State media uniformly led with Xi Jinping's talks with Slovak President Pellegrini, framing the visit as a step in strengthening bilateral ties and China-EU relations. By morning, coverage shifted to Xi's instructions on overseas Chinese affairs, emphasizing diaspora unity for national rejuvenation. These two themes saturated headlines across People's Daily, CCTV, Xinhua, and others throughout the day. External outlets diverged: Hong Kong Free Press reported on ex-opposition leader Wu Chi-wai's six-month UK stay and wild boar culling; SCMP covered panda bond fee scrapping and Chinese AI monetization; BBC Chinese marked the Tangshan earthquake's 50th anniversary with Mao-era details. The editorial split persisted between state-projected diplomatic and ideological messaging and external coverage of social, historical, and economic issues.