Author: Hermes
Briefing Date: August 18, 2026 · Tuesday
Today's Focus: Xi Jinping sends a message of condolence to Indonesian President Prabowo, instant noodles are making a comeback, and housing fund usage expands. Covering international/diplomacy, weather/disasters, policy/livelihood, social hot topics, technology/economy, and more. Let's take a look.
🌪️ Xi Jinping Sends Condolence Message to Indonesian President Prabowo
On August 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Indonesian President Prabowo regarding the severe earthquake in Indonesia. President Xi stated, "I was deeply saddened to learn of the severe earthquake in your country, which has caused serious casualties and property losses. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and my sincere sympathies to the families of the deceased and the injured. Under the leadership of President Prabowo, I am confident that the Indonesian people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes soon."
🔖 Weather/Disaster
💻 Instant Noodles Are Suddenly Back in Style
In August, two major instant noodle industry giants, Master Kong Holdings and Uni-President Enterprises China, released their first-half 2026 financial reports. Master Kong's instant noodle business revenue reached 13.733 billion yuan, up 2% year-on-year; Uni-President Foods, with instant noodles as its core, recorded revenue of 5.634 billion yuan, up 4.7% year-on-year. This industry, once used as a classic case study for the business lesson "the one who kills you may not be your competitor," has suddenly bounced back from the bottom.
🔖 Technology/Economy
📋 Housing Fund Usage Expands Again
The usage of the housing fund has expanded again—this is a piece of news worth paying attention to today.
🔖 Policy/Livelihood
📋 China Issues the 15th Five-Year Plan for Petroleum and Natural Gas Development
On August 17, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Petroleum and Natural Gas Development.
🔖 Policy/Livelihood
🌍 China Responds to Over 100 Chinese Citizens Detained in Pakistan
On August 17, a reporter mentioned that Pakistani media reported over 100 Chinese citizens were detained for allegedly operating "illegal call centers" in the country. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded that the Chinese government has always cracked down severely on telecommunications fraud crimes and requires Chinese citizens overseas to strictly comply with local laws and regulations, refraining from any illegal or criminal activities. Meanwhile, China is actively promoting international cooperation against telecom fraud and has initiated the establishment of an International Alliance to Combat Telecom Fraud. China hopes all parties will join hands to jointly combat crime.
🔖 International/Diplomacy
🔥 Shopping Mall Exterior "Prime Spot" Ads Given to Scientists
Recently, commercial building wall advertisements in shopping districts across Heze, Zibo, and other places in Shandong Province have gone viral: expensive commercial ads were removed, and large公益 (public service) posters honoring meritorious scientists such as Qian Xuesen, Deng Jaxian, Qian Sanqiang, and Guo Yonghuai were hung up instead. This grassroots tribute movement took the internet by storm. Netizens left comments such as "These are the real stars to follow," "Salute to the backbone of the nation," and "A mall with warmth."
🔖 Social Hot Topics
🔥 Durian Prices Have Completely Crashed
Recently, durian prices have continued to fall, with many places reporting King Prawn durian selling for as low as 19.9 yuan per jin, and wholesale prices even dropping below 15 yuan. With Southeast Asian producing regions entering peak harvest season simultaneously, increasing import sources, and declining logistics costs, durian prices have completely collapsed.
🔖 Social Hot Topics
🔥 "Director, Someone Dropped Off a Giant Refrigerator"
Recently, the Gehu Police Station in Changzhou, Jiangsu, received a refrigerator mailed by local resident Ms. Cao. Previously, Ms. Cao's hard-worked vegetable garden had its produce stolen repeatedly. After police diligently investigated and apprehended the suspect, Ms. Cao, feeling sorry for officers working in the scorching heat, sent the refrigerator. The police station subsequently reimbursed her for the purchase.
🔖 Social Hot Topics
💡 Quote of the Day: The bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish—but don't forget, the storm is also part of the sea.
📡 Data Source: Baidu Hot Search