China

Intelligence for Better Decision Making

China Expands Embodied Intelligence Education to Address Robotics Talent Shortage

Dec. 4, 2025 | Demographics & Human Capital

China is accelerating its integration of artificial intelligence in higher education to address critical workforce shortages in humanoid robotics and related technologies.

**Chinese universities, including Beihang University, Zhejiang University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, are launching embodied intelligence majors to tackle this talent gap.**
At Shanghai Jiao Tong, Lu Cewu, co-founder of Noematrix, will lead an undergraduate program that blends academic rigor with industry expertise. These initiatives foster collaboration between academia and leading robotics and AI companies through partnerships and dedicated practicum centers, ensuring graduates enter the workforce ready to drive growth in this fast-expanding sector.

**Moreover, the government backs embodied intelligence—which merges AI with physical systems to create adaptive, interactive robots—as a strategic economic growth engine alongside quantum technology and 6G.**
Analysts project China’s embodied intelligence market will reach 400 billion yuan by 2030 and exceed 1 trillion yuan by 2035. In 2025, investors closed over 140 global financing events in this sector, with Chinese entities participating in more than 80 percent of deals, underscoring China’s position as an investment and development leader.

**Nevertheless, the sector faces a talent shortage of about one million professionals.**
Embodied intelligence roles command salaries well above average AI positions, reflecting the specialized skills required in robotics, AI algorithms, sensor integration, and mechanical design. Major technology firms such as ByteDance, Huawei, and Tencent aggressively recruit these experts to secure their competitive edge.

**To close this gap, universities are transforming fragmented, outdated programs into comprehensive, interdisciplinary offerings that blend AI, mechanical engineering, computer science, and electronics.**
They emphasize hands-on laboratories, industry internships, and project-based learning to bridge theory and practice. Universities establish practicum centers and partner with key industry players to co-design course content, mentor students, and provide on-site training, thereby aligning academic programs with workforce needs. These measures develop expertise in humanoid locomotion, perception systems, human–robot interaction, and embedded control—skills essential to sustaining China’s leading position in the global embodied intelligence market.

China Escalates Diplomatic Pushback Against Japan Over Taiwan and Military Policy

Dec. 4, 2025 | Geopolitics & Defense

China has lodged strong objections to recent Japanese statements and policies concerning Taiwan, accusing Tokyo of flouting post-war agreements and international law.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned letters and remarks by Japan’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Prime Minister candidate Sanae Takaichi as “erroneous views and hypocritical lies.” He argued that Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan challenge the outcomes of World War II and the post-war international order, violate the UN Charter, and require Japan, as a defeated nation, to reflect on its obligations to China and the wider international community.

**Following this condemnation, China’s Permanent Representatives Fu Cong and Lin Jian sent successive letters to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, refuting Japan’s stated defense policies and demanding Tokyo clarify its “consistent position” on Taiwan as defined in the four political documents between China and Japan.**
Beijing rejected Japan’s attempt to distinguish between “exclusive defense” and “passive defense,” reaffirmed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and warned that any external interference in the Taiwan Strait will prompt a firm response.

**Beijing also accuses Japan of reviving militarism through thirteen consecutive years of defense spending increases, relaxed arms export controls, development of strike and counterstrike capabilities, and discussions about revising its non-nuclear principles.**
China holds that these actions contravene the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan’s own constitution, and Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, and represent unilateral efforts to alter the regional status quo against neighboring states’ wishes.

**Lin Jian further criticized Takaichi for linking Japan’s so-called “existential crisis” to a potential Taiwan contingency, saying it implied a threat of force against China and undercut Tokyo’s claim of a defense-only military posture.**
He also pointed to Japan’s own military expansions and reinterpretations of post-war commitments when Tokyo labels other countries’ defense buildups as coercive.

**These tensions surfaced at sea in the Diaoyu Dao area, where Chinese Coast Guard vessels expelled a Japanese fishing boat alleged to have entered Chinese waters illegally, underscoring Beijing’s assertion of control.**
Regional experts warn that Japan’s perceived militarist revival—including distributing defense white papers in elementary schools and strengthening ties with NATO—is escalating tensions and undermining security across Asia.

**Within Japan, Takaichi’s remarks have drawn criticism for straining Sino-Japanese relations and contradicting foundational agreements such as the 1972 Joint Statement.**
Emeritus Professor Hiroshi Onishi challenged the legality of invoking the Treaty of San Francisco to question Taiwan’s status, reaffirming that historic documents classify Taiwan as Chinese territory. In response to growing concerns, some Japanese politicians and business leaders have organized delegations to China, seeking to ease tensions and explore renewed engagement.

**China’s Foreign Ministry insists that Japan must withdraw Takaichi’s remarks and take concrete corrective steps to address ongoing provocations and historical distortions by right-wing forces.**
Beijing emphasizes that only by honoring its post-war commitments and upholding international obligations can Japan normalize ties with China and prevent further deterioration of bilateral relations.

Monitored Intelligence for China - Dec. 5, 2025

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Erudite Risk takes an all risks approach to intelligence reporting. We categorize key intelligence into one of 40 different risk intelligence categories.

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PBOC Trades Gov’t Bonds for Second Straight Month, Adding Net Liquidity of USD7 billion

Yicai Global | English | News | Dec. 5, 2025 | UndeterminedFinancial System Problems

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), injected a net CNY50 billion (USD7 billion) into the financial system through government bond trading in November to ease liquidity pressures during the year-end funding squeeze. This amount is up by CNY30 billion from October, marking the second consecutive month of net liquidity addition via bond trading. The PBOC resumed such trading earlier this year after halting it due to supply-demand imbalances and bond market risks.

Analysts view the continued bond purchases as a sign that market conditions have improved enough to support PBOC trading and indicate a persistently supportive monetary stance aimed at stabilizing economic growth through the end of this quarter and into the next. Despite these efforts, the bond market remains relatively weak, so increased government bond purchases serve to reassure market confidence and expectations of loose monetary policy. The amount of bonds bought in November is considered a key indicator of potential policy direction in the near term.

Looking ahead, while monetary policy easing is anticipated this month or in early 2026 based on purchasing managers' index data, the bond market continues to face constraints from new fund sale rules, with 10-year government bond yields expected to trade within a narrow range of 1.75 to 1.85 percent. There may still be funding pressures and short-term spikes in money market rates at year-end despite broadly loose liquidity. Observers suggest that the PBOC’s net treasury purchases may stay steady or increase slightly in response to these conditions.

揭开新型腐败“面纱”，让隐性腐败难“隐”

Unveiling the Veil of New Forms of Corruption to Make Hidden Corruption Hard to Conceal

Guangming Daily | Local Language | News | Dec. 5, 2025 | Corporate Corruption or Fraud

The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate have jointly released typical cases highlighting new, concealed forms of corruption in the financial sector and their legal consequences. These cases expose methods such as receiving bribes disguised as "labor remuneration" or profit distribution from cooperative operations, making hidden corruption more difficult to conceal and enabling precise legal punishment.

The Huang bribery case exemplifies corruption linked to the government-business "revolving door." Huang, a former state-owned commercial bank executive, received over 42.68 million yuan through "settling-in fees," salary, and bonuses from a company controlled by Huang Mousen after facilitating that company’s access to the bank’s client list. Huang was sentenced to 14 years in prison, fined 4 million yuan, and had illegal earnings confiscated, setting clear legal boundaries against disguised bribery.

Bribery via "cooperative operation" without actual capital investment is also targeted, as seen in the case of Li and Xu, state-owned trust practitioners who accepted illicit property under this pretense. Their sentencing illustrates the judiciary’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption in the trust industry and the broader financial sector.

Other severe cases like that of Liu and Wu demonstrate strict punishments for large-scale bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of influence resulting in significant unrecoverable loans and misappropriation of public funds. Liu received more than 150 million yuan in bribes, while Wu accepted over 275 million yuan and embezzled more than 508 million yuan. Both received sentences of death with reprieve and lifelong imprisonment, underscoring the judiciary’s firm commitment to combating financial sector corruption.

Purbaya Bakal Negosiasi Ulang dengan China Bahas Utang Whoosh

Purbaya Will Renegotiate with China Regarding Whoosh Debt

JPNN | Local Language | News | Dec. 5, 2025 | Shifting Geopolitical Alliances

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has announced plans to renegotiate the debt settlement with China concerning the Whoosh Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project. The Ministry of Finance is finalizing the negotiation plan in collaboration with Danantara Indonesia, with technical teams from both sides preparing to discuss the optimal approach. Although the details are still unclear, the overall objective is defined.

Purbaya confirmed that he and Danantara Indonesia are ready to travel to China for negotiations but emphasized the importance of first determining the proper counterpart and the settlement scheme to be proposed. He noted uncertainty about whether the meeting would be with the China Development Bank (CDB) or the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and said travel plans will proceed only once these details are confirmed.

The Whoosh High-Speed Rail project currently carries a debt burden estimated at around USD 7.2 billion (approximately Rp 116 trillion), which has increased due to cost overruns from the initial budget of USD 6.07 billion.

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