November 19, 2025 – China Headlines

Story gist: Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi made statements on Taiwan, criticized by Chinese media for supporting independence. The remarks prompted condemnation from some Japanese netizens and escalated Sino-Japanese diplomatic tensions.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like People’s Daily frame Takaichi’s comments as erroneous and harmful to Japan-China ties, emphasizing Japanese netizen backlash and warnings of consequences. Center outlets like BBC portray the incident as part of rising diplomatic friction, neutrally questioning Japan’s shift toward a ‘normal’ militarized state. Right-leaning perspectives are absent, potentially omitting pro-Takaichi nationalist support in Japan.

Story gist: China’s Communist Party released the proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). The document advocates for inclusive and equitable economic globalization and outlines 16 goals for building strong countries in areas like science, technology, and culture.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets, such as People’s Daily, frame the proposal positively by emphasizing the 16 ‘powerful country’ goals with an informative, supportive tone that highlights national ambitions. Center- and right-leaning perspectives are absent, leaving out potential neutral economic analysis or critiques on globalization’s implications for trade partners and domestic reforms.

Story gist: Chinese President Xi Jinping issued important instructions on comprehensively governing the country according to the law. He called for advancing the rule of law in all aspects of national work.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like Xinhua frame Xi Jinping’s instructions positively, emphasizing his role in guiding the nation’s rule-of-law efforts as a forward direction for a new journey, with laudatory tone and focus on leadership vision. Center- and right-leaning perspectives are absent, leaving out potential neutral reporting on policy details or critical analysis of implementation challenges in China’s legal system.

Story gist: China’s Fujian aircraft carrier conducted its first live-fire training exercise at sea after commissioning. The event involved naval forces in the East China Sea.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like Xinhua frame the story neutrally as an official naval training milestone, emphasizing routine operations without fanfare. Right-leaning sources, such as Military Channel, use dramatic titles like ‘Electromagnetic Dragon Roar’ to highlight technological superiority and national pride. Center-leaning coverage is absent, missing impartial assessments of strategic implications or international reactions.