanges and major forums, noting that youth voices are valued and cultural understanding is the foundation of cooperation, and said he plans to return to Kenya to promote exchanges after graduation. Malaysian student Joyce Ling Chieng Ying highlighted China’s convenience and technological advancement and hopes to gain work experience in China before returning to Malaysia, while Syrian PhD candidate Luay Ahmad described China’s advanced transportation planning and welcoming environment and hopes to contribute to Middle East development through Belt and Road cooperation. Cambodian student Phearum Vannaseka emphasized China’s safety, rapid development and the role of youth exchanges in shaping perceptions, saying personal experiences help convey a real image of China. The students agreed that youth exchanges are vital for mutual understanding, with international students acting as informational links that deepen cultural links between China and the world.
  
  

• China-Central Asia Trade Surpasses 100 Billion Dollars in 2025: According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, China-Central Asia economic and trade cooperation made strong progress in 2025, with the total value of goods trade reaching 106.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 12 percent year on year. This marked the first time bilateral trade exceeded the 100 billion dollar threshold and the fifth consecutive year of positive growth, with China becoming the largest trading partner of Central Asian countries for the first time. China’s exports to the region rose to 71.2 billion dollars, driven by solid growth in mechanical, electrical and high-tech products, while imports from Central Asia reached 35.1 billion dollars, increasing 14 percent year on year. Cross- border e-commerce continued to grow rapidly, alongside steady progress in warehousing, logistics infrastructure and cross- border payment cooperation. High-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative also deepened with the advancement of major projects in connectivity, equipment manufacturing, green minerals and modern agriculture. This helped support export expansion and contributed to economic growth in Central Asia. The ministry concluded that China will continue to optimize trade structures, foster new business formats and promote higher-level institutional arrangements in Central Asia.
  
  

• FAST Sheds New Light on the Origins of Mysterious Cosmic Radio Bursts: Chinese scientists, working with international partners, have used China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) to uncover some of the strongest evidence so far that certain fast radio bursts (FRBs) originate from compact star binaries. The findings, published in Science, are based on more than two years of continuous observation of a repeating signal known as FRB 20220529, marking the first time researchers have captured the full evolutionary process of such a burst. Fast radio bursts are extremely brief but powerful flashes of energy from deep space, releasing in milliseconds as much energy as the sun emits in days, and their origins have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in 2007. The study revealed clear changes and recovery in the magnetic environment around the burst source, offering crucial clues about how these signals are generated. Scientists say FAST’s unmatched sensitivity made this breakthrough possible, further cementing its role as a world-leading tool in radio astronomy. With China planning a major upgrade to FAST to improve precision in locating burst sources, researchers are hopeful that continued observations will finally unravel why these cosmic signals occur and why some of them repeat.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Rain-Soaked Child Actor Sparks Outrage Online: A short drama crew has come under heavy fire on Weibo after an actor revealed that a night rain scene forced a baby to be soaked in heavy rain for an extended period, allegedly just to save time. According to the account, the scene required close-ups of adult actors whose faces could not get wet, meaning umbrellas could not be lowered, and although using a fake baby was an available option, the crew refused to switch. The child reportedly cried continuously while being drenched, and media reports later said the baby’s pay for the scene was only 800 yuan. The incident quickly went viral on Weibo, triggering widespread anger. In the comments section, many users blamed both the crew and the parents, with comments such as “Parents should be detained,” “If the child gets pneumonia, 800 yuan won’t even cover treatment,” and “At such a young age, the child is being used as a blood bag.” Others questioned the industry itself and commented, “What kind of drama is this, report it directly,” “This is quick-money chaos,” and “Can this kind of crew’s work be blocked? I don’t want to see it either.” Some netizens called for broader reform, writing that “If you don’t have money, don’t harm your children,” “Both parents and the crew are responsible,” and “The short drama industry needs serious rectification, with long hours, low pay, and extreme exploitation from production to investors.”

INDIA WATCH

India’s PM2.5 Debate Triggers Public Reflection on Growing Gap With China: A Guancha article reported that India is witnessing a noticeable shift in public debate, with growing reflection that the country is falling far behind China. The article states that this is most recently highlighted by the PM2.5 air pollution observed in India. According to the article, Indian public opinion had long dismissed China as a peer developing country, often claiming China’s achievements were exaggerated, but this attitude is changing as China’s development becomes harder to deny. The article noted that China has reduced PM2.5 levels by nearly 32 percent over the past decade, with Beijing cutting pollution by more than half, and that nine of the world’s ten cities with the lowest PM2.5 levels are now in China. The article contrasts this by saying that India’s average pollution levels have not declined and Delhi’s winter smog continues to worsen. According to the article, this contrast can no longer be explained away, prompting Indian media and commentators to openly praise China’s environmental governance and ask their leaders to learn from China’s pollution control experience. The article concluded that among India’s elite circles, there is increasing recognition of China’s development achievements, which is leading to a gradual shift by Indian authorities toward reassessing and restoring economic ties with China.

Prepared By

Mohit Singh Mehra

Mohit Singh Mehra is a Master’s student of International Relations at South Asian University, New Delhi. His academic and research interests focus on China, Himalayan geopolitics, and border dynamics, with a particular emphasis on strategic, security, and political developments in the region. He is interested in understanding how geography, power, and policy interact in shaping regional order in Asia.