Li in Brazil, But Xi Dominates the Headlines
Also in this edition: GCI Ministerial Meeting set for July 10-11; and my views on India-China ties
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Monday, July 7, 2025.
Page 1: In the absence of Xi Jinping in Rio, Premier Li Qiang is taking centre-stage at the BRICS summit from a Chinese perspective. Alas, in the paper today, it’s still Xi that dominates the headlines.
At the top of the page is a report on Xi’s letter “to teachers and students of the U.S. youth pickleball cultural exchange delegation from Montgomery County, Maryland, who have visited China under the initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span.”
“The future of China-U.S. relations depends on the youth, said Xi, expressing the hope that the delegation members will become a new generation of ambassadors for friendship between the two countries and make greater contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.”
The other top story on the page is about the publication of the first volume of selected works of Xi Jinping on ecological civilization. Xinhua reports:
“The volume brings together 79 pieces of Xi’s most important and fundamental works on ecological civilization construction from December 2012 to April 2025. Some of these works, which come in forms such as speeches and instructions, have been published for the first time. The publication serves as an authoritative resource that the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups across the nation can use for their in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, particularly Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. It is of great significance for Chinese people in establishing and practicing the idea that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, in supporting high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment, and in comprehensively advancing the building of a Beautiful China.”
The PD report adds that this book:
“provides an authoritative teaching material for the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country to thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. It is of important significance for cadres and the masses to deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the ‘Two Establishments’, to strengthen the four consciousnesses, enhance the four self-confidences, and achieve the ‘two safeguards’, to unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, to fully implement the spirit of the 20th Party Congress and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, to firmly establish and put into practice the concept that ‘lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets’, to unswervingly follow the path of civilized development featuring growing production, affluent lives, and sound ecology, to support high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment, to accelerate the modernisation of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, to comprehensively advance the building of a Beautiful China, and to open up broad prospects for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.” 《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷的出版发行，为全党全国各族人民深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想特别是习近平生态文明思想提供了权威教材，对于广大干部群众深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，全面贯彻党的二十大和二十届二中、三中全会精神，牢固树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山的理念，坚定不移走生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路，以高品质生态环境支撑高质量发展，加快推进人与自然和谐共生的现代化，全面推进美丽中国建设，为实现中华民族永续发展开辟广阔前景，具有重要意义.
Also note that the entire second page is dedicated to introducing the content of the book.
The only other noteworthy report on the page is about Li Qiang meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Li said that “China-Brazil relations are currently at their best in history, and the two sides are working together to build a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet. During President Lula’s visit to China in May this year, the two heads of state reached important consensus on deepening the construction of a China-Brazil community with a shared future and jointly safeguarding multilateralism. China is willing to continue working with Brazil to continuously enrich the connotation of bilateral relations, achieve more practical cooperation results, and better benefit the people of the two countries.” 李强表示，当前中巴关系处于历史最好时期，双方正携手构建更公正世界和更可持续星球的中巴命运共同体。今年5月卢拉总统访华期间，两国元首就深入推进中巴命运共同体建设、共同维护多边主义等达成重要共识。中方愿同巴方一道继续努力，不断丰富双边关系内涵，取得更多实际合作成果，更好造福两国人民.
“Li Qiang pointed out that China is willing to work with Brazil to fully leverage their complementary advantages, consolidate and deepen cooperation in bilateral trade, finance, and infrastructure construction under the framework of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and expand cooperation in fields such as the digital economy, green economy, scientific and technological innovation, and aerospace, so as to enhance the development momentum of the two countries. The two sides will jointly organise a series of activities for the ‘China-Brazil Cultural Year’ in 2026, strengthen cooperation in education, youth, medical and health care, further facilitate personnel exchanges, and consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Brazil friendly cooperation. China and Brazil are both defenders of multilateralism and free trade. China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Brazil in multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, BRICS, and the G20, unite the vast number of developing countries, promote an equal and orderly world multi-polarisation and inclusive economic globalisation, and inject more stability and certainty into the world. China supports Brazil in hosting the United Nations Climate Change Belém Conference.” 李强指出，中方愿同巴方发挥互补优势，在高质量共建“一带一路”框架下，巩固深化双边贸易、金融、基础设施建设等合作，拓展数字经济、绿色经济、科技创新、航天等领域合作，增强两国发展动能。共同办好2026年“中巴文化年”系列活动，加强教育、青年、医疗卫生等合作，进一步便利人员往来，夯实中巴友好合作的民意基础。中巴同为多边主义、自由贸易的维护者，中方愿同巴方加强在联合国、金砖国家、二十国集团等多边机制的沟通协调，团结广大发展中国家，推进平等有序的世界多极化和普惠包容的经济全球化，为世界注入更多稳定性确定性。中方支持巴西办好联合国气候变化贝伦大会.
Following the meeting, the two sides witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in such fields as fiscal and financial affairs, artificial intelligence, development strategies alignment and aerospace.
Page 3: There’s a brief report informing that the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Civilizations Dialogue will be held in Beijing on July 10-11. The theme for this will be ‘Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development.’ Over 600 people from approximately 140 countries and regions have registered to attend the meeting.
Page 7: There’s a report on the second ministerial meeting between China, Myanmar and Thailand on jointly cracking down on telecom frauds. The meeting saw the three countries agreeing on continuing to work together on the issue. As per the report, over 5,400 Chinese nationals suspected of fraud in Myawaddy have been repatriated in 2025, marking significant progress in the tripartite crackdown campaign.
Finally, I recently had a lengthy chat with Strat News Global discussing the India-China relationship. You can watch the full conversation below.