In early August, an explosive-laden attack drone targeting Ukrainian transport planes suddenly appeared near Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany and was subsequently shot down by the German military. Following an investigation confirming that Russia was responsible, Germany announced the expulsion of dozens of diplomatic personnel from the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, triggering a diplomatic storm of mutual expulsions of diplomats between the two countries.
Between August 2024 and February 2025, a South Korean Army soldier repeatedly leaked non-public information, such as South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and South Korean military training, to an individual claiming to be a Chinese intelligence officer, receiving a total of 88,000 RMB. In August 2026, the South Korean Supreme Court upheld the second-instance ruling, sentencing him to 4 years in prison, along with fines and the confiscation of illegal proceeds.
On September 17, a netizen in Hangzhou posted that after purchasing Hema shopping cards, police took protective payment-stopping measures, resulting in all of their bank cards being restricted. Even after the party involved cooperated with the police for verification, the account remained unfrozen, causing difficulties in daily life. Bank staff suggested switching to WeChat or Alipay balances, stating that using cards directly makes them prone to being frozen.
On September 17, Peking University issued the "Implementation Measures for Fulfilling the Requirement of Tightening Our Belts," strictly controlling expenditures on meetings, business travel, and asset procurement, explicitly prohibiting holding meetings at 21 scenic spots including Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou. Recently, Beijing Forestry University, Anhui Jianzhu University, and several other universities have also successively issued detailed rules to curtail administrative extravagance.
On September 17, a student in Shaanxi wearing a school uniform was seen reciting chemistry experimental procedures in a mechanical, expressionless manner while exiting an elevator. The parent posted the video with the caption, 'The gap between children is widened invisibly,' sparking widespread discussion and criticism among netizens regarding high-pressure educational models and students' mental states.
On September 18, a large number of specially shaped iron nails were found scattered across roads in multiple locations in Guangdong and Guangxi, including sections of the Yongguan Expressway and the Jinzao exit. This caused tires of multiple trucks and private cars to be punctured, posing serious traffic safety hazards.
On September 17, the European Parliament passed a resolution by an overwhelming majority condemning the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance for causing the collapse of freedom, calling on the EU to sanction relevant officials, and demanding the release of political prisoners including Jimmy Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho, and Wong Ji-yuet.
Between 1950 and 1953, China dispatched troops to support North Korea against South Korea and the United Nations Command, becoming one of the major external wars China participated in after 1949.
Recently, the comment section for the book "One Man's View of the World" by Lee Kuan Yew on the WeChat Reading platform saw a large number of netizens mocking the phrase "Xi Jinping has been in power for 10 years," pointing out that his time in office has far exceeded 10 years and sarcastically noting that his term has become indefinite.
At the Tsinghua Wudaokou Chief Economists Forum, four scholars—Lin Yifu, Yu Yongding, Yao Yang, and Li Xunlei—concentrated their efforts to call on the central government to adopt expansionary fiscal policies and bail out local government debt.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official announced that Vice Premier He Lifeng will travel to the United States to negotiate with U.S. Treasury Secretary Baisente, and the news has sparked speculation abroad about whether Xi Jinping will visit the United States.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng led a business delegation to arrive early in New York, USA, on September 19, holding business and trade barrier-related talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Bessent and other officials. Observers noted that this trip preceded the summit of heads of state by many days, and the official readout made no mention of paving the way for a leaders' summit, which commentators deemed highly unusual.
Starting September 19, the X platform and Threads platform saw a large number of death rumors about Xi Jinping, with rumors that the news will be announced in October.
"The extended holiday adjustment is not meant for people to rest, but to boost consumption" surged to the number one spot on Weibo's trending searches. The next day, "holiday adjustment and boycotting consumption" made it to the trending searches before being immediately censored.
In Caoxia Village, Wanlongshan Township, Pingxiang City, Jiangxi, a single pole has 84 surveillance cameras mounted, only one of which works while the rest are decorative, turning it into a popular internet‑famous check‑in spot for the local camping base.
On September 17, citizens in Shenzhen, Guangdong reported that purchasing knives (including scissors) locally requires scanning a QR code for real-name registration and taking photos for retention, sparking concerns over escalating social control.
On September 17, two students at the Guangzhou College of Commerce and Business had a dispute over dormitory bed allocation. During the conflict, one student brandished a knife at the other multiple times, raising concerns about campus safety.
Russia launched airstrikes on Ukraine from the night of September 17 to the early morning of September 18, hitting Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa, resulting in three deaths, multiple injuries, and several fires. Meanwhile, voting began on Friday for the first State Duma parliamentary elections since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Min Zin, director of a Myanmar think tank, was arrested in June while attending an academic conference in Kunming, charged with espionage and endangering state security. His wife, Sylvia, testified before the U.S. Congress on September 17, calling on Trump to secure her husband's release during his meeting with Xi Jinping next week.
On September 17, multiple employees of Tianqu (Xi'an) Co., Ltd. in Lantian County, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, held up a banner reading "Return my blood and sweat money" at the company entrance to protest and demand unpaid wages.
On September 18, a large number of depositors in Zhumadian, Henan Province, gathered in the rain outside the municipal petition office to defend their rights, after the company chairman Wang Haizhou failed to fulfill his promise to distribute living expenses before the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. They chanted slogans demanding to "see the mayor" and called for government intervention to resolve the issue.
On September 13, in Aobei Village, Shuikou Subdistrict, Huicheng District, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, multiple villagers gathered at a construction site to stop work, protesting the highway construction project that excavated and leveled Mashan Hill within the village.
On September 16, villagers in Xujiagou Village, Qian'an City, Tangshan City, Hebei Province, protested against environmental pollution and land destruction caused by mining construction. A large number of SWAT police and security personnel gathered at the scene, engaging in physical clashes with villagers during the dispersal, resulting in multiple villagers being forcefully carried away.
On September 12, as Shandong Zaozhuang Tengzhou Urban Construction Group failed to repay the principal and interest of a loan upon maturity, multiple investors gathered at the entrance of the company headquarters for rights defense, demanding an explanation from the company.
On September 14, at a construction site in Beiguan District, Anyang City, Henan Province, multiple workers whose wages had been delayed hung a banner reading "Return my blood and sweat money" at the site and used a megaphone to demand payment from the employer.
Yunnan Jiuji Technology Co., Ltd. (Jiuji Network) internally implements a "Striving Value" system, quantifying employees' overtime hours and daily behavior as core indicators for performance appraisal and daily management.
On September 13, multiple villagers in Guangshui, Suizhou, Hubei Province gathered to protest the local government's forced seizure of land and destruction of forestry without proper consultation.
On September 17, students at Hainan Commercial School reported extreme military training intensity, including 6 laps of frog jumps, 500 squats, and long-distance running daily, which continued even in the rain. Multiple students suffered leg injuries and were unable to walk after training, and some students chose to drop out as a result.
On September 14, families of multiple victims in Lishui, Zhejiang, held portraits of the deceased and went to the headquarters of Lishui Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. to conduct rights defense. The family members stated that their father was killed after being struck by a bus while performing road work. Nearly three months after the incident, the bus company has yet to provide a clear response, prompting the family to visit the company to demand accountability.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold talks at the White House on September 24. This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state this year, drawing attention from bipartisan lawmakers in Congress regarding national security, trade, human rights, Iran, and other issues.
On September 19, an intern at Luoping County People's Hospital exposed that they were not given a holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival and was threatened in a group chat by a leader surnamed Luo, who said he would make them "die."
On September 19, an LED advertising truck produced through crowdfunding by supporters in Nagoya, Japan, cruised through the downtown area and held a candlelight memorial at Hisaya Odori Garden, calling for justice for abused animals.
On September 19, Ronald Balimwezo, Mayor of Kampala, Uganda, inspected the Salaama Road drainage construction project, questioned the construction quality, and demanded that China Railway 18th Bureau demolish and rebuild it. The contractor subsequently completed the rectification.
The teacher involved complained to the platform, stating that the circulating chat group screenshots were forged and that online bullying has disrupted their life.
On September 15, a netizen in Nantong, Jiangsu posted a video showing their body covered in tattoos depicting historical events such as the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the founding of the People's Republic of China. Netizens in the comments section joked about their eligibility for the civil service exam, patriotic motives, and the content of the tattoos.
On September 17, Reuters cited sources reporting that, at the request of Saudi Arabia, China privately asked Iran to use its influence to restrain Yemen's Houthi armed forces to prevent their military operations from threatening the Red Sea energy transportation corridor. Iran responded that regional stability depends on US and Israeli policies, and it remains unclear whether Iran will take action.
On September 18, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao published a post on social media mentioning the September 18 Incident and the attack on a Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen, triggering domestic public controversy and trending on Weibo. Subsequently, the media outlet deleted the relevant posts from its official website and social media platforms.
The National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice issued an advisory warning foreign students in the U.S. not to act as unregistered foreign agents. Violators face penalties including loss of legal status, deportation, and failure to complete their studies.
On September 17, residents in Guangzhou reported that a local district, in order to suppress the case data of "two fevers," sent personnel to the Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital to intercept feverish residents seeking medical treatment across districts. Additionally, parents stated that because their children sought medical treatment in another district, the community organized multiple people to visit their homes for "ideological work," forcibly demanding they return to their own district for testing.
On September 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Japan's NHK in Kyiv that China has not remained neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, and that Chinese-made components are present in the missiles and drones used by the Russian military. Zelenskyy believes that China has massive influence over Russia, yet has seen no pressure from the Chinese side to end the war, and expressed regret that China has not politically stood on Ukraine's side.
On September 14, Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po published an article criticizing the Netflix documentary "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower" for glorifying crimes. On September 18, the film rose to the number one spot on Netflix's movie charts in Hong Kong.
On September 16, a Bilibili creator posted a video stating that their series investigating whether companies comply with labor laws and implement two-day weekends had been banned by the platform. The platform's customer service refused to provide specific details on the violation, citing content security management, and only requested that the creator adjust the content.
On September 18, the Apple iPhone 18 Pro officially went on sale. Previously, Apple's official Chinese website had marked the release date as 'next Friday the 18th' instead of 'September 18,' which was accused of being an attempt to avoid the anniversary of the September 18 Incident. On the day of release, the comment sections of relevant media reports saw a large number of boycotting remarks such as 'never forget national humiliation' and 'firmly refuse to buy.'
On September 3, a netizen reported that having worked abroad for many years, the village secretary in their hometown demanded through family members to submit information such as departure time, phone number, and working city. After submission, the village secretary further demanded the name of the specific employer, claiming it was for record-keeping according to a document issued by the provincial government.
On September 16, a blogger revealed that tourists at the Qingdao Beer Museum privately stole complimentary specialized glass cups, took photos to show off on social media, and posted tutorials on how to steal them, sparking netizen discussions on the lack of social morality.
On September 12, in the review section of Liu Yu's book "The Art of Possibility" on WeChat Reading, users posted a large number of sarcastic comments regarding "100% vote share" and "unanimous approval" in response to the book's mention of Egypt's "96% fake elections," indirectly alluding to the Chinese political system.
On September 18, while the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources government vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat was carrying out a mission in the waters off Palawan, it was rammed by China Coast Guard ship 21585, resulting in damage to the Philippine ship's starboard side. The Philippine side accused China of a deliberate collision, while the Chinese side claimed the Philippine vessel made an illegal diagonal cut causing a scrape, and insisted its own operation was lawful.
On September 17, Evergrande Auto released its 2026 interim results, showing that the company has only 7 employees left, with total assets of approximately 182 million yuan and liabilities as high as 32.722 billion yuan. The company explicitly stated that it has exited the vehicle manufacturing business and has no intention to resume it, with the net profit for the first half of the year mainly derived from exchange gains on borrowings.
Manufacturing assembly line workers use the term "airplane speed" (feijila) to describe the extremely fast pace of the factory line, which operates at high speeds like an airplane. This term refers to high-intensity "screw-tightening" work, reflecting the harsh working environment and physical and mental stress faced by grassroots laborers.
On September 14, the US Department of Justice accused two Hong Kong-registered companies, Blessed Trust and Hexa Whale, of using Binance accounts to launder money for the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The case involves over $1.5 billion in Iranian oil proceeds, and the US has filed to seize $61 million in previously frozen cryptocurrency assets.