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Serbia Confirms Purchase of Chinese Supersonic Missiles

According to a report by Sputnik News, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed that Serbia has purchased Chinese CM-400AKG supersonic air-to-ground ballistic missiles as part of a broader military modernization program. The announcement followed the release of media photos showing Serbian fighter jets equipped with the Chinese missiles. Vučić said the weapons were recently acquired for Serbia’s air force and are part of a national defense upgrade plan valued at about $17 billion.

The missiles are reportedly mounted on Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets, which currently form the backbone of the Serbian Air Force. The CM-400AKG, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), can carry a 150-kg explosive warhead or a 200-kg penetrator warhead and has a maximum range of about 400 kilometers. Vučić said Serbia already possesses a significant number of these missiles and may purchase additional units, describing them as expensive but highly effective.

Serbian officials say the defense upgrade is partly driven by perceived regional security threats. Vučić referenced what he described as a growing military alignment among Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo, which Serbia views as a potential challenge to its security environment. While emphasizing that Serbia does not intend to attack NATO members, Vučić suggested the country is strengthening its defense capabilities in response to regional tensions and uncertainty.

Source: Sputnik News, March 15, 2026
https://sputniknews.cn/20260315/1070247308.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

Open-Source AI “OpenClaw” Goes Viral in China but Raises Security and Cost Concerns

Open-source AI software OpenClaw—nicknamed “Little Lobster” because of its lobster icon—has recently become a viral trend on Chinese social media and technology communities. Originally developed by Austrian engineer Peter Steinberger and released in November 2025, OpenClaw functions as an AI agent capable of autonomously completing tasks once authorized by the user, such as reading documents, searching for information, writing code, and sending emails. Because of these capabilities, many engineers view it as a type of “digital worker.” Major Chinese cloud providers, including Tencent Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and Baidu AI Cloud, have already launched deployment services for the platform.

The surge in popularity has been amplified by major Chinese technology companies, smartphone manufacturers, and even local governments promoting the technology. Several local governments have introduced incentives to encourage adoption, including subsidies, computing resources, and free deployment support. For example, local authorities in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, and Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, have launched policy packages offering subsidies of up to 5 million yuan (US$720,000) to support development related to the technology. The trend has also gained traction online, with discussions about government officials experimenting with the system becoming a popular topic on social media.

However, the rapid enthusiasm has also raised concerns. Chinese authorities have issued warnings that OpenClaw could pose cybersecurity risks, including potential vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and data leaks. Users and industry observers have also complained about unexpectedly high operating costs. Running open-source AI agents like OpenClaw typically requires dedicated servers operating continuously, along with substantial computing resources and API usage fees. Some early adopters have reported large bills and technical problems such as accidental data deletion and privacy risks, leading some users to abandon the system despite the initial hype.

Source: Epoch Times, March 15, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/3/13/n14717851.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

China Moves to Expand and Politicize Social Work Workforce

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has issued a new directive aimed at strengthening its grassroots social governance by building up a professional social work force with stronger Party oversight. On March 1, the CCP Central Committee and the State Council released a policy document titled “Opinions on Advancing the Development of Professional Social Workers,” marking the latest initiative from the Central Social Work Department, established in 2023. The move also responds to goals outlined in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) to improve the professionalism of social workers.

The document contains six sections and 11 measures, covering four key areas: strengthening ideological and political guidance, improving professionalization, deepening professional training, and enhancing social work education. A central theme is expanding Party influence within social work institutions, with authorities pledging to accelerate the formation of Party organizations inside social service agencies to improve both Party organizational reach and the quality of its work.

On the professional development front, the document calls for clearly defining job roles and standards for social workers in public services and social governance, while also cultivating new fields and service models to create employment growth in the sector. Social organizations, businesses, and eligible government bodies are all encouraged to establish dedicated social work positions.

The directive comes despite ongoing fiscal pressures across many Chinese localities, where civil servants and doctors have reportedly faced pay cuts. Last year’s national fiscal work conference emphasized protecting basic spending on livelihoods, salaries, and operations. Nevertheless, the document pushes for expanding the capacity of social work.

The stated goal is that within approximately five years, the social work profession will see a more balanced structure, significantly improved professionalization, a larger pool of high-level talent, and steady growth in the number of social work positions nationwide.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), March 15, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202603150097.aspx

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Reportedly Moving to Reassert Influence Over North Korea

Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported that China is seeking to reassert its influence over North Korea after several years during which Pyongyang deepened its ties with Russia. Beijing is reportedly expanding economic engagement and cross-border cooperation in an effort to draw North Korea more firmly back into its sphere of influence. Analysts cited in the report say China hopes that stronger economic ties will increase Pyongyang’s dependence on Beijing.

Recent diplomatic exchanges suggest a gradual warming of relations between the two countries. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Beijing with an economic delegation to attend a military parade hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, while Chinese Premier Li Qiang later traveled to Pyongyang, signaling renewed high-level political engagement. Economic cooperation has also increased, with cross-border trade recovering significantly after pandemic-era restrictions. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner, and Chinese exports to North Korea reportedly reached about $2.3 billion last year, the highest level in several years. Business activity has also been picking up in the Chinese border city of Dandong, a key gateway for trade with North Korea. Local traders and logistics companies there have reported rising cross-border shipments and renewed commercial exchanges, suggesting that economic links between the two countries are gradually being restored.

Source: RFI, March 12, 2026
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20260312-中国正重新加强对朝鲜的控制，金正恩准备接受了吗

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

AI Mining: The U.S. and China Race for Africa’s Minerals

Artificial intelligence is transforming the global mining industry, and both the United States and China are now deploying AI-powered mining technologies across Africa, competing for access to the continent’s vast mineral wealth.

Chinese firm DeepVein Holdings has emerged as a leading player in AI mining, currently operating in five African countries — Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The company’s chairman, Feng Yunduan, explained that shallow, easily accessible mineral deposits are increasingly exhausted, forcing the industry into deeper, more dangerous, and geographically challenging terrain. To address this, DeepVein deploys fleets of robotic “machine dogs” that autonomously handle drilling, sample decomposition, and precision extraction — eliminating the need for human workers in high-risk environments such as high-altitude plateaus, extreme deserts, and tropical rainforests. This approach has also slashed soil sampling timelines from several months to just a few weeks.

On the American side, KoBold Metals — backed by billionaires including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, and widely regarded as the global leader in AI-driven mineral exploration — has invested over $200 million in mining high-grade copper at Mingomba, Zambia. The company is also expanding its exploration into Namibia and is currently the largest American enterprise operating in Zambia.

A key driver behind China’s push into African mining is the depletion of domestic mineral resources. Fu Xiaofang, a senior engineer at the Sichuan Provincial Comprehensive Geological Survey and Research Institute, noted that easily discoverable deposits in China have largely been exhausted, and even open-pit mining has become prohibitively expensive. Lithium deposits in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Sichuan, for instance, are mostly located above 4,000 meters in altitude, making extraction enormously costly due to extreme cold, low oxygen, and intense ultraviolet radiation.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), March 15, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202603150193.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Toll Road Comeback Fuels Public Anger Over Double Taxation

Shanxi Province recently announced the installation of three new toll stations along a 120-kilometer stretch of National Highway 108, with a collection period of nearly 30 years, reigniting widespread public frustration across China over the return of national highway tolls.

Under the plan, passenger vehicles under 2.5 tons will be charged 10 yuan ($1.38 USD) per trip, while trucks over 30 tons will pay 70 yuan ($9.65 USD). Locals have blasted the three stations as excessively dense for such a short corridor, with some calling the Shanxi government “legitimate road bullies.”

China abolished highway maintenance fees in 2009, replacing them with a fuel consumption tax built into gasoline prices, effectively making most national roads toll-free. However, since 2024, mounting fiscal pressures have driven local governments to reverse course. Starting in the second quarter of 2025, seven provinces — including Anhui, Gansu, Hubei, Jilin, Shanxi, Jiangsu, and Shandong — launched toll pilot programs on national highways, adding as many as 137 new toll stations nationwide.

Analysts point to two converging crises behind the trend. First, the collapse of China’s real estate market has gutted land sale revenues, a traditional pillar of local government income. Second, the rapid rise of electric vehicles, which now account for over 50 percent of new car sales, has eroded fuel tax revenues — which fell 18% in the first half of 2025 — since EVs are exempt from fuel taxes.

This has left gasoline car owners feeling they are paying twice. One estimate calculated that a fuel vehicle driver covering 15,000 kilometers annually already pays roughly 1,600 yuan ($220 USD) in fuel taxes, and would owe an additional 2,000 yuan ($276 USD) in tolls if 5,000 of those kilometers are on toll roads — the same amount an EV driver pays without any fuel tax obligation.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission has indicated it is studying a road-use fee mechanism for new energy vehicles, though no policy has yet been finalized.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), March 14, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202603140189.aspx

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing’s Links to Defense Industry and Iran Cooperation

A report by The Epoch Times suggests that Zhang Guoqing, China’s Vice Premier, may play a key role in China’s defense industry exports to Iran and the broader Middle East. According to sources familiar with China’s political system, Zhang is not a typical technocratic official but has deep ties to the country’s military-industrial sector. He previously held senior positions within China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO), a major state-owned defense conglomerate responsible for exporting weapons and related technologies. Because of this background, some observers view him as an important representative of China’s defense industry within the country’s top leadership.

The report states that Zhang has played a role in maintaining China’s military-industrial cooperation with Middle Eastern partners, particularly Iran. Following rising tensions involving Iran, Zhang was reportedly tasked by Xi Jinping with coordinating relevant supply chains and maintaining technical and industrial links with regional partners. According to individuals familiar with the defense sector, Iran has requested Chinese components related to drones, unmanned vessels, and smart naval mines that could potentially be assembled domestically.

The report also suggests that cooperation between China and Iran extends beyond weapons-related components to include communications infrastructure and surveillance technologies. Technology firms from several Chinese provinces have reportedly participated in the development of Iran’s telecommunications networks and monitoring systems. This combination of military technology, infrastructure development, and security systems has strengthened strategic ties between China and Iran while expanding Beijing’s influence in the region.

Source: Epoch Times, March 12, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/26/3/12/n14717195.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

CNA: After Banning Rednote, Taiwan Saw Average Fraudulent Cases Decreased by 73 Percent

Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that, in December of last year, the Taiwanese Ministry of the Interior announced that the Chinese social media platform Rednote (a.k.a. Xiaohongshu) failed the information security screening and was involved in 1,706 fraud cases in the past two years. The Ministry later issued an order to suspend internet access to the platform in accordance with Article 42 of the Fraud Crime Prevention Act, which stipulates “emergency events for fraud crime prevention”. The order is temporarily set for one year.

According to latest statistics from the Taiwanese Executive Yuan’s Anti-Fraud Command Center, after the implementation of the Rednote suspension, the average monthly number of fraud cases decreased by 73 percent, and financial losses decreased by 51 percent. The Command Center said that, based on its assessment, the fraud risks arising from Rednote will become a source of rapidly increasing fraud cases in the future if left unchecked, and these cases will be completely unprosecuted due to legal barriers between Taiwan and mainland China.

In order to lift the ban, the Taiwanese government requires technical and management improvements, including passing 15 national security and cybersecurity examinations. However, Rednote failed to respond to the official notice within the specified period.

Source: CNA, March 8, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202603080102.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology