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NEWS IN CHINA

• China Releases Guidelines for Elderly Legal Protections: Seven government bodies, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Supreme People's Court, have issued new guidelines to strengthen legal services and protections for its growing elderly population, which now exceeds 310 million people. The guidelines emphasise improving litigation services for seniors by encouraging courts to offer barrier-free facilities, online legal options, and home-based case filing. The guidelines also propose stricter punishments for crimes such as fraud, theft, and extortion that specifically target the elderly, especially under the guise of elderly care. Early risk prevention is emphasized in areas like inheritance, healthcare, and financial management. They also recommend removing income-based restrictions on legal aid for elderly victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. Additionally, the guidelines provide for the extension of legal aid to cover eligible elderly individuals, such as those who are of advanced age, living in solitude, incapacitated, and intellectually disabled.
  
  
• National Data Administration Unveils 2025 Action Plan for Digital China Development: The National Data Administration has unveiled a 2025 action plan to accelerate the development of Digital China by focusing on ‘AI Plus’, infrastructure, data industry growth, and digital talent cultivation. The plan advocates for market-oriented reforms in data resource allocation, aims to create a unified national data market, and emphasizes a localised, data-driven digital economy. It targets substantial progress by 2025, including a goal for core digital economy industries to contribute over 10 percent of GDP and computing power to exceed 300 EFLOPS. Eight strategic areas are highlighted, including institutional innovation and local digital brand development. According to the government work report, efforts will also focus on digitizing manufacturing, supporting SMEs in digital transformation, and cultivating service providers with both industrial and digital capabilities.
  
  
• Senior CPC Official pushes for Issue-centric Approach to Work Conduct Education: Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized the importance of a problem-oriented approach and strict standards in the ongoing Party-wide education campaign to implement the central leadership's eight-point decision on improving work conduct. During a visit to Tangshan in Hebei Province, he called for the integration of study, inspection, and correction throughout the campaign while calling for targeted guidance tailored to different levels, regions, and sectors to ensure meaningful impact. Cai stressed that the campaign should align with local realities, especially at the grassroots level, and be integrated with key tasks such as rural revitalization and primary-level governance. The campaign, which was initiated in the middle of March this year, will run till late July. 
  
  
• Xi Jinping Congratulates Arab League on 34th Summit: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, the current chairperson of the League of Arab States, on the occasion of the 34th Arab League Summit held in Baghdad. Xi praised the League’s eight-decade commitment to Arab unity, regional peace, and development, acknowledging its role in voicing shared concerns and promoting the prosperity of the Middle East. Xi commended Arab nations for upholding independence, pursuing development, and safeguarding justice, contributing to the rising influence of the Global South. Additionally, Xi recalled the 2022 China-Arab States Summit, where both sides committed to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era and expressed his confidence that the 2026 summit in China will deepen this partnership further.
  
  
• South Africa Reclassifies Taiwan Office Amid One-China Commitment: The South African government has formally requested the relocation of Taiwan’s representative office from Pretoria to Johannesburg, elevating its alignment with the One-China policy. The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation has reclassified the ‘Taipei Commercial Office’ as an international organization on its website, removed its Pretoria address and representative’s name, and updated contact information to Johannesburg. The demotion of the office was accompanied by the removal of Taiwanese Representative Oliver Liao’s profile, leaving only assistant-level staff listed. Taiwan's so-called foreign ministry has acknowledged ongoing monitoring and expressed a willingness for dialogue. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the One-China policy during a 2024 visit to China. 

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Xiaomi stock prices fall as netizens challenge its advertising: Xiaomi faces a consumer backlash over alleged false advertising of its SU7 Ultra ‘punched hole version”, with car owners accusing the company of exaggerating aerodynamic benefits. At the center of the criticism is a 42,000 Yen carbon fiber hood add-on that Xiaomi claimed would enhance airflow and cooling. However, consumer reviews and popular Chinese bloggers on the internet believe the part to be purely cosmetic. Over 70 owners are planning a collective lawsuit seeking refunds and compensation under Chinese law, and many more are enraged over social media. The compounding of social media outrage and the failure of negotiations with Xiaomi executives caused a sharp drop in Xiaomi’s stock price. Netizens pondered over the future of Xiaomi in the Chinese Automobile industry, along with the scope of its expansion. 

INDIA WATCH

Global Times reports India's notification of American Tariffs in the WTO: A Global Times report says India and Japan have notified the WTO about possible retaliatory tariffs against the United States in response to U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs imposed since March 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The article says both countries argue these tariffs are safeguard measures not officially notified by the U.S. and have reserved the right to suspend concessions by imposing additional duties on selected American imports. India estimates that $7.6 billion worth of exports are affected, generating $1.91 billion in duties, and vows to impose equivalent tariffs. Japan’s notification also includes U.S. restrictions on automobiles and auto parts. The report notes that the U.S. raised aluminum tariffs to 25 percent in March 2025 and ended duty-free quotas, escalating tensions. The author adds that similar WTO notifications were submitted earlier by the EU and Britain. Additionally, this irritant in Indo-American ties is set to be discussed in the trade talks between the two nations. These counter-import duties by multiple nations are not isolated in global trade, as over the past few weeks, disruptions due to American tariffs have been condemned by experts, diplomats, and more.

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.