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NEWS IN CHINA

• China and Vietnam Pledge to Deepen Cooperation and Advance Shared Future: Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), met with Tran Thanh Man, chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly, in Beijing to discuss bilateral cooperation and political exchanges. Wang said China was ready to work with Vietnam under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ top leaders and guided by the overarching goals characterised by the “six mores”. He called for advancing high-quality, mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields and promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. Wang added that the CPPCC National Committee was willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Vietnam and contribute to their respective modernisation efforts. Tran Thanh Man congratulated China on its achievements and reaffirmed Vietnam's firm adherence to the one-China policy. He said Vietnam's National Assembly was ready to strengthen exchanges with China, promote friendly interactions across different sectors of society and advance the development of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future. The meeting underscored both sides' commitment to strengthening political engagement, expanding institutional exchanges and sustaining bilateral cooperation.
  
  
• China Urges Arctic Cooperation on Climate Change and Scientific Research: Former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying has called for stronger international cooperation on scientific research and environmental protection in the Arctic, identifying climate change as the region’s primary challenge rather than perceived security threats. She made the remarks while leading a Chinese delegation to the 2026 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland, attended by more than 2,500 representatives from over 70 countries and regions. During a plenary session titled “How to Understand China”, Fu said melting sea ice, shrinking ice sheets and rising temperatures required urgent collective action. She argued that geopolitical discussions centred on imagined threats risk diverting resources and attention from addressing environmental challenges. Fu urged countries to pool resources, strengthen scientific research cooperation, assess climate-related risks and prepare for their consequences. Referring to a joint statement issued by Chinese and Icelandic leaders in 2025, she highlighted climate change and green energy as areas for bilateral cooperation, describing practical engagement as a means of demonstrating China's intentions in Arctic affairs. 
  
  
• Vice Premier Calls for Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Self-Reliance: Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has called for strengthening advanced manufacturing, enhancing the self-reliance and controllability of industrial supply chains, and accelerating the development of a modern industrial system centred on advanced manufacturing. He made the remarks during an inspection tour of northeastern Jilin province. Zhang emphasised deeper integration between scientific and technological innovation and industrial development, urging enterprises, particularly large firms, to strengthen basic research and achieve breakthroughs in key core and generic technologies. He also called for advancing next-generation intelligent manufacturing and accelerating the adoption of digital, intelligent and green technologies to modernise traditional industries. Highlighting the role of scientific research infrastructure, Zhang stressed the need to strengthen fundamental theoretical research on scientific instruments and mobilise national laboratories, research institutions, leading universities and technology enterprises. He further called for improving supporting capabilities in system integration, standards and metrology, pilot-scale verification, inspection and testing.
  
  
• MOHRSS Outlines Employment and Social Security Priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan: China has outlined its employment and social security priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), focusing on job creation, vocational training and expanding social insurance coverage. At a press conference, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) reported that China created more than 62 million urban jobs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, while the participation rate in basic pension insurance exceeded 95%. They stated that in September 2026, urban employment reached 87.7% of the annual target, while the surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2% in August. The ministry plans to strengthen employment support for university graduates, migrant workers and flexible workers, alongside initiatives to improve employment services, protect workers in new forms of employment and address wage arrears. Measures include expanding recruitment services, promoting artificial intelligence-related training and developing internship opportunities for young people. During the 15th Five-Year Plan, China aims to conduct 50 million subsidised vocational training sessions and issue 40 million new skills certificates. Authorities also intend to maintain basic pension insurance participation above 95%, expand unemployment and work-related injury insurance coverage, and strengthen social insurance fund oversight. 
  
  
• MIIT Proposes Stricter Safety Standards for Innovative Automotive Designs: China has proposed tighter regulatory oversight of innovative automotive designs and vehicle testing, introducing stricter safety validation requirements for features including virtual controls, door handles, displays and adjustable seats. The draft, released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and three other agencies, stipulates that new vehicle models seeking approval from January 1, 2027, must provide detailed technical documentation. Models with inadequate testing or falsified data will be rejected, while previously approved vehicles must submit additional technical parameters and validation materials before July 1, 2027. The proposed rules prohibit fully concealed door handles and foldable or flexible displays, restrict the use of “zero-gravity” and swivel seats while driving, and require physical controls for essential functions such as lights and wipers. Automakers must also conduct comprehensive reliability, durability and safety assessments, including failure analysis under extreme operating conditions. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers welcomed the proposal, citing the need to address safety risks arising from rapid automotive electrification and intelligentisation.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Social Security Affordability and Pension Sustainability: A post that discussed concerns over the affordability and long-term sustainability of China’s social security system has gone viral on Weibo. The post emphasised concerns for workers with unstable incomes, including delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, self-employed individuals, and freelancers. It further highlighted the pressures of an ageing population, a declining working-age population and the burden on current contributors to support pension recipients. The discussion prompted various reactions from the online community. One user asked, “Isn’t this arranging a delay in retirement?” Another suggested that “High taxes for high-income people will solve the problem.” Some users emphasised the need to reduce contribution costs for flexible workers, while others called for adjustments to the social security contribution base for younger people struggling to afford payments. Several users proposed reforms to pension distribution, including greater standardisation of basic pension benefits and adjustments to contribution requirements. Others argued that policies should account for income differences among self-employed workers rather than treating them as a uniform group. One user wrote, “Flexible employment costs are very high, and people’s livelihood issues can be considered to reduce costs.” Another called for a system that first ensures everyone can afford social security and receive adequate support in old age before addressing differences in contributions and benefits.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses Indian Media Reactions to US-Russia Diesel Trade: An article published in Guancha discussed Indian media reactions to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Russia would supply diesel to the United States and global markets, noting the contrast with Washington’s earlier pressure on India over its purchases of Russian oil. According to the article, NDTV, an Indian media outlet, highlighted that the United States imposed tariffs on Indian goods in 2025 over India’s Russian oil purchases, with the total tariff rate reportedly reaching 50%. The article also referred to US legislation authorising tariffs of up to 100% on imports from major buyers of Russian energy, raising questions in India about the implications of Washington’s decision to purchase Russian fuel. Guancha noted that NDTV linked the announcement to rising US energy prices and domestic economic pressures ahead of the midterm elections. It also stressed that US diesel prices reportedly reached $6.53 per gallon in late September, adding to concerns over fuel affordability. The article also underlined India’s reliance on imported crude oil, with Russia accounting for approximately 30.3% of India’s crude oil imports in fiscal year 2026. It reported Trump’s announcement that Russian diesel supplies would reach 300,000 tonnes in October, 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes in December. The article concluded that the development has prompted questions in India about the consistency of Washington’s approach to Russian energy trade.

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.