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NEWS IN CHINA

• NPC Approves 15th Five-Year Plan Outline: The Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) reviewed and approved the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026–2030), submitted by the State Council. The plan, proposed by the State Council of China, was reviewed and endorsed following a report from the NPC’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee. Lawmakers concluded that China had successfully achieved the main goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan period under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Xi Jinping at its core. According to the meeting, China’s economic strength, technological capacity, national defense and overall national power reached new heights during the previous five-year period, while Chinese-style modernisation made steady progress. The newly approved plan period was described as a crucial stage for laying the foundation to realise socialist modernisation. Authorities emphasised the importance of high-quality development, reform, and innovation and the building of a modern economic system. The plan also stresses implementing the new development philosophy, accelerating the creation of a new development pattern and improving people’s livelihoods. 
  
  
• China Expresses Regret After UN Fails to Adopt Resolution on Middle East Conflict: China expressed disappointment after the United Nations Security Council failed to adopt a draft resolution calling for an end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The resolution, proposed by Russia, received four votes in favour, two against, and nine abstentions. Russia, China, Pakistan, and Somalia supported the proposal, while the United States and Latvia voted against it. The draft resolution reaffirmed the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and called on all parties involved to immediately cease military operations. The proposal condemned attacks against civilians and civilian facilities and emphasised the need to protect civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law. Following the vote, in the explanatory statement, Fu Cong, who is China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, highlighted that the draft resolution put forward by Russia reaffirmed the objectives and principles of the UN Charter, called on all parties to halt military operations immediately, condemned attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and urged a return to diplomatic negotiations. According to Fu, the proposal reflected a balanced approach. He also expressed regret that the resolution was not adopted. 
  
  
• Huang Runqiu Highlights Digital Transformation in Environmental Governance: Speaking at the “Ministerial Corridor”  press conference, Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment, stated that monitoring and enforcement remain two key pillars of environmental governance and are essential for promoting high-quality development alongside ecological protection. Huang noted that the Ministry has promoted four major transformations in recent years: shifting from single-faceted supervision to “supervision plus service,” from decentralised oversight to centralised supervision, from post-incident monitoring to full-process supervision, and from mainly human-based enforcement to technology-driven prevention. These reforms have improved regulatory capabilities and strengthened enterprises’ compliance awareness. According to Huang, environmental violations nationwide have dropped from about 130,000 cases five years ago to 43,000 last year, a decline of 68 percent. However, Huang warned that violations are becoming more covert and sophisticated, including organised falsification of monitoring data. To address this challenge, authorities are increasingly relying on digital tools, information technology and artificial intelligence, marking a new stage in smart environmental governance.
  
  
• China’s High-Tech Industries Record Strong Growth in Early 2026: China’s science and technology innovation sector recorded strong growth in the first two months of 2026. According to tax data released by the State Taxation Administration, several key indicators showed rapid expansion across high-tech industries and digital sectors. Invoice data revealed that sales revenue in China’s high-tech industries increased by 16.1 percent year-on-year during the January–February period. High-tech services grew particularly quickly, with sales revenue rising by 17.2 percent. Within this sector, science and technology intermediary services and natural science research and experimental development recorded significant increases of 25.6 per cent and 17.4 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, high-tech manufacturing sales revenue rose by 14.5 percent year-on-year. The data also indicated more active flows of scientific and technological resources. Sales revenue in the scientific research and technical services industry increased by 23.6 per cent, while intellectual property–intensive industries such as patent-related sectors grew by 12.8 per cent. In addition, integration between digital technologies and traditional industries continued to accelerate. 
  
  
• China Reports Major Progress in Land Greening for 2025: The National Greening Committee Office released the “2025 China Land Greening Status Bulletin,” highlighting significant achievements in ecological restoration and sustainable development. In 2025, China allocated 158.4 billion yuan in central government funds to large-scale greening initiatives. The country completed afforestation of 3.563 million hectares and restored 4.927 million hectares of degraded grasslands. As a result, forest coverage reached 25.09%, forest and grassland coverage exceeded 56%, and forest stock volume rose to 20.988 billion cubic meters. The Three-North Shelterbelt Project made notable progress, with 337 key projects implemented and 8.77 million hectares of construction completed. Ecosystem quality and stability in key areas improved, with over 62,000 square kilometers of new soil and water conservation areas treated. Desertified land decreased by 1.5275 million hectares compared with the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The forestry and grassland industry achieved a total output value of nearly 11 trillion yuan, directly benefiting more than 60 million people through employment and income growth. 
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Housing Provident Fund Reform Sparks Debate on Weibo: A post with the hashtag #ExpertsSuggestRelaxingHousingProvidentFundWithdrawalRestrictions# has sparked discussion on Weibo after China’s government work report proposed “deepening the reform of the housing provident fund system” for the first time in a decade. The post referenced expert opinions suggesting that easing withdrawal restrictions could activate the nearly 10 trillion yuan in accumulated funds by allowing withdrawals for purposes such as home renovation, property fees, or other household expenses. Online reactions have been largely focused on how accessible the funds should be. Some users emphasised that individuals should have greater control over their own savings. Another user commented that “people already in debt should be able to withdraw the funds freely." A few others questioned why strict withdrawal limits remain in place, with one comment saying it would be better to “allow direct withdrawal and let people decide how to use their money.” However, some users expressed concern about loosening the rules too much. One user cautioned that if withdrawals were unrestricted, “many people would likely invest the money instead of using it for housing,” which could undermine the fund’s purpose. Others suggested expanding the fund’s use to new areas, including childcare expenses or installing elevators in older residential buildings.

INDIA WATCH

Sina Discusses Gas Shortage Impact on India’s Restaurant and Food Delivery Sector: An article published in Sina discussed the potential impact of a gas shortage in India on the restaurant industry and food delivery platforms. It noted that the shortage is linked to disruptions in energy supplies caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict, as India relies heavily on natural gas imports from the region. Facing rising fuel costs and limited gas availability, many restaurants across India are reportedly considering shortening operating hours, reducing menu options, or temporarily shutting down some kitchen operations to cope with the situation. According to the analyst cited in the article, reduced cooking hours, simplified menus, and temporary closures may limit order supply on delivery apps, potentially slowing food delivery growth in the fourth quarter. Moreover, the report added that fears of a prolonged gas shortage have triggered panic buying of alternative cooking appliances. This has driven up the share prices of induction cooker manufacturers. The article also highlighted that India recently raised the price of its most widely used household cooking gas for the first time in nearly a year, increasing the cost by about 7 percent.

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.