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This is the beijing hour, examining the events that impact and shape china and the rest of the world.
This is the beijing hour one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host, shane biggum, with you on this wednesday, march 18th 2026.
You're listening to the beijing hour coming to you live from the chinese capital.
On today's program, the Chinese president met with Turkmenistan's national leader in Beijing.
Tehrans retaliated against Israel for the assassinations of two top Iranian officials.
Officials in Beijing are elaborating on the Taiwan region's role in the country's 15th five-year plan.
In business, a major science and technology forum gets underway in Beijing next week.
In sports, China and Australia have battled for a spot in the Asian Cup women's final.
In culture and entertainment.
Tibetan manuscripts taken overseas last century have now been fully published.
Now the day's top stories.
Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has met with Turkmen national leader and chairman of the People's Council in Beijing.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is on a goodwill visit to China until Thursday.
Wang Mengjie has more.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, China and Turkmenistan have enjoyed a healthy and stable growth in bilateral ties.
China and Turkmenistan are important trade partners with a strong economic complementarity.
China has been Turkmenistan's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years.
Turkmenistan holds the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world and is the largest source of popular natural gas imports for China from Central Asia.
As good friends with shared aspirations.
China and Turkmenistan have also made notable achievements in foods such as education and culture.
For example, the two sides are accelerating the Lubang workshop program and are establishing cultural centers in each other's country.
Turkmenistan has said it believes it is.
A strategy to revive the Great Silk Road aligns well with China's Belt and Road Initiative.
And China is also ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation to build a China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future.
That was Wang Mengjie reporting.
Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, is calling on China and Turkmenistan to carry on friendship, consolidate mutual support and deepen cooperation.
He's met with his counterpart, who accompanied the chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan on the visit to China.
Wang said he believes the leaders of the two countries will reach new consensus on deepening bilateral ties and strategic communication on jointly facing global challenges.
Rashid Meridov said his country is willing to work with China to prepare for the China-Central Asia Summit and promote regional peace, stability and development.
For more on bilateral ties.
Tianyu spoke with Professor Chu Cheng, a fellow of the Belton Road Research Center at Minzu University of China.
Professor, how should we interpret the timing of the Turkmen national leader's visit to Beijing?
I think this is a very important visit after in 2025.
Basically, I remember it is in August or September. his son and the current president of Turkmenistan actually have been visiting China.
So I think this is actually very important to revisit again.
And I think in current period of time, I think we have a lot of things looking into that.
For example, After two years, the father, after the son, has actually been visiting China.
It shows that Turkmenistan has actually been showing its very important consistency across the generations of leadership and its stability in the vision of their strategy to work with China.
So I think this is very important to responding towards in 2023.
We have built our comprehensive strategic partnership and also we both agreed to push forward the community with a shared future.
So I think this basically lays out a very important base tone for China and Turkmenstain's cooperation and partnership in the future.
And also, I think, from China's perspective, 2026.
We just wrap up very successfully of our two sessions and we've been announcing our 15 five-year program.
And also 2026, I think it's the beginning year of the whole 15 five-year program.
So I think Turkmenistan actually wants to deeply engage with China in the new round of the development and to seize these opportunities, because we understand that China actually are launching lots of the cooperation projects in energy infrastructure AI, green transition.
So I think, friendly visit out of the diplomacy for sure, but also, I think, is a visit of a very realistic cooperation because there are more opportunities are happening between the two sides.
So I think we can see this visit as a prelude of a deeper and more comprehensive partnership between Turkmenistan with SCO.
So I think we will look into more of the event happening during this event.
So actually, this is going to be very interesting.
Right.
There's indeed a lot to expect from this visit.
The revival of the Great Silk Road is a cornerstone of Turkmenistan's national strategy.
So what specific areas of cooperation could the two countries explore, particularly in synergy with the China proposed Belt and Road Initiative?
Oh yes, this revitalization of the Great Silk Road actually has already been talking to China for quite a while because they find out they have lots of common ground with Belt and Road Initiative.
So basically, these have a lot of the overlapping part and I think we can have one stone of two birds or we can actually achieve win-win result.
Uh, for example, what we have already been discussing between the two countries is with energy industry as our foundation and also through this foundation we're going to expand to you know more of the fronts and also higher levels in the current energy corporations.
I think we're going to focus on higher value added in a downstream industries, which is the chemistry industries, for example, like the methane, like the polymer, and all this kind of chemical industries is going to build no profit for both of the countries.
And also besides the traditional energies, I think Turkmenistan also want to have the green transition, to develop the green energy.
So China has been invited to Turkmenistan to work with them on the wind farm and solar farm in the Caspian Sea coast.
So I think this is going to be very important.
This visit actually will cover many, many things.
Turkmenistan used to be our strange neighbors.
Well, we're very close to each other but we don't have so many of the detailed corporations.
But ever since we got this comprehensive partnership and i think these uh, you know partnership is evolving and developing really fast.
So i think this visit will elevate the whole partnership to a new height and facing the future and provide more of the abilities not only for turkmenistan and china, but also for the whole development of central asia, and provide a lots of the stability for the current turbulent and very, very unstable world.
That was Professor Chu Cheng from Minsu University of China.
China continues to be Turkmenistan's largest trading partner, with Chinese cars becoming a popular choice among local residents.
Chen Tong follows an entrepreneur from Turkmenistan who sells cars via live streaming.
This man who speaks fluent Chinese is named Sapa, and it's from Turkmenistan.
Every day, he comes to the car market for live streaming, selling Chinese cars to Turkmenistan.
SUVs are popular in Turkmenistan because 96% of the land in our country is deserts.
So people want cars that can drive on deserts.
Every month, Safa could sell some 70 cars to Turkmenistan, and the majority of them are Chinese brands.
Engines of Chinese cars are fuel efficient.
Sapa has been living in China for 16 years, but it was until 2022 that he started to export cars, because logistics used to be a big headache.
As an inland country, Turkmenistan relies on ground transportation for foreign trade.
If you spend three months in transportation, new models pop up in three months.
In 2018, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan international highway was opened.
Ports have been gradually opened along the route which allowed Sapa's car to make a transit in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and then head to Turkmenistan.
Now it takes only between 15 days to 20 days for Chinese cars to arrive there.
Chinese car models update every six months.
So to us who do foreign trade, transit time is the most important.
China has been Turkmenistan's largest trading partner for 14 years.
In 2024, bilateral trade between the two nations reached over US$10.65 billion.
Chinese cars, home appliances and smartphones have been popular choices for local consumers.
That was Chen Tong with the story of a Turkmen businessman in China.
Coming up, Iran retaliates for the assassinations of two top officials.
US tech giant Apple is cutting its App Store fees in China, a rare move in one of its most critical markets.
What's driving the change?
Who stands to gain the most?
And could this be the start of a global rethink of big tech's power?
Get these and more on this week's Chat Lounge, wherever you listen to podcasts and on CGTN Radio.
Ten past the hour.
Iran has struck Tel Aviv with cluster missiles in retaliation for the assassinations of two top officials, including its national security chief.
Ali Larajani was the most senior Iranian official to be killed after former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Mesut Pesachian described his death as a major loss to the nation.
Larajani's son and besieged militia force commander Golomerza Soleimani were also killed.
Israel claimed on Tuesday it had killed Larajani in a strike the day before.
Iran's Fars News Agency reports that the Islamic Republic's identified three to seven backup candidates for key government and military positions to ensure the continuity of essential state functions during emergencies.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries will be meeting in the Saudi capital to discuss Iran's attacks on the region.
Ali Larajani was the man tasked with steering Iran's security strategy in its war with the US and Israel following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Born in 1958 in Iraq, Larajani was a member of one of the most influential families in the region, described by Time magazine as the Kennedys of Iran.
Chijir takes a look back at his life.
Ali Larijani joined Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the early 1980s before transitioning to government serving as culture minister in the 1990s.
He was also head of the country's state broadcaster from 1994 until 2004.
Larijani ran for the Iranian presidency in 2005 as a conservative candidate, but did not make it to the second round.
In the same year, he was appointed secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the country's chief nuclear negotiator.
He resigned from those posts in 2007 over disagreements with then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear policies.
Larijani entered parliament in 2008, winning a seat to represent the religious center of Qom, and became the parliamentary speaker.
This allowed Larijani to grow in influence, and he maintained his connections to Iran's nuclear authorities.
He secured parliamentary approval for the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was scuttled three years later by the US.
In August 2025, Larijani returned to the post of Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, once again becoming a central figure in Iran's leadership.
For the Beijing Hour, this is Qi Zhi.
Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, has condemned Israel's killings of Iranian leaders, calling them illegal and urging an end to such actions.
Israel's political assassinations, especially the political assassinations it has carried out against Iranian state officials and politicians, are truly illegal activities.
Outside the norms of the laws of war, these must also be brought to an end as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Wang Jin, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Northwest University in Xi'an, says the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran is already affecting neighboring countries and will be difficult to resolve in the short term.
Xia Cheng spoke with Wang Jin for more.
Well, Professor Wang, the US and Israel have deferred in terms of how long they want to carry out this war.
What's your take on that?
Well, I think the war may be much longer than we could.
We hope that the war could end as early as possible, but given a lot of
The rhetoric, the many signals released by the conflicting parties and also, given that, the very signals released by the original countries, I'm afraid that the war might last much longer than we expect.
Because from the United States and the Israeli levels, the dimensions, their rhetoric are very aggressive.
And also on the other side, from the Iranians' perspective, what their statements released or what their kind of the stances they're holding, is also very, very aggressive or very assertive.
It means that the conflicting parties, they have the strong motivations to continue the war.
And also, on the other hand, if we look at the regional countries, some Arab states, particularly the Gulf Arab states, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and the Kuwait, and maybe Qatar they are now considering to some extent intervening into the war.
So it means very dangerous for everybody.
And also, last but not least, if we look at the, the international community's peace for intervention and peace for mediation.
We see very little progress on that aspect.
So it means that the war might continue and a lot of bad news happen every day, although we hope that some positive news would insert it into the peaceful progress for bringing the different sides coming back to the negotiation table to end the war.
But I'm afraid that war will last much longer than we expect.
Right, so the war drags on.
What's the long-term impact on the region and the world?
I think a lot of bad and negative impact will be imposed to the region and also to the international level, because to the regional level it would be very dangerous for the stability both politically and economically for the regional country. because now the war started two very negative developments in this region over the energies they are both on the one hand they have the now the energy supply line they are facing challenges security challenges i mean that the missiles and drones are attacking the supply line the energy production system in the gulf arab states i mean from ranging from iraq to kuwait to saudi arabia to bahrain to to Emirates, to even Oman.
So a lot of value for the energy supply line.
And also, on the other hand, the energy transportation line also faces a challenge.
Particularly.
We know that the closure of the Hormuz streets it will be dangerous for everybody in this region.
So it means that for the Gulf Arab states, who are heavily dependent on the energy exporting system, will face the revenue challenges, the deficit challenges, because they are heavily dependent on the exporting energy.
And also, on the other hand, if you look at the global market, it means that rising energy price and further it will lead to the rising prices of all the daily necessities.
So it will be very dangerous for everybody in the international community.
So that's why i think if the war continues, nobody will be safe in this region and particularly everybody will be negatively affected.
That was Wang Jin, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Northwest University in Xi'an.
The killing of Iran's top security official is raising concerns in Washington.
Some say that President Trump has lost a key figure who could help moderate hardline views in Iran.
Nick Harper reports.
Well, very little coming out from the actual Trump administration itself.
But of course, this is undoubtedly a blow for Iran.
And Ali Larrajani was essentially running things behind the scenes.
And he was seen as someone who had more of a pragmatic view, who could potentially act as that bridge between the United States and Tehran, someone who could, if Donald Trump decided, take negotiations forward and lead Iran back to the negotiating table.
And, acting as that pragmatic bridge, he was perhaps therefore best placed to be able to not just lead negotiations but potentially talk down some of the hardline views in Tehran.
And there is now that worry.
With Larajani gone, there is more of an opening for extremists, the hardliners in Tehran, to continue their grip on power in the Iranian capital.
So undoubtedly this is a huge blow for the Iranians, but it could cause future problems for the United States and make it even harder for Donald Trump to find that off-ramp in this conflict, giving him some way and someone to negotiate with in order to try and find a peaceful end to this conflict.
That was Nick Harper reporting.
A top US security official resigned over the war in Iran, saying Tehran had posed no imminent threat to the United States.
Joe Kent, who was head of the National Counterterrorism Center, is the first senior official in the Trump administration to quit.
He said he could not support the offensive because it was due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby in the US.
Kent has long been known for his America First beliefs and had opposed US military interventions abroad.
The White House accused Kent of making false claims and said President Trump had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was was going to attack the US first.
The president defended himself, claiming that every country knew Iran was a threat, but was largely unwilling to act.
President Donald Trump has criticized NATO allies for refusing to join his push to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO says it's a defensive alliance and will not take part in the conflict with Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer say their countries will not get involved.
Trump says U.S. support for NATO should be returned as Washington seeks help over Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Arachi, says several ships have been allowed to transit through the Strait of Hormuz after some countries approached Tehran seeking safe passage.
The Turkish Transport Minister says a Turkish ship was granted passage on Friday.
Indian authorities have confirmed that two tankers bound for western India passed through the strait on Saturday.
Bloomberg News says a Pakistani flag tanker sailed out of the Gulf on Sunday.
The Financial Times reports that France and Italy are now seeking talks with Iran to secure passage for their vessels.
U.S.
President Donald Trump has called for a naval coalition to secure the strait, but no nation has agreed.
Arachi says the waterway remains open to all countries except the United States and its allies.
Coming up, China's clarifying the Taiwan region's role in the country's 15th five-year plan.
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21 past the hour.
The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office has elaborated on the Taiwan region's part of the outline of the 15th five-year plan for national economic and social development adopted last week, as well as this year's government work report.
Spokesperson Chen Benhua says businesses from the Taiwan region will see more fresh opportunities in the years ahead.
Zhang Yibing reports.
China's top annual political gathering in March has given the blueprints for Taiwan-related work in the next five years in a dedicated chapter in the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan.
This is also reflected in this year's government work report.
We see the mainland now uses more powerful stance against the separatism in the island, from opposing them to firmly crack down.
The subtle change in wording reflects, in fact, a significant change against the separatist forces.
The outline clearly states that we must thoroughly implement the overall strategy of the party on the Taiwan question in the new era, adhere to the one China principle and the 1992 consensus, resolutely crack down on separatist forces, oppose external interference and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
That also passes on a more open sense for communication and cooperation between both sides of the Taiwan Strait in a 15th five-year planned period starting this year.
Chen Binghua said Taiwan residents are being invited to the mainland to travel, work and live.
He particularly said, with the help and resources of the mainland Taiwan, businesses can find more opportunities in developing traditional, emerging and future industries.
The 15th Five-Year Plan is a period of significant development for the mainland, and it is also a time when Taiwan businessmen and enterprises can achieve great success.
He also showed examples of mainland's goodwill, like the offer of comprehensive energy resources to Taiwan after reunification, even when the world is threatened by chaos and uncertainty.
The spokesperson's remarks are the First such elaboration on the Taiwan part in a 15th five-year plan and a government work report after China's top annual political gathering in March in Beijing.
Using the press conference to make the remarks shows the clear willingness to bring people on both sides of the street closer.
That was Zhang Yibing reporting.
In the meantime, the mainland says it continues to prioritize the safety of its citizens overseas, including Taiwan compatriots stranded in the Middle East.
Chen Ben-Hua says more than 90 Taiwan residents have been assisted in returning home via mainland-arranged flights.
The Chinese consulate general in Istanbul helped facilitate transfers to mainland flights, allowing travelers to return to Taiwan through Shanghai.
Chinese diplomatic missions in Israel and Dubai provided support to others seeking evacuation or safer shelter using hotlines and the China Consular Affairs app.
Those assisted said they felt reassured by the support, describing it as a reflection of close ties across the Taiwan Strait.
Meanwhile, Chen also criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party for what he called repeated attacks on the mainland's efforts, describing the accusations as shameful.
China and the United States have wrapped up two days of high-level talks in Paris.
Amid ongoing trade discussions, American business leaders are expressing renewed optimism.
Chairman James Zimmerman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China says continued dialogue is a key to maintaining market stability.
Zhang Junfeng spoke with him for more.
What we're hoping for is dialogue. to have a discussion.
Because if there's more clarity in the relationship, if there is more predictability and if we build in the guardrails, then it's less likely to have any disruptions.
The parties are talking.
So what came out of Paris is all good news.
The two presidents getting together.
What we do expect is that we're going to see a continuation to move on a path of more dialogue, more discussion.
Because the more the parties talk, if it's just superficial discussions, it gives the business community a sense of optimism.
The optimism is what we need for business confidence.
So I think it's the importance of dialogue cannot be understated.
And then let's talk about President Trump's slated visit to China.
How might his visit to China influence the grand picture, the bilateral economic relationship?
I mean it's important for both sides to continue to have the one-on-one discussions, either in person or by phone.
It may be a slow process, but it's important for business confidence, so that we would at least know that we're on the right track.
You know, so it is important that President Trump to travel to China.
He wants to come.
Members of the White House and people around him want him to come.
They want the visit to be successful.
We would always anticipate purchases, you know, goods and services from the American people.
That always in some respects is important.
The benefits of the meeting are really to keep the relationship on a stable path forward.
More American companies are forecasting profit increase in China.
More are planning to increase their investment gear.
And China remains the third largest investment destination for your members.
You've attributed some of this optimism to a clearer and more manageable trade relationship.
Could you elaborate?
It is clearly a positive sign.
I mean our members see China as a destination with key and critical opportunities for their industry sectors.
It's a process of evolving with the market and adapting to the market.
But it is a good sign.
I mean the US companies.
AmCham member companies clearly have spent the last few years demonstrating resilience.
It's showing that companies still see China as a key destination for investments.
And one important thing is, we do not see a trend towards decoupling.
Also, having just come back from Washington, we don't see decoupling as something that the US government views as realistic.
And that tells us we need to work with China.
That was James Zimmerman, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.
South Korea sent a joint policy research team to Beijing for a three-day visit to study China's autonomous driving and AI policies.
According to Yonhap News, about 20 officials from eight government agencies will meet Chinese authorities, review regulatory frameworks and visit Beijing's autonomous driving demonstration zone.
They'll also visit major Chinese tech companies in the field.
Seoul aims to adopt lessons from China to advance its own autonomous vehicle programs and accelerate pilot city development.
A new approach to elder care is bringing robotics into everyday life in Beijing.
The world's first smart wellness robot elderly care station is opened in one district with more than 40 intelligent robots supporting seniors' daily routines.
The 1000 square meter center features smart dining systems, therapy robots and rehabilitation devices.
We're at 29 past the hour.
Beijing's down to zero Wednesday evening.
Thursday, sunshine and 16.
Shanghai will see a light rainfall and a low of 6 overnight, cloudy and 13 tomorrow.
Chongqing will be overcast and down to 11, then a light rainfall and 17.
Nancheng's getting a light rain overnight and tomorrow, a low of 10, a high of 14.
Laos is getting clouds tonight and tomorrow, a low of minus 2 and a high of 16.
Also in Asia, Islamabad will see a light rain and a low of 12, then 20 on Thursday.
Vientiane will see a light rain and 23 this evening, then cloudy and 36 degrees.
Phnom Penh is getting cloudy conditions overnight and through tomorrow, with a low of 24 and a high of 35 degrees.
It's time for a short break.
So far this hour, the Chinese president's met with Turkmenistan's national leader in Beijing.
Tehran has retaliated against Israel for the assassinations of two top Iranian officials.
And officials in Beijing are elaborating on the Taiwan region's role in the country's 15th five-year plan.
Shane Begum with you.
Stay with us here on the Beijing Hour.
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What if those other heartbeats were to stop?
Would ours keep on ticking?
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We'll see you there examining the events that impact and shape china and the rest of the world.
This is the beijing hour one hour of news and information brought to you every weekday.
Now here's your host, shane megan, with you on this wednesday still to come in business.
A major science and technology forum gets underway in beijing next week.
In sports, china and australia battle for a spot in the asian cup women's final.
And culture and entertainment.
Tibetan manuscripts taken overseas last century have now been fully published.
To contact us, you can email radio at cgtn.com or follow our ex-account at cgtnradio.
First of all, checking the day's headlines, here's Tianli.
Thank you, Shane.
Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has met with the Turkmen national leader and chairman of the People's Council in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with his Turkmen counterpart, who accompanied Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the goodwill visit.
The Chinese diplomat urged the two sides to carry forward friendly tradition, firmly support each other and deepen cooperation.
A Chinese mainland spokesperson says businesses from the Taiwan region will see more fresh opportunities over the 15th five-year plan period.
Chen Binghua with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, says firms from Taiwan can upgrade traditional industries through supply chain collaboration, accelerating digital and smart transformation and moving toward higher-end, greener production.
He added, Taiwan businesses can tap into the mainland's scientific and industrial resources for broader growth.
Meantime, the Chinese mainland says it is ready to provide the island with stable and reliable energy supplies once peaceful reunification is achieved.
Chen Minghua said mainland authorities will ensure that compatriots in the Taiwan region enjoy more affordable, cleaner and more stable energy supplies.
The remarks came in response to a question about concerns regarding energy reserves and supply security in Taiwan amid turbulence in the Middle East.
Chinese researchers say they have made a breakthrough in diabetes treatment by restoring insulin function in patients using lab-grown cell therapy.
A study published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology reports that a team in Shanghai successfully treated three people with type 1 diabetes, potentially reducing the need for lifelong insulin injections.
Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences say the method works by replacing damaged cells in the pancreas with healthy ones growing in the lab.
The new process is faster and safer than existing techniques, cutting preparation time from about 40 days to two weeks and lowering the risk of complications.
Researchers say further studies are needed before the treatment becomes widely available.
Israel says its military carried out a strike on Tuesday night, killing Iranian intelligence minister Ismail Hatib.
Iran did not immediately respond to the claim.
Hatib, a mid-ranking cleric with decades of experience in Iran's intelligence services, was appointed as the country's intelligence minister in 2021.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says Kyiv has deployed more than 200 anti-drone specialists to the Middle East to help counter Iranian drones.
Zelenskyy said the teams are operating in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with more en route to Kuwait.
He added, Ukraine can produce about 2000 interceptor drones daily and could supply up to half to partners, while also developing underwater and ocean-capable drones.
Iranian lawmaker has warned Ukraine it could become a target of its involvement.
Russia has voiced concerns over rising US pressure on Cuba and pledged support for the Caribbean nation.
The Russian foreign ministry condemned attempts to interfere in Cuba's domestic affairs and called the US trade and financial embargo's unprecedented challenges.
Russia said it will continue providing material assistance to Cuba.
Cuba's national power grid suffered a total blackout on Monday and fuel shipments have not arrived for over two months due to the tightened US oil blockade.
President Donald Trump has warned that Cuba could fall pretty soon.
And finally, Argentina says it has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization.
The foreign minister said the country notified the United Nations chief of this decision a year ago.
It takes effect in accordance with the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
A government spokesperson said the withdrawal gives Argentina greater flexibility on policies and availability of resources.
Thank you very much.
That's Tian Liu with Headlines.
Coming up in business, a major science and technology forum gets underway in Beijing next week.
The Beijing Hour, your window on China and the rest of the world.
37 past now.
And with business, here's Tian Liu.
Thank you, Shane.
Stock markets on the Chinese mainland closed higher on Wednesday.
The Shanghai Composite was up around 0.3%, and the Shenzhen Component gained nearly 1%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index increased over 0.6%.
Japan's Nikkei jumped nearly 3%.
The 2026 Zhongguanchun Forum will take place in Beijing from March 25 to 29.
The Ministry of Science and Technology says it expects more than 1000 guests from over 100 countries and regions at the forum.
This year's forum will feature more than 100 events.
It will emphasize the expansion of Beijing's efforts to become an international science and technology innovation center by holding forums and deepening coordination with neighboring Tianjin and Hebei.
The forum also emphasized the deep integration of technological innovation with industrial innovation by focusing on frontier fields such as 6G brain-computer interfaces and cell and gene therapy.
Founded in 2007, the Zhongguancun Forum has evolved into a global high-level event for enhancing innovation in science and technology.
China will channel more medical insurance resources towards primary-level healthcare institutions to make medical services more accessible and affordable.
According to the China National Development and Reform Commission and the National Health Commission, 14 new measures will support the development of primary healthcare services, covering areas such as fund management, reimbursement policies and drug supplies.
Newly added annual medical insurance funds will be tilted towards primary healthcare institutions.
Authorities say the move will ease concerns among primary-level institutions and encourage a shift from treatment-focused care to preventive healthcare.
This move is expected to broaden access to nearby medical services, ensuring that more residents receive insured healthcare close to home.
Authorities also pledged that found settlement procedures will be streamlined to reduce financial pressure on grassroots facilities.
Some regions will be encouraged to lower the proportion of deposit funds required from primary healthcare institutions.
More favourable reimbursement for treatment at primary-level institutions will also be promoted.
Chinese engineers on the front lines of innovation are addressing the country's most urgent technological needs.
Hu Chao finds out how this is taking place at a major stainless steel group in northern China.
This stainless steel foil is just 0.015 millimeters thick, thin enough to tear by hand.
It's an advanced material applied in high-end fields such as aerospace and electronic communications.
It was developed by Taiyuan Iron and Steel Company, or TISCO, a leader in advanced materials.
Behind Breakthrough is its technology center, led by Zhang Wei, who has spent over two decades pushing the boundaries of steel innovation.
In recent years, our products have made breakthroughs across the spectrum from ultra-thin to ultra-thick stainless steel, many of which are now used in sectors such as energy, transportation and intelligent manufacturing.
After studying the correct understanding of what it means to perform well, Zhang says he now has a clearer sense of his mission.
By studying General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks on establishing and practicing a correct understanding of what it means to perform well, we've realized the importance of focusing on the country's urgent needs, serving national strategies and ensuring independent and secure supply of key materials.
Zhang says the company will continue to put more resources into frontline research and support engineers to tackle tough challenges.
We will encourage our engineers to take responsibility with this mindset.
Success doesn't have to come in my tenure, but it must come through my efforts and in this way contribute to China's stainless steel and high-end special steel industries.
Zhang says, aiming for world-class standards, they will focus on innovation, turning breakthrough technologies into real applications that strengthen industry and supply chains.
That was Hu Chao reporting.
Hong Kong International Airport saw strong air traffic performance in February, recording a double-digit growth.
According to the airport authority, Hong Kong handled over 54 million passenger trips last month, representing a yearly increase of 20.
Driven by the Chinese New Year holiday.
The airport saw a passenger peak on February 22, with daily volume exceeding 210000 trips.
The cargo throughput of the first two months rose 8.2% on a yearly basis to 776,000 metric tons.
Among the key trading regions, cargo throughput to and from Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East showed the most significant increases.
Dou Dian Village in southern Beijing runs a complete green cycle.
Crops feed cattle and manure enriches the soil.
Richer land produces better crops and high-quality beef for restaurants and school lunches, benefiting the environment and local livelihoods.
Song Ruixin has the story.
Welcome to Dou Dian Village, where they just broke Beijing's wheat yield record of over 1600 jin per mu.
But here is the coolest thing.
The crops feed the cattle, the cattle feed the soil, then the soil feed the crops.
That is a perfect circle.
Here we are.
We're going to trace a piece of beef back to its roots from our daily dinner table to this field.
The main beef cattle we raise are two breeds, Angus and Lamauzen.
As you can see, the cattle are eating grass right now.
If you smell the feed, it's not just people who eat bread, our cattle also eat bread.
This bread is roughage, which comes from the fields in Dudian village.
After the fields are harvested, the straw comes back to our cattle farm for fermentation and to feed.
This ensures that the feed for our beef cattle is safe and controlled.
Please also take a look at the biobedding under the cattle's feet.
This is the biobedding.
When you entered the farm, did you notice there's almost no smell?
You see, when the cattle produce manure, the biobedding absorbs it.
When it reaches a certain level, reaching a certain humidity level, we collect it all together.
It's collected and sent to our next stage. arrives here.
It undergoes what we call composting and fermentation in these troughs.
It stays here for about 25 days.
If you look there, you can see the color changing.
It's getting darker and darker.
The darker the color, the better the composting and the more effective the whole process.
Next we load it onto trucks and transport it back to the fields yield high harvest.
The whole cycle forms a closed loop.
This field is where the whole cycle begins.
Each year, winter wheat and corns take turns growing up here.
These are not just crops, i believe.
These are perfect menu for cattle thousands of cattle just a kilometer away.
Let's ask our professor how this field to feed relationship actually works.
The wheat is currently at a stage between re-greening and jointing.
This wheat has three typical strong leaves, three large leaves.
Theoretically, each one can form a head of grain.
You can see the wheat has grown so strong and robust.
Perhaps a major reason for this, I think, is closely related to Dudian's model of circular agriculture.
The organic matter content in the soil here is relatively high.
Our company manages the entire process ourselves, raising, slaughtering, processing, and sales.
This forms a complete, closed integrated supply chain, achieving full traceability.
Dou Dian's cattle supply top restaurants and school cafeterias.
Their fields break records, and their soil keeps getting richer.
The farm sold 3,000 head of cattle last year, with a minimum price of 20,000 per head.
Every ton of manure increases in value, by more than two times through processing.
What's more, more than half of the employees at the farm are local villagers.
It turns out, green consumption isn't just a label, it's a story you can trace.
And that was Song Ruixin reporting.
Finally, engineers in Hefei are meticulously upgrading the core of the artificial sun, also known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak.
The high-temperature materials used at this venue originate from neighboring Shanghai, as well as Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
By coordinating the future fusion energy industry in the eastern region, China has established a globally leading closed-loop system for nuclear fusion, ranging from scientific research to engineering and industrialization.
The artificial sound project serves as a powerful case study of how these systems are being put into practice.
It is transforming regional synergy into a tangible competitive edge for businesses and accelerating the timeline for commercial fusion energy.
Thank you very much.
That's Tianyu with Business.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour.
Coming up in sports, China and Australia have battled for a spot in the Asian Cup women's final.
Sideline Story brings you all things sports related.
The hottest topics, latest events, juiciest stories, all with a very personal take.
Subscribe to Sideline Story podcast for heated sports discussions covering events that are happening in China and around the world.
47 passed and turning to sports now.
Here's Yang Guang.
Thank you, Shane.
In football, China has failed to enter the final of the AFC Women's Asian Cup after falling 2-1 to Australia in the semifinal.
The defending champion took the pitch in Perth without star player Wang Shuang, who was suspended after picking up another yellow card in the last eight.
The host struck first in the 17th minute, but China equalized after Zhang Linyan scored the penalty.
Sam Kerr fired home from a tight angle in the 58th minute to score the winner.
Zhang says there was a clear gap in quality between the two sides that her team can learn from.
I think we executed everything we had prepared out there.
The coaches didn't want us to sit back in such an open end-to-end game.
They wanted us to keep pressing, to constantly put pressure on them and not let them feel comfortable.
I think the final score probably reflects the gap between us.
We created a lot of chances early on, but they were more clinical.
They took their opportunities.
Maybe we could have been a bit more patient with our link-up play in the final third.
The final of the Women's Asian Cup will be on Saturday in Sydney.
In the UEFA Champions League, Sporting has become the fifth team in the tournament's history to overcome a first-leg deficit of three goals or more.
It thrashed above the limit of 5-0 to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit and reached the quarter-finals winning 5-3 on aggregate.
It's also the first time that Sporting entered the last eight of the tournament in over four decades.
Head coach Rui Borges praised his team's relentless intensity in the historic comeback.
But nothing more than that.
It was a great game from the whole team, both from those who played and those who came on.
It was 120 minutes, but especially in the 90 minutes of regular time the intensity was extremely high.
We managed to keep that very high intensity and that was what was required.
We had to stick to it and we were aware of that.
Sporting will face Arsenal in the quarter-final.
The Gunners got past Leverkusen 2-0 at home to reach the last eight, winning 3-1 on aggregate.
Manager Mikel Lorteta saluted the goal scored by Ebrechi Asi as a moment of magic.
We started the game so well.
I think we were a threat from every angle.
They keep it, as you said, maintaining them in the game, I think.
We needed a magical moment from Ebrechi Asi to score a wonderful goal.
I want the first strike to give us the lead.
And in the second half we have periods of domination, periods where they dominate us all because they are a really good side and they are really good in what they do.
And again, Declan's actions opened the opportunity to go and win the game and the tie.
And unfortunately as well.
We had four or five situations where we should have probably scored the third one and put the game to bed.
Overall, I think we fully deserve to be in the quarterfinals.
Meantime, Real Madrid eased into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over 10-man Man City, completing a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Head coach Alvaro Avilao accredited his players' quality and attitude in the win.
This is the third straight season that Real Madrid has eliminated Man City from the tournament.
Barcelona is preparing for the second leg of its Champions League round of 16 clash with Newcastle, following a 1-0 draw in last week's opening leg.
Head coach Hansi Flick, says his side must deliver a perfect match if they want to overcome the physicality of the Premier League club.
He adds that his time at Barcelona will likely be the final chapter of his coaching career and that he is content in his current role.
At the moment or I'm fulfilling my life that I'm independent.
I have a fantastic family.
I'm very happy about that.
And also good stuff here.
And I know also the support from everyone here in Barcelona.
It's fantastic.
But at the end, no, it's football.
And I have no...
No thoughts about going to another place or like that.
No, why not?
I'm here and it will be my last job here and I'm really happy about that.
Meantime.
Liverpool manager Arne Slott says he's confident that the fans will back his side as they attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Galatasaray in the last 16 second leg at home.
It's never nice. that they are frustrated because usually fans are not frustrated after you win.
Second of all, people have told me when I came here, this club is different than other clubs.
They will support the manager for such and such and such a long time.
So the moment, if it's true what you're saying I don't feel this at all then I must have done a lot of things wrong, and that's never a nice feeling to have.
I also know how the football industry works.
Winning can change a lot.
Liverpool fans inside Anfield run out boos after the club's draw with the Spurs in an English Premier League match on Sunday.
And finally, Morocco has been awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, after the Confederation of African Football overturned the results of the final, following Senegal's walk-off.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final, but the match was met by controversy when Senegalese players refused to continue after Morocco was awarded a stoppage time penalty with a score level.
That decision means Morocco is the African champion for the first time in 50 years.
Thank you very much.
That's Yong Guang with sports.
You're listening to the Beijing Hour and coming up in culture and entertainment.
Tibetan manuscripts taken overseas last century have now been fully published.
East to west, people in China are chasing their dreams and leaving their mark.
Want to know how they beat the odds and made a difference?
Footprints brings you the true life stories of their journeys.
53 past now turning to culture and entertainment.
A Spanish artist in Shanghai has gained a reputation among the Chinese creator community for his Chinese zodiac animal designs.
Zheng Hong has more.
For over a decade, Spanish illustrator Juan Carlos Paz Gomez, also known as Baguia, has been drawing the Chinese zodiac animals.
Those animals appear against the landmarks of Madrid.
But until recently, he had never been to China.
Now, with his latest illustrations on display at the China Securities Museum in Shanghai, the artist has finally arrived in a country that inspired the series.
And this time the zodiac animal, the horse, leaps into Shanghai's North Bond, rising against the backdrop of the city's waterfront skyline.
It's not the same to be in Madrid looking for information on the internet, because here, I can feel you know, it's not only seeing photographs on websites.
I feel that this is a really open city and a multicultural city.
We feel so good here.
Baguia began creating Chinese zodiac posters in 2016, when the Madrid city government invited him to design artwork promoting the Chinese New Year in the city's Chinatown area.
What started as a cultural introduction for Spanish audiences soon became a yearly tradition.
In the first year.
I mean, maybe it was surprising because they know nothing about the spring festival, but now in january, the people write to me to ask where which animal is the animal of this year?
His latest works are being shown alongside pieces by chinese and foreign artists responding to the same theme.
One local illustrator created a horse wandering through the north bond dressed in traditional chinese clothing.
This is not only a symbiotic relationship between animals and nature, but also, I believe, an expression of the symbiosis between traditional symbols and modernity.
This is a perspective that I consistently aim to convey in my work.
The two artists also had a chance to exchange ideas, discovering unexpected similarities between Spanish and Chinese visual traditions.
He used a uniquely robust Spanish horse breed to express his excitement for the arrival of the Year of the Horse.
Since I personally enjoy creating different patterns.
While viewing his work, I also noticed that many of these Spanish patterns actually share similarities with Chinese patterns.
We have known a lot of artists with different styles and maybe their influence is going to go in with me to Spain.
The exhibition is part of the Rendezvous at North Bund International Artists in Residence program, a cultural initiative launched in Shanghai's Hongkou district.
Over the past few years, we have invited artists from countries such as Italy, Russia and Bulgaria for residency programs.
Through their on-site understanding of the North Bund, they have created artworks.
So far, we have produced over 300 pieces.
In the near future we will also publish a very exquisite collection of works to showcase the achievements of the past five years.
That was a report about a Spanish artist famous among the Chinese creator community for zodiac animal designs.
Northwest Minz Universities announced that the content of Tibetan manuscripts from Dunhuang currently held in the UK and France had been fully compiled and published.
61 volumes of Dunhuang manuscripts written in the Tibetan language, were taken abroad from the library cave of the Mogao Grottoes in the northwest Chinese city in the early 20th century.
They were kept in collections in the British Library and the National Library of France.
57 past the hour.
Beijing down to zero Wednesday evening.
Sunny and 16 for Thursday.
Shanghai is getting a light rainfall tonight.
A low of 6.
Cloudy and 13 tomorrow.
Chongqing will be overcast and down to 11, followed by light rain and 17.
Nanchang is getting some rain overnight and through tomorrow with a low of 10, a high of 14.
Last is cloudy tonight and tomorrow.
A low of minus 2.
The high is 16 degrees.
Elsewhere in Asia.
Islamabad will see a light, rain and 12 degrees overnight, then a high of 20 on Thursday.
Vientiane will see some rain and 23 this evening, followed by clouds and 36.
And that's it for this edition of the Beijing Hour.
Making news today, the Chinese president's met with Turkmenistan's national leader in Beijing, and Tehran has retaliated against Israel for the assassination of two top Iranian officials.
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 6 p.m.
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 a living from the river.
Would you like to move away from the Yellow River?
I don't think I will.
I love it so much.
The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is regarded as a shaping force in the history, economy and culture of northern China.
Today, about 100 million people live within its water basin, making up nearly 9 of the country's population.
How is climate change felt at its headwaters? what are the locals doing to cope with it?
What are the descendants of the boatmen doing?
What has kept some people from leaving their home village by the river?
And what has drawn others back?
Could the fading fishing community revive in a time of digital transformation?
From 2021 to 2024.
Our reporters visited the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.
Talk to the herders farmers boatmen, fishermen and eco-activists who share a close bond with the river.
And present their stories in pictures, podcasts and videos.
All in our 12-part series, The Yellow River Mosaic.
Available only on CGTN Radio.
