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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 Bigam with you on this Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025.
You're listening to The Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
On today's program, the Chinese foreign ministers visiting Russia, and the two sides have called to reinforce the United Nations' central role in the global system.
A Chinese team is now doing disinfection work in the quake zone in Myanmar where thousands have died.
U .S. trading partners are bracing for President Donald Trump's latest tariff announcement affecting all trading partners.
In business, China's new guidelines for improving the social credit system.
In sports, Nottingham Forest continues its winning ways in the EPL.
in culture and entertainment.
A modern twist in ancient silk fabrics in China.
Now the day's top stories.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's calling for China and Russia to reinforce the United Nations central role in the global system.
The two countries are marking 80 years since the allied victory in World War two in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The Chinese diplomat also noted that bilateral ties have matured into a resilient and stable partnership.
Cooperation between China and Russia is never directed against third parties and does not succumb to impediments coming from the outside.
We will not tread water when it comes to advancing bilateral relations, and we have a broad prospect open to us.
Our friendship is not based on fleeting considerations, but is of a long tenure nature.
President Putin emphasized the shared historical significance of celebrating the victories of World War II.
He also called on both sides to enhance strategic cooperation amid global turbulence.
Wang Yi also met his Russian counterpart during the visit.
Aliosa Milankovitch reports from Moscow.
Judging by the smiles, it was a very friendly meeting in the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
It was their second meeting in the past six months, and it shows that the high -level contacts between the two countries are common. And those are also based on good personal relations between the two heads of state.
Before we begin our conversation, I would like to ask you to convey my friendly greetings to the President of the People's Republic of China, our good friend Mr. Xi Jinping.
We would like to express satisfaction with the way our relations are developing, including with the direct support of our respective foreign ministry.
The two countries continue to maintain steady progress on bilateral relations and are looking to expand the Sino -Russian collaboration without outside interference.
Earlier on Tuesday, Wang Yi also met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
The focus of their meeting was the expansion of joint actions on the world political stage.
I am confident that today we will reach consensus on advancing our bilateral relations in the context of preparations for high level meetings, as well as on further coordination within the United Nations, its Security Council, the SEO, BRICS, the G20, ASEAN frameworks and other multilateral platforms with a view to establishing a more just and democratic multipolar world order.
One of the major topics mentioned by all participants was the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
All sides agreed that the memory of heroic achievements and sacrifices of both China and Russia during that conflict shouldn't be forgotten.
All participants emphasized that this was just the beginning of the high profile meetings between Chinese and Russian officials.
Many more are expected by the end of this year.
That was Alyosa Milankovitch on China and Russia reaffirming ties as they mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War Two.
The Chinese foreign minister says China -Russia relations are based on the principles of non -alignment, non -confrontation and not targeting any third party.
European Union and regional development professor at Suihongjiang explains the importance of those principles in the turbulent and fast -changing global order.
I think now it's time for us to confirm this sweet learning principles to deal with any issues in bilateral relations.
As we know especially as biggest labels with each other.
So this main principle will be very very helpful for both of countries to promote their mutual trust. Once there, you know, some close relations and of course in a comfortable space for both the countries, I think that could be very important for those two labors.
Another I And I think requirements for this CNN principles is, as we know now, if in a kind of a pretty good time for geopolitical transition, so once you have some healthy constructive relations between China and Russia, it gives a very clear and a positive message to the international community that there is no way for China to wash and to get their kind of allies.
Just like what happened in the eyes of Western countries.
So I think it will give some more stability and also more positive future for this multi -polar world.
The professor says recent high -level exchanges show that both countries are still trying to extend the good momentum in their relations.
He also shared his vision for the future of ties.
In the near future, from now on, that these bilateral relations should be more balanced, which means that not only on some energy cooperation and now coastal countries try to also improve their cooperation in other areas, especially infrastructure and also some manufacturing from others.
Of course another, I think, very important issue for coastal countries is we need to have more comprehensive relations, not only economic and security and especially people to people.
And then, I think, now it gives another opportunity for bilateral relations between China and Russia to have a global one, which means that now both China and Russia, they are a member of BRICS and also SCO.
So it could provide some more platform for China and Russia to work together in the frame of global South.
That was Professor Cui Hongzhen at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army conducted military exercises, codenamed Straight Thunder, in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait.
The Eastern Theater Command says the exercises aim to test capabilities in areas such as blockading, and precision striking on key targets.
The ground force carried out long -range, live -fire drills in the waters of the East China Sea.
The effort involved precision strikes on simulated targets at key ports and energy facilities.
Chinese authorities on the mainland say the military exercises near Taiwan offer a stern warning to separatist forces on the island and are not directed toward compatriots seeking peace and reunification.
Military expert Meng Xiongqing says support for independence will only harm the lives of the people.
Taiwan imports more than 70 percent of its grain.
Its oil and gas reserves can only last from seven to ten days.
It means that if Taiwan loses its maritime supply routes, supplies will run out fast, leading to chaos.
It'll affect livelihoods, and the people will bear the brunt.
Meng called on Taiwan compatriots to resist separatist efforts.
He said the People's Liberation Army will take action if independent forces cross the line.
Coming up, a Chinese team has begun disinfection work in the quake zone in Myanmar. Shanghai has made history, becoming the first Chinese city to ban smoking in outdoor public spaces.
Could this be the start of a nationwide shift?
. China aims to cut adult smoking from 24 per cent to 20 per cent by 2030.
But with cigarette sales still climbing, is that goal realistic?
Can this policy genuinely make an impact or will deep -rooted smoking culture stand in the way?
Find out wherever you listen to podcasts and now see GTN radio.
A task force from the Chinese -Rgamunyan rescue team is disinfecting the rubble amid high temperatures in the earthquake hit areas in Myanmar. In addition to the heat, the bodies that remain trapped make epidemic prevention crucial alongside search -and -rescue operations.
Medical professionals have warned of the risk of cholera, malaria, and dengue fever.
They suggest rescuers wear gloves in masks.
Medical Chief Zhu Wei from the Chinese team also suggested protection.
We have to take into account the rescuer's physical strength.
It will drop after prolonged work.
There are lots of broken steel rods and stone shards among the rubble that may harm the rescuers.
We suggest them to protect themselves, wear gloves, masks, helmets and goggles when they come into contact with bodies.
This will help ensure their safety so they can accomplish their mission.
The earthquake last week has killed more than 2 ,800 people as of Wednesday afternoon.
United Nations has urged the global community to ramp up aid to Myanmar before the monsoon season worsens the already catastrophic situation.
Residents in hard -hit areas say they're lacking power, drinking water, and other essential supplies on top of not having a roof over their heads.
My house is leaning east now and everything inside has been damaged.
Even eating is very inconvenient and we are running short of water.
My house totally collapsed.
Now I'm staying at the foot of the mountain and surviving on donated food.
Today I received instant noodles, bottled water and some snacks.
A school in Naypyidaw is acting as a temporary shelter for some of the displaced.
Ma Xiaoxing went to that site.
I'm now at the number nine basic education high school in Naypyidaw, the capital city of Myanmar. A total of 500 earthquake victims have been resettled here.
About 100 families are living in 30 classrooms and a school football field.
They have come here to seek help after the earthquake happened on March 28th and are currently experiencing a lack of water and electricity.
According to the school principal, it is the summer vacation of Myanmar students, so the the earthquake so they can be used to accommodate the locals.
Most of the people here are from nearby communities, the earthquake caused serious damage to their home so the Myanmar government arranged for them to live here temporarily.
No one here is injured during the earthquake the elderly need medical services.
It is quite crowded here with three or four families living in a classroom of about 30 square meters.
Because of the lack of space, some residents can only live in the classroom corridors and the school football field.
Some local organizations donated water and food for them.
As more locals continue to arrive at the resettlement site, rescue supplies from China have also arrived here to alleviate the difficulties of insufficient space.
I saw that 24 tents are being built on the school's football field today, which can accommodate 120 people in total.
Local used to set up mosquito net and mat to get sleep at night because the temperature difference between day and night in Navidor is large, so they need such waterproof and heat -insulating tent to help them get through the chilling night.
There are different resettlement sites like this in parts and streets in Nha Dui Do.
During the day young people have to go to work still and during the day young people still have to go to work and the elderly and children stay here.
They told me that they will have to continue living here and they don't know exactly when they can return to their home in the future.
For the Beijing hour I am Mo Xiao Xin in Nha Dui Do, Myanmar. World Food Programme says Myanmar urgently needs humanitarian aid and more food supplies.
WFP official Melissa Lee -Heen says the affected areas were already struggling with chronic poverty, ongoing conflict and frequent displacement before the disaster.
Before the earthquake the humanitarian needs in Myanmar were already huge.
We know that 20 million people were in need of humanitarian support, 15 million facing food insecurity and more than three and a half million people displaced by the conflict over the past four years.
So the earthquake on Friday has made a bad situation really so much worse.
And while people are resilient after years of conflict and successive disasters, many have little or nothing to fall back on.
WFP teams have delivered emergency food and three The aid includes multi -purpose tents to accommodate the growing number of injured and trauma kits for treating severe wounds and fractures.
Heen says power outages and communication disruptions continue to affect relief efforts.
Colleagues are reporting buildings turn to rubble, homes destroyed and significant damage to roads and bridges and other infrastructure.
Electricity supplies are still down in many places and phone communication is patchy at best. And added to this the destruction of hospitals and a lack of clean water." World health organizations supporting rapid response teams deployed in hospitals across the affected regions.
In neighboring Thailand, quake damage to hundreds of buildings has left 22 dead and 34 injured.
Rescuers are still searching for survivors.
Officials estimate that around 70 bodies remain trapped under the rubble.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations says the earthquake's a test of regional solidarity and a reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness.
ASEANs come together to support those in need.
The Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance is leading efforts by delivering critical relief supplies and logistics to affected communities.
Silkina Allewalia has more from Jakarta.
ASEAN is once again showing its unity and solidarity in times of crisis following the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand.
It's been a really tough time for the region with many lives lost and thousands affected, but ASEAN countries are moving quickly to help.
This week, ASEAN foreign ministers held an emergency meeting and the show of solidarity has been massive.
Singapore has already sent 80 members of their rescue team on the ground and pledged around $150 ,000 through the Red Cross to help with relief efforts.
Indonesia is also stepping in sending emergency teams, food, tents and other supplies to help survivors.
Vietnam has deployed over 100 rescuers, medics and close to $300 ,000 in aid, focusing on search and rescue which is super critical right now especially in Myanmar. Thailand despite also being affected has sent Air Force personnel and essential medical supplies to Myanmar. And lastly, Malaysia, as ASEAN chair this year, is contributing over two million dollars in aid and have already deployed 50 members of their disaster relief team.
And to further strengthen these efforts, the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Thailand will visit Myanmar on April 5th to oversee rescue operations and meet directly with authorities on the ground.
That was Silkyuna Allawalia on Aussie and pooling strength to support earthquake relief efforts.
Coming up, U .S. trading partners are preparing their responses to the American trade war.
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Right, 18 minutes past the hour.
The White House says U .S. president Donald Trump will meet with his trade team on Wednesday afternoon local time and announce tariffs that will immediately go into effect.
The tariffs will target all countries while the 25 % levy on cars will also take effect this week.
Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi says the new tariffs could lead to an economic downturn in the U .S. he sees a 40 % chance of a recession this year and that's up from his previous prediction of only 15%.
Goldman Sachs says there's a 35 % chance of recession over the next 12 months.
The exemption for taxes on Mexico and Canada run until Wednesday.
Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum says her country is prepared to respond.
We will see what specific measures the U .S. government will introduce on the second But let them know we are prepared.
Our team meets two or three times a week to strengthen our various measures.
Our goal is to protect the people of Mexico and safeguard our jobs." The United States' southern neighbor is highlighting its local industries.
Alistair Baberstock visited a solar panel producer to learn about its response.
SolarEVER, a Mexican solar panel manufacturer with deep routes in Asia.
The company imports its component parts.
solar cells manufactured in China but conducts enough of the overall manufacturing process here for the finished panels to be certified as made in Mexico.
Our manufacture operation is designed to ensure our products are not simply assembled here but that the imported raw materials undergo transformation which renders them a different category of product by the end of the process." Certified as a Mexican -made product, the panels enjoy tariff -free trade into vital US markets now, but that could change as early as this week, depending on the scale of expected new tariffs.
California is one of the world's largest markets for solar panels, and it can represent as much as 70 % of our sales, so it's very important for us.
Soladeva is not alone in understanding the importance of this regional certification.
In an era of global trade uncertainty brought on by U .S. tariff policies, designation of origin rules are of increasing importance.
That's leading Mexico's government to promote its Made in Mexico certification for national and international companies doing business here.
A recent event saw Mexico's economy ministry invite private sector leaders to get on board. This is about Mexico moving forward, making us able to deal with any situations that arise, that we are united, and that we promote our country.
Made in Mexico means all of this.
International near -shoring consultant Mauricio Monroy says regional certification may stand as insurance against what may be a dangerous time for global trade.
Rules of origin are going to be critical and made in Mexico, is critical because there's going to be evidence that you are complying with the rule of origin to make sure that you qualify okay as a regional product to be entitled to the benefit of the individual's duty.
With global trade on shaky ground, it may be regional supply chains that provide more solid foundations.
That was Alistair Baverstock reporting from Mexico City.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his country will be deliberating countermeasures against Trump's tariffs Carney said Canada will not allow US policies to weaken its economy he also promised to ensure that Canadian producers and workers are not put at a disadvantage compared with their US counterparts.
Dan Williams has more.
Canadians could be forgiven for having a sense of deja vu.
They've lived very much under this threat of U .S. tariffs for much of this year.
But without doubt, most economists agree that if these tariffs from the U .S. are imposed on Canada for any length of time, that they will likely devastate the Canadian economy.
The U .S. is Canada's largest trading partner.
The two -way trade is worth some 762 billion dollars a year, and 412 billion of that is from Canada exports to the US.
That's around 75 % of all Canada's exports.
And there are real fears that if that supply chain, very complicated supply chain, faces any kind of headwind like this, it could lead to either a slowdown in production and potentially factories pausing production.
And that's a big fear among many of the workers that I've spoken to in the long term, and will have massive ramifications on both sides of the border.
Canada for its part are also threatening retaliatory tariffs as well.
Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney, he's out on the campaign trail.
Of course, the elections are at the end of April and April the 28th.
He did speak to Donald Trump, the US president, and this is what he had to say on the campaign trial in terms of the potential of retaliatory tariffs.
As I also mentioned to the president, and was very clear, we will respond to additional measures.
So we will put in place retaliatory measures if there are additional measures put against Canada tomorrow.
We are going to be very deliberate in terms of the measures we take to fight for Canada, fight against these unjustified measures by the US administration, but also to protect, to have that minimal impact in Canada.
Of course there are other levers that Canada could use as well.
A month ago Ontario threatened a 25 % tax on all electricity exports to various US states such as New York and Michigan.
There's even talk potentially of cutting off that electricity supply and if that happens well you can expect a whole host of further tariffs and retaliatory tariffs as well.
It could get even more ugly from there.
Now, as Dan Williams reporting, economists and auto industry insiders from Japan and South Korea are concerned that U .S. tariffs will hurt their countries.
If the tariffs are imposed, the prices of imported cars in the United States will rise, which will undoubtedly exert downward pressure on new car sales.
If new car sales in the United States are sluggish, then the production of export cars made by Japan for the U .S. market will naturally decline, which will become a downward factor for Japan's GDP.
The tariff increase is a major issue that could potentially lead to the partial collapse of Korea's auto industry.
While primary, secondary and tertiary suppliers may manage to cope, those beyond that level lack the financial means to directly supply the U .S. Meanwhile European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU did not start this confrontation and will push back.
Our strategy builds on three pillars.
First, we are open to negotiations.
We will approach these negotiations from a position of strength.
Europe holds a lot of cards from trade to technology to the size of our market.
But this strength is also built on our readiness to take firm countermeasures is if necessary.
All instruments are on the table.
Von der Leyen said tariffs will fuel inflation and create a bureaucratic mess.
The EU stressed that no one wins in a trade war.
For some discussions on the purpose and potential effects of the tariffs on the world economy, Hona spoke with politics professor Gregory Mahoney at East China Normal University.
It seems unlikely that most US businesses or consumers will benefit from this approach. there are a few notable exceptions, for example firms that might benefit from some protectionist policies, maybe US steel makers and possibly EVs. But overwhelmingly people will face higher costs and US exports will face reciprocal tariffs.
Now Trump is aware of these costs and the pain they will produce but argues that ultimately the gains will be greater.
Therefore I think I think we have to consider a deeper strategy at work here which is not primarily about sustaining tariffs and deriving financial benefits directly from them.
Rather it's more likely that Trump has four immediate objectives in mind.
First, you know, make a big show of American power, performance that would resonate with MAGA supporters.
Second, you know, we're already seeing a mad rush of some countries seeking exemptions from the tariffs which will mean in many coming to Trump with their hats in their hands either asking for a favor or offering concessions.
And this is precisely what he wants to induce.
Third, he will see some American businesses also coming to him with similar requests.
And here he will be able to exert control and influence over them.
And fourth, he may ultimately accept concessions and provide exemptions from countries, to countries and from countries and companies that serve his larger paradigm of Jacksonian diplomacy, which focuses on great power relations and great power competition.
And here he may be looking to maximize power and leverage vis -à -vis China especially.
Professor, the International Monetary Fund has warned of the potential risk that the tariffs pose to international trade order.
So how do you think what greater levies or enhanced protectionism hamper international trade?
In the worst case scenario, we might well characterize this as an American declaring economic warfare on the entire world.
While doing the same, unfortunately, against multilateralism, efforts to fight climate change and so on.
In a sense, the US is declaring itself everyone's enemy, while asserting that it cares only about itself.
But because the US controls the global financial system, because the US controls the supranational currency, because by some estimates it's still the largest market, Trump is risking this approach with the hope that he'll be able to shore up declining U .S. hegemony while giving himself more time to reform the U .S. economy and political system.
Fundamentally we understand that protectionism generally limits competition, and limiting competition reduces innovation and development.
Those are professor Gregory Mahoney's takes on U .S. tariff policies.
The Pentagon says the United States will send a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The Carl Vinson will join the Harry S.
Truman in missions that officials say will deter aggression and protect the free flow of commerce.
Tensions between the Houthis and U .S. military have escalated since Washington launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen last month.
The Yemeni group claims it is shot down two U .S. drones.
Route 29 passed the hour Beijing's at seven degrees on Wednesday evening.
It'll be overcast in 20 on Thursday.
Manchang is down to 11, then sunny skies in 26 degrees.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islam beds 15 overnight, overcast in 32 on Thursday.
BNTN is 20 this evening, then cloudy in 33, Panam Pan is down to 24, and then a slight rainfall in 33.
In Africa, Nairobi is getting a slight rain and 27 degrees on Thursday, Compel is at 20 overnight, then a slight rain in 26, Juba is 26 this evening, and then overcast in 40 degrees.
and finally to Oceania.
Portville is 24 overnight a slight rainfall and 31 degrees celsius tomorrow.
It's time for a short break, so far this hour the Chinese foreign minister is visiting Russia and the two sides have called to reinforce the United Nations central role in the global system.
A Chinese team is now doing disinfection work in the quake zone in Myanmar where thousands have died and U .S. trading partners are bracing for President Donald Trump's latest tariff announcement affecting all trading partners.
Shane Begum with you, stay with us here on Beijing Hour.
Shhh! Listen up! Can you hear the heart beat of our world?
Its vibrant and pulsating with the essence of life itself.
From the stem of trees to the gurgle of rivers.
From the silent strength of mountains, to the icy whispers of glaciers.
Even the solid ground beneath our feet.
And right there, in the mist of all, beats the heart of humanity.
What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
Ever wondered what's actually going on in Africa through the perspective of an African?
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 Wayblend every week to find out what's real with China After the Talk.
Find us on your favorite podcast. We'll see you there.
Shane Bigam with you on this Wednesday, still to come.
In business, China's new guidelines for improving the social credit system.
In sports, Nottingham Forest continues its winning ways in the EPL in culture and entertainment, a modern twist in ancient silk fabrics in China.
To contact us you can e -mail radio at CGTN .com or follow our ex -account at CGTN Radio.
But first of all check in the days headline news.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on Russia and China to enhance their strategic cooperation amid global turbulence.
Putin met visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Kremlin.
He stressed the high cooperation in various fields.
Wang said China -Russia relations have become a resilient partnership, characterized by deepening political trust, closer strategic alignment and sustained cooperation.
Wang also held multiple rounds of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss bilateral and international issues.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced a major expansion of the military offensive in Gaza.
He said the population will have to leave combat zones as troops tried to seize additional areas to establish buffer zones.
Israel ended a two -month ceasefire last month and resumed air and ground assaults on the Palestinian enclave. A Gaza health authority said the renewed Israeli attacks have killed more than a thousand Palestinians bringing the number of total deaths since October 2023 to over 50 ,000.
UN humanitarians and partners have expressed shock over the killing of 15 aid workers in southern Gaza.
Rescuers have recovered their remains after a week -long surge, though one worker is still missing.
UN spokesperson Jens Lehrke expressed deep sadness over the incident.
Normally we are not at a loss for words, we are spokespeople, but sometimes we have difficulty finding them.
This is one of those cases.
These people were shot.
We keep engaging with the Israeli authorities, daily, on this and on other burning matters, including importantly the critical needs to reopen crossings for supplies.
Because while this is a huge blow to us on all levels, the crisis itself just moves on and gets worse every day.
The aid workers travelled to Rafah to rescue injured people last month.
Official data shows that findings killed over 400 aid workers in Gaza since the war began in 2023.
Russia sent a list of alleged Ukrainian violations of their agreement to halt strikes on energy facilities to the US and other diplomatic groups.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Ukrainian drones continue to attack Russian energy sites.
Energy facilities of the Russian Federation have been attacked all this time, perhaps with a break of one or two days, and he listed all the objects that were targets of Ukrainian drones over the past period.
At the same time, the Russian army is observing the moratorium, which the president ordered to be strictly observed during a telephone conversation with U .S. President Donald Trump on March 18.
Lavrov has urged recipients of the report to assess Ukraine's actions.
Ukraine and Russia are accusing each other of breaking a supposed deal to stop firing on energy sites following separate meetings with U .S. officials.
U .S. President Trump's ceasefire efforts have yet to show results.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of violating recent ceasefire agreements and urged stronger sanctions against Moscow.
I believe we have reached the point where stronger sanctions are needed because I believe the Russians are breaking the promises they made to America.
I've asked outside to pass information through various institutions about Russia's breaches of the agreement, not to strike energy facilities.
We are sharing this information with the United States and we see that America is beginning to understand it.
European allies have reaffirmed their support for Ukraine against Russia.
Zelensky said military officials from several partner countries will meet privately on Friday.
They'll discuss sending foreign troops to Ukraine as part of future security plans.
Search teams at a training ground in Lithuania have recovered the bodies of a fourth U .S. soldier.
After a seven -day search, U .S., Lithuanian and Polish troops located all missing soldiers and their armored vehicle.
The soldiers went missing during a training exercise a week ago.
U .S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has ordered federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangioni, who is accused of killing United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson in New York in December.
While officials condemned the attack, Americans argued that Mangioni's actions highlighted high US healthcare costs and the power of insurance companies to deny treatment payments.
Mangioni's pleaded not guilty to state charges of murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offensives, offenses rather.
Coming up in business China's new guidelines for improving the social credit system.
The Beijing Hour your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 passed and with business now here's Wang Zhehan.
Thank you Shane. Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed higher on Wednesday.
The Shanghai composite was up slightly while the Shenzhen component gained nearly one tenth of a percent.
Forestry and kitchen appliances led the gainers.
Elsewhere in China, the Hong Kong stock market remained almost flat.
Meanwhile, stocks in Japan also ended higher with the Nikkei up nearly 0 .3%.
China's top economic regulator says the social credit system the country plans to establish aims to further improve its social and economic development.
Li Zhenlin is the Deputy Head of the National Development and Reform Commission.
The social credit system in China is expanding to cover all types of market entities.
By utilizing credit data more effectively, the system seeks to strengthen regulatory frameworks and integrate itself more comprehensively into all aspects of social and economic life, fostering a more cohesive and efficient environment for development.
According to the Commission, China has established a National Financing Credit System that allows financial institutions to access the credit data of market entities.
This helps ease financing difficulties for smaller businesses.
By the end of February, credit loans accounted for over a quarter of the total bank loans issued through the system.
Under the new guidelines, China seeks to enlarge such efforts to promote cross -border sharing of the credit information.
This is to meet the need of Chinese companies looking to enter a foreign market and global enterprises aspiring to do business in China.
For more, Lincoln Humphreys spoke with Chen Jiahe, chief investment officer at Novam Arcade Technologies.
How does China's social credit system drive sustained economic growth and what measures are needed to strengthen that stability?
One of the very important reasons for China's economy to achieve a stable growth rate is the building of social credit system Many people are not very familiar with the system especially for those who don't live in China This social credit system works works like a background system So it does not appear in the front pages of news media But in fact, it has been built for many years and it has been more and more completed over time.
With this system, China's economy and market is more capable of allocating the capital and social wealth to the people and companies that are more trustworthy.
This increased the efficiency of the overall economy, as well as the investment return of capital.
It also reduced the potential risk for the financial system, such as lowered the bad loan ratio of banks by a very large extent.
To strengthen its stability, we need more input for building a social credit system that is running with better efficiency, more detailed data, as well as a proper analysis of this data.
And we also need the whole society to work hard to maintain our credit record. How about the implications on industry?
How can a robust social credit system optimise industrial structures, accelerate the growth of emerging markets and modernise more traditional sectors?
Well, if we look into the details, we can see that the social credit system has been doing a lot for improving China's industries.
With the social credit system, we simply know who is more trustworthy, not only for individuals, but also for businesses.
The financial institutions can also share their information with each other and find out more trustworthy clients to either lend money or accept investment funds.
With this information, the money can go to the right person and right businesses, test the industry's strength is improved.
Especially for emerging industries, the people and businesses with better credit can get more investment at the very beginning, which will increase the growing speed of their start up work.
Meanwhile, for those who have a low record with the social credits, they can work hard to improve the credit as well.
This means they have to close the companies that are not making the money.
They have to optimise their financial status, which again improves the efficiency of businesses and industries.
That was Chen Jiahe on China's latest efforts to improve the social credit system.
Multinational agencies have revised down their economic growth forecasts for the United States in recent weeks.
Fitch has slashed this year's U .S. growth outlook to 1 .7 % from a previous estimate of 2 .1%.
It also sees slower growth next year.
Fitch says the U .S. administration has started a global trade war that will reduce U .S. and and delay Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Goldman Sachs meanwhile has cut its growth projection for the U .S. by half a point for the fourth quarter.
It says the Trump tariffs could raise consumer prices, tighten financial conditions, and lead businesses to delay investment.
Morgan Stanley says the tariffs could increase labor shortages and inflation in the country, dragging down growth for the fourth quarter.
Regarding the impact of U .S. tariffs hike, Zheng Junfeng spoke with Vincent Klerk, CEO of shipping giant AP Mola Mesk.
Klerk began by saying that U .S. trade tariffs pike may create inflation and may have some adverse impacts on demand and on the economy.
It is fair to say that we live in a very unpredictable world.
A lot of measures being discussed and some of them put in place that will hamper the free movement of goods that we have known and maybe take for granted over the past couple of decades.
The way that we deal with this is first and foremost to stay very close to our customers and understand actually the implications that this is going to have. Because ultimately what decides how many cars or how many of a certain product get sold is how much the consumer is ready to consume at the end of the day.
And so far, demand has been holding out I think quite quite strongly.
Throughout the last couple of years there's been a lot of talk about either recessions or decelerations and actually demand across the globe has stayed fairly steady and we've seen good growth in our business.
Now there is these new possible fees or possible obstacles being implemented.
I think the first thing is as I mentioned to stay close to your customers, develop contingencies for what you will do if suddenly traffic was to drop so that you can withdraw capacity, reduce your cost and have your house in order if I can say so.
As many critics say that they worry about the global trade prospects because of all these potential tariff threats, are you still optimistic at the maybe mid and long term prospects of trade growth?
Well, I would say we have actually shared that we expect growth this year around 4 % still in traded volumes, which, by historical standards, would still be actually quite a healthy growth.
I would say that as I stand today, I still believe in that number.
Demand certainly in the first quarter of this year has remained quite steady, for goods to be transported, despite all of this uncertainty.
And whereas a lot of, there is a lot of clouds in the horizon, you could say, about how this is going to develop, maybe more than there was a few months ago.
We have yet to see that these clouds are more than just clouds, but that they actually do implement and have some adverse impact on demand and on the economy in general.
So, until we know a little bit more, I think I remain cautiously optimistic, even though we are also looking very, very closely at what is developing and thinking about what countermeasures or what mitigation plans we would need to put in place if some of these more extreme measures were to be applied.
There was AP Mala Mesk, CEO Vincent clerk talking about the impact of U .S. tariff hikes.
Standard Chartered has revised its 2025 economic growth forecast for China to 4 .8 % up from a previous estimate of 4 .5%.
It says the country's real activity performance in the first two months and the much PMI survey are stronger than expected.
The PMI for the manufacturing sector came in at 50 .5 last month, reaching the highest notch since March 2024.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the sector's PMI has climbed for two months in a row, indicating continued improvement in industrial sentiment.
Representatives from over 40 companies in Eastern China are attending a business matchmaking event in Hungary to explore new markets in Central and Eastern Europe.
the business travellers from Ningbo are promoting their products in Europe.
You can place tissues on it and tear them with one hand.
I can also lift it and move it elsewhere.
Additionally, I can press it down and fill the sprayer with alcohol or cleaning liquid for sanitation purposes.
We aim to explore new business opportunities in Europe and assess whether we can expand our services of logistics, warehousing and transportation.
The Chinese and Hungarian Commerce Departments have organized the event.
Participants from the Chinese side include domestic and foreign trade companies, manufacturers and logistics service providers.
Ningbo is China's first demonstration area for economic and trade cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries.
In the first two months of the year, bilateral trade has seen a record -breaking volume of over 10 billion yen, or around $1 .4 billion, representing a 15 % yearly increase.
Thank you very much. That was Wong Zihang with Business.
Coming up in sports, Nottingham Forest continues its winning ways in the EPL.
Who thrives when victory is up for grabs?
Time is ticking down, and the world is watching.
In this week's Sightline Story, we review the most heart -stopping moments in sports.
From Michael Jordan to Novak Djokovic, we discuss the most reliable players in key moments.
And debate. Are clutch legends born or built?
Subscribe to Sideline Story wherever you listen to podcasts.
A 47 past the hour and turning to sports here is Yangguang.
Thank you Shane, In the English Premier League, Nottingham Forest has continued its magnificent season with a 1 -0 win at home over Manchester United.
it. Former United player Anthony Ilanga scored only goal of the game.
Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said he cannot be more proud.
He described Ilanga's goal as amazing.
He did it by himself.
Credit to him. He has this special ability to drive, pace and still control the ball.
Such a huge speed and the finishing was great.
United manager Ruben Amorim said his side should've got more from the game.
We create some chances, but we could create more with the possession that we have. We've reached the final third a lot of times, but we need to be better in that final third because that is really important to score goals and we have a lack of goals.
We start the game suffering a goal and putting Nottingham in the place that they want to be, like defending with a lot of men.
Then they have really fast players to make transitions.
Even that we control quite well especially in the second half we push forward but again in the final third we were not good enough.
The victory is cemented forrest's place in the top four.
While united is facing the prospect of finishing at the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1990.
In another game Bukayo Saka has celebrated his return from injury with a goal as Arsenal close to Liverpool's lead at top to nine points with a 2 -1 win at home, over Fulham.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that an ankle injury will keep Erlin Haaland out for five to seven weeks.
The given timescale could potentially see the star striker return for the last three Premier League games of the season, but he will miss the club's FA Cup semi -final.
Guardiola said they don't have another player with his skills or specific qualities, But they are going to try to find a solution sometimes there are years that this kind of things happen happen with season so I would say that could not be differently in the end of the season so Yeah, but all dangers that we had this season so sorry for them and for Erling as well So could recover speedy as quick as possible and come back Holland was forced off during the weekend's 2 -1 win over Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterback.
The 24 -year -old has scored 28 goals in 28 Premier League appearances in this season Antonio Rudiger's header with 5 minutes remaining in extra time has qualified Real Madrid for the final of the Copa del Rey.
Real Madrid tied Real Tsyncydade with a four -all draw in the second leg of the semifinal, winning 5 -4 in aggregates.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team has achieved its goal.
It was an entertaining match with lots of goals, lots of mistakes, lots of good things.
I'm leaving the match with our objective achieved.
We're in the final again.
We have to keep going, because we don't have time to think too much. As I said, a lot of good things, a lot of mistakes, but in the end, we have achieved our goal." Los Blancos were next faced winner of the semi -final second leg between Atlanticall Madrid and Barcelona.
Armenia, battlefield has secured its first ever German cup final berth.
It pulled off a historic upset on Tuesday rallying to defeat defending champion Bayer Leverkusen 2 -1 in the semi -final.
Head coach Mitch Kniat said he is proud of his team.
They did it very well, it was a tough match, but now we just have to celebrate this great match. Meantime, a Liverpool student coach Shavi Alonso said they missed a lot of things.
It was not a good game, I think that we didn't deserve to be in the final because Armenia were better than us, we missed individually, collectively, in energy, in duels, so many things that didn't allow us to play as good.
and we didn't deserve to win the final.
Bellafield to next faced winner of the semi -final between Stuttgart and RB Leipzig.
Beijing Winter Olympic champion Gui Ling says she's looking forward to the 2026 Milan -Cortina Games in Italy.
I'm very much looking forward to the Winter Olympics in Milan in 2026.
Doing something for the second time is a lot harder than doing it for the first, is what I'm learning.
And so taking it day by day and really focusing on my mental and how I deal with pressure and how I learn from pressure and it's not even from the outside world but even from myself, and so taking it day by day and getting to know myself better along the way." The 21 -year -old endured a painful start to the 2025 season after an injury forced her to withdraw from the Asian Winter Games in February.
She snatched two gold medals for team China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
And finally China has moved to the top of the rankings in the world Men's Curling Championships.
This comes as China achieved claimed two victories on the 4th day of the Round Robin play.
China beat Austria 8 -7 after defeating Norway 8 -6.
The team is leading the standings with six wins and one loss, followed by Scotland and Canada.
Alright, thank you very much. That was Yang Guang with sports, and just ahead in culture and entertainment, a modern twist in ancient silk fabrics in China.
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53 minutes past the hour turning to culture and entertainment.
A modern twist on ancient silk fabrics is gaining popularity in China.
Young buyers are transforming the traditional text style into modern fashion.
Joe Willett says more.
At a popular silk market in Hangzhou, lower fabrics have been completely sold out.
Our first 5 ,000 -meter batch was sold out in three days.
With the speed our current orders, we can set over 200 ,000 meters this summer.
In recent years, the neo -Chinese style has made waves in the country's fashion landscape.
It combines traditional style clothing with modern designs and is one of China's most luxurious traditional textiles.
Lower fabrics are also increasingly being used by fashion designers across China, with many competing for the limited supplies.
I came to Hangzhou just for this fabric.
Our customers love it.
Our fair costs are the least of our concerns.
We need this fabric urgently.
Brides and jipao lovers love this fabric!
I want this! Though rare among Chinese silks, law stitching has more than 5 thousand years of history.
Made from mulberry silk, the patterned fabric is woven using a special technique that creates tiny breathable paws.
This makes it a must -have in the summer months.
Some fashion brands are even teaming up with local fashion colleges as part of their search for fresh designs that cater to younger generations.
We draw inspiration from ancient paintings in traditional patterns, including ancient browns wear, gold artefacts and roof tiles.
Recreating tradition is the essence of the neo -Chinese style.
Data from the China Textile Commerce Association shows traditional patent remakes are seeing 37 percent more repeat buys than regular silk clothing.
Through technology and new design languages, brands are turning this centuries -old craft into modern statement pieces.
That was Joe Willets reporting.
The Palace Museum in Beijing is hosting an exhibition exploring the cultural heritage of gardens across the world.
The exhibition brings together over 200 artifacts from China and beyond.
They include a masterpiece by a Chinese Emperor and Water Lilies by French Impressionist Claude Monet.
The exhibition consists of six thematic sessions linking gardens with literature, theater, and historical narratives.
It highlights classical Chinese gardens and examples of Western garden design.
The Chinese works on display include artifacts related to a private garden that belongs to an ancient Chinese scholar and a garden built by a Chinese emperor.
The foreign representatives include artifacts illustrating the gardens of Pompeian style villas in Italy, medieval monastery gardens, and the Grand Gardens of the Palace of Versailles.
The exhibition runs until June 29th.
The first live -action film adaptation of popular video game Minecraft will be in theaters on the Chinese mainland and in North America on Friday.
A Minecraft movie held a preview screening in Beijing on Monday.
A shopping complex in the Chinese capital also held an exhibition for the film as one of the prelude events leading up to the 15th Beijing International Film Festival.
The film stars Jason Momoa and Jack Black.
It follows four misfits who find themselves struggling with ordinary problems until they're suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre and cubic wonderland.
They must master the world, protect it from evil forces and embark on a magical quest to return home.
Polytheater in Beijing will perform the first Western Opera produced in Henan province.
The theater will perform La Traviata from April 30th to May 3rd. Henan Conservatory of Music under Zhengzhou University and Beijing Polytheater Management are co -producing the Opera.
Henan Arts Center in the central Chinese province hosted ten performances of the Opera at the last year attracting nearly 20 000 viewers we're at 57 past the hour check in the forecast before we go for the day in beijing's down to seven degrees on wednesday evening it'll be overcast and 20 on thursday nanchung's down to 11 and that's followed by sunny skies in 26 elser and asia islamabads 15 overnight then overcast conditions in 32 the international 20th this evening cloudy and 33 tomorrow.
Phnom Penh's 24 overnight, then a slight rainfall in 33.
In Africa, Nairobi will get a slight rainfall and 27 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Kampala is at 20 overnight then a slight rain in 26.
Jube is down to 26 degrees.
That's followed by overcast conditions in 40.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, the Chinese foreign minister is visiting Russia, and the two sides have called to reinforce the United Nations central role in the global system.
The Chinese team is now doing disinfection work in the quake zone and Myanmar where thousands of people have died.
On behalf of the staff this is 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 one hundred million people live within its water basin, making up nearly nine percent 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 boatman 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.
or in our 12 -part series, The Yellow River Mosaic, available only on CGTN Radio.
