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NEWS IN CHINA

• China Reaffirms Commitment to Advancing Strategic Cooperation with South Korea: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Seoul, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations. He Lifeng noted that recent mutual visits between the two leaders have helped guide China-South Korea relations into a new stage of steady improvement and development. He stated that China is willing to work with South Korea to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance communication and mutual trust, and further deepen practical cooperation to safeguard and develop the strategic cooperative partnership. President Lee emphasized that exchanges and cooperation between South Korea and China have remained active across various fields, including the economy and people-to-people ties. He expressed hope that both sides will continue to expand cooperation and strengthen friendship between the two peoples, contributing to regional peace and stability. During the visit, He Lifeng also held talks with South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, where both sides exchanged views on strengthening economic and trade cooperation.
  
  
• US President Donald Trump Arrives in Beijing for State Visit: US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing by special plane on the evening of May 13. He is visiting China for a state visit from May 13 to 15 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The visit marks an important moment in China-US relations and is the first trip to China by a sitting US president in nine years. It is also the second in-person meeting between President Xi and President Trump since their meeting in Busan last October. Welcomed by Vice President Han Zheng, Trump signaled optimism before departure, saying "good things" were expected. Chinese officials stressed that leader‑level diplomacy remains essential for guiding relations amid global uncertainty, with Presidents Xi Jinping and Trump set to discuss major bilateral and international issues. Chinese analysts believe the summit could expand dialogue mechanisms, strengthen cooperation, and reduce friction, helping shape a more stable framework for future engagement. The high‑profile US delegation, featuring CEOs from Tesla, Apple, BlackRock, Boeing, Blackstone, and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, also accompanied President Trump. 
  
  
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Approves China‑Led Standard on Digital Product Carbon Footprint: The State Administration for Market Regulation announced that an international standard project proposed by China has officially been approved by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The project, titled “Digitalization of Product Carbon Footprint – Part 2: CFP Data Exchange Format and Guidelines,” marks the first globally recognized international standard on digital product carbon footprint management led by China. Product carbon footprint measurement is considered an important benchmark for evaluating green and low-carbon industrial development and plays a major role in supporting China’s “dual carbon” goals. The authorities noted that the electronics and electrical manufacturing industry involves complex global supply chains covering raw materials, parts, and finished products across different regions. They stated that inconsistencies in carbon footprint calculation methods, technical standards, and data-sharing formats have made it difficult to efficiently transmit and verify carbon footprint information throughout the industrial chain. The new standard aims to establish unified requirements for carbon footprint data exchange and provide practical guidelines for its application across the entire product lifecycle. Officials stated that the initiative will improve global industrial cooperation while strengthening China’s influence in green standardization and sustainable development governance worldwide.
  
  
• China Issues National Standards for Port Bulk Cargo Electronic Documents: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation released two new recommended national standards covering “Electronic Bill of Lading for Port Bulk Cargo” and “Electronic Manifest for Imported Port Bulk Cargo,” which will take effect from August 1. These standards mark the country’s first unified framework dedicated to electronic documentation in port bulk-cargo operations. They define requirements across key areas, including basic specifications, data exchange rules, and usage procedures for the two types of digital documents. The guidelines outline the essential information that must be included in electronic records, identify the main parties involved in the process, and set requirements for the platforms used to support document handling. In addition, the standards regulate how documents are created, circulated, confirmed, and applied in real operational scenarios, clearly assigning responsibilities to relevant participants in the process. The implementation of these standards is expected to promote the wider adoption of electronic bills of lading and manifests, accelerate digital transformation in port operations, support paperless workflows, and enhance efficiency.
  
  
• China Reports Major Progress in Rural Water Supply Security: China has significantly improved rural tap water security, with the Ministry of Water Resources reporting that by the end of 2025, tap water coverage in rural areas reached 96%, surpassing key targets of the 14th Five-Year Plan ahead of schedule. Officials said large-scale water supply systems now cover 71% of the rural population, while 72% of counties have adopted unified water supply management. A nationwide network of 3.816 million rural water supply projects has been established, ensuring service for about 850 million residents. Centralized water systems alone now serve 830 million people, while reliance on water cellars and storage tanks has dropped sharply by 79% compared with the end of the previous plan period. Authorities noted that county-level coordination models are being expanded, including integrated urban-rural management and third-party operation, improving professionalism and service efficiency. Efforts to strengthen water quality have also advanced through coordinated monitoring, upgraded purification facilities, and better protection of drinking water sources. In addition, emergency response capacity has been reinforced through integrated networks and improved preparedness for floods, droughts, and earthquakes. 
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER 

Weibo Buzzes Over Doubao Paid Subscription Plan: A post with the hashtag #IsTheEraOfFreeLargeScaleAIModelsComingToAnEnd# is going viral on Weibo after AI platform Doubao announced plans to introduce paid subscription services. According to the updated App Store notice, Doubao will offer three membership tiers ranging from 68 yuan per month for the standard version to 500 yuan per month for the professional version. While the platform stated that basic services such as daily chat, translation, and information retrieval will remain free, advanced functions, including PPT generation, data analysis, and video production, may require payment. Online users supported the move, emphasizing that advanced AI functions consume significant computing resources and that reasonable commercialization is necessary for continuous upgrades. One user stated that “making all features completely free would hinder the development of the AI industry,” while another user commented that “Doubao’s PPT generation tools are among the best currently available.” Some users believed the free version would still be sufficient for daily needs, while several other users noted they would only pay if the premium features proved worthwhile. However, some users criticized Doubao’s reliability and compared it unfavorably with ChatGPT and Claude. A few users remarked that they would simply “uninstall the app if core features became restricted behind paywalls,” while another user noted that “alternatives such as DeepSeek, Qianwen, and Yuanbao remain available.”

INDIA WATCH

Finance Sina Discusses India’s Increase in Gold and Silver Import Tariffs: An article published in Finance Sina discussed the Indian government’s decision to sharply raise import tariffs on gold and silver in an effort to curb overseas purchases and reduce pressure on foreign-exchange reserves. According to the article, the Indian government increased the effective import tax rate on gold and silver from 6% to 15% by imposing a 10% basic customs duty along with a 5% agricultural infrastructure and development tax. It noted that the move comes amid rising concerns over India’s current account deficit and growing demand for precious metals. The article stated that while the tariff hike was expected, it could weaken consumer demand as gold and silver prices are already elevated. It further highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier urged citizens to avoid purchasing gold for a year to help conserve foreign exchange reserves, as India relies heavily on imports to meet domestic demand. According to the article, strong gold prices and weak stock market returns have fueled investment demand, with inflows into Indian gold ETFs surging 186% year-on-year in the first quarter to a record 20 tons. It added that recent measures, including a 3% GST on gold and silver, had already pushed April gold imports to a near 30-year low, and the latest tariff increase may further suppress import volumes.

Prepared By

Neha Maurya

Neha Maurya is a fourth-year undergraduate student at FLAME University, pursuing a major in International Studies with a minor in Public Policy. Her research interests lie in strategic studies, governance, and education policy. She aspires to engage in work that links research insights to policy outcomes.