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Thursday 24 September

1 updates
Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerUkraine / Syria / EU / Myanmar / Sudan

EU Reaffirms Commitment to 1951 Refugee Convention on 75th Anniversary

European Commissioner Lahbib issued a statement on behalf of EU Member States marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, reaffirming the EU's commitment to the Convention's core values and to UNHCR as its primary guardian. The statement notes that the EU provides temporary protection to more than 4.8 million people fleeing Russia's war against Ukraine and leads humanitarian response from Sudan to Syria, Myanmar and beyond. It also outlines a route-based approach to identify vulnerabilities early, deliver fair and swift protection to those entitled to it, and prevent irregular migration.

Wednesday 23 September

16 updates
Policy & visas
European Commission Press Corner全球 / North America / Europe

EU and Canada Secure Almost €220 Million for Global Ocean Observation

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the OceanEye International Alliance at a high-level pledging event during the 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York, securing almost €220 million in pledges for the Global Ocean Observing System. The EU added €92 million in seed funding, while Canada pledged C$82 million over five years. Thirty countries have joined the alliance so far, with contributions including financial support, in-kind support and assets such as research vessels, sensors and drones. The funds will support maintenance of existing observation platforms, closing critical data gaps, and strengthening the GOOS…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerEU / Belgium

European Commission Advances Simplification Agenda: 12 Omnibus Proposals and Regulatory Deep Cleani…

At the EESC plenary, the European Commission presented its Communication on 'A Simpler, Clearer and Better Enforced EU Rulebook', reporting twelve major Omnibus simplification proposals that could save at least €17 billion in annual administrative costs for European businesses and national administrations. Five pillars of action were set out: simplicity by design, a strengthened better-regulation system, regulatory deep cleaning, action against Member State gold-plating, and faster, more robust enforcement. Plans include simplification proposals for banking, housing and transport in 2027 and a proposal to accelerate permitting.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerEU / France

European Commission Daily News: France Launches First National Housing Hub

The European Commission's Daily News of 23 September 2026 reports that France launched the first national housing hub, implementing the European Affordable Housing Plan adopted in December 2025. Established with the French Ministry of Housing, Caisse des Depots, Council of Europe Bank, Union of Social Housing (USH) and the European Investment Bank under the Pan-European Investment Platform for Affordable and Sustainable Housing, the hub aims to improve public-private cooperation, make better use of EU and national funding, and align local and EU housing policies. The briefing also covers the European Literacy Coalition, several merger clearances and UN General Assembly activities.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerMiddle East / Gaza / EU

EU launches first €43 million Team Gaza projects

The European Commission signed the first flagship early recovery projects under the EU-led Team Gaza Initiative on the margins of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York. The projects, together worth €43 million, will help restore essential water and solid waste management services for people in Gaza. The signing was carried out by Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica.

Policy & visas
Skift FeedIndia / Mumbai

India Weighs Pros and Cons of Letting Airport Operators Own Airlines

India's Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said the government is weighing the pros and cons of allowing airport operators to own airlines, but has yet to make a decision. The issue emerged after Adani Airport Holdings sought a waiver from the Airports Authority of India from restrictions that prevent the operator of Mumbai Airport from holding more than a 10% stake in a scheduled airline.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerMiddle East / EU / Lebanon

EU adopts €505 million package to support Lebanon's stability, recovery and reforms

The European Commission announced €505 million in financial support for Lebanon for 2026 and 2027, the second half of the €1 billion support package announced by President von der Leyen in May 2024. The funding covers three main areas: maintaining basic services for vulnerable people including education, health, social protection and water, with cash assistance and primary healthcare; supporting the reform agenda, justice sector, oversight bodies, Parliament and human rights, while strengthening the security sector, border management, private sector resilience and economic recovery in conflict-affected areas; and supporting civil society and culture, including rights of women, youth, minori…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina / Guizhou / Zunyi City

Four Departments Launch Long March Heritage Protection and Display Season

To mark the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March victory, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the National Cultural Heritage Administration issued a notice to jointly run a Long March heritage protection and display season from September to November. Themed 'Protect Long March heritage, tell Long March stories, carry forward the Long March spirit, walk the Long March road of the new era', the season will release a recommended list of exhibitions marking the 90th anniversary and roll out premium exhibitions and story-telling sessions; advance the reopening o…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsYunnan

Yunnan issues 20 measures to tighten tour group management

Yunnan has issued 20 measures for strict management of tour groups, targeting four types of market participants — travel agencies, guides, charter vehicles and shopping outlets — and addressing below-cost tours, forced or induced consumption, tour reselling and group-splitting, and hidden shopping. The measures build a full-chain regulatory system. Agencies are banned from arranging shopping for group tourists, including product sales at scenic areas, streets, accommodation and dining venues, and from selling tours, gambling on tours, second-time reselling and group-splitting. Contracts must use the 2026 electronic model group-tour contract uploaded to the regulatory platform, with a "one g…

Policy & visas
Pinchain TourismChina / Beijing

Beijing Issues Holiday Travel Consumption Advisory

On Sept 22, the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau issued a Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday travel consumption advisory, recommending off-peak travel, monitoring scenic area visitor flows, and purchasing tickets for Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and Badaling Great Wall via the 'Jingtong' mini-program. It also requires verifying operator qualifications before joining tours, warning against unlicensed entities organizing tours under the guise of 'conference services' or 'travel consulting', signing written contracts, and avoiding induced optional purchases. For outbound travel, travelers should check destination safety advisories and avoid high-risk countries and regions.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsMainland China

China's Culture and Tourism Ministry Issues 15th Five-Year Plan to Boost Artistic Creation

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Culture and Tourism Development, elevating 'prospering artistic creation and production' from an industry task to a whole-of-supply priority, integrating original capacity, performing-troupe development mechanisms, new mass literature and art, tourism performances and digital technology into one supply system. The plan emphasizes high-quality development, stimulating creative vitality, enhancing original capacity and fostering a sound artistic ecosystem, shifting evaluation from performance counts and awards toward originality, completeness, audience recognition and long-run viability. It calls for deeper co…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsPrimorsky Krai, Russia / Jilin Province / Vladivostok

Jilin and Vladivostok Sign Declaration on Honest and Safe Tourism Operations

Recently, the Jilin Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism travelled to Russia's Primorsky Krai for an on-site tourism promotion. At the event, under the guidance of the department's law enforcement and supervision bureau, the border tourism committee of the Jilin Tourism Association and the Primorsky Krai branch of the Russian Union of Travel Industry jointly signed a declaration on honest and safe operations. The declaration sets clear standards on lawful and compliant operations, adherence to good faith, strengthening safety safeguards, improving service quality, reinforcing industry self-discipline and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. It aims to maintain order in the bor…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsSichuan / Chengdu

Sichuan launches 100-day tourism market crackdown

On 21 September, Sichuan province held a video conference in Chengdu combining a scheduling meeting on rectifying tour-guide misconduct and forced consumption, a progress meeting for the "Thunder Action" 100-day campaign, and a meeting on culture and tourism safety production and the holiday market. The province announced the launch of the 100-day Thunder Action for its tourism market. Culture and tourism departments will work with public security, transport and market regulation authorities to build cross-regional, multi-department joint enforcement mechanisms, focusing on four prominent problems: illegal agencies, illegal guides, illegal shopping outlets and illegal vehicles, with top-lev…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerMiddle East / Gaza / New York

European Commission Signs Two Gaza Early Recovery Contracts with UNICEF and UNDP

The European Commission signed two flagship Gaza early recovery contracts in New York. The "Gaza Water and Wastewater Early Recovery" project with UNICEF will provide improved water and sanitation for approximately 1 million people in Gaza, while the project with UNDP focuses on waste collection, waste transfer and a recycling pilot. The Commissioner said these are a first step under the Team Gaza Initiative, which raised almost 1 billion dollars for the people of Gaza at the Palestine Donor Group meeting last July. The projects are aligned with the Board of Peace, NCAG and the Palestinian Authority, with clear commitments from Israel to facilitate them.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerHungary / Brussels / EU

European Commission Proposes Unlocking €4.2 Billion for Hungary and Restoring Erasmus+/Horizon Euro…

The European Commission proposed to the Council to lift the protective measures adopted in 2022 concerning Hungary under the Conditionality Regulation, considering that Hungary has addressed the rule-of-law breaches affecting the EU budget. If adopted by the Council, the proposal would reinstate €4.2 billion in suspended cohesion policy commitments and restore access to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe for students and researchers from universities maintained by Hungarian Public Interest Trusts. The Commission assessed the remedies notified by Hungary on September 9, 2026, and their implementation, concluding that Hungary has addressed previously identified weaknesses in areas such as public pro…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerMiddle East / Gaza / Syria / New York / Lebanon

EU Commissioner Outlines Crisis Response and Early Recovery Investment Approach

An EU Commissioner delivered opening remarks at a high-level ministerial policy dialogue in New York, setting out the EU's development investment approach amid multiple crises. The speech noted that Lebanon is advancing reforms while over one million people are displaced, Syria is trying to recover from more than a decade of civil war, and Gaza remains in limbo, with populations needing essential services such as schools, sanitation, housing, food and water. The EU aims to combine humanitarian support with early recovery and longer-term development, and announced an additional EUR 505 million adopted this summer for Lebanon's reforms, recovery and stability, on top of a previous EUR 500 mil…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerMiddle East / Israel / Gaza / Palestine / West Bank

EU Advances Gaza Peace Plan and Early Recovery Projects at UN General Assembly

At a high-level briefing during the UN General Assembly, the European Commission said the EU is committed to implementing the Gaza Peace Plan under UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Through the Team Gaza Initiative with 16 international partners, the EU has gathered around $1 billion for early recovery in Gaza and signed its first two projects: a solid waste management project with UNDP and a water and sanitation project with UNICEF, totaling $50 million. The EU stressed the need to coordinate with Israel to ensure greater access to the Strip for projects, humanitarian aid, and the international Stabilisation Force.

Tuesday 22 September

8 updates
Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerEU / United States

EU Commission President Unveils EU KIDS Act Social Media Age Limits

European Commission President von der Leyen presented the EU KIDS Act at a high-level dialogue in New York, banning social media for under-13s and personal accounts for under-15s. Children aged 13 to 15 would only use parent-set and supervised mini accounts with limited features and a 60-minute daily cap that parents can reduce. The law would reverse the burden of proof, requiring platforms to demonstrate their services are safe for children or lose access to them. She cited a July Eurobarometer finding that 92% of Europeans want more action to protect children online.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerBrussels / EU

Commissioner's remarks at General Affairs Council on the MFF

EU Commissioner Serafin delivered opening remarks at the General Affairs Council in Brussels, noting this is his fourth MFF negotiation. He cited four differences: Council calls to cut an already modernised budget proposal focused more on competitiveness, defence and security; stabilisation of national contributions based on 2027 figures; the need for a serious package of new own resources, with the October European Council set to clarify an updated basket; and the exceptional times in which EU sovereignty is at stake.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerSoutheast Asia / Indo-Pacific / EU / Philippines

EU and Philippines Reach Substantial Agreement on Free Trade Deal

European Commissioner Šefčovič announced a substantial breakthrough in the EU-Philippines free trade agreement talks. Both sides agreed to liberalise over 94% of tariff lines, covering more than 97% of goods. The EU already exports over EUR 8 billion a year to the Philippines in machinery, transport equipment, medicines and agricultural goods; bilateral goods trade is nearly EUR 18 billion and services trade over EUR 10 billion. Negotiating teams are tasked with formally concluding the agreement in the coming months.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

RV Campsite Development Gets Full-Chain Institutional Arrangements

A commentary interprets the institutional arrangements for campsite development under the measures on promoting RV consumption, including incorporating campsite spatial needs into the national territorial spatial planning 'one map', flexible site selection, differentiated land supply, revitalising idle resources, siting along scenic areas and scenic byways, and improving standards and rating management. It argues the policy moves campsite development from policy ambiguity to institutional clarity.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

15th Five-Year Culture and Tourism Plan Sets 2030 Goals

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Culture and Tourism Development, setting out that by 2030 the building of a strong culture and tourism nation will advance in depth, with eight key tasks covering artistic creation, cultural heritage protection, public services, industry development, market supervision, technology empowerment, exchange and cooperation, and regional-urban-rural coordination.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsInner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Inner Mongolia Issues 15th Five-Year Tourism Development Plan

The General Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Government issued the 15th Five-Year Tourism Development Plan for Inner Mongolia. The plan targets significant high-quality tourism development by 2030, with domestic visitor arrivals aiming to grow about 4.9% annually, domestic tourism spending about 4.1% annually, and inbound visitor numbers and inbound tourism spending aiming to grow about 4.2% and 2.9% annually respectively. It outlines eight priority areas, a spatial layout of "one core leading, two wings coordinating, five belts linking, multiple poles supporting," and cross-sector integration of culture and tourism with primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism Issues 15th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Industry

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Industry Development, setting overall requirements, key tasks and safeguards. The article outlines three priorities: a modern cultural industry system, technology-enabled diversified integration, and coordinated domestic and external demand. Measures include digital-intelligent transformation of traditional cultural sectors, online performances and smart theaters, support for future technologies such as quantum technology and embodied intelligence, deeper cultural-tourism integration, expanded cultural consumption and effective investment, and higher-quality foreign cultural trade.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsNanjing / Nantong / Changzhou / Xuzhou / Wuxi / Jiangsu Province / Suzhou

Jiangsu 5A Scenic Areas Waive First-Tier Tickets for Licensed National Tour Guides

The Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism announced that, effective immediately, all national 5A-level scenic areas in the province will waive first-tier admission for licensed tour guides nationwide, and it is pushing government-guided 4A-level scenic areas to follow by the end of 2028. Currently 25 5A-level and more than 100 4A-level scenic areas already waive first-tier tickets for licensed guides. Guides must present their ID card and valid electronic guide certificate for verification at the gate.