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NEWS IN CHINA

• NBS Releases Economic Data for the First Quarter of 2026: The National Bureau of Statistics released the economic data for the first quarter of 2026. Preliminary calculations show that the GDP in the first quarter reached 33,419.3 billion yuan, a yearly increase of 5.0% at constant prices and 0.5% more than the fourth quarter of 2025. In the first quarter, the value of agriculture increased by 3.7%, with the output of pork, beef, mutton, and poultry at 26.2 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%. There was also accelerated growth in industrial production, with value added by industrial enterprises increasing by 6.1%. The value added of equipment manufacturing increased by 8.9% year on year, and the value added of state-owned enterprises and joint stock enterprises increased by 4.8% and 6.6%, respectively. The service sector also showed growth, with modern service industries displaying strong growth momentum in the first quarter. The added value of the service sector increased by 5.2% year on year, with leasing and business services, information transmission, software and information technology services, finance, transportation, warehousing and postal services, and accommodation and catering services increasing by 12.2%, 10.6%, 6.5%, 4.3%, and 4.3%, respectively.
  
  

• China's Experimental Cargo Spacecraft Releases First Batch of Scientific Results: The Qingzhou Experimental Cargo Spacecraft released its first batch of scientific and engineering experimental results. The spacecraft completed flight control tests, actively raised its orbit to 600 kilometers, and officially entered the long-term operational phase. The Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMCAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that this test flight focused on three main aspects: key technology verification, low-cost design exploration, and mission expansion. All predetermined objectives of the spacecraft have been completed, laying the foundation for subsequent normal development. The spacecraft weighs 4.2 tonnes and carries one tonne of scientific experimental payload. The spacecraft is designed with a three-year orbit operational capability. The spacecraft is now carrying out technology verification of the flight platform as well as stability and expansion tests. It provides a path for low-cost, commercialized space operations and cooperation and will continue to provide a reliable bridge for cargo transportation. The Qingzhou cargo spacecraft test vehicle will be followed by a final version that will dock at the China Space Station and provide cargo supply services.
  
  

• State Council Issues Document on Investment Screening: The General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Investment Approval System," which aims to optimize the allocation of investment approval authority and ensure the convenience of investment services to strengthen the overall process of supervision of investment projects and strive towards expanding effective investments. The document aims to strengthen the management of enhanced review and approval processes for government investment projects in key regions and sectors to prevent debt risks for local governments. The document also proposes to standardize the scope of projects subject to approval management, including projects that should be invested in by government entities through direct investment, and for those projects for which the government should assume repayment responsibility. The document also stipulates that it is strictly prohibited to circumvent government investment project approvals by using state-owned enterprises or other entities to obtain enterprise investment project approvals. The document aims to improve the project construction standards and investment budget verification standards system, and ensure stricter enforcement of project budget constraints. It also proposes a lifelong accountability system for government investment project decisions to hold leaders and relevant personnel accountable for significant losses and adverse effects of any illegal decisions.
  
  

• Xi Jinping Holds Talks with President of Vietnam: President Xi Jinping held talks with To Lam, the President of Vietnam and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, during Lam's state visit to China after being elected to office. Xi Jinping called for upholding the principles of peace and cooperation and working towards opposing unilateralism and protectionism. Xi emphasised that both sides should safeguard the global free trade system and keep the industrial and supply chains stable. Xi also placed significance on defending the socialist system, underscoring that both China and Vietnam should show strong strategic resolve and ensure that reform does not change the direction of the path or the nature of the socialist system. Xi also highlighted the China-Vietnam 3+3 strategic dialogue on diplomacy, defense, and public security as a tool for advancing China-Vietnam ties. He also highlighted cooperation in emerging fields such as AI, semiconductors, and the Internet of Things between the two nations as a priority. Lam stated that Vietnam regards relations with China as both an objective necessity and a strategic choice. Both sides signed documents covering cooperation in multiple areas, including inter-party exchanges, public security, and industrial and supply chain cooperation. 
  
  

• Electronic Border Area Travel Permit Policy Comes into Effect: The Electronic Border Area Travel Permit Policy announced by the National Immigration Administration (NIA)   became operational on 15 April. As per the NIA's website, previous paper permits will remain valid until they expire. Under the new policy, Chinese mainland residents aged 16 and above can apply for an electronic border pass with a validity of up to three months via the government's service platform. As per the Foreign Ministry, border management areas refer to zones within a certain distance of the national land boundary that are designated and publicly announced, where special access and travel control measures are implemented to maintain border order and security. They generally include administrative regions, such as counties, cities, leagues, and banners that border neighboring countries. Residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese and foreign nationals, along with accompanying children under the age of 16 and Chinese mainland residents applying for one-year permits, must apply in person to the entry-exit administration authorities of public security organs, designated police stations, to obtain the electronic border area permit. 
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

Netizens Praise Taxi Driver for Reporting Spies: The hashtag #ForeignPassengersTakingPhotosofMilitaryBaseTakentoMilitaryBasebyDriver# has been trending on the social media platform Weibo. The hashtags refer to a case wherein an app-based cab driver noticed two foreign passengers taking photos near a military base and acting suspiciously. Subsequently, the driver reported the incident to security authorities. The driver observed the foreigners quietly and observed that the next ride selected by the foreigners on the app was to a military training ground. The driver followed them to the ground and seized their phone to preserve necessary evidence. Authorities later stated that the two foreigners were spies. Netizens have praised the driver for being resourceful and brave, with many even commenting that the driver may have been a military veteran. Others have expressed that there is a need to practice increased vigilance, with China attracting a higher number of foreigners. Many users have also stated that the driver deserves a high cash prize of at least a million yuan for his timely intervention and vigilant behaviour in preserving the security of the nation.

INDIA WATCH

Article Highlights Strategic Opportunity for India to Emerge as Global Aviation Hub: An article in Youth.cn discusses an opportunity for India to emerge as a global aviation hub amid the ongoing Iran War. The article by Yuan Jirong, a reporter with People's Daily, notes that the ongoing war has presented a rare strategic opportunity to the Indian aviation industry to emerge as a global aviation hub. The article notes that airports in the Middle East region, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha, have dominated nearly one-third of all passenger traffic between Asia and Europe. However, since the outbreak of the Iran War, air capacity in the Gulf Region has been limited. Amid this scenario, New Delhi is attempting to seize the opportunity to emerge as a global aviation hub. The article emphasises that India has invested heavily in its aviation sector infrastructure in recent years. There has been an increase in the number of airports in India from 74 in 2014 to 160. Airbus has stated that India is expected to become the world's third-largest aviation market after the US and China within the next decade. However, there are still multiple persistent challenges in the aviation industry of India. At present, nearly half of the positions at the Directorate of General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are vacant, and its safety oversight capabilities also face scrutiny. India will need approximately 35,000 pilots and similar technical personnel; however, a large number of Indian aviation sector professionals have already been absorbed by airlines of the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries. Other challenges, such as slow land acquisition and chaotic management, which lead to frequent disputes, are also cited by the article as challenges facing the aviation industry in India. Further operational shortcomings, such as a lack of a modern, centralized platform for uniform management, inadequate biometric boarding, and low-performing AI-powered crowd control systems at airports, are also cited as causing major operational lags at Indian airports.

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.