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CCP Control Over the Chinese Communist Young Pioneers

The 9th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Young Pioneers opened in Beijing from May 27 to 29. This congress is held every five years.

According to People’s Daily, as of December 31, 2024, there are 113 million Communist Young Pioneers nationwide, with 3 million team counselors at the primary and secondary school levels, and 176,000 school-level Young Pioneer Committees across China.

Communist Young Pioneer is an affiliated organization for Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose members are children aged 6 to 14. Though it is said that joining the Young Pioneer is “at will,” most elementary schools just have all students join.

At the beginning of 2021, the CCP issued “Opinions of the CCP Central Committee on Comprehensively Strengthening the Work of the Young Pioneers in the New Era.” This document shaped a new working mechanism for the Young Pioneers: the organization is to be “led by the Party, supported by the government, with the Communist Youth League taking the lead, coordinated by the Communist Youth League and the education system, and supported by broader society.”

Sources:
1. People’s Daily, June 1, 2025
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2025/0601/c1001-40491855.html
2. People’s Daily, May 25, 2025
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2025/0525/c1001-40487248.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: China’s First Aircraft Carrier Equipped with Electromagnetic Catapult System Currently in Sea Trials

Xinhua News Agency reported that as China’s first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian ship, is currently undergoing intensive sea trials. “Compared with conventional carriers, those using catapult-assisted takeoff offer clear advantages,” Xinhua wrote.

“First, fighter jets can take off with a full load of fuel and munitions, directly enhancing their combat capabilities. Additionally, the carrier can support fixed-wing airborne early warning aircraft, significantly boosting its early warning, surveillance, and command-and-control capabilities. Moreover, electromagnetic catapults provide precise control over launch force, making it possible to launch a wide variety of aircraft types – from large transport and early warning aircraft to smaller drones – thereby enabling greater operational flexibility.”

Xinhua cited military expert Cao Weidong: “With the use of electromagnetic catapults, the number of aircraft takeoffs and landings on the Fujian ship can increase significantly each day, greatly strengthening its ability to gain air and maritime superiority. Stealth fighters like the J-35 are also being tested for carrier operations, which further enhances Fujian’s combat capability. Fujian, once officially commissioned, will greatly improve the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s capacity for both near-seas defense and far-seas escort missions.”

Source: Xinhua, May 24, 2025
http://www.news.cn/politics/20250524/385adc8a6dda46548c1922f05ada7156/c.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Temu and Shein See Sharp Decline in U.S. Sales Amid Tariff Hikes and De Minimis Crackdown

Following Trump’s imposition of higher tariffs on Chinese goods and a crackdown on the “de minimis” loophole, Chinese e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein have seen a sharp decline in popularity in the U.S. market.

The “de minimis” exemption previously allowed tax-free treatment for e-commerce parcels valued under $800. Chinese platforms like Temu and Shein took advantage of it and became the biggest shippers. Now, those goods are subject to a 54 percent tariff and the per-item postal duty was increased to $100 in April and May and $200 starting in June.

Several measures in the U.S. have shown Temu and Shein’s sales declines:

  • Daily Active Users (DAUs): Temu dropped by 52 percent in May compared to March; Shein declined by 25 percent.
  • Monthly Active Users (MAUs): Temu dropped by 30 percent and Shein 12 percent.
  • Rankings in the Apple App Store: Temu fell to the 132nd place from its top-three standing a year prior; Shein slipped to 60th, down from the top ten.
  • Advertising spending in the U.S.: In May, Temu cut its ad budget by 95 percent year-over-year; Shein by 70 percent. In April, Temu reduced their ad budget by 40 percent and Shein 65 percent.

According to CNBC, Temu and Shein have begun adjusting their supply chain strategies, moving away from the “China direct shipping” model – where suppliers ship directly to consumers – to setting up local warehousing and distribution systems in the U.S. However, this shift introduces additional costs and management challenges.

Amidst the high U.S. tariffs, many Chinese platforms are now accelerating to shift to other markets, particularly in Europe. According to HSBC, 90 percent of Temu’s 405 million global monthly active users in Q2 2025 were from outside the U.S., especially from low-income regions such as Latin America.

Source: Epoch Times, June 5, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/6/5/n14525505.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources US-China Relations

Xinhua: Mainland Delivers Two Heavy Blows Against “Taiwan Independence” Forces

Xinhua News Agency reports that on June 5, mainland China launched two major countermeasures targeting “Taiwan independence” separatist forces:

The first one was that the public security authorities issued a wanted notice for 20 major criminal suspects of Taiwan’s “Information and Electronic Warfare Command,” including Ning Enwei, offering rewards for their capture. It said that this organization has carried out cyberattacks and infiltration operations against mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, stolen sensitive data and critical intelligence on a large scale, and collaborated with anti-China forces in the U.S. and the West to conduct public opinion and cognitive warfare against the mainland to incite “color revolutions.”

The second one was that mainland announced sanctions against Taiwan-based company Sicuens International Co Ltd, as a punishment for “hardline Taiwan independence” figure Shen Boyang. Beijing said Shen has been organizing and systematically engaging in separatist activities, aggressively promoting “Taiwan independence” ideology and anti-mainland sentiment, especially targeting Taiwanese youth. The sanction is against the company which Shen’s father, Shen Tucheng, serves as a key executive. The company has been involved in trade and business partnerships with some mainland companies.

The younger Shen is a legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan and has now been sanctioned by Beijing for the third time within a year. Shen believes the sanctions are in response to his recent legislative efforts related to national security, including a bill requiring lawmakers to report visits to China and another imposing penalties for pro-unification activities. He is also a key advocate of Taiwan’s Great Recall (大罢免) campaign in Taiwan, a rising political movement in which citizens mobilize to recall underperforming or allegedly pro-Beijing members of parliament mainly from the Kuomintang party.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, June 6, 2025
http://www.xinhuanet.com/mrdx/20250606/0509b2d5300540ed9b51db7303d10dc3/c.html
2. Epoch Times,  June 6, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/6/6/n14526295.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

CCP Advisor on China’s Reunification of Taiwan: Taiwan May Not Have Its Next Election

Zhang Weiwei, Director of the China Institute at Fudan University and an advisor to senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership, delivered a speech at Wuhan University on May 16. In response to a student’s question about cross-strait conflict, he reiterated that “the timing for resolving the Taiwan issue is becoming increasingly ripe.” Zhang stated that, based on the current situation, “everything is already in place,” and from another perspective, there might not even be a next election in Taiwan. (Note: Taiwan’s next election will be in year 2028).

Zhang asserted that the President of Taiwan “is not even as powerful as a district Party secretary in Shanghai.” Despite the rise of anti-CCP sentiment in Taiwan under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, he believes that mainland China can still influence the younger generation in Taiwan through popular platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

“They are increasingly influenced by the mainland,” Zhang said. Given this, he believes that once China achieves its goal of reunification, governing Taiwan – whether through “One Country, Two Systems” or via the model of an autonomous region/administrative region – will be much easier than governing Hong Kong. He bluntly claimed that “Taiwan independence ideology has no roots,” and added that if the people of Taiwan refuse to accept “One Country, Two Systems,” then it would simply become “One Country, One System.”

Source: China News, May 26, 2025
https://news.creaders.net/china/2025/05/26/2872986.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Daily: Amid U.S. Tariffs, Beijing Pushes for Exporters to Pivot Toward Domestic Chinese Market

People’s Daily reported that, amid the high U.S. tariffs, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo (CPC) emphasized the need to accelerate the integration of domestic market and foreign trade at its April 25 meeting. Recently, the General Office of the CCP Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Special Action Plan to Boost Consumption,” which proposed the following: “Support foreign trade products in expanding into the domestic market, launch the ‘China Tour of Premium Foreign Trade Products’ campaign, and guide OEM foreign trade enterprises to develop their own brands.”

The Ministry of Commerce launched the “China Tour” campaign in April. By early May it had already generated over 16.7 billion Yuan (US$ 2.3 billion) in intended purchases, attracting more than 2,400 foreign trade enterprises and over 6,500 buyers.

The article listed a few developments:

  • In support of foreign trade companies expanding into the domestic market, 15 major e-commerce platforms quickly responded with a comprehensive package of measures, including direct procurement and supply-demand matchmaking.
  • JD.com announced a special procurement fund and launched a support program to help exporters pivot to the domestic market.
  • Tencent introduced a “zero deposit trial operation” policy across more than 2,600 business categories, allowing merchants to list products without paying a deposit, helping foreign trade firms reduce operating costs.
  • Recently, due to inventory build-up and canceled orders, many foreign trade companies have faced increased financial pressure. In response, Fuzhou City, Fujiang Province is working with financial institutions to defer loan repayments or offer no-principal-renewal loans.

According to statistics, among the hundreds of thousands of Chinese enterprises with export performance in 2024, nearly 85 percent are also engaged in domestic sales, with domestic sales accounting for nearly 75 percent of their total revenue.

Source: People’s Daily, May 16, 2025
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202505/16/content_30073573.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources US-China Relations

BRICS Development Bank Accepts Algeria as a New Member

On May 22, the New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, announced that Algeria has officially become a new member.

NDB is a multilateral development bank jointly established in 2015 by the five original BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), with headquarter in Shanghai. Its goal is to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries as well as other emerging markets and developing countries.

NDB began its expansion in 2021. To date, Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Algeria have officially become new member countries.

The BRICS system has also expanded with six new members in 2024–2025, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Source: Xinhua, May 22, 2025
http://www.news.cn/world/20250522/dd27412847af4061822c72cb325f98eb/c.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

President Lukashenko’s Unannounced Visit to China and Meeting with Xi Jinping Raises Diplomatic and Political Questions

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited China from June 2 to 4, with the highlight of his trip being a meeting with Xi Jinping on June 4. Notably, the meeting was held in Zhongnanhai, the leadership compound of the Chinese Communist Party, rather than the traditional venue, the Great Hall of the People. During the meeting, Xi remarked, “My office is right next door. This is the first time I’ve received you here.”

According to the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA), Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov emphasized the “special nature” of the visit, describing it as “neither a working visit nor an official state visit, but a special trip for a family-style friendly luncheon.”

Political analysts highlighted several anomalies surrounding the visit:

  • Although Belarus characterized the meeting as a “traditional friendly family gathering,” Lukashenko’s wife did not accompany him to China. Xi Jinping’s wife, Peng Liyuan, was also absent.
  • The visit appeared unannounced, with no prior notice issued by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • Upon Lukashenko’s arrival in Beijing on June 2, there was no coverage from Chinese state media, nor any indication of who received him at the airport.
  • No other members of the Politburo Standing Committee met with Lukashenko; his only public engagement was with representatives of the business community.

YouTuber and political commentator Da Yu offered his interpretation in a recent video, suggesting that Lukashenko’s sudden visit may be linked to Ukraine’s “Spider’s Web” drone attack on June 1, which reportedly destroyed or damaged many Russian warplanes, including nuclear-capable bombers. Russian President Vladimir Putin may have dispatched Lukashenko to Beijing to assess China’s position on the attack and gauge the extent of its willingness to support Russia in any retaliatory actions.

The visit has also reignited speculation over Xi Jinping’s political standing. Reports noted that Xi had not appeared in public between May 21 and June 3. While some argue that his meeting with Lukashenko on June 4 would dispel rumors of political instability, others view the event as a carefully staged appearance, suggesting that Xi may currently be restricted to Zhongnanhai.

Sources:
1. BelTA, June 5, 2025
https://chn.belta.by/president/view/-35724-2025/
2. Epoch Times, June 5, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/6/5/n14524823.htm
3. YouTube, June 5, 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjS09ZrEx4o

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics