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Briefings - 15. page

China’s November Retail Sales Growth Slowed to Three-Year Low

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that, data just released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed the year-over-year growth rate of retail sales of consumer goods in November, a key indicator of consumption, slowed sharply to 1.3 percent from 2.9 percent in October. The numbers are far below market expectations and reached the lowest growth rate since the end of the strict Zero-Covid measures in December 2022.

Automobile sales were the major drag on retail growth, falling 8.3 percent year-over-year in November, down from -6.6 percent in October and marking the lowest level since April 2022. Growth in trade-in goods such as home appliances and mobile phones also generally slowed. The year-over-year growth rate of gold and silver jewelry consumption fell 29.1 percent from its high to 8.5 percent. And the year-over-year growth rate of catering also slowed to 3.2 percent in November, down from 3.8 percent in October.

Economists pointed out that the problem of insufficient aggregate demand in China’s economy remains severe. The overall overcapacity problem led to insufficient demand. It’s worth noting that the data from the National Bureau of Statistics also shows the year-over-year growth rate of real estate investment further declined by -30.1 percent in November.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, December 15, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/finance/china/story20251215-7968567

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Media Reports Beijing Sets “Three Conditions” for a KMT–Xi Jinping Meeting

Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao reported that Taiwan’s Liberty Times, citing sources from Beijing’s Taiwan affairs system and within the Kuomintang (KMT), said Song Tao, director of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Taiwan Affairs Office, stated that if the KMT seeks a “Zheng–Xi meeting” — a summit between the KMT and the CCP’s top leader — it must demonstrate a “firm commitment to following the correct course of history” and meet three specific conditions.

These three demands, privately referred to within the KMT as the “three tickets,” reportedly include:

  1. Blocking the military procurement budget proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to purchase U.S. weapons. Commentators noted this has already happened, as the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in the Legislative Yuan have twice blocked a NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defense budget.
  2. Immediately halt legislative efforts framed as national security measures that restrict or discriminate against mainland Chinese spouses, as well as mainland Chinese business and investment in Taiwan. Commentators said this has also occurred, noting that KMT legislators recently proposed amendments to the Nationality Act that would allow mainland Chinese spouses holding PRC nationality to run for public office in Taiwan without renouncing their Chinese citizenship. Critics argue that family-reunification channels for mainland spouses have become an important avenue for CCP agents to infiltrate Taiwan’s political system.
  3. Beijing would welcome the KMT firmly restating unification with China as its central strategic goal, while also proposing institutional reforms and concrete actions to eliminate systems deemed unfriendly or harmful to that objective.

According to the report, KMT vice chairpersons visited mainland China several times in recent months to discuss these issues with Song Tao, ultimately securing Beijing’s agreement to hold the “Zheng–Xi meeting” around the Lunar New Year. The KMT rejected the “three tickets” report, denouncing it as fabricated.

Sources:
1. Lianhe Zaobao, December 8, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20251208-7932502
2. Epoch Times, December 13, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/12/n14654310.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

World Steel Association Warns China’s Steel Overcapacity Is Harder to Contain as Trade Barriers Rise

The World Steel Association says China’s long-standing steel overcapacity problem is becoming increasingly difficult to resolve. Despite a prolonged property slump and weak domestic demand, China’s crude steel output has hovered near 1 billion tons a year for two decades. Sharp production cuts could have serious economic and employment consequences given steel’s central role in the economy.

High output has driven Chinese steelmakers to boost low-priced exports, pressuring producers in Europe, the United States, and Asia. Worldsteel expects China’s steel demand to decline further in 2025–26 without an economic rebound. In response, countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, the EU, the U.S., and Canada have imposed or expanded anti-dumping and countervailing duties, with some tariffs reaching double-digit levels.

Domestic capacity-cut efforts are constrained by local governments’ reliance on steel for jobs and revenue. Although China is seeking new markets such as the Middle East, rising global trade barriers are narrowing export options, with some analysts forecasting China’s direct steel exports could fall by half within five years.

Source: Epoch Times, December 8, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/8/n14650989.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Japan Reports Foreign Purchases of Land in National Security–Sensitive Areas, China Leads

The Japanese government has released data on land and building acquisitions in areas deemed critical for national security in fiscal year 2024. Approximately 3 percent of these properties were acquired by foreign individuals or entities, with nearly half coming from mainland China.

Under Japanese law, land surrounding key facilities—such as Self-Defense Forces bases and nuclear power plants—is strictly regulated due to national security concerns.

In fiscal 2024, there were 113,827 newly acquired properties in these sensitive areas, of which 3,498 (3.1 percent) were obtained by foreign individuals or corporations. By region, mainland China accounted for 1,674 acquisitions, the highest number, followed by Taiwan with 414 and South Korea with 378.

Source: NHK, December 16, 2025
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/zh/news/20251216_ML04/

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Builds Installations in China–South Korea Joint Waters, Raising Security Concerns

A December 9 report by Beyond Parallel, a Korea-focused website run by the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), revealed photographs of 16 Chinese installations constructed within the China–South Korea Interim Measures Zone in the Yellow Sea. Under the 2001 China–South Korea Fisheries Agreement, the overlapping exclusive economic zones in the Yellow Sea are designated as jointly managed waters. The report notes that the construction of permanent facilities in this area violates the agreement.

According to the report, China has repeatedly refused South Korea’s requests to remove the installations and has unilaterally declared no-navigation zones around them. Since 2020, South Korean vessels have attempted to monitor Chinese activities 135 times, with 27 of those attempts intercepted by Chinese coast guard ships. Analysts also note that China has deployed 13 multifunctional buoys capable of collecting oceanographic data but potentially usable for underwater surveillance, including monitoring submarine activity—underscoring their dual civilian-military purpose.

Experts argue that these deployments reflect China’s broader “gray-zone” strategy, in which ostensibly civilian facilities are used to advance military objectives and strengthen maritime control. The Yellow Sea is considered strategically vital for Chinese naval operations moving south from bases in Shandong Province and the Bohai Gulf. The report urges the United States and South Korea to consider publicizing the coordinates of the installations. Meanwhile, South Korean media have called for reciprocal measures, citing similar responses by Vietnam, and South Korea has already begun countermeasures, including deploying its own floating platform in disputed waters—officially for environmental research—to monitor Chinese activities.

Source: Epoch Times, December 14, 2025
https://hk.epochtimes.com/news/2025-12-14/16128304

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese Police Begin Using AI-Powered Smart Glasses

A video circulating on Chinese social media shows police officers in Tianjin patrolling the streets while wearing AI-enabled smart glasses. The footage demonstrates that the devices can not only recognize people’s identities and vehicle information by connecting to police databases in real time, but also analyze facial expressions and raise alerts.

In one segment, the glasses display details such as green identification frames, scanning prompts, and progress bars. Another clip shows pedestrians at a subway station labeled with “abnormal” expressions, alongside their names and partial ID numbers.

An IT professional in Shenzhen told reporters that these devices are intended for street surveillance and data collection. He noted that experiments with similar technology began as early as 2018 in cities like Beijing and Xi’an, but deployment has accelerated significantly in recent years.

Source: Epoch Times, December 11, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/11/n14653185.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics Social Stability

China Announces Mandates of National Real-Name Registration and Identification of Civilian Drones

China’s market regulator has issued two mandatory national standards for civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), focusing on real-name registration, activation, and operational identification. Under the new rules, all civilian drones in China must display registration information and complete real-name registration and activation before they can be flown. The standards also require drones to continuously broadcast identity, position, speed, and status data during flight to ensure full visibility and regulatory oversight.

The regulations mandate additional technical requirements, including anti-tampering protections for identification systems and the storage of flight data for at least 120 flight hours. Drones will be prohibited from flying if their identification systems are not functioning properly.

Both standards will take effect on May 1 next year, with transition periods for existing drones and manufacturers. Producers must upgrade older models within 12 months, while previously sold drones will have a 36-month transition period to meet the new requirements. After this period, non-compliant drones will be banned from operation. Authorities also plan to implement product certification and enforce penalties against non-compliant manufacturing and sales.

Source: Huanqiu Times, December 9, 2025
https://uav.huanqiu.com/article/4PTwtDoP9tG

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology Social Stability

Huanqiu Times: Defending Peace in a Language the Enemy Understands

Huanqiu Times published an article justifying China’s recent military actions toward Japan. On the night of December 9, a joint China–Russia bomber patrol was conducted over international airspace east of the Kuril Islands, approximately 700 kilometers from Tokyo. Commentators noted that the patrol placed Tokyo within the potential strike range of the bombers, which are capable of carrying long-range cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons.

Separately, China stated that its Liaoning aircraft carrier group, operating east of the Miyako Strait in accordance with previously announced schedules, was repeatedly approached and harassed at close range by Japanese F-15 fighter jets. According to China, the Japanese aircraft deliberately attempted to interfere with flight paths and communications, prompting Chinese aircraft to activate fire-control radar in response.

Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te publicly condemned China’s actions as inappropriate.

The article criticized Lai Ching-te and Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi, describing them as figures promoting division and militarism. It concludes by stating that China is issuing a calm, firm, and reasoned warning in terms its adversaries understand: China’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity are inviolable and will not be compromised.

Source: Huanqiu Times, December 11, 2025
https://taiwan.huanqiu.com/article/4PV6wsMoV9N

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend