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NEWS IN CHINA

• Vice President Meets Bulgarian, Cambodian and Serbian Deputy PMs: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng separately met Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Poulev, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Adrijana Mesarovic in Xiamen during the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation and implementing agreements reached by the respective leaders. With Bulgaria, Han called for expanded trade, greater investment cooperation and closer economic ties, while expressing hope that Bulgaria would contribute to stable China-EU economic and trade relations. Poulev said Bulgaria was willing to strengthen practical cooperation and welcome Chinese investment. In talks with Cambodia, Han called for deeper cooperation and greater integration of trade and investment. Sun reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to the one-China principle and expressed readiness to expand cooperation in areas including trade, investment, tourism, cyber-fraud prevention and the Belt and Road Initiative. Han also called for deeper economic, trade and investment cooperation with Serbia, including in infrastructure and emerging industries. Mesarovic reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to the one-China policy and expressed readiness to strengthen strategic alignment and bilateral cooperation.
  
  
• China-Laos “Peace Train-2026” Exercise Focuses on Joint Humanitarian Medical Rescue: The China-Laos “Peace Train-2026” joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise began in Vientiane, marking the sixth exercise in the series since 2017. More than 700 personnel from both militaries will participate in the exercise through late September, which uses a super-typhoon disaster scenario to train for disaster-site search and rescue, mass-casualty treatment and psychological intervention. The exercise features a three-tier command structure and four-tier rescue system, with participants using medical trains, field medical equipment and unmanned intelligent systems in mixed joint training, rehearsals and live-force exercises. The exercise aims to strengthen cross-border medical rescue coordination and emergency response capabilities. A 150-member Chinese medical contingent will also provide specialised medical services and academic lectures at four locations in Laos following the exercise. Lao and Chinese officials described the activities as contributing to disaster-response cooperation and bilateral military relations. The exercise coincides with the 65th anniversary of China-Laos diplomatic relations, the China-Laos Friendship Year and the fifth anniversary of the China-Laos Railway’s operation.
  
  
• China’s Property Market Measures Target Sales, Financing and Housing Demand: China’s property market has shown renewed activity following a package of measures introduced in late August, with visits to residential projects and second-hand home transactions increasing in cities such as Shenzhen. The measures form part of a broader effort to address structural issues in the property sector and promote a new development model. A key reform is the stronger promotion of completed-home sales, shifting away from the traditional presale model to improve housing quality, reduce delivery risks and better protect homebuyers. The measures are also reshaping property financing by improving access to funding through stocks, bonds, asset-backed securities and real estate investment trusts, with greater emphasis on individual projects rather than developers’ overall scale. Changes to real estate credit management include differentiated loan terms for presale and completed-home projects. The maximum term for individual housing loans has also been extended from 30 to 40 years, providing borrowers with greater repayment flexibility. Experts said the measures could improve housing quality, mitigate sectoral risks and support the transition toward a new development model for China’s property market.
  
  
• China Extends Medical Insurance Coverage for Flexible Workers: China plans to expand basic medical insurance coverage for flexible workers, migrant workers and people in new forms of employment over the next three years. The initiative aims to strengthen social security coverage for an estimated 200 million flexible workers, including delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, domestic workers and livestreamers. A key focus is increasing enrollment in basic medical insurance for urban employees, which generally provides stronger financial protection than resident medical insurance. In 2025, 69.82 million people in flexible and other forms of employment were enrolled in employee medical insurance, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration. The campaign will also address barriers caused by frequent changes in employment and residence. Authorities plan to encourage megacities to remove household-registration restrictions on medical insurance enrollment based on employment or residence. They will also explore more flexible contribution arrangements, including allowing previous resident-insurance contributions to count toward employee insurance and enabling quarterly, semiannual or annual payments. Online and offline services will be streamlined, with integrated procedures designed to make enrollment, transfers, payments and access to benefits easier for flexible workers.
  
  
• Chinese Cities Expand Incentives to Attract and Retain University Students: As the autumn semester begins, Chinese cities are increasingly using incentives for university freshmen to attract and retain young people. Eight cities, including Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Xi’an and Nanjing, each have more than 1 million higher-education students. Sichuan has introduced benefits covering dining, accommodation, transport, tourism, shopping and entertainment, while Chengdu is offering free admission to 27 attractions for freshmen. Wuhan has similarly introduced student discounts and practical support, including temporary accommodation for parents accompanying new students. The initiatives increasingly extend beyond students’ immediate needs to encourage them to remain in cities after graduation. Wuhan’s AI-powered smart card for 2026 freshmen provides campus and study services while connecting students with information on employment, entrepreneurship and housing. The city has promoted student retention since 2013, with more than 314,000 graduates reportedly staying in or moving to Wuhan for work or entrepreneurship in 2025. The broader approach has received national policy support, with 15 central departments issuing guidelines in April calling for youth-friendly cities that provide better conditions for young people to settle, secure housing and build careers.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Huawei’s Push for Apple Users to Switch: A Weibo post discussing Huawei Executive Yu Chengdong’s suggestion that Apple users consider buying Huawei phones as backup devices has gone viral, initiating debate over Huawei’s strategy of targeting Apple’s user base. The post argued that Huawei is seeking to lower the barriers to switching ecosystems through features such as file interoperability, large batteries, fast charging and communication capabilities, allowing users to experience its products alongside their iPhones before potentially switching. The post prompted mixed reactions from netizens. Some users expressed support for Huawei’s approach, while others defended Apple, with one commenting, “Apple is easy to use.” Another user said they would consider switching if Huawei improved its photography capabilities. Others questioned the need for an expensive backup phone, criticised HarmonyOS compatibility and performance, and raised concerns about Huawei’s product reliability. Some users also viewed the strategy as overly aggressive marketing or objected to what they perceived as patriotic pressure. 

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses India’s Intensified Food Safety Crackdown and Labelling Debate: A Guancha article discussed India’s intensifying efforts to improve food safety, amid growing public concern over hygiene standards in restaurants, cafes and street-food outlets. Citing a Reuters report, it noted that Indian food-safety regulators have recently stepped up inspections, leading some restaurants and food businesses to suspend operations. The article highlighted government data indicating that more than 100,000 food samples have been tested annually since 2020, with around one-fifth found to have issues involving safety, standards or labelling. It also added that nearly 8,000 food-business licences have reportedly been revoked over the past three years. The article stated that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also proposed front-of-pack warning labels for foods high in sugar, salt or saturated fat. It further underscored that under the proposal, products exceeding prescribed levels for at least two of the three nutrients would receive a red hexagonal warning label. Referring to industry concerns, the article remarked that food-industry groups consider the proposed standards overly stringent and potentially damaging to sales, while public-health advocates argue that they are too lenient and could leave gaps in consumer protection.

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.