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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… T 'yèlèux with you on this Friday, March the 14th, 2025.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour coming to you live from the Chinese capital, on today's programme.
Beijing has hasted talks with Iran and Russia on the future of Iran's nuclear program.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is in favor of the U .S.
proposed a ceasefire plan with Ukraine, but more details need to be worked out.
And U .S. President Donald Trump has threatened 200 % tariffs on European alcohol products.
In business, China's central bank says it will cut interest rates at an appropriate time.
And today we have part 9 of the Yellow River mosaic series, telling stories of people whose lives intertwined with the famous Chinese waterway.
Today we'll visit Cai Feng in the city in He Nan Province, that's closely related to the Yellow River.
Now checking today's top stories.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has laid out five key points of China's stance on the wrong nuclear issue.
This follows his meeting with the Russian and Iranian vice foreign ministers in Beijing, one emphasized resolving disputes through diplomatic means and opposing the use of force or unlawful sanctions.
He said Iran should continue to honor its commitment to not develop nuclear weapons, while all parties should respect Iran's legitimate rights under the Treaty under nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
The senior diplomat also called on the U .S.
to return to the negotiating table and opposed forced intervention by the U .N.
Security Council. Wang Yi said that only through mutual respect can all parties find common ground and achieve a solution that meets the expectations of the international community.
China, Russia, and Iran say it's necessary to terminate all unlawful and unilateral sections around Iran's nuclear program.
Diplomats from the three countries held a meeting in Beijing on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Maozhe Shu chaired the event.
We reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect remains the only viable and practical option in this regard.
We emphasized that relevant parties should be committed to addressing the root cause of the current situation and abandoning sanction, pressure, or threat of force.
We stress the importance of the UNSC Resolution 2231, including its timeframes, and call for the relevant parties to refrain from any action that may escalate the situation so as to create a favorable atmosphere and conditions for diplomatic efforts." China and Russia have welcomed Iran's reiteration that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and not for developing nuclear weapons.
They also welcomed Iran's commitment to full compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non -Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement.
They supported Iran's policy to continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, adding that Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a state party to the non -proliferation treaty must be respected.
The three countries also called on all countries to refrain from actions under mining IAEA's work.
Iran and Russia say they appreciate China for the meeting.
Let's take a closer look at the Iran nuclear deal and how it has evolved in the past decade.
In 2015, the joint comprehensive plan of action was adopted by Iran, along with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
The deal eased sanctions on Iran while limiting its nuclear development.
The plan was formally approved in July 2015, after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2231.
However, things took a bit of a turn in May 2018, after Donald Trump announced the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the agreement.
Washington reinstated sanctions on Tehran and threatened other countries not to trade with Iran.
In response, Tehran suspended some of its commitments on the agreement, including those pertaining to limits on uranium stockpiles and enrichment levels.
In November 2021, negotiations resumed in Vienna in an attempt to salvage the agreement but failed to achieve substantial progress.
China has stressed that safeguarding the 2015 nuclear deal contributes to regional peace and stability.
Beijing also called on regional countries to uphold the concept of common security, build up trust and mitigate tensions through talks.
Professor Rong Ing at Sichuan University says China has played a constructive role in pushing for a resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue.
Iran nuclear issue has been dragged on for so many years particularly I think since the signing of that at GCPOA.
Unfortunately, I think that agreement, that deal has not been implemented because of the U .S., the Trump administration.
1 .0, with joy and also, I think, complicated by the unilateral sanctions imposed, which as the meeting made it very clear is illegal and the unilateral.
And the very fact that China played at the host brings the two others working together It is the latest development for China to pursue, push for a political settlement of these issues.
And China, ever since I think the signing of the GCPOA has been played a very constructive role, be it at the UN Security Council or bilateral, multilateral forum.
So this is a very important thing.
The second thing I believe is that, of course, the way that trilateral meetings China, Russia and Iran which I have a very close relationship deed political trust and coordinate and consult each other position on that.
Iranians has expressed it's uh certainly the workout principles and also I think Iranian side has pledged its commitment for not to pursue uh sort of nuclear weapon programs and are ready to work with the international committee for political settlement.
Now, I was rowing in at Sichuan University, talking about China's role in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue.
The trilateral meeting in Beijing aims to create the conditions for the resumption of dialogue on Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran has expressed a hope to play an active role in future dialogues.
Ehsan Kivani has more in Tehran.
Tehran does not have a passive policy at all to sit back and look what decisions other countries, in particular Western countries make for Iran.
In an interview with Iran's state news agency Abbas Aroshis said on Thursday that Iran has made planning for possible nuclear negotiations, including those with Europe, adding that Iran will continue negotiations with Europe and consultations with Russia and China.
Iran has always emphasized that in its foreign policy and in particular in nuclear issues, it always counts on its two strategic allies, China and Russia, as both countries are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
Now, with Ehsan Kivani, Iran stands on nuclear talks.
China, Iran, and Russia are members of the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015, but it wasn't long before the U .S.
got cold feet and turned its back on the global consensus.
Dersa Chechnya -Shova explains the significance of Friday's trilateral meeting in Beijing.
Moscow says it will do everything in its power to promote a negotiated track for a Iranian nuclear program.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pascov said Iran is looking for mutual respect in constructive talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow would be in favor of resuming talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, a decade -old deal that set limits on Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Moscow has voiced concerns about Washington, which has indicated that an agreement could come with political conditions.
Lavrov says the U .S.
insistence on the very viable arrangement that ensures Iran does not support groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, or anywhere else, will not lead anywhere.
The meeting comes on the heels of Iran, Russia and China joined naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, marrying Security Belt 2025.
It also takes place just a day after the UN Security Council holds its own, closed session Russian on the matter.
Coming up, Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is in favor of the US -proposed ceasefire plan with Ukraine, but more details need to be worked out.
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What business opportunities may emerge during the campaign?
Get them all wherever you listen to podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is in favor of the United States' ceasefire plan, but nuances remain regarding the conflict with Ukraine.
He insisted that the proposed truth should lead to long -term peace.
We agree with proposals to end hostilities.
But we believe this cessation must be one that leads to long -term peace and addresses the root causes of this crisis." Putin noted the difficulty in monitoring ceasefire violations along the 2 ,000 kilometers contract line and raised the issue that Ukraine might use the temporary ceasefire for mobilization He also mentioned the Kursk region where Russian forces have been regaining territory.
The Russian president said he might call his U .S.
counterpart to discuss the issues.
Dasha Cinechugvat reports.
Well, he has been giving his vision of the current proposal for the 30 -day ceasefire saying that Russia in general agrees to the idea of a ceasefire.
He was speaking also about the need to precise many of the issues.
He said who will be verifying, who will be controlling any possibility of a ceasefire, suggesting that there is the 2 ,000 -kilometre long contact line.
and it is very difficult to verify those issues if the ceasefire is introduced.
He also said who will be issuing the orders and also wondered what Ukraine will be using these 30 days for.
One of the suggestions that the Russian president had was that Ukraine might be using that for the mobilization purposes.
So in Russia, it is seen that the ceasefire is indeed a good idea, that Moscow welcomes an negotiated settlement for the Ukraine conflict, but says a lot more work has to be done.
He was also wondering whether Russian troops, who now have the upper hands in the areas in Donbas, should be just letting the Ukrainian troops go, and the same goes for the Kursk region where he said Moscow has the upper hands.
Now we'll start searching the Shovah in Moscow.
Ukrainian president Vladimir Zilinsky says Russia will not agree to the ceasefire proposal.
He accused Russia of manipulation by setting conditions for reaching a truce.
We've all just heard very predictable and highly manipulative words from Russia in response to the idea of a ceasefire.
Russian president Putin is essentially preparing to reject it at this moment.
Of course, Putin is afraid to tell U .S.
President Donald Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, that he wants to kill Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has acknowledged good signals from Russia.
He says President Putin put out a very promising statement but it wasn't complete.
Well we'd like to see a ceasefire from Russia.
And we have not been working in the dark.
We've been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost and all of the other elements of a final agreement.
Trump also reiterated that he is ready to speak with his Russian counterpart.
Earlier we spoke to Associate Professor Zhang Xin at East China Normal University.
He said Russia is not yet ready to accept the proposed 30 -day ceasefire, as Moscow believes that it has time on its side.
Russia has more demands than what's proposed by the United States and Ukraine.
And also overall, since Russia has a resumption of normalization bilateral relations, Russia So, I think time is on the side.
And Prangahan doesn't have that many cars on the negotiation table, so it will try to take the opportunity to squeeze the window of opportunity for the United States and Ukraine and try to expand whatever it can gain from political negotiation and whether the party is involved.
From Russia's perspective, the original root cause of the whole conflict is NATO's Eastern work expansion directly entails Russia's security concern.
Russia's ideal solution is for NATO to retreat to a certain status so that Russia doesn't feel threatened.
I always point to the fact that Russia's ideal solution is for NATO to go back to 1997, when the NATO -Russia family act was established.
That was actually the main content in the ultimatum Russia issued to both the United States and NATO back then in December 2021.
So I think now, as Russia thinks time is on its side and the ball is in Russia's hands, it will try to make that happen.
Very likely, Russia will not only request Ukraine to accept the territorial laws, but also request NATO not only not to be present on whatever is left in Ukraine, but also not to be present or not conducting any military presence in the former Soviet space, maybe even in parts of central -eastern Europe.
So I think that's what Russia is aiming for.
That was Zhang Xing, an associate professor from the School of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University.
Donald Trump has discussed military spending and Ukraine peace talks with NATO chief Mark He also brought up his plan to own Greenland during the meeting at the White House.
The meeting came amid heightened tensions between the US and the US -led military bloc.
Nathan King has details.
Donald Trump's relationship with NATO has never been great in his first administration, even Toyota, pulling out of the transatlantic alliance.
And those doubts have not gone away, despite the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, new members coming in during Biden's term.
Of course we asked people to pay more and he wants them to pay even more and still in private and in public had question marks about Article 5 and whether he would rush the defence of any NATO member attack.
He said so in the campaign that continues in his second administration.
So, with Mark Rutter as well, having to deal with the clash between And Denmark and the US over the Danish possession of Greenland, he was characteristically diplomatic.
Money started pouring in and NATO became much stronger because of my actions and working along with a lot of people, including Mark.
But they would not pay for other presidents.
What you did. So when it comes to Greenland, yes, we're not joining the US.
I would leave that outside for me this discussion because I don't want to drag NATO in that but when it comes to the High North and the Arctic, you are totally right.
The fact that seven, outside Russia, seven Arctic countries working together on this under US leadership is very important.
But overshadowing of course the future of the Transatlantic relationship and all the other questions about NATO is the possible ceasefire in Ukraine.
Now, obviously NATO has been supporting Ukraine with weapons as has the US, but there is a real feeling from the Americans that the promises of NATO membership to Ukraine cannot happen, that is a key Russian demand.
But also, whether NATO countries, UK, France and others will be able to deploy troops in in the case of any enforcing of ceasefire or deterring any breaking of which.
All these questions have been worked out in detail going forward, but the relationship between NATO and, of course, its biggest founding member, still very much on the rocks with many European leaders in private, not in public, working out ways in which to maintain the alliance with less or eventually no American commitment." That was Nathan Kane in Washington.
Meanwhile, political leaders in Greenland had rejected the US President's latest comments on the potential annexation of the world's largest island.
They emphasized the need for unity and a strong stance against external pressure.
Chairman Ian Sfridrick -Nelson of the Democratic party and the leading figure in ongoing negotiations to form Greenland's next government called Trump's remarks inappropriate.
incumbent Prime Minister Moody Iger also denounced Trump's comments calling for an urgent meeting of Greenland's party leaders.
Despite his expected departure from office following recent elections, Iger stressed his responsibility to address the issue.
In Greenland's recent parliamentary elections, Democrats secured nearly 30 % of the vote, emerging as the largest Party in Parliament.
Coming up, US President Donald Trump has threatened 200 % tariffs on European alcohol products.
A month after the seismic trade, How is Lukas Doncic shaping L .A.
Lakers future? Can he and Lebron James conquer the playoffs?
This week on Slight Line Story, we break down Lukas's instant impact in L .A., and the dollar's Mavericks struggle to rebuild trust with their furious fanbase.
days. Subscribe to Sightline Story wherever you get your podcasts.
Your port side seat to this NBA drama awaits.
That's 21 minutes past the hour.
US President Donald Trump says the country will impose 200 % tariffs on alcohol imports from Europe unless the bloc removes its 50 % tariff on American whiskey.
The European Commission has announced it will levy retaliatory tariffs on US $28 billion of American goods next month in response to 25 % tariffs on European steel and aluminium.
Jim Bellman reports from Washington.
First came tariffs.
Then counter tariffs.
And now the threat of counter, counter tariffs.
On Wednesday, the EU announced that new tariffs would be going in place against the U .S.
including a 50 % tariff on American whiskey.
That in response to Trump's global 25 % tariff on steel and aluminum.
Well, in an early Thursday morning rant on social media, President Trump threatened to put in place a 200 % tariff on European champagne, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.
These threats to crank up the trade wars come as the US is seeing this negative reaction from US trading partners, a stumbling stock market, and even some pro -business US media outlets like the Wall Street Journal are being critical of President Trump's approach.
But despite the backlash, the White House says they will stay the course, arguing that, sure, there may be some short -term financial pain.
But ultimately, these tariffs will lead to gains for the U .S.
economy. Meantime, U .S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Canada, Thursday for a G7 foreign ministers meeting, he had a one on one meeting with Canada's foreign minister Melanie Jolie.
Jolie had said that she plans on bringing up the US tariffs, it's very likely that the other G7 members will also express their displeasure with President Trump's tariffs.
Now, beginning Thursday, Canada put in place its own retaliatory tariffs on about $21 billion worth of U .S.
goods, but Canada avoided an additional 25 percent tariff on its steel and aluminum after Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, walked back a threat to raise the price of electricity for some U .S.
consumers. So this clearly is a trade relationship that was getting out of hand quickly.
Now, as James Bellman reporting, French Prime Minister Francois Beaucoup says the EU will not yield to Washington's tariff threads on European wine and champagne.
Other EU officials have also urged the US to de -escalate the trade tensions.
William Denslow has more in Brussels.
If we gleam back at the first Trump term in office and get a sense of just the impact that tariffs did have, of course, we saw the EU taking retaliatory action on US whisky during this first Trump spat several years ago.
Ursula von der Leyen said this week in response to the US steel and aluminium tariffs that tariffs are essentially taxes and they will impact businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
We've also heard from the European Commission here, and I've been speaking to a Commission spokesperson clarifying Donald Trump's comments for the tariffs to immediately be revoked.
He confirmed that these tariffs on whiskey only come into place on April 1st, so there's nothing immediately that the EU can do.
The Commission says they are open to negotiate.
They say that still in tariff measures were unjustified by Washington.
They called for them to be revoked and say they're looking for win -win not lose -lose cooperation.
Now, in the last few hours, I've been speaking to the director of the spirits Europe, a major trade lobby here in Brussels.
They say to me that they urge both sides to stop using the spirit sector as a bargaining chip they call for this cycle of tit -for -tat measures to end at once.
The US benchmark, S &P 500, dropped 1 .4 percent on Thursday to a six -month low.
The average stock from the magnificent 7, including Apple, Nvidia and Tesla, is down about 17 percent since the S &P 500 peaked on February 19.
Growing concerns over Trump's tariffs policies have led economists to up their recession forecasts.
Goldman Sachs raised the US recession bets from 15 % to 20 % in the next 12 months.
JP Morgan lifted the chances of recession to 40%, up from 30 % at the start of the year.
Former Treasury secretary Larry Summers told Bloomberg News that he sees a near 50 -50 likelihood of the US going to a recession this year.
The threat of the US tariffs looms over industries worldwide.
This includes the agricultural sector, where market uncertainty has rattled integrated supply chains.
Alasta above a stock explains how Mexico is bracing for the changes.
As U .S. President Donald Trump threatens Mexico with import tariffs, the agricultural sector south of the border is facing a bleak outlook.
The U .S. imported more than $49 billion worth of agricultural products from Mexico last year and buys close to 90 percent of Mexico's total international exports.
Agriculture trade consultant Ignacio Bringas says 25 % levies would be disastrous.
It would have serious impacts.
More than 2 million Mexicans work in agriculture and would be facing unemployment if exports drop, which in turn would reduce the country's foreign income.
Avocados alone for instance produce more than $2 billion a year.
But however badly -traded tariffs might hurt Mexican farmers, the impacts on US agriculture could be equally bad if Mexico, the world's largest importer of corn, retaliates with levies of its own.
American farmers provide three -quarters of Mexico's total agricultural imports, over $29 billion worth in 2023.
Nearly half the total US corn sales are destined for south of the border.
The tariffs may have been stalled another month following dialogue between governments, but Bringas says the uncertainty is already causing problems for an important voter base for the US president.
American farmers are now having serious problems securing future contracts, which in the agricultural sector are signed six months to a year prior to production.
At the end of the day, American farming is a business which seeks to export, but given the uncertainty, contracts are being held up.
Facing tariffs and rocked by the uncertainty, agricultural sectors around the world are pushing for market diversification.
Ultimately I think Trump's economic policies will fail because Europe, Asia and Latin America are all becoming more united, joining to open new markets and increase trade.
Mexico currently exports avocados and berries to China and it's a very attractive market because it can pay similar prices to what the US does.
President Trump has said tariffs on Mexico now planned for April 2nd could go up setting even more challenges for the agricultural sector to feed the Now it's Alastair Bevastock reporting.
As 28 minutes past the hour, checking the forecast for the day, Beijing is down to 3 on Friday evening, Saturday will see sleet with a high of 6.
Nanshan's 9 tonight tomorrow will have slight rain with a high of 12.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 11 this evening, Saturday will see slight rain with a high of 22.
Now it's time for a short break.
So far this hour, Beijing has hosted talks with Iran and Russia on the future of Iran's nuclear program.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is in favor of the US -proposed ceasefire plan with Ukraine, but more details need to be worked out.
Tien -lou with you. Stay with us here on the Beijing island.
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Bing An. Bing, Bing An, Bing An.
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.
Qian Lu with you on this Friday Stu to Come.
In business, China's central bank says it will cut interest rates at an appropriate time.
And today we have part 9 of the Yellow River mosaic series telling stories of people whose lives are intertwined with the famous Chinese Waterway.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn .com or follow our x -account at cgtnradio.
But first check in today's headline news.
Chinese top legislator Zhao Leji has called for firm actions against Taiwan's separatist activities and interference from external forces.
He made remarks at a symposium in Beijing marking the 20th anniversary of the country's anti -secession law.
Zhao also said that reunification is an unstoppable trend, and the Chinese people's shared aspiration.
Meantime, the defense ministry says the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair, and that Washington's arms sailed to the island are detrimental to peace and doomed to fail.
China has repeatedly stressed that there is no room for Taiwan independence activities in any form.
Earlier, spokesperson Chen Binghuang with the state council Taiwan Affairs Office says authorities would take actions against the separatist forces if they crossed the red line.
China, Russia and Iran say it's necessary to terminate all unlawful and unilateral actual sanctions around Iran's nuclear program.
This comes as diplomats from the three countries held a meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue in Beijing.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chaired the event.
China and Russia have welcomed Iran's reiteration that its nuclear program is exclusive for peaceful purposes and not for developing nuclear weapons.
They also welcomed Iran's commitment to full compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Non -Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement.
They supported Iran's policy to continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, adding that Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a state party to the Non -Proliferation Treaty must be respected.
The three countries also called on all countries to refrain from actions on the mining IAEA's work.
Iran and Russia say they appreciate China for the meeting.
Data shows that China's railway network had record -high passenger traffic in the first two months of the year.
There were more than 730 million trips through January and February, a 6 .4 % increase.
Nearly 74 % of the trips were on high -speed railways.
Authorities say one of the reasons were the 40 -day Spring Festival travel rush, the world's largest annual human migration.
People traveled for family reunions and Chinese New Year celebrations during the holiday.
UNICEF chief Katherine Russell has warned of what she describes as a poly -crisis affecting the people of Sudan as violence in the country rages on.
Russell said millions of women and girls are vulnerable to sexual violence, but men and boys are also at risk.
She also called for humanitarian assistance.
With its economy and social services system and infrastructure in near collapse and no end to the Iran's total population, more than 30 million people, will require humanitarian assistance this year.
The UNICEF chief also warned that famine is occurring in at least five locations in Sudan, with an estimated 1 .3 million children under five living in these areas.
The U .S. Federal Aviation Administration says an American airline's plane caught fire after landing at Denver International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The incident prompted slides to be deployed so passengers could evacuate quickly.
The flight from Colorado Springs to Dallas Fort West was diverted to Denver and landed safely after the crew reported engine vibrations.
Engine on the Boeing 737 caught fire while taxiing to the gate.
Airline officials say there were 172 passengers and six crew members on board.
12 people suffered minor injuries.
It's the latest in a series of high -profile aviation incidents that have raised questions about U .S.
aviation safety. They included the January 29 midair collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter near Washington that killed 67 people.
This is Tian Lu in the Chinese Capital.
Coming up in business, China's central bank says it will cut interest rates at an appropriate time.
Now it's 35 minutes past the hour turning to business, here's Wang Zihan.
Thank you Tian Lu. Stock markers on the Chinese mainland closed higher on Friday.
The Shanghai composite rose 1 .8 % and the Shenzhen component gained 2 .3%.
Technology and growth stocks led the rally.
For the week, the Shanghai and Shenzhen indices rose over 1 .2%, marking their second consecutive weekly gains.
On Monday, top government officials are set to discuss measures to boost consumption, sparking optimism about potential economic stimulus.
Meantime, in Hong Kong, the stocks market had also ended higher, with the Hang Seng Index up 2 .1%, and stocks in Japan increased by 0 .7%.
The People's Bank of China says it will cut interest rates at an appropriate time to help boost the economy.
The central bank also mentioned it is exploring new structural tools to support innovation.
Last week, it reviewed plans to double the size of relending tool for the tech sector to USD $1 trillion, or around USD $138 billion, during the country's annual top legislative meeting.
These actions align with Beijing's decision to shift China's monetary policy from a prudent to a moderately loose approach for 2025.
China will expand the coverage of a pilot cash -pooling service that integrates domestic and foreign currency management for multinational companies.
The programme initially tested in 10 regions will now extend to places like Tianjin and Hebei in the north and the eastern province of Anhui.
The goal is to improve cross -border fund operations and make it easier for large multinationals to invest and finance internationally.
Goldman Sachs says China's offshore IPO market is bouncing back strong.
The financial institution knows a significant rise in the number of A -plus -H listings this year.
These listings refer to companies that are traded on the Mainland and in Hong Kong.
It says international investors are returning quicker and the trend is expected to last for the next two years.
In just 10 weeks, Chinese companies reached $13 billion offshore, 23 times more than last year.
If this keeps up, they could hit $65 billion by the end of the year.
While US stocks have been down for 3 weeks due to concerns over Donald Trump's tariffs, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is up 20 % so far this year.
Chinese companies that target consumers like Charji Holdings, Minxue and Guo Ming are benefiting.
Charji just got approval for a U .S.
listing after raising big funds with IPOs.
Canada has initiated a complaint at the World Trade Organization over U .S.
tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The WTO says Canada claims that the measures are inconsistent with U .S.
obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1994.
The US raised tariffs on global steel and aluminium to 25 % with no exemptions.
US President Donald Trump also announced a plan to double tariffs on the metals from Canada in response to a surcharge on electricity to three US states.
He later reversed the move after talks between senior officials.
With the US president shaking up global trade, Mexican businesses are looking to expand into other parts of the world, including Asia.
Frank Contreras has more details.
in 2024 to $9 .9 billion.
Trade experts here say the real story is the amount of goods that Mexico imports from Asia.
A big percentage is machinery made in China.
Agriculture is one strong sector for Mexican producers, but they face challenges in expanding exports of products like the world -famous Mexican avocado to Asia.
The president of Mexico's Chamber of Commerce in China, Efren Calvo, urges Mexican officials to start looking harder toward Asia.
We have unnecessarily wed ourselves to the United States.
80 % of our exports depend on them.
We must have diversification.
Our first female president, a scientist, understands this and she is looking for new ways to operate.
Trade between Mexico and China has grown over 20 times since the year 2000, reaching $110 billion in 2023.
But many business owners in Mexico want to increase exports to Asia, especially in the technology sector.
At the Center for Mexican Chinese Studies Dr. Enrique Dussele -Peters says many companies doing business in Mexico are US owned and they are major customers for Chinese manufacturers.
70 % of Mexican imports are being pursued by transnational corporations, foreign corporations, mainly US American corporations, so the main importers of parts and components for for telecommunications, electronics, auto parts, automobiles are US -American firms.
Some experts say Trump's efforts to block trade between Mexico and China could pressure US companies to immediately substitute Chinese products with more expensive ones made in the United States.
There was Frank Contreras reporting.
China's express delivery sector saw double -digit growth in the first two months of the year.
Liu Jiang from the state Post Bureau says the average daily volume of express deliveries hit 620 million packages.
The express delivery market showed strong growth momentum from January to February.
Express delivery companies actively increased their express freight routes and enhanced air freight capacity to improve the efficiency of trunk line transportation.
During the spring Festival holiday from January 28 to February 4, delivery volumes surged to nearly 1 .2 billion packages, marking a 31 % increase.
AI's ability to accurately translate different languages, especially high -end literature, is a topic being discussed at the just -concluded London Book Fair.
Lijianhua has more.
Authors, publishers and literary minds all gathered in London for this year's London Book Fair.
Despite its rich legacy, Chinese literature still struggles to reach a global audience.
A major reason is translation.
Technology may offer new solutions.
AI tools like Deep Seek and ChatGPT are making Inroads as generative AI evolves.
Some publishers are already experimenting.
So, let's put AI to the test.
I am asking Deep Seek to translate a famous Chinese poem into English.
It is about the beauty of plump blossoms written about a thousand years ago.
By the wall, several plump ranting stand.
Alone, the bloom define the code's hand.
From afar, I know that you're not snow, it's clear, for a subtle fragrance reaches me here.
So, we get the full translation in seconds, but I'm not sure if it has captured the tome and the cultural depths of the original.
And that's just where human expertise remains crucial.
Research shows that global AI translation market can reach $6 billion by 2031.
Still, for many, literature is more than just words.
It's art, crafters, not just for meaning, but for feeling.
There was Li Jianhua reporting.
Thank you very much, now it's Wang Zihang with Business.
If you are listening to The Beijing Hour, but just ahead, we have part 9 of the Yellow River Mosaic Series telling stories of people whose lives are intertwined with the famous Chinese waterway.
The 4 ,000 -year old city of Kaifeng sits on the south bank of the Yellow River.
The fear is in our gene.
The rise and fall of Kaifeng is closely connected to the Yellow River.
It used to be the world's largest city.
In this episode, we visit the city that intertwines the most with the river.
Stay tuned to Episode 9 of our special series, the Yellow River mosaic, rising from flood -ravaged ruins.
That was four to four minutes past the hour.
You are listening to the Beijing Hour.
let's continue on multimedia series the Yellow River Mosaic.
Historians believe the rise and fall of Kaifeng He Nam Province is closely related to the Yellow River.
In this episode, Ujia takes us to the central city to uncover its lap -hate relationship with the river.
July 18, 2023 in Kaifong at the lower ridge of the Yellow River.
Running down off the lowest plateau, the Yellow River flows over whilst the plain, where Kaifeng is located.
The sediment carried by the river begins to build up, causing the riverbed to rise year after year.
Over the centuries, the Yellow River has continued to rise higher over Kaifeng.
In the capital city of eight dynasties in ancient China, Kaifeng both benefited and suffered from the river.
Being the world's largest metropolis around the 12th century, Kaifeng was totally buried underground by mud and sand from the flooding of the Yellow River in 1642.
Only the tradition of its night market persisted.
I go to work here !" Rows of peddlers are selling their goods.
Crowds of visitors are shopping around.
Some stores are so popular that long queues line up in front.
We drove for an hour afterward to have dinner here.
The dish brings us a taste of nostalgic.
We open from 6 .30pm to 2am.
My taxi driver says this is the old town.
It survived through several devastating floods from the Yellow River history.
The volume of water and silt carried by the flood was so huge that after the flood receded, the city ground rose higher each time.
In the 1980s, it was very common for people to uncover ancient artifacts while building houses.
Driving at Zhou Chihao relics not far from the market, I see piles of tiles scattered across the blue stone deck of the bridge.
Most of them are neatly arranged in rows.
There are also brick foundations of houses, millstones, and beams, all covered in mud.
That's from the flood in 1642.
Wang Sunying, head of Kaifung Archaeology Institute, said everything is as it was when the flood came.
When the 10m high flood hit, some people died while still in bed.
The whole city was inundated.
Only the ridges of some prominent palaces could be seen.
Among the 300 ,000 residents, only a few escaped.
The Zhou Chiaorelix referred to remnants of the famous Zhou Charbird built in the 780s.
It was a landmark structure along the thousand -year -old central axis of the city, and was buried in 1642.
Archaeological findings indicate that a total of six cities are stacked beneath the surface of Kaifong ranging from 3 to 12 meters deep.
A cross section of the river levee to the east of Zhou Cha bridge offers a glimpse into this landscape, revealing layers of soil varying in colour and structure.
Spanning over 1 ,000 years, each layer represents a different period from the Than dynasty all the way to Qing dynasty in the 1900s.
The ground level went up most significantly after the 1642 flood, for over 2 meters.
In the north of the city, the Yellow River in this section recorded over 300 bank collapses over the past 1 ,000 years.
Seven of them were extremely damaging.
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Despite being ruined by floods, Kaifeng has seen little change in its urban layout.
Its city walls and main streets were rebuilt on previous foundations.
So did the Zhouch lil bridge.
I'm very happy I got out of the city.
No large -scale construction is allowed in the old town to protect ancient layouts and relics on the ground.
Wu Pongfei, a professor from Henan University, said the old town has been focused on the development of tourism and hospitality.
He said that during the Song dynasty, in the 12th century, Cai Feng rose to prominence as a world moreropolis.
It served as a transportation hub for the Grand Canal.
Many shops, restaurants and harbors lined its ranks.
The city boasted a population of over 1 million, tens of times larger than other major cities like Rome.
It was in the Song Dynasty that Kaifeng's night market emerged.
The Grand Canal, connecting China's waterways from North to South, was in operation for over 500 years until the late 12th century.
We have visited Wansuishan Park.
Now I'm bringing the case to see the Yellow River.
We plan to visit Longting Park, Bao Gong Temple and Qingming Shang Heu Garden.
Most of the above mentioned cynic spots were built on the relics dating back to as early as the 780's.
Qingming Shang Heu Garden, which was built in the 1990's, is modeled after the world renowned Hans Grohl painting titled Along the River during the Ching Ming Festival.
It depicted the bustling vitality of Kaifeng during the Song Dynasty.
The theme park has recreated that scene with replicas of restaurants, shops and bridges and performances enacting the rituals of the 12th century.
Kay Phuong is a compact city where most tourists visit for just one day.
To encourage them to stay longer, the city has introduced several live performances, including those at Chenning and Shango Gardens.
My local guide, Liu Meng -Ru, explained that some hotels have been renovated to look like ancient buildings, providing tourists the opportunity to experience the ancient atmosphere.
Exploring downtown Kaifong, you'll find avenues named after different dynasties that chose the city as its capital.
Shops are named after bien zo, Kaifung's name in Song dynasty, or zhou chiao, the ancient landmark bridge.
Many shops are adorned with wooden brackets that support the overhanging eaves of their roofs.
Beyond the old town, Professor Wu Pengfei said, the city has been developing its suburban areas.
The western part is the base for the automobile industry.
While to the north of the city, an ecological corridor has been built along the Yellow River.
In addition, an exhibition hall that embodies Kaifeng's characteristics of cities stacked upon cities, and the herring Yellow River landscape where the riverband rose above the surrounding streets and farmland is currently under construction.
Today, Kaifeng is the third -largest city in Henan province, with a population of 1 .1 million in the city proper.
The Yellow River is currently 10 meters above the level of the city centre, though it's just 10 kilometres away.
However, the local people generally don't think that it poses as much danger.
There is little possibility of flooding again, we have a set of modern facilities to cope with it.
Even if it happens, the flood detention areas will keep the city safe.
It's under control now thanks to the Xiaolangdi reservoir upstream.
Construction of the Xiaolangdi reservoir – the largest of its kind on the Yellow River – was completed in 2001.
It was designed mainly for flood control and sediment dredging.
However, Kaifeng is always on guard.
We are always on the watch during the flood season.
Whoever is on duty is required to answer the phone in three seconds.
Our school has a flood response team.
They take action immediately if needed.
Zhang Fei and his team members were patrolling the river.
Like most of his colleagues, the 41 -year -old man comes from a River Rangers family.
My grandfather was a ranger, so were my uncle and mom.
I inherited a unique connection to the Yellow River under the squirting mid -summer Sun a young man in uniform climbed down a Gaby and dam holding a long bamboo pole get into the river he stuck the pole upright into the water made a mark on it and Climbed back up with help of a rope Upon reaching the shore he was already drenched in sweat.
He explained that he had just measured the depth of the river.
We could use machines to get the job down, but it's more reliable to measure and monitor it manually.
A crack as wide as a chopstick could lead to dam collapse in just a moment.
Out of the 1 ,600 river bank collapses over the course of 2 ,500 years, the Kaifeng section accounted for one -fifth of them.
The fear is in our genes.
According to official data, the amount of sediment carried by the Yellow River has significantly decreased since Xiaolan Li reservoir began operation two decades ago.
As a result, the water level in the Kaifeng section has dropped by an average of three meters.
This was rising from flat, ravaged ruins from our multimedia series, the Yellow River Mosaic.
We'll bring you the final three episodes of the programme next week.
You can also visit radio .cgtn .com for more videos and photos of the series.
Fifty -eight minutes past the hour, checking the forecast before we go.
Beijing is down to three on Friday evening.
Saturday we will see sleet with a high of 6.
Nanshan is nine tonight tomorrow will have slight ring with a high of 12.
Elsewhere in Asia, Islamabad is 11 this evening, Saturday will have slight ring with a high of 22.
Byantien is 23 overnight tomorrow will be sunny with a high of 38.
Penoban is 24 overnight then overcast and 35.
In Africa, Nairobi will see slight ring with a high of 29 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
That's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour, making news today.
Beijing has hosted talks with Iran and Russia on the future of Iran's nuclear program.
On behalf of the staff, this is Tian Lu in the Chinese capital.
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