CCP Advisor: China’s Population Decline Is Such a Serious Issue That It Cannot Wait
Jin Canrong (金灿荣) is a Chinese international relations scholar who serves as an advisor to senior Chinese Communist Party officials. He recently published an article warning Chinese officials that the country’s population decline and aging problems are becoming increasingly severe:
China’s population decline is a “slow-changing” issue whose full impact may not become apparent for several years, but it has already become increasingly urgent. China’s competition with the West is not just with the 300 million people in the United States, but with roughly 1 billion people across the West. Population is an extremely important strategic resource. Governments at all levels should strengthen their sense of urgency, increase policy support, and improve implementation to slow the population decline.
The seriousness of population loss can be seen in the three northeastern provinces and Inner Mongolia, where some cities with populations of around 1 million reportedly have only several hundred births a year, while once-busy commercial districts have become deserted. China’s population is also aging, with statistics showing that the median age reached 41.98 in 2025, which could have significant effects on the country’s economic and social development.
China’s large population base has contributed to its talent and engineering advantages. While many skilled workers are developed through education and training, a large population provides a broader base from which talent can emerge. Without a sufficiently large number of newborns, maintaining a large pool of highly capable talent could become more difficult.
Social awareness of China’s population challenges has grown in recent years, but current government measures remain relatively moderate and should be strengthened. Addressing the underlying causes of population decline would require substantial financial and other resources, but the cost will be even bigger if we delay our actions.
Source: Guancha, September 7, 2026
https://user.guancha.cn/main/content?id=1731571
Report Alleges Internal Censorship at China’s CGTN
A new report by the Europe-based rights group Safeguard Defenders, released September 10, 2026, details internal censorship and propaganda practices at China Global Television Network (CGTN), based on interviews with eight former employees conducted in 2022–2023. All spoke anonymously; some still have family in China.
The 29-page report, “China’s Party-State Global TV in Focus,” covers forced televised confessions, internal newsroom operations, “telling China’s story well” campaigns, and content-control mechanisms. One former scriptwriter recalled that footage of Hong Kong consulate employee Simon Cheng’s 2019 “confession” arrived just before airtime, with orders from above to broadcast it regardless of staff objections. Cheng later said he was tortured and coerced into recording multiple confessions while detained by Chinese police. The report says CGTN and its predecessor aired at least nine such confessions between 2013 and 2019, including British businessman Peter Humphrey and Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai.
A Chinese law lecturer told Radio Free Asia that televised confessions amount to compelled self-incrimination, violating basic principles of criminal justice, especially when made without legal counsel or freely given consent.
Former staff also described heavy scripting of coverage, with one estimating three-quarters of programming centered on Xi Jinping, and describing extensive advance-prepared news meetings and scripted teleprompter delivery, with punishment for deviation. Coverage of Xinjiang was cited by one former employee as the reason for leaving CGTN, amid increased reporting after 2018 framing mass detention facilities as “vocational training centers.”
CGTN states on its website that it adheres to principles of objectivity and balance. A Safeguard Defenders researcher said the report shows CGTN remains under direct Chinese Communist Party control despite denials, using its programming to advance Party propaganda and political aims.
Source: Radio Free Asia, September 10, 2026
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/zhengzhi/renquan/2026/09/10/china-safeguard-defenders-televised-confessions-censorship-cgtn/
China Launches International Earth-Moon CubeSat Constellation Program
China has officially launched an international Earth-Moon CubeSat constellation program aimed at working with multiple countries to deploy satellites in the Earth-Moon system for space-environment monitoring, gamma-ray burst detection, and lunar resource exploration. The initial plan calls for completing the constellation’s deployment around 2030.
The first phase will deploy 30 12U CubeSats, each weighing no more than 30 kilograms, in six batches into a 1:3 Earth-Moon resonant highly elliptical orbit. Multi-satellite observations are expected to improve space-weather monitoring and enable gamma-ray bursts to be localized to sub-arcsecond precision.
Jointly initiated by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and the International Deep Space Exploration Society, with support from the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, the program will follow the principles of joint design, free launch opportunities, shared funding, and scientific data sharing. China will provide standardized payloads, technical training, and interface standards to participating countries. Multiple foreign research institutions have already joined the program, and first-phase engineering development has begun.
Source: People’s Daily, September 7, 2026
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202609/07/content_30179441.html
Xi Jinping’s Health Questioned During BRICS Summit in New Delhi
Questions about Xi Jinping’s health emerged during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly interrupted his opening remarks on September 12 to ask Xi twice, “Is it OK?” Footage broadcast by India’s Doordarshan showed a staff member approaching Xi and handing him something, although it was unclear what had happened. The incident nevertheless triggered online speculation about Xi’s health. Some Indian media reports offered an alternative explanation, suggesting that it could have been related to a microphone or translation issue.
Independent commentator Xiang Yang made another observation, saying that Xi appeared to have difficulty walking up the aircraft stairs when leaving India. He described Xi as showing apparent weakness on the left side of his body. Xiang speculated that this could indicate damage to the right side of the brain, which controls movement on the left side of the body. This was Xiang Yang’s speculation and has not been medically confirmed.
Source: Epoch Times, September 14, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/9/14/n14849131.htm
Modi Targets China’s Trade Practices in Push for Greater BRICS Market Access
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on BRICS members to reduce trade barriers, expand market access, and strengthen supply-chain stability at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on September 11. He said that over the past 12 years, India has focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainable development in its economic and trade policies, while seeking to diversify and strengthen supply chains in areas including energy and technology.
Modi said that as global trade barriers increase, India is “building economic bridges,” noting that it has reached or advanced free-trade agreements with about 40 countries since 2014. He urged the BRICS Business Council to identify and address 10 major trade barriers among member countries, help 100 BRICS startups enter other BRICS markets each year, and promote 1,000 new business partnerships among BRICS companies.
Indian media linked Modi’s remarks to longstanding trade and supply-chain issues between India and China. The Times of India reported that Modi’s push to expand intra-BRICS trade also reflected India’s calls for greater Chinese market access for Indian goods and for China to avoid “weaponizing” supplies of equipment and raw materials needed by Indian manufacturers. Although India-China economic ties have recently improved, market access, trade imbalances, and supply-chain issues remain areas of concern. Reuters reported that bilateral trade reached $155.6 billion in 2025, with India importing about $132 billion from China and running a trade deficit of more than $100 billion.
Source: Epoch Times, September 13, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/9/13/n14848562.htm
Xinhua: China Coast Guard Conducts Routine Patrols East of Taiwan
China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue said that on September 3, the Putuoshan ship formation conducted a routine law-enforcement patrol in waters east of China’s Taiwan Island. Since August, the formation has intensified patrols and maritime control in the area to safeguard normal navigation and operational order and protect the lawful rights, interests, lives, and property of Chinese citizens, including Taiwan residents.
The China Coast Guard said it will continue to strengthen law-enforcement patrols in waters under China’s jurisdiction and firmly safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
Source: Xinhua, September 3, 2026
https://www.news.cn/20260903/7b7a76a884d44f6d8b89e3aa81d074c8/c.html
Philippines’ Defense Chief Tells China: “Have Some Sense of Shame” at Seoul Forum
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro publicly rebuked a Chinese delegate during the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8, after being handed a note challenging the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling while he was speaking on stage.
According to The Manila Times, an unidentified Chinese representative passed Teodoro a note during the plenary session asserting that the 2016 ruling “violates fundamental principles of international law” and calling it “illegal, null, and void.”
The Philippines brought its South China Sea dispute with China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2013. In July 2016, the tribunal ruled that China’s nine-dash line (now ten-dash line) had no basis under international law, and that the Philippines was entitled to exclusive rights over resources in its exclusive economic zone. China has never accepted or recognized the ruling.
Responding on stage, Teodoro said that if the note reflected China’s official position, it showed disrespect not only for international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but also for South Korea as host and for the basic courtesy owed to other participants. He questioned whether the note was an appropriate document to hand him while he was mid-session answering questions.
Teodoro added that China should show “basic courtesy and decorum,” using a Filipino phrase to tell Beijing to have some manners, some sense of shame. His remarks drew applause from the audience.
He went on to reaffirm that the Philippines would not compromise on territorial integrity and sovereignty, would resist aggression from any state, and would continue defending international law while modernizing its military and deepening defense partnerships with like-minded countries.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), September 9, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202609090002.aspx
China Passes Medical Security Law; Expert Offers Analysis on Implementation
China’s legislature passed the Medical Security Law of the People’s Republic of China on August 28, which will take effect on January 1, 2027. Lou Yu, Director of the Center for Social Law and Social Policy Studies at China University of Political Science and Law, has closely followed the legislation and offered professional analysis and recommendations throughout the legislative process. In a recent interview with Economic Observer, Lou discussed how he believes the law will affect China’s medical insurance system and what reforms may follow.
According to Lou, the law changes the wording on medical insurance participation for several groups. While the Social Insurance Law—a separate law—states that flexible workers “may” participate in employee medical insurance, the new law “encourages” such participation, potentially paving the way for future policy or fiscal incentives. It also stipulates that citizens who are not enrolled in employee medical insurance or covered by other medical security programs “shall” participate in basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents, replacing the previous voluntary approach.
Lou noted that the law also states that citizens have a legal obligation to participate in basic medical insurance. However, it does not specify corresponding penalties for residents who fail to enroll, meaning the provision currently has more of a declaratory than enforceable function. In his view, authorities may eventually introduce measures to increase or require participation. For workers with sufficient income but no stable employment relationship, one possibility would be to calculate insurance contributions based on their income and require enrollment above a certain threshold. For people without sufficient income, government subsidies could continue to support enrollment in resident medical insurance.
Source: Economic Observer, September 4, 2026
https://www.eeo.com.cn/2026/0904/1024337.shtml