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NEWS IN CHINA

• China, Nepal Step Up Weather and Hydrological Cooperation After Border Mudslide: Chinese meteorological and water authorities have intensified cooperation with Nepal following a mudslide on August 26 near the two countries’ border, sharing monitoring data and forecasts to support rescue efforts. The disaster originated on the Nepalese side and severely affected Gyirong Port in Xizang, where difficult terrain and changing weather have complicated operations. Following Nepal’s request, the two countries held emergency consultations and established a WeChat working group for real-time information sharing. China has also provided Nepal with daily weather monitoring and forecasting reports in English, using its MAZU early-warning system. Chinese water authorities are separately providing updates on a barrier lake formed near the confluence of Nepal’s Cuojian River and China’s Purepu Tsangpo River, including assessments of potential downstream risks. China has also deployed additional weather monitoring equipment, including a ground weather station and mobile weather radar, to improve local forecasting and support ongoing rescue and risk-assessment efforts.
  
  
• China Urges ROK to Uphold One-China Principle After Gwangju Biennale Dispute: China urged the Republic of Korea (ROK) to honour its political commitments and uphold the one-China principle with concrete actions following the withdrawal of a Chinese exhibition team from the Gwangju Biennale. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the decision was made in protest against the organiser's handling of Taiwan's participation in the event. Guo cited the China-ROK joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations, under which the ROK recognises the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and respects China's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China. He said the ROK has also reaffirmed its one-China position on several occasions this year. Guo said the biennale organiser's decision to allow Taiwan to participate under a designation inconsistent with its status violated the one-China principle. China has lodged serious representations with the ROK and called on the relevant party to correct the practice. Guo urged the ROK government to shoulder its responsibilities and demonstrate its adherence to the one-China principle through concrete actions.
  
  
• China Issues Plan to Promote High-Quality Development of SMEs by 2030: China has issued a plan to promote the high-quality development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the 2026-2030 period, with targets covering business growth, innovation and the development environment. Under the plan, SMEs are expected to achieve growth in both quality and scale by 2030, with per capita operating revenue of major SMEs targeted to increase by around 15 per cent cumulatively over the five years. Their innovation capacity is also expected to improve, with annual growth in internal R&D expenditure by major industrial SMEs targeted at over 8 per cent. The plan aims to increase the number of “little giant” firms to 22,000 by 2030. These are specialised SMEs focused on niche markets and advanced technologies. It also calls for improvements to SME services, broader access to diversified financing and stronger mechanisms to address payment arrears. The number of cooperation zones for Chinese and foreign SMEs is expected to reach 50 by 2030.
  
  
• China Builds World’s Largest Power Battery Industrial System: China has built the world’s largest power battery industrial system, with its technology, production and sales maintaining a leading global position, Wan Gang, honorary president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said at the 2026 World Power Battery Conference in Sichuan. Wan highlighted challenges including increasingly regionalised global supply chains, gaps in some core technologies, and difficulties in recycling and reusing retired batteries. He called for greater R&D into new battery materials, all-solid-state and hybrid solid-liquid batteries, as well as emerging technologies such as sodium-ion batteries. He also urged the development of a digital identification system to improve oversight throughout the battery lifecycle and prevent retired batteries from entering unregulated recycling channels. On overseas expansion, Wan encouraged Chinese companies to strengthen compliance, after-sales services and cooperation with overseas automakers and battery manufacturers. China accounts for more than 70 per cent of global output of new-energy vehicles, power batteries and key materials. Experts noted that further battery development could support electric vehicle expansion, renewable energy integration, energy transition and reduced reliance on imported crude oil.
  
  
• Ministry of Natural Resources Conducts Marine Geophysical Survey East of Taiwan Island: China’s Ministry of Natural Resources said Thursday that it conducted a marine geophysical survey in waters east of Taiwan Island from August 10 to 31. The survey, carried out by the ministry’s Second Institute of Oceanography, aimed to study the geological and seafloor tectonic characteristics of the waters and support natural resources management and territorial spatial planning. The survey used technologies including multibeam sonar, multichannel and ocean-bottom seismic surveys, as well as gravity and magnetic measurements to collect data on seabed topography, sedimentary layers, deep geological structures and geophysical fields. According to Zhao Bi, senior engineer at the Hubei Institute of Geosciences and chief expert of paleontological fossils at the Hubei Geological Bureau, the survey is intended to better understand the major geological structures of the Taiwan Strait, geological blocks formed during different periods and their relationships, as well as the composition of the seabed. Zhao highlighted that sediments in the Taiwan Strait contain deposits from different geological periods and may preserve biological remains from various eras. He added that the survey could improve understanding of biological and mineral resources in the area and has diplomatic and military significance.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Rise of AI-Powered ‘One-Person Companies’: A Weibo post on the growing popularity of AI-powered “One Person Companies” (OPCs) has attracted widespread attention online. It highlighted how AI tools are enabling individuals to perform tasks that previously required teams, citing examples such as robotic arms controlled by a single operator and the growing popularity of OpenClaw, an AI system designed to automate computer-based tasks. The post featured comments by Kou Gang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, who described OPCs as a representative form of the “new form of intelligent economy” mentioned in this year’s Government Work Report. Weibo users largely welcomed the trend. One user said, “AI is changing life, and we are all witnessing the progress of the times.” Another commented, “with the rise of OPC, starting a business has never been so simple and efficient!” Other users added that AI could make work easier and improve efficiency. Some also said that OPCs could make entrepreneurship more accessible and help individuals turn their ideas into businesses. One user expressed optimism about the trend, saying it has a strong potential for the future. 

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses India’s Possible Replacement of Chinese Telecom Equipment: A Guancha article discussed reports that the Indian government is evaluating a potential “rip and replace” plan to remove and replace Chinese telecommunications equipment from India’s mobile networks over national security concerns. According to the article, the Ministry of Telecommunications is assessing the use of equipment from companies including Huawei and ZTE, with the Ministry of Home Affairs expected to decide whether to proceed. The article noted that India’s 2021 “trusted source” mechanism restricted operators from purchasing equipment from uncertified suppliers, effectively excluding Chinese companies from the country’s 5G market, while previously deployed equipment remained in use. It also mentioned that operators including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and BSNL have used Chinese equipment. The article argued that replacing it could involve high costs, including equipment purchases, network modifications and deployment. Citing industry estimates, it particularly stresses the potential costs for Airtel and Vodafone Idea at up to $3 billion. The article also stated that similar replacement policies in the US and some European countries have raised concerns over costs, network construction timelines and service quality.

Prepared By

Arushi Sharma

Arushi Sharma is a Research Intern at Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She is a recent postgraduate in East Asian Studies from the University of Delhi and holds a Bachelor's degree in Chinese Language from K.R. Mangalam University. She has previously worked as a Subject Matter Expert in Mandarin Language at Unacademy. Her primary research interests focus on China's domestic politics and international economic statecraft.