In this edition, we bring you the latest major news in China, along with updates on China’s diplomatic developments. Enjoy reading!

Top News

President Xi Jinping made important instructions after mudslide hits border port in Xizang

President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chaired a Party leadership meeting on Friday to deliberate and make arrangements on rescue and relief efforts after a devastating mudslide hit Gyirong County in Xizang Autonomous Region.

At the beginning of the meeting, President Xi proposed that all participants stand for a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the disaster. 

In the wake of the mudslide, President Xi immediately made important instructions, setting out clear requirements for rescue operations and emergency response.  

According to the meeting, emergency rescue operations have been carried out swiftly and in an orderly and well-coordinated manner, with comprehensive efforts underway for the resettlement of affected people and handling of the aftermath.

The meeting emphasized that all relevant authorities and departments must take resolute and effective measures for the rescue-related work. Search and rescue plans should be formulated in a scientific manner, and every effort should be made to search for and rescue all missing Chinese and foreign nationals.

Entrusted by President Xi, Premier Li Qiang arrived at Gyirong Township in Xizang Autonomous Region Thursday afternoon, calling for all-out rescue and emergency response efforts.

FM Wang Yi has a phone call with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal

Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on August 29.

Wang Yi stated that the sudden glacial collapse in the China-Nepal border area had triggered severe mudslides, causing significant casualties and leaving people missing on both sides. It is the most serious cross-border disaster between the two countries in recent years, and the complexity and difficulty of rescue and relief operations were unprecedented. China attaches great importance to the situation. President Xi Jinping immediately issued important instructions, setting clear requirements for rescue and emergency response work. Premier Li Qiang traveled to the disaster-hit area to guide the work on the ground.

While urgently carrying out rescue and relief efforts on its own side, China extended a helping hand at the earliest moment and supported Nepal in its emergency disaster relief efforts. President Xi has sent a condolence message to President Ramchandra Paudel, and Premier Li has expressed condolences to Prime Minister Balendra Shah. China will provide emergency aid to the disaster-hit area in Nepal and carry out international rescue cooperation, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. This is an important political decision made by China and demonstrates China’s friendship with Nepal.

China’s package of assistance to Nepal is being implemented, including emergency cash assistance and humanitarian aid, with some relief supplies set to arrive in Kathmandu soon. Two teams of Chinese tunnel rescue experts have rushed to the disaster-stricken area and Kathmandu to offer assistance, and China has shared with Nepal important information such as images, satellite and hydrological data of the disaster-stricken area, including early warning information of the upstream barrier lake. For Nepalese citizens stranded on the Chinese side, China has made proper arrangements and will assist them in returning to Nepal as soon as possible. Wang Yi expressed his gratitude and hope that Nepal will continue to assist and transfer Chinese citizens in Nepal. 

Shisir Khanal conveyed condolences from Nepali leaders to the Chinese government and people and to the families of the victims, and expressed sincere gratitude for China’s emergency humanitarian assistance. He stated that China had overcome its own difficulties to extend condolences and provide assistance to Nepal at the earliest moment, fully demonstrating the high level of Nepal-China relations. The Nepali side once again expressed its gratitude to China and will continue to work closely with China to make every effort to rescue Chinese nationals who remain stranded or unaccounted for, while jointly working to locate and rescue missing foreign nationals. Nepal stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as post-disaster reconstruction, disaster prevention and mitigation, and climate change response. 

Rescue efforts underway

Rescuers carry out search and rescue operations at the mudslide-hit area in Gyirong County.

A total of 2,141 rescuer personnel, 269 rescue vehicles and 3,922 sets of equipments have been deployed to the mudslide-hit areas to search for the missing, with rescue teams searching an area of about 90,000 square meters.

A staff member works on a signal base station in Gyirong Town. The first emergency base station adjacent to the border gate of the Gyirong Port was put into operation on Sunday. 

Carried by two Y-20 transport planes, Chinese relief supplies and four Chinese rescue experts arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on Sunday to assist in disaster relief efforts.

President Xi Jinping puts forward four principles on Palestinian question

On August 24, President Xi Jinping held talks with His Majesty King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, who is on a state visit to China.

President Xi Jinping stressed that the Palestinian question is the core of the Middle East issue, and efforts to resolve it should be guided by four principles.

1️⃣ We must uphold political settlement, adhere to the two-State solution as the right direction, work for the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and realize the early establishment of an independent State of Palestine.

2️⃣ We must uphold the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine. Palestine is the homeland of all Palestinians. The principle of Palestinians governing Palestine should be followed in advancing the governance of the West Bank and postwar reconstruction of Gaza.

3️⃣ We must uphold humanitarianism. The international community, particularly the U.N. Security Council, should truly take up the responsibility to keep civilians safe, ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and put an end to humanitarian disasters.

4️⃣ We must uphold fairness and justice. We should act on the basis of international rule of law, aim at addressing both the symptoms and root causes, and take practical actions to realize a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question at an early date.

China in Brief

Commentary Series on China's Economy

People's Daily recently published a series of commentaries offering insights on China's economy. Here are some brief summaries of the articles. (Click on the title to read the full text).

China's economic performance will remain within a reasonable range in H2, meet annual goals

• China's economy is currently at a critical stage of accelerating the transition from old growth drivers to new ones and transforming its development model. To understand the Chinese economy, it is important to look beyond the pace of growth and avoid focusing too much on fluctuations in individual quarterly or monthly indicators. 

• China's economy has the solid foundation built up over more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, along with a huge consumer market, a strong manufacturing base, well-developed infrastructure, a robust talent pool, and a complete industrial and supply chain system. The conditions supporting China's long-term positive economic outlook, as well as its underlying trend, have not changed.

China remains a positive contributor to and an anchor of stability for global growth

• Over the past years, China's contribution to global growth has remained at around 30 percent, making it the undisputed "No.1 engine" of global economic growth.
• China has always been a staunch defender of the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains. 
• China is one of the key sources of global technological innovation, injecting new momentum into world economic development. 
• China remains a practitioner of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. The facts show that the so-called China shock and so-called China squeeze are nothing but false propositions. China's high-quality economic development is bringing the world new and greater opportunities.

What does China's 4.7 percent growth in the first half of 2026 tell us?

• The 4.7 percent growth in the first half of this year falls within this reasonable range, aligning with the CPC Central Committee's scientific assessment of the economic situation and its policy arrangements.
• The supporting conditions and fundamental trend for China's long-term economic improvement remain unchanged. China is in a position to roll out practical and effective incremental policies in response to changing circumstances, and is fully capable of achieving the annual economic and social development goals.

Driving high-quality development to achieve long-term stability and progress

• To arrange economic work effectively in the second half of this year, we must thoroughly implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, intensify counter-cyclical adjustment efforts, give full play to the efficiency of existing policies, promptly plan and introduce practical and effective incremental policies, boost development momentum, and stimulate social vitality.

China-Europe Interactions

20th meeting of China-Poland Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation takes place in Beijing

The 20th meeting of the China-Poland Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation was held in Beijing on Thursday. China and Poland are seeking to further deepen bilateral trade and investment cooperation, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. 

China's Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Ling Ji and Poland's Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology Michal Baranowski co-chaired the meeting. 

Ling said that China is willing to increase imports from Poland and promote more balanced growth in bilateral trade, while strengthening supply- and industrial-chain cooperation in areas including new energy, intelligent manufacturing, logistics and warehousing, Ling said. He expressed hope that Poland would provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies operating in the country.

China is also willing to work with the EU to properly address differences through dialogue and consultation and promote the sound and stable development of China-EU economic and trade relations.

Baranowski said Poland attaches great importance to developing economic and trade ties with China and hopes to promote more balanced bilateral trade. Poland is willing to deepen trade and investment cooperation with China in areas including agricultural processing, power batteries and offshore wind, while strengthening cooperation on China-Europe freight trains and maritime transport to further raise the level of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

European leaders and MEPs extend condolences to people affected by the mudslide disaster

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of China, except those from the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Mission to the EU and other Chinese governmental websites.

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                                                                                   Editor: LI Mo