China's top court holds platforms liable for refunds.
Today's events
Platform liability.
Supreme People's Court published five model rulings, making shopping platforms jointly liable when weak merchant-deposit supervision leaves buyers unable to recover refunds.1Aug 3 · Supreme CourtIntellectual-property plan.
State Council issued a five-year intellectual-property plan ordering new protection rules for algorithms, artificial-intelligence output and data by 2030.2Jul 31 · State CouncilChip self-sufficiency.
State Council feature says domestically-made chips now cover a double-digit share of demand and that China has become the world's second-largest chip exporter.3Aug 3 · State CouncilBank governance rules.
Four financial regulators ordered a firewall between industrial and financial capital and barred over-leveraged shareholders from controlling lenders, targeting a new governance regime by 2029.4Jul 31 · PBOCCoal below half.
Coal power's share of generation fell below 50 percent for the first time in the first half, a Qiushi survey published August 3 said.5Aug 3 · QiushiLivestream crackdown.
Internet regulator had platforms punish more than 1,840 group-livestream accounts over vulgar shows, tip-baiting scripts and minors appearing on camera.6Aug 3 · CACState-firm expulsion.
Party discipline body expelled the former chairman of China Recycling Resources Development Group from the Party and public office; prosecutors take the criminal case.7Aug 3 · CCDIWorld AI body.
Eight governments, among them Iran, Vietnam and Brunei, signed the agreement founding the China-proposed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization.8Jul 31 · MFAJapan's spy agency.
Foreign ministry called Tokyo's new national intelligence agency, opened July 31, another negative turn in Japan's security policy and urged prudence.9Jul 31 · MFA
Voices
“We cannot look only at growth in gross domestic product. What is growing now is hard power; what we are pursuing is new quality productive forces.”
Xi Jinping, quoted in a State Council feature · Aug 33
“Compared with ordinary consumers' everyday talk, sellers and their hosts owe a higher duty of care; improvising live on air is no excuse.”
Supreme People's Court, model case ruling · Aug 31
“Build a firewall between industrial capital and financial capital; firms with excessive leverage or serious records of bad faith are barred from becoming major shareholders.”
Joint opinions of four financial regulators · Jul 314
“Historically, Japan's intelligence agencies paved the way for militarism and wars of aggression. Japan's leaders should draw deep lessons from history and act prudently.”
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning · Jul 319
“He lost his ideals and convictions, betrayed his original mission, was disloyal and dishonest to the Party, and resisted the organization's investigation.”
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection · Aug 37
“Deep in the ‘Clear and Bright’ campaign against chaos in group livestreaming, platforms were pressed to punish more than 1,840 accounts under law and contract.”
Cyberspace Administration of China · Aug 36
Sources
- Supreme People's Court, “Supreme People's Court Releases Model Cases on Regulating Platform Operations and Protecting Consumers' Lawful Rights and Interests,” August 3, 2026. court.gov.cn/zixun/…/platform-consumer-model-cases
- State Council, “Notice on Issuing the 15th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Protection and Utilization” (Guofa [2026] No. 30), July 31, 2026. gov.cn/zhengce/…/ip-15th-five-year-plan
- State Council, “Laying the Foundation for the Year's Development Targets — General Secretary Xi Jinping Steers China's Economy Through the Opening Year of the 15th Five-Year Plan,” August 3, 2026. gov.cn/yaowen/…/economy-opening-year
- People's Bank of China, “Implementing Opinions of the Financial Regulatory Administration, the People's Bank of China, the Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance on Improving the Governance of Financial Institutions,” July 31, 2026. pbc.gov.cn/goutongjiaoliu/…/financial-institution-governance
- Qiushi, “Observing China's Industrial Development in the Opening Year of the 15th Five-Year Plan,” August 3, 2026. qstheory.cn/20260803/…/industrial-development
- Cyberspace Administration of China, “Cyberspace Administration Strictly Handles a Batch of Non-Compliant Online Entertainment Group-Livestream Accounts,” August 3, 2026. cac.gov.cn/2026-08/03/…/group-livestream-accounts
- Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, “Xing Hongwei, Former Party Secretary, Chairman and General Manager of China Recycling Resources Development Group, Expelled from the Party and Public Office,” August 3, 2026. ccdi.gov.cn/yaowenn/…/xing-hongwei-expelled
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin Meets Envoys and Witnesses Signings of the Agreement on Establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization,” July 31, 2026. fmprc.gov.cn/wjbxw_new/…/world-ai-cooperation-organization
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on July 31, 2026,” July 31, 2026. mfa.gov.cn/wjdt/fyrbt/…/mao-ning-jul-31