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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. Dou Hongyu with you on this Friday, June 27th, 2025.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, China and Ecuador have signed a cooperation plan on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Iran says the U .S. gained no achievement from the Israel -Iran conflict.
And U .N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the U .N. charter is not an a la carte menu.
In business, China sees an increasing number of private businesses.
In sports, the International Olympic Committee to take lead in gender eligibility criteria in sports.
In culture and entertainment, an exhibition bring to life the world of the Xian dynasty.
Now today's top stories.
China and Ecuador have signed a cooperation plan on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ecuadorian counterpart Daniel Nobowa witnessed the signing in Beijing.
The signing came after a meeting between the two leaders.
President Xi called on both sides to make further progress in boosting bilateral trade and strengthen exchanges in education, culture, media, and youth.
He also urged efforts to implement the outcomes of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China Select Forum.
President Noboa, welcome to China to attend the summer Davos.
I still remember my state visit to Ecuador in 2016, In recent years, China -Ecuador relations have maintained a sound momentum of development.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Ecuador.
China has always viewed and developed China -Ecuador relations from a strategic and a long -term perspective.
China stands ready to work with Ecuador to deepen and solidify our comprehensive strategic partnership, bringing greater benefits to the two peoples.
Neboa said Ecuador expects deeper bilateral ties, expressing hope to boost cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education and youth, so as to benefit the people of both countries.
Your Excellency, Mr. President, we will always remember China's support for us.
The achievements China has made over the years are admirable.
Only by cooperating with countries like China, which have achieved great development and accomplishments, can we better fulfill the long -cherished aspirations of the people.
Nobowa earlier attended the Summer Devils Forum in Tianjin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says China is willing to work with Senegal to further develop their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and benefit the people of both sides.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Senegalese Prime Minister Osmond Sonko in Beijing.
President Xi said China encourages the country's enterprises to invest in areas such as new energy and digital infrastructure in Senegal.
He also called for stronger bilateral cooperation in culture, education, tourism, sports, and youth.
Sonko said Senegal firmly upholds the One China principle and expects deeper cooperation with China in trade, investment and energy.
He also expressed willingness to work with China to jointly uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard the common interests of countries in the Global South.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Beijing.
Jing. Mir Zoyang is visiting China from Tuesday to Friday.
Youyang has more. In his meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Arora Mizoyang, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talks about how people are living today in an era of globalization where the global south is rising together.
He added that China follows a foreign policy of forging partnerships rather than alliances and engaging in dialogue instead of confrontation.
Noting that China is ready to work with all countries, including Armenia, to practice true multilateralism, and he stressed the importance of jointly upholding the UN -centered international system, while promoting the implementation of the global development, global security and the global civilization initiatives put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
For his part, Foreign Minister Min Zouyang spoke highly of the three global initiatives, adding that Armenia would continue to uphold the One China principle.
He said his country is willing to deepen cooperation with China in connectivity, economy, trade and other fields, while building a more stable, friendly and strategic partnership.
The two sides also had in -depth communications on cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as Israel -Iran conflicts.
China and Armenia established diplomatic ties in 1992, and China was among the first countries to recognize Armenia's independence.
Last year, the bilateral trade volume hit over US $1 .8 billion, a year -on -year increase of 15%.
That was You Yang reporting.
Former Kuomintang Chair Ma Ying -jeou has concluded his two -week visit to the Chinese mainland with a group of young people from Taiwan.
Ma visited the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting collections of Buddhist artworks.
He also attended a seminar to promote the Chinese culture.
Zheng Yibing has more.
Ma Yingqiu and the students from Taiwan on Thursday came to visit the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of Silk Road culture in Dunhuang, northwestern China.
They interacted with visitors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
This is an important stop when their two -week visit to the mainland is concluding.
Ma and her student delegation attended a seminar to promote the traditional Chinese culture and strengthen the connections between both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese culture is an inseparable connection between the two sides of the strait and it is our deepest bond.
This is stressed against the desynicization attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan.
Now in Taiwan, the desynicization is serious.
Being able to come here and turn textbooks into reality, the students feel as if they traverse in time and get closely to Chinese civilization.
The visit is worthwhile.
Nearly 20 ,000 tourists from Taiwan visited the Mogau Grottoes in the first half of this year, reflecting its growing cultural influence on the island.
It is a common treasure of the Chinese nation.
We hope that more young people can gain a deeper understanding of it, learn about the culture of Dunhuang and be able to visit it in person.
The tours in Dunhuang conclude the visit of Ma Ying -jeou and a student from Taiwan to the mainland this time.
And the visit conveys the hope there could be more communication and cooperation between the both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
That was Zheng Yibing reporting.
reporting. China has issued an alert for heavy rain as torrential rainfall is set to hit non -provincial level regions throughout Friday.
Some parts of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces are expecting downpours up to 150 millimeters.
Some regions could also experience short -term heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.
Downpours triggered a devastating flooding Rongjiang Guizhou province earlier this week, killing at least six people.
Clean -up drainage and disinfection efforts are underway as the water levels have dropped below the warning line.
Sun Tianyuan has more from the southwestern Chinese county.
Rongjiang county, home to the much -loved village super league, has been struck by a once -in -50 -year flood.
The destruction was widespread, with ground floor vendors bearing the brunt of the damage.
At least 100 ,000 yuan in losses, all our electrical appliances are useless now, and all the ingredients we bought have been ruined.
The county's iconic rain sports field has turned into a muddy swamp.
Under intense sunlight and high temperatures, sanitation work faces additional challenges.
The mud contains a lot of bacteria.
With animal carcasses soaking in water for days and temperatures rising, the stench and health hazards increase significantly.
Emergency crews are racing to remove debris and disinfect public areas to lower the risk of disease outbreaks.
Many such teams have come to support Rongjiang in its disaster relief and recovery efforts.
united by common purpose since the flood on june 24th with support from all sides we've cleared over 190 000 square meters of mud and disinfected more than 27 000 square meters with mud on their faces and hands residents of rongjiang are rebuilding their community step by step hoping one day their life will return to normal that was sun tian yuan reporting coming up in the show iran Wang says the U .S. gained no achievement from the Israel -Iran conflict.
The newly launched Payment Connect scheme between China's mainland and Hong Kong is set to transform cross -border payments, making transfers faster, cheaper and as simple as using a phone number.
How may it reshape trade, tourism and convenience across the Greater Bay Area?
Will it pave the way for broader use of the digital Chinese currency and future breakthroughs in global finance.
Get these and more on this week's Chat Lounge, wherever you get your podcasts, and on CGTN Radio.
Ten minutes into the hour.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has hailed what he describes as his country's victory over Israel.
He made the remarks in his first public statement since the ceasefire ending the 12 -day conflict began this week.
Khamenei said the U .S. did not gain any achievements from the conflict.
U .S. President Donald Trump said Washington is planning a meeting with Iran next week, but Tehran said there were no plans for talks.
Aksan Kebani has more.
In a televised message, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed a decisive victory for Iran.
He said Israel was nearly crushed by the blows of the Islamic Republic and only America's direct intervention stopped Israel's complete destruction.
The supreme leader vowed Iran would never surrender, threatening crushing strikes if there were any more U .S. or Israeli attacks, with a reminder that Iran was able to hit American bases in the region.
At the same time, the Guardian Council, Iran's constitutional oversight body, has ratified Parliament's decision to suspend Iranian cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This means the nuclear watchdog will not be able to monitor Iran's uranium stockpiles or enrichment activities.
The IAEA says this could isolate Iran and complicate damage assessments from the recent strikes.
Iranian officials say their nuclear non -proliferation treaty membership failed to protect their legitimate rights.
Analysts are warning Iran's decision to completely suspend cooperation with the nuclear watchdog could lead to a full withdrawal.
Director General Arafat Ghorousi has called the possible withdrawal very regrettable.
That was Exan Kevani reporting.
Iranian lawmakers have passed a bill of suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This means the UN nuclear watchdog will need approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council to conduct any further inspection in the country.
The Iranian parliament said the IAEA has undermined its own credibility by refusing to condemn the Israeli and U .S. attacks on Iran's nuclear sites.
Israel has cited the threat of nuclear proliferation as the central reason for its strikes on Iran.
Jonathan Riguev has more from Tel Aviv.
There's no official reaction to this comment from Israel simply because, at least on paper, Israel is not a side to this.
This is something that's between Iran and the IAEA.
But to begin with, Israel did not have a lot of expectations from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Israel says that every time the IAEA was arriving, the inspectors were arriving to a certain site in Iran, the Iranians made sure that everything is clear there, nothing suspicious, and basically saying that the Iranians were fooling the inspectors time after time after time.
Israel, just like possibly on every other issue, relies here on the United States.
And once President Trump said that there may be another round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran next week, this is probably the channel through which Israel will choose to work.
If this really happens, we can expect a meeting between Steve Whitkoff, who is the U .S. envoy to the Middle East, and also to the talks with Iran.
He will probably meet with Israeli officials ahead of that.
That was Jonathan Regev reporting.
Senior officials from the Trump administration have briefed U .S. senators about the airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth criticized the U .S. media for what he called anti -Trump bias.
He pushed back against an earlier intelligence assessment suggesting the strikes delayed Tehran's nuclear program by only a few months.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Kane provided technical details on the bunker buster bombs used in the operation.
The extent of damage from the strikes remains unclear.
Tony Waterman has more from Washington, D .C.
The president had billed this as a highly consequential press briefing, But the defense secretary really spent most of his time trying to scold the media, saying that they were so intent on being anti -Trump that they were missing out on these historic moments that the military but also the president were accomplishing.
And he really doubled down on this mantra coming from the White House and particularly from Donald Trump over the last couple of days that these sites have been completely obliterated.
And he was reiterating these statements that have come out in the last 24 hours from a number of sources, including the CIA director, John Radcliffe, who said that there is a body of credible evidence that the nuclear program was severely damaged.
I can't tell you enough how extremely rare it is for a director of the CIA to come out and make one of these statements.
We did, though, get some new operational details from General Dan Kane, who is the joint chief chairman.
He said that the Iranians had attempted to protect what they viewed as these vulnerable parts of the Vordo nuclear site in the days before this attack.
They had put concrete over the ventilation shafts, which was exactly where the U .S. had dropped these bombs.
And General Kane saying that the first bombs that were dropped were intended to blow these concrete caps off, which they did.
And then bombs two through six went down those shafts and then exploded underground.
And he played this video, which was a model video showing the capabilities of these bombs that are 13000 kilograms in weight.
and he showed them exploding at the site and the force and it was really intended to show people what these bombs are capable of so that they're in their own minds, they can know what happened and he said that the pilots, some of whom were female we also learned during this press conference said that they saw the explosions that it was brighter than the daytime.
They'd never seen something quite as bright.
Of course, there are a lot of details that still remain unknown.
What was really the extent of the damage?
We still don't know that.
What happened to all of the enriched uranium?
What about the centrifuges?
What about the knowledge of how to build these nuclear weapons that the Iranians have?
It's still very early days in digging through the details of this, but we did not get any sort of new details on the extent of the damage.
That was Tony Waterman reporting.
Israel has reopened its airspace as the ceasefire deal with Iran continues to hold.
Its main Ben -Gurion International Airport and others are returning to full operation.
Israel's Leviathan natural gas field, which supplies gas to Egypt and Jordan, has also resumed operation.
Defense Minister Israel Katz assigned a special order designating three Iranian banks including the Central Bank as terrorist organizations.
Iran has partially reopened its airspace in the country's east. Akshan Kevani is here again on the situation of civilians in Tehran.
Twelve days that shattered Tehran's skyline and its peace of mind.
The bombs have stopped for now, but for hundreds of thousands here, the war echoes in every heartbeat.
beach. Beyond the rubble lies a deeper crisis, one you can't see but feel in the tremor of a hand or in the eyes of a child who no longer sleeps through the night.
Just before the ceasefire came into effect, our home was completely demolished.
As you see, the building is uninhabitable.
In those first nights, we were trapped and unsure what to do.
I realized war inflicts deep psychological wounds alongside physical ones.
I hope there there is no war around the world and all people experience peace.
I stood outside the office, not daring to enter.
I loved it here. I'd worked here for years.
It was my second home, but now nothing is left. I don't think we can ever go back.
It's gone for good.
In a city where normalcy was stripped overnight, trauma wears a thousand faces.
Cranes may repair buildings in months, but healing a city's psyche?
that demands years of compassion, resources and relentless listening.
12 days of attacks may be over but for the people living here the battle within is just beginning.
The physical repairs will happen but rebuilding the sense of security, the shattered peace of mind, that's a much longer and harder journey.
It's crucial the world understands this hidden cost. Tehran isn't just a city of headlines.
It's a city of millions grappling with profound psychological wounds.
Their courage in facing this deserves recognition and their need for long -term mental health support demands attention.
That was Exxon Kevani reporting.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour.
Coming up, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the UN Charter is not an a la carte menu.
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Search Deep Dive on your favorite podcast platforms and get ready to dive in.
Twenty -one into the hour.
UN Secretary -General Antonio Guterres has called out the selective application of the UN Charter, saying it's not an a la carte menu.
He made the remarks at a UN General Assembly event to mark the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.
On and on we see an all too familiar pattern.
Follow when the Charter suits, ignore when it does not.
The Charter of the United Nations is not optional.
It is not an a la carte menu.
It is the bedrock of international relations.
We cannot and must not normalize violations of its most basic principles.
Fu Cong is China's permanent representative to the United Nations.
He called for upholding the international system with the UN at its core.
Fu said the UN Charter played an important role in promoting multilateralism establishing the norms of global relations and guiding the progress of human society.
He said China is the first country to sign the Charter and will continue to fulfill its commitment.
We must jointly safeguard the victorious outcomes of World War II and reject any erroneous rhetoric or acts aimed at distorting history.
We should firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the rules -based multilateral trading system.
We must jointly abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states.
We should champion a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, commit to the peaceful settlement of disputes and oppose the wanton use or threat of force.
The signing of the founding document of the U .N. was in San Francisco in June 1945.
Many historians and political affairs experts have lauded the treaty as a milestone.
Mitch McCann has more from the U .N. headquarters in New York.
As the long shadow of World War II loomed over the international community in 1945, nations worked to create an organization to help prevent another conflict with such devastating consequences.
And for nine weeks in the spring of that year, delegates from 50 governments gathered to draft the organisation's founding document, the United Nations Charter.
It is now my duty, my honour and my privilege in the chair, to call for a vote on the approval of the Charter of the United Nations.
Thursday marks the 80th anniversary of the document signing, one that still guides an organisation that has grown from 50 original signatories to 193 member states.
Among its 19 chapters, the charter says the purpose of the UN is to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations and to achieve international cooperation.
operation. U .N. analyst Daniel Forti says the founding members of the United Nations likely did not anticipate how it would evolve, expanding its membership so significantly and broadening its scope of work.
And while many conflicts have occurred since its creation, he notes that there has not been a third world war, which after all was the very reason the U .N. was founded.
And in that sense, one could argue that it is very successful.
You have the great powers around around the room dealing with matters of war and peace but you know and at the same time it's fostered a degree of international cooperation not only on international peace and security but on development and human rights that in many ways far exceeded what the founders of the UN imagined eight decades ago.
The United Nations though faces challenges in solving the crises of today including conflicts and wars in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza and recent hostilities in Iran.
Some experts Experts say that the Security Council's permanent members need to take greater responsibility for living up to the Charter's goals and intentions.
Daniel Forty adds that most diplomats would agree reform of the Security Council is needed.
While the UN faces many obstacles, Secretary General Antonio Guterres this week said that the UN is a living miracle, forging peace, tackling poverty, hunger and disease.
And in a time of financial difficulties and geopolitical instability, the international community may need to rely on the UN founding document more than ever.
That was Mitch McCann reporting.
Kenyan Interior Minister Kim Choon -ma Murkaman has described protests this week as terrorism disguised as dissent.
He accused demonstrators of attempting to carry out a coup against the government.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Kenya on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the 2024 anti -tax protests that saw governments stormed and over 60 killed.
Anok Sikalia has more from Nairobi.
Businesses torched, shops looted and traders counting losses in thousands of US dollars.
Well, I've been walking on the streets of Nairobi and what I have seen are business owners staring at their once thriving stores, ripped bare.
It's a big loss since we have no insurance, we are going to start from zero, there's nothing we have remained with, there's nothing we can start from.
I sell ladies stuff, I sell dresses, I sell shoes, I sell handbags.
My shop was vandalized, everything was stolen.
They didn't burn my shop but everything was stolen.
I had just gone for new stock and they took all of it.
They broke and destroyed the properties that were in the shop.
Reports indicate that the protests spread across Nairobi and other major cities and towns with ordinary businesses and not the government bearing the brand but the human toll is even more staggering according to Amnesty Kenya and the Kenya National Commission on human rights at least 16 people were killed allegedly by police and over 400 were injured including protesters police and journalists some suffered gunshot wounds from live rounds and rubber bullets at At Kenyatta National Hospital, 107 people were admitted, mostly with gunshot injuries.
President William Ruto condemned the violence.
Those engaging in protests should make sure it does not have violence, chaos or destruction of property because we do not have another country we will migrate to if things go wrong here.
There's only one Kenya to protect and ensure peace prevails.
The protests were fueled by deep anger over the alleged police brutality and governance issues ignited by the recent death of blogger Albert Ojuang while in police custody.
Demonstrators, many of them young, demanded justice for those killed last year and an end to abductions and corruption.
But the police responded with tear gas, water cannons and some with live ammunition, escalating the violence.
As Nairobi picks up the pieces, the country's police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, has promised to investigate the actions of officers.
says. And that was Enoch Sikalia reporting.
It's twenty -eight into the hour.
Let's check the weather.
Beijing is down to twenty -three on Friday evening.
Saturday we'll see thunderstorms with a high of thirty.
Nanxiang is twenty -six tonight.
Tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of thirty -two.
In Guangzhou, Rongjiang County is twenty -four tonight.
Tomorrow we'll have moderate rain with with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 25 this evening.
Saturday will see slight rain with a high of 33.
Vientiane is 24 overnight.
Tomorrow will see moderate rain with a high of 28.
Phnom Penh is 25 overnight.
Tomorrow slight rain and 32.
In Africa, Nairobi will have slight rain with a high of 22 on Saturday.
Kampala is 21 overnight.
night. Tomorrow, slight rain with a high of 26.
Dubai is 22 tonight.
Tomorrow, slight rain and 34.
And finally, to Oceania, Port Vila is 23 this evening.
Tomorrow, we'll see slight rain with a high of 27.
Now it's time for a short break.
So far this hour, China and Ecuador have signed a cooperation plan on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Iran says the U .S. gained no achievement from the Israel -Iran conflict.
Dong Hongyu with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
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 midst 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?
How are things really going between China and Africa?
What's the narrative of this relationship?
Well, get a perspective with China -Africa Talk.
Hear from African diplomats, entrepreneurs, academics, Chinese natives, and more.
Get on our Waveland every week to find out what's real with China Africa Talk.
Find us on your favorite podcast. We'll see you there.
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. Dong Hongyu with you on this Friday.
Still to come. In business, China sees an increasing number of private enterprises.
In sports, the International Olympic Committee to take lead in gender eligibility criteria in sports.
In culture and entertainment, an exhibition bring to life the world of the Shang Dynasty.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn .com or follow our ex -account at cgtnradio.
Now first checking today's headlines.
China and Ecuador have signed a cooperation plan on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ecuadorian counterpart Daniel Nobowa witnessed the signing in Beijing.
The signing came after a meeting between the two leaders.
President Xi called on both sides to make further progress in boosting bilateral trade and strengthen exchanges in education, culture, media, and youth.
He also urged efforts to implement the outcomes of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China Select Forum.
President Nobowa, welcome to China to attend the summer Davos.
I still remember my state visit to Ecuador in 2016.
In recent years, China -Ecuador relations have maintained a sound momentum of development.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Ecuador.
China has always viewed and developed China -Ecuador relations from a strategic and a long -term perspective.
China stands ready to work with Ecuador to deepen and solidify our comprehensive strategic partnership, bringing greater benefits to the two peoples.
Noboa said Ecuador expects deeper bilateral ties, expressing hope to boost cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education and youth, so as to benefit the people of both countries.
countries. Your Excellency, Mr. President, we will always remember China's support for us.
The achievements China has made over the years are admirable.
Only by cooperating with countries like China, which have achieved great development and accomplishments, can we better fulfill the long -cherished aspirations of the people.
Mnubuwa earlier attended the Summer Doubles Forum in Tianjin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says China is willing to work with Senegal to further develop their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and benefit the people of both sides.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Senegalese Prime Minister Osman Sanko in Beijing.
President Xi said China encourages the country's enterprises to invest in areas such as new energy and digital infrastructure in Senegal.
He also called for a stronger bilateral cooperation in culture, education, tourism, sports and youth.
youth. Sanko said Senegal firmly upholds the One China principle and expects deeper cooperation with China in trade, investment and energy.
He also expressed willingness to work with China to jointly uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard the common interests of countries in the global south.
China has announced that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the European Union's headquarters and attend a high -level strategic dialogue.
The week -long long trip beginning Monday will also take him to Germany and France, where the senior Chinese diplomat will take part in meetings on diplomacy and security and people -to -people exchanges.
The foreign ministry said it's necessary for China and the European Union to strengthen cooperation and safeguard multilateralism and free trade.
China and the EU are marking 50 years of diplomatic relations this year.
China says it'll review and approve applications for the export of controlled items, and the United States will correspondingly lift a series of restrictive measures on China.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the two sides have maintained close communication since talks in London earlier this month.
They have confirmed details of a framework than trade teams discussed during previous meetings.
The UN chief said the Charter of the United Nations is not an a la carte menu, addressing the General Assembly to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the historic document.
Antonio Guterres hailed the Charter as the foundation of international cooperation for a better world, saying it's helped prevent a third world war.
But the Secretary -General warned that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter are suffering results like never before.
On and on we see an all -too -familiar pattern.
follow when the Charter suits, ignore when it does not.
The Charter of the United Nations is not optional.
It is not an a la carte menu.
It is the bedrock of international relations.
We cannot and must not normalize violations of its most basic principles.
Guterres urged all UN member states to live up to its spirit and jointly build a peaceful, just, and progressive future.
The UN Charter, which is the foundational treaty of the world body, was adopted on June 25, 1945 at the San Francisco Conference.
Delegates signed up to it on the following day.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour.
Coming up in business, China sees an increasing number of private enterprises.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 into the hour, turning to business.
Here's Wang Zihang.
Thank you, Hongyu. Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed with the mixed picture on Friday.
The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0 .7%, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose slightly by one -third of a percent.
Timothy Pope has more from Shanghai.
The markets have enjoyed a bit of a relief rally over the last couple of sessions.
And so despite the fact that the Shanghai Composite Index traded lower, about 0 .7 % down, the market still finishes the week in quite a strong position.
one sign that this really might be the case is the multi -billion dollar Wall Street investment fund Franklin Resources buying back into Chinese equities after around three years with no China exposure at all and while there was some pretty broad profit taking on financial shares they were of course the biggest drag on the market in Shanghai we still have had quite a number of securities firms hitting the daily limit for increases as investors really do seem to have a little bit more risk appetite than they did two weeks ago.
That was Timothy Pope reporting.
Elsewhere in China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index decreased over 0 .1 percent.
In neighboring Japan, the Nikkei gained more than 1 .4 percent.
China's private economy grew steadily in the first five months of the year.
According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, China had 184 million private businesses as of May, making up nearly 97 % of all market entities.
Private enterprises grew 5 .2 % to over 58 million, while individual businesses rose 1 % to 127 million.
Meanwhile, private enterprises' profits grew 3 .4%, 4 .6 points higher than the average level of the the industrial enterprises above designated size.
The private sector saw more investment in technological innovation, particularly in strategic emerging industries such as new energy and high -end equipment manufacturing.
This growth highlighted the vital role of the private sector in driving industrial upgrades and economic stability.
Official data shows profits of China's major industrial firms dropped by 1 .1 % in the first five months of this year.
Industrial firms with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan, or around 2 .8 million US dollars, saw their combined profits reach over 2 .7 trillion yuan during the January -May period.
This figure represents an increase of 603 .4 billion yuan compared with the total profits in the January -April period.
The National Bureau of Statistics also says operating revenue of these firms rose 2 .7 % on a yearly basis.
Latest data shows global economic and trade friction surged sharply in April.
That's according to an index released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
The council attributes the rise mainly to U .S. tariffs.
tariffs. The index shows the value of economic and trade friction increased by 37 .6 % in April over a year ago.
Among the 20 countries monitored, the United States, Japan and India ranked as the top three sources of friction, with the US holding the leading position for 10 consecutive years.
Of the 13 industries tracked, electronics, transportation equipment and the chemical sector experienced the highest level of trade friction.
China's car exports continue to see robust growth.
In Shanghai, auto terminals reported double -digit growth in vehicles shipped to overseas markets in June.
Chen Tong takes a closer look.
New Energy Vehicles, their destination, Southeast Asia.
Shanghai's Haitong Port in Linggang New Area is a professional auto terminal with at least two ships berthing every day to receive new vehicles.
In May, for example, 72 ,000 cars exported via the terminal, a historic high.
The number of Chinese brands exported saw a year -on -year growth of over 400%.
We export between 3 ,000 and 4 ,000 cars every day.
We are working 24 hours.
China's new energy capabilities are impressing foreign consumers.
But Nasdaq's for carmakers is localizing products for different regions.
At a 2025 Global New Energy Vehicle Corporation Development Forum in Shanghai, an EV brand Xpeng said the next few years will be a golden stage for Chinese EVs to go abroad and exports will account for half of the firm's business.
In the first quarter of this year, Expo's exports jumped by 370 % year on year.
The more we sell in different regions, the more localized we should be.
Our next step, we will also emphasize our team about the global product planning and the market study.
So we will have a different region team to work with a local partner to study the local demand from the customer and try to recognize the differences between different regions.
and that will input back to our China head office and to support our new generation product development.
Other industry insiders agree that localization to be the next important agenda for Chinese car makers.
There's a term called global and local.
So I think China needs to master that.
I think BYD is making some inroads there.
They're setting up a new factory in Hungary.
BYD is looking to set up a new factory in Turkey.
Then Great Wall is in Thailand.
Not only BYD and Grey Wall, other Chinese brands including Geely and MG have also set up their factories overseas.
That was Chen Tong reporting.
Businesses in Germany are raising the alarm as the European Union faces a possible 50 % tariff increase by the US starting July 9.
Experts are calling for stronger coordination with partners like China to safeguard a fair and open global market.
market. Client feedback shows that the entire tariff regime is causing enormous uncertainty, including direct impacts like rising costs and forced changes to business plans, as well as indirect consequences.
As two major exporting nations, both Germany and China support a rule -based system for trade and investment.
I sincerely hope our two countries can once again become advocates for a fair and cooperative global rules framework.
Germany's IFO Institute warns the country's exports to the U .S. could drop more than 38%, with manufacturing output shrinking 2 .8 % in the medium term.
The Chinese mission at the United Nations and the China International Import Expo Bureau have held an event at the U .N. offices in Geneva.
The event focused on global development through trade.
Representatives from international organizations, diplomatic missions in Geneva and global businesses praised China's continued efforts to open up to the world and promote shared development.
Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, said the CIIE helps promote economic and trade cooperation.
The successful story of CIIE is self -evident that it could serve as a unique window for mutual understanding, a bridge for more connection, and more importantly, a platform for reinforced trade and facilitation of mutual trade activities.
The CIE has been held seven consecutive times since its inception in 2018, attracting participation from more than 180 countries, regions and international organizations.
The president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank says the bank will continue championing multilateralism while creating avenues for global development.
Jin Lijun says AIIB aims to double its annual financing target to $17 billion by 2030.
Looking ahead, Jin expresses confidence that new opportunities will arise to meet development demands in the coming decade.
We started with other MDBs like the World Bank, ADB and other institutions.
And later on, we expanded this partnership with other international financial institutions, development partners, bilateral or multilateral, and even private sector partners.
So we have been expanding our partnership extensively.
Looking forward, moving to the next decade, I'm sure new development demands would create, I would say, huge opportunities.
Founded in the year 2015, the Multilateral Development Bank has grown from 57 founding members to 110 across six countries, covering 81 % of the world's population and 65 % of global GDP.
Over the past decade, it has approved over US $60 billion in financing for 320 projects, leveraging more than US $200 billion in infrastructure investment.
Thank you very much. And that was Wang Zihang with Business.
Coming up in sports, the International Olympic Committee to take lead in gender eligibility criteria in sports.
is the NBA losing its grip on Chinese fans this week on Sideline Story we look at the lack of buzz in China for the recently concluded NBA finals what's going on is it star power controversial calls or is social media reshaping how fans engage are Gen Z fans ditching full games for highlights dive deep into the future of sports viewership on Sideline Story subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts 47 into the hour.
With sports, here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Hongyu. The new president of the International Olympic Committee has pledged that the Olympic body will take the lead in discussions on gender eligibility criteria in sports.
Kirsty Coventry said she wants the IOC to protect the female category.
On the protection of the female category, it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category first and foremost we have to do that to ensure fairness um but we need to do that with site with a scientific approach and with the inclusion of working with the international federations whom have already done a lot of work in this in this area she said working group would be set up in the coming weeks to take charge of those discussions coventry officially took over the presidency from thomas spark this week as the first woman and the first african to held position.
The IOC has long refused to apply any universal rule on transgender participation for the Olympic Games.
In 2021, it instructed international federations to come up with their own guidelines, so there is no one universal rule for sport.
Transgender athletes are currently eligible to compete at the Olympics.
Some international federations have rules in place, but others have not yet reached that stage.
Turning to football, Real Madrid has powered into the Club World Cup round of 16 with a 3 -0 win over RB Salzburg, securing top spot in Group H.
Vinicius Junior stole the show, scoring a stunning 40th -minute goal and setting up Federico Valverde with a slick backheel before half -time.
Gonzalo Garcia sealed victory in the 84th minute with a clever lob on a swift counter.
Real Madrid's seven points etched out Al -Hilal, who beat Pachuca 2 -0, while Salzburg and Pachuca are out.
Madrid face Juventus on Tuesday in Miami, and Al -Hilal will meet Manchester City in Orlando on Monday.
City secured top spot in Group G of the Club World Cup with a 5 -2 thrashing of Juventus, exposing the Serie A side's defensive frailties in emphatic fashion.
Both teams already threw to knock out the stage City underlined their status as title favourites by becoming the only team to finish the group phase with 3 wins Pep Guardiola's side finished 3 points clear for Juventus who will face Real Madrid in the last 16 Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a 2 -year contract extension with the Saudi Arabian club Al -Nassar The deal lets him continue playing until at least the age of 42 and will give him the chance to add to his record -breaking career.
The five -time Ballon d 'Or winner moved to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022 in one of the most shocking transfers in football history after leaving Manchester United.
That deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and led to a slew of top players leaving Europe for the oil -rich kingdom including Neymar and Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo sparked uncertainty about his future at the end of the Saudi season last month when announcing the chapter is over, but the announcement on Thursday put an end to speculation about his next move.
Three -time Olympic champion Faye Tkipiagon has failed in her bid to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
The Olimpic 1500 -meter gold medalist from Kenya ran in four minutes, 6 .42 seconds in Paris.
Her time was better than her world record, but won't be recognized by the international federation because the Nike sponsored event was unofficial.
The 31 -year -old looked exhausted as she reached the finish line and fell on her back as she was surrounded by photographers.
You know, if you give everything, like if you give it all, you will not feel like you need to, you know, push more.
Because, you know, if you give everything, it's everything.
So for me, I gave it all.
Next time, I will still give it all again to see where I will make it.
But I hope one day, one time, it will be there.
Among the guests at the race were Kyle Lewis and Keep Your Guns fellow Kenya runner, longtime friend and trading partner Eliud Kipchak.
Keep Your Guns set women's mile world record nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco.
And finally, in tennis, Taylor Fretz claimed two wins in one day on Thursday, edging closer to a fourth Easterborn title by defeating Raul Fonseca and Marcus Geron.
Fretz's second round match against the rising Brazilian Raul Fonseca resumed Thursday after being suspended at one set all due to bad light.
Fretz won the decided 7 -5 to reach the quarterfinals.
Later that day, the defending champion fought past Marcus Geron in a tight three -setter, setting up a Friday semifinal against Spain's Alejandro Davidovic Fokina.
Fokina beat Czech third seed Jakub Mansik in street sets in the quarterfinals.
Thank you, and that was Yang Guang with sports.
Just ahead in culture and entertainment, an exhibition bring to life the world of the Shang Dynasty.
From north to south, east to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat their odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
53 into the hour, turning to culture and entertainment.
Representatives of top global music competitions have gathered in northeast China to boost international cooperation in music.
The city of Harbin is hosting the 69th General Assembly of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.
This is the first time the federation has held its annual assembly in a Chinese city.
The federation believes that the conference will provide inspiration and momentum for its future cooperation with cultural institutions across China.
Harbin is known as the cradle of modern Chinese music, as it's the site of China's first symphonic concert, music school and symphony orchestra.
This year's conference will also include the two -day International Forum for Marketing and communications, offering insights into the evolving classical music landscape in China, Asia, and beyond.
An exhibition at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing is bringing to life the world of the Shang Dynasty.
Titled This is the Shang, it explores one of ancient China's most formative civilizations for more than 3 ,000 years ago.
With over 300 relics on display, play, it offers a rare glimpse into the sophistication of the Bronze Age.
Li Qiong spoke to museum curator Gao Hongqi about the exhibits.
The Shang Dynasty reached the height of China's Bronze Age.
We're displaying 338 pieces or sets in total, including bronzeware, jade, and pottery.
These items were used by people across the span of the Shang Dynasty, which was nearly 600 years.
And many objects here served ceremonial or military purposes.
But I'm here for something different.
The strange, the playful and the alive.
This elephant wine vessel dazzles in the exhibit, with patterns covered all over, layered like a puzzle.
Is that a phoenix carved on the elephant's nose with a tiger crouching beside it biting a snake?
It's a realistic piece covered in the animal motifs that the people of the Shang Period cherished.
Also a wine vessel, also an animal, also packed with mystery.
They loved turning animals into objects like we do today.
It's really hard to believe that people used palettes over 3000 years ago.
Made of jade, two parrots, tails up.
Scientists found leftover pigment on it.
Maybe it was for painting bronzeware, but no one knows for sure.
We don't have to figure it all out.
Just look and feel who is still here, communicating with us from more than 3 ,000 years ago.
That was Li Qiong reporting.
The Shanghai TV Festival has launched its first international film and television market to promote exchanges and cooperation of the film and television industry.
The event aims to showcase the cultural characteristics and industrial achievements of different countries and create more cooperation opportunities.
The international film and television market gathered about 200 exhibitors from nearly 20 countries and regions, including 50 overseas exhibitors.
Long Song is the director of the Audiovisual Research Office at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Voluminous works such as documentaries and TV series are sometimes parts of international communication and other parts include short videos, micro short dramas and online literature.
The export of micro short dramas and short videos is a very typical example.
I think this might be a new opportunity for international communication.
Established in 1986, the Shanghai TV Festival is one of the largest in East Asia.
It's 57 into the hour.
Let's check the weather.
Beijing is down to 23 on Friday evening.
Saturday, we'll see thundershowers with a high of 30.
Nanchang is 26 tonight.
Tomorrow will be cloudy with a high of 33.
In Guizhou, Rongjiang County is 24 tonight.
Tomorrow will have moderate rain with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 25 this evening.
Saturday, Day will see slight rain with a high of 33.
Vientiane is 24 overnight.
Tomorrow will see moderate rain with a high of 28.
Phanepin is 25 overnight.
Tomorrow slight rain and 32.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, China and Ecuador have signed a cooperation plan on promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.
Iran says the U .S. gained no achievement from the Israel -Iran conflict.
On behalf of the staff, this is Dou Hongyu in the Chinese capital, Hope when you join us for the next edition of The Beijing Hour and open a window to the world together.
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 a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I would.
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?
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 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.
