Get the unmissable news stories of the day.
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday, April 29th, 2026.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, China's top leadership has littered a roadmap for the economy.
China's transport ministry is predicting record travel numbers for the May Day holiday period.
And media reports indicate that the US is preparing for an extended blockade of Iran.
In business, China's social logistics numbers came in strong during the first quarter.
In sports, the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
In culture and entertainment, a movie-based tourism campaign in Chengdu.
Now checking the day's top stories.
China's top leadership has laid out the roadmap for the economy.
General Secretary Xi Jinping of the CPC Central Committee presided over a Politburo meeting to analyze the current economic situation and set the priorities ahead.
Xi has details.
Tuesday's meeting noted a strong economic start this year, with major indicators beating expectations.
Yet challenges remain, requiring a stronger foundation for growth.
The response boosted confidence and more action.
The guiding principle remains seeking progress while maintaining stability.
The meeting calls for using macro policies wisely and effectively.
This means a more proactive fiscal policy, optimising spending to safeguard basic public services, and a moderately loose monetary policy aiming for flexibility and ample liquidity while keeping the RMB stable.
To fuel growth, China will dig deeper into domestic demand.
The plan is to upgrade consumption and improve the service sector.
Massive infrastructure investment is key, focusing on six critical networks, from water and smart grids to computing and next-gen communications.
Ready-to-go major projects will get the green light.
Building a modern industrial system is crucial.
China will keep a strong manufacturing base and launch the AI-plus action to foster a smart economy.
Reforms are key creating a truly unified national market, deepening state-owned enterprise reform and boosting energy security to tackle external uncertainties.
Priorities include stabilising the property market and advancing urban renewal, resolving local government debt risks, clearing overdue payments to businesses, reforming small financial institutions and boosting capital market confidence.
People's well-being is central.
Policies will prioritise job creation, boost social services like education and childcare, ensure stable agricultural production and food prices, prevent large-scale poverty relapse and ensure work safety across sectors.
For the Beijing Hour, I'm Qi Zhi.
Chinese officials say the country will boost the service sector over the next five years.
They expect the sector's total output to surpass 100 trillion yuan roughly 146 trillion US dollars by 2030.
The goal is to achieve higher quality, a more balanced structure, improved standards and stronger vitality.
Deputy Director Shen Zhulin of the National Development and Reform Commission said the move will help to meet the needs of people's daily lives.
Stronger Chinese services are needed to support higher-end Chinese manufacturing.
We will cultivate leading industrial design firms and foster synergy between Chinese design and products.
We will also provide better livelihood services to support a better life for the people.
Officials also emphasized that producer services will become more specialized and focus on higher value added segments.
Consumer services will also improve in quality, diversity and convenience.
The sector is fast becoming a new engine of economic growth in China.
Siobhan McCall has more.
Last year, it added value of $11 trillion, so a huge number there.
And it actually contributes a huge part of the country's GDP, so over 57% in 2025.
And around 50% of China's workers are employed in the service sector.
China's Ministry of Commerce is pushing to expand its services sector by improving quality, opening up markets and boosting international cooperation.
The aim is to make it easier for firms in areas like finance and legal services to operate globally, while removing cross-border barriers to trade.
The overall target is to grow the sector to around 100 trillion yuan or $14.5 trillion by 2030.
That was Siobhan McCall reporting.
And for some analysis, Li Dongning spoke with Liu Jieqin.
He's a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.
So when we compare with last year, what upgrades are we going to see?
For instance, we see that the major points have been emphasised as more dynamic.
We have more challengeable tasks and also because, as we know, the external situation And the macroeconomy and the microeconomy both have been under different circumstances.
So that's why the policy focus has something shifted to some major points from the energy security and other points.
And secondly, it's also very important to strengths is the major efforts started in the AI and the green technology, the transformation.
Of course we see the most important thing that this meeting emphasized the importance of paying great concern and the importance of for people's life, that is, employment and the environment, and also aging and even the social security.
So this point shows that the government and the whole society has a highly confidence for a better development, especially with the high quality development This year, because now the first quarter has already a very good result and a good picture for the rest of the year.
So we are highly confident that to have more achievements in the time to come.
Well, Mr Liu, traditional industries is definitely going green.
It's going AI as well because, according to the readout of the meeting, AI plus initiative is gaining very much policy support, especially in terms of accelerating the integration of AI across traditional industries.
How does that produce very immediate economic value then?
I think that immediate value or efficiency can be implemented by policy implementation, especially in industry transformation.
As we know, during this polybolo meeting the six targets, especially the six nets, for instance the water supply, the electricity, and also the logistics, for instance, and other.
Let's already make a good picture.
All this newly technology or emerging industry are the major points or major fields to implement AI technology.
Because AI can really universally be used in these different industry sections.
Now China.
You find that China's AI technology has already become the only open source economy.
That makes china economy a different way as some western countries.
So china's economies become all the open software economy that will welcome all the investors from other side and also we build up our own storage conditions and grant for all more investment.
So that's why I think China, the industrialization will need more AI support and AI innovation.
The innovation power in China is very strong and attractive.
This is a major attraction for foreign investors and for foreign partners now.
Since the beginning of 2026, many foreign-invested enterprises have stepped up their funding to China's service sector as opportunities grow in numerous industries.
Foreign retail companies such as Walmart, Costco and Tapestry have been steadily expanding their stores across China.
Singaporean medical companies have also established wholly foreign-owned hospitals.
Foreign securities firm UBS continues to increase its investment, recently committing another US100 million for the expansion of investment banking, asset management and other services.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry reports that the actual use of foreign investment in the service sector reached almost 175 billion yuan in the first quarter, accounting for more than 70 of the country's total foreign investment usage.
Hitech Services, represented by R&D and Design Services, saw the actual use of foreign investment increase by nearly 128% in the first quarter.
Coming up, China is expecting record travel numbers over the May Day holiday period.
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Ten minutes past the hour.
The Chinese Transport Ministry has projected that passenger trips across the country during this year's May Day holiday period will exceed 15 billion, marking a 4 increase.
Deputy Director Gao Bo of China's Transport Service Department said Friday...
The first day of the holiday will see the highest number of passenger trips, with 344 million expected.
Youyang reports.
China's transport ministry says passenger trips across the country during the May Day holiday will reach a historic high.
An estimated 152 billion passenger trips are expected to be made during the May Day holiday, with an average of 304 million trips per day, a year-on-year increase of 4.
On the first day of the holiday, that is, May 1, passenger trips across the country is expected to reach 344 million trips, up 33 year-on-year.
Meanwhile, passenger volumes in both the railway and civil aviation sectors are expected to maintain high, with railway trips projected to reach 107 million, while civil aviation is set to handle around 1175 million passenger journeys.
The road network around popular tourist destinations may be under significant pressure in places such as Beijing Chengdu Hangzhou, Changsha and more.
We will collaborate with local cultural and tourism departments to ensure the smooth flow of road traffic.
We will utilize various methods, such as information, guidance and on-site redistribution, to enhance the travel experience of the public.
Chinese authorities have also launched the nationwide 2026 May Day Culture and Tourism Consumption Week to stimulate holiday travel and spending.
Seasonal travel themes, including spring outings, flower viewings, family-friendly activities and study tours, are being promoted across the country.
Chinese authorities say they will organize over 13,000 consumption activities.
Those include involving distributing over 284 million yuan, or about 41 million US dollars, in consumption subsidies for tourists to enjoy culture and tourism activities during the May Day holiday.
That was Youyang reporting.
With spring break underway in many schools and the May Day holiday approaching,
China's travel market is heating up.
Themed trains are rolling across the country, giving an early boost to the travel market.
The Da He Zhenan tea-picking train departed from Zhengzhou for Xinyang, featuring sleeper carriages, tea culture zones and 24-hour service.
In Shandong, the Qilu No.
1 study tour train carried students on spring break, allowing them to learn history through replica cultural relics.
New routes inside a cross-border tourist train from Yunnan to Laos are rolling.
For the holiday period, overnight sleeper trains will run between Kunming and Lijiang.
Film and television are also driving the tourism boom.
Following the hit drama Tree of Life, its filming locations in Qinghai Province have become a new hotspot.
Visitors can photograph iconic sets, join immersive activities and enjoy cafes and cultural shops.
Chinese capital has launched a new digital tool called GoBeijing.
It's a one-stop mini program that integrates dozens of essential services for overseas visitors, from dining, transport and accommodation to shopping, entertainment and government services.
GoBeijing supports 16 languages with just a single registration.
The platform makes everything from handling a taxi and booking hotels to purchasing tickets extremely convenient.
The platform also has debuted a travel wallet.
Users can pay digitally without binding an international bank card.
And an instant tax refund function lets shoppers complete a refund with a tap at designated stores.
Overseas visitors have welcomed it.
This is very convenient, because when I bought anything in China before, I didn't think that refund was quite feasible.
But this time I used this MEDI program.
It was very fast.
I did my tax refund in like two minutes.
Okay, I open my Alipay and I can start ordering the food.
And I think the very convenient thing is that I can translate and I can see the whole menu in English.
I think for foreigners it's like it can save our lives.
Alongside the platform, Beijing's international web portal has been upgraded to offer one-stop online services in 10 languages.
Covers everything from pre-arrival information to in-city exploration.
As China emerges as a leading destination for international education, more students from around the world are choosing to study in the country.
Zheng Tao spoke with foreign students at Beijing Language and Culture University to find out what's behind the growing appeal.
The energy is hard to miss at the university's World Cultural Festival.
At this lively campus event, students from across the globe gather to share their cultures, blending international perspectives with Chinese traditions.
It's a snapshot of what draws many to China.
Not just education, but experience.
It's amazing, totally different from That's Mohammed from Saudi Arabia.
Standing behind his country's booth, he says career opportunities first caught his attention.
But it was something else that made his decision clear.
And I wish that I could stay for college and even for my job in China because I loved it in here.
It's the only country where I let my little brother walk alone to groceries.
For Talib Hadara from The Gambia, studying in China feels like a natural next step after several visits.
He says events like these help build understanding across cultures.
The culture is also respectful.
You respect elders, respect authority.
People are kind and welcoming.
So you don't get that everywhere in the world.
Some countries you go to, I'm sorry to say, but the cultures are not as welcoming as some parts of the world.
That sense of safety, he adds, has made it easier to feel at home.
I think it's the safest place I've ever been to, and I've been to lots of countries.
And here, like even in the canteen, several times I leave my phone there and go back to the dorm, and then I come back and find it on the same place.
In the streets, I can go anywhere I want at any time, in Beijing or any part of the country.
It's very safe.
China's growing appeal is also reflected in global education trends.
A report by global higher education data firm QS shows that by the end of 2025, the number of international students in China had surpassed 476000.
Students from Europe and the United States now account for more than 15% of the total.
American student Lauchlan Reed says China is especially appealing for language learners.
Out on the streets if you talk to anybody or even try speaking Chinese.
Chinese people are so open to the fact that you're just trying to learn the language and they're so encouraging.
So it's so easy to really immerse yourself in the culture and the language when everyone's really trying to help you learn.
The QS report predicts that by 2030, international student numbers in China could reach 550,000.
As the country continues to expand its education system and global connections, its reputation as a safe, welcoming and culturally rich place to study looks set to grow.
For the Beijing Hour, This is Jiang Tao.
And coming up, reports indicate that Washington's preparing for an extended blockade of Iran.
China's deep-sea KI startup has unveiled its latest model, reportedly at just a fraction of the cost of comparable US systems.
At that price edge... align with Chinese-made chips, marking a shift toward domestic hardware.
Is that trade-off worth it?
And after a stark warning from NVIDIA's CEO and fresh pressure from Washington, what does this moment mean for DeepSeek's global presence?
Join us this week at the chat lounge as we break down what DeepSeek v4 signals for the AI race beyond compute.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
19 past the hour.
Wall Street Journal reports that U.S.
President Donald Trump's instructed his administration to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran.
Trump's opposed to Iran's proposal to postpone nuclear talks.
Energy supplies are still unable to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz.
In the meantime, the United Arab Emirates says it's withdrawing from OPEC, in a move widely seen as a blow to the oil cartel.
Nick Harper reports.
The deadlock continues between the US and Iran, unable to find any middle ground.
Amidst the new proposal from Iran, the US is all but unilaterally dismissed.
Iran we're hearing wants the US to end its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and it wants the US to do that before Tehran is willing to restart negotiations.
It also wants to set aside any discussions about its nuclear program until the conflict has been formally declared ended.
That's not something the United States wants.
It wants to talk about the nuclear program now.
It wants that to be part. of negotiations.
And the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, thinks it's really just a ploy cooked up by Iran to buy more time.
He said we can't let them get away with it.
The White House has said that it is discussing Iran's proposal, but it's reiterated the Trump administration's red lines that Iran must give up its nuclear ambitions.
Donald Trump on social media on Tuesday, said that Iran had been in touch without providing any evidence to say that it was in a state of collapse.
Also, he said the Iranians are telling the US to open the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.
However, all of this stalemate is creating pressure for the U.S. president.
This Tuesday, we saw oil prices continue to rise.
Gas prices for motorists in the U.S. hitting a four year high.
We've seen a 40 percent increase in the last two months of conflict.
But there could be some ease in the price of oil in the coming months, after the UAE announced, rather shockingly, that it was pulling out of the oil grouping OPEC, a snap decision which will mean that from May 1st, the UAE will no longer be a part of the grouping of the world's largest oil producers.
It has long complained that OPEC's quotas hamper its oil exports.
It says that it's leaving to focus on long-term strategy, but it really means that the UAE is likely to increase oil production and therefore OPEC's ability to influence oil prices will be weakened.
More oil on the market could mean that energy prices are brought down.
But the Strait of Hormuz is still largely closed, so it could take some time before that increase in production is really felt on the energy markets.
That was Nick Harper reporting.
Iran says it needs a few days to consult with Supreme Leader Majdaba Khamenei before presenting a revised proposal to the US.
U.S.
President Donald Trump already said he's unhappy with Tehran's latest proposal, which outlines a three-phase plan.
Iran is very much focusing on shipping in the Persian Gulf, and the latest is a three-stage negotiation plan that Iran has passed to the US through intermediaries.
If Washington agrees, talks could restart.
This is the same proposal Foreign Minister Abbas Arafchi laid out during his recent visits to Pakistan.
The first stage is about ending the war and getting solid guarantees it won't be repeated against Iran or Lebanon.
No nuclear talks or other issues at this stage.
The second stage focuses entirely on the Strait of Hormuz and how it should be managed, with Iran saying they will coordinate closely with Oman to create a completely new legal framework for the waterway.
The third and final stage will address nuclear issues, but only if the first two phases go smoothly.
Some US officials are skeptical, arguing that Iran is just buying time.
But Iran says step by step is more realistic based on past experience.
Iran's Brigadier, General Talaynik, was at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense minister's meeting in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday and he made it pretty clear that Iran is ready to step up.
He said the country is fully prepared for a strong defense and to meet the needs of its own armed forces, but at the same time Iran is willing to share its defensive and military capabilities with independent countries, especially fellow SDO members.
That was Ehsan Kayvani in Iran.
Gulf states have issued a unified stance against disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General, Jassim Mohamed Abduwahi, said member states reject Iran's illegal measures to close the Strait and obstruct navigation.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Mohamed Al-Ansari, stressed that Qatar firmly opposes using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of pressure.
So our focus is on ending that war, on reaching a diplomatic solution that hopefully, would mean that you would not resort back to the use of the strait as leverage.
But of course we call on all parties to open the strait immediately.
We added that Qatar supports Pakistan's mediation efforts to ease regional tensions.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has returned to court in Tel Aviv to testify in his ongoing corruption trial.
President Isaac Herzog has delayed a decision on a request by Netanyahu to halt the trial.
Herzog's office says the president stated repeatedly that a settlement between netanyahu and prosecutors is the best way to resolve the case, and that position hasn't changed.
This is a setback though, for netanyahu, who faces election later this year.
Netanyahu filed his request in November, arguing that dropping the corruption charges would help unify the country.
We've spoken with Daniel Levy, a former advisor to the Israeli government.
He said if a U.S.-Iran ceasefire is reached, it could shift Netanyahu's political standing at home.
Every week he sends his lawyers to the district court where he is supposed to appear in cross-examination.
And his lawyers say to the judges, can Benjamin not come to court this week?
He's got important wars to lead.
War is part of his political and judicial management strategy.
He has been a permanent wartime leader for almost three years now.
If he is forced into a ceasefire by the US, he has to therefore manage the political fallout of that.
At the moment, his strategy is to go into the election as the necessary leader that Israel's public must back, and for that he needs the war and the uncertainty.
So if there's a de-escalation on the Iran front, he will look where else might I escalate.
The Palestinian front is always an obvious one.
That was former Israeli government advisor Daniel Levy.
Among Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia is one of the hardest hit by the global energy crisis.
Ryan Meltzer has more from Phnom Penh.
It's been a tough year for Cambodia.
It's been hit by the U.S. tariffs on its key garment sector.
The continuing economic fallout from the conflict with neighboring Thailand, which has hurt bilateral trade, remittances and tourism, and now the global fuel crisis.
Cambodia has no domestic commercial oil production or oil refineries.
And even under normal conditions, it has less than a month's supply of petrol diesel, jet fuel and liquefied petroleum gas or LPG.
The vast majority of the country's tuk-tuks run on LPG, which has soared in price.
Those who have already made the switch to electric tuk-tuks are reaping the financial and time savings, with stations swiftly swapping out used batteries for freshly charged ones.
To drive the shift to electric vehicles.
Since April 1st, the government has waived all import tax on EVs, as well as components such as batteries.
The soaring price of cooking gas meanwhile has forced many to revert to cooking methods of old.
We have to use firewood for cooking for the time being.
It's just not as convenient as cooking with gas, but we must save money because gas is so expensive.
Cambodia relies heavily on road transportation.
And rising fuel costs are driving up the price of goods, including food.
Farmers are not only feeling the pinch of rising fertilizer costs.
We need to use a machine to pump water for irrigation, which requires a lot of fuel.
The other day when we dug up ginger, we didn't make a profit at all.
In fact, we lost money because fuel prices are so high.
But it could all have been a lot worse.
Already 60% of Cambodia's energy comes from renewable sources such as hydropower, solar and wind.
It aims to increase that to 70% by 2030.
The Asian Development Bank supported the Cambodian government's creation of the first national solar park.
Energy China has built several renewable energy projects in Cambodia.
The local government has cancelled all the import tariffs about the solar power and the best battery energy storage from other countries.
So this kind of policy will give a big push for the development of the renewable energy.
For all the undoubted hardship it's causing here by speeding up the transition to EVs and production of renewable energy.
This fuel crisis is at least pushing Cambodia to move to a greener and more affordable future.
That was Ryan Meltzer reporting.
Around 29 past the hour, Beijing down to 9 degrees Wednesday evening.
It'll be sunny and 28 on Thursday.
Shanghai will see moderate rainfall tonight, 10 degrees.
That's followed by clouds and 20.
Chongqing will see showers and 14 overnight.
That's turning to cloudy and 26 degrees on Thursday.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China's top leadership has laid out a roadmap for the economy.
China's transport ministry is predicting record travel numbers for the May Day holiday period.
And media reports indicate that the U.S. is preparing for an extended blockade of Iran.
Shane Bigham with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
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Shh, listen up.
Can you hear the heartbeat of our world?
It's vibrant and pulsating with the essence of life itself.
From the stem of trees to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains to the icy whispers of glaciers, even the solid ground beneath our feet,
And right there, in the midst of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Examining the events that impact and shape China and the rest of the world.
This is the Beijing Hour, one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host.
Shane Bigham with you on this Wednesday.
Still to come.
In business, China's social logistics numbers came in strong during the first quarter.
In sports, the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
In culture and entertainment, a movie-based tourism campaign in Chengdu.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
Now with the check of the day's headlines, here's Wang Zihang.
Thank you, Shane.
General Secretary Xi Jinping of the Communist Party of China Central Committee has urged enhanced prevention and response for natural disasters.
He made remarks on Tuesday while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
He said safety requirements must be integrated into planning and construction.
He called for continuous efforts to improve the country's monitoring and early warning systems and refine emergency response plans.
Starting Friday, China will extend zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing.
For the next two years, all products within tariff quarters from these countries will enter China duty-free.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jie insists the step reflects China's commitment to global responsibilities and high-level openness.
Lin said the policy will also encourage Chinese enterprises to expand into Africa, bringing more investment and industrial upgrading opportunities to African countries.
A Chinese mainland spokesperson says peaceful reunification will bring greater stability and growth opportunities to the business and investment environment in Taiwan.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that the mainland economy would rejuvenate Taiwan's economy through its vast market of over 14 billion people.
Chen said that, following peaceful reunification, trade across the Taiwan Strait would further expand and industrial and supply chains on both sides of the strait would be more deeply integrated.
China has released a report highlighting rapid growth in data used to support artificial intelligence.
The National Data Resource Survey Report 2025 says daily token usage the basic units processed by AI models rose from over 1 trillion at the start of last year to 100 trillion by the end, marking exponential growth.
Total token usage for the years exceeded 21 quadrillion, underscoring rising demand for AI-driven innovation.
The Seoul High Court has sentenced former South Korean President Yong Suk-yeol to seven years in prison for obstruction of arrest.
The court overturned the lower court's ruling, lengthening Yong's prison term from five to seven years.
It found Yong guilty of obstructing investigators during attempts to execute an arrest warrant following his brief declaration of martial law in December 2025.
In a separate case in February, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection over his martial law declaration, a case which Yong is appealing.
Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has said that the US has pledged to respect Mexican law after CIA agents operated in Mexico without authorization.
The pledge came after an April 19 incident where two CIA agents died in an accident following an anti-drug operation in the state of Chihuahua.
Shane Baum said that the US will provide information and comply with Mexico's legal framework.
The incident has raised diplomatic tensions with Mexico investigating the case.
Shane Baum expressed hope that the CIA involvement was an isolated event and not a precedent for future cooperation.
Funerals have taken place for some victims of Saturday's attacks in southwestern Colombia, which killed at least 21 people.
Indigenous leader Maria Ovidia Palachul said the many relatives carried coffins mourning those killed in the massacre.
Honoring the victims means remembering that they are women and men whose passing causes us great pain, but they also leave us with the strength to keep moving forward.
We feel deep sadness and pain over the loss of these loved ones, which is a profound sorrow for us.
Rebel groups staged 26 attacks, including a deadly explosion on a highway between Cali and Popian.
Illegal groups have fought for control over the region for decades, engaging in illicit activities like drug trafficking.
The violence has raised security concerns ahead of Colombia's presidential election next month.
Despite peace talks and ceasefire efforts by the government, analysts say the strategy has allowed groups to strengthen their power.
Beijing hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 past now.
Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed higher on Wednesday.
The Shanghai composite was up over 7 tenths of a percent.
The Shenzhen component gained nearly 2%.
Metal and battery shares led the gainers.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index increased almost 1.7%.
Japan's Nikkei decreased over 1%.
China's social logistics value rose 62 on a yearly basis to 964 trillion yuan, or roughly 14 trillion US dollars, in the first quarter.
Industrial logistics, the main driver of the overall growth, rose 58 05 points higher than a year earlier.
High-end manufacturing fields such as aerospace equipment manufacturing, telecommunications and other electronic equipment manufacturing, reported a logistics volume growth rate exceeding 10.
Liu Yuheng is the director of the China Logistics Information Center.
He says the development of international logistics is relatively flat, especially the growth rate of imported logistics and intermediate products and bulk commodities.
It's a core growth area that drives the growth of the overall social logistics.
Driven by the spending recovery this spring and supportive policies, the logistics volume for enterprises and residential goods rose 65.
1.4 points higher than the full-year level of the previous year.
New business formats, such as on-demand retail and live-stream e-commerce, have continued to grow, effectively driving the expansion and upgrading of new types of consumer logistics demand.
In addition, benefiting from the simultaneous recovery of domestic production and demand logistics, volume of imported goods increased 91.
International demand for China's supply chain expo is exceeding expectations, with Australia signing on as the country of honour for the first time.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade says the Beijing event will run from June 22nd to the 26th.
Over 60 roadshow and promotional events have been held in China and abroad.
Participation from international organizations, foreign political and business guests, professional visitors and Chinese and foreign enterprises has exceeded expectations.
Organizers say this reflects the strong willingness of countries, particularly the international business community, to promote cooperation in global industrial and supply chains.
The Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit will take place in Beijing on May 18.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade says the summit will focus on new requirements outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan for developing new quality productive forces, as well as new trends and hotspots in the global economy.
Other areas of focus will include the role of artificial intelligence in boosting trade and investment and the promotion of integration between the service sector and manufacturing.
The summit will also release a beijing initiative calling on the global business community to work together to foster new engines for economic growth and build a future that's more resilient, sustainable and beneficial for everyone.
Launched in 2022, the annual summit's become a key platform for businesses at home and abroad to enhance communication, deepen cooperation and seek common development.
The theme of this year's auto show in Beijing is future of intelligence, and it serves as a key indicator for where the auto industry is headed.
The industries move beyond electrification only and is now entering a decisive period the mass production of intelligent cars.
Xu Shi has details.
Don't worry about my hands being off the wheel.
I was then in the intelligent assistant driving model, which is actually nothing new these days.
But what's amazing now is that in complex city traffic, the system never hesitates.
It moves slowly and steadily like an experienced driver.
And when braking to a stop, you can barely feel any jerky movements at all.
The ride is incredibly smooth, so AI is just driving way much better than me.
This U-turn is enabled by our data-driven technology. an advanced solution in the industry.
It handles oncoming vehicles and speed control with exceptional smoothness.
Trained on massive driving data from seasoned drivers, the AI delivers mature and stable performance.
Besides, our foundational model is adaptable to far more scenarios than just urban roads and highways.
And the vehicle I just tested is equipped with an intelligent driving system developed by ZEV IT, and this homegrown chinese brand unveiled its native multimodal foundation model for the first time at the beijing auto show.
So what does it mean multimodal?
Because we, we empower everything that moves, from a truck to a last mile delivery vehicle, to a passenger car, to humanoid robot.
So everything that moves is powered by, you know, our brain.
We develop the brand by our eyes, by our lidars, and also by the operating system, our autonomous driving stack.
So in order to work in different verticals we call it the model has to be trained with different inputs.
At this year's AutoChina 2026.
Driving tech brands, including ZYT Horizon Robotics, Momenta and Huawei, have all showcased their cutting-edge strength with cheaper prices.
And leading AEV giants including NIO, Li Auto and Xpeng are all equipped with self-developed chips.
Xpeng's GX model features four self-developed Turing AI chips with local computing power of 3000 tops.
And the founder, He Xiaopeng, pointed out that the era of physical AI in automobiles is fully arriving.
We've all seen massive shifts in digital AI across China, the US and the world over the past three years.
Digital AI is changing our digital world, but I believe physical AI will truly change how we experience life and impact many jobs.
It can make things easier, like driving, through intelligent assisted driving.
And amid the wave of automotive intelligence, mainstream joint venture and luxury brands are partnering with local Chinese tech firms.
We are starting a new era for BMW in China.
We offer a new platform which is not only electric, which offers a new user interface, which offers the latest Chinese technology in the cars, which has been created together with Chinese partners Momenta, Huawei.
Alibaba, Banma, and so on.
AutoChina 2026 also highlights China's supply chain breakthroughs ultra-fast charging, cockpit driving integration and more.
That was Xu Shi on the Beijing Auto Show.
China's announced major gains in oil and gas exploration, with new discoveries strengthening energy security.
The Ministry of Natural Resources says a new round of strategic explorations identified 225 medium and large-size oil and gas fields in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Bohai Bay.
These include 13 oil fields with reserves of over 100 million metric tons and 26 gas fields exceeding 100 billion cubic meters.
Meantime, China's first well to exceed 10000 meters has discovered oil at unprecedented depths, while the deep-sea number one ultra-deepwater gas field has begun production.
The country's offshore oil and gas output has surpassed 90 million metric tons.
The United Arab Emirates is the third largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, after Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
According to OPEC, the UAE's oil production accounted for roughly 12 of the bloc's total output in February.
The exit of the UAE would probably significantly weaken OPEC's pricing power in the global oil markets.
For more, Lincoln Humphreys spoke with Qiu Cheng, a research fellow from Minsu University of China.
Why has the UAE decided to leave OPEC and why now?
What does this reveal about its long-term energy strategy and its national interests?
Well, I think if you walk in the shoes of the UAE, you'll probably see this is a challenge.
Slash opportunity window.
On one hand, I think the port mode straight has been locked down, which means about 10 or even 20 of the daily supply of the oil will be affected, which we're talking about like 10 million barrels a day.
But, on the other hand, if you take a look at the past investment by UAE, they probably down put more than billions of US dollars trying to expand their capacities because, According to their national plan until the next year, they're probably going to produce about 50 billion barrels per day.
Sorry, 5 million barrels a day.
And that probably will be locked down by the OPEC quota.
So they're not allowed to produce that much, even though they have the capacity.
And on the other hand, the whole world is yearning for the oil, but they cannot get it.
I think one of the advantages for the UAE is that if you take a look at the map that their most important oil export poured the future, illa is actually outside of the straight of the hormones.
So this is actually one of the very few boards which can directly link to the oil field that will not be choked by the hormone straight, so that will directly help them to deliver the most wanted oil to the whole world market.
I think this is going to be great news for the UAE.
But because their membership in the OPEC so they cannot produce and also cannot deliver out so many of oils through the fuchaila outside of the Strait of the Hormuz.
So that became a problem of it.
And that becomes a major problem and also disagreement between them and the Saudi Arabia.
So, because of that reason, I think one of the reasonable considerations for the UAE to do is to quit OPEC and losing their tie with the GCC.
And because also, on the other hand, if we take a look at the beginning of the war, gcc reacted very, very softly towards all this kind of the geopolitical conflicts.
They're not making a straight as very strong, responding to united states and iran.
So i think uh, uae doesn't think of this is going to be a good protection to stay inside of the organizations.
Maoist research fellow Chu Cheng from Minzu University of China.
Coming up in sports, the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
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47 past the hour.
With sports now, here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
We begin with the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.
Defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain were able to battle past Bayern Munich in a 5-4 thriller in the first leg of their semifinal at home.
The match broke the record for most goals scored at this stage of the competition and the PSG now head to Germany next week, one game away from another European final.
PSG coach Luis Enrique thinks they may need to score three more in Munich to win the second leg.
Well, I think the rhythm of this match was very different from normal and, as always, the intensity was high.
I think the players who came on brought a lot to the table and it's simply our ability as a team to manage the minutes.
I asked my staff the same question how many goals do you think we need to win the second leg?
A minimum of three.
That's what we think.
And in a week we are going to Munich, a stadium we love, a stadium that holds great memories for us.
We won our first Champions League in Munich and we'll be playing at home again.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany acknowledged defensive flaws but argues the 5-4 loss isn't the full story.
But I don't think that, given what happened today, the five goals we conceded are the only thing worth discussing.
We had plenty of chances.
We had chances we did not convert.
And at home, we need to try and capitalize on that.
And then, of course, we need to make sure we don't give anything away to the opposition.
Atletico Madrid trained on Tuesday as they gear up for their Champions League semi-final first leg against Arsenal.
Coach Diego Simeone led the session.
It marks his fourth semi-final in nearly 14 years and the club though Atletico, are still chasing their first European title.
After eliminating Barcelona, they aim for a strong start at home.
More than half a century after producing its first World Cup album for Mexico 1970, Panini has unveiled its 2026 edition.
There are 980 Panini stickers to collect, with the tournament expanded to 48 teams and former England goalkeeper David James was at launch in London to start his own collection campaign.
JMC sticker collection as a chance for fans to get to know players.
I'm a collector myself obviously for many years now.
I think the beauty of the Panini sticker collection, especially during the World Cup, is the opportunity to actually start investing in the players.
Obviously, when you're trying to collect the cards, swap the cards as kids would do in playgrounds you get to learn the names of a lot of players that perhaps you wouldn't even see, because not every player in the squad will ever play in the tournament.
I think the opportunities will be there to pick them up from different outlets, and there'll be a group of kids and adults like myself.
They will be enjoying the World Cup that much more because they'll be looking to get their collections full.
The World Cup will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11th to July 19th.
Iran etched China 3-2 in the men's water polo final round robin to claim its first gold medal at the sixth Asian Beach Games.
China took silver its best ever finish.
China fought back from a 2-1 deficit to force a penalty shootout, but Iran's goalkeeper made a crucial save on China's third attempt to seal victory.
Kazakhstan winner of the previous five editions took bronze.
16-year-old speed climber Zhao Yicheng says wearing the national team uniform gives him invincible confidence.
He made remarks after setting a new world record in the preliminaries and finally clinched the gold medal at the beach games in Sanya.
He took pride in handling the pressured brains and accredited the home crowds for providing energy and an inspiring atmosphere.
When I compete wearing the national team uniform, I feel I can beat anybody.
I'm really excited that I handled the weight of this uniform because it's so special.
The atmosphere was so great here in Sanya and the crowd gave me a lot of energy.
China swept gold medals in speed climbing, with Zhao Yicheng winning the men's title and its athletes taking all three women's medals on Tuesday.
And finally, in tennis, from the ATP Madrid Open, top seed Yannick Sinner has cruised into the quarterfinals, beating Cameron Norrie 6-2 7-5.
Sinner remains on track to become the first player ever win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles, following his victory in Paris last November and his triumphs this year at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.
Cena will next face 19-year-old Rafael Jorda, who also won in straight sets.
Elsewhere, Arthur Fields defeated Thomas Martin at Chivalry 6-3, 6-4.
Kasper Ruud outlasted Stefano Sitsipas in a three-set marathon, while Jerry Lehacka beat Lorenzo Musetti.
Alexander Zverev also advanced, beating Jacob Mansik in three sets.
Daniil Medvedev is out, losing to Flavio Caballi in three sets.
Thank you very much.
That's Yong Guang with sports.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming up on Culture & Entertainment, a movie-based tourism campaign in Chengdu.
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Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
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53 past the hour, turning to culture and entertainment.
Ahead of China's five-day Labor Day holiday, a travel with movies campaign is kicked off in Chengdu, transforming iconic landmarks into immersive cinematic spaces and giving a boost to holiday tourism.
Greg Lafredi has more.
As night falls over the Chengdu high-tech zone, crowds gather in the bustling commercial district formed by the local urban landmarks clustered around the Jiaozi Avenue.
The 218-meter-tall Tianfu Twin Towers glow with vibrant visuals as promotional messages, such as travel with movies and see you at the cinema this May day, roll across a massive 4k full-color screen, creating a citywide moviegoing atmosphere, and in the Sunken Plaza along the Jones the Avenue, Free outdoor film screenings are attracting families and tourists alike.
Trailers for holiday releases, including action and suspense films, are shown alongside the animated feature Boonie Bears.
Time Twist, a favorite among children.
The twin towers are a defining symbol of the city, and the open air cinema beneath them creates a lively atmosphere.
I plan to take my kid to the cinema during the holiday.
The towers are located in an area with a strong cultural and creative industry atmosphere.
This high-profile phenomenon-level exposure of the twin towers is aimed at promoting films, as well as at building a new cultural and creative lifestyle ecosystem.
It will make traveling with movies an accessible and tangible new form of cultural consumption.
With the May Day holiday approaching, visitors are expected not only to enjoy new films in theaters, but also to explore filming locations tied to their favorite movies.
Chengdu is leveraging cinematic storytelling to activate urban spaces and expand the integration of film and tourism across multiple sectors.
By turning screens into gateways and landmarks into storytelling spaces, the city is shaping a new model where culture, tourism and everyday life intersect.
That was Greg Lafredi reporting.
China's announced its top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2025.
The list released on Wednesday spans sites from the Paleolithic era to historical periods.
Notable finds include the Upper Paleolithic Site Cluster in Jilin Province's Chengbai Mountain region, the Peiligang Site in Henan and the Zhengjiago Site in Hebei.
Others include the Nanzhou site in Gansu, the Zhongsun site in Shanxi and the Zhongshou City site in Henan.
These discoveries offer fresh insights into China's ancient history, from early human activity to urban development and ceramic production.
Chinese animated film.
Nobody has been selected for the main competition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Shanghai Film Infinity.
The movie follows a little pig monster on an absurd journey westward.
Released domestically in August of last year, the film earned over 17 billion yuan and set a new box office record for 2D animation.
It's also launched overseas, including in Australia, Malaysia, and North America.
In Vietnam.
It topped the box office for two weeks and is now among the top five highest-grossing Chinese language films there.
The 2026 NSC Festival runs June 21st to the 27th.
An exhibition of 36 Renaissance masterpieces from Italy's Uffizi Galleries has opened at the National Art Museum of China, titled Homage to the Virtuosos.
The show features works by Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Raphael, Caravaggio and many traveling to China for the first time.
The exhibition is divided into three sections, tracing the evolution of Renaissance painting.
Museum director Pan Yiquan calls these works a shared spiritual wealth of human civilization.
We're at 57 past the hour.
Checking the forecast before we go.
Beijing down to 9 degrees Wednesday evening, sunny and 28 on Thursday.
Shanghai will see some rainfall overnight, 10 degrees, then it's cloudy and 20 tomorrow.
Chongqing will see showers in 14, then cloudy in 26.
Nancheng's getting a light rainfall in 11 degrees, giving way to sunshine in 21.
Last set, we'll see showers tonight and tomorrow at a low of 5.
The high is 15.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad will see some rainfall through tomorrow.
It's a low of 20 and a high of 32 on Thursday.
BNTN will see heavy rainfall on 22 this evening, followed by light rain and 32 degrees.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, China's top leadership has laid out a roadmap for the economy.
China's transport ministry is predicting record travel numbers for the May Day holiday period.
And media reports indicate that the U.S. is preparing for an extended blockade of Iran.
On behalf of the staff, Shane Biggum, in the Chinese capital, hoping you'll join us for the next edition of The Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
Find The Beijing Hour at precisely 6 p.m.
Beijing time.
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The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters?
And what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river?
And what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, talked to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river, and present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos, all in our 12-part series.
The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
