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NEWS IN CHINA 

• Serbian President Vucic Begins State Visit to China: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a state visit running through May 28, marking his first state‑level trip to China. During the visit, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang will hold separate meetings with Vucic to discuss bilateral ties and international issues of shared concern. Serbia is the first European country to establish with China a community with a shared future for the new era, and it remains one of China’s closest partners in Southeast Europe. Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, China–Serbia relations have advanced rapidly, characterized by firm support for each other’s core interests, strengthened political trust, expanding practical cooperation, and active coordination in multilateral forums. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China is ready to use this visit to consolidate the “iron‑clad” friendship, broaden mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen cultural and social exchanges, and enhance coordination on global issues. Both sides aim to achieve new, tangible progress in building a China–Serbia community with a shared future, delivering greater benefits to their peoples.
  
  
• Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif Arrives in Beijing: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Beijing on the evening of May 24, continuing his official visit to China after earlier engagements in Zhejiang Province. The visit, taking place from May 23 to 26 at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, marks a key diplomatic event during the 75th anniversary of China–Pakistan relations. During his stay, Prime Minister Shehbaz will hold separate meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The leaders will exchange in‑depth views on bilateral cooperation, regional developments, and future priorities, with the goal of charting the next phase of China–Pakistan relations under new circumstances. Shehbaz will also attend a commemorative reception marking the 75‑year milestone in diplomatic ties. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the visit as an important high‑level exchange, underscoring the enduring strategic significance of the China–Pakistan partnership.
  
  
• China Activates Flood Emergency Response in Multiple Provinces: On May 24, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SDC) raised a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Anhui Province, while maintaining the same alert in Hunan, Hubei, and Chongqing, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. A working group was dispatched to Chongqing to guide disaster relief efforts, particularly in Yongchuan District. Authorities held a joint consultation meeting to assess heavy rainfall trends and coordinate flood‑control measures. Forecasts predict intense rainfall from May 24–27 across the Sichuan Basin, Huanghuai, and Jianghuai regions, with torrential rain expected in Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Hunan, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi. Overlapping rainfall zones raise risks of flash floods, landslides, river flooding, and urban waterlogging. The meeting emphasized strengthening responsibility chains, improving short‑term forecasts and warnings, and ensuring rapid emergency response. Measures include pre‑positioning rescue forces and equipment, reinforcing river embankments and dams, and monitoring vulnerable sites such as bridges, underground spaces, and care facilities. Authorities stressed proactive evacuations, with special one‑on‑one support for the elderly, disabled, children, and pregnant women, ensuring timely relocation and safety.
  
  
• China Issues Ebola Prevention Advisory for Travelers: China’s disease control authorities have released new prevention guidelines following the World Health Organization’s declaration of Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026. The advisory aims to reduce the risk of imported Ebola cases and strengthen nationwide monitoring measures. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged travelers arriving from affected regions to carry out 21 days of self-health observation after entering China. Individuals experiencing symptoms such as fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, or unexplained bleeding are advised to seek medical assistance immediately and contact local health authorities for guidance before visiting hospitals. Authorities also recommended minimizing contact with others and avoiding public transportation when seeking treatment. Hospitals and healthcare institutions across the country have been instructed to closely examine patients’ recent travel and contact histories, especially those linked to high-risk Ebola regions. The China CDC also noted that outbreak areas could expand and urged the public and medical institutions to follow updates released by the World Health Organization.
  
  
• China’s General Administration of Customs to Release Unified Greater Bay Area Trade Data: China’s General Administration of Customs announced new measures to support the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including plans to jointly compile and publish unified foreign trade statistics with Hong Kong and Macao. The initiative aims to improve data sharing, strengthen regional integration, and provide a clearer picture of the Greater Bay Area’s overall trade performance. Under the newly released policy package, mainland customs authorities will cooperate with Hong Kong and Macao to establish a common framework for collecting and analyzing goods trade data across the region. Officials said the move will help overcome current limitations, as the nine mainland cities, Hong Kong, and Macao each maintain separate statistical systems that cannot simply be combined into a single dataset. Authorities believe unified trade figures will allow businesses, researchers, and policymakers to better evaluate economic trends and the structure of regional trade. The Greater Bay Area remains one of China’s most active economic hubs, supported by strong export growth and increasing market integration. According to customs data, total trade in the nine mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area is expected to exceed 9 trillion yuan in 2025.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users Debate Coal Mine Outsourcing and Safety Failures: A post with the hashtag #LiushenyuCoalMineWorkersSayTheyAreOutsourced# is going viral on Weibo as rescue work continues at the Liushenyu Coal Mine operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Group. According to the post, Xinhua News Agency journalists interviewed miners outside the mine about their daily working conditions, including the use of positioning cards and labor protection measures. The discussion has reignited public concern over coal mine safety standards, labor outsourcing practices and regulatory oversight in hazardous industries. Online reactions showed concern over workplace safety failures. Many users criticized the alleged outsourcing arrangements, noting that “outsourcing practices need to be regulated” and warning that the use of labor dispatch in underground coal mines is “illegal and irregular.” One user stated that “safety in production has completely failed, rendering it a mere formality,” while another user argued that the absence of GPS positioning cards represented “a major safety hazard.” Some users questioned how such practices could continue despite strict safety regulations in the mining sector. Several other users predicted that officials and company executives could face legal consequences, with one comment stating that “quite a few people are going to jail.” A few users also called for stronger enforcement mechanisms and stricter inspections to prevent similar incidents in the future.

INDIA WATCH 

Guancha Discusses Tesla’s India Factory Retreat and the Limits of India’s EV Manufacturing Push: An article in Guancha discussed Tesla’s decision to abandon plans for an electric vehicle factory in India, arguing that the outcome reflected deeper structural weaknesses in India’s manufacturing strategy rather than a simple tariff dispute. It noted that although Tesla has opened showrooms in Mumbai and begun selling imported Model Y vehicles, the company ultimately chose not to commit to local production despite years of negotiations with the Indian government. According to the article, India insisted that Tesla first commit to manufacturing investment and localization targets before receiving tariff concessions, while Tesla preferred to test the market through lower-tariff imports before deciding on factory construction. It argued that the core issue was not tariffs but weak market viability for large-scale manufacturing. The article highlighted that Tesla sold only 225 Model Ys in India in 2025, with prices around 6 million rupees, noting that this level of demand is far below the scale needed to sustain an efficient assembly plant. It further noted that Tesla already has underutilized global production capacity, making a new India factory commercially unnecessary. The article argued that India’s growing EV market has benefited domestic firms such as Tata Motors and Mahindra more than foreign companies, while India still lacks the long-term industrial and supply-chain buildup that drove China’s automotive expansion.