Tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) and dumplings. Photo: Yichuancheng (壹传诚)
China Leads Shuttle Diplomacy to Mediate Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict Amid ASEAN Ceasefire Efforts
From 18 to 23 December, China’s Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, Deng Xijun, conducted shuttle diplomacy between Phnom Penh and Bangkok, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi held phone calls urging an immediate ceasefire. The border clashes since 7 December have killed nearly 100 people and displaced almost 900,000 civilians, over 500,000 in Cambodia and around 400,000 in Thailand. On 24 December, the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee met to discuss verification mechanisms, with China offering its platform to facilitate dialogue in support of ASEAN-led mediation efforts.
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UN Security Council Emergency Meeting Sees China and Russia Condemn US Naval Blockade of Venezuela as Illegal Aggression
At an emergency UN Security Council session on 24 December, called at Caracas’ request, Chinese representative Sun Lei joined Russia and several Latin American countries in condemning Washington’s deployment of 15,000 troops and 11 warships to the Caribbean. UN experts described these actions as violating Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and constituting armed aggression under the 1974 Definition of Aggression. The blockade has seized nearly 4 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. Mexico and Brazil have offered to mediate between the parties.
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First National Childcare Law Links Service Provision to High-Quality Population Development and Long-Term Economic Capacity
On 22 December, China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee began reviewing the country’s first childcare services law, which contains 76 articles and explicitly links care for children under three to “high-quality population development.” The law aims to address a critical shortage: there are only 126,000 institutions with 6.66 million places for 30 million children. Combined with nationwide subsidies introduced in July – 3,600 yuan (US $514) per child annually and 90 billion yuan (US $12.8 billion) in allocated funding – the measure comes as birth rates fall, from 12.07 per thousand in 2014 to 6.77 per thousand in 2024, and reflects a strong state role in supporting childcare rather than relying on market solutions.
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Trans-Himalaya Tibetan Medicine Research Centre Launches in Xizang to Integrate Heritage Protection with Modern Healthcare Development
On 23 December in Lhasa, the regional hospital launched a cross-regional research platform for Tibetan medicine and hosted a national forum on ancient texts. The initiative builds on UNESCO recognition of the medicinal bathing practice (2018) and the Four Medical Tantras manuscripts (2023). It protects cultural heritage and expands healthcare services across the region, covering all community centres and 94.4% of township hospitals (64 institutions, 1.27 million patients annually). Local practitioners, scholars, and patients can access the platform, which also offers Global South nations an alternative medical model alongside Western biomedical approach.
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Former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Highlights Chinese Initiatives as Platform for Global South to Address Representation Gap in International Institutions
Countries representing 80% of the world’s population but holding only one-ninth of IMF voting power are strengthening their role in global governance through China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance Initiative, which focus on practical solutions without political conditions, former Kyrgyz foreign minister Alikbek Dzhekshenkulov told Xinhua on 16 December; the Global Governance Initiative has gained support from over 140 countries, reflecting demands to reform institutions where the Global North controls nine times more voting power than the Global South.
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Tariffs Up to 42.7% Imposed on EU Dairy Products in Response to Electric Vehicle Duties, US Chip Protectionism Condemned
China imposed provisional tariffs of 21.9–42.7% on EU dairy imports starting 24 December after a 16-month anti-subsidy investigation into the Common Agricultural Policy, while condemning US semiconductor tariff threats as violations of WTO rules that weaponise trade and destabilise global supply chains; the dual response demonstrates Beijing’s strategic use of international trade law to counter Western protectionism targeting Chinese electric vehicles and advanced technology sectors.
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Hainan Seed Industry Base Achieves Historic Breakthrough as Exports Surpass Imports for First Time Whilst Training 276 African Students and Deploying 1,100 Experts to 40 Countries
Through Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City (崖州湾科技城), China has trained 276 African students and deployed nearly 1,100 agricultural experts to over 40 countries via FAO frameworks, boosting crop yields 30–60% in project areas. Anchoring this South-South cooperation platform, Hainan’s Nanfan base generated 180 billion yuan (US $25.7 billion) in 2024 and cultivated 70% of China’s new seed varieties, as exports surpassed imports for the first time, offering developing nations an alternative to Western technology models that limit knowledge sharing.
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Science Magazine Names Renewable Energy Surge 2025 Breakthrough of the Year, Recognising China as Primary Driver Behind Global Transition
On 19 December, Science recognized the renewable energy surge as the 2025 Breakthrough of the Year, noting that renewables surpassed coal as the world’s primary electricity source. China contributed substantially, installing 256 GW of solar capacity in the first half of 2025 – roughly twice the rest of the world combined – and reaching 1 terawatt of total installed solar by May, according to energy deployment data. This rapid expansion helped bring greenhouse emissions growth in China to a virtual standstill and advanced the prospect of a global carbon peak, showing China’s central role in the transition.
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Technology Contract Transactions Surge 141.7% Over Four Years to US $976 Billion, Strengthening Enterprise Innovation Capacity
A State Council report to the National People’s Congress on 23 December showed that enterprise-led innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan pushed technology contract values from 2.83 trillion yuan (US $403 billion) in 2020 to 6.84 trillion yuan (US $976 billion) by 2024, an increase of 141.7%. High-tech manufacturing output also rose 42%, and firms now hold more than 73% of domestic invention patents. This growth strengthens China’s technology capabilities and enables greater participation in international innovation cooperation, including projects supporting development in the Global South.
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12.1 Million New Urban Jobs Created in First Eleven Months, Exceeding Annual Target Amid Record Graduate Influx and Economic Headwinds
Through November, urban employment increased by 12.1 million, exceeding the 12 million annual target, even as a record 12.22 million university graduates entered the labor market. Average urban unemployment remained at 5.2%, and youth unemployment fell from 18.9% in August to 16.9%. To support the workforce, the government cut unemployment insurance fees by over 900 billion yuan (US $128 billion) for enterprises and launched vocational training programs reaching more than 10 million workers annually from 2025 to 2027.
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Dongzhi Marks 2,500 Years of Cultural Continuity with Nationwide Celebrations and UNESCO Recognition of Solar Terms System
On 21 December, families across China gathered to celebrate the winter solstice (Dongzhi / 冬至) with traditional foods, dumplings in the north and tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) in the south. These customs stretch back over 2,500 years to the Zhou Dynasty. The Twenty-Four Solar Terms system, which includes Dongzhi as its 22nd term, was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. From kindergartens to senior centres, communities held activities on 18 December, ensuring that younger generations could learn and carry on these ancient traditions.
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