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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 Friday, May 23rd, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, first -time exhibitors from eight countries are participating at the China, Central and Eastern European Countries' Expo.
Federal authorities in the U .S. have now charged a suspect in the shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy personnel.
And the trucking industry in the U .S. says it's feeling the impacts of Washington's tariffs on imports.
In business, Beijing's Global Trade and Investment Promotions Summit.
In sports, the latest from the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha.
In Culture and Entertainment, Chinese filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival.
Now checking the day's top stories.
The China CEEC expos welcome first -time exhibitors from eight countries.
The event in eastern China offers a platform for 14 countries in Central and Eastern Europe along with CEEC -plus countries that are attending in Ningbo.
Slovenia and Slovakia are the guests of honor at this addition.
They are members of the 17 -plus -1 cooperation framework between China and the countries in the region.
Biran spoke with state Secretary Matus Fröngs at the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport.
He discussed the country's growing ties with China and the potential for greater economic cooperation.
What measures is your government taking to help businesses enter and grow in the Chinese market.
Specifically using these kind of opportunities that businesses can meet businesses, that people can make, meet people and establish collaboration.
I'm pretty much sure that Slovenian economy with its advantages, highly innovative, complex, automated, digitalized and robotized economy can prove itself with its products also on the demanding Chinese market.
Slovenia Slovenia is a country in the heart of Europe.
It is the best possible entrance to the European market because it provides the best and shortest gateway for shipping from China to Europe, from Europe to China.
We would like to enhance and evolve ourselves into the next European hub for innovation of advanced and sustainable technologies.
In the next five years, how will Slovenia leverage the 17 plus one cooperation framework to strengthen ties with China?
Well, I think that China's EC mechanism is already the best possible tool to see where our untapped potential is, how we can bring Slovenian small medium enterprises to the China market and it provides the tools and support in order to do so.
our strong biopharmaceutical industry, that presents nearly a third of our exports.
Because we import a lot of medical substances from China, we saw a great growth of Chinese exports to Slovenia.
In just five years, it multiplied by five.
So we would like to rebalance our foreign trade deficit, and I'm really glad that we have a support of Chinese government in order to do so.
We met with a lot of companies these days.
From the emerging Chinese automotive sector, we don't hide the ambition to localize a portion of Chinese EV production in Europe, in Slovenia.
In that sense, we are in communication with several of the Chinese automakers, but also we would like to bring Slovenian automotive industry, Slovenian suppliers, tested throughout the decades of collaborating with the European automotive industry to China because being innovative is a part of our national DNA.
We are not, you know, just the manufacturer.
We are an innovator with interesting technologies.
Our startups, research institutes, as well as the establishment industry can provide a good solution." That was the Slovenian state secretary on seeking more opportunities through China.
Slovenia is one of the European Union's most export -dependent economies as global supply chains face mounting pressure from trade tensions.
The Central European country is calling for a stronger multilateral approach. Deputy Director General Matej Skocer from the Slovenian Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport sees China as a key partner for collaboration, especially in the automotive sector.
I believe we will strengthen cooperation in the sector of the automotive industry.
We really have highly competitive companies.
We also have highly competitive supply chain, and I believe that with the common cooperation we can seek for a common balance.
As a next step, I see also that we should organize a joint economic commission between China and Slovenia that should be organized and held by the Chinese side and discuss these issues in China and seek for a common cooperation.
The government official said Slovenia supports free trade and would like a united EU that speaks with one voice.
Exhibitors have brought crystals, honey and mobility equipment among other things to the expo in Ningbo.
We asked some exhibitors and buyers about how these products enrich urban lifestyles and strengthen trade relations.
Today at the expo, we are exploring its diverse range of products to identify options that align with our clients' needs or our platforms requirements.
What stands out is how these innovations are designed for practical everyday use in people's lives.
I would say we have a high expectation in a good way because Slovakia has many things to show the world, and to China's Chinese people, so also we came here to present our products, which are high quality, and for this value we think that we have so much potential for China.
I see this in a very positive way how it goes, that the relationship is getting more and more stronger, and also I see Chinese companies coming to our market, so that we see that they can be beneficial both ways.
Many global partners see China as a major market, and General Director Peter Lozicki of a winery in Slovakia is one of them.
I used to visit China for a couple times before, and since then China is one of the greatest places that I travel to.
Wine business is one of the most competitive businesses, especially in China because in China you have the wines from all over the world for the best prices.
Chinese market very good.
It's been six years for our company importing the red wine and the grape juice and we are very happy that our sales are being raised year by year." China has pledged to increase imports from CEEC countries and expand trade volume with the region.
it. Beijing also said it'll work with countries in central and eastern Europe on the construction of the Belt and Road, mutually beneficial cooperation and technological advancement.
The China -CEEC expo's becoming increasingly vital for Serbian businesses seeking to enter and grow in the Chinese market.
And Tian Lu spoke with Jelena Stefanovic, head representative of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce in China, and she emphasized the strength of China -Serbia trade ties even as global tariff tensions continue to pressure supply chains worldwide.
How would you describe the current state of Serbia -China trade and investment ties?
Have you seen stable growth or has the global tariff climate introduced new challenges?
Well, we do recognize that the global trade tensions are really affecting everyone and They are affecting the supply chain.
They're affecting the investment flows and economic planning, of course.
It's really great that Serbia and China keep building a very resilient economic corridor and our economic ties are at their best in the last few years, especially.
They have reached record highs, really.
Serbia welcomes Chinese investments in all sectors, from technology and infrastructure and also energy.
And we're really happy that we're increasing the exports towards China, and our companies are finding growing demand in this market from food and wine and industrial materials.
One thing we're especially pleased and proud about, of course, is the pre -trade agreement.
It was a strategic milestone in our relationship, a year into its implementation and our trade has increased some 30%.
You know this agreement doesn't represent only reduced tariffs it's really a platform for balanced trade uh for rule -based trade and for forward -looking trade.
It encourages the building of industrial relationships and really allows more access to our small and medium enterprises on both countries.
And Serbia has had a consistent presence at the China CEC Expo.
Has the expo changed in any way that makes it more relevant or useful for Serbian enterprises especially amid broader global uncertainty?
The fourth China CEC Expo has indeed evolved over the years, becoming increasingly relevant for Serbian companies that want to enter this market and scale in this market.
It is an important platform for businesses directly to engage with this market.
It has a very significant role for increasing the visibility of our products here and really fostering synergies for broader cooperation and in general, it is a vital platform, the CEC China platform.
We are very dedicated to it and it is important in terms of our collaboration with China as region and as a country.
We have over some 50 brands that are exhibiting this year that has grown exponentially from the first expo and I think other countries have a similar number.
Additionally, there are even nine other nations that have joined this year Germany, France, UK.
So this really kind of underscores the relevance of the growing relevance of the platform.
And it's really boost its international program.
That was the head representative of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce in China.
Coming up, a lone suspect faces murder charges, and the deaths of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington.
At the 4th China CEC expo trade means more than just doing business.
It's about establishing partnerships, deepening cultural exchanges and fostering friendships.
Leaders and entrepreneurs from 14 Central and Eastern European countries and more are in Ningbo with one goal joining hands with their Chinese counterparts to unlock new potential.
Because in a time of uncertainty, the only certainty is the need to keep moving forward together!
Join us at CGTN as we take you inside the expo to see how deals are made.
and discover what's behind the strong bonds between China and Central and Eastern Europe and their new visions for the future.
At 12 minutes past the hour, U .S. federal authorities charged the man accused of killing two Israeli embassy staffers with murder.
FBI assistant director Steve Jensen says they're investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism and hate crime.
We're continuing to investigate and contact the subject's associates, his family members and co workers.
We are also executing search warrants for his electronic devices, reviewing his social media accounts and all of his internet postings.
The suspect did not enter a plea during a court appearance.
The victims were an American woman and an Israeli man.
Owen Fairclough has more on that incident in Washington.
Israeli communities across the world are on heightened alert after what's been described as a stunning and brazen fatal shooting of two staff working at the Israeli Embassy here in Washington DC outside the Jewish Capital Museum in the heart of downtown Washington DC the embassy staff who died in this attack have been named by Israeli authorities as Eleshinsky an Israeli citizen and Sarah Milgram an American citizen who were both due to be engaged to be married according to Israeli authorities.
Arguably as brazen as the attack in the heart of the US capital was the fact that much of the aftermath was caught on video with the gunman protesting the treatment of Palestinian citizens in Gaza during Israel's ongoing military campaign in that region.
And one eyewitness even interacted with the gunman, initially mistaking him for somebody caught up in the chaos.
So, he pulls out his kaffir and he says, I did it.
I did it for Gaza. Free free Palestine, and he's chanting this.
And then suddenly the police come in and they arrest him.
Inevitably, there's been condemnation around the world for these killings by leaders in the international community, including US President Donald Trump.
But Trump has also been under pressure for some time from members of the international community to try to do more to rein in Israel in its ongoing military campaign in Gaza amid mounting concerns from humanitarian leaders that this campaign will lead to the starvation of the Palestinian population there.
And some countries, notably Canada, France and the United Kingdom have gone a step further sanctioning Israel over its campaign in Gaza.
The alleged gunman has been named by police as 31 year old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, heavily armed Police were seen outside his apartment building on Thursday morning.
He'll be prosecuted by authorities in Washington DC.
One thing is clear as the authorities investigate what happened here, is that the Jewish Capitol Museum had some sense of the heightened security concerns before this fatal shooting.
It was one of a number of local non -profit organizations here that was awarded extra funding to increase its security.
I was Owen Fairclough on the aftermath of the deadly shooting involving Israeli embassy staff.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's blamed the shooting in Washington on anti -Semitism and the October 7th attack by Hamas.
Jonathan Rygev has more reactions from Israel.
There is now a question of the safety of Israeli diplomats abroad.
If this is happening in the United States, a friendly country, safe country, what would happen to diplomats, what are the dangers in other countries?
Perhaps not as safe, perhaps not as friendly.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as we've heard in the early hours of the morning, issuing a statement saying, expressing of course condolences to the families of both the embassy personnel killed, to everybody working at the Israeli embassy in the United States, and strongly condemning the attack in very strong words.
A few hours later, Foreign Minister Gidon Saar also putting out a statement.
Let's hear some of it.
There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti -Israeli incitement to this murder.
This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe.
Leaders of countries in Europe, says the foreign minister, not directly pointing at France, at the UK, who are very critical of Israel in these days.
Also notice Spain, where the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, is very vocal towards Israel.
But this is probably what he means.
Netanyahu also accused French, Canadian, and British leaders of going against history for their condemnation of Israel's renewed Gaza offensive.
The US State Department is speaking out after the shooting.
Spokesperson Tammy Bruce says the protection of diplomats is a top priority for the United States.
We are working certainly with the DC Metropolitan Police and the security of this building of American diplomats, of diplomats throughout this city, is of paramount importance to the United States of America.
We act on that every single day.
The shooting comes amid Israel's latest offensive in Gaza and part of its ongoing war with Hamas.
House. The conflict has further raised tensions across the Middle East and beyond, and U .S. law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned that it could inspire acts of violence on American soil.
United Nations humanitarians say the first new aid for Gaza in 11 weeks includes nutrition supplies, flour, medicines, and other essentials.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said UNICEF will repackage the supplies and deliver them to dozens of distribution points.
It's said the limited shipment is far from meeting the needs of 2 .1 million people in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has named Major General David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet Domestic Intelligence Agency.
The senior military officer would replace Ronan Bahr.
The appointment sparked immediate controversy.
Attorney General Gali Baharav Mihara publicly criticized the move saying Netanyahu ignored legal advice and may have The warning comes after Israel's Supreme Court ruled that Netanyahu's firing of bar was unlawful, citing influence from corruption probes involving Netanyahu's associates in the so -called Katar Gate affair.
Legal challenges to Zinni's appointments are expected.
Netanyahu is currently standing trial on corruption charges, which he denies.
He's repeatedly described the proceedings as politically motivated and part of a witch hunt.
And coming up, the U .S. trucking sector says it's feeling the impact of Washington's tariffs.
Washington is tightening its containment of China's tech industry, launching a global crackdown on A .I.
chips from Chinese firms with Huawei squarely in the crosshairs.
What's fueling this escalation and how might it reshape the global semiconductor landscape?
Join us on the Chat Lounge this week as we breakdown the power play's potential blowback and China's next move in this high -stakes silicon showdown.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts and our CGTN radio.
Nineteen minutes past the hour, China and the United States have agreed to maintain communication after a phone call between the Deputy Foreign Affairs Chiefs, Chinese vice foreign minister Ma Jiaxiu and U .S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern.
U .S. trucking companies and drivers are feeling the impact of the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs.
They're seeing a decline in orders along with reduced shipping activities at U .S. ports.
Yis Tien Shan reports from Los Angeles.
The on and off tariffs imposed by the U .S. on its trading partners in recent months have caused a slowdown in port, leaving the truckin uncertainty.
We want to b ports.
You know, donald t the disaster zones in the might want to come visit country and see all the t are a dire need of some h As soon as the number of at the ports of Long Beac the containers they carry, the number of jobs available immediately decreases.
Unfortunately, locally the most vulnerable people are the frontline workers that are the truck drivers, the warehouse workers, the dock workers.
Some of these folks don't always have the ability to live beyond paycheck to paycheck.
We saw this during COVID, there's not a company in the United States that doesn't really, really need oppor things.
And in a press co officials last week, the emphasized that a quarter of goods move through his 2 .7 million jobs nationwi more than $300 billion to product in the U .S. Think to our entire logistics an uh, continuum.
That means called into work.
That me they can count on fewer p not only from the docks b and to the trucks and to an economic impact with g city of Long Beach. And s begun to see the impacts rely on port traffic are heat as officials warn ab bigger disruptions in the logistics sector due to prolonged tariffs.
Kenyan Genemakers are raising alarms that the potential end of the AGOA trade deal could threaten their industry.
At United Arian, a bustling factory in Nairobi, about 8 million genes are exported to the U .S. every year.
Founder Pankaj Bedi says without the trade deal, the factory may not survive.
There is no measure we can take, because without Agoa, at least my company cannot exist. And many EPC companies, which we know, I don't think they can.
In early April, the administration of U .S. President, Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports from major trading partners, meaning these companies will face much higher tariffs after the trade deal expires in September.
Employee Valdez -Samora has worked at the company for two decades, and is a father of nine.
I never completed my education, but through this work, I have been able to educate my children.
The trade deals help create 66 ,000 jobs in Kenya since 2000.
China's latest expansion of visa free entry covers travelers from Brazil and four other Latin American countries.
China aims to strengthen bonds with the region.
Lucretia Franco finds out what that means for both sides.
The Great Wall, ancient temples, centuries -old traditions.
Visiting these attractions is about to get a lot easier for many Latin Americans who will be allowed to enter China visa -free for up to 30 days starting on June 1st. At a Chinese cultural event in Rio de Janeiro China's consul general, Chan Min said the move is part of broader efforts to strengthen people -to -people ties.
This is the first time the Chinese government is easing entry rules for citizens from Latin America, including Brazil, its biggest trading partner in the region, a move that showcases the deepening ties between China and Latin America.
The announcement came after a high -level meeting in Beijing earlier this month between China and CELAC, the community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
There, President Xi Jinping pledged over $9 billion in new credit lines to support development throughout the region.
Simone Hang is the owner of the travel agency China -Brasil Turismo.
She says the new policy has the potential to dramatically increase travel from Latin America to China.
China isn't the easiest place to visit for most Latin Americans.
From Brazil it's a 30 -hour journey, and since most people only get 10 to 15 days of vacation, they look for closer places.
But China is a dream travel destination, and this is a great step that will open more doors for tourism between the countries.
Some travel industry experts say that with travel to the United States, becoming more Restricted and riskier, naturally curious Latin Americans are already starting to turn to Asian destinations in large numbers.
They say the visa waiver is the latest incentive, among several others, helping with that trend.
Travel to China from Brazil, for example, has become easier thanks to growing air connectivity.
Air China resumed its flight from São Paulo to Beijing in 2024 and the other major airlines are offering connecting routes to several destinations in China.
2025 has witnessed a particularly sharp surge in travel from Latin America to China.
Official data shows a 168 percent increase from Argentina and more than 80 70 per cent from Brazil and Chile.
So, while the opposite has been the case elsewhere, China is letting Latin Americans know they are welcome with open arms. That was Lucrezia Franco on easier access to China for Brazilian travelers.
UN Secretary -General António Guterres says humanity is destroying biodiversity at a lightning pace.
This morning came as scientists in Australia said the Great Barrier Reef isn't getting enough time to recover from the increasing impacts of climate change.
Greg Navarro finds out about the threats and attempts to save the corals.
There's a lot riding on the corals growing in tanks inside a specially lit lab at the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
These corals in particular are from 2014, 2015.
They're part of a world -leading program aimed at helping corals on the Great Barrier Reef adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
We're seeing stress, mortality events at an unprecedented rate.
That's because the world's oceans are warming at an alarming rate, largely fueled by greenhouse gases.
Higher temperatures are causing mass bleaching events.
It's almost like not eating.
For us, if we were to starve ourselves we too would get very sick.
We've seen six major mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef in the last decade since 2016.
the worst of those occurred on the Great Barrier Reef in 2024, and we actually saw another mass bleaching event in the northern section of the system in 2025.
There's another climate driven factor that's currently impacting the reef here and it's linked to widespread flooding parts of Queensland has experienced in the past year.
It's created massive flood plumes that are damaging corals along a more than 700 kilometer stretch of the coastline and in places it extends more than 100 kilometers out into the ocean.
Coral reefs account for just one percent of the ocean's surface, yet they support about a quarter of the world's marine love.
These reefs are really important for things like wave protection, a source for novel medicines for example, Alzheimer's and cancer medicines have come from coral reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef supports a thriving tourism industry that employs about 65 ,000 people and generates billions of dollars for the state of Queensland.
Tourism knows the risk of climate change to the industry itself and it is, is scared because it is concerning because so many lives do depend on having a healthy reef.
Yolanda Waters is the Chief Executive Officer of Divers for Climate, a collection of divers and tourism professionals calling for greater action on climate change.
We've just surveyed a thousand divers around Australia, 91 % said they've experienced climate change firsthand and over half have said it has directly impacted their mental health.
Researchers at the Australian Institute of Marine Science are working on a range of methods to help corals survive, from developing probiotics to increase resilience to stress and disease, to making corals more heat tolerant.
We're testing and growing corals that we can outplant onto the reef, that have enhanced thermal properties.
But given the rate the world's oceans are warming, scientists admit even the most promising techniques being developed here won't be enough to preserve the world's reef systems, not until the world addresses carbon emissions.
That was Greg Navarro reporting.
Route 29 passed, Beijing's at 12 degrees Friday evening, sunny conditions in 28 on Saturday.
Nanchang's down to 20, followed by clouds in 26.
elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad's 27 overnight, then a slight rainfall in 35 on Saturday.
Vientiane's down to 24, followed by some rain in 31 .aahm Pan's 26 this evening, then moderate rainfall in 30 degrees.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a slight rain in 26 on Saturday.
Campanal is at 19 overnight, then a slight rain and 26.
Chubas down to 23, then some rain in 33.
And finally to Oceania, Port Vila's at 24 overnight then a slight rain in 29.
Apia will see a slight rain Saturday and 29 Celsius.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, first -time exhibitors from eight countries are participating at the China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo.
Federal authorities in the US have now charged a suspect in the shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy personnel.
and the trucking industry in the US says it's feeling the impact of Washington's tariffs on imports.
Shane Bigam, with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
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.
Right there, in the mist of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
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Chinese filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival.
To contact us you can email radio at CGTN .com or follow our x account at CGTNRadio.
Now check out the day's headline news.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling for new progress in cultural and ethical standards in the new era.
He stressed enriching cultural well -being.
Xi Jinping, who's also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee also urged authorities to promote the high -quality development of spiritual civilization to contribute to national rejuvenation.
The Trump administration's revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, ordering thousands of current students to transfer or leave the country.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the decision on Thursday, accusing Harvard of creating an unsafe campus environment by allowing what it called anti -American, pro -terrorist agitators to assault Jewish students.
Harvard has called the move unlawful and says it's working swiftly to guide affected students.
The decision follows Harvard's refusal to hand over information on international students that could potentially implicate them in protests or acts that might lead to deportation.
The university hosts nearly 7 ,000 overseas students from more than 100 countries accounting for over a quarter of the entire student body.
Federal prosecutors in Washington filed criminal charges against the man accused of killing two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in the Capitol.
U .S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Janine Ferris Pierro called the attack a targeted act of terror.
31 year old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois is now charged by complaint after his initial appearance before U .S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Charbon, with the following murder in the first degree for the murder of 30 year old Yaron Leschinsky a foreign official and official guest of the United States.
The defendant Rodriguez is also charged with two counts of murder in the first degree for both Yaron Leschinsky along with 26 year old Sarah Lynn Milgram of Kansas.
The court documents reveal the shooting was caught on surveillance video showing Rodriguez firing additional shots at the victims after they'd collapsed.
Rodriguez shouted Free Palestine as he was led away after his arrest and told police that he was the one who did it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the killings, calling them a horrific act of anti -Semitic violence.
The terrorists who cruelly gunned them down did so for one reason and one reason alone.
He wanted to kill Jews.
Netanyahu also lashed out at several world leaders, accusing them of siding against Israel in its ongoing Gaza offensive.
Those leaders have threatened to take action unless Israel halts its military operations and eases restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says his forces will establish a security buffer zone along the border with Ukraine, citing ongoing drone attacks and sabotage missions.
Considering the drone raids, actions of sub -type and reconnaissance groups that hunt for civilian transport, including ambulances, agricultural machinery, both women and children being killed and injured, I've already said that a decision was made to create the necessary security buffer zone along the borders.
However, Putin gave no details of where the proposed buffer zone would be or how far it would stretch. Putin made similar claims last year during a Russian offensive in Ukraine's Kharkiv region.
He now says the new zone will help protect residents in areas like Russia's Kursk region where Ukrainian troops lost a surprise attack last August. Meantime Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia shows no signs of seeking a ceasefire, and it's not ready to end the war.
Romania's constitutional courts confirmed Nkushar Dan's presidential election win last weekend.
The court also dismissed a challenge by George Simeon, who finished behind Den and sought to annul the results.
Simeon had alleged foreign interference and disinformation.
Parliamentals swear in the new president at a joint session.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal ceding the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The UK's agreed to pay Mauritius $136 million every year for 99 years, to retain control of a key US -UK air base in the Indian Ocean.
Mauritius Prime Minister has called the historic signing a great victory for his country.
Britain separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1968 to lease the island of Diego Garcia to the US for military use.
In 2022, London agreed to begin negotiations with Mauritius for the territory's return.
Just ahead in business, Beijing's global trade and investment promotion summit.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 passed. In business, Chinese mainland shares declined in Friday's trading, with the Shanghai composite index and the Shenzhen component index each falling around nine tenths of a percent.
Shares related to controlled nuclear fusion, precious metals and medical services led the gainers, while those in shipping ports, gaming, computing power and electricity were among the biggest losers.
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was up over two tenths of a percent void by renewed listing momentum Timothy Pope has more on the Hong Kong stock market Hong Kong has been an interesting one.
The markets have had a pretty good week Really the hang saying was a quarter of 1 % higher By the end of trades and managed to lock in an impressive sixth consecutive weekly gain But even more impressive is the new listings six and a half billion u .s. dollars worth of new shares started trading in Hong Kong on the stock exchange there this week.
The biggest chunk of that was from the world's biggest listing of the year so far, that was the battery giant CATL at the beginning of the week but we also had Chinese drug maker Jiangsu Hangrai Pharma.
It raised almost US $1 .3 billion and added 25 % to its stock price during its trading debut and with the appetite for these listings still pretty high we can expect more of them come.
And probably fairly soon the Hong Kong exchanges and clearing CEO Bonnie Chan has said more than 40 companies already listed on China's A share markets are exploring a secondary listing in Hong Kong at the moment.
As Timothy Pope reporting Japan's Nikkei gained nearly half percent on the day.
Beijing hosted a global trade and investment promotion summit on Thursday.
Chinese Vice President Han Zhang attended that event saying China will continue to open up while injecting more stability into global markets.
The summit launched the Beijing initiative, calling for further cooperation in the digital era to drive global growth and shared prosperity.
Yo -young has more. As the first major global business gathering since China and the United States reached trade agreements in Geneva, the 2025 Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit, held by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, has attracted nearly four hundred foreign delegates from forty eight countries and regions as well as one hundred thirty six international organizations.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attended events and proposed three initiatives aimed at developing digital technology.
That includes embracing the digital transformation, promoting openness and cooperation in the digital economy, and safeguarding the of global industrial and supply chains.
China remains unwavering in its commitment to opening up.
We will expand high -level openness, advance high -quality development and create vast opportunities for businesses worldwide.
Partnering with China means embracing opportunities.
Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, has released one of the major outcomes of the gathering.
The Beijing Initiative of Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2025 We suggest leveraging the new advantages of digital and intelligent technology to facilitate global trade and investment.
We support openness rather than isolation, connectivity rather than decoupling, and equality rather than discrimination.
We call for the promotion of exchanges of data, talents, and technology globally.
Foreign delegates, including the President of the New Development Bank, as well as the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, have praised the potential of the Chinese market, as well as the results achieved between the two largest economies in Geneva.
The world is undergoing a profound imbalance with geoeconomic and geopolitical forces trying to mislead and reshape the international order.
In such a complex and uncertain environment, forums like this play a vital role and promote constructive dialogue.
So the good news is it looks like the American government and the Chinese government have come to an agreement for a 90 -day pause.
Of course, the American Chamber of Commerce, we believe that U .S. and China should continue to trade with each other, and so we're looking forward to finding ways to cooperate.
Other parallel forums discussed various topics, including one called Digital Intelligence Driving an Open and Fair Innovation Ecosystem.
The 2025 Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit is a grand gathering held right after China and the United States agreed to slash mutual tariffs by more than 100 per cent, following talks in Geneva.
As hundreds of delegates from major international players such as the United States, the UK, Germany and others gathered here to discuss topics related to global developments, experts say the call for more intellectualism remains the voice of the time.
A Chinese tech firm Xiaomi has officially released its first self -developed 3nm mobile chip, the X -Ring O1.
A founder and chairman Lei Jun says the chip features a 10 -core CPU and a 16 -core GPU.
The chip has entered mass production and integration into the company's latest flagship products.
Xiaomi's research and development for the X -Ring O1 chip has spanned a decade.
Enderle Group President Rob Enderle says the chip marks a major breakthrough in the company's chip development and design capabilities.
Basically they're really small, they're very power efficient and very powerful.
This new Xiaomi chip is in line with the best from Qualcomm and recognized that they weren't even on the road map a couple years back.
So that's a massive move in terms of competitiveness over a very short period of time.
It showcases that China's moving very quickly, far more quickly than the rest of the world is moving largely as a result of being forced to do so because of the tariffs and blocks on US technology going to China and China technology coming out to the West. That has driven China to over -execute, if you use that as a term, and the end result is across a number of areas, from automotive to computers, China's not only coming up to parity, they're moving ahead very rapidly.
The only thing that's limiting that shift are the barriers to moving technology between China and the West, largely sponsored by the US.
But as the US's influence has waned, China's has increased, and those blockades aren't going to last much longer." How is Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst of The Enderle Group on Xiaomi's new mobile chip?
China has rolled out new policy measures to strengthen financial support for innovative science and technology enterprises.
The 15 measures aim to encourage investment in technologies and to expand credit access for SciTech businesses.
Among the measures is the establishment of a SciTech board on the bond market.
It'll help raise long -term low interest and accessible bond funding for innovation.
So far nearly 100 Chinese institutions have issued innovation bonds worth 250 billion yuan, roughly 34 .7 billion US dollars.
Authorities are also pushing for the participation of insurance funds in national SciTech projects to provide full -cycle risk protection and financial support for tech -driven companies.
China's home appliance market registered sustained expansion in the first four months of the year amid government policies to subsidize the trade -ins of key consumer goods.
Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows over 34 million consumers participated in the home appliance trading program during the period.
These consumers bought 51 million units of 12 appliance categories and generated 174 US $24 billion in sales.
China announced a new round of consumer goods trade -in program last year to boost spending, subsidizing trade -ins of automobiles, home appliances and home decorations.
The government also expanded the scope of the program earlier this year.
Government data shows that Japan's core consumer prices in April rose 3 .5 percent from a year earlier.
The increase in the consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food, accelerated from the 3 .2 % gain in March. The inflation rates remained at or above the central bank's 2 % target since April 2022.
It's a key indicator for the Bank of Japan in determining the timing of rate hikes.
U .S. artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has introduced the next generation of models during its inaugural developer conference.
The company says Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 are hybrid models offering two modes, near instant responses and extended Thinking for deeper reasoning.
It says the models are new standards for coding, advanced reasoning, and AI agents.
Both models can use tools like web search during extended thinking, allowing Claude to alternate between reasoning and tool use to improve responses.
A consortium of global technology firms has launched the Stargate Emirates project in Abu Dhabi.
It aims to significantly boost the artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates.
The project brings together OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco Softbank Group, and UAE -based G42.
Stargate Emirates will establish an AI infrastructure cluster in Abu Dhabi with an initial capacity of one gigawatt, forming the core of the newly established UAE -US AI campus.
The broader campus will expand to five gigawatts.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour, coming up in sports, the latest from the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha.
called drama. 47 past the hour.
Turning to sports, now nears youngguang.
Thank you Shane. In the NBA, Shea Gilders Alexander scored 38 points since the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 1 -18 1 -0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder now leads the series 2 -0 before the game Gilders Alexander received his MVP Award. He says winning makes the moment even better.
I feel like my emotions are like so high that I was like a little bit like tired out there, especially the start.
I was like a little too juiced up.
But yeah, special moment.
I'm happy we won so I can like really enjoy the last couple days and soak it all up.
That really helps. But yeah, shout out to the team who played well again and headed to Minnesota up to them.
Jalen Williams added 26 points and Chad Holmgren had 22.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 32 points.
In tennis, Novak Djokovic celebrated his 38th birthday with a strong win at the Geneva Open on Thursday.
He beat Matteo Annoudi in straight sets to reach the semifinals for the second straight year.
Last month, Annoudi defeated Djokovic in Madrid, but this time, Djokovic fought back from 4 -1 down in the second set, winning five straight games to close out the match. It's great to be in the semifinals again.
Last year, I played semifinals.
Hopefully, this year I can go at least a step further that's the goal you know I think I'm playing really really good tennis as I said a lot of tension on the court straight set win but it was much closer than maybe the score indicates yeah I was 4 -1 down in the second and somehow I don't know after that record breaking I didn't lose the game kind of found my I guess optimal state and balance mentally and emotionally to really be be able to play the best tennis when it was most needed.
With this win, Djokovic moved closer to his 100th career title.
Only Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer have reached the milestone in the open era.
In other tennis news, the French Open starts on Sunday, Chinese eighth seed Cheng Qingwen landed in the same quarter as world number one arena Sabalanca, setting up a potential quarterfinal clash.
Cheng recently scored her first the career victory over the Belarusian player in their seventh meeting at last week's Italian Open.
The Olympic champion will open her Roland Garros' campaign against Onystasia Pavlyichinkova.
In men's action, defending champion Carlos Elcres will begin his title defense against Kei Nishikori.
The 22 year old Spaniard boasts a 15 -1 clay court record this season and finds himself in the opposite half of the draw from Jannik Sinne and Novak Djokovic.
At the table tennis championships in Doha, Wang Zhuching and Sun Yingsha have reached the finals of the mixed doubles events.
They beat their opponents 3 -0.
Awaiting them in the final is a pair from Japan.
Wang Manyu and Kuai Man booked a place in the semifinals of the women's doubles events, with a 3 -0 victory as well.
In swimming, world champion Xu Jiayu has won the men's 200m backstroke for his third gold at China's national swimming championships in Shenzhen.
In the men's 200m breaststroke, world record holder Qin Haiyan led from the start and won the title.
In the men's 4x200m freestyle relay, team Zhejiang came on top.
3 world champions Pan Zhonglu, Wang Shun and Sun Yang plus Asian Games gold medallist Fei Liwei teamed up for the first time in their career to represent Eastern Province.
Turning to Football Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has won the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year Award for the third time in his career.
FWA Chair John Cross and Liverpool legend Ian Rush presented him the award. Salah won with 90 % of the votes.
It means a lot, winning this award is incredible.
I always feel special winning this award, winning something with the writers is so special and with that gap between you and the second, It's just incredible the 32 -year -old forward scored 28 goals and set up 18 this season He played a key role in helping Liverpool win the Premier League title We felt like winning the Premier League and had that impact in the team I think I said that before last week I never felt that happy and happiness in the club like that moment where when we win the Premier League against Spurs could you have that impact on the numbers of goals and assist and winning the Premier
League after that great players left and a manager led so this is so special because I came to the year to the season and I was like okay will I be able to do it again I had that conversation with myself will I be able to do it again then I say okay let's find out but just like you need to work hard you need to set the example I was doing my job and I think I did it very well.
With one game left Salah leads the league in goals and could finish as the top scorer.
And finally Real Madrid has announced the club they will part ways with captain Luka Modric after this summer's FIFA Club World Cup in the US.
Real released a statement expressing gratitude and appreciation for the 39 -year -old and describing him as a true legend in club and world football.
Modric posted on social media that playing for Real changed his life as a footballer and as a person, adding that he's proud to have been a part of one of the club's most successful eras.
The creation made 590 appearances for the Los Semplancos over 13 seasons.
Thank you very much, that was Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in culture and entertainment, Chinese filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival.
that affect China and the world.
Keep up to date with today.
53 past the hour, turning to culture and entertainment.
Chinese filmmakers and officials have joined events at the Cannes Film Festival to promote Chinese cinema.
International filmmakers praise Chinese movies for their growing openness, professionalism, and unique cultural appeal.
Senior French film distributor, Boris Pounia, said Chinese films now have high artistic and entertainment value.
My Chinese production has reached a very high level of production value of quality on an artistic point of view, on an entertaining point of view.
And so my plan is to be very attentive and to dig for more movies.
We want to specialize in Chinese movies, to distribute in Europe.
Luisa Prudentinos, a French expert on Chinese cinema.
And she said Chinese films present a real and poetic China through their unique aesthetics.
The strength of Chinese cinema is that they take the tradition as the basis of the modernity.
And this is really very, very clear in the Chinese cinema.
And I think it's really the unique, unique characteristic, the most innovative characteristic of Chinese films." Filmmakers also discussed the global performance of Chinese films and AI in movies at another event.
The Chinese film night is taking place as well.
Chinese actors express hope to tell great Chinese stories in modern ways and they believe that such works can cross cultural and language barriers.
The 16th Cross Stray Film Festival is opened in Taipei.
Seven popular mainland films will screen for audiences including comedy films Successor and Detective Chinatown 1900.
The festival will run until Monday.
It also showcases six films from Taiwan in Sichuan province in June.
A major exhibition themed on the Shang civilizations underweight the Beijing Grand Canal Museum dating back over three thousand years, the Shang civilization is one of the world's oldest bronze age cultures.
The show brings together more than 300 relics from 28 institutions across the country and it's one of the largest exhibitions on Shang civilization in recent years.
Lee Chung has more.
Some of the items exhibited are included in the top 10 archeological discoveries in China.
A pair of bronze axes found in Shandong Province are on display together for the first time in 50 years.
Their identical design and expressive faces have earned them the nickname emoji axes.
Other highlights include a gold -masked bronze head and an eagle -shaped bell from Shenzhen Dui in Sichuan Province.
Visitors can also see rare weapons, helmets and pottery figures from other key sites.
So far, we have found over 4 ,000 oracle bone inscriptions.
About 1 ,500 have been deciphered.
These early characters already formed a full system of writing.
Many more than Chinese characters evolved from these.
We hope visitors can understand the roots of our writing and culture.
The exhibition shows life during the Shang period, more than 3 ,000 years ago, the peak of China's Bronze Age.
It also played a key role in shaping the country's cultural future.
The curators have used interactive designs and new technology to create an engaging experience.
We've made innovations in exhibition design to break down barriers between viewers and the displays creating a more immersive experience.
We also added interactive elements like mixed reality and virtual reality, so visitors can experience the story as if they were Shang warriors.
The museum has also launched a special range of over 280 cultural and creative products inspired by the Shang dynasty.
The largest creative range ever launched for a single exhibition in the city.
That's Li Chang reporting.
57 past the hour. Checking the forecast before we head into the weekend and Beijing's down to 12 Friday evening.
Sunny conditions and 28 on Saturday.
Nanxiang is 20 overnight, then cloudy in 26.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is down to 27, then a slight rain and 35 on Saturday.
BNTN is 24 overnight, then some rainfall and 31.
Phnom Penh is 26 this evening.
Moderate rainfall and 30 tomorrow.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting some rain on Saturday, it compels down to 19, followed by a slight rain and 26.
Juba is 23 this evening, followed by rainfall in 33 degrees Celsius.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making News today, first -time exhibitors from eight countries are participating at the China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo.
And federal authorities in the U .S. have now charged a suspect in the shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy personnel.
On behalf of the staff, this is Shane Begum 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 6pm Beijing time.
We meet you on podcast and on air every weekday.
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He can't live without the Yellow River in his eyes.
The Yellow River is so noble and elegant.
Both my grandpa and dad made the 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 percent of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters and what are the locals doing to cope with 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, Talk to the herders, farmers, boatman, fisherman and eco activists who share a close bond with the river.
And present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos.
Or in our 12 -part series, the Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
