CiCM 6th February 2026

NEWS IN CHINA

China-South Africa Sign Zero-Tariff Trade Agreement: According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, China and South Africa signed a partnership agreement granting South Africa zero-tariff treatment on 100 percent of tariff lines for its exports to China. Following Beijing’s commitment to offer zero-tariff access to 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China, South Africa became the 33rd African country to sign such a framework agreement with China. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao stated that the deal will provide long-term, stable and predictable institutional support for expanding bilateral trade in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, welcomed the agreement, noting it will enhance exports and help rebuild South Africa’s industrial capacity. Wang stated that China is ready to support South Africa's "new investment initiative," increase investment cooperation in areas including automobiles, mining, agriculture, and new energy. China expressed hope that South Africa would provide stronger facilitation and a more supportive environment for Chinese companies investing in and operating in the country.
Wang Huning Chairs CPPCC National Committee Meeting: Wang Huning chaired the 46th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which was held in Beijing. The meeting studied the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s recent important speeches and instructions. Wang highlighted the need to focus consultations and deliberations on the strategic tasks and major initiatives of the 15th Five-Year Plan. He also called for the effective implementation of the CPPCC’s 2026 consultation, research, inspection and democratic supervision plans. He emphasized maintaining the correct political direction, practicing whole-process people’s democracy, and building consensus and confidence. Wang also underscored the need to consolidate achievements in Party discipline education, strictly implement the Eight-Point Regulation, improve work style, and further purify the CPPCC’s political environment. He called on members to strengthen investigation and research on key issues such as modern industrial development and new productive forces. The meeting approved plans for democratic oversight and reviewed preparations for the upcoming session.
Xi Congratulates New Costa Rica President: Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Laura Fernandez on her election as president of Costa Rica. In his message, Xi emphasised the 18-year-old diplomatic relations with Costa Rica and stressed that both countries have advanced their bilateral ties since then. He highlighted steady progress in exchanges and cooperation across multiple sectors, which has brought tangible benefits to people in both countries. Xi stressed that the growth of bilateral relations has shown that closer cooperation serves the core interests of both nations and their citizens. He added that this progress aligns with global development trends and reflects the shared aspirations of the people. Xi further stated that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Costa Rica relations and is willing to work with Fernandez to strengthen strategic dialogue, strengthen political mutual trust, and advance cooperation in various areas. He called for steady growth of bilateral ties based on the one-China principle, to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.
China Rolls Out Direct Maternity Allowance Payment Nationwide: The National Healthcare Security Administration announced that maternity allowances can be paid directly to insured individuals across the country. This will ensure that the benefits of maternity protection reach the people directly. As follow-up measures, medical insurance authorities have streamlined application procedures, reduced required documents and shortened processing times to within 10 working days. Many regions allowed applications through digital platforms such as the National Medical Insurance Service Platform app and local medical insurance apps. The nationwide rollout followed earlier implementations in several regions. Guizhou and Guangxi adopted direct payments from January 1, 2026; Beijing adjusted its system on January 31, Xinjiang implemented the policy on February 1, and Tianjin had already completed the transition for enterprise employees. In 2024, the average maternity allowance reached 28,300 yuan. Officials noted that the reform aims to strengthen maternity protection. They further emphasized that they would continue improving related services, expanding coverage for childbirth.
China Issues New Notice on Virtual Currency: Eight regulatory departments, including the People’s Bank of China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, jointly issued the Notice on Preventing and Handling Risks Related to Virtual Currencies. The notice stated that Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether and other virtual currencies were not legal tender and could not be used as currency in the market. For the first time, it explicitly prohibited any domestic or foreign entity or individual from issuing stablecoins pegged to the renminbi overseas without regulatory approval. Authorities stated that all virtual currency-related business activities remained illegal. These included exchanges between legal tender and virtual currencies, token issuance financing, trading-related intermediary services, and the sale of virtual currency-linked financial products. Foreign entities were also banned from providing such services to Chinese users. The notice also addressed RWA tokenization, clarifying that conducting RWA tokenization business or providing related technical services in China was suspected of illegal financial activity. In addition, regulators reiterated strict controls on cryptocurrency mining and vowed to take strict action against illegal and criminal activities.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Kuaishou Fine Sparks Weibo Backlash Over Platform Accountability: A post with the hashtag #KuaishouFined119.1MillionYuan# went viral on Weibo, sparking heated discussion over content regulation and platform accountability. The debate was triggered after authorities announced a 119.1 million yuan fine against Beijing Kuaishou Technology Company for failing to curb the spread of pornographic and vulgar content and neglecting its network security obligations. Public reaction was largely in support of the authorities' decisions. One user commented, “I really couldn’t watch any of the videos on this platform anymore,” while another commented, “Kuaishou is in complete chaos.” Referring to the recent incident, a user recalled, “That day was truly insane, and it lasted a long time,” adding that it “showed Kuaishou genuinely lacked effective countermeasures.” Industry-related criticism also surfaced, with one comment claiming, “There have long been rumors that Kuaishou can publish ads that other platforms don’t dare to.” Comments such as “The punishment was justified” and “Finally, it’s been cleaned up” were widely liked. Protection of minors was another major concern, with users calling to “clean up the environment for minors” and urging regulators to “strictly investigate and maintain the online network environment.” Others stressed responsibility, noting “Platforms can’t just focus on money, they also need to take responsibility”.

INDIA WATCH

Finance Sina Discusses India's Plan to Buy Boeing Aircraft: An article in Finance Sina highlighted India’s plan to purchase Boeing aircraft and the broader trade implications with the United States. The article cited Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who stated that India planned to place aircraft orders with Boeing worth up to $80 billion, which could further exceed $100 billion. The article pointed out that these plans emerged despite ongoing lawsuits against Boeing following last year’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 passengers. The accident raised safety concerns over large aircraft purchases. Goyal also noted that India’s total imports of U.S. goods over the next five years were expected to reach at least $500 billion. However, he clarified that the trade agreement with Washington did not include binding investment commitments. Earlier, Trump stated that the U.S. would lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18% in exchange for India removing tariffs on U.S. products, shifting oil purchases, opening sectors such as agriculture, and importing $500 billion worth of U.S. goods. The article mentions that Indian PM Modi welcomed the tariff cut but did not respond to the other conditions mentioned by Trump. The article cites experts that noted that the India-US trade agreement was only a framework, not a formal trade agreement. The article also mentioned the criticism from opposition parties as it accused the Modi government of "compromising and backing down" and "completely surrendering" on the tariff issue, calling the deals vague in nature.

Prepared By

Neha Maurya

Neha Maurya is a fourth-year undergraduate student at FLAME University, pursuing a major in International Studies with a minor in Public Policy. Her research interests lie in strategic studies, governance, and education policy. She aspires to engage in work that links research insights to policy outcomes.