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NEWS IN CHINA

• Senior Official Li Hongzhong Inspects Grassroots Elections Work in Hebei: Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, carried out an inspection in Hebei Province. The inspection was aimed at researching the elections for county and township people’s congresses. During his visit to Langfang and Cangzhou, he reviewed work on representative quota allocation, electoral district division, and voter registration at local people’s congress standing committees. He also visited representative liaison stations in urban and township areas to learn about preparations for direct elections and grassroots practices of whole-process people’s democracy. Li emphasized the need to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important ideas on improving the people’s congress system. He called for safeguarding voters’ rights to know, participate, express views, and supervise, while strengthening organization, candidate introduction in accordance with the law, and voter participation. He also highlighted the importance of strict supervision of the entire election process and qualification review of elected representatives. 
  
  
• China and UK Hold Strategic Dialogue to Advance Long‑Term Partnership: Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UK Foreign Secretary James Cooper held the eleventh China‑UK strategic dialogue in Beijing, focusing on strengthening a long‑term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang highlighted that Prime Minister Starmer’s visit earlier this year enabled both countries’ leaders to reach an important consensus on future cooperation. He noted that bilateral exchanges across multiple sectors have fully resumed and are steadily returning to normal, stressing the need to implement the leaders’ agreements, expand high‑level engagement, and deliver practical outcomes. Wang urged the UK to ensure a fair, just, and non‑discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises and to define security boundaries reasonably to support stable relations. He emphasized that as permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the UK should uphold the UN Charter, practice genuine multilateralism, and work together to promote a more just global governance system. Cooper stated that the UK is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen cooperation in trade, finance, energy, and artificial intelligence, and continue its longstanding policy towards Taiwan. She expressed willingness to manage differences through candid dialogue and promote the healthy, stable development of bilateral ties.
  
  
• China Unveils New Five-Year Plan to Modernize Agriculture and Rural Development: The State Council has released its 15th Five-Year Plan aimed at accelerating agricultural and rural modernization, outlining strategic goals through 2030 and a long-term vision to 2035. The plan reinforced the priority of agriculture, rural development, and farmers within national modernization efforts, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It focuses on strengthening food security, improving agricultural productivity, and advancing integrated urban-rural development while consolidating poverty alleviation achievements. Emphasis is placed on boosting agricultural science and technology, including artificial intelligence applications, and upgrading infrastructure such as high-standard farmland and cold chain logistics. The plan also encouraged diversified rural industries, entrepreneurship, and employment to raise farmers' incomes. Green transformation is highlighted through sustainable farming practices and improved ecological management. According to the plan, rural living conditions will be enhanced through better infrastructure, public services, and housing environments, supporting the creation of livable and modern villages. Additionally, reforms will improve investment mechanisms, talent development, and policy support systems. Key projects include agricultural innovation, processing industry upgrades, and resource surveys to optimize land use.
  
  
• China Launches “Sword Net 2026” Campaign to Crackdown on Online Piracy: The National Copyright Administration, together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Cyberspace Administration of China, has launched the “Sword Net 2026” initiative to strengthen enforcement against online copyright violations and piracy. Running from June to November, this marks the 22nd coordinated effort targeting illegal content distribution across major digital platforms. The campaign responds to growing concerns over copyright infringement and aims to improve the online content ecosystem. It prioritized four major sectors, which include film and television, cultural and creative industries, books, and artificial intelligence-related content. Authorities will target platforms and individuals involved in distributing pirated audiovisual works, including misuse of cloud services, search engines, and smart devices. In the creative sector, actions will address plagiarism, fake licensing, and unauthorized use of intellectual property in commercial products. The plan also includes cracking down on illegal book trading, digital piracy, and deceptive online sales practices. In the AI field, regulators will focus on misuse of training data, content imitation, deepfakes, and other unauthorized adaptations. 
  
  
• China Issues New Guidelines to Standardize Non-Fossil Energy Electricity Accounting: China has introduced new guidelines to improve the accounting system for non-fossil energy electricity consumption, aiming to create unified standards across provinces, cities, and electricity users. The measures were jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration, and other departments. The framework seeks to better align electricity usage tracking with carbon emission accounting and strengthen coordination between green certificate trading, electricity markets, and carbon policies. Officials noted that while electricity makes up the vast majority of non-fossil energy use in China, current accounting practices vary and lack full coverage, creating the need for standardized rules. To address inconsistencies in existing practices, the guidelines establish three methods for identifying non-fossil electricity consumption. These include physical identification, covering direct use of renewable electricity; transaction-based identification through electricity and green certificate trading; and allocation-based identification for electricity not captured under the first two categories. The guidelines aim to improve transparency, support carbon reduction monitoring, and enhance policy coordination across the energy sector.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Rumors of iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro Battery Updates: A post with the hashtag #iPhone Ultra Rumored to Enter Mass Production This Month# is going viral on Weibo. The post suggested that Apple’s next foldable device may be branded as “iPhone Ultra” instead of “Fold,” with trial mass production expected soon. The device is said to come in gray or black and white color options, fueling excitement among tech enthusiasts who believe it could mark a major shift under Apple’s new leadership direction. The post also highlighted details about the iPhone 18 Pro series, including leaked battery capacities. Many users expressed excitement over the rumored “iPhone Ultra,” with one user stating it “sounds amazing” and they are “really looking forward to it.” Another user remarked that Apple’s foldable phone finally entering production is something they have been “waiting for." Some users welcomed the potential battery upgrade in the iPhone 18 Pro, highlighting that it could help address long-standing concerns about Apple’s battery performance. However, several other users focused on the regional battery difference, with some noting that the US version may offer better battery life. A few users commented that the difference in capacity could mean “significant variation in performance." Others hope to “get their hands on the new technology soon.”

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Examines India-Russia RELOS Pact as a Pillar of New Delhi’s Strategic Autonomy: An article in Guancha discussed the significance of India-Russia’s Reciprocal Logistics Exchange Agreement (RELOS), arguing that the pact reflects New Delhi’s evolving strategy of maintaining strategic autonomy amid intensifying geopolitical competition. The article noted that although RELOS, signed in February 2025 and operational since January 2026, is formally a logistics support arrangement covering military access, replenishment, maintenance, joint exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, its broader strategic implications are substantial. It highlighted that the agreement allows both sides to deploy limited military personnel, ships and aircraft on each other’s territory under agreed conditions, making it the first institutionalized framework permitting foreign military access to Indian territory. The article stressed that RELOS should not be viewed as India aligning with Russia or forming a military alliance, instead, it described the pact as an institutional upgrade of longstanding India-Russia defence ties. It further argued that the agreement provides India with access to Russian infrastructure stretching from the Arctic to the Pacific, while offering Russia greater logistical reach into the Indian Ocean region. The article also highlighted the timing of Russia’s public release of RELOS details, which coincided with a visit by a senior Ukrainian security official to India, suggesting that New Delhi is simultaneously engaging both Moscow and Kyiv. It concluded that RELOS exemplifies India’s pursuit of strategic autonomy, using great-power competition and the evolving Russia-Ukraine conflict to maximize its diplomatic leverage and security options without entering formal alliances.