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This is the Beijing Hour.
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 Begum with you on this Tuesday, December 16th, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program.
The Chinese president says efforts to boost consumer demand in the country are crucial for China's economic health.
China's top diplomat at the UN is urging defense of the post-World War II international order and for Japan to retract its remarks on the Taiwan region.
The US and several European countries have offered security guarantees for Ukraine as part of peace efforts to end the conflict with Russia.
In business, the annual Cross-Strait CEO Summit is now underway in Jiangsu Province.
In sports, China's National Games for Persons with Disabilities.
In culture and entertainment.
China's Palace Museum has launched its annual Spring Festival Collection.
Now check in the day's top stories.
General Secretary Xi Jinping of the CPC Central Committee says expanding China's domestic demand is crucial for the country's economic stability and security.
In an article published by the Cheshire Journal, the CPC's flagship magazine, the Chinese president says boosting domestic consumer spending does not contradict the goal of opening up.
He said efficient domestic circulation will strengthen China's appeal.
China's pledged to build a stronger domestic market to support economic growth and better withstand external challenges.
The Central Economic Work Conference shared that message as it outlined priorities for next year.
Liu Jiaxin has more on past progress and what happens next.
Boosting consumption is now a central focus.
In March, China released a special action plan with 30 key tasks in eight areas, from raising household incomes, strengthening consumer purchasing power to improving service consumption.
In November, multiple government departments issued new measures to better align supply with demand.
By 2027, China aims to optimize spending.
It will create three consumption sectors to a trillion yuan level and 10 consumption hotspots to a 100 billion yuan level, all while cultivating globally competitive, high-quality consumer brands.
By 2030, a more balanced and mutually reinforcing relationship between supply and consumption is expected.
China is already the world's second largest consumer market and the largest online retail market.
To further unlock demand, a nationwide trading program has been launched, supported by 300 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds.
In the first three quarters of this year, consumption contributed over 50%.
To China's economic growth, 9 percentage points higher than the annual contribution in 2024.
From January to October, retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 40 trillion yuan, up more than 4 year-on-year.
Investment has also reinforced the growth in the first 10 months of the year.
China has allocated 800 billion yuan for 1,500 national projects.
Fixed asset investment has reached 40 trillion yuan, while investment in Internet-related services has risen 20 year-on-year.
China's leaders say expanding domestic demand as a strategic move aimed at boosting incomes, improving supply quality, encouraging private investment and building a more resilient economy.
That was Liu Jiaxin reporting.
The Central Economic Work Conference called for efforts to deepen reform, saying it's essential to enhance the momentum and vitality of high-quality development.
For more, Wang Ziheng spoke with Associate Professor Sher Zhao at Peking University, HSBC Business School.
Professor, China's leadership has pledged to deepen reform by tackling what is known as involution-style competition and building a unified national market.
In your view, how could these measures help improve efficiency and support higher quality growth across different sectors of the economy?
Well, the involution-style competition is quite a hard word recently.
The one word, in fact, incorporates two distinct causes of overcapacity.
One of them is rooted in the nature of technology.
For example, platform economy that features network externality, has a phenomenon, often exhibits a characteristic in which there's overproduction in order to crowd out competitors.
But the platform economy is not unique to China.
I think a second source that is of Chinese characteristics is local governments' GDP tournaments.
That means where local governments compete with each other in offering supports to attract businesses to their territories.
So government subsidies, tax benefits and cheap land are routinely given to newer businesses, and that often creates overcapacity, even in those industries that we consider new and desirable.
A prominent example here could be solar panels.
China committed to carbon neutrality goals and promoted renewable energy-related industries.
But once the national goal was announced, local governments rushed in to provide support for solar panel producers.
Now, even cities in areas far away from both raw materials and markets jumped in.
So the results is that every city is trying to create their own solar panel industry and there's massive overproduction.
So it's a distortion overall, and correcting this distortion will allow the markets to reduce waste and allocate resources to more productive firms and industries.
Now we know, the Central Economic Work Conference also highlights reforms ranging from state-owned enterprises and private sector support to capital markets and local taxation.
Which of these reform areas do you see as most critical for restoring business confidence and sustaining long-term growth, and why?
I believe supporting private sector is of the ultimate importance.
The private sector provides the vast majority, like 85% of employments.
Yet data show that the current increments in investment largely relies on the state sector.
Private sector investment is recovering rather sluggishly.
So the private sector is key to boost consumption, which is a top priority in China's development stage right now.
Households are reluctant to spend.
Now, if you ask why, It's not because that people don't have money to spend because, if we look at data in the past several years, household saving has piled up.
So people have the money.
They just choose not to spend it.
They see that you know the overall private economy is still recovering and they want to do precautionary saving.
And especially this is especially true for those households that carries housing debts.
So Without private sector recovery, it's very hard to imagine an overall kind of recovery of Chinese consumption, which we urgently need right now.
That was Associate Professor Shi Xiao at Peking University HSBC Business School, sharing her thoughts on the Chinese economy.
Hainan Province is ready to start special customs operations, taking China's reform and opening up to a whole new level.
The entire island in the country's south will officially become a free trade port on Thursday, making it one of China's most ambitious economic experiments to date.
Yang Chengxi has more on how the vision took shape and what it means for China's future.
Reform and opening up.
A phrase synonymous with China's modern economic transformation.
In 2025, this national policy gives rise to a key gateway for a new era.
The island province of Hainan becomes a free trade port.
This landmark initiative was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Since 2012, the country has established 22 pilot free trade zones and introduced more than 3500 institutional innovations.
Throughout this process, President Xi Jinping has placed Hainan at the heart of China's opening up strategy.
Since 2013, he has visited the island province five times, giving it a new mission for the new era.
On April 13 2018, a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of Hainan's establishment as a province and special economic zone, President Xi Jinping made a major announcement.
The CPC Central Committee decided to support building a pilot freight trade zone across Hainan and to back the province in gradually exploring and steadily advancing the development of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, establishing its policies and institutions step by step and in phases.
Since then, Hainan has not only absorbed practices tested by other free trade zones, such as negative list management and streamlined business registration, but has also been tasked with even more ambitious institutional innovations.
Hainan will closely focus on a strategic positioning of building a pilot zone for comprehensively deepening reform and opening up a national ecological civilization pilot zone, an international tourism consumption center and a major national strategic service and support zone.
And based on Hainan's strategic position, President Xi further identified four key industries for the Hainan Free Trade Port tourism, modern services, high-tech industries and tropical specialty, high-efficiency agriculture.
But how will these strategic industries achieve greater growth?
The answer lies in the institutional framework behind them.
The biggest difference between Hainan and other free trade zones is what is known as its special customs operations.
This means designating the entire island as a special customs supervision zone.
In other words, Eligible goods imported from overseas are exempt from tariffs, as well as value-added and consumption taxes.
And zero-tariff goods can circulate freely within the island.
On top of this, products in encouraged industries that achieve over 30 value-added processing can enter the domestic market tariff-free.
In short, Hainan is becoming one of China's most dynamic and open testing grounds for institutional innovation.
This ambitious blueprint hits a critical milestone on December 18.
The day Hainan's island-wide special customs operations officially begin.
The roadmap is to preliminarily establish, by 2025, a policy and institutional system for the free trade ports, with a focus on trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and to launch island-wide special customs operations in a timely manner to become, by 2035, a new high ground for China's open economy and, by the middle of the century, to fully build a high-level free trade port with strong international influence.
This new chapter in China's reform and opening comes at a time of rising global protectionism and complex international dynamics.
It sends a clear message to the world.
China's door will not close, it will only open wider.
China stands ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism.
Build broader consensus on openness, jointly overcome the hardships and challenges facing global economic development and let openness bring a new and brighter future to global development.
For more than four decades, reform and opening up has illuminated China's path forward.
Today, standing at the forefront of a new era, Hainan is carrying a renewed national mission.
That was Yang Chengxi reporting.
Sanya Yajou Science City on Hainan Island is emerging as a hub for high-tech innovation and international cooperation.
The science park focuses on cutting-edge biotechnology, marine research, and smart agriculture.
Backed by modern research facilities, business incubators and policies designed to attract global talent, Yadzio Science City aims to become a leading innovation center in the region.
Guayan's been visiting the site to see how it's drawing in foreign professionals.
Good evening.
Thanks for joining us.
And during your visit to Sanya Yadzio Science City, what stood out to you the most about how Hainan is welcoming international professionals?
Good evening, Shane.
What impressed me most was how practical and people-oriented Hainan's approach has become.
I met some foreign professionals these days, including Charlotte Magnet.
She is one of, I think, the most representative example of the foreign talents that have been attracted by this beautiful island.
From her experience, you can really see how policies turn into real opportunities.
She works as an international investment manager at Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City.
Actually, this place is called a city, but actually it's not a real city.
It is a special economic development zone in Sanya, a beautiful city in Hainan province, And this work experience help.
This is a place that help foreign companies connect with local institutions in areas like seed technology and deep sea research.
From Charlotte's experience, I think I could tell that Even ahead of this upcoming special customs operation, various document procedures for foreigners have already become more streamlined and cross-border cooperation has become much easier.
And the other day, Charlotte bring us to visit a special place, which is called a one-stop office.
It is a place that was designated by local government to help international talents like Charlotte to handle their documents, like driving license and some residential permit, in a very fast and even I could say rapid speed, which makes their life and their work more easier.
In this special economic development zone and um, I think, with the upcoming the highly anticipated special customs operation, I think she believes that more international talents like her will come here to search for development opportunities for overseas professionals.
This means not just favorable policies on paper, but a place where they can actually build careers, launch projects and grow together with the city.
Now back to you, Shane.
Well, you also spoke with employees from foreign companies and international students as well.
What do they tell you about their experiences of living and working in Hainan?
Well, both foreign professionals and some international students here share a similar feeling.
They think Hainan is very open, accessible, and full of potential for future growth.
And some young professionals like Sharla, told me that they feel empowered here because their international background is truly valued and could be translated into concrete work.
I remember, at a Chinese language corner, many international students said Hainan offers a rare balance, which is fast-growing opportunities while at the same time a relaxed living environment and a strong institutional support.
They see Hainan not just as a place to study or work temporarily, but as a place where global talent can take part in shaping the future, especially as the island moves toward a higher level of opening up.
Back to you, Shane.
All right.
Thank you very much for joining us this evening.
That was Guo Yan, live from Hainan province.
And coming up, China's again urging Japan to honor commitments regarding the Taiwan region.
Radio.CGTN.com for more in this program.
Right, 18 minutes past the hour.
China's again criticized Japan for failing to reaffirm key political commitments on the Taiwan question and selectively citing historical documents.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Japan has remained ambiguous and deliberately left crucial issues unresolved on the Taiwan question to mislead the public and fob off responsibility.
Japan has not resumed.
Japan did not reaffirm key elements of the Sino-Japan joint statement, including its recognition of the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory.
I also note that when Japan cited the Cairo Declaration, it mentioned only China's northeast Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, while deliberately avoiding the wording that these were territories stolen from China by Japan.
Japan has also equated the Sino-Japan joint statement alongside the so-called San Francisco Peace Treaty, violating its commitments and basic principles of international law.
This is an attempt to revive the so-called undetermined status of Taiwan narrative and interfere in China's internal affairs.
Judging from the series of recent statements, it is clear that Japan continues to evade court issues and insert hidden pitfalls.
Attempting to mislead the public, China firmly opposes this.
Guo also called on Japan to retract the remarks and stay committed to the spirit of the four political documents that guide the bilateral relationship.
China's permanent representative to the UN has urged the world body to defend the post-World War II international order amid rising militarism.
Bu Tsong was speaking during an open debate of the UN Security Council on leadership for peace.
He urged Japan to withdraw its remarks on China's Taiwan region and reflect on its past history of aggression.
The lessons of World War II are still fresh.
Japanese militarists expanded armaments under the pretext of a so-called survival-threatening situation and launched external aggression in the name of self-defence, bringing profound catastrophes to China, wider Asia and the whole world.
Eighty years on, we must never allow the resurgence of militarism and fascism.
China once again urges the Japanese side to retract these erroneous remarks, earnestly reflect upon and repent their wrongdoings and refrain from continuing down the wrong path.
And Fu reiterated that Japan's return of Taiwan to China was an important component of the post-World War II international order.
He said, the fact that Taiwan's an inalienable part of China is affirmed by political and legal documents.
Fu added that China will work with all countries, guided by the four global initiatives in development security, civilization and governance, to achieve the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Japanese civilians have gathered in front of Prime Minister Sanai Takeuchi's residence in Tokyo, demanding that she retract her remarks on China's Taiwan region.
Does Takaichi completely lack knowledge of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and friendship and the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement?
Is she unable to understand it or is she even willfully ignoring it?
As a national leader, such behavior is purely inciting war.
I believe Takaichi's statement on Taiwan is clearly intentional.
This is a way to create tension.
It has been over a month since she made those remarks.
It has reached the point that she needs to take back her comments.
I do not need a prime minister who will lead Japan into war.
Why haven't other politicians spoken up and said we retract the comments immediately?
It's precisely because of those remarks that the situation has become what it is today.
The Takeichi cabinet's facing domestic opposition to the country's expanded weapons exports.
The Cabinet's pushed to lift bans on lethal arms exports and accelerated military expansion since taking office in October.
It also plans to export a fighter jet jointly developed by the UK and Italy.
Civil society groups have submitted a petition to Parliament saying weapon sales are irresponsible and demanding an end to the military expansion.
As a nation, Japan should adhere to its commitment to renounce war and reject the right to engage in armed conflict.
Yet today, weapons exports are being normalized and increasingly promoted.
To stop this trend, we must return to the fundamental principles grounded in the original spirit of the Constitution and take firm action to stop such practices.
Moving forward, Japan also plans to export frigates, lethal naval weapons, to Australia.
The country intends to abolish the five category restrictions on arms exports, which would allow for the unrestricted export of all types of lethal weapons.
This is the direction Japan is currently taking.
This is a serious matter that must be strongly opposed.
Japan's current three principles on the transfer of defence equipment only permit the export of five categories of equipment in rescue transportation, early warning, surveillance and mine clearance.
If the policy is abolished, Japan will be allowed to export a variety of equipment, including lethal weapons.
Coming up, the US and European allies offer security guarantees for Ukraine.
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At 24 past the hour.
The United States and some European countries have offered security guarantees for Ukraine after two days of talks in Berlin to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the negotiations were very productive.
He also met with U.S.
President Donald Trump's special envoys.
US officials say they've secured an agreement on 90 of outstanding issues, but differences remain on Ukrainian territory.
The US says Ukraine will receive a NATO-style security guarantee, while European leaders commit to provide a multinational force operating inside Ukraine.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine will ask the US for long-range weapons if Russia rejects those peace efforts.
Peter Oliver reports from Berlin.
He also went on that's Rustem Umarov, the Ukrainian chief negotiator to shower praise on his US counterparts, saying that they'd come to these talks in Berlin determined to try and find a lasting peace and secure peace in Ukraine.
But what we're seeing is them saying that there is no real chance of Ukraine joining NATO in the immediate future.
That's to say that they not to say that they don't want to join in the future, but right now, what they're looking for is a ceasefire that comes with a freezing of the conflict along the current front lines in Ukraine.
That will allow the fighting to stop and the discussions to end.
The conflict to actually really swing into gear.
It wouldn't involve any recognition of territory currently held by Russia.
The United States put a lot of pressure on the Ukrainian side to cede the whole of the Donbas region.
Ukraine is saying no to that whatsoever.
So that's a key point where there's still no further discussion. coming towards one another.
And that is on the side that's supposed to be negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, of course.
There will be no peace negotiations, no peace deal out of this because Russia isn't here in Berlin.
Who is here and who's going to be involved in meetings later on is a whole host of European leaders.
They're going to be holding those meetings with the US side and the Ukrainian side, as basically Ukraine tries to get more support for the security guarantees that are crucial if these talks are to lead to any future peace process.
They could even get off the ground.
Ukraine is demanding no security guarantees that Europe says it needs as well.
But in order to get those guarantees, the United States needs to be on board.
And that's really what these talks are about.
That was Peter Oliver reporting.
Russia says it's yet to be briefed by Washington on the outcomes of the talks in Berlin.
Dasha Chernyshova reports from Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman talking about those talks in Berlin and saying that Moscow is not receiving any updates from Washington in the so-called real-time mode.
But Moscow is expecting to be briefed on the outcome of those negotiations.
And Russia says there should be no megaphone diplomacy, as the Kremlin often refers to some loud statements and leaked materials to the media.
So Russia is saying that the negotiations are underway, but also we understand that the issue of NATO membership for Ukraine and the recent statements of the Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, about his readiness to drop that bid, sort of seen in Moscow from a very positive light in terms of the idea that Ukraine's NATO membership is one of the top priorities in these negotiations that Moscow is having with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement, with Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, saying that those are making a very important and separate issue of those talks.
So we understand that there is no deadline set for the end of those negotiations.
The idea that Moscow has in mind is to find not the ceasefire, but the lasting peace.
That was Dasha Chernyshov reporting.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, says a deadly shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney appears to have been driven by Islamic State ideology.
He said a father and son opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in what he described as a terrorist act.
Authorities are working with international intelligence partners to check for any overseas links.
Albanese has pledged to tighten Australia's already strict gun laws.
The consideration that will take place includes limiting the number of guns an individual can own, the type of guns that are legal, whether gun ownership should require Australian citizenship, and accelerating work on the National Firearms Register.
Sixteen people aged 10 to 87 have died in Sunday's attack, including one of the shooters.
The second suspect remains in hospital, while more than 20 others are being treated for their injuries.
Police say Islamic State flags and improvised explosives devices were found in a vehicle linked to the younger suspect.
Both men had reportedly traveled to the Philippines weeks before the attack, though the trip did not raise any security alerts.
The investigation is ongoing.
A solemn ceremony has taken place at the UN headquarters of a UN peacekeeping mission to honour six peacekeepers killed while on duty.
The Bangladeshi troops died in drone attacks on a UN logistics base in Sudan over the weekend.
The incident also wounded nine other peacekeepers.
The international body says it has strengthened security at its facilities and is coordinating with others to protect its personnel.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Checking the forecast ahead of the break.
In Beijing, it's cloudy overnight down to minus 6, a high of 5 degrees on Wednesday.
In Nanchang, it'll be cloudy tonight and tomorrow, a low of 10, a high of 17.
Also in Asia, Islamabad's overcast with a low of 10 and a high of 21.
Vientiane will be cloudy and 18 this evening, then sunny and 28.
Phnom Penh's overcast with a low of 22, tomorrow cloudy and 32.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a light rainfall and 26 degrees on Wednesday.
Kampala is getting a light rainfall with a low of 18.
Heavier rain tomorrow, a high of 25.
Juba is overcast tonight and tomorrow, a low of 22 and a high of 34 degrees.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour.
The Chinese president says efforts to boost consumer demand in the country are crucial for China's economic health.
China's top diplomat at the UN is urging defense of the post-World War II international order and for Japan to retract its remarks on the Taiwan region.
The US and several European countries have offered security guarantees for Ukraine as part of peace efforts to end the conflict with Russia.
Shane Bigham with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
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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 Bigum with you on this Tuesday.
Still to come, in business, the annual Cross-Strait CEO Summit is now underway in Jiangsu Province.
In sports, China's National Games for Persons with Disabilities.
In culture and entertainment.
China's Palace Museum has launched its annual Spring Festival collection.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
First of all, checking the day's headlines, here's Wang Ziheng.
Thank you, Shane.
China has again criticized Japan for failing to reaffirm key political commitments on the Taiwan question and selectively citing historical documents.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiaquan said Japan has remained ambiguous and deliberately left crucial issues unresolved on the Taiwan question to mislead the public and fob off responsibility.
Japan did not reaffirm key elements of the Sino-Japan joint statement, including its recognition of the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory.
I also note that when Japan cited the Cairo Declaration, it mentioned only China's northeast Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, while deliberately avoiding the wording that these were territories stolen from China by Japan.
Japan has also equated the Sino-Japan Joint Statement alongside the so-called San Francisco Peace Treaty, violating its commitments and basic principles of international law.
This is an attempt to revive the so-called undetermined status of Taiwan narrative and interfere in China's internal affairs.
Judging from the series of recent statements, it is clear that Japan continues to evade core issues and insert hidden pitfalls.
Attempting to mislead the public, China firmly opposes this.
Guo also called on Japan to retract the remarks and stay committed to the spirit of the four political documents and guide by the bilateral relationship.
China's permanent representative to the UN has urged the world body to defend the post-World War II international order amid rising militarism.
Fu Tong was speaking during an open debate of the UN Security Council on leadership for peace.
He urged Japan to withdraw its remarks on China's Taiwan region and reflect on its past history of aggression.
Fu reiterated that Japan's return of Taiwan to China is an important component of the post-World War II international order.
He said, the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China is affirmed by political and legal documents.
Fu added that China will work with all countries, guided by the four global initiatives in development security, civilization and governance, to achieve the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
China says anti-drug authorities have seized 430 kilograms of smuggled cocaine with the support of the US.
Drug Enforcement Administration.
China's Ministry of Public Security said the drugs were found in an international container at a port in Shenzhen last month.
The ministry said the case is under further investigation.
The Russian investigative committee says a student has been fatally stabbed in the Moscow region.
It said the attacker also wounded a security guard at an educational institution on Tuesday.
According to Russian media, special forces have detained a student after the teenager killed a child and injured three people at a school in Moscow.
The United States says the military carried out strikes on three vessels in international waters and killed eight people.
The military said intelligence confirmed that vessels were engaged in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific.
The US has recently deployed warships in the Caribbean under a campaign that Washington says targets drug guns.
Venezuela and other Latin American countries have condemned the actions.
U.S.
President Donald Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages in a lawsuit against the BBC.
Trump sued the British broadcaster for defamation over edited clips of a speech on January 6 2021 that made it appear he directed supporters to storm the US.
Capitol.
The BBC has apologized and admitted an error of judgment but said there's no legal basis to sue.
And finally, at least seven people have died after a small aircraft crashed in central Mexico.
The plane went down in San Mateo and Tenco on Monday, not far from the capital.
A local security official says there were 10 people on board.
Authorities have urged residents to stay away while rescue and recovery operations continue.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are underway.
Thank you very much.
That was Wang Zihang with the headlines.
Coming up in business, the annual Cross-Strait CEO Summit is now underway in Jiangsu province.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
2.36 past the hour.
In business now, stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed lower on Tuesday.
The Shanghai Composite was down over 1.1%.
The Shenzhen Component lost almost 1.5%.
Aerospace equipment and retail sales shares were among the top gainers.
The Hong Kong stock market also ended lower.
The Hang Seng Index declined more than 1.5%.
In Japan, the Nikkei lost nearly 1.6%.
The 2025 Annual Conference of the Cross-Strait CEO Summit is underway in Jiangsu Province.
The summit has drawn around 800 participants, including entrepreneurs, experts and scholars from across the strait.
The chairman of the Taiwan side of the summit says the mainland remains an important production base and market for Taiwan business, despite the drastic changes the global economic situation has undergone in recent years.
Liu Jiashuan says the summit's built a platform for cross-strait industrial cooperation and promoted in-depth exchanges and cooperation between enterprises from both sides.
Leo added that the mainland's 15th five-year plan will open up broad new space for cross-strait industrial cooperation.
The special customs operations on Hainan Island are expected to boost the province's bid to become a global agricultural hub with the expansion of its Nanfan seed breeding base into a seed silicon valley.
The Nanfan base in the city of Sanya covers around 179 square kilometers of high standard farmland.
The breeding program contributes to over 70% of new crop varieties in China.
The program and its related enterprises generate an annual output exceeding 18 billion yuan, or roughly 25 billion US dollars.
China has initiated a national Nanfan Silicon Valley construction plan to establish major scientific research platforms.
It's promoted the efficient operation of the Global Germplasm Resource Introduction Initiative and transfer base for animals and plants.
Modern agricultural industrial parks for crops, livestock and aquatic products are under construction, encouraging new business models.
And for more.
Pan Dung spoke with Liu Baocheng, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics.
How much can Hainan's agricultural sector benefit from its special customs operations?
Hainan Enjoy is a unique advantage.
One is it's a large inland territory in the tropical area, which is nearly 50 times as large as Singapore, so therefore they have high quality farmland on the island basis.
So it really gave the room for them to breed continually, the unique crops from the palm granites to betel fruits, to the coconuts and mango, et cetera.
So now with the custom closure it's gonna really boost the heavy production in the local produce by introducing more of the new seeds, biotechnology and installation of digital technology.
And, more importantly, the Chinese government has declared Hainan as a breeding of those seeds for national basis.
So therefore, it's going to give quite a boost.
And the other is that, with more of the variety, line up at a far low cost.
So this is going to attract more tourists and also investors into that island.
But the challenge lies in.
One is that with more of the influx of fruits on a global basis, that's going to intensify the competition with the local produce.
And the other is that they have to really devise more effective measures, while not really compromising on the procedures of facilitation, to address the importation of foreign species that might invade the local crops.
So these are really the opportunities and challenges I can really observe.
And that was Professor Liu Baocheng at the University of International Business and Economics, talking about Hainan's agricultural sector.
With the special customs operations in Hainan entering the countdown phase, a Yungpu International Container Hub port, a key node of the new Western Land-Sea Corridor and the front line of the free trade port's opening, is now fully prepared.
Shui is on the ground with more.
I'm now here at Yangpu Port in Danzhou Hainan, the closest container port in China to ASEAN by sea and the natural deep water harbor of Hainan.
In the first nine months of this year, Yangpu Port's container throughput grew 48 on a yearly basis, making it a key driver of economic growth in the Hainan Free Trade Port.
With cargo volume expected to surge after the special customs operations in Hainan.
Yangpu port is going through a historic transformation.
Its annual design throughput capacity has been steadily raised to 5 million TEUs.
Measures like one-stop customs clearance and smart customs platforms have cut the clearance time by over 70.
Zero-tariff policies are reducing costs of imported materials, and goods processed with over 30 value added can enter the mainland duty-free.
All these measures make Yangpu a key demonstration area for Hainan Special Customs operations.
And, as of December 14, the port has completed 11 multi-scenario drills, with its facilities and staffing all fully prepared for the Special Customs operations.
And more international trade means more cross-border capital flows.
At the same time, financial sector, a key pillar of Hainan's high-quality opening up, is also boosting foreign trade here.
From promoting EF accounts to facilitating cross-border fund management.
Hainan is connecting with the world through comprehensive financial services.
Just over a year ago, the EF accounts, the Hainan Free Trade Port's multifunctional free trade accounts, were put into use for the first time.
And now, they're widely used across the province.
And you can imagine it as the superhighway connecting Hainan to the global financial markets at high speed.
In May of last year, the Bank of China Hainan branch launched the first batch of EF accounts for the Hainan free trade port.
As of August 2025, the branch has opened EF accounts for 61 entities of domestic and international markets, with a total amount of nearly 28 billion yuan.
Currently, there is a company opening an EF account at our counter.
As Hainan is about to implement its special customs operation, the number of enterprises coming to open EF accounts here every day has increased rapidly.
Now the time for opening an EF account can be completed within one day and, unlike before, extensive background materials such as customs declarations, invoices or contracts are no longer needed.
For enterprises, funds can be transferred directly based on payment instructions, which means the efficiency for global business via EF account is significantly higher.
Data shows that by the end of September this year, over 600 EF accounts had been opened in Hainan, with transaction volumes exceeding 200 billion RMB.
Through these accounts, account holders have conducted fund transfers with 76 countries and regions.
Hainan's 500 kilovolt main power grid project is in full operation, boosting power transmission capacity more than fourfold.
This will strongly support the increasing electricity demand for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and facilitate the output of large-capacity nuclear power, large-scale offshore wind power and other new energy sources.
It will also make power supply in the province more secure and reliable.
Official data shows, China's installed power generation capacity will exceed 38 billion kilowatts this year, representing a yearly increase of 14 percent, according to the National Energy Administration.
China's electricity needs are expected to surpass 10 trillion kilowatt hours for the first time.
That's almost double the electricity consumption of 2015.
Electricity usage in high-tech and equipment manufacturing has consistently led growth.
From January to November, electricity consumption in the new energy vehicle sector is projected to increase more than 20, while that of wind power equipment will rise around 30.
This year, China's energy investment has shown strong momentum, with a clear trend toward green and innovative initiatives.
Total investment in major energy projects will likely surpass 35 trillion yuan, or nearly 500 billion US dollars, marking an increase of 11.
Investment in nuclear power, onshore wind power and photovoltaic projects have been particularly robust, with the investments in new energy storage, charging and swapping infrastructure and hydrogen energy growing rapidly.
China's express delivery sector handled over 180 billion parcels in the first 11 months of the year, representing a nearly 15 increase.
The postal industry's business revenue exceeded 16 trillion yuan, or around 227 billion US dollars, and that was a gain of 67.
Express delivery revenue reached nearly 14 trillion yuan, a 71 increase compared to the previous year.
Same-city express deliveries amounted to nearly 145 billion parcels, a 22 increase, while cross-region deliveries surged 163 to exceed 162 billion parcels.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Just ahead in sports, China's national games for persons with disabilities.
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47 past the hour with Sports Now.
Here's Yong Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
China's National Games for Persons with Disabilities and National Special Olympic Games have concluded in Shenzhen.
This year's edition marked the first time that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau had hosted events.
It's also the second time that both have taken place in the same locations and in the same year as the national games.
The games featured 46 sports with over 7,800 athletes from 34 delegations taking part.
15 world records and 156 new national records were set.
Swimmer Jiang Yuyan from Zhejiang and Tang Qian from Hunan showed great enjoyment and excitement.
Every athlete was very happy after the competition.
At the moment of the closing ceremony, everyone was in a relaxed and cheerful mood.
We also spread happiness to everyone.
This is my fourth time to compete in the National Paralympics.
I earned one gold and one bronze medal.
Meanwhile, I broke my personal best record.
The event aimed to highlight China's progress in disability sports and to build momentum for the country's participation at next year's Aichi Nagoya Asian Paragames and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Hunan Province will host the next editions of the events in 2029.
Before the closing ceremony of the Games, organisers took questions on the hosting of the event and how operations were run in the Greater Bay Area.
Deputy Director Chang Zheng of China's National Paralympics and Special Olympics Committee says the event showcased the country's rapid progress in the sector.
The Games saw over 15 world records broken and 156 national records set, fully demonstrating the new achievements of China's competitive sports for the disabled and achieving new breakthroughs in competitive results.
Heads of the Coordination Office of Hong Kong and Macau highlighted the successful hosting of the events and the striving spirits of Paralympic athletes.
The three competition venues in the Hong Kong SAR were all arranged in accordance with the requirements for the event and equipped with barrier-free facilities, providing the best competition platform for athletes and a good viewing experience for the audience.
All participants, including athletes, referees and spectators, expressed satisfaction with the event arrangements.
Behind the 279 medals awarded in the Macau SAR, there is a portrayal of the spirit of disabled athletes surpassing themselves, as well as a witness to the beautiful vision of people supporting each other and moving forward hand in hand.
The games took place from December 8th to 15th.
Turning to the NBA, Keontae George has scored 37 points and Utah Jazz beat the Dallas Mavericks 140-133 in overtime.
Cooper Flagg had 42 points for the Mavericks.
That's the most points by an 18-year-old in NBA history.
It's tough though.
I mean, I want to look at it, you know, wins and losses.
Obviously, we didn't win, so that's tough for me.
I don't want to be happy or any of that, but obviously it's.
You know success and you know try and keep getting better from here.
Flagg credited his teammates for creating opportunities and giving him confidence.
I mean, I think it's just, you know, my teammates putting me into my positions, you know letting me be myself out there, giving me that confidence.
And you know, I just saw, you know, a lot of gaps out there tonight and wanted to take advantage of it.
Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons beat Boston Celtics 112-105.
The Toronto Raptors downed the Miami Heat 106-96.
The Houston Rockets lost to the Denver Nuggets 128-125 in overtime.
And it's the Memphis Grizzlies over the LA Clippers 121-103.
Reigning Copa del Rey holder Barcelona, will begin its title defense with an away match against the third-tier side, Guadalajara.
Manager Hansi Flick is likely to rotate his squad, possibly giving playing time to several key players returning from injury.
In other fixtures, Real Madrid visits Talavera on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Atlético Madrid faces Atlético Baleares, while Athletic Bilbao plays Orange.
Vibrant ice and snow events are lighting up northern China.
Cities are blending winter sports with local food and folk activities to boost their economies.
In Xinjiang.
The 2026 Freeride World Tour qualifier has gathered over 100 elite athletes from around the world in Humu Village.
British freerider Melissa Brand showed satisfaction about the experience in the village.
And this is my first time in Himuchina.
It has been an incredible experience so far.
Elsewhere in Mongolia launched its National Ice and Snow Season with a ski tournament for 3000 enthusiasts, plus fun activities like snow football.
Ningxia also opened its winter tourism season, featuring open-air markets and local delicacies.
The Harbin Ice Snow World is set to open on Wednesday.
The 27th edition of the event is the largest of its kind to date.
Construction workers are carrying out the final detailing and lighting adjustment work.
The opening ceremony of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, international ice sculpture competitions, snow football matches, ice hockey games and New Year's Eve concerts will also take place within the park.
Thank you very much.
That's Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in culture and entertainment.
China's Palace Museum has launched its annual Spring Festival Collection.
From north to south, east to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
53 past the hour.
In culture and entertainment.
The Palace Museum has launched its 2026 New Year collection two months before Spring Festival to welcome the Year of the Horse.
More than 20 cultural products combine historical inspiration with modern design.
Popular items like the Fu Tong Blessing Tube and the Palace Museum Calendar return now, featuring designs based on classic artifacts in Qing Dynasty archives.
The collection also includes special zodiac stamps to showcase the museum's treasures in miniature.
This winter, a lot of parks, squares and neighbourhoods across Beijing have transformed into theatres hosting vibrant pop-up performances that bring art directly to the public.
With no tickets, no fixed seating and no formal stage, young performers share their passion up close.
Shen Li reports.
On weekends, Beijing's Tianqiao Civic Cultural Square is especially lively.
Young artists from various performing troupes deliver a captivating series of open-air performances.
Yet without a formal stage, it feels even closer to the audience's hearts.
Art should be part of everyday life.
Performing in a public square like this is wonderful.
You can really feel the audience's enthusiasm and their love for the music.
Despite the low temperatures and strong winds recently felt in Beijing, the cold hasn't dampened people's spirits.
To help listeners better appreciate the music, popular pieces are often repeated two or three times.
The audience responds warmly to every outstanding performance, with constant interaction between the performers and the audience.
I feel more emotionally engaged than ever.
Everyone's feedback and warmth truly inspires me.
At last, me and my country once again ignited the crowd's passion.
This is Old Tianqiao, an area that has been bustling with art and activity for the past century or so.
Today's concert is just as appreciated by the people here as it would have been many decades ago.
A vibrant revival of the enduring spirit.
That was Shen Li reporting.
An exhibition of paintings, calligraphy and seal carvings by about 50 artists from Taiwan and Fujian has opened in Taipei.
The exhibition highlights traditional Chinese art featuring landscapes and life across the strait.
Organizers say the show provides a platform for artistic exchange and aims to deepen cultural dialogue and youth engagement.
The exhibition will remain open until January 9th.
A photography exhibition titled China in Focus is underway in Barcelona.
It features 20 images showing China's landscapes, culture, and daily life.
The display introduces regions like Inner Mongolia and Yunnan to Spanish audiences.
Many visitors said the photos have inspired them to visit China themselves.
The exhibition will run until February.
Organizers highlighted that recent visa exemptions between China and Spain have made travel easier, supporting more cultural exchange and real-life exploration.
Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster's chosen SLOP as the 2025 Word of the Year.
It means low-quality digital content generated by artificial intelligence, including absurd videos, fake news or useless AI-generated reports at work.
Reports say the selection highlights the public's growing awareness and lighthearted criticism of the vast amounts of AI-generated junk filling the digital world.
We're at 57 past the hour, checking the forecast before we go for the day.
Beijing's cloudy overnight, down to minus 6.
A high of 5 on Wednesday.
Nanchang's cloudy tonight and tomorrow, a low of 10, a high of 17.
Vientiane will be cloudy and down to 18, then sunny and 28.
Phnom Penh is overcast and 22 overnight, then cloudy and 32.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a light rainfall and 26 degrees on Wednesday.
Kampala is getting a light rain with a low of 18.
Heavier rain tomorrow, the high is 25.
Juba is overcast tonight and tomorrow, a low of 22 and a high of 34 degrees Celsius.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today.
The Chinese president says efforts to boost consumer demand in the country are crucial for China's economic health.
China's top diplomat at the UN is urging defense of the post-World War II international order and for Japan to retract its remarks on the Taiwan region.
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 6pm Beijing time.
We meet you on podcast and on air every weekday.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
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 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.
