April 2026
China launches campaign to ensure fair, transparent school admissions
China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) on April 3 issued a circular outlining plans for a 2026 special campaign to promote fair, well-regulated and transparent admissions in primary and secondary schools.
The circular highlights equal access to education for key groups, calling for the full implementation of policies to ensure that children of migrant workers are enrolled in public schools primarily on the basis of residence permits.
From: Xinhua
China boosts medical innovation for public health
China will accelerate the development of core medical technologies and innovative drugs targeting common and complex diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, as part of its effort to harness science for better public health, officials and experts said on April 7.
They made the remarks at a World Health Day event in Beijing. Observed annually on April 7, this year’s theme — “Together for Health, Stand with Science” — reflects the World Health Organization’s call for global collaboration and support for science.
From: China Daily
National healthcare contest opens registration for 2026
The 2026 National Intelligent Healthcare Security Contest, which aims to promote the use of digital tools to address real-world healthcare challenges, officially opened registration on April 9, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the cohosts of the event.
This year’s contest is the third edition of the event. It will integrate anonymized healthcare security data from key regions in northern and northeastern China, as well as data from selected government departments, top-tier hospitals, and authoritative institutions.
The total data volume is expected to reach 60 terabytes, authorities said during a news conference on April 9.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China enhances medical insurance policies to strengthen primary healthcare
China will improve its medical insurance policies to bolster the development of primary healthcare, an official from the National Healthcare Security Administration said at a news conference on April 10.
These steps include gradually increasing the proportion of medical insurance fund expenditures allocated to primary-level institutions, adjusting outpatient reimbursement rates at the grassroots level, promoting payment reforms tailored to primary care services, ensuring drug supplies, and deploying intelligent tools to enhance public convenience.
Specifically, the guideline proposes that the basic medical insurance reimbursement rate for outpatient services at primary medical institutions shall be no less than 50 percent.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China to boost two-way urban-rural job mobility
China will roll out a policy package to integrate its urban and rural employment policy system, facilitating two-way mobility and the integration of labor markets, according to official guidelines made public on April 15.
The guidelines, jointly released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, aim to promote high-quality and sufficient employment for both urban and rural workers.
The measures focus on developing employment opportunities, building equal-access public employment services, allocating training resources, protecting worker rights, and assisting disadvantaged groups.
From: Xinhua
China unveils measures to build youth-friendly cities with career opportunities, better life
China has rolled out a new policy package aimed at creating youth-friendly cities, as part of broader efforts to build “people-centered” modern cities and boost the vitality of the society.
The document, released recently by 15 departments, including the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC), the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Education, outlines 18 measures designed to improve urban environments for young people, the CYLC said on April 22.
The measures seek to transform cities into hubs where young people can pursue high-quality development, enjoy better living standards, and actively participate in governance, the document noted.
From: Xinhua
China bolsters expansion of poverty alleviation gains
China is ramping up efforts to provide regular and targeted assistance to ensure the sustainable development of people who have been lifted out of poverty, officials with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on April 23.
As the country moves beyond the transitional period following its elimination of absolute poverty and advances the rural vitalization initiative, a normalized system of targeted support has been implemented to prevent people from slipping back into poverty while strengthening long-term development capacity.
From: China Daily
New action plan bolsters family farms
China unveiled a new action plan on April 24 aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of modern agricultural business entities, encouraging smallholder farmers to develop green and efficient family farms while boosting rural incomes.
The plan, released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, calls for stronger support for family farms and closer integration between smallholder farmers and modern agriculture.
Local authorities are encouraged to guide willing farmers toward developing moderately scaled, intensive, green and efficient family farms, the plan said.
From: China Daily
Chinese navy hospital ship treats over 26,000 in longest overseas medical mission
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, returned home on April 26 after completing the 234-day overseas medical mission, the longest deployment of its kind undertaken by the Chinese navy.
Codenamed “Mission Harmony-2025,” the voyage began in September 2025 and took the ship to Nauru, Fiji, Tonga, Jamaica, Barbados and Papua New Guinea, where it delivered a wide range of free medical services to local communities.
Over the course of the mission, the team handled 26,324 outpatient visits and performed 2,724 surgical operations. In addition, 17,273 diagnostic tests and examinations were carried out, while 136 patients were given inpatient care.
From: Xinhua
China mulls draft law revision for better inmate rehabilitation, reintegration
China’s top legislature advanced a draft revision to the Prison Law for a third reading on April 27, moving a step closer to adopting changes designed to strengthen inmate rehabilitation and facilitate reintegration into society.
The draft revision, submitted to an ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), aims to promote professional, science-based and collaborative approaches to inmate rehabilitation and prison education.
From: Xinhua
China steps up efforts to improve capacity, quality of service sector
China will deepen reform to remove barriers, harness technology to cultivate new growth drivers, roll out practical measures to boost opening up, and commit fiscal resources to support capacity expansion and quality improvement in the service sector, said Shen Zhulin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission on April 28.
Speaking at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Shen emphasized that efforts will be exerted to support higher-end manufacturing and uplift people’s lives.
From: Xinhua
China’s job market stable in Q1, 2.99 million urban jobs added
China’s job market remained generally stable in the first quarter of 2026, with 2.99 million new jobs created in urban areas nationwide and an average surveyed urban unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
From January to March, efforts focused on employment for key groups, such as college graduates and young people, to seize the critical period for graduates entering the job market and accelerate measures to help more secure employment as early as possible, Cui Pengcheng, a ministry spokesperson, said at a news conference on April 28.
China has set a target of around 5.5 percent for the surveyed urban unemployment rate in 2026 and aims to create more than 12 million new urban jobs this year.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese court defends labor rights in new AI-replacement case
A Chinese court has ruled in favor of a human employee in a labor dispute caused by AI replacement, which experts said may send a reassuring message to labor rights protection efforts in the age of automation.
The case was published on April 28 by the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Hangzhou, an AI hub in Zhejiang Province in east China, along with a set of “typical examples of protecting the rights of AI enterprises and workers” in the lead-up to International Workers’ Day, which falls on May 1.
From: Xinhua
China sets mutual-aid eldercare services target amid aging population
China has unveiled a policy document to promote the development of mutual-aid eldercare services, as the country steps up efforts to address the challenges of an aging population and meet the increasingly diverse needs of older residents, authorities said on April 29.
The guideline, jointly issued by 11 government departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, defines mutual-aid eldercare as voluntary, non-profit services delivered through mutual assistance among neighbors or residents within villages and communities.
From: Xinhua
China streamlines social aid, boosts data protection
Following the adoption of a new law, the application process for social assistance in China will become more streamlined, while protection of applicants’ personal data will be significantly strengthened.
The Social Assistance Law, consisting of 78 articles in seven chapters, was passed on April 30 by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, at the close of its latest session. The law will take effect on July 1.
The law aims to improve the social assistance workflow, making it easier for those in need to access support, while prioritizing protection of applicants’ personal information as a fundamental principle outlined in the first chapter.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
May 2026
China issues measures to assess Beautiful China construction progress
China has unveiled assessment measures for the building of a Beautiful China, aiming to promote green and low-carbon development and achieve overall improvement in ecological and environmental quality, according to an official document made public on May 7.
The document, jointly issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on April 25, says the assessment of annual major targets will cover air quality, water and marine ecological environments, the soil environment, solid waste pollution prevention and control, and ecological quality.
Assessment results will be graded on a 100-point scale and classified into four categories, namely excellent, good, qualified and unqualified, the document notes.
From: Xinhua
China Red Cross aids over 16,000 seriously ill children in past year
The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) helped more than 16,000 seriously ill children over the past year, including financial support for over 7,000 young leukemia patients and more than 5,000 children living with congenital heart disease, it announced at a press briefing on May 7.
The RCSC also carried out congenital heart disease screening in 12 provincial-level regions across the country, reaching a total of 150,000 children, said Bian Xiao, RCSC vice president.
RCSC branches at all levels have established service teams for voluntary blood donation with over 200,000 members. Meanwhile, the China Marrow Donor Program added 170,000 new donor samples to its database.
From: Xinhua
China unveils guidelines to regulate, boost innovative development of AI agents
Chinese authorities issued implementation guidelines on May 8 to promote the standardized application and innovative development of artificial intelligence (AI) agents, amid the country’s accelerated push to advance the “AI plus” action.
The guidelines, jointly issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), aim to incorporate the State Council’s guidelines on implementing the “AI plus” action and foster the orderly growth of intelligent agents as key forms of AI products and services, according to an official statement.
From: Xinhua
China opens global AI education service platform
China announced the launch of a global AI education service platform during the 2026 World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou on May 12, east China’s Zhejiang Province, aiming to promote cross-border sharing of high-quality educational resources and further integrate AI into education.
The launch comes as part of a broader upgrade to the Smart Education of China, a digital education platform now accessible in around 220 countries and regions. The upgraded platform expands its international services with new features, including a lifelong learning hub and a Chinese language learning community.
From: Xinhua
China-Central Asia forum focuses on promoting human rights progress through high-quality development
The fourth China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum was held on May 14, focusing on jointly promoting human rights progress through high-quality development.
In his address, Vice President of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development Li Hongkui said that China and Central Asian countries should firmly adhere to the principles of promoting development through cooperation and promoting human rights through development.
The forum was initiated in 2023 by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development.
From: Xinhua
Chinese vice premier urges consolidation of poverty alleviation
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has urged more efforts to steadily advance regular assistance and continue to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation to boost rural revitalization.
Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in southwest China’s Yunnan Province from May 12 to May 14.
From: Xinhua
Judicial services made more accessible to nation’s persons with disabilities
With details of five landmark cases released on May 17, National Disability Day, the Supreme People’s Court and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation reaffirmed their commitment to better protecting individuals with disabilities by improving access to barrier-free judicial services.
The other four cases released on May 17 also focused on key issues affecting disabled individuals in modern employment, including labor compensation, livestreaming tips, consumer rights and personal injury.
From: China Daily HK edition
China rolls out action plan to boost employment
An action plan for stabilizing jobs, expanding employment capacity and improving employment quality, issued by the leading group on employment work under the State Council, was made public on May 18.
The plan outlines policy measures that focus on meeting labor demand in key sectors, tapping employment potential and raising employment quality, among other priorities.
To stabilize labor demand in key sectors, the plan proposes developing the manufacturing sector in light of local conditions to absorb more workers, stepping up support for sectors such as construction, accommodation and catering to unlock further employment space, and keeping the recruitment scale of policy-backed posts stable.
From: Xinhua
Chinese national political advisors discuss boost for education, technology and talent building
The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s national political advisory body, held a special consultative session in Beijing on May 19 to promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent.
Addressing the meeting, Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, stressed that education, science and technology, and talent are fundamental and strategic pillars of Chinese modernization.
Nearly 100 CPPCC National Committee members attended the consultative session. A total of 22 political advisors and experts delivered speeches.
From: Xinhua
China earmarks 120 million yuan in disaster relief funds for five regions
China on May 19 allocated 120 million yuan (about 17.6 million U.S. dollars) from its central natural-disaster-relief fund to support relief efforts in regions affected by flooding, geological disasters and earthquakes, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said.
The emergency funds, allocated by the MOF and the Ministry of Emergency Management, were distributed to five provincial-level regions: Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Chongqing and Guizhou.
The funds will be used to support emergency rescue and relief efforts, focusing on search, rescue and relocation of disaster-affected residents. They will also be used to mitigate hazards, inspect and remediate secondary disaster risks, and repair damaged homes, among other things.
From: Xinhua
Joint report calls for deeper China-Europe cooperation on promoting global human rights cause
A report released on May 19 by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and other Chinese and European human rights research institutions highlighted shared challenges facing global human rights governance and called for deeper China-Europe cooperation on advancing the global human rights cause.
The report consists of four sections, namely “In What Era Do We Live?” “Is Cross-Civilizational Consensus on Human Rights Possible?” “What New Human Rights Challenges Do We Jointly Face?” “How Can We Jointly Build the Future of Human Rights?”
The report was issued ahead of the 2026 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights, which was held in Paris from May 21 to 22. It was jointly released by research institutions, which also included the Academy of Overseas Sciences of France, the Catedra China of Spain, the Institute of the Czech Left, the Chrysea Center of Greece, the MultiCulture Equal Development Center of Italy, and the International Association of Human Rights and Social Development of Switzerland.
From: Xinhua
Guideline calls for human-centric AI
China has released a technical guideline on the ethics and safety of artificial intelligence applications, offering a Chinese approach that emphasizes human-centered development, AI for good, and human leadership over AI systems
The document, titled “Ethics-Safety Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence Applications 1.0”, was released on May 19 at a subforum of the 2026 China Internet Civilization Conference in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Issued by the National Technical Committee 260 on Cybersecurity, China’s key body responsible for cybersecurity standardization, the guideline is described as a “principle-based and reference technical document”. It covers AI application development, service provision and use, and provides guidance for organizations and individuals carrying out AI-related activities.
From: China Daily
Chinese, European scholars discuss human rights challenges, development in Paris
Over 150 officials and human rights scholars from China and European countries gathered in Paris on May 21 for the 2026 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights.
The seminar, themed “The Future of Human Rights Under an Evolving International Order,” addressed key topics including human rights challenges, countries’ respective responsibilities and the historical value and modern development of human rights concepts, as well as fraternity, international solidarity and a community with a shared future for humanity.
From: Xinhua
China sets up more education bases to promote human rights
Six new national education and training bases on human rights were unveiled in China on May 22, bringing the total number of such bases to 20.
The move is a key step in the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2021-2025), according to a circular issued by Chinese authorities.
The institutions newly authorized to serve as national education and training bases are human rights research centers at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Minzu University of China, Zhejiang University, East China University of Political Science and Law, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
From: Xinhua
Advances hailed 75 years since Xizang liberation
Foreign experts and scholars praised the Xizang autonomous region’s achievements in development since its peaceful liberation 75 years ago at a symposium held in the regional capital Lhasa on May 23.
As an important event marking the historical milestone, the international academic symposium brought together domestic and overseas experts, scholars and researchers to review Xizang’s 75-year journey and discuss valuable experiences in regional development in the new era.
Experts and scholars also shared their views on the ecological conservation efforts in the plateau region.
From: China Daily
China issues first rules protecting rights of workers beyond retirement age
China on May 25 released its first set of rules specifically protecting the rights and interests of workers beyond the statutory retirement age, filling a gap in the country’s labor legal framework as the population ages.
The full text of the “Interim Provisions on the Protection of the Basic Rights and Interests of Over-Age Workers” was jointly issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and four other government agencies. The rules will take effect on July 1.
The provisions apply to employers that hire workers who have exceeded the statutory retirement age, as well as individuals who have retired early under relevant policies and are subsequently rehired.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
Blueprint unveiled for Beijing’s project 2035
A long-term blueprint for the quality urban development of Beijing was released on May 28, with strategic goals through 2035 outlined for transforming the Chinese capital into a world-class, harmonious and livable city.
Planners aim to achieve marked progress in the city’s urban upgrading drive by 2030 and fully establish its signature livable metropolitan framework by 2035.
Central to the plan is the enhancement of Beijing’s global influence as a key international hub.
According to the plan, the capital will bolster national diplomatic undertakings, upgrade its international urban environment and expand comprehensive global exchanges.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China’s State Council issues urban renewal plan during 2026-2030
China’s State Council released an urban renewal plan on May 28, outlining key targets, major tasks and projects, as well as policy measures for the country’s urban renewal efforts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The plan envisions that by 2030, significant progress is expected to be achieved in urban renewal, and the shift to a new paradigm for urban development and construction will begin to deliver tangible results. Also in this period, cities will be expected to evolve into places that ensure a high quality of life for the people.
It outlines six major tasks, including fostering new drivers of urban development, creating high-quality urban living spaces, advancing the green and low-carbon transition of cities, building safer and more resilient cities, promoting the flourishing of urban culture, and enhancing urban governance capabilities.
From: Xinhua
China improves rights protection for minors
China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs requires minor protection agencies nationwide to offer tailored services such as mental health support and assistance for autistic children based on local needs and available resources, according to a circular issued on May 31.
The document also orders agencies to update data on children in temporary guardianship scenarios, as well as records of support provided to vulnerable minors outside institutional care.
Moreover, local civil affairs departments must conduct safety inspections covering fire, food, building and electricity at minor protection facilities.
From: Xinhua
