CiCM 28th November 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

Xi chairs CPC Central Committee Politburo meeting: The Communist Party of China's Politburo convened on 28 November under General Secretary Xi Jinping's leadership to review central inspection work across all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.The Politburo reviewed results from the fifth and sixth rounds of 20th Central Committee inspections, achieving complete provincial-level coverage. While acknowledging progress, the meeting concluded that persistent problems must be addressed at a political level. Provincial Party Committees were directed to use inspection findings as a tool for strengthening Party governance, cleaning political ecosystems, and building leadership teams. Corrective measures must align with Fourth Plenum directives and the 15th Five-Year Plan priorities. The Politburo emphasized upholding Xi Jinping Thought on “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and cultivating a correct understanding of political performance. It called for intensified daily supervision, particularly of senior officials, to sustain the anti-corruption campaign.
China Targets Patent Agency Abuses in Three-Month Crackdown: China's State Intellectual Property Office announced a three-month crackdown on violations in the patent agency sector, citing disruption to market order and harm to innovators' rights. Department director Wang Peizhang noted that while the patent agency industry has grown, it remains plagued by violations including falsified applicant data, fabricated applications, fraudulent mass filings, malicious trademark registrations, unlicensed practice, and unfair solicitation tactics. These abuses must be addressed through criminal referrals where appropriate. The campaign encompasses 14 enforcement tasks across three operational fronts, targeting the seven core violations in coordination with police authorities. The IP office will pursue rapid deterrence through high-profile case enforcement while coordinating efforts across application, review, and agency operations to address systemic issues and strengthen sector integrity.
Private Firm Unveils Mach 7 Hypersonic Missile: Beijing-based Lingkong Tianxing Technology unveiled the YKJ-1000 hypersonic missile system, featuring a booster rocket paired with a glide vehicle equipped with two additional engines. The system achieves Mach 7 speeds (8,575 km/h), a 1,300 km range, and six minutes of powered cruise time. Company footage demonstrates the missile launching from a containerised unit and autonomously targeting carrier strike groups, with live-fire footage confirming desert test range strikes. Baseline models have entered mass production, while an AI-enabled swarm variant is under development. The firm denied claims of a 700,000 yuan ($99,000) unit cost but confirmed using mass-produced industrial components to reduce expenses versus bespoke space-grade parts. Defense observer Wu Peixin noted that such systems enable large-scale deployment to complement elite missiles like the DF-17, overwhelming enemy interceptors through volume. Lingkong also progressed its Mach 4.2 Cuantianhou supersonic demonstrator, targeting a 2026 test flight.
Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan condemns attack near Afghan border:The Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan strongly condemned an armed attack in the Shamsiddin-Shohin border district of Khatlon region, which killed three Chinese nationals and wounded one. The Embassy termed the incident a grave criminal act and extended condolences to the families of those killed. The Embassy called on Tajik authorities to investigate the attack, bring perpetrators to justice, and strengthen protections for Chinese civilians. It issued a security alert directing Chinese citizens to remain vigilant, urging those near the Afghan border to evacuate immediately, and instructing gold mining personnel and companies in the region to withdraw. The attack targeted a workers' camp operated by LLC Shohin SM near the Istiqlol Border Guard Post. Tajik authorities reported that an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying explosives carried out the strike, killing three Chinese workers.
Chinese Trade Body to Lead Business Delegation to US, Canada: China’s Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) will lead a delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs to the United States in early December at the invitation of the US Chamber of Commerce, followed by a visit to Canada at the invitation of the Canada‑China Business Council. CCPIT spokesperson Yang Fan said the delegation will span agriculture, machinery, electronics, financial services, logistics, biomedicine, and cultural industries. Chinese businesses are expected to hold multiple China–US business communication events during the trip, as well as meet US government and business representatives, and "showcase China's recent economic reforms and trade liberalization policies. Yang said the visit aims to increase mutual trust and deepen cooperation through face-to-face exchanges. Both Chinese and US companies have shown enthusiasm for recent CCPIT-organised dialogues on health economy, insurance cooperation, and catering-industry exchanges.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo erupts with Outrage Over Shenzhen Schoolgirl Murder Verdict: A 14-year-old boy's life sentence for murdering his female classmate in Shenzhen has sparked intense public emotion on Weibo, with the incident occurring just two months before the middle school entrance exam.The victim's mother displayed her child's schoolbag and homework notes. Netizens flooded platforms with calls for life imprisonment arguing that if the perpetrator were released in his 30s he would still be young and, with no employment prospects, could pose an even greater danger. People also expressed deep sympathy for the girl, repeatedly describing her as “excellent” and “so beautiful,” and mourning the loss of a diligent student who helped register homework for the class. Several posts criticise the perpetrator’s lack of humanity and worry that juvenile protections might lead to sealed records, while others highlight details such as the girl’s family escorting the boy to and from school for three years, calling the betrayal “speechless” and demanding that he never be let out.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Sees India’s China Moves as Tactical, Not a Policy Shift: Chinese media outlet Guancha scrutinized India's recent resumption of tourist visas for Chinese citizens, characterizing the moves as tactical rather than strategic. The piece argued that India’s recent decision combined with the one to gradually resume direct flights is being over‑interpreted as a “loyalty test” of China, where it is better seen as a cautious, interest‑driven adjustment rather than a fundamental policy shift. The article describes how New Delhi long treated direct flights as a bargaining chip, especially since 2020, linking their resumption to border issues and regularly using delays as leverage, before finally easing when external pressures and the need for strategic room vis‑à‑vis the United States made limited “warming” with China useful. According to Chinese analysts, India’s visa reopening “looks open but is full of obstacles,” with complex procedures, high documentation burdens and inconsistent implementation presented as a kind of de facto barrier that raises the cost of travel for Chinese applicants. The author suggests that India is trying to appear flexible while still keeping tight control over people‑to‑people exchanges, reflecting a broader pattern in which New Delhi signals partial relaxation in China policy at the symbolic level but retains a guarded, risk‑averse stance in concrete administrative practice.

Prepared By

Kanav Aggarwal

Kanav Aggarwal is an undergraduate student majoring in International Relations and minoring in Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University. He is Passionate about geopolitics, defence strategy, and international security. Through his studies and research experience, he aims to deepen his understanding of global power dynamics and contribute analytical insights to the team’s ongoing projects.