CiCM 16th April 2025

NEWS IN CHINA

NBS Releases Data on Chinese Economy: Data on the performance of China's economy demonstrated resilience in the first quarter of 2025, with a reported GDP growth of 5.4 percent, beating market expectations in the face of growing US tariff pressures. The export-led growth, high-technology manufacturing output, and domestic consumption put China firmly on course to meet its annual growth target of about 5 percent. According to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, retail sales grew 4.6 percent year-on-year to 12.47 trillion yuan ($1.7 trillion), industrial added-value grew by 6.5 percent, while the fixed-asset investment climbed by 4.2 percent, leading to overall GDP growth to 31.88 trillion yuan ($4.35 trillion) in the first quarter. Sheng Laiyun, deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics, stated, "Since the beginning of the year, macroeconomic policies have yielded tangible results... the national economy was off to a good start and high-quality development was advancing with new and positive momentum."
State Council Announces Key Personnel Changes: The State Council of China announced significant appointments of personnel in various government departments. Li Chenggang was named China international trade negotiation representative and vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce, in Wang Shouwen's stead. Additionally, Chen Xiaodong has been named the head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, taking over from Luo Zhaohui, and will no longer hold the position of vice minister of foreign affairs. Wang Zhizhong has been appointed as the new head of the National Immigration Administration (NIA), replacing Xu Ganlu, who previously held the dual roles of vice minister of public security and head of the NIA.
Government Releases Work Plan to Elevate Service Consumption: China has released a comprehensive work plan aimed at bolstering service consumption throughout 2025, a key strategy to invigorate domestic demand and economic growth. Jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and eight other government departments, the plan outlines 48 specific measures across diverse service industries, covering established sectors as well as ones that show patterns of emerging consumption. Key areas of emphasis include enhanced policy support, promotional campaigns, additional market opening, and environmental upgrading for overall consumption. Significantly, the plan demands expanding the supply of high-quality consumer services by relaxing constraints on domestic businesses and increasing market access. This effort aligns with China's wider economic plan for 2025, which places emphasis on the stimulation of consumption to tackle prevailing shortfalls in domestic demand and consumer expenditure.
China and Egypt Announce Joint Military Exercise: The Chinese Defense Ministry announced the upcoming "Eagles of Civilization 2025" joint air exercise with Egypt from mid-April to early May. Both countries will hold a military drill for the first time, indicating a step towards pragmatic collaboration, mutual rapport, and joint drills. The People's Liberation Army Air Force will send troops to Egypt for the exercise, the first joint training between the two militaries. Chinese military commentator Wang Yunfei emphasized the close present-day military ties between Egypt and China, speculating that this initial joint exercise may open the door for future cooperative developments in aviation equipment sales and development. He expressed the importance of such long-distance maneuvers in elevating combat capability and adaptability to diverse environments in different regions. The exercise marks a deepening strategic relationship and military coordination between Egypt and China. Chinese warplanes have previously been flown in Egypt, specifically during flight shows for the Egypt International Air Show involving J-10s and Y-20s.
Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization Headquarters Inaugurated in Beijing: The International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO), the world's first international non-governmental organization to provide integrated dispute prevention and settlement services for commercial entities, has officially opened its global headquarters in Beijing. The institution was launched by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in October 2020, with a 51-member network and involving more than 100 countries. CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin, at the opening ceremony, cited the added value of the entity as a move against increasing unilateralism and protectionism in trade, in light of recent American action. Additionally, National People's Congress Standing Committee member, Huang Wei, lauded the emphasis laid by ICDPASO in the areas of conflict resolution, mediation, and negotiations, and subsequently promoting global trade cooperation. The organisation also issued guidelines for commercial mediation, arbitration, and investment dispute practices.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Tech Community Discusses Impact of Latest US Chip Restrictions: Netizens and members of the tech community in China have reacted to the US government's latest restrictions on the export of NVIDIA's H20 chips to China. The H20 chip, a China-specific AI processor developed by NVIDIA to comply with previous export restrictions, has also been subject to export controls. Users on Weibo are debating the impact and rationale behind the move, as some call it a major step-up in US measures to restrict China's access to advanced artificial intelligence technology. Others discussed the impact of the restrictions on the business of NVIDIA and its prospects in China, despite its previous attempts to circumvent US controls. One netizen commented, “This is the first major restriction on semiconductor exports imposed by the Trump administration, which strengthens the rules set by the Biden administration,” as the community debated contemporary American Foreign Policy. Another user commented, “Good news for Huawei”, highlighting the potential positive benefits of this development for Chinese domestic manufacturers.

INDIA WATCH

The Paper Discusses India’s Growing Nuclear Capabilities: An article in The Paper, a Chinese news website, highlights India's systematic attempt to enhance its sea-based nuclear deterrent by building a "safe fortress" for its nuclear submarines. According to the report, the ongoing construction of specialized nuclear submarine bases like the ‘Varsha Base’ in Rambili, Andhra Pradesh, suggests hidden submarine caves to provide stealth for submarine operations in the Bay of Bengal. Military expert Wang Yunfei, quoted in the article, emphasizes the stringent site selection process involved and construction requirements for nuclear submarine bases, highlighting the need for nuclear safety and specialized equipment. The article also recognises India’s advancements in submarine nuclear capability in terms of commissioning INS Arihant and successfully test-firing K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Additionally, the article discusses the delivery of INS Aridaman, a bigger submarine with enhanced missiles.

Prepared By

Iklavya Dev

Iklavya is currently a Second Year student pursuing undergraduate degrees in Multimedia Communication and Political Science from K.C. College, Mumbai and Indira Gandhi National Open University respectively. He is deeply interested in the realms of Public Policy, Governance and International Relations, and aspires to broaden his horizons in the same through interactive working experiences and research. His research work includes various subjects ranging from Indian Foreign Policy and Defence Studies to Social Issues and Constitutional Law.