Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Friday, June 06, 2025.
Page 1: Let’s begin with the call between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The Chinese readout says:
“Xi Jinping said that recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of China-US relations requires the two sides to take the helm and set the right course especially to eliminate various disturbances and even destruction. This is is particularly important. According to the US proposal, the economic and trade leaders of the two countries held talks in Geneva, taking an important step toward resolving economic and trade issues through dialogue and consultation, which was universally welcomed by all sectors of both countries and the international community, and also proved that dialogue and cooperation are the only correct choice. Both sides should make good use of the already established economic and trade consultation mechanism with a spirit of equality, respect each other’s concerns, and strive for win-win results. The Chinese side is sincere about this, and at the same time has its principles. The Chinese people have always honoured their word with actions and ensured results. Since a consensus has been reached, both sides should abide by it. After the Geneva talks, China seriously implemented the agreement. The US should look at the progress made in a realistic way and withdraw the negative measures taken against China. The two sides should enhance exchanges in various fields such as diplomacy, economy and trade, military, and law enforcement, enhance consensus, reduce misunderstandings, and strengthen cooperation. 习近平指出，校正中美关系这艘大船的航向，需要我们把好舵、定好向，尤其是排除各种干扰甚至破坏，这尤为重要。根据美方提议，两国经贸牵头人在日内瓦举行会谈，迈出了通过对话协商解决经贸问题的重要一步，受到两国各界和国际社会普遍欢迎，也证明对话和合作是唯一正确的选择。双方要用好已经建立的经贸磋商机制，秉持平等态度，尊重各自关切，争取双赢结果。对此，中方是有诚意的，同时也是有原则的。中国人一向言必行、行必果，既然达成了共识，双方都应遵守。日内瓦会谈之后，中方严肃认真执行了协议。美方应实事求是看待取得的进展，撤销对中国实施的消极举措。双方应增进外交、经贸、军队、执法等各领域交流，增进共识、减少误解、加强合作.
Xi Jinping emphasised that the United States should prudently handle the Taiwan issue, and avoid letting an extremely small number of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist elements drag China and the United States into a dangerous situation of conflict and confrontation. 习近平强调，美国应当慎重处理台湾问题，避免极少数“台独”分裂分子把中美两国拖入冲突对抗的危险境地.
Trump expressed great respect for President Xi Jinping and said that the US-China relationship is very important. The US is pleased to see that China’s economy continues to grow strongly. US-China cooperation can accomplish many good things. The US will continue to pursue the one-China policy. The two countries’ economic and trade talks in Geneva were very successful and a good agreement was reached. The United States is willing to work with China to implement the agreement. The United States loves to have Chinese students coming to study in America. Xi welcomed Trump to visit China again, for which Trump expressed heartfelt appreciation. The two presidents agreed that their teams should continue implementing the Geneva agreement and hold another meeting as soon as possible.” 特朗普表示十分尊重习近平主席，美中关系十分重要。美方乐见中国经济保持强劲增长。美中合作可以做成很多好事。美方将继续奉行一个中国政策。两国日内瓦经贸会谈很成功，达成了好的协议。美方愿同中方共同努力落实协议。美方欢迎中国留学生来美学习。习近平欢迎特朗普再次访华，特朗普表示诚挚感谢。两国元首同意双方团队继续落实好日内瓦共识，尽快举行新一轮会谈.
“Trump called the conversation productive and said both sides agreed to meet soon. He also said Xi invited him to visit China and that he reciprocated the offer. ‘The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries,’ Trump wrote on social media. ‘There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,’ Trump wrote. ‘We had a very good talk and we’ve straightened out any complexity,’ Trump told reporters later Thursday, without elaborating. ‘I think we’re in very good shape with China and the trade deal’.
Another key detail is that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will be added to the trade talks format going ahead. “The addition of Lutnick to the U.S. negotiating team, in addition to Bessent and Greer, suggests that Beijing is getting a desired channel of communication with the cabinet member overseeing export controls.”
Another useful excerpt is this: “After the call, Trump told reporters, ‘Chinese students are coming—no problem. It’s our honor to have them, frankly’. He added, ‘We want to have foreign students, but we want them to be checked’.”
Below are Trump’s comments:
Note: My brief takeaway is that the call might have been useful, but it all depends on the actions that both sides take after the chat. The actions after the Geneva meeting betrayed all the optimism that was demonstrated during the talks. Let me make three points based on the reporting of the call. First, Xi’s comment about China having principles or its position being principled is a reminder that Beijing still believes time is on its side. Relative to the US, it can ride out the economic pressure for the moment. Second, it’s not remarkable that the US will talk to China about export controls. Even under the Biden administration, there was an “export control enforcement information exchange” mechanism that had been established. I am not sure if this is a concession. Maybe the US pulls back on some controls; maybe it doesn’t. Maybe the idea is to get some give and take, including on rare earths. The Chinese readout says nothing about rare earths or magnets. So we’ll see where this goes. Finally, Xi’s remarks on Taiwan are quite blunt. He is talking about the potential for conflict. On the other side, Trump is being narrowly trade focussed. There’s a dissonance in this.
Meanwhile, Vice President Han Zheng met with members of a US delegation attending the China-US Senior-Level Track Two Dialogue in Beijing. Xinhua says:
“Han noted that China-U.S. relationship is among the most important bilateral relations in the world today, which is at a crucial juncture and of historic significance. Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between China and the United States are not only beneficial to the two countries, but also to world peace and development, Han said. China hopes that the China-U.S. Senior-Level Track Two Dialogue will gather insightful views of people from both countries, enhance understanding and knowledge of China across all sectors in the United States, and contribute to the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, Han said.”
Next, there’s a report on Xi signing an order to promulgate regulations on developing military facilities. The regulations comprise 11 chapters and 63 articles, and will take effect on August 1. Xinhua reports that they focus on enhancing combat readiness and aim to adapt to the new command system and support mechanisms. The regulations also standardise the fundamental principles, management frameworks, operational procedures, and institutional requirements for military facility development.
Moving on, there’s a report on Ding Xuexiang’s visit to Shanxi, where he inspected preparations for the college entrance examination and energy sector reforms. Ding first visited the provincial Admissions and Examination Management Center and a test site at a Taiyuan middle school. The report says:
Ding said “that the college entrance examination (Gaokao) is related to the national economy and people’s livelihood, and is related to the vital interests of thousands of households. It is necessary to earnestly study and implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and ensure the realisation of the goal of ‘safe Gaokao’. In the reform of the examination and enrolment system and the organisation and implementation of the college entrance examination, we must always bear in mind the education of talents for the Party and the selection of talents for the country, and guard the ‘lifeline’ of fairness and justice. Shanxi is a province in the fifth batch of comprehensive gaokao reform implementation. We must carefully do well in the provision of examination service and comprehensive guarantee work, strengthen psychological counselling and humanistic care, and create a good examination environment for the students. Take the strictest measures, strengthen full-process supervision of test paper printing, transportation, and storage, severely crack down on examination cheating behaviour, strictly enforce enrolment and admission discipline, and ensure the safety, stability and smoothness of the gaokao.” 丁薛祥首先前往山西省招生考试管理中心和太原市晋源区实验中学考点，听取高考工作情况汇报，实地察看考务组织各环节工作情况。他说，高考事关国计民生，关系千家万户切身利益。要认真学习贯彻习近平总书记重要指示精神，贯彻落实党中央和国务院决策部署，确保实现“平安高考”目标。考试招生制度改革和高考组织实施，都要始终牢记为党育人、为国选才，守好公平公正“生命线”。山西是第五批高考综合改革落地省份，要精心做好考务服务和综合保障工作，强化心理疏导和人文关怀，为莘莘学子营造良好考试环境。采取最严措施，加强试卷印制、运送、保管等全流程监管，严厉打击考试舞弊行为，严肃招生录取纪律，全力保证高考安全平稳顺利.
Ding also visited the Shanxi College of Applied Science and Technology. This bit is important:
“He said that whether it is a public university or a private university, they are all universities run by the Party. We must fully integrate Party leadership into the school governance system, strengthen ideological and political guidance, unify the requirements and standards for ideological and political courses, and implement the fundamental task of moral education and talent cultivation. Adapt to the new situation of industrial upgrading, while cultivating high-skilled talents, pay attention to cultivating various types of talents needed for economic and social development. Strengthen employment guidance services, implement policy measures to increase employment support, and promote high-quality and full employment of college graduates.” 丁薛祥来到山西应用科技学院，调研民办高校发展情况。他表示，不管是公办大学还是民办大学，都是党办的大学。要把党的领导全面融入学校治理体系，强化思想政治引领，统一思政课要求和标准，把立德树人根本任务落到实处。适应产业升级新形势，在培养高技能人才的同时，注重培养经济社会发展需要的各类人才。加强就业指导服务，落实好加大就业帮扶的政策举措，促进高校毕业生高质量充分就业.
Next, at the State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Company, Ding said that “Shanxi is a major energy province and should take the lead in promoting clean and efficient utilization of coal, improve policy measures for new energy consumption and regulation, and accelerate the construction of a new energy system. Actively promote the construction of a unified national electricity market system and promote large-scale optimal allocation of energy resources. Strengthen energy supply guarantee during the peak summer period, promote stable operation of the thermal coal market, scientifically carry out power dispatching management, and ensure safe and stable electricity supply for people's livelihood and important users.” 丁薛祥走进国家电网山西省电力公司，调研能源革命综合改革试点等情况。他指出，山西是能源大省，要带头推进煤炭清洁高效利用，完善新能源消纳和调控政策举措，加快建设新型能源体系。积极推进全国统一电力市场体系建设，促进能源资源大范围优化配置。加强迎峰度夏期间能源保供，推动电煤市场平稳运行，科学开展电力调度管理，确保民生及重要用户用电供应安全稳定。
Finally, at the Taoyuan National Air Monitoring Station. Ding said that the battle to defend the blue sky is the top priority in the tough battle of pollution prevention and control. It is necessary to optimise and adjust the industrial structure, energy structure, and transportation structure in order to fundamentally solve the problem of environmental pollution. The ability to control pollution in a scientific and precise manner must be improved; ultra-low emission transformation in key industries must be accelerated; ‘scattered, disorderly, and polluting’ enterprises must be rectified in accordance with the law; and air quality must be continuously improved. Ecological and environmental monitoring data must be true and accurate, so as to provide a scientific basis for evaluating and improving policies, and support the successful fight to defend the blue sky, clear water, and clean soil.” 在桃园国控环境空气自动监测点，丁薛祥了解大气污染综合治理情况。他强调，蓝天保卫战是污染防治攻坚战的重中之重，要优化调整产业结构、能源结构、交通运输结构，从根本上解决环境污染问题。提升科学精准治污能力，加快重点行业超低排放改造，依法整治“散乱污”企业，持续改善空气质量。生态环境监测数据要真实准确，为评估完善政策提供科学依据，支撑打赢蓝天、碧水、净土保卫战.
Finally, if you are interested, the full revised regulations regarding the Working Procedures for Party Committees to Discuss and Decide on Disciplinary Matters related to Party Members is published today.
Page 2: There’s a report informing that China’s first fully independently developed advanced civil turboshaft engine, the AES100, has obtained its production license and secured a sales contract. This is being developed by the Aero Engine Corporation of China. Global Times’ report says:
“The awarding of this license signals China’s capability to independently develop and produce advanced civil turboshaft engines. The country has formed a complete domestic supply chain and industrial chain for such engines, which is important for the scaled application of the AES100 engine, advancing the low-altitude economy, and supporting the development of the general aviation industry,’ Li Gaiqi, chief designer of the AES100 engine, said at a meeting on the research and development of the engine held in Zhuzhou, Central China's Hunan Province on Thursday. On the same day, AECC and United Aircraft Group signed AES100 engine sales and lease contracts, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. The AES100 engine will serve as the core power unit of the 6-ton tiltrotor aircraft - Lanying R6000, powering it in functions involving large commercial payloads, long-range operations, and adaptability to complex environments, AECC said. The AES100 engine is China’s first fully independently developed, advanced civil turboshaft engine that meets international standards and is mainly employed in civil helicopters, making breakthroughs in more than 200 key technologies. The engine features the advantages of high reliability, low fuel consumption and convenient maintenance, and it is suitable for a wide range of applications, it said. The takeoff power of the turboshaft engine AES100 is no less than 1,000kW, and it can be installed on a 5- to 6-ton twin-engine helicopter or a 3- to 4-ton single-engine helicopter or a tiltrotor aircraft, with tasks including transportation, sightseeing, patrol or rescue. The AES100 turboshaft engine successfully completed rigorous ice tests involving airplane engines in January 2024, and received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in August 2024.”
Here’s a CCTV video on the AES100 engine:
Page 6: There’s a report informing that the NPCSC has launched an enforcement inspection for the Energy Conservation Law. The report says that the “inspection group will carry out on-site inspections in provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) such as Tianjin, Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Sichuan, and will entrust the standing committees of the people’s congresses in provinces (municipalities) such as Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Jilin, Shanghai, and Chongqing to inspect the implementation of the Energy Conservation Law within their administrative regions.”
The inspections will cover 8 areas:
the implementation of the energy conservation management system
progress in energy conservation work in key areas
energy conservation management of key energy-consuming units
promotion of progress in energy-saving technology
implementation of incentive measures for energy conservation
formulation of administrative regulations, departmental rules, and local regulations supporting the law
other problems existing in the implementation of the law;
and opinions and suggestions on revising the Energy Conservation Law