CiCM 29th January 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

Satellite Enterprises Expand Overseas Operations: Chinese Satellite companies have been expanding their Satellite services, covering areas like Communication, Navigation, and Remote Sensing and simultaneously speeding up the deployment of Satellite constellations in pursuit of better services. At the start of 2025, the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) which provides commercial launch and satellite-in-orbit services, completed the delivery of an intelligent remote sensing satellite known as IRSS, to an Omani company. Users from around the world can browse through the satellite photos taken by the Jilin-1 constellation. According to Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co, Ltd, the company is dealing with more than 130 overseas consumers who are interested in acquiring the services of the constellation satellites for land surveys, urban building investigations, agriculture, and forest. Recently, following a request from the United Nations, the company also provided satellite images of fires and floods in different parts of the world. The Commercialization of the space industry began in 2014 when the government encouraged private players to contribute to national civil space infrastructure. Geespace, a science and technology innovation enterprise launched by carmaker Geely, is one of the major private players. The company has 30 satellites in three orbital planes which are a part of the Geesatcom constellation. In 2024, the company completed its first commercial deployment in the Middle East with further plans for expansion in Southeast Asia and Africa. Another Chinese satellite constellation company known as Spacesail will provide satellite communication services in Brazil and broadband services in remote areas of the country from 2026 onwards.
Chinese Box Office Profits From New Year Spending: According to the Box office tracker, Dengta Data, China’s box office revenue during the Spring Festival holiday, has exceeded 2 billion yuan. Six films, namely, The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero, Ne Zha 2, Detective Chinatown 1900, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, Operation Hadal, and Boonie Bears: Future Reborn, have achieved enormous box office success with the first four films exceeding 200 million yuan in pre-ticket sales. The six films also cover a wide range of genres and themes, including mythology, epic narratives, war sagas, thrilling action, martial arts, animation, comedy, and sci-fi. Unlike last year’s Spring Festival selection which mostly included comedies and dramas, this year’s lineup had a rich variety of films that had the audience feeling excited and eager. This year’s Spring Festival also stood out for its abundance of blockbuster films which were strongly composed of special effects. Additionally, theatres upgraded their facilities and expanded services which offered moviegoers a more premium and convenient movie-going experience. To further enhance the movie-going experience cinemas also introduced a range of promotional activities and events.
Real Estate Market Sees Positive Growth: The real estate market in many regions of the country has shown a positive trend of stabilization with a halt in declining metrics. January data shows that new commercial housing in 20 different cities increased in comparison with the previous year as first-tier cities played a pivotal role in driving the market. Moreover, transaction volume and market sentiment remained high. According to a report from the Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute, the property market has improved in various cities since the fourth quarter of 2024. From January 1 to 19, 2025, the transaction area of newly built commercial residential buildings in Shanghai increased by 45% year-on-year. Guangzhou’s property market also recorded a good start in January and according to data released by the Guangzhou Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, the online signing area of new commercial housing was 1.0151 million square meters, a year-on-year increase of 37% and 12 % higher than the monthly average level in 2024. Markets in Beijing and Shenzhen also showed strong rebounds. According to Anjuke Beijing, by January 12 a total of 5,619 second-hand houses were signed online. Experts have pointed out that housing prices have adjusted in several places, especially in first-tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing. It is expected that in 2025, cities such as Chongqing, Chengdu, and Xi'an in the west, Hangzhou, Hefei and Nanjing will also see a stabilization of prices.
Government Focuses on Enhancing Healthcare Benefits for College Students: The General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission has issued a notice recognizing the need to improve the medical security of college students, accelerating the filling of the gaps in insurance participation, and effectively improving the level of medical security supply and the quality of protection. The Notice states that the focus should be on expanding the coverage of basic medical insurance for college students, clarifying the task objectives of college students' participation in insurance, creating convenient conditions, and improving the incentive policies for college students to participate in insurance. Secondly, consolidating and strengthening the level of medical security as well as improving the policies related to medical benefits. Thirdly, improving the filing management of medical treatment for college students and improving the medical assistance policy for college students. The Notice also mentions supporting social forces in providing targeted assistance and maximizing the role of various commercial insurance options that provide supplementary protection. Additionally, the NDRC also mentions ensuring transfer and continuation of basic medical insurance relations for college students and improving the connection of medical insurance benefits for students.
Expansion of Consumer Goods Trade-In Program Gains Popularity During New Year: China’s consumer goods trade-in program received widespread popularity at the start of the year, especially during the Spring Festival Shopping season. Following the expansion of the trade-in subsidy program and the inclusion of electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) reported that they received subsidy reports for approximately 10.79 million goods over four days starting from 20th January. Additionally, automobile and home appliance trade-ins had reached 34,000 and 1.04 million units. Since last year, "trade-in" has become a buzzword in China's consumer market which has boosted consumer sentiment. Consumer spending has become an important economic driver accounting for 44.5% of economic growth and boosting GDP by 2.2 % points in 2024. New consumer trends in China have also gained immense traction with a revival of tourism and substantial growth of digital entertainment, live streaming, e-commerce, and energy-efficient appliances. In order to cater to the needs of consumers, the government has expanded the trade-in program by increasing the number of eligible home appliance categories and adding a wider range of passenger vehicles to the program. Local authorities are also implementing several measures for the trade-in program. In Shandong, 10 special initiatives for vehicle and appliance trade-ins have been launched. In Jiangsu, the authorities are offering subsidies for smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth headsets.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Belgium User on RedNote Builds a Heartwarming Bond With Chinese Woman: A Belgium user helped a Chinese woman find delicious chocolates that she remembered from her childhood trip and their endearing exchange on RedNote has touched many netizens. The Chinese platform, RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, is gaining significant popularity overseas with many foreign netizens sharing their lives and hobbies on the platform and interacting with Chinese users. On January 15th a Belgian user named ComradeBXL joined RedNote and greeted Chinese users. In the comments section, he came across a Chinese woman named Mantening who made a unique request hoping the user could help her find a brand of chocolates that she had tasted during her childhood trip to Belgium. She also stated that the chocolates reminded her of the sweet and special moments of her childhood. With the help of a translation tool, the Belgian user confirmed that he would work towards fulfilling her wish and 24 hours later he located the shop selling the chocolates, bringing immense joy and excitement to Mantening. The sweet story went viral quickly, with many users describing the encounter as a perfect example of the “global village”. One user commented that the incident was truly a heartwarming story while another Chinese user invited the Belgian man to visit China. Curiosity about the chocolate brand also soared leading to the shop’s chocolates selling out within a few days on a major e-commerce platform in China.

INDIA WATCH

Article in South China Morning Post on Gwadar Airport Addresses India’s Concern Over CPEC: An article in the South China Morning Post highlights how the opening of the Gwadar Airport in Pakistan is expected to become a significant cause of concern for India. The Gwadar airport which will begin commercial operations from 29th January, is a state-of-the-art project built for US$230 million. The airport, which spans 430 acres in southwestern Pakistan, is central to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It will facilitate the entry of Chinese military personnel and dual-use equipment in Pakistan and also complement the Gwadar seaport. The article states that Beijing’s military presence in the region will become a cause of concern for India. It quotes Antoine Levesques, a research fellow for South and Central Asian Defence, Strategy, and Diplomacy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who states that the regional rivalry with Pakistan has led India to have serious concerns about the CPEC Project. He also states that India’s concerns are also triggered by the understanding that the Gwadar region has the potential to attract new trade and manufacturing flows from the Middle East, especially in the context of New Delhi developing an India-Middle East corridor that bypasses Pakistan. The SCMP article also quotes Dr Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, a visiting chair at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst states that India has always considered the development of the Gwadar port and the CPEC initiative with concern. India is also developing and investing in the Chabahar port in Iran but it is yet to reach its full potential. The article also emphasizes that Gwadar is a strategically important region for China and serves as a viable alternative to the Malacca Strait but the development in the region creates maritime concerns for India in the Arabian Sea. Moreover, any connectivity initiative such as the Gwadar airport should not violate a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and in this regard, the project might be considered as a concern in New Delhi.

Prepared By

Ruchir Ketkar

Ruchir Ketkar is a First year student pursuing Masters in Diplomacy, Law and Business at OP Jindal Global University. After completing graduation in Political science, he found his interest in International Relations and Global Affairs. With a keen inclination towards security and conflict studies, he has also authored several articles and research papers. He also tries to keep himself updated with the happenings around the world and tries to analyse them using his perspective and understanding.