Focus today: Not a natural disaster but man-made calamity! Beijing flooded, heavy casualties; The coldest summer of 2025, why has the study tour market shifted from thriving to collapsing? New U.S. tariffs announced, market relatively stable, observing countries’ reactions.
In recent days, Beijing has been hit by consecutive heavy rainfalls, coupled with multiple reservoirs releasing floodwater, triggering severe flooding. The disaster is most severe in Miyun District, where floods at one point formed waves several meters high, submerging many villages. According to Beijing officials’ report on July 31, at least 44 people have died, including 31 elderly residents at a nursing home in Miyun; 9 people are missing. However, the public doubts the official death toll, pointing out that the authorities are concealing the real number of casualties. Additionally, local residents claim there was no rescue operation, solely relying on self-rescue efforts.
As reported by mainland media, preliminary statistics indicate that 17 towns and 162 villages in Miyun District were affected, with over 30,000 damaged houses and nearly 7,000 damaged vehicles. More than 110,000 people were affected, with 37 deaths, including the 31 elderly residents at the Taishitun Town nursing care center. Most of the deceased elderly were disabled or semi-disabled individuals who could hardly escape on their own.
Yan Weiguo, Secretary of the Miyun District Committee, stated that the nursing home was located upstream of the Miyun Reservoir, not within the evacuation area.
A resident with the surname Fu at the nursing home said that on the early morning of July 28, water rushed in as he just got up, knocking him down. With the help of a caregiver, he escaped through the window and stood on the roof for 3 hours before being rescued.
According to the water level left at the nursing home, the water level at the time was higher than the wardrobe, exceeding 2 meters. Photos show a clear mud handprint on the nursing home wall, suspected to be a trace left by a victim in a final struggle.
Furthermore, there are reports from the public that a Beijing orphanage was also hit by flooding. However, officials did not report on this incident.
A Beijing resident, Ms. Li, mentioned that due to work, she had contacts with the Beijing orphanage. She saw in her circle of friends that the orphanage had been washed away entirely. She stated that incidents at nursing homes could be reported, but several orphanages were affected without being reported, and their internal discussions were not allowed to be disclosed.
According to comprehensive reports from mainland media, on the 27th, at least 10 reservoirs in Beijing simultaneously released floods, including the Miyun Reservoir, Qinglongxia Reservoir, Huairou Reservoir, and Beitaishang Reservoir.
Additionally, a Beijing citizen mentioned on social media that in the northeast part of Miyun District near the border of Xinglong County, Hebei Province, there is a Huangyankou Village with a Huangyankou Reservoir, the dam of which has long been in disrepair. The villagers were supposed to be relocated to the North Zhuang, but this was not done. As a result, houses near the reservoir were destroyed, and people were missing.
However, at a press conference on the 31st, Beijing authorities did not mention certain aspects of the disaster, including how many reservoirs in Beijing simultaneously released floods on the same day, how many reservoirs collapsed, how many roads and bridges were washed away by the floods, how many houses and vehicles were washed away, and how many places experienced mudslides.
Officially, it was reported that 44 people died, with 9 people missing in this flood.
In response, mainland Chinese lawyer Zheng told Epoch Times, “Not only do I not believe it, I estimate that many Chinese do not believe it either. When the Zhengzhou floods occurred on 7/20, they also reported that only a few people died, but when Li Keqiang came down, they found 300 people dead. In reality, the actual death toll is much higher than what the authorities announce.”
Media personality Ms. Wang also stated that the Chinese Communist Party is concealing the disaster, and no one knows how many people actually died. What is more serious is that the CCP did not really provide rescue efforts; it all depended on the self-rescue of the ordinary people. Those who managed to escape were lucky, but those trapped in the flood were in great danger. She said, “There are many online videos about the disaster now, but the authorities claim they are AI-generated. I can only say that the current government has no humanity.”
In the summer of 2025, the once thriving study tour market suddenly turned cold. Many tour operators said that this year has been “the worst year for study tours.”
Recently, a survey conducted by the WeChat public account “Travel World” in six travel industry groups investigated the business situation of study tours this year. The screens were filled with complaints like “this year is too difficult,” “the worst year in Beijing,” “parents’ budgets have been completely cut.”
Xiaogang, the person in charge of a travel agency in Beijing, commented that the summer study tour market in Beijing is bleak this year. Even places like the popular China Science and Technology Museum, which used to be crowded, now have no queues for tickets; people can visit anytime.
It’s not just Beijing; the Southern market is also in a slump.
Xie, who has been engaged in Southern tourism for many years, stated that friends of his in Guangzhou run a military training summer camp. Previously, in June, they would already have enough students, but this year there are many vacancies.
Le, the manager of a five-star hotel in Xiamen, sighed in the group, saying, “There’s not a single study tour group this year.”
But not all study campgrounds are unable to attract students. “Travel World” mentioned that in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, there is a campground called “Tree Frog Tribe,” which has received five times more customers in its parent-child camp this year compared to the same period last year. The reason is simple; this campground focuses on “nature education + wilderness luxury accommodations,” providing nature education as value-added service and emphasizing vacation experiences.
From this, it can be seen that what has really cooled down is not the “outward form of study tours” but parents no longer impulsively “consume study tours” and are starting to reevaluate the true value behind study tours.
As early as 2013, the CCP had promoted study tours for primary and secondary school students. In 2016, the CCP’s Ministry of Education and 11 other departments issued a document explicitly stating that study tours should be included in the teaching plans of primary and secondary schools.
With the support of the CCP’s Ministry of Education, schools, various training institutions, and even travel companies have set up “study tours.” To attract customers, the promotion of these “study tour groups” is becoming more and more appealing, from visiting Peking University and Tsinghua University to “overseas deep study tours,” with prices getting higher and content becoming more shallow and dull.
Some parents revealed that their children participated in a two-week study tour to the UK last year, costing over 40,000 yuan; this year, the same organization offering the same program increased the price to over 50,000 yuan.
There are also some “Elite Study Tours to Peking and Tsinghua” using prestigious schools as a cover, with the entire program only focusing on luxurious accommodations and transport without much educational content. Ultimately, the children are given school uniforms, taken to the school gate to shout a slogan, and take a photo, simplifying the experience.
“Travel World” mentioned that in recent years, many organizations have relied on this “gimmick marketing” to attract parents for impulsive spending. However, in the face of increasing economic pressure, parents are starting to become more rational, and they are not easily deceived anymore.
Wang, who provides summer VIP family study tours for financial institutions, said that previously under the guise of “finance,” they organized “study tour groups,” but now with financial institutions downsizing and taking pay cuts, the industry’s popularity is significantly declining, making it challenging to recruit students.
Aside from prices and content, safety issues are also one of the reasons why study tours are underperforming. In recent years, there have been ongoing media reports of accidents occurring during study tours.
For instance, in 2021, a high school student died unexpectedly while participating in a desert exploration program. Surprisingly, despite the high-risk factor of the adventure study, no medical team was provided. In 2023, a study tour group ignored safety measures and allowed a 9-year-old child to eat on the roadside rock. Such behaviors are causing great concern among parents.
Furthermore, a significant trend this year is that parents no longer entrust their children to study tour groups but rather choose to travel with them themselves.
The ancients said, “Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.” Study tours themselves are not a bad thing. Allowing students to “experience firsthand and feel the customs of different places” is a crucial part of education. However, under the current education system, study tours have become a tool for profit.
Excellent retired teacher Chen Ruoyun from the mainland stated that in mainland China, children usually have no free time from morning till night, aside from attending classes and bearing a heavy burden of homework, they also have to participate in various extracurricular classes.
This problem is severe; Li Jianjun from Guizhou University’s Law School wrote in a paper that amongst the reasons for the suicides of primary and secondary school students, the most common one is the heavy study pressure.
Chen Ruoyun mentioned that the “cramming” education style has driven away the golden childhood of children, leaving them with no time to experience the wonders of nature such as high mountains, flowing waters, and the cycle of blooming flowers. Present-day children are alienated, becoming bookworms in hibernation. Only during summer and winter vacations do the children have the opportunity to seek a bit of happiness in nature and daily life, which is the fundamental reason for the rise of study tours.
However, due to academic pressures, it is challenging for teachers to organize quality study tours that genuinely diversify teaching content. Despite the strong support from the authorities, the quality of study tours has not been significantly improved to broaden the students’ horizons; instead, it has become a way for both organizations and individuals to profit from organizing “study tours.”
On July 31, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to 41% on imported goods from dozens of countries and regions.
According to the executive order, the tariff rates faced by different countries are as follows: India 25%, Taiwan and Vietnam 20%, South Africa 30%, Switzerland 39%, and Myanmar and Laos 40%.
Some allies enjoy lower tax rates due to agreements with the United States, such as Japan and South Korea at 15%, and the UK at 10%.
Notably, as an ally, Canada’s tax rate was raised from 25% to 35%.
The news led to a slight decline in Asian stock markets and U.S. stock index futures.
IG market analyst Tony Sycamore noted that the market response is still relatively mild, possibly because the U.S. recently signed new trade agreements with the EU, Japan, and South Korea coupled with Mexico being granted a 90-day grace period, easing some of the impact. He believes that there is still room for negotiation on tariff rates in the future, and tariffs may gradually decrease.
Annex Wealth Management Chief Economist Jacobsen cautioned that while the policy has been set, the subsequent impact is still pending. Many companies may first deplete inventory, and when they are forced to raise prices, consumers will truly feel the pressure.
Westpac Banking Corporation economist Jia Ying believes that these tax rates may not be the final rates for each country, as many countries will negotiate with the U.S. to secure lower tariffs.
Charu Chanana, Chief Investment Strategist at Shinsei Bank, pointed out that while the list of tax rates has been released, the rationale behind these figures remains opaque. Money may now shift towards domestic industries, moving away from enterprises dependent on global trade.
Jefferies Financial Group’s Asian Strategy Director Wu Jiefei stated that these tax rates are within expected ranges, and until 2026, these tariff policies may be adjusted.
With the implementation of U.S. tariffs, many countries have openly responded.
In a relieved tone, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol expressed that although the United States initially proposed tariffs of 36% or even 49%, it was reduced to 19% in the end. This reduction spared Cambodia’s key industries, such as garment and footwear manufacturing, from collapse. Additionally, he specially thanked Trump for mediating the Cambodian-Thai conflict.
Thai Finance Minister Chun Ha Wangjira stated that a 19% tariff helps improve Thailand’s global competitiveness, simultaneously stabilizing foreign investors’ confidence.
Furthermore, with the U.S. imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods, the news led to a plunge in the rupee exchange rate, triggering fierce criticism from the opposition. The Indian government emphasized that they are still in negotiations and prioritizing the protection of farmers and small businesses.
Australia, on the other hand, is relatively relaxed since its goods are still subject to a 10% base tariff. Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell remarked that this will help enhance export competitiveness and industrial confidence.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-Te responded, stating that the 20% tariff rate is only “temporary,” and negotiations are ongoing, with hopes of securing a lower rate.
Canada, on the other hand, is more dissatisfied as its tax rate was raised from 25% to 35%. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed disappointment, criticizing the U.S. for using fentanyl as a reason, which he deems unreasonable. He emphasized that Canada accounts for only 1% of U.S. fentanyl imports, and the government has already invested significant resources in combating drugs and curtailing smuggling.
Carney mentioned on Platform X that the tariffs would severely impact industries such as lumber, steel, aluminum, and automobiles. He stated that the government will take measures to protect Canadian industries and employment, while expanding export markets.