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NEWS IN CHINA

• Vice Premier Attends China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee: Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held the 23rd meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee in Vladivostok, where they discussed ways to further expand bilateral energy cooperation. Ding said energy trade between the two countries has continued to grow, while major cooperation projects have progressed steadily and collaboration in clean energy has also advanced. He called for maintaining the stable development of oil and gas trade, addressing concerns raised by businesses and ensuring the smooth operation of existing energy projects. Ding also encouraged both sides to explore new areas of cooperation, including emerging technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in the energy sector. He also urged greater coordination on global energy governance to strengthen energy security and support sustainable development. Novak said energy cooperation has contributed to the growth of bilateral trade and the stability of energy supply chains. He added that Russia is ready to improve existing projects and expand cooperation into new areas. The two sides reviewed cooperation in oil, gas, coal, electricity, renewable energy and nuclear power before reaching consensus on future cooperation and signing the meeting minutes.
  
  
• China Donates Veterinary Vaccines to Pakistan: China has donated 300,000 doses of veterinary vaccines to Pakistan to support the country’s livestock sector. The vaccines were handed over at a ceremony at the National Agricultural Research Centre in Islamabad. Pakistan’s Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said the donation reflected the two countries’ cooperation in agriculture and highlighted the importance of livestock to Pakistan’s agricultural economy. He said Pakistan hoped to further benefit from China’s experience in veterinary services, agricultural research, biotechnology and animal disease prevention. Chinese Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Shi Yuanqiang said livestock farming is an important part of Pakistan’s rural economy and has significant development potential. He noted that agriculture remains a priority area of China-Pakistan cooperation and said China’s experience in livestock development could provide useful lessons for Pakistan. Both sides expressed hopes that the vaccine donation would help expand cooperation in livestock and agriculture and support farmers and rural communities.
  
  
• President Xi Urges Efforts to Nurture a New Generation of Socialist Successors: Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the children’s radio program “The Small Horn” on the 70th anniversary of its launch, calling for continued efforts to support the development of young people. In his letter, Xi said the program has spent the past seven decades telling stories for children and accompanying generations as they grew up. He encouraged its staff and those working in children’s culture to continue adapting their work to changing times and further develop children’s cultural programming. Xi also called for the creation of more quality works that promote positive values and appeal to children, saying these efforts would contribute to cultivating future builders and successors of the socialist cause. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee Publicity Department, attended the event, read Xi’s congratulatory letter and delivered a speech.
  
  
• China Opens BeiDou Reference Station Data to Public: China has for the first time made data from its national BeiDou satellite navigation reference station network available to the public, allowing key industries and businesses to access high-precision positioning and timing information. The Ministry of Natural Resources said the network’s data has been approved for commercial use, with the move expected to expand applications of BeiDou technology. The shared data could support areas including autonomous driving, the low-altitude economy, urban development, disaster monitoring and land planning. China’s national BeiDou reference station network currently consists of 7,569 stations covering the country. It includes 420 national-level stations, 3,293 provincial stations and 3,856 coordination stations. Officials said making the data available will reduce the need for industries to establish and maintain their own reference stations, lowering costs while improving access to positioning services. The move is also expected to support the wider development of China’s BeiDou-related industries. The country’s BeiDou space-time industry recorded total output of 1.3323 trillion yuan ($186.5 billion) in 2025, with the satellite navigation sector reaching 629 billion yuan, up 9.24% year-on-year.
  
  
• China Introduces Mandatory Standards for Elderly Care Institutions: China has introduced two mandatory national standards aimed at improving safety and service quality in elderly care institutions. Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the standards establish requirements for the operation and safety management of nursing homes. The Basic Specification for Elderly Care Institutions sets out 90 requirements covering areas including site selection, facilities, admission and discharge procedures, basic services, safety management, operations, and evaluation. The second standard provides criteria for identifying major accident risks, including 25 direct judgment factors, 28 comprehensive judgment factors and two exclusion categories. Officials said the standards are intended to help elderly care institutions identify and address safety risks, improve service quality and strengthen risk prevention. They will also provide regulators and frontline managers with clearer criteria for assessing compliance and potential hazards. The two standards will officially take effect on August 1, 2027, with a one-year transition period.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Changes in Medical Insurance Reimbursement: A Weibo discussion has gained attention after China’s State Council Information Office outlined recent and planned changes to medical insurance coverage. A post highlights measures that focus on improving access to insurance for flexible workers and expanding support for maternity-related healthcare. According to the post, authorities said more regions are eliminating out-of-pocket costs for eligible inpatient childbirth expenses, while assisted reproductive services and childbirth pain relief are increasingly being covered by medical insurance. The discussion also noted government plans to make it easier for flexible workers to enrol, transfer coverage and make payments, while expanding the use of personal insurance accounts across regions and among family members. The discussion prompted varied reactions from Weibo users. One said, “The cost of obstetric examination should be reduced.” Another noted, “Inner Mongolia has done a good job on this; the maternity examination is 0 self-payment, and the child is fully reimbursed.” Some users welcomed the greater convenience offered by the new measures. Others called for more consistent medical insurance coverage across different regions. Some also suggested making insurance payments more accessible through digital platforms.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses the Changing Trajectory of US-India Relations: A Guancha article argued that the recent “honeymoon period” in US-India relations has given way to growing differences, despite continued strategic convergence over China. It noted that bilateral ties have historically been uneven, improving significantly after the Cold War as the US sought to engage India amid China’s rise and India pursued greater integration into the global order. The article highlighted recent frictions over US tariffs, immigration policies and H-1B visas, alongside concerns about India’s economic potential and its ability to meet US strategic expectations. It also pointed to disagreements over the Indian Ocean, political values and broader geopolitical priorities. According to the article, these tensions have prompted some Indian observers to reconsider the extent of their reliance on Washington and advocate a more independent foreign policy. However, it mentioned that competition with China remains an important factor drawing the US and India together, even as both countries adjust their approaches. The article concluded that India may seek greater strategic autonomy rather than align completely with either the US or China, while US–India differences could become more pronounced in the future.

Prepared By

Arushi Sharma

Arushi Sharma is a Research Intern at Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She is a recent postgraduate in East Asian Studies from the University of Delhi and holds a Bachelor's degree in Chinese Language from K.R. Mangalam University. She has previously worked as a Subject Matter Expert in Mandarin Language at Unacademy. Her primary research interests focus on China's domestic politics and international economic statecraft.