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NEWS IN CHINA 

• Foreign Minister Wang Yi Holds Talk with Indonesian Minister: Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto in Shanghai on Saturday, where the two sides discussed cooperation in artificial intelligence, investment, and regional affairs. Welcoming Airlangga's visit for the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Wang noted that Indonesia's role as a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization reflects its support for international collaboration in AI. He said China is willing to work with partner countries to promote inclusive and mutually beneficial AI development. Wang also reaffirmed China's readiness to strengthen coordination with Indonesia on regional and global issues and advance the building of a China-Indonesia community with a shared future. Airlangga praised China's progress and leadership in artificial intelligence, expressing Indonesia's interest in expanding cooperation in the sector. He also welcomed greater investment from Chinese companies and stated that Indonesia looks forward to deepening key Belt and Road cooperation projects with China.
  
  
• China Raises Concerns Over Japan’s Push to Revisit Nuclear Policy: Japan's renewed discussion on nuclear policy has drawn criticism from Chinese analysts, following remarks by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi calling for debate on nuclear weapons as part of efforts to strengthen the country's defense capabilities. Koizumi said the issue, though sensitive, could no longer be avoided, with discussions linked to Japan's planned review of its three key security documents. Chinese experts argued that such statements indicate a gradual weakening of Japan's long-standing “Three Non-Nuclear Principles”, cautioning that they reflect efforts by right-wing groups to loosen post-war security restrictions. They also expressed concern over reports that Tokyo intends to strengthen reliance on the United States' extended nuclear deterrence as part of its evolving security strategy. The report noted that Japanese civic organizations have opposed moves toward nuclear-powered submarines, urging the government to uphold its commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and pursue diplomacy instead of military expansion. Chinese analysts further argued that Japan is using perceived regional security concerns to justify changes to its defense policy, cautioning that any shift in its nuclear stance could increase regional security risks and undermine the existing international nuclear non-proliferation framework.
  
  
• MIIT Introduces Measures to Regulate Automotive Safety and Governance: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) held a symposium with major automobile manufacturers to strengthen regulation of the automotive sector, focusing on fair competition, product quality, production consistency, and the identification of safety risks. The meeting signaled a broader shift in regulatory priorities as the industry advances toward intelligent mobility. According to industry experts, supervision is expanding beyond vehicle manufacturers to cover the entire automotive supply chain. This meeting requires automobile manufacturers to conduct in-depth investigations into product safety risks and hidden dangers, and recognise problems in product consistency, durability, and new technology testing. The scope of safety in automobile production has been further expanded as the meeting placed greater emphasis on functional safety, especially intelligent connected vehicle technologies. It called for stronger safety assessments of driver assistance and autonomous driving functions while improving safeguards for functional safety, cybersecurity, data security, software upgrades, and incident monitoring. In addition, manufacturers were urged to strengthen testing before introducing new technologies, fully evaluate potential safety risks, comply with national standards, and avoid exaggerated or misleading marketing claims regarding intelligent driving capabilities. 
  
  
• China Launches 2026 Environmental Protection Publicity Campaign in Qinghai: The "China Environmental Protection Century Tour 2026" publicity campaign was launched in Xining, Qinghai Province, on July 19 under the theme "Implementing the Ecological and Environmental Code and Strengthening Ecological Protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau." Organized by the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the campaign aims to promote awareness and implementation of the Ecological and Environmental Code while supporting stronger ecological conservation and high-quality development across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the launch event, officials from the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee highlighted the campaign's focus on advancing ecological governance through legal implementation. Representatives from the Qinghai Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee, the provincial government, relevant departments, and NPC deputies working in environmental protection shared their experiences and outlined local efforts to safeguard the plateau's ecological environment. First launched in 1993, the China Environmental Protection Century Tour has developed into a long-running national initiative promoting environmental law awareness. Following the opening ceremony, media teams from central and local news organizations will conduct field visits and on-site reporting in Xining, Hainan Prefecture, Haibei Prefecture, and Huangnan Prefecture.
  
  
• China Unveils Three-Year Plan to Modernize Hydrological Monitoring: The Ministry of Water Resources has released the “Three-Year Action Plan for the Modernization of Hydrology (2026–2028)” to accelerate the development of a modern rainfall and flood monitoring, forecasting, and early warning system. The plan outlines five priority areas for implementation. These include improving the national hydrological station network, expanding the construction and application of the "three lines of defense" for rainfall and flood monitoring and forecasting, strengthening water resources monitoring, analysis and evaluation, enhancing hydrological science and technology innovation, and improving industry management. According to the plan, by 2028, China aims to further optimize its national hydrological station network and enhance three-dimensional monitoring capabilities for rainfall and floods. It also seeks to extend the coverage of the "three lines of defense" to more major river basins with flood control responsibilities. In addition, the plan aims to establish a more comprehensive system for monitoring, analysing and evaluating water resources and aquatic ecosystems, accelerate the development of new hydrological capabilities, and significantly improve the overall management capacity of the country's hydrological sector over the three-year period.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

Weibo Users Debate Macron’s Call to Reassess Europe’s Economic Relations with China: A post with the hashtag #MacronSaysEuropeNeedsToReassessEconomicRelationsWithChina# is going viral on Weibo after French President Emmanuel Macron called for a reassessment of economic relations between Europe and China. The post stated that, according to Macron, Europe’s growing trade deficit with China is costing jobs and urged greater technology transfer, expanded investment cooperation, and joint industrial projects. It also claimed that Chinese companies receive significantly more government support than their European counterparts, calling for a review of existing competition rules. Many users argued that “call for technology transfer was unrealistic, noting that Europe does not even sell its own high-tech products.”One user suggested that “Europe’s economic difficulties stem from its own policy choices rather than China,” while another user commented that “European leaders are blaming external factors instead of addressing domestic challenges.” Others pointed out that “job losses are not unique to Europe, as Chinese workers are also facing employment challenges.” Some users argued that Macron’s remarks contradict the fact that “several European countries continue to compete to attract Chinese investment.” A few users proposed that “establishing joint ventures and local manufacturing could help address trade and employment concerns.” Several others emphasized that “China’s technological progress is the result of sustained innovation and hard work,” noting that stronger cooperation would better serve both sides.

INDIA WATCH 

Global Times Discusses India-Japan Bullet Train Project Over Bilateral Frictions: An article in Global Times discussed the renewed tensions between India and Japan over the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, the first bullet train corridor in India and a flagship bilateral infrastructure initiative. The article highlighted criticism by former Japanese justice minister and Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Hideki Makihara, who accused the Indian side of repeatedly breaking commitments, prioritizing self-interest, and delaying project implementation. It noted that Japanese media also reported Japan had been excluded from supplying the project's signaling system, with the contract reportedly going to Germany’s Siemens after India stated it had not received Japan’s quotation. The article further stated that India’s plan to deploy domestically manufactured trains has triggered concerns in Japan over compatibility with the previously planned Japanese E10 train. While India rejected the criticism as an individual opinion and maintained that the project is progressing smoothly, with the first section expected to open in 2027, the article argued that the dispute reflects big differences in expectations. Citing Chinese analyst Qian Feng, it concluded that the core challenge lies in declining mutual trust, differing strategic priorities, and implementation gaps, rather than technological capability, making sustained cooperation increasingly difficult despite long-standing agreements.