CiCM 22nd-23rd 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

Foreign Minister Wang Yi at G20 urges nations to uphold peace and security: The G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, attended by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Minister Wang Yi, in his speech, addressed various issues while urging the Group of 20 members to work together and uphold peace and stability to build a more secure world. The meeting was held during the unfolding of a complex international landscape with two crises playing out at the same time. Wang Yi reiterated that the world must, now more than ever, defend multilateralism and bolster the role of the United Nations to address global issues. He mentioned that the G20 members must work as guardians of world peace, and multilateralism and like creators of universal security. Further, the foreign minister highlighted the important idea that the security of one country should not be at the expense of another or other countries and that the security concerns of all nations should be given equal weightage. Referring to the Ukrainian crisis, Wang Yi noted that the chance for peace is arriving and that China is open to all peace efforts, including the recent agreement between the United States and Russia. Concerning the Gaza conflict, Wang Yi expressed his aspirations for a continuous and effective implementation of the ceasefire agreement, stressing the fact that the two-state solution is the most viable.
China’s new CR450 high-speed trains’ prototypes undergo testing: Known as the world’s fastest high-speed train, the CR450 is currently undergoing elaborate testing and evaluations on its prototypes, preparing for the possible functioning of this new bullet train. According to China State Railway Group, the train can run at 450 kilometres per hour, stating that the engineers at the test centre have been keenly observing the “weight control” of the prototypes. To extract most of the tests, sensors have been installed on the tracks which transmit real-time weight data for each of the eight wheels on either side of the carriage to a computer system. This tracking system permits precise monitoring and adjustment to ensure optimal and efficient performance. Chen Can, associate researcher at the Locomotive and Vehicle Research Institute China Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS) Corporation Limited, stated that “ while reducing the weight, we must ensure that its strength does not decrease, and we even need to increase its strength because of the higher speed. It's just like a person who wants to slim down while building strength. This involves structural changes and material innovations.” The CR450 has completed low-speed and static dynamic tests in braking, traction and noise, the next step being gradual increases during dynamic running tests. Persistent efforts have been put in to train the body of the train, improve its aerodynamics and reduce resistance significantly – the CR450 employs technological measures that reduce drag up to 22 percent.
China reveals key tasks to deepen rural reforms: The “No.1 central document” for 2025 was unveiled on Sunday, which outlines priorities concerning the deepening of rural reforms and solidification of steps to advance the all-around revitalization of rural economy. This document counts as one of the first policy statements released by China’s central authorities, which indicates the government’s policy priorities. It entails six parts which cover six important areas: consolidating the achievements of poverty elimination, ensuring the supply of grain and other important agricultural products, enhancing the rural governance system, strengthening local industries, advancing rural construction and optimising the rural resource allocation system. The document also further calls for enhanced efforts relating to agricultural work, rural areas and farmers in 2025 while setting goals for advancing all-around rural revitalization. The country wishes to secure grain security, ensuring that no large-scale lapse of relapse into poverty occurs, especially with reform and opening up. In light of local conditions, the central document emphasizes developing new quality productive forces and calls for the development of leading high-tech agricultural enterprises, stressing the acceleration of breakthroughs in crop varieties. Further, it outlines the plans to expand cold-chain logistics and instant retail services to townships, encouraging equipped regions to establish battery-swap facilities and public charging facilities for electric vehicles. Eligible cities are encouraged to include their agricultural migrant populations with stable employment, as noted in the document.
Chinese food delivery platforms announce steps to protect the rights of delivery workers: Several major food delivery platforms in China announced that they will offer social insurance benefits to their delivery workers, which is believed, by both riders and experts, will better protect the rights of people working in the industry. JD, a prominent Chinese e-commerce platform announced that it would gradually provide social insurance plus a housing provident fund for full-time delivery riders, including health insurance for part-time riders. Meituan, another on-demand service platform, announces similar insurance to its delivery riders starting in the second quarter of 2025. The company announced on its official WeChat public platform, “To actively foster harmonious labour relations, Meituan is ensuring the rights and interests of our delivery workers and advancing the implementation of social insurance.” Subsequently, on Thursday, Ele.me, a food delivery giant in China assured the availability of social insurance to delivery workers in selected cities, while also stressing its efforts to increase both the amount and coverage of special subsidies to part-time delivery riders. Under labour laws, both employers and employees are required to engage in social insurance and contribute to the premium. Zhang Chenggang, director of the research centre on China’s new forms of employment said that “platforms providing social insurance for delivery workers marks a significant step forward in protecting their labour rights, addressing the gap in social insurance coverage that has existed among these workers for a long time.” Public data highlights that China currently has over 12 million delivery agents working across various online platforms and in recent years greater attention has been paid to safeguarding their rights and interests.
China-Belarus workshop on tourism focused on strengthening cultural ties: The Chinese Embassy in Belarus and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of Belarus, co-hosted a workshop for tour operators at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Minsk. The event helped the coming together of representatives from about 30 travel agencies and airlines from Belarus and China to discover opportunities for tourism and cultural collaboration. A focused one-on-one negotiation zone was set up to facilitate direct communication amongst tour operators from the two countries to foster an energetic and engaging atmosphere. Xia Guang Yuan, cultural counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Belarus and director of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Minsk, told Xinhua “The sincerity and willingness to cooperate from both Chinese and Belarusian partners are clear,” further stating that the growing list of participants showcased great potential for tourism cooperation between China and Belarus. Alina Grishkevich, deputy chairman of the Belarus-China Friendship Society, told Xinhua that the cooperation on tourism between the two countries has accelerated in the past few years and that “China is vast and diverse in terms of geography, culture and history. One could spend a lifetime studying and exploring all that China has to offer.”

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Netizens in China resonate with actress Jiang Xin on her stance on celibacy: Renowned Chinese actress Jiang Xin has ignited widespread discussion on social media with her recent remarks on celibacy. In response to a netizen questioning why she remained unmarried, Jiang replied, “Why act against yourself?”, a statement that has since resonated deeply with many online users.” Her stance has struck a chord with many netizens, who expressed support for her rejection of societal pressure. Her comments have garnered over 130 million views on one platform alone, highlighting the growing public engagement with shifting attitudes toward marriage in China. Many praised her for proving her value through her work and efforts, rather than conforming to traditional expectations around marriage. Others emphasized the importance of personal autonomy, stating that individuals should have the freedom to live life on their own terms. The 41-year-old actress is noted to be a celebrated artist in China with a large fan base, admiring her for her straightforward personality and dedication to her craft. Her influence adds weight to an ongoing debate in a society where marriage has long been considered foundational. With demographic trends signalling shifts in family structures and individual priorities, Jiang’s perspective adds to the evolving discourse on personal autonomy and societal expectations in contemporary China.

INDIA WATCH

FM Wang Yi and Dr. Jaishankar at Johannesburg, both signal the restoration of ties: The Chinese news outlet, Global Times reported on the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. During this exchange, Wang Yi said that the restoration of mutual trust and realization of win-win cooperation between both nations meet the expectations of both peoples. The report states that Wang Yi recalled how the meeting between the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese President in Kazam last year had set the direction for the improvement and enhancement of bilateral ties. Following this, exchanges at all levels between the two nations have been steadily resumed while the special representatives for border issues have arrived at a consensus, said Wang Yi. The author notes that the Indian Foreign Minister stated that the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi provided much-needed guidance for rebuilding bilateral relations. He also reiterated that building mutual trust between India and China is in the interests of both sides. The article commented that India appreciates the hard-won progress and is willing to work with China to bolster the efforts towards restoration of cooperative mechanisms, facilitate people-to-people ties, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the border regions.

Prepared By

Riddhi Deokar

Riddhi Deokar is a Second-year bachelor’s student pursuing Global Affairs with a minor in Public Policy at OP Jindal Global University. She exudes a strong interest in learning and researching about Northeast Asian and Middle Eastern dynamics, specifically learning about China’s equation with the two regions. She endeavours to contribute to solutions addressing gender issues in the political realm. She pursues her linguistic aspirations, learning French and Mandarin. She is also a TEDx speaker, spreading her message about the theory of 'Relative Happiness'. Understanding varied perspectives and keeping an open mind while analysing and researching global issues is an effort she keeps making.