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NEWS IN CHINA 

• Xi Jinping Meets KMT Chairperson, Urges Stronger Cross-Strait Cooperation: Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met Cheng Li-wun, the chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, in Beijing on 10 April. Xi emphasized that he is ready to work with all political parties, including KMT, groups, and people from all sectors in Taiwan to strengthen dialogue and exchanges and promote peace across the Taiwan straits to improve well being of the people and advance national rejuvenation. He further emphasised adherence to the common political foundation of the 1992 consensus and opposition to Taiwan’s independence. Cheng stated that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are Chinese and belong to one family. She called for efforts to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations to foster a brighter future. Xi also emphasised that differences in social systems should not be an excuse for secession. He encouraged young Taiwanese compatriots to seek opportunities in the Chinese mainland. Additionally, Xi reiterated the call for safeguarding the shared homeland through peaceful development.
  
  

• Securities Regulatory Commission Launches Special Campaign on Corporate Governance: The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) launched a special campaign on corporate governance for listed companies. The campaign will promote the implementation of the newly revised Corporate Governance Code and other rules and regulations to prevent financial fraud. The goal of the campaign is to leverage the role of the capital market in improving corporate governance, fostering a positive ecosystem for all participating parties to fulfil their responsibilities and assist companies in making informed decisions. Additionally, the “Rules for the Supervision of Company Secretaries of Listed Companies” will be formulated and issued with the objective of improving the performance capabilities of company secretaries. The campaign also urges listed companies to improve their internal compensation management systems. It further addresses the illegal appropriation of funds by major shareholders with an aim to support the board of directors, audit committee, and other major shareholders in pursuing civil claims to actively safeguard the interests of the company. 
  
  

• Xi Jinping Sends Congratulatory Letter Commemorating China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy: President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to commemorate the marking of the 55th anniversary of China-US "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" and the launch of a series of China-US youth exchange activities. President Xi emphasised that the foundation of China-US relations is built by the people and the future of the relationship will depend on the youth. He pointed out that 55 years ago, the older generation leaders of both countries, with their political wisdom and strategic vision, had reopened the door to friendly exchanges between the two countries. The event marking the 55th anniversary commemoration of China-US "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" and the launch of a series of China-US youth sports exchange activities was held in Beijing and was jointly organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the State General Administration of Sport and the China Media Group.
  
  

• National Development and Reform Commission Implements the Rules on Pricing Behavior of Internet Platforms: The Rules on Pricing Behavior of Internet Platforms  jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and two other departments came into effect from 10 April. The rules stipulate the norms that platform operators and businesses within the platform must follow when conducting pricing activities. The rules aim to regulate price competition, protect businesses' right to set their own prices, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of others. Additionally, the three departments further emphasised that platform companies must strictly regulate their subsidy prices, curb vicious price competition, and refrain from false exaggeration of advertising subsidy amounts and levels. The rules reiterated that the pricing autonomy of operators within their platforms must be respected by platform companies. The platform companies must not force operators within their platform to participate in promotional activities and bear any costs. The rules established that honest business practices must be followed and the legitimate rights and interests of consumers must be protected. As per the “2026-27 China Platform Economy Industry Development Research Report” released by iiMedia Research, the market size of China's platform economy was approximately 25.2 trillion yuan in 2024 and is projected to reach 37.3 trillion yuan by 2029.
  
  

• Five Departments Issue Document to Regulate AI-Powered Anthropomorphic Interactive Services: The Cyberspace Administration, along with four other departments, jointly released the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Human-like Interactive Services Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI)." The measures restrict human-like interactive services from generating content for underage users that may induce unsafe behavior, generate extreme emotions, or induce bad habits or negatively impact the physical and mental health of minors. The aim is to promote the healthy development and standardized application of anthropomorphic interactive services using artificial intelligence, safeguard national security and public interests, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organisations. Additionally, the measures aim to adhere to the principle of giving equal importance to development and security and combining the promotion of innovation with governance according to law. The measures also clarify the scope of application, such as using AI to provide the public within the country with continuous emotional interactive services that simulate personality characteristics, thinking patterns, and communication styles of persons.  
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

Netizens Call for Stricter Laws Following Cyberbullying Incident: The hashtag #ManInvitesDivingFanGroupToInciteInsultsAndInsults# is trending on the social media platform Weibo. The post by People’s Daily reports that the Cyber Security Bureau recorded a case where a man created a WeChat group for diving fans, inviting industry professionals and followers to join. He constantly changed his nickname and posted insulting remarks on the group, targeting a female athlete from Guangdong Ersha Sports Training Center and inciting conflict. The authorities have issued a detention of ten days for the man and a fine. They have also taken action against individuals who joined the WeChat group. Netizens have called for strict punishment with comments ranging from “they must be investigated and severely punished" and “this phenomenon must be stopped,” to “they must be punished without leniency." Most netizens viewed the bullying as a targeted smear campaign against the athlete, commenting that "this is an organized and structured bullying and harassment crime targeting a minor," calling for severe punishment. Several comments showed support for the victim of cyberbullying, commenting that "it is outrageous that a girl should be criticized for going through puberty, even an ordinary person should not go through this, let alone someone who has made significant contributions to Chinese sports." Many have commented that the "internet cannot be a lawless zone" and called for stricter laws related to cyberbullying. Others have also questioned how the man was able to gather a large group of industry professionals to join the WeChat group and questioned his background. Netizens also questioned the silence of other members on the WeChat Group with comments such as “aren’t those industry insiders responsible? A majority of netizens have condemned cyberbullying with comments such as “please punish them severely, we cannot encourage this trend.”

INDIA WATCH 

Global Times Discusses Pragmatic Turn in India-China Ties: An editorial in the Global Times titled "A pragmatic China-India co-op model is taking shape" discusses India-China relations. The editorial has been authored by Ding Gang, senior editor with People's Daily and a senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies. The editorial notes that economic decoupling was a popular sentiment in India following the 2020 China-India border clashes. However, absolute decoupling is not pragmatic or sustainable for both countries in the long term. It terms the current rapprochement as "wary" and driven by external geopolitical crises and internal economic demands of both countries. The editorial notes that although mutual strategic distrust persists, a new model of pragmatic cooperation is taking shape. The editorial notes that due to the ongoing war in West Asia, inflation has worsened, and the rupee has depreciated due to India's reliance on energy imports. Further, a weak rupee will increase living costs and hinder crucial technology imports needed for India's target to ensure that electric vehicles (EVs) account for 30% of automobile sales by 2030. The editorial argues that India faces a deficient charging infrastructure and lagging battery solutions globally. China can provide cost-effective technologies in EVs, energy storage batteries and renewable energy. The editorial terms this as mutually beneficial, with India needing low-cost energy technologies during the energy crisis to achieve industrial upgrading and China needing a vast overseas market to absorb its advanced production capacity. The editorial states that this mutual demand can be a crucial factor in ensuring improvement in bilateral ties. This is exemplified by Indian firms preferring technology transfer and ventures with Chinese firms over direct investment. It further notes that despite a cautious but pragmatic cooperation, the India-China partnership based on technological complementarity and market sharing will enhance the resilience of the Asian supply chain. The article concludes by stating that although the West, particularly the US, has sought to mold India as a counterweight to China, the easing of China-India economic and trade relations will hinder this strategy.

Prepared By

Rituja Ghosh

Rituja Ghosh is a Research and Administrative Intern at Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She holds a master's in International Relations from South Asian University, New Delhi. She has presented her work in several prestigious conferences, such as the paper titled "Sinicization in the People's Republic of China: An Analysis of Language Policies" at the 16th All India Conference on China Studies. She has previously worked as a Security Analyst with a corporate firm and as an Academic Associate at the Kautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad. Her interests lie in studying the politics of South Asia, India-China relations and China’s social and cultural policies.