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NEWS IN CHINA

• Li Qiang Holds Talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Beijing: Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Beijing, who came to attend the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Li said China regards Cambodia as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to advancing the China-Cambodia all-weather community with a shared future. Li called for expanding cooperation under the "Diamond Hexagon", the “Industrial Development Corridor”, and the “Fish and Rice Corridor”, while promoting infrastructure development, trade, and investment. He also proposed deeper collaboration in emerging sectors such as new energy, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and advanced manufacturing, as well as greater cooperation in education, culture, and law enforcement to combat online gambling and telecom fraud. Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia's adherence to the one-China principle and described China as Cambodia's most trusted comprehensive strategic partner. He thanked China for its continued support for Cambodia's development and expressed willingness to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, connectivity, new energy, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides also pledged to strengthen coordination on multilateral issues and support regional peace and stability.
  
  
• China Opposes UK Nationalisation of British Steel, Warns of Impact on Chinese Investment Confidence: The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of China has expressed strong opposition to the UK government’s nationalisation of British Steel, a subsidiary of China’s Jingye Group. According to the MOFCOM, the move undermined Jingye’s legitimate rights and damaged the confidence of Chinese companies investing in the UK. It urged the UK to abide by international rules, fulfil its obligations under the China-UK bilateral investment treaty, and provide fair treatment to Chinese enterprises. Jingye Group acquired British Steel in 2020 and invested significant funds to maintain operations, upgrade facilities, protect jobs and support the company’s development. The company has demanded compensation for its investments and said it may pursue legal action to safeguard its interests. Chinese experts described the nationalisation as a protectionist measure influenced by industrial policy and geopolitical concerns. They warned that such actions could increase uncertainty in the global investment environment and affect future cross-border mergers and acquisitions. 
  
  
• China Launches 2026 Employee Care Initiative for Chemical Industry Workers: China has launched the 2026 Special Action for Caring for Employees in the Chemical Industry to strengthen health protection and welfare support for workers in the sector. Jointly organised by the China Energy, Chemical and Geology Trade Union and the China Employee Development Foundation, the initiative aims to address occupational health risks, reduce medical costs, and improve employee wellbeing. Building on the 2025 programme, which distributed 20,000 cancer prevention insurance cards to employees' families, this year's initiative will expand coverage by providing 30,000 cancer prevention insurance cards and 50,000 employee healthcare cards. The programme will also extend health protection to employees' family members, including children. As part of the initiative, authorities signed a cooperation memorandum with China Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. to improve access to medical services for chemical industry workers. The initiative prioritises workplace safety and employee health by expanding access to public welfare programmes, strengthening professional medical support, and tailoring services to workers' needs. It aims to bring together multiple stakeholders to establish a comprehensive health protection system for chemical industry employees.
  
  
• Chinese Vice Premier Calls for Stronger Flood Control and Grain Protection Measures: Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong called for enhanced flood control and disaster prevention measures during an inspection tour of Jilin Province from 15 to 17 July. During his visit, Liu inspected rivers, reservoirs, embankments, hydrological monitoring stations, and learned about autumn grain production, black soil conservation, high-standard farmland, and irrigation infrastructure. Liu also chaired a meeting on flood control and agricultural disaster prevention involving northeast China's provincial-level regions. He urged authorities to strengthen meteorological and hydrological monitoring, improve forecasting and early warning systems, and organise timely evacuations when necessary. He also called for enhanced inspections of reservoirs, dams, rivers, and embankments, alongside greater efforts to prevent flooding in urban areas and small and medium-sized rivers and to monitor risks from mountain torrents. He further noted that China has entered a critical period in determining autumn grain output, and stressed the need to strengthen disaster-prevention measures throughout the agricultural production cycle to safeguard grain production and ensure food security.
  
  
• China’s Y-9 Anti-Submarine Patrol Aircraft Enters Operational Training: China’s Y-9 anti-submarine patrol aircraft has entered operational training after its first public appearance at the 2025 V-Day military parade. According to PLA media reports, it has been upgraded with a variant that is also making its official debut. The aircraft was recently observed participating in naval aviation exercises focused on submarine search and attack missions. Military experts highlighted the upgraded Y-9 features improvements including a new active phased-array radar, an enhanced magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), and expanded sonobuoy deployment capacity, boosting its detection range, search efficiency and battlefield survivability. Compared with the earlier Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, the Y-9 offers longer endurance, greater range and improved anti-submarine warfare capabilities. During recent drills under the PLA Southern Theater Command, units conducted realistic training involving electromagnetic interference, equipment malfunctions and coordinated confrontational scenarios to improve operational readiness. Experts also noted that the upgraded aircraft’s deployment indicates it has achieved initial combat capability and is better suited for complex maritime environments, particularly in regions such as the South China Sea, where underwater conditions present significant challenges for submarine detection.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users Discuss China’s Rapid AI Development Ahead of 2026 World AI Conference: A Weibo post is going viral that highlighted China’s artificial intelligence development achievements ahead of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and Artificial Intelligence Global Governance High-level Conference in Shanghai. The post noted that China’s generative AI user base surpassed 600 million in 2025, while the AI core industry exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan, with humanoid robot production expected to surpass 100,000 units in 2026. The post immediately caught the attention of netizens. Many users expressed optimism about AI’s future development, with one commenting, “Humans dance with AI to create a better future together!” Another user wrote, “Technology changes life.” Other users' comments praised China’s rapid technological progress, calling its AI development as a reflection of the country’s continuous innovation and growing capabilities. Some users highlighted the steady advancement of artificial intelligence, saying that China’s AI sector is expanding with strong momentum and holds promising prospects for the future.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses Impact of US-Iran Tensions on India’s Chabahar Port Strategy: An article on Guancha argued that the renewed US-Iran confrontation has exposed the vulnerabilities of India's strategic investments in Iran, particularly the Chabahar Port project. The article highlighted recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels with Indian crew members in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as US strikes on Iran's Chabahar Port, a key project backed by India to bypass Pakistan and improve connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Russia through the International North-South Transport Corridor. It noted that despite years of negotiations, investment commitments, and sanctions exemptions from the US, India made limited progress in developing the port. The article further claimed that Pakistan's Gwadar Port, which is a Chinese-backed project, has advanced more rapidly despite security challenges. The article also argued that the escalation of US-Iran tensions has raised the strategic risks of India's regional connectivity plans. It concluded that delays in implementation, changing geopolitical dynamics, and dependence on external powers have affected India's long-term strategic ambitions and raised concerns about the viability of its flagship connectivity project in Iran.