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NEWS IN CHINA

• China and Pacific Island Countries Pledge to Deepen Political Exchanges: Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with a delegation of political leaders from Pacific Island countries led by Tongan Deputy Prime Minister Viliami Uasike Latu in Beijing. Wang stated that the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Pacific Island countries had become increasingly stable and mature under the guidance of their respective leaders. Wang reaffirmed China’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with Pacific Island countries, support their independently chosen development paths, and expand inter-party exchanges. He also called for joint efforts to build a closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific Island countries. Latu and other delegation members acknowledged China’s assistance in supporting the region’s economic and social development. They reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China policy and expressed willingness to deepen exchanges with the CPC. The meeting highlighted both sides’ commitment to deepening political engagement and development cooperation, with inter-party exchanges and mutual support forming key components of China-Pacific Island relations.
  
  
• MOFCOM Vows Necessary Response to Trade Measures Targeting Its Industrial Capacity: China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has stated that it will take necessary countermeasures if other economies use concerns over “overcapacity” to justify measures that harm Chinese interests. The statement was followed by an announcement by the US Trade Representative (USTR) that senior officials from 14 economies had convened to address what they described as “structural excess capacity” and production in key manufacturing sectors. The participating economies also signed a joint ministerial statement on the issue. A MOFCOM spokesperson said China had repeatedly outlined its position on the overcapacity debate, including through a dedicated position paper released in July 2026. Beijing maintains that industrial capacity should be assessed comprehensively, objectively and fairly, arguing that trade issues should not be politicised to protect domestic industrial competitiveness or market positions. The spokesperson reaffirmed China’s commitment to developing a modern industrial system through openness and cooperation, while advocating a fair and equitable international economic order. China also called on relevant parties to uphold multilateralism, respect market principles and promote mutual benefit, emphasising the importance of maintaining an open and inclusive framework for global industrial and supply chain cooperation.
  
  
• China Issues Guidelines to Accelerate NQPF: The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council have issued guidelines outlining 19 measures across five areas to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and support high-quality economic development. The measures focus on advancing scientific and technological innovation, strengthening the integration of technological and industrial innovation, developing new approaches to growth, improving institutional mechanisms, and enhancing talent development. The guidelines identify innovation-driven development, institutional reform, and policies tailored to local conditions as key priorities. They also emphasise the principle of “establishing the new before abolishing the old,” indicating an approach that seeks to develop new productive capacities while managing the transition away from existing structures. The document calls for promoting high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, while balancing the roles of government and markets, productive forces and their industrial applications, reform and development, and self-reliance and opening up. It also stresses the need to coordinate development with security objectives. The guidelines position the development of new quality productive forces as a central component of China’s broader efforts to upgrade its economic structure and sustain high-quality development.
  
  
• China Launches 2026-2027 Special Action to Strengthen Agricultural Brand Protection: China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration have jointly issued the Agricultural Brand Protection Special Action Implementation Plan (2026-2027). It aims to strengthen agricultural brand protection, curb infringement and illegal practices, and safeguard farmers’ interests and consumer confidence. The plan outlines four key priorities. First, it seeks to strengthen quality and safety supervision of branded agricultural products through brand authorisation management and end-to-end traceability across production, processing, and sales. Second, it calls for stricter enforcement against agricultural trademark and geographical indication infringement, patent counterfeiting, and misleading trademark use. Third, it targets unfair competition, including unauthorised use of established regional brands, imitation of distinctive packaging, false advertising, and commercial defamation. Fourth, it aims to strengthen administrative protection of agricultural intellectual property rights by encouraging the use of trademarks, patents, geographical indications, and new plant variety rights. The initiative seeks to establish a fairer market environment, improve oversight of agricultural branding, prevent malicious trademark registrations, and strengthen legal protection for agricultural producers and brand owners.
  
  
• China Introduces Guidelines to Streamline Land Approvals for Tourism Projects: China has introduced guidelines to simplify land-use approvals for tourism projects, improve supporting infrastructure and prevent the misuse of land under the pretext of cultural tourism development. Jointly issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the measures cover land-use planning, land allocation, the utilisation of idle spaces and regulatory efficiency. The guidelines integrate tourism development into land-use planning for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) and encourage coordination between scenic-area plans and surrounding land development. They also simplify procedures for certain small-scale facilities, including basic recreational vehicle campsites, which may retain their existing land-use classification if they meet specified conditions. To improve services for rural tourism and outdoor recreation, the measures permit facilities such as petrol stations, service areas, and tourist rest stops outside urban development boundaries. The guidelines also propose exploring new land-use categories tailored to tourism and differentiated regulatory policies. Officials highlighted the need to balance tourism growth with environmental protection, while addressing infrastructure gaps and preventing inappropriate construction. 
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Weibo Users React to Dalian’s Plan to Incorporate Public Reputation into Cadre Assessments: A Weibo post examining Dalian’s efforts to strengthen cadre selection by incorporating grassroots public opinion and informal reputations into official assessments has gone viral. Citing an article in Party Building Research, a Chinese publication focused on Communist Party organisation and cadre management, the post described how identifying officials known by negative public nicknames could help expose shortcomings in their conduct and performance, preventing the promotion of unsuitable cadres. It argued that public perceptions could complement conventional evaluations based on work performance, daily assessments and organisational reviews, particularly in identifying officials who prioritise appearances over addressing public concerns. The post attracted varied reactions from Weibo users. One user called the initiative “a pragmatic move to block the ‘promotion with disease’ and purify the political ecology.” Another stated, “The eyes of the masses are bright, and we should give full play to the supervision obligations of the masses.” However, some users questioned its effectiveness, with one asking, “Does it work?” One user expressed concern and added, “This matter has endangered all the grassroots cadres in Dalian.” A few users highlighted the growing pressures associated with public service, noting that some young people remain motivated to serve the public despite these challenges. Others expressed support for the initiative, viewing it as a step towards promoting greater transparency and integrity in public administration.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha Discusses India’s Response to US Suspension of Green Card Labour Certification: An article published by Guancha examined India’s response to the Trump administration’s decision to suspend labour certification procedures for eight companies, including Microsoft, Adobe and Indian IT firms, seeking employment-based green cards for foreign workers. The article stated that the measures would halt the acceptance of new applications and the processing of pending applications under the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme. The article highlighted US Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of Microsoft’s employment practices, alleging that the company had replaced American workers with H-1B visa holders. It also mentioned that Vance’s description of foreign workers as “foreign indentured servants” drew criticism in India because of the term’s historical association with colonial-era labour exploitation. The article reported that India’s Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement on October 9, argued that the US measures were not conducive to achieving shared bilateral objectives and emphasised the mutual benefits of professional mobility. It further stressed that the ministry rejected Vance’s remarks as unfounded and offensive, highlighting the contributions of Indian professionals to the US economy and innovation ecosystem. The article concluded that differences over skilled labour mobility and immigration restrictions could add strain to India-US relations, particularly given the economic and technological contributions of Indian professionals to the United States.

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.